Managers, ’’fast track

A Chemical Stakeholder Forum selects chemicals of concern that require a fast-track approach to risk assessment and/or management. 

Currently, PC hardware has a life cycle of less than 2 years. Operating software typically has a support hfe of 5 years, then a further 2 years of reduced support before the operating system is no longer supported by the supplier. Management of the IPC upgrade protects the system investment from threats to the system s validated status, serious maintenance problems, and potentially costly fast-track projects. 

Some contractors, especially large ones, will argue that this approach is not compatible with fast track schedules. This is far from the truth a flexible engineering contractor committed to the competitive lump sum approach will always find ways to create competitive situations without hindering the schedule, especially if the Owner s Project Manager is adamant on the subject. 

Position advancement occurs at all levels in the organization. Some advancements are a result of attrition (e.g., retirement or departure) and some are by design (fast-tracking of managers). The new skill requirements can be both task-specific (becoming a maintenance coordinator) or more managerial such as leadership and people skills. 

A local person was appointment as the shadow manager for the SHE department and was placed on a fast-track development program to take over for the SHE manager within a year in an effort to develop and promote local talent. Two safety trainees were selected and appointed as safety apprentices and put on a 2-year developmait program leading up to the position of safety coordinator. The first Arab female safety trainee was appointed. 

Pena-Mora, F., and M. Park. 2001. Dynamic planning for fast-tracking building construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 127(6) 445-456. 

Russell, A., and M. Ranasinghe. 1991. Decision framework for fast-track construction a deterministic analysis. Construction Management and Economics 9(5) 467 79. 

Tighe, J. 1991. Benefits of fast tracking are a myth. International Journal of Project Management 9(1) 49-51. 

Williams, G. 1995. Fast-track pros and cons considerations for industrial projects. Journal of Management in Engineering ll(5) 24-32. 

Assignment to a safety-related function (quality or risk management) is seen as a fast-track appointment, not a dead end. Such functions are accorded appropriate status and salary. 

In practice, a combination of these methods is normally needed. Too often there is a tendency to under-resource the site queries resolution function, especially on fast-track projects where many design assumptions are made, and a high number of discrepancies have to be resolved on site (a fairly predictable outcome). There may also be an attitude by the plant owner or project manager that this concentration of resources should not be necessary if the engineering work is performed properly in the first place, even though half the problems are usually generated by manufacturing or construction error. Whatever the cause, false economies should be avoided. 

Finally, one of the objectives of the book is to provide a handbook for the use of any person who has health and safety as part of their responsibilities. We thought that it would be helpful, therefore, to add a few useful topics that are outside the syllabus. These include managing occupational road risks (Chapter 11), fast track settlement of compensation claims following the Woolfe reforms (Chapter 18) and demolition using explosives (Chapter 10). 

Davis, John W., Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing Straight Talk from a Plant Manager, Productivity Press, Portland, OR, 1999. 

Direct the establishment and conduct of a mandatory, fast-track, standardized training program in fundamentals of DOE oversight, including the conduct of operations, for DOE program managers and field staff. 

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