Assessment and Comparison of Occupational Health and Safety Management Performance in Two Edible Oil Production Factories Utilizing the Total Quality Safety Management (TQSM) Model

Introduction: The Total Quality Safety Management (TQSM) model is a tool used to assess the performance of occupational health and safety (OHS) management. This study evaluated the OHS management performance in two edible oil production factories using the TQSM model. Material and Methods: A total of 78 OHS-related evaluation criteria across four main areas of the TQSM model were assessed at the Saboos Mazand (Factory 1) and Mino Caspian (Factory 2) factories, located in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The four areas included Total Quality Management (TQM), the ISO 9001 Quality Management System guidelines, the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), and Process Safety Management (PSM). The study population consisted of 20 individuals from each factory, including managers, supervisors, and members of the OHS Committee, all with at least one year of experience in their respective roles. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Both factories had established active management systems for quality management (ISO 9001), customer satisfaction management (ISO 10002), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) at the time of the study, reflecting the nature of the industry. Results: The total scores achieved by Factory 1 and Factory 2 across the four main areas were as follows: 52.11 and 51.8 in the TQM area, 43.94 and 45.5 in the QMS-ISO 9001 area, 45.23 and 46.45 in the VPP area, and 30.22 and 30.06 in the PSM area. The overall scores obtained in the TQSM model were 171.51 for Factory 1 and 173.81 for Factory 2, corresponding to 54.97% and 55.7% of the maximum achievable score, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the mean scores across the four areas of the TQSM model for the two factories (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both factories exhibited an overall average performance level in OHS management. The evaluation criteria across the four areas of the TQSM model indicated weak to moderate conditions in the assessed subareas. Effectively using this model highlighted the organizational and operational areas requiring increased effort and focus to enhance OHS management performance in both factories.