Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
13
SafeOperating
Procedures(SOPs)
IntroductIon
A.Safe.Operating.Procedure.(SOP).or.Standard.Operating.Procedure.should.include.
safety.and.health.as.a.part.of.the.standard.operating.practices.delineated.within.it..
The.SOP.is.a.set.of.written.instructions.that.documents.a.routine.or.repetitive.activity.
followed.by.an.organization..The.development.and.use.of.SOPs.are.an.integral.part.
of.a.successful.quality.system.as.it.provides.workers.with.information.to.perform.a.
job.properly.and.safely.while.facilitating.consistency.in.the.quality.and.integrity.of.
a.product.or.end.result.
Workers.may.not.automatically.understand.a.task.just.because.they.have.experi-
ence. or. training.. Thus,. many. jobs,. tasks,. and. operations. are. best. supported. by. an.
SOP..The.SOP.walks.the.worker.through.the.steps.of.how.to.do.a.task.or.procedure.in.
a.safe.manner.and.calls.attention.to.the.potential.hazards.at.each.step..The.develop-
ment.and.use.of.SOPs.minimizes.variation.and.promotes.quality.through.consistent.
implementation. of. a. process. or. procedure. within. the. company,. even. if. there. are.
temporary.or.permanent.personnel.changes..It.minimizes.opportunities.for.miscom-
munication.and.can.address.safety.and.health.concerns..SOPs.are.frequently.used.as.
checklists.by.inspectors.when.auditing.procedures..Ultimately,.the.beneits.of.a.valid.
SOP.are.reduced.work.effort,.safe.performance,.along.with.improved.comparability,.
credibility,.and.legal.defensibility.
You.might.ask.why.an.SOP.is.needed.if.the.worker.has.already.been.trained.to.
do. the. job. or. task.. As. you. may. remember. from. the. previous. chapter,. a. job. safety.
analysis.usually.keys.in.on.those.particular.jobs.that.pose.the.greatest.risk.of.injury.
or.death..These.are.high-risk.types.of.work.activities.and.deinitely.merit.the.devel-
opment.and.use.of.an.SOP..There.are.times.when.an.SOP,.or.step-by-step.checklist,.
is.useful,.including.the.following:
.
1.. New.worker.is.performing.a.job.or.task.for.the.irst.time.
.
2.. Experienced.worker.is.performing.a.job.or.task.for.the.irst.time.
.
3.. Worker.has.not.performed.job.in.a.long.time.
.
4.. Experienced.worker.is.performing.a.job.that.he.or.she.has.not.done.recently.
.
5.. Mistakes.could.cause.damage.to.equipment.or.property.
.
6.. Job.is.done.on.an.intermittent.or.infrequent.basis.
.
7.. New.piece.of.equipment.or.different.model.of.equipment.is.obtained.
.
8.. Supervisors. need. to. understand. safe. operation. to. be. able. to. evaluate.
performance.
187
