Improving and Evaluating Safety

The Operational Model for CSA shown below measTxres safety performance and comphance, determines safety fitness, recommends interventions, applies interventions, and tracks and evaluates safety improvements for FMCSA-regulated entities. The model continuously evaluates and monitors regulated entities comphance and safety performance. It is significantly different from the agency s previous operational model in that safety fitness determination made rmder CSA could be independent of the compliance review. Instead, safety fitness determination would be based on performance data and cordd lead to a broader array of comphance interventions. 

Like VDA 6.1, AVSQ 94 does not include the requirements of ISO 9001. In this way issues of copyright are overcome, a practice shared by VDA and EAQF but not QS-9000. However, unlike VDA 6.1, AVSQ 94 follows the 20 elements of ISO 9001 with two additional elements, covering financial considerations and product safety. Those questions that go beyond ISO 9001 are marked and as every question is numbered it simplifies the evaluation process. A scoring method is employed to classify organizations in terms of a conformity index. Each question is awarded a point (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10), where 10 points means full compliance, 7.5 points means minor inadequacies, 5 points means inadequacies in application requiring improvement, 2.5 points means serious inadequacies in application, and 0 points is used for criteria not applied. Unfortunately all questions carry the same weight as no account of the impact of omission on product quality or customer satisfaction is included. 

Refer to API RP 2220, Improving Owner and Contractor Safety Performance and API RP 2221, A Manager s Guide to Implementing a Contractor Safety and Health Program for information on the evaluation of all service contractors. 

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