Employees audits

Audit results should be posted and discussed with all employees. Audits need to be performed on a continual basis, so that they become second nature and standard practice. 

Reporting audit results can create a positive and open auditing process. It lets all employees know that audits are being conducted and removes the common stigma that says that management does not want to know about defects and improper acts. It emphasizes the importance of audits by publicizing who is part of the audit team. The names of employees audited should not be reported to maintain positive reactions to audits. 

The responsibihties of the quahty assurance unit generally fall into two categories support for or improvement of the existing quahty system (31). The support activities of QA often include employee training, quahty system documentation, method vahdation and method transfer, audit, and customer complaints. 

The GMP details certain requirements for the quahty system, such as the independence and responsibihties of the quahty control unit. It requires such activities as internal audit to monitor GMP conformance, employee training, complaint investigation, failure analysis, and verification of proper manufacture and test by QC prior to release of the batch. 

In the last chapter we discussed the importance of well-defined roles. This holds true for the inspection team. For many larger sites a union contract may exist that may specify who participates in the inspec-tion/audit process. At smaller sites, this may be open-ended. We believe that the personnel make-up of an inspection team should depend on the size, complexity, number of employees, and on-site hazards at the site in question. Again, preplanning coupled with a common-sense approach should be the driver. 

The OSHA audit teams found program defieieneies in two related areas the development of task- and operation-speeifie hazard analyses and the eonduet of monitoring programs designed to eharaeterize employee exposures to hazardous materials. These defieieneies are dis-eussed in more detail below. 

Contractors at Sites E, H, and J had documented confined space programs but had not fully implemented these programs. The Site H contractor had established a permit-required confined space entry program consistent with HAZWOPER requirements however, onsite procedures were not completely consistent with the written program or OSHA requirements. For example, the confined space permit form used at Site H was not the form included in the written program. The audit team also found evidence that employee training was insufficient for safe... 

The audit includes a review of the process safety information, inspection of the physical facilities, and interviews with all levels of plant personnel. Using the procedures and checklist, the team systematically analyzes compliance with the PSM Rule and any other relevant corporate policies. The training program is reviewed for adequacy of content, frequency and effectiveness of training. Interviews determine employee knowledge and awareness ofthe safety procedures, duties, rules, and emergency response assignments. The team identifies deficiencies in the application of safety and health policies, procedures, and work authorization practices to determine live actions. 

External audits carried out by personnel who are neither employees of the customer nor the supplier and are usually employees of certification bodies or registrars. 

Demonstrate (refer to earlier demo) that user IDs are unique (cannot be deleted or redundant). If a user ID has been inactivated, can it be reactivated Would these actions be audit trailed If reactivation is not possible, how would a new user ID for a returning employee be linked to the past ID so all records created or signed by an individual could be queried (Does the system provide a technical solution, or would this be handled by a procedure ) Demonstrate controls include such configurable parameters as ... 

Systems documentation and control. For any system to be auditable there must be adequate documentation covering procedures, actions taken and results obtained. Ideally most of this documentation should be included in an Environmental Manual which each employee has access to. 

To ensure that the safety program is working, most companies have a safety policy follow-through. This includes monthly safety meetings, performance reviews, and safety audits. The monthly safety meetings include a discussion of any accidents (and resolution of prevention means), training on specific issues, inspection of facilities, and delegation of work. Performance reviews within the company for all employees must have a visible safety performance component. 

Managing chemical reactivity hazards is not a one-time project, review, or audit. It is also not a written program document to put on the shelf and ignore. Managing chemical reactivity hazards is an ongoing effort to protect employees, contractors, customers, the public, environment, and property against the potential consequences of chemical reactivity incidents. 

In auditing various industrial workplaces, we found that this particular OSHA standard is one of the most misunderstood by employers. Based on our experience, we found that OSHA s use of the words "near proximity to" and "adequate" contribute to the vagary and ambiguity of this standard. Most employers understand the need to provide first aid supplies in the workplace, but generally think that this is the extent of their responsibilities in this regard. Moreover, many workplaces do train their personnel on basic first aid and CPR, but do not require (in written job descriptions) that the trained employees respond to a workplace medical emergency. 

Traditionally, the education that chemists and chemistry laboratory technicians receive in colleges and universities does not prepare them adequately for some important aspects of the real world of work in their chosen field. Today s industrial laboratory analyst is deeply involved with such job issues as quality control, quality assurance, ISO 9000, standard operating procedures, calibration, standard reference materials, statistical control, control charts, proficiency testing, validation, system suitability, chain of custody, good laboratory practices, protocol, and audits. Yet, most of these terms are foreign to the college graduate and the new employee. 

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