Day 8, Reviewing Information Sources

In our book, James Roughton and I used a basic problem solving circle to visualize the process strategy for analyzing the workplace. In the overall strategy and as a reality check, you are in Phase 1 “Conducting a risk assessment of the workplace” – where are the risks, hazards and what is the status of the current controls in place? The other phases are “Prioritize risk assessment findings”, “Develop solutions to resolve risk-related issues”, “Recommend and implement solution” with “Monitoring the results of solutions implemented” centering the process. Back on Day 2, you began the organizing of your office and safety materials. This activity should be a life long process and effort – think “entropy” if you don’t. Have you located all possible organizational safety manuals, policies, procedures and programs? Have you checked for all forms of media – hard copy and electronic? Information may reside on a number of different computers and rounding up the files will take time. Have you begun the organizing of files, loss information, accident investigations, manuals, newsletters, handouts? What has existed in the past? What’s in use now?  What is the quality of the materials and their presentation? This may not appear to be safety “stuff” but it is critical to your understanding of the past as well as developing plans for the future. Determine when the safety information (manuals, procedures, forms, etc) was last updated?  Determine if the content and its context still apply or has the organization changed or modified in a way that has made it obsolete or incomplete? Malcolm Gladwell uses this format in his classic work “The Tipping Point” that places Content and Context as part of the fundamentals for successful growth. “Content” provides the core information. “Context” is the manner that it is presented – is it in the format and business language used by the organization and at a level that can be understood?  Does it clearly fit the needs of the organization? A major part of your job, and important to the building of a quality safety culture, is your ability to find information quickly when safety questions are asked by managers and employees.  Your goal is to develop a comprehensive process that structures programs, policies and procedures. If the information you present is of poor quality in how it is presented, looks or its content suspect or if you cannot locate the item, it is no longer information – if it isn’t used or you can’t locate it, it does not “exist” – at least as far as your organization is concerned. Organizing your materials is not limited to just a hardcopy library – you must have Internet access, electronic files and an electronic library of materials to consider. Summary of Day 8 -You should be continuing the “5S” of your area. How you maintain and organize your information and media, your office or cube area is as important as the professional image you present.