Clause 9 Performance Evaluation - Monitor, measure, analyse and evaluate with technology solutions
CLAUSE 9 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
There are three very good reasons why the requirements of Clause 9 [ISO 45001 OHS] need to be considered carefully and achieved with a level of due diligence.
Legal and Regulatory Firstly, the law requires a quantifiable measure of safety and people welfare performance in accordance with regulations. Without it, an organisation has little or no evidence to support compliance.
Investment Secondly, safety and productivity are an investment and not mutually exclusive. Without measurable safety and productivity performances, resources investment planning is unknown and likely to be less effective than expected.
Safety Sustainability Lastly, in terms of continuous safety improvement, without a reliable source of measurement of best to worst, good to bad, weak to strong, providing a robust safety environment is difficult to assess and hard to prove.
In order to deliver against ISO 45001 Clause 9 requirements, and more importantly to confirm the organisation is consistently delivering against legislation, corporate/business investment and safety outcomes must:
Quantifiably monitor, measure, analyse and evaluate all facets of safety and people welfare performance including those incorporated in every activity occurring in the workplace or workplaces based on a reasonable risk criteria.
Undertake internal audits, inspections, tests, calibrations or other activities such as observations as a measure of safety management system performance
Organisationally undertake consultative and participatory reviews to receive performance information and act on that information moving forward – resources, improvements and safety suitability. This is not just a senior management roles, participation at all levels of the organisation are necessary but regulatory and in accordance with ISO 45001 compliance.
MONITOR, MEASURE, ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
Monitoring, measuring and analysis requirements for the purposes of quantifiable evaluation and reporting within the organising including workers and management shall include as a minimum:
Safety management system objectives and processes
Base these on both the internal safety management system [SMS] PLUS the legal and regulatory requirements [the LAW].
The safety management system [SMS] needs to be documented but that does not necessarily mean paperwork. Look for technology solutions that provide traceability, paperless as possible, provide dashboard reporting for statistical analysis and retain records indefinitely. This means dashboards can provide just in time reporting to all/anyone with permissions, records aren’t lost and data measurement trends remain accessible over time. Data availability is critical to the effectiveness of Clause 9 both from a legislative perspective but also trending analysis and continual improvement planning.
"Practical solutions - The Law can be managed equally by OHS objectives aligned to the federal governments Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012 – 2022 as a means of due diligence."
Work methods/practices for effectiveness and opportunities for improvement
Avoid ‘generic’ work methods at any cost. Generic SWMS are not a ‘one size fits all’. SWMS and other like instructions must be aligned to the work at hand, the location, the ability of the personnel and take into consideration other activities and trades working in the same environment at the time.
A generic document must be tailored by the workgroup before any work can commence – then it is no longer generic.
In the case of work methods, monitoring and measurement takes the form of internal audits, inspections, work observation and in some cases various testing to AS standards.
"Practical solutions - There are effective cloud-based technology solutions that all forms [SWMS etc] to be completed electronically, saved and the next user can copy as a starting point for a similar task OR can use the blank template to develop SMWS as a participatory group. Technologies allow immediate saving [either offline of online] and are time logged for transparency purposes. Good technologies provide tailored electronic dashboard reporting access for monitoring and performance measurement.
Lucidity Inform is a mobile solution working both offline and online, providing controlled access and dashboard reporting to select managers / supervisors. "
Hazards and risks including effectiveness of risk controls
The requirement for risk thinking is imbedded in ISO 45001 and WHS legislation in Australia and forms part of the mandatory monitoring and performance measurement.
Quantification of risk is a key organisational risk strategy along with risk controls determined against consultation, participation, regulatory requirements, contract and severity of risk. Again, there needs to be a measured outcome of all risk assessment and risk thinking process that support ISO 45001 and the Law.
"Practical solutions - An effective solution is the use of risk registers to promote risk thinking, quantify risk in projects and to manage risk according to risk criticality. This is particularly useful for executives, project managers and when multiple contractors/partners are working on one site Check out Lucidity risk.
Along the same risk thinking path, tools such as permit to work also provide an effective, traceable to activity/personnel/authorisation levels etc. This is particularly effective for high risk works.
Health and welfare of people for competency, knowledge, injury and illness prevention
Duty of care requires the management of health and welfare of people and when an adverse event occurs, the management of injury and illness. Monitoring and measuring of workplace health, welfare injury and illness management is important in tracking overall safety performance and identifying areas of improvement.
Equally competency and capability of personnel to do their job safely should be considered as good people management and also an ISO 45001 and regulatory compliance issue.
The important factor in managing people in the workplace is planning, resourcing, injury management and record retention so that no person falls through the cracks in terms of competency, induction and effective return to work and records remain traceable throughout the life expectancy of the employee + 7 yrs.
"Practical solutions - There are various tools on the market for this purpose, it’s important that they all retain history for the longer period particularly where exposure to hazardous materials is concerned [45yrs].
Check out the learning and induction packages on offer through Lucidity including e-learning and Return to Work."
Operational plant and equipment including fixed and mobile plant for effectiveness of training and competencies, safety protective measures/guards
This also includes devices used for safety and emergency response equipment. This all falls under the umbrella of assets, whether operational, productivity or safety based. Any asset used, whether fixed or mobile plant, a calibration tool or PPE must be considered as functional, fit for purpose and the operator must be equipped to operate the device or use the equipment/PPE in a safe and fit for purpose manner.
While this is very much training and competency based, the assets themselves must be maintained appropriate to manufacturers instructions and maintenance recommendations and fit for the purpose/ intended use in the workplace.
Operator training, including licences to operate, plant maintenance and repair, pre-start checks, planned redundancies etc all fit under the banner of Clause 9.
"Practical solutions - Amongst the many tools available online and offline Lucidity Asset provides the measurable solution needed to meet the mandated requirements of Clause 9 in relation to plant and equipment."