In the early 70s leaded gasoline was found to be detrimental to people's health. Refiners were using it to boost the octane level. In an unprecedented goodwill demonstration the petroleum industry agreed to eliminate it from their refining process to safeguard the health of consumers. Had the properties and negative effects of the raw material been investigated before, leaded gasoline would probably never have seen the light of day. Such examples illustrate how critical it is to give the manufacturing process of any given product extra attention as for the impact it may have on the workers and consumers at the end of the line.

Evaluating the effect that your manufacturing process has on the final product is paramount. During this evaluation it is important to factor in the external factors such as the products that are being used to manipulate and transform the raw material. Very often products are contaminated by external factors such as human resources, manufacturing equipment and accessories or the work environment itself.

Found among the recommended manufacturing process practices are the following:

•  Verify compatibility of raw materials when coupled together

•  Schedule a detailed equipment inspection program

•  Develop a human resources sanitary policy and monitor compliance on a regular basis

•  Use clean, safe and reliable protective apparel

•  Put in place a strict and efficient facility and equipment sanitation process to avoid outside contaminants from coming in contact with your product

Many factors have a direct impact on the success of your operations. Paying close attention to every aspect of your manufacturing process is key to ensuring that your product will not be altered during the manufacturing process and/or harm workers and end-users.