QCS International

From the most FAQs, test yourself on the questions below and then go to the link at the bottom of this blog and click on each question to see the HSE answers and guidelines for ea.

Is it safe?

Which is safer: alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC)?

Everyone gets a ‘belt’ from electricity every now and then, don’t they?

How do I know if my electrical equipment is safe?

How do I know if my electrical installation is safe?

Who should I talk to about electrical safety?

What voltages are dangerous?

What should I do if I think I have seen an unsafe electrical installation or equipment?

Working with Electricity

How do I know if someone is competent to do electrical work?

Can I do my own electrical work?

When should I use a residual current device?

When should I report an electrical accident to HSE?

What should I do if I think someone is working unsafely?

What should I do to avoid danger from underground cables or wires?

How do I work safely near overhead lines?

What should I do it I touch an overhead power line?

When is it safe to work on live electrical equipment?

How do I make my electrical equipment safe to work on?

Who has the responsibility to make sure everyone works safely?

I may have a colour vision deficiency which could affect my ability to do electrical work. Is there any guidance available?

There may be asbestos in or near equipment I am working on. Is there any guidance available?

Maintaining it Safely

How often should I test my electrical equipment?

How often should I get my electrical installation tested?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq.htm

For those of you who are not familiar with ISO 19011, this is a set of guidelines for auditing management systems first issued in 2002. A revised version of the standard is expected to be published before the end of 2011.

What impact will this have on your business?

Two things have changed significantly in the 2011 edition…

1. Initially called a ‘Guideline for Quality and Environmental Management System Auditing’, the number of applicable standards has increased dramatically which is reflected in the revised title and content of ISO 19011 now titled “Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems”.

2. ISO 19011:2002 also provided guidance for all users, including internal company audits, supplier audits and certification body audits. ISO 17021:2011 now identifies the requirements for certification bodies such as BSI and LRQA so the revised ISO 19011:2011 standard focuses on internal (first party) audits and, supplier (second party) audits.

What’s new in ISO 19011:2011?

The standard sets out good practice for Managing an Audit Programme and Performing an Audit which has been updated to reflect current best practice and current trends.

These sections provide flexible guidance according to the size, level of maturity of an organisation’s management system, and the nature and complexity of the organisation to be audited. The concept of risk in auditing is also introduced.

Guidance is also given on combined audits, where two or more management systems of different disciplines are audited together (e.g. QMS & EMS).

The use of technology in remote auditing is discussed and how, for example, remote audit interviews should be conducted and recorded.

Although this may acknowledge current trends in auditing, the basics of how to manage and conduct an audit remain similar to the original ISO 19011:2002 standard.

Competence & evaluation of your audit team…

More significant changes have been introduced in the guidance on competence and evaluation of auditors to cover the audit of multiple systems and integrated systems.

For example, the standard now identifies an understanding of risk management techniques and legal requirements for OHSAS 18001 auditors.

Annex B of ISO 19011 goes a stage further by defining how competency is achieved (e.g. a Risk Assessment Training Course) and how evidence of the competency is shown and evaluated (e.g. training records and interview).

This change recognises that education, work experience, training and audit experience are enablers to competence and effective auditing.

What does this mean in practice?

Although ISO 19011 is, and only ever will be, a set of best practices it provides good guidance to improve the skill base of your audit team when auditing multiple management systems.

Also expect the certification bodies to start to use the standard as a way to define internal auditor competency and to drive improvement in this area.

You may have seen recent changes in the labelling of substances and chemicals in the workplace.  These are a result of recent European Legislation on the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) of Substances.   The EU is adopting the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of labelling as developed in the United Nations.  Labels are changing in a phased manner up to June 2015, by which time all stock and new products in your workplace should have the new graphics.

The biggest change is the loss of the familiar orange boxes.  It was always easy to identify a hazardous material from the conspicuous orange box and black cross.  Now all symbols are diamond-shaped, have a white background with red border and an image to describe the hazard.  There are pictograms for substances that are toxic, under pressure, irritating to the skin, flammable, explosive, harmful to the environment, are oxidising agents, cause respiratory/carcinogenic danger or are corrosive.  There is no longer a ‘generic hazard’ symbol. 

The new images you need to be aware of can be found on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/detail/coshh-clp-reach.htm

The internet is to play a bigger role in the way you should report incidents from autumn this year.  Why the changes? Find out more.

How is the way we should report incidents changing?
From 12 September 2011, statutory reporting to HSE of work-related injuries and incidents under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) will move to a predominantly online system.  Revised online forms will make the reporting process quick and easy.  Employers will no longer report indcidens by email, post or fax.

How will I report incidents in the future?
The Incident Contact Centre will still take reports of all fatal and major incidents by telephone, but people reporting all other incidents will be required to submit an online form, availbel on HSE’s website.

The online forms are:
F2508 Report of an injury
F2508 Report of a Dangerous Occurrence
F2508A Report of a Case of Disease
OIR9B Report of an Injury Offshore
OIR9B Report of a Dangerous Ooccurrence Offshore
F2508G1 Report of a Flammable Gas Incident
F2508G2 Report of a Dangerous Gas Fitting

THe revised online reporting forms will be interactive, intuitive and easy for people to use.  An online help facility will also be provided.

Click here for HSE news letter…

Get management support by ensuring you all know why internal audits are required and eliminate:

• Lack of support from Senior Management
• Not enough time for internal audit preparation
• Difficult auditees
• Time taken to write up the audit results

Let’s deal with each of these….

Management Support.  It is the Audit Manager’s job to ensure that senior management understand the importance of internal auditing and compliance requirements. The following tips might help.

• Communicate the cost of audit observations and the greater cost of not responding to them.
• Explain the regulatory effect of the nonconforming process.
• Have a member of management shadow an audit.
• Communicate savings (in time and money).
• Ensure management know that internal audits lower business risks and help improve systems and processes to find, reduce waste AND SAVE MONEY

Preparation. When the audit is scheduled follow this tried and tested process:

• As soon as the audit date is agreed, schedule time in your calendar (& the auditee’s calendar.)
• Make time in your work schedule for preparation.
• Prepare an audit plan:  how long in each department, who needs to be there.
• Read the procedures and write up checklists – don’t rely on your memory.
• Read the previous audit report and note the nonconformities that were raised.
• DON’T let other tasks interfere – so close your office door  or all your best intensions go out the window.

Remember auditees will spot a lack of preparation especially if you read their procedures during interviews or ask irrelevant questions. PREPARATION and TIME MANGEMENT are they key pre audit steps.

Difficult Auditees. Be positive, be prepared, ask open questions, be appreciative of their time. Communication skills are paramount, and where auditees give ‘yes/n’o answers then frame your questions to start with:

• How do you …..
• Tell me …..
• What does this ….
• Where can I find …..
• Can you show me …..

Never be frightened to stop an internal audit if an auditee is being negative or overly aggressive – report back immediately to your Audit Manager but NEVER RAISE YOUR VOICE OR GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH AN AUDITEE!

•  Request training:  Communications and Internal Auditing,
•  Understand cultural differences.
•  Explain to the auditee the benefits to the company.
•  Ask open-ended questions.
• Always stop an internal audit during difficult situations with auditees.
• Don’t pretend you know something when you don’t.
• Be realistic in the time your are auditing – no auditee wants their whole day take up!

Audit Reports. Well done, the audit preparation is complete and a successful audit has now taken place ….now to write it all up. This is one of the least-liked tasks, so try these techniques:

• Complete the internal audit report with 5 days of the audit (ideally within 24 hours if you can!)
• Schedule time in your calendar for report writing
• Use a standard internal audit report format
• Link it to the checklist – but remember the checklist is a stand-alone quality record
• Write clear, audit nonconformities – ensuring the auditee can understand them too!
• Thank the auditee for their time and courtesy
• Identify any improvements and associated cost savings
• Ensure Management have a copy of the audit report

Remember the key to a successful audit is everyone knowing that the internal audit process is designed to help the business find issues before they become a major issue or a client complaint.

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has started consultation on the update of the environmental management standard ISO14001:2004.  This will be a long process and is likely to continue the process of aligning different systems so that they follow commonality in areas where this is possible.

ISO14001 already aligns in terms of clause and subject matter with OHSAS 18001:2007 systems on health and safety, much simplifying things for those companies wishing to integrate their documentation, audits, roles and controls.  It is likely that this mechanism of cross-over will continue so that doubling system certification is never going to be double the work.

Given this, it is possible that there will be more common clauses in future standards – i.e. using set clauses on subjects and topics that are universal to all management systems.  A bonus to those considering integrating systems or those about to embark on the development of new systems covering more than one management subject.

ISO 14001 has never been a certification that recognises actual good environmental performance, but does recognise those businesses that have committed to reducing any negative impacts of their activities. This allows businesses that may not have a good record to date to get ‘on-board’ and to claim that they are ‘green’.  On balance, it is likely that identifying
environmental issues and managing these is better than simply awarding a system certificate to only the best around.

Here at QCS International we frequently install ISO 14001 environmental systems, usually finding keen environmental managers with a list of actions and activities from recycling initiatives to energy saving schemes.  Note that such actions are a RESULT of your management system and not a requirement of it.

In fact, if you are very environmentally aware and already exhibit best practice it is likely to be more difficult for you to demonstrate continual improvement – a requirement that is unlikely to go in any revision of the standard.

As we learn more about the updates being considered we will let you know via this blog.  Whatever the outcome, it should make both integration and reporting on continual improvements easier and clearer.

The main point of any management system is continuous improvement.   Practically this means that we identify issues that are causing significant business cost, loss or risk and then we set about solving the issue by identifying the root cause, and then putting in place a corrective action.

Root Cause Analysis
If you are running a management system, you will without a doubt have a corrective action system that identifies issues and records them to ensure investigation to closure.   But in the middle of all the form filling and meetings to agree actions, how effective are you and your organisation at root cause analysis?

ISO 9001 tells us that ‘Corrective actions shall be appropriate to the effects of the non-conformities encountered.’ In other words, you need to step back and take a look at the impact of the issue on your organisation in terms of cost, loss and risk.

Only Look at the Big Hitters
The first step is, in the words of the dearly beloved Pareto, sorting the significant few from the trivial many.    When you have done this and decided on a way of prioritising what the ‘big hitters’ really are, its time to get to work with some root cause analysis.

5 Whys
After clearly defining the problem you have, 5 why analysis is one of the simplest and best ways to understand a problem and all the root causes.   All you need to do is keep on asking why an issue happened until the root cause, or causes, have been identified.

For example…
During an audit it was noted that the supplier for a key material was not on the approved supplier list.   The material had been ordered but, thankfully not used, as it was the wrong specification.   But why did this happen?

1. The specification not checked before ordering… Why?
2. The procedure was not followed… Why?
3. The procedure is not clear… Why?
4. Responsibilities not well defined in purchasing… Why?
5. People are not well trained in the procedure… Why?
6. No induction training in purchasing…

By focussing on the main issues within your corrective action system and using a simple tool such as 5 Why, you can have a highly effective corrective action system to drive improvement into your organisation.

One of the key audit skills we deliver in our audit courses is the ability to write a good audit checklist.   This is simply because a checklist provides you with a clear set of questions to ask during the audit and keeps you on track with the audit timetable and objectives.

At QCS write our checklist of the month to help people with areas of auditing management systems but this month we thought we would look at how to actually write an audit check list using and ISO standard.

The key steps to writing a checklist based on any management system standard is to understand:

• the intent of the section/clause of the standard
• breakdown the specific requirements of the clause of the standard (the ‘shalls’)
• identify what objective evidence you are going to look for to prove the system works

To give a simple example I have chosen Management Review from ISO 14001:2004 (Section 4.6) but this technique can be applied to any section of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001.

The overall intent of management review is to ensure the management system is implemented and effective in driving continual improvement.

If we take a look at clause 4.6, the key requirements of ISO 14001 are that

• Results from internal audits will be reviewed
• Results from legal requirement evaluations will be reviewed
• Review of environmental performance
• Review of the extent to which objectives and targets have been met
• Communication from regulators and other interested parties
• Status of corrective/preventive actions
• Follow up actions from previous reviews
• Changes (legislation, organisation, technology etc) are reviewed
• Records of the review shall be maintained

The evidence you will need to look at during the audit will be:

• Minutes of management review meetings
• Who actually attended management review meetings
• Agendas from the meetings including any data analysis/reports
• Action plans resulting from the management reviews

And of course the main question to ask to ensure effectiveness… review an actual improvement that has occurred as a result of a decision taken in management review.  This way you can show that the system if fully implemented and effective.

Stress Audit Checklist

How often do any of your employees experience high levels of stress at work? Never, Rarely, Weekly, Constantly? Stress has firmly been on the HSE agenda for some time now but do you ever audit the control measures for this particular hazard?   Here are some questions that you can use to assess stress management compliance in your organisation…

• Do you ensure that managers receive information and advice on how to manage work-related stress?

• Do you ask your employees what causes stress at work, and what can be done to reduce it?

• Do you have a clear policy that acts of bullying and harassment are not acceptable and all such complaints will be formally investigated?

• Do you, where possible, let your employees have some choice about how they prioritise their work?

• Do you make sure your employees always know what they are expected to do and regularly talk to them about their work?

• Do you ask your employees to talk to their manager if they are finding their job stressful?

• Do you make sure all managers know how to provide help, support and training to employees?

• Do you discuss any expected changes with your employees?

• Do you make sure working hours are managed and kept below 48 hours each week?

• Do you make sure your employees have enough time to do their work?