Industry leaders are discovering that digital self-inspection programs conducted using iPads provide simple, clear communication between employees and management about hazards that occur on facilities' sites.
"If you already have a hazard recognition program or want to start a new one, implementing a program with some digital aspects can make it easier to manage," said Seth Brooks, regional HS&E manager for Solvay Americas. "This self-inspection program is probably similar to many plans. It breaks the site down into areas, and allows employees from all levels of the organization to participate. Hazards are found and fixed, work orders are written, hazards are communicated and the cycle starts all over again."
Delivering a presentation as part of the 2021 Texas-Louisiana EHS Seminar and Virtual Expo, Brooks said getting employees involved in self-inspection promotes individual ownership and responsibility.
"It gets people out onto the site who have never been in certain units before, highlights systemic problems and, in the end, creates a safer place to work," he said.
Sharing tips on how to implement a self-inspection, Brooks said it might be necessary to install repeaters around the site to more efficiently and reliably stay connected to the internet and intranet.
"Although we're kind of a small site -- four or five acres or so -- we may have trouble connecting to the internet," Brooks said. "For us, the internet was pretty weak [in the field], so we had to install two repeaters to make sure our connection with the iPads we use outside was not going to be problematic. That really helped with the connection."
Brooks said that repeaters are readily available, even for intrinsically safe devices for classified areas.
"We have classified areas in the field where you cannot take just any kind of device out there," Brooks said. "Quite a few [devices] are on the market now that you can buy. You can also buy cases that go over phones and iPads to make them intrinsically safe. Make sure you're using the right equipment in classified areas."
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Brooks recommended that managers fight the urge to perform the inspection completely alone just to get the task out of the way.
"Give employees the opportunity to join and see what the site looks like," he said. "Sometimes managers are doing it themselves [because] they get behind."
The unexpected freeze that hit states along the Gulf Coast in early 2021 delayed some inspections, Brooks noted, causing a pile-up of sorts at his facility.
"It's easy to go out and do things just to get them done and not involve an operator, but I urge you not to do that," Brooks reiterated. "Wait for another opportunity to get everybody involved to go out and participate in those areas."
Communication, Brooks said, is essential to workers being able to see the various hazards that have been found and need to be corrected.
"Communicate the inspections sitewide so people can see what hazards you're finding and what was corrected," he said. "Going out to the site to find things creates ownership for people."
Even helping to pick up trash in the field helps workers gain that sense of ownership, Brooks added.
"I know from [first-hand] experience that going out there and helping clean up the area of hazards not only brings ownership, but it also brings good camaraderie with your colleagues," he said. "It brings a lot of teamwork into your site."
Finally, Brooks stressed the importance of free-flowing communication with company leadership to show improvement or the need for correction.
"If you have monthly or quarterly leadership meetings that [present] a few slides of what you're finding out there on-site, you can focus on where you need improvement," Brooks concluded. "There's good information in your gatherings so you can improve conditions on your site."
