Working Instructions

Checks on environmental policy, organization and responsibilities, legislation, training records, emergency plans, performance targets, means of investigating incidents and written work instructions. 

It is always inadvisable to activate in a stream of hot or cold air (hair drier), because laboratory air is then blown over the layer. Such details also belong in the documentation of working instructions. 

The problem with this approach is that the term supporting documentation fails to convey what might be included. In many cases the supporting documentation has been limited to the work instructions but in reality there are many different types of documents that are needed to produce quality products (see Part 2 Chapter 5). 

Work instructions define the work required in terms of who is to perform it, when it is to commence and to be completed, what standard it has to meet, and any other instructions which constrain the quality, quantity, delivery, and cost of the work required. Work instructions are the product of implementing a control procedure, an operating procedure or a document standard (see further explanation below). 

Work instructions are identified in a Note to clause 4.2.2 of ISO 9001 and in clause 4.9.2 in ISO/TS 16949 where it states that job instructions are equivalent to work instructions. In ISO 9001 it implies that work instructions define how an activity is performed but in ISO 8402 1994 a procedure is defined as a specified way to perform an activity. There isn t enough difference between these two definitions to warrant a change in the term and its inclusion may well create much confusion, especially as ISO 9004-1 does not refer to work instructions or any other type of instructions. The list of topics that should be addressed by job instructions in clause 4.9.2 of ISO/TS 16949 certainly does not by itself imply that job instructions define how an activity is performed ... 

Not all instructions need to be documented - it depends upon the nature of the message being conveyed. Many types of forms have been conceived to convey instructions. Purchase Orders, Change Requests, Amendment Instructions, Engineering Orders, and Print Requisitions are all instructions that cause people to do work and hence are work instructions rather than procedures. 

It follows therefore that the idea of calling documents procedures when they only apply to interdepartmental activities and calling documents work instructions when they apply to departmental activities is ill-conceived. Both types of documents are in fact procedures. In both cases work instructions may be needed to initiate work and procedures may be needed to define the sequence in which the work is to be executed, where the instructions alone are insufficient. 

Documents derived from these policies and practices, such as drawings, specifications, plans, work instructions, technical procedures, and reports... 

Appropriate documents are those which are needed to carry out work and a list of 11 such documents is provided in the standard as examples. However, it may not be appropriate to place the quality manual at all locations if it does not contain any operational policies or procedures. The work instructions should specify the documents that are required for the task so that it is then clear that any not specified are not essential. It should not be left to the individual to determine which documents are essential and which are not. 

The production plan referred to previously is a work instruction, as it instructs those to whom it applies to carry out certain tasks. Control procedures may include assembly procedures, plating procedures, painting procedures, maintenance procedures, etc. and differ from process specifications (see later) in that the process specification defines the results to be achieved in operating a process rather than how to run the process. In addition to the list of contents provided in ISO/TS 16949 clause 4.9.2, the documentation should define ... 

There is only a requirement for a record of changes in procedures and not changes in plans, specifications, and drawings, which are clearly not procedures, but whether it be procedures, work instructions, or other types of instructions, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have a system for preventing the recurrence of nonconformities. 

In addition to issuing the procedures you will need to reference them in the appropriate work instructions in order that they are implemented when necessary. In some cases it may be more appropriate to include these provisions as an integral part of other procedures rather than have separate procedures. Whatever the method, you will need traceability from the identification of need to implementation of the provisions and from there to the records of achievement. 

Preserving product while the product is under your control may be addressed by your handling and packaging provisions, but in-process preservation may also be necessary to protect finishes from deterioration during further processing. Such measures need to be specified in the work instructions for particular products. For products that start to deteriorate when the packaging seal is broken, the supplier s responsibility extends beyond delivery to the point of use. In such cases markings need to be applied to the containers to warn the consumers of the risks. 

These common requirements were then used to develop management standards, guidance documents, and new or revised procedures and work instructions for integrated ESH activities. In some cases, the integration went beyond ESH boundaries and also included engineering, maintenance, and technology centers. 

The guidance notes can be produced either as a composite handbook containing task instmctions for all types of plant and equipment for each trade group, or as specific task/advice notes for each asset of the service requirements of the plant equipment. When used, the handbook method provides the necessary work instructions for all similar types of plant and equipment throughout the location. This method of operation reduces the number of task/advice notes issued and therefore the system s workload, as well as the demands placed on the administration of the system. Either method eliminates the requirement of entering work instmctions, etc. on the work docket/advice notes before they are issued. 

Proportional detectors measure the process condition, which can then he compared hy the controller with the required value. They are not direct acting, and need a controller to convert the signal to a working instruction to the controlled device. Proportional detectors include ... 

Note that some organizations may not use the terminology used in this book and may not distinguish between SOPs and WIs. Standard Operating Procedures provide details of how a series of operations are carried out. An example of a SOP would be the detailed instruction for carrying out a particular analytical method. Work Instructions give details of how a specific operation is carried out. What might be classed as a WI is how to operate a particular instrument, how to estimate measurement uncertainty or how to calibrate a piece of equipment. 

List the work instructions and standard procedures used in your laboratory that you think contribute to your laboratory s quality management system and should therefore appear in a Quality Manual. 

Work Instructions Note applicability, document control ... 

Draft Working Instruction for the collection of biomedical samples during an investigation of alleged use. 

Heikkila et al. (1996) have expanded the work of Hurme and Jarvelainen (1995) with environmental and safety aspects (Fig. 11). The alternatives are simulated to determine the material and heat balances and to estimate the physical properties. Then the alternatives are assessed in economic terms for which the internal rate of return is used. The environmental effects are estimated by equivalent amount of pollutant that takes into consideration the harmfullness of the different effluent substances. With environmental risks are also considered aspects of occupational health to choose inherently healthier process. Even though most health related rules are considered later in the work instructions, health effects should also be a part of the decision procedure. The inherent safety is estimated in terms of the inherent safety index as described later. 

For many occupations, workers are asked to read policy, work instructions, and rules. Following are a number of job-related passages. Start with these relatively simple notices posted for workers. 

Each construction organization shall be responsible for developing a QSP. The Quality System shall include a quality manual, quality policy and objective, structure of organization, documented procedures, work instructions, a quality plan, and document and data control. 

GR-6.2.2.3 Subcontractor Control. The subcontractor services shall be controlled by the processes of procurement, quality review, and surveillance, including receiving inspection, supported by the proper documentation. The subcontractor shall provide a Quality Control System (manual), documented procedures, and applicable work instructions. The construction organization shall be responsible for approval of all subcontract services. 

Manuals, Procedures Work Instructions -Training Documentation... 

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