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FIT Service Specialty: Auditing the Safety Program |
Safety has been the top priority for all most all process industry plants for a number of years. A tremendous amount of effort has been put into improving safety. FIT provides specialty consulting services, reviewing and auditing the safety program to achieve premiere safety performance and minimize risk of costly injuries and plant damage. Excellence in safety supports and encourages excellence in reliability, capacity utilization and other critical operational and business metrics.
The review and audit focus on the personnel safety program, the process safety program, or both. Current programs and performance will be benchmarked against industry “Best Practices”.
Personnel Safety Scope of WorkFIT consultants will interview employees starting with the top management and extending through the organization. Depending on the size of the facility between thirty and one hundred employees are interviewed to get a representative picture across the site.
The Personnel Safety review has two parts. The first is the personnel safety management system and structure. The existing management system will be captured by review of documentation and through interviews of management and employees. The system will then be compared with best practice systems and structures.
In this part of the Personnel Safety program specific areas explored include:
Personnel Safety Management SystemThe second part of the Personnel Safety program the FIT consultants is the perceptions of the employees of the program. This portion of the review takes the view that "perception is reality". The FIT consultants will identify the range of employee views and the predominant view. In many cases the employees? view of the program is far different from what is intended. Employees may be reluctant to express their views to the local management or the management can become numb to the same old gripes. Use of "outside ears" can be helpful in finding the employees views.
The FIT consultants will also explore "What makes you think that?" or "What gives you that impression?" in addition to the attitude or opinion. This can provide new and important clues to what needs to be done to achieve a breakthrough in personnel safety performance. Again "outside ears" can be helpful.
Specific areas explored are:
Employee Perceptions of Safety ProgramThe information collected will provide an assessment of:
In each case data and information used in drawing the conclusions will be reported.
Process Safety Regulation Compliance Scope of WorkThe review of the process safety compliance program will parallel OSHA 1010.119. Each element of the required program will be examined.
Specifics reviewed will include all injury accidents or illnesses over the previous two to five years, any process safety incidents, and capital project records. Observations of the facility condition will be made during field visits for interviews of operations and maintenance personnel.
The process safety audit will usually be conducted in one calendar week. A list of information for familiarization and study prior to the on-site work will be requested.
Process Safety Regulation Compliance ReviewIn many cases the site may wish employees to participate in the study as part of the review team. That is encouraged. Full time participation in the review provides greater depth of understanding of the findings and the basis of the findings and improves follow-up. Participants need to be dedicated full time during the review.
FIT Recommendations for Improvements:From the information gathered recommendations will be developed for improvements to the program and implementation of the program.
Work Product:A preliminary report on findings and recommendations of the review will be provided, usually on the afternoon of the fourth day. A final report will be provided, normally the following, final afternoon. The report-out will be from a PowerPoint presentation. A written report will usually be provided within two weeks after the on-site review.