ENVIRONMENTS WHERE INNOVATION THRIVES
Risk reduction should not only be measured in terms of output and equipment reliability, but most importantly in people safety. Edwards continues to encourage a strong safety culture.
Edwards' approach to risk mitigation goes further than designing-out risk in systems and equipment. We capitalise on technology with an incident reporting app giving every worker the ability to ensure a safe workplace.
We also collaborate with our customers to achieve a holistic risk reduction strategy focused on safety in their environments. For Edwards, safety is not simply a matter of compliance, but an ingrained aspect of our culture, with our experts regularly consulted to form global safety standards.
Safety in the Fab and SubFab
The semiconductor industry is renowned for safety challenges, with serious or even fatal, incidents making the news. Yet careful system design and a high awareness of risk means many such events could be avoided.
At Edwards we work with our customers in the development of clear and effective operating procedures and guidelines – in industry jargon “best known methods”, or BKMs – to ensure the equipment not only achieves its full performance potential, but also that safety integrity is maintained. We back this up with a long history of a safety culture at Edwards.
In fact, as one of the global leaders in the manufacture of SubFab equipment, Edwards is perhaps best placed to define these guidelines. We have acquired an understanding of the risks posed by hazardous materials on a case-by-case basis, during the course of system optimisation across the largest install base in the world. Frequent development of BKMs is undertaken, using the skill and experience of our team of applications engineers, in collaboration with the process tool manufacturer or early adopters.
Safety as integral part of our service offer
Our customers can expect the active participation of our service personnel who are responsible for installing, commissioning and maintaining the equipment. They bring first-hand knowledge and experience of the potential hazards and are invariably in the frontline should safety events threaten.
Edwards has recently introduced its Semiconductor Intelligent Service. This is service that is data-informed, reducing guesswork as to the condition of operational equipment, providing yet another layer of sophistication in the safety battle.
Energetic materials and risk migration video
Actively engaged in setting safety standards
Edwards establish best known methods by using proprietary vacuum modelling software, vacuum and abatement technology testing and then our global team of applications specialists refine them. See the video 'Energetic materials and risk mitigation' by Edwards expert Steve Cottle.
Our experts continuously seek to raise standards in terms of emissions which can be a health hazard. In fact, Edwards experts developed the industry standard of the way to measure PM2.5, where none existed.
