Managing Work Instructions with EHS Software

At many organizations - where daily operations involve performing hazardous or complex jobs by their employees - managing the procedures to perform each job safely and accurately is of critical importance. This consistency and forethought helps avoid workplace accidents and ensures that employees are well-informed and well-prepared to do their jobs. Typically, this is accomplished through detailed sets of Work Instructions, laid out on a per-job basis.

Often times, these Work Instructions live on at each facility being maintained in paper copies and updated anecdotally as equipment is changed out or as environmental factors at the site change. The specific knowledge is maintained only within the heads of the subject matter experts at each facility and is shared with new hires as-needed. For a larger organization, this makes managing processes and safety very difficult from a corporate HSE standpoint. Each facility may be performing the same job in a slightly different fashion – or in the case of operating in another country – using an entirely different set of steps. Job sites start to become information siloes without sharing their experience in a way that could benefit the entire organization.

Employing an EHS software system can be a perfect aid in solving many of the technical challenges associated with managing work instructions within an organization.

Benefits

Having a single, centralized job list, potentially categorized into various sections such as “Drilling”, “Maintenance”, “Subsea”, and other relevant categories, serves as a comprehensive reference point for Work Instructions that may or may not already exist. This centralized system not only streamlines the process of accessing necessary instructions but also ensures that all employees, regardless of their location or department, have access to the same standardized information. This can significantly reduce the time and effort required to locate specific instructions, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the likelihood of errors.

Allowing one facility to utilize another facility’s existing Work Instructions as a template when embarking on a new job is a strategic advantage. Instead of each facility independently developing their own instructions from scratch, which can be time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies, they can leverage the proven methods and practices of their counterparts. This not only saves time but also promotes uniformity across the organization, ensuring that all facilities adhere to the same high standards of safety and efficiency.

Maintaining a corporate-level “Best Management Practice” (BMP) for a set of common jobs is crucial for standardizing operations across the organization. This BMP can be meticulously detailed to specify essential elements such as the required personal protective equipment (PPE), the specific roles and positions (personnel) necessary to perform a job, and the detailed job steps themselves. Additionally, it can include comprehensive risk assessments, control measures, detailed descriptions, hazard analyses, and even photographs to provide visual guidance. The corporate-level BMP then serves as a foundational template for all facilities, ensuring that every location performs the job in accordance with the established guidelines outlined by these Work Instructions.

Allowing facilities to customize the best management practice Work Instructions to suit their particular needs while still ensuring that vital safety equipment and mandatory job steps are locked down is a balanced approach. This flexibility enables each facility to adapt the instructions to their unique operational environment and specific challenges, while still maintaining the core safety and procedural standards that are non-negotiable. This customization capability ensures that the Work Instructions are both relevant and practical for each facility, enhancing their effectiveness and applicability.

Housing multiple language translations for the same job in a common place is an invaluable feature that ensures inclusivity and comprehension across diverse workforces. By providing translations, organizations can guarantee that, regardless of the locale or the native language of the employees, the job process and its associated risks are communicated clearly and consistently. This approach minimizes misunderstandings and ensures that all employees, irrespective of their language proficiency, can follow the same procedures and safety protocols.

Helping put a process in place to perform a pre-job review, using the latest BMP and facility Work Instructions, is essential for preparing the designated crew. This process ensures that the crew receives the most up-to-date information they need to perform their tasks safely, efficiently, and consistently. By conducting a thorough pre-job review, potential risks can be identified and mitigated before the job begins, thereby enhancing safety and reducing the likelihood of incidents.

Giving management the ability to report on the ties between best management practices, facility-level work instructions, and pre-job reviews, as well as linking them to potential incident occurrences such as injuries, environmental issues, or near misses, and subsequent investigations, is a powerful tool for continuous improvement. This capability allows management to analyze and understand the effectiveness of their practices and instructions, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes that enhance safety and efficiency across the organization. By having a clear view of how these elements are interconnected, management can make informed decisions that drive organizational success and safety.