Expanding a facility or bringing a new production line online is an exciting sign of growth, but it is also one of the riskiest periods for injuries, equipment damage, and costly delays. Temporary construction activities, unfamiliar workflows, and new contractors all combine to create hazards that are very different from day‑to‑day operations. Without a clear plan to identify and control these risks, even well‑run plants can see incident rates spike during expansion projects.
This toolbox talk explains the top safety risks that appear during facility expansions and new lines, and outlines practical controls you can apply before, during, and after the project. Use it to brief supervisors, employees, and contractors so everyone understands what can go wrong and how to prevent it.
Why Expansions and New Lines Are High‑Risk
Normal operations benefit from stable processes, trained personnel, and established safeguards. Expansions and new lines, by contrast, introduce:
- New or modified equipment
- Temporary workspaces and access routes
- Multiple contractors with different safety cultures
- Frequent changes to layouts, utilities, and traffic patterns
- Compressed schedules and pressure to “get online”
These factors erode the controls that normally keep people safe. For example, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has repeatedly highlighted how process changes and project work, if poorly managed, contribute to serious incidents in manufacturing and processing environments (CSB Safety Digests and Reports). Treat every expansion as a period of elevated risk, not business as usual.
Top Risk 1: Construction and Contractor Activities Inside an Operating Facility
Contractors are often performing hot work, working at height, cutting into utilities, or installing heavy equipment next to live operations. This raises risks such as:
- Struck‑by and caught‑between incidents from cranes, forklifts, and rigging
- Falls from ladders, scaffolds, and mezzanines
- Fires and explosions from welding, cutting, or grinding
- Line strikes on live electrical, gas, steam, or process utilities
- Use a robust contractor prequalification process that reviews safety performance, training, and permits‑to‑work.
- Require site‑specific orientations covering local hazards, emergency response, PPE, and reporting.
- Implement strict permit‑to‑work for hot work, confined space entry, lockout/tagout (LOTO), line breaking, and excavation.
- Assign a competent internal supervisor to coordinate and oversee all contractor activities and ensure work stays within the defined scope.
Top Risk 2: Changing Traffic Patterns and Material Flows
Facility expansions often introduce temporary barriers, laydown areas, new doorways, and revised forklift routes. Normal pedestrian walkways may be blocked or rerouted. This can quickly lead to:
- Vehicle‑pedestrian conflicts
- Forklift collisions with structures or temporary barricades
- Poor visibility at new intersections and blind corners
- Materials staged in unsafe or unstable configurations
- Update traffic management plans before any construction begins, including separate routes for vehicles and pedestrians where possible.
- Mark new walkways, exclusion zones, and staging areas clearly with tape, signs, barriers, and lighting.
- Use spotters and reduced speed limits in congested project areas.
- Review and update the plan weekly as the project footprint changes.
Top Risk 3: New Equipment Commissioning and Energy Sources
New and modified equipment bring new energy sources, guarding requirements, and failure modes. Early in commissioning, controls may be incomplete or not yet validated. Risks include:
- Unexpected start‑ups injuring operators or contractors
- Inadequate machine guarding or bypassed interlocks
- Incorrect wiring or controls logic leading to erratic behavior
- Exposure to new hazardous energies: high voltage, hydraulic, pneumatic, or stored mechanical energy
- Apply a formal Management of Change (MOC) process to every new line and significant modification, including hazard analysis and approvals.
- Require documented pre‑startup safety reviews (PSSRs) to confirm guarding, LOTO, emergency stops, and signage are in place and tested.
- Keep temporary bypasses, jumpers, and overrides strictly controlled, documented, and time‑limited.
- Train operators and maintenance staff on new equipment hazards before they operate or service it, not after it is online.
Top Risk 4: Process Safety and Hazardous Materials Changes
Where expansions involve chemicals, high pressure, flammable materials, or dust‑generating processes, the stakes are even higher. These projects can alter inventories, flow rates, relief paths, and ventilation in ways that are not always obvious.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that poor Management of Change is a recurring root cause in catastrophic process incidents governed by its Process Safety Management standard (OSHA PSM). Risks include:
- Overpressure or releases due to undersized relief systems
- Inadequate ventilation and accumulation of flammable vapors or combustible dust
- New incompatibilities between chemicals or waste streams
- Poorly understood alarm and interlock functions
- Conduct or update process hazard analyses (PHAs) when changes affect hazardous materials, equipment, or operating parameters.
- Review relief systems, ventilation, and gas or dust detection against the new design.
- Update written operating procedures, safe operating limits, and emergency response plans before startup.
- Verify that safety‑critical instrumentation, alarms, and shutdowns are installed, calibrated, and functionally tested.
Top Risk 5: Working at Height and Changing Structures
New mezzanines, platforms, pipe racks, and building extensions introduce extensive work at height. During construction, permanent guardrails, stairs, or fixed ladders may not yet be installed. Risks include:
- Falls from open edges, roofs, and platforms
- Objects dropped from height onto workers or equipment below
- Improvised access methods such as standing on pallets or using non‑rated equipment
- Require fall protection according to applicable regulations whenever working at or above the trigger height.
- Use engineered solutions first: permanent guardrails, proper stairs, and rated work platforms.
- Control dropped‑object risks with toeboards, tool lanyards, and exclusion zones under overhead work.
- Enforce inspection and proper use of ladders and mobile elevating work platforms.
Top Risk 6: Confusing Changes for Frontline Workers
During expansions and line changes, employees may be asked to work around barriers, noise, and unfamiliar layouts. Operating procedures may be changing rapidly. This can lead to:
- Shortcuts and risk‑taking to maintain production during disruption
- Human error due to unclear procedures, signage, or labeling
- Missed alarms or instructions because of construction noise and distraction
- Increased stress and fatigue from overtime and changing shifts
- Communicate planned changes clearly and early to all affected teams, using visuals and maps wherever possible.
- Update signage and labeling promptly when equipment, valves, or routes change.
- Build in extra time for training and job safety analyses (JSAs) during the transition.
- Encourage reporting of near misses and unsafe conditions so emerging issues are identified and corrected quickly.
Top Risk 7: Compressed Schedules and Production Pressure
Most expansion projects run under tight timelines and fixed start dates. When deadlines slip, pressure builds. This can result in:
- Skipped permits, inspections, or tests
- Deferred housekeeping and poor site organization
- Workers rushing, multitasking, or working extended hours
- Safety staff spread too thin across multiple work fronts
- Set realistic schedules that account for safety reviews, inspections, and rework, not just installation time.
- Make it clear that safety requirements are non‑negotiable, even when behind schedule.
- Provide adequate safety oversight, including enough competent supervisors and safety professionals for the project size.
- Track leading indicators such as permits issued, inspections completed, and near misses to spot pressure‑driven shortcuts.
Using Toolbox Talks to Keep Expansions Safe
Toolbox talks are a practical way to keep safety front and center during facility expansions and new lines. Short, focused sessions at the start of the shift allow you to:
- Highlight the specific work and hazards planned for that day
- Review controls such as permits, PPE, and exclusion zones
- Clarify any changes in access, traffic routes, or isolation points
- Reinforce the expectation to stop work and escalate if conditions change
By systematically addressing the top risks outlined above and embedding them into daily toolbox talks, you can reduce injuries, protect your investment in new assets, and bring new capacity online without sacrificing safety performance.
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