OHS Safety Management System National Implementation Project - Research Paper Example

OHS Safety Management System National Implementation Project Background For the longest time, the Company has used more than 15 different systems across sites around Australia. Some of these systems documentation does not comply with Legislation with the added complexity to audit compliance and resources required to manage these systems. The aim of this project is to develop one safety management system throughout the company nationally. The strategy will be piloted in five (5) different pilot sites in New South Wales incorporating the business units of the company. This will determine how safety is managed on these sites. Feedback will be required to make the necessary changes to the system. The project will involve developing 54 Safe Operating procedures, 14 of these are system SOP’s which will be trailed and practiced on these sites and after the pilot these sites will be ready for use before the beginning of 2012. Full implementation in every State of Australia by the middle of 2012 will follow to comply with this requirement.  Introduction The project management evaluation framework in implementing the safety management system consist of four areas; project time management, project scope management, project quality management, and project cost management. These four areas are important because they lead to particular project objectives. They are the key competencies that have to be developed. The project scope will entail defining and managing all the work that is needed to effectively finish the project. The time management area will estimate the period it will take to complete the work. An acceptable project schedule will also be developed to ensure that the project is completed in the set time. The cost management area will consist of preparing as well as managing the project’s budget. Quality management will make certain that the project will satisfy the implied needs for which it was embarked on. These four facilitating management areas of this project will be risk, human resource, communications as well as procurement management. These are the processed via which the project objectives will be achieved. Project human resource management will focus on making valuable use of the individuals involved in implementing the safety management system. Through communications management, project information will be generated, collected, transmitted as well as stored. Project risk management will ensure identification, analysis, and response to risks arising when implementing the project. Procurement management will entail procuring or acquiring goods as well as services for a project from external performing companies. The Project Management Institute describes the project management as the utilization of skills, knowledge, techniques, as well as tools to the activities of the project in order to meet the requirements of the project (41). This shows that those involved in managing a project have to strive to meet the expectations and needs of the people affected or involved by the activities of the project (Sai Global Limited). The main elements of this framework are the project management areas and project stakeholders. The stakeholders are the people affected or involved in the activities and encompass project team, project sponsor, users, support staff, suppliers, customers, and also project opponents. The implementation of a national safety management system will take place in four phases which will be used as an outline for evaluating the effectiveness of project implementation. Phase one will involve planning of OHS national Safety management system. Phase two will focus on reactive safety management processes. The third phase will focus on predictive and proactive safety management processes whereas the fourth phase will focus on operational safety assurance. This phased approach to implementing a national safety management system is a clear-cut process. It is evident that complex projects in management of projects are best progressed through breaking down the entire intricacy of the task at hand into smaller and controllable subcomponents of the entire task (Schon 167). This will allow for smaller or partial resources allotment to complete activities subsets. The fractional allocation of resources may be more corresponding with the requirement of every activity and the resources that the organization has (Richman 47). This phased approach to the national safety management system implementation is thus justified as it will offer a manageable series of steps to pursue in national safety management system implementation including resources allocation. The approach will also enable the management to effectively manage the workload associated with the implementation of the Safety management system (Locke, Shaw, Saari & Latham 36). Phase 1 of the national safety management system implementations will offer a blue print on how the national Management System requisites will be met and incorporated in the work activities of the organization and an accountability framework for safety management system implementation. In phase one fundamental planning and assignment of duties will be established. Gap analysis is also very important in this phase. A Gap analysis is an analysis of the different safety systems to recognize the safety structures and arrangements that are already in existence and to find out additional safety arrangements needed for implementation and maintenance of a national safety management system (Kendrick 62). An analysis of the safety system will come in handy in determining the elements and components of an integrated national safety management system. The gap analysis will also identify the elements and components that need to be developed (Davidson 79). The gap analysis will be done and upon completion, it will form the basis of the OHS Safety management system implementation project. The fundamental output of this phase is the safety management system implementation plan. At the completion of this phase, there are various activities that will be finalized in such a way that meets the expectation of a national safety management system. First and foremost, the executives that will be accountable for the national safety management system and the safety accountabilities of the managers will be identified. Second, the planning group or persons within the company responsible for implementing the safety management system will also be identified. Third, the system will also be described. A gap analysis of the company existing resources will be compared to the international and national requirement for establishing a safety management system. All documentation related to safety objectives and policy will be developed, for instance a safety policy statement. The means for a safe communication will also be developed and established in this phase. During this stage, the organization will identify workers duties all through the company such as the Accounts manager. It will also identify the planning group or person in the company who is accountable for implementing the safety management system. A statement obligating the company to implementing the system will also be developed. An implementation plan that evidently shows the way the operator will implement its safety management system depending on the gap analysis. Phase II of this project implementation will focus on reactive safety management processes. The aim of this phase is to put into practice indispensable safety management processes while simultaneously correcting possible insufficiency in existing safety management processes. The company has established essential safety management activities at diverse implementation levels and with diverse degrees of efficacy. These activities consider the audit reports and inspections and analysis of information from accident incidents, employees reports investigations and reports. The aim of this stage is to solidify the existing activities and develop the ones, which are not existent. In developing a national safety management system, the company will have to developed and put into operation. This is the reason why this stage is taken as reactive. Just before the first phase, the company will be ready to carry out corresponding safety analysis depending on the data that will be acquired through reactive means of safety collection of data. By the end of the second phase, various activities have to be finalized in such a way that meets the expectations of the national requirements of a safety management system. One of the activities that have to be met is the implementation of features of safety management system that entails safety risk management depending on reactive processes. Relevant training has to be delivered to the implementation plan constituents depending on reactive processes. Documents relevant to safety risk management and the implementation plan components also have to be developed. Formal means for safety communication within the company also has to be developed and maintained. In the third phase-proactive and predictive safety management processes- highly developed safety management processes have to be structured. The analytical processes and safety information management should also be refined so that towards the end of this phase, the company will be ready to carry out synchronized safety analysis depending on information acquired through predictive, reactive and proactive safety data collection methods. By the end of this phase, various activities that meet the expectations of a national safety management system have to be finalized. The company has to put into operation the aspects of a national safety management system that refer to safety risk management depending on predictive as well as proactive processes. Training relevant to the national safety management system also has to be created. Documents relevant to the national safety management system also have to be developed. Formal means for safety communication will also be created as well as maintained at this level. The fourth and final phase of the project is the operational safety assurance. In the last phase, operational safety assurance is evaluated through the implementation of periodic monitoring, continuous corrective action and feedback to uphold the efficacy of safety risk controls in varying operational demands. By the end of the last phase, analytical processes and safety information management will guarantee provisions of safe organizational processes over time and for the period of change in the operating environment. There are various activities that should be firmed up in a way that meets the expectations of a national safety management system (Campbell 101). First and foremost, safety management system unremitting enhancement, safety performance gauges, and safety performance targets will be developed and agreed on. Training pertinent to operational safety assurance should also be developed. Documents pertinent to operational safety assurance should also be developed. Like in other phases, formal safety communication means should also be developed and maintained. Kofi Annan, the General Secretary of the United Nations argued that the safety and health of employees is an essential part of human security. He further argued that safe work is a basic human right as well as a sound economic policy. Safe work generates no impediments to being successful and competitive. There is no company or country that has managed to jump to an elevated production level without ensuring the safety of the work environment (Department of Labor). Establishing a national safety management system will thus ensure that the systems documentation complies with legislation and there is less complexity in complying with the resources and audits considered necessary in managing the system (DeVito 89). In every stage, there will be a clear picture of the safety policy, the SMS manager as well as the management support to offer the essential resources and support. The development process will consider the integration of aspects that are already in existence within the company as well as the development of new ones. Safety Management System Evaluation Framework General Issues and SMS Implementation SMS Scope and Implementation The Organization should define the scope of the organization and its activities and this should include how it addresses safety provisions in its contractors that provide safety services to the organization. In establishing an SMS a GAP analysis is required and an implementation plan that will address how the organization will transition to a fully functioning and effective SMS. Safety Policy and Objectives Management Commitment and Responsibility The firm should describe its safety policy, which should be in accordance with international and national requirements, and which shall be signed by the Accountable Manager of the organisation. The safety policy ought to display firm’s commitments concerning safety, including a clear statement about the provision of the necessary human and financial resources for its implementation and be communicated, with visible endorsement, throughout the organisation. The safety policy should include the safety reporting methods as well as clearly indicating the types of behaviours are unacceptable and shall include the conditions under which disciplinary action would not apply. The safety policy should be periodically reviewed to ensure it remains relevant and appropriate to the organisation. Is there a recorded safety policy approved by the Accountable Manager? Were key staffs conferred with in the development of the safety policy? Has the safety policy been shared effectively throughout the organization? Does Senior Management continuously promote and demonstrate its commitment to the safety policy? Does the safety Policy include a commitment to; strive to achieve the highest safety standards, observe all applicable legal requirements, standards and best practice, providing appropriate resources and safety as a primary responsibility of all Managers? Does the Safety policy actively encourage safety reporting? Is the safety management system based on the safety policy Safety Accountabilities The organization shall recognize the accountable executive who, irrespective of other functions, shall have ultimate responsibility and accountability, on behalf of the organization, for the implementation and maintenance of the SMS. The organization shall also identify the safety accountabilities of all members of senior management, irrespective of other functions, as well as of employees, with respect to the safety performance of the SMS. The firm also will share the responsibilities within the entire organization. The responsibilities include safety and accountability among others. This will also involve defining the management ranks while the authority will make decisions pertaining to tolerance to safety risk. Does the Accountable Manager possess collective responsibility and accountability for the SMS and corporate authority for the organization? Does the Accountable Manager possess knowledge of their SMS roles as well as responsibilities in respect of the safety policy, safety standards, and safety culture of the firm? Are safety accountabilities, authorities, and responsibilities streamlined in the entire organization? Are there clearly defined lines of safety accountabilities in the entire firm? Are all staff knowledgeable of as well as understand their safety accountabilities, authorities, and responsibilities? Appointment of key safety personnel The organization shall identify a safety manager to be the responsible individual and focal point for the implementation and maintenance of an effective SMS. Similarly, the committee in charge of supporting the Accountable manager and the Safety manager in providing an effective SMS must be defined as well as recorded. Has a Safety Manager (or equivalent) been selected with the proper knowledge, skills, and experience as defined in the guidance material? Has a Safety Review Board or equivalent been established? Coordination of Emergency Response Planning The organization shall ensure that an emergency response plan that provides for the orderly and efficient transition from normal to emergency operations and the return to normal operations is properly coordinated with the emergency response plans of those organizations it must interface with during the provision of its services. Possess an emergency response plan created to include all the considerations in the guidance material as appropriate? Are the roles, responsibilities and actions of the various agencies and key personnel defined? Do the key personnel in an emergency have easy access to the ERP at all times? Is the ERP regularly reviewed and tested? Safety Risk management Is there a process for establishing how hazards are identified and from what sources? Is there a confidential safety reporting scheme that encourages errors, hazards and near misses to be reported by staff? Is there feedback to the reporter and the rest of the organization? Does Hazard identification include reactive, proactive and predictive schemes? Have the major hazards and risks been identified and assessed for the organization and its current activities? Are safety investigations being carried out to identify underlying causes and potential hazards? Are the hazards identified from safety investigations addressed and communicated to the rest of the organisation? Are errors, hazards and near misses being reported by staff? Safety performance monitoring and measurement The organization shall develop and maintain the means to verify the safety performance of the organization, and to validate the effectiveness of safety risks controls. The firm shall verify the safety performance with regard to the safety performance indicators as well as the SMS’s safety performance targets. Are risk mitigations and controls being verified / audited to confirm the effectiveness? Are lessons learnt incorporated into company policy and procedures? Have safety performance indicators been defined, promulgated and being monitored and analyzed for trends? Are safety audits carried out that focus on the performance of the organization and its services and assess normal operations? Is the SMS audited to assess its effectiveness and that the regulations and standards are being followed? Are safety / cultural surveys carried out? The Management of Change The organization shall develop and maintain a formal process to identify changes within the organization which may affect established processes and services; to describe the arrangements to ensure safety performance before implementing changes; and to eliminate or modify safety risk controls that are no longer needed or effective due to changes in the operational environment. Is there a recorded transformational management process to proactively recognize hazards as well as neutralize risks during organizational changes? Are there periodical reviews of the safety performance following organizational changes to assure assumptions remain valid and the change was effective? Continuous improvement of the SMS The organization shall develop and maintain a formal process to identify the causes of substandard performance of the SMS, determine the implications of substandard performance of the SMS, determine sub-standard performance in operations, and eliminate or mitigate such causes. Is there a means to monitor the overall performance of the SMS to allow for progressive improvement to be attained? Is there evidence of continuous improvement being achieved? Training and Education The organization shall develop and maintain a safety training programme that ensures that personnel are trained and competent to perform the SMS duties. The safety training will have a scope, which will be proper to each individual’s engagement in the SMS. Have all staff received training on the organization’s SMS and their roles and responsibilities in respect of the SMS including the Accountable Manager, Senior Management, Managers, supervisors and operational staff? Does the organization provide training on human and organizational factors? Is the effectiveness of the training measured? Safety communication The organization shall develop and maintain formal means for safety communication that ensures that all personnel are fully aware of the SMS, conveys safety critical information, and explains why particular safety actions are taken and why safety procedures are introduced or changed. Does safety communication reach all levels of staff in the organization? Does the safety communication complement and enhance the organization’s safety culture? Is the safety information disseminated in a suitable medium and monitored for its effectiveness? Does relevant safety information reach external users / customers etc? Works Cited Campbell, Michael. Communication Skills for Project Managers. New York; AMACOM, 2009 Department of Labor. Compensation Fund, Annual Reports (up to 1998). Web. 13 Nov. 2011 < http://www.labour.gov.za/documents/annual-reports/compensation-for-occupational-injuries-and-diseases/2008/compensation-fund-annual-report-2008> Department of Labor. Report of the Committee of Inquiry into a National Health and Safety Council in South Africa. Pretoria,1997. Print DeVito, Joseph. The Interpersonal Communication Book. 9th ed, New York: Alyn & Bacon, 2003. Davidson, Frame. Managing Projects in Organizations. 3rded. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. Print Kendrick, Tom. 101 Project Management Problems and How to Solve Them. New York; AMACOM, 2010. Print Locke, Edwin., Shaw, Karyll., Saari, Lise, and Latham, Gary. Goal setting and task performance: 1969-1980. Psychological Bulletin, 1981: 90, 125-152. Project Management Institute, Inc. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 4th Ed. 2008. Print Richman, Larry. Improving Your Project Management Skills. New York: AMACOM, 2005. Print Schon, Donald. The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith, 1983. Print Sai Global Limited. AS/NZS 4801. Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems – specifications with guidance for use. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2011 < http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?productid=386329 > Read More