Case study employee participation

The FDA has refrained from specif5ung exactly what scientific disciphnes, education, training, or expertise qualify individuals to participate in the conduct of a nonclinical laboratory study. These factors vary from study to study, and FDA has merely indicated that the question of employee qualifications should be carefully considered by laboratory management. Laboratory management therefore has considerable latitude to define job qualifications. Any reputable laboratory will find it to be in its own best interest to hire competent individuals and to provide adequate on-the-job training to qualify those individuals to perform their assigned duties. The FDA is not likely to make an issue of employee qualifications rniless an inspection reveals an obvious case of employee incompetence. 

One of the hrst steps taken in connection with the comprehensive patient safety agenda at Children s Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, was to invite randomly selected employees, residents, students, physicians, and families to participate in focus groups. The following case study illustrates how focus groups were used to gather information and to create awareness of patient safety. 

Committee duties can range from reviewing hazards reported and suggesting corrections, to conducting site surveys, to handhng incident investigations and follow-up of hazards. Some committees are advisory others have specific powers to correct hazards and, in some circumstances, to shut down unsafe operations [7]. Table 7-3 presents a sample employee participation case study for union sites. 

Table 7-4 presents sample employee participation case studies for nonunion sites. 

Sample Employee Participation Case Studies for Union Sites... 

In this case study, no JHA was used, no risk assessment completed, there were no discussions with involved employees or other employees to obtain opinions. Employee participation was minimal at best.The leadership team jumped to a conclusion and made corrective action, which may or may not have been the proper solution. If the JHA process had been effectively in place and employees actively involved, the assessment of whether a true potential problem could have been determined or whether other potential eye injury issues were present. 

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