Operational Controls and Contract Management Overview
Integrating Safety and Health in Operations and Maintenance
Integrating safety and health into operations and maintenance is crucial for predicting and preventing incidents and ensuring a secure work environment. This involves organizing work predictably, specifying procedures, and implementing controlled measures for high-risk activities. The key elements are safe work procedures and permits to work. It should be noted that whenever engineering and design codes, standards or regulatory requirements are absent or inadequate, either ISO standards (www.iso.org), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Australian Standards (AS/NZS) or European Standards (EN) should be referenced and followed to ensure safe work practices among contract and non-contract employees.
Safe Work Procedures and Permits to Work
Safe work procedures provide a specified approach to conducting activities. They are generated from risk assessments and should involve workers, be used for training, and be audited by supervisors. Misuse or avoidance should be corrected, while adherence should be reinforced positively. In instances where tasks are not inherently predictable, such as in non-routine work, it is imperative to establish procedures for risk assessment and measures to enhance control and predictability in the work task. If the safe outcome of the task is uncertain, it should not be attempted until there is certainty. Examples include hot work, confined space entry, high voltage electrical work, lifting and rigging, energy isolation, etc. Permits offer controlled procedures for high-risk tasks. Misuse or avoidance is addressed through corrective discipline, and adherence is recognized positively.
Role of Line and Senior Management
Line and senior management play a crucial role in preventing incidents. Safety is considered a line function, with a focus on integrating safety and health into operations and maintenance activities. A key area of emphasis for line management within the CORESafety SHMS is to integrate safety and health seamlessly into operations and maintenance activities. Attaining excellence in mine safety involves executing work tasks in an organized and predictable manner.
Data Collection and Management Records
Collecting safety and health data and maintaining appropriate records, including policies, objectives, responsibilities, audit investigations, and management reviews, is essential. Documentation should align with organizational size, complexity, and risks. Further, the SHMS should identify those documents that require retention and maintenance while not detracting from proactive efforts. Finally, consideration should be given to backing up key information in multiple places that are accessible on and off online networks. This practice becomes especially important if there is an emergency.
Designing and Commissioning
Designing, procuring, and commissioning new facilities should prioritize safety and health performance throughout the operational life. The “hierarchy of controls” and good design principles should minimize risks. Compliance with standards and regulatory requirements is crucial. As an example, safety and health management requirements should be incorporated as a part of all relevant design reviews for construction, operation and maintenance for new fixed installations, mobile equipment and systems. Importantly, the design and construction for any project should include safety and health management considerations that target regulatory standards as the minimal allowable risk on site.
Contract Management
Contractors are often hired for specific, high hazard tasks and play a crucial role in safety and health management within facilities, whether they are contract workers or involved in project work. However, they frequently encounter comparable, if not greater, risks compared to company employees and have historically sustained more fatalities and serious injuries than mine-based employees. Without proper guidance and instruction on working safely, contractors may introduce new hazards to the workplace, posing risks to both themselves and company workers. Project proposals should include safety and health criteria. Contractors must be pre-screened for safety and health competencies. Ensuring contractors are aware of safety requirements is vital, and factors like selection, orientation, and enforcement contribute to success outlined below:
- Selection and bidding: Contractor selection should be conducted using a screening process to ensure adequate safety and health management competencies and experience. Contractors should know the company’s safety and health management requirements in the bidding process.
- Orientation and training: Once selected, contractors, vendors and visitors should be provided adequate orientation and any ancillary training necessary to understand site rules, safe work and emergency procedures, communication protocols or other site requirements.
- Enforcement: Company employees should be authorized to question the safety and health practices and behaviors of any contractor or other third party working on site.
- Procurement policy: Companies should develop a safe procurement policy in which purchases of fixed or mobile equipment include coordination with the vendor to ensure the equipment comes engineered with all necessary safety features and controls, e.g., noise control on stationary motors and pumps, maintenance access points on mobile equipment, diesel exhaust controls, etc.
Conclusion
A comprehensive approach to integrating safety and health in operations and maintenance involves safe work procedures, permits, management involvement, data management, and collaboration with contractors. This ensures a secure work environment and prevents incidents throughout the facility’s operational life.
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