Saturday, February 17, 2024
Continuous Improvement Observation Program
STOP Action (Stop, Think about Options and Plan)
PURPOSE
The Continuous Improvement Observation Program proactively prevents incidents and injuries and helps us find better, more efficient methods to perform our work through the monitoring, trending, and management of safe vs. unsafe behaviors and effective vs. ineffective behaviors. Effective communication of behavior trends to the management team is critical to a successful program; however, the key to this program is the communication from the people doing the work to the management team.
Total Continuous Improvement and Safety CultureThis program focuses in on the behavior factors of our work force. Focusing on behavior factors is critical to understanding what will make us better. Focusing and correcting the top non-improving behaviors will reduce project injuries and incidents and improve efficiency and quality.
We need to focus the program on three things:
1. Is the work safe and how can it be safer
2. Is the work quality and how can the quality be improved and
3. Is the work efficient and how can efficiency and productivity be improved.
(Man-Minutes and the use of time: Primary Time, Preparation Time, Lost Time.)
SCOPE
This program is intended to be used for all construction and Solar PV projects.
PROCEDURE
Each superintendent and manager will take at least 30 minutes at one time and stand in the circle, observing one task or crew. The idea is to have one STOP observation done every two weeks, each project at a minimum. Since most projects have multiple leaders, supervisors, and managers, then rotating this responsibility will allow one observation to be done every two weeks, but each team member would only do 1 or 2 each month. The observations will be recorded on the iAuditor template for the STOP program.
This observation must be at least 30 minutes and without interference. Simply observe, watch what the crew is doing, how they are doing it, and make notes about the good things and the things that we could improve.
The audit for this is in iAuditor. Make notes of wasted steps, movements, unsafe acts, awkward positions, tools and material access, tricks of the trade being used or not being used, etc. Then when done, approach the crew and gather them together. Talk to them. Share your observations with them and then ask them what they think they can do to improve, and what they think they do well. Then record those answers. Some things you can do is Map their Task, observe their ergonomics, discuss man minutes, observe Primary, Preparation, Lost time, make suggestions for them, make suggestion for us, and implement some of their ideas and observe again.
Try things, Experiment.
OBSERVERS
Observers should be comprised of the following: Project Manager, Construction Manager, Safety Manager, QC Manager, Superintendent(s), Safety Supervisors, Commissioning Manager, Prefab Supervisors, Prefab Managers, Logistics Managers. Any of these personnel can provide insight and observation on any task or crew.
Let's work together to continually find ways to be better. Let's all commit to never settle for being good enough.
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