In 2003, AstraZeneca, Westborough (AZWB) planned, developed and implemented the BEdT* (Building Excellence in Safety (SHE) & Quality Together) Program. BEdT is a far-reaching, behavior-based program aimed to improve two vital aspects of a pharmaceutical manufacturing site: SHE and Quality compliance. The foundation of AZWB's BEdT program is an innovative partnership between two complimentary organizations, Quality Assurance (QA) and Safety, Health and Environment (SHE). SHE and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are core to AstraZeneca's business, and we believe that BEdT will ensure that our employees never lose sight of our aspirational goal of zero accidents and incidents (Target Zero) and Right-First-Time (100% quality compliance). The program has required a team approach and active participation by employees from diverse backgrounds.
There are several reasons why AZWB chose to invest in the BE?T program. Some of these reasons will become more apparent after first taking a step back to review where we've been as a site and the challenges ahead.
*The Greek letter "d" (delta), used commonly to represent change, was chosen as a hybrid of the combined "S" & "Q" in our acronym.
Since the AstraZeneca merger in 1999, the AstraZeneca Westborough Supply Site has undergone a tremendous transformation, not only in our overall business performance, but in our SHE performance as well. Statistically speaking, AZ Westborough has demonstrated exceptional SHE performance improvement over the past three or four years. While this is great news for our employees and the site, it has presented the SHE team with an interesting challenge. How do we maintain or improve on the current performance trend? And from a practical standpoint, do the statistics reflect reality? Finally, on both levels, how do we demonstrate continued SHE performance improvement going forward? What, if anything, do we need to do differently?
When further defining this issue, the SHE team in Westborough recognized:
We were at a point where statistical SHE performance improvement was starting to "plateau"
A minimal uptick in injury or illness incidence at first glance may have given the appearance of declining SHE performance
From a practical standpoint, we were confident that there was still a good deal of room for improvement
While SHE remained a key element of our culture at the site, it was not yet fully integrated into the business
Initiating any new SHE programs, as "stand-alone" initiatives in the midst of good SHE performance may have not been well received by employees or may have been perceived as "just another SHE program"
And more importantly, we needed an innovative approach.
Reaching our vision of Being the Best in SHE meant taking a new approach-recognizing the possibility that incremental improvements in performance could not be achieved using the same methods and thinking that gave us the level of performance we have today. The way forward involves a more innovative, business-integrated, customer focused mindset. Success will only be achieved when SHE is perceived by our internal and external customers as a true business partner.
