Management feedback

Management must take corrective action, uphold company policy, and administer disciplinary procedures up to and including termination. The rules and policies should already be in place to set and communicate expectations, measure performance against those expectations, provide feedback, manage poor performance with corrective actions, and document everything. 

Inventory Manag ement and Improved Operations. (/) Inventory and trace all raw materials. 2) Purchase fewer toxic and more nontoxic production materials. (I) Implement employee training and management feedback. (4) Improve material receiving, storage, and handling practices. 

Audits and surveys yield two reports one to the facility reviewed and one to the PSM team. While this dual reporting maybe more time-consuming than simply collating information for future reference, it is likely to be time well spent. Providing audit or survey results (appropriately condensed to protect confidentiality) to facility managers not only provides valuable feedback, but also helps to underscore their involvement in the PSM initiative. 

We have selected the Manwood plant as the test site, in consultation with Facility Manager Ray Leonard, who will play a key role in overseeing the installation. All Manwood employees will participate, either directly or indirectly, and we will actively solicit their feedback about the system based on their experience with it. 

Regardless of the method(s) you select, it s important to get feedback from the full spectrum of people affected by the pilot. No matter how "tuned in" fadlity managers maybe, they may lack the day-to-day perspective you need... 

Following is a questionnaire format developed by a divisional PSM Task Force to elicit feedback from a plant s employees about the PSM pilot test. The Task Force designed it to be adaptable to a range of activities and plans to use it at the conclusion of each one. At the request of the plant manager, responses are sent directly to the Task Force rather than directed to him. 

To make the most of our participation in the PSM pilot test, the PSM Task Force needs your help. One of the main reasons we are conducting this test is to make sure our new system for managing process safety is practical and that it gives each of us what we need to do our jobs safely and effectively. We can t do this without your input. That s why the pilot test plan calls for getting your feedback on a continuing basis, and one of the ways we ll be asking for it is through questionnaires like this one. 

Establishing employee feedback systems, to get users input about the PSM system. This seems to be working well so far at the facility manager s request, feedback comes directly to the Task Force to encourage candor. 

Lessons Learned. It s very early in the game to make predictions about what changes may be needed as a result of the Manwood test. However, there are already some useful insights that the Task Force expects to factor into the PSM installation plan for the division. These include 1) We need to be very clear in introducing PSM to our employees, and take time to answer their questions. Orientation meetings should be at least 90 minutes, not the one hour we had scheduled. 2) Getting valid feedback takes some effort personnel need to know we mean it when we say we want constructive criticism. 3) Close collaboration between the Task Force and the facility manager is absolutely vital. 

What we have learned. Discussion of variances (positive and negative) from plans. Detailed report on PSM pilot test strengths, weaknesses, implications, how the PSM system has been refined based on experience. (Note be prepared to justify any increase in resource requirements or any significant slippage in timetable.) Include discussion of local feedback— mechanisms and content—and acknowledge the contribution and cooperation of facility management and staff. 

PSM management systems should be regularly assessed to identify improvement opportunities. Assessment should be based on follow-up user feedback and on the results of PSM audits. 

User feedback should be obtained periodically, not just at the time of installation. As users gain familiarity with PSM systems, they may identify potential system breakdown points and improvement opportunities. In addition, evaluation of trends in the responses from survey to survey can help to Identify areas needing improvement and measure your success in improving systems. Where user survey responses suggest an improvement opportunity, you should involve those users in defining the opporhmity and in its analysis. The tools of Total Quality Management can be veiy useful in this effort. 

As discussed earlier in this chapter, the main requirements to ensure an appropriate safety culture are similar to those which are advocated in quality management systems. These include active participation by the workforce in error and safety management initiatives, a blame-free culture which fosters the free flow of information, and an explicit policy which ensures that safety considerations will always be primary. In addition both operations and management staff need feedback which indicates that participation in error reduction programs has a real impact on the way in which the plant is operated and systems are designed. 

The basic premise of the SLIM technique is that the probability of error associated with a task, subtask, task step, or individual error is a function of the PIFs in the situation. As indicated in Chapter 3, an extremely large number of PIFs could potentially impact on the likelihood of error. Normally the PIFs that are considered in SLIM analyses are the direct influences on error such as levels of training, quality of procedures, distraction level, degree of feedback from the task, level of motivation, etc. However, in principle, there is no reason why higher level influences such as management policies should not also be incorporated in SLIM analyses. 

The model of human error held by management and the plant culture constitutes the environment in which the data collection system operates. Within this environment, all data collection systems need to address the topics listed in Figure 6.1. These topics, from the types of data collected, to the feedback systems that need to be in place, will be addressed in subsequent sections of this chapter. 

A company s culture can make or break even a well-designed data collection system. Essential requirements are minimal use of blame, freedom from fear of reprisals, and feedback which indicates that the information being generated is being used to make changes that will be beneficial to everybody. All three factors are vital for the success of a data collection system and are all, to a certain extent, under the control of management. To illustrate the effect of the absence of such factors, here is an extract from the report into the Challenger space shuttle disaster ... 

Since the resources for data collection systems will be provided by senior management it is essential that information from the system is fed back to policy makers at this level. It is also important that the system indicates the problem areas as well as the successes. Many organizations have drifted to a state where safety standards have fallen to below acceptable levels over time as a result of suppression of information feedback to senior managers. This may be carried out with good intentions, but its long-term effect can be disastrous. 

The various elements of the error management program such as the development of high quality procedures and training and effective feedback and communications systems need to be supported by policies and standards to implement these policies. The development of these policies is an important strategic aspect of the implementation process. 

In the area of documentation systems, there were several managers who had volunteered their site to be the pilot location. A relatively small location (Poole Harbor) was selected because while it had numerous documentation systems, it was also determined that the overall implementation time would be fairly short. This provided feedback in an expeditious fashion. The remaining managers who had volunteered their sites were used as part of a pilot review team to keep their interest and support active. They actually started to implement the protocols for a few of the documentation systems on their own, in advance of the roll out at their sites. They also became key proponents of the corporate-wide roll out of the overall integration effort, based on their involvement in just this one area. 

Project managers find many opportunities to provide feedback to those who have a hand in completing the project. Through feedback, individuals learn about the effect their behavior has on others and on the project s success. It serves to maintain good performance and correct poor performance. To be effective, however, feedback must be handled properly. This illustration shows the continuous loop that exists when there is good feedback ... 

Whilst the feedback from participants has been encouraging, it is not easy to measure the success of a mentoring program geared towards enhancing sensitivity. However, one measure stands out female turnover for the past 2 years has fallen by 25 per cent and is now in line with that for male managers. 

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