The performance of your workforce can have a significant impact on your overall operation, maintenance, process equipment—and ultimately your bottom line. To achieve maximum process performance you must start with improving and retaining the performance of your workforce.
Emerson’s Performance Solutions program can provide a cost-effective way to ensure your workforce is capable of performing at the highest level of efficiency and safety possible in order to eliminate workplace injuries and accidents, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and optimize processes and equipment. The end result is a safer environment, retention of top performing employees, and a reduction in overall costs.
Emerson’s Performance Solutions services include the following assessments:
- Skill & Training Needs
- Personnel Safety
- Policy & Procedures
- Regulatory Compliance
- New Equipment Training
- Maintenance Practices
Skill & Training Needs Assessment
Objective, hands-on performance measurements ensure that employees can perform the required tasks proficiently. Emerson has extensive experience designing objective criteria, practical scenarios, demonstration equipment, and procedures to measure practical abilities. The skill assessment will help determine areas of knowledge, training, and ability that are deficient or that can be improved to achieve greater performance.
Task Analysis
Emerson’s skill and training needs assessment begins with a formal task analysis to determine the skills required to perform each assigned work task. The analysis reviews the operational environment, processes, practices, acceptable performance standards, industry standards, and benchmarks for the industry. It includes out of the box thinking, i.e., could there be a faster, better or cheaper procedure? Interviews with management and workers are also conducted, along with a survey to measure how the workers and managers view the importance of the skill or task along with the knowledge used to perform it. This process is critical to determine what knowledge is necessary to produce maximum efficiency of tasks, both safely and effectively.
Gap Analysis
The skill assessment results are carefully reviewed and compared to the task analysis to provide a detailed picture of possible improvements and how resources should be directed. This information will be used to guide targeted efforts for training, skill development, and procedure changes where they are needed most. The gap analysis also ensures the best return on the time and money invested in the plan.
Personnel Safety
Personnel safety is the application of policy and procedures combined with the right attitude, knowledge, and tools that will help you manage risk. Complacency is the enemy of the best safety program. Without a constant challenge to the daily routine and beliefs, combinations of events will eventually allow an accident. A thorough review is undertaken that includes employee qualification, work planning and briefing, audits and inspections, and the utilization of personal protection devices.
Policies and Procedures
Policies and procedures dictate the operating environment on a daily basis. Some procedures are clearly outlined by a regulating body, some are left to the corporate body, and some are established at the plant level. In the absence of clear guidance, often times the procedure or policy is assumed.
Potentially dangerous situations can occur when new employees are trained by employees who were trained by other employees. What was once understood as policy can easily be changed and manipulated at each “stop” in the dissemination chain. After a period of time, the origin and intent of the policy is lost.
A careful review of existing policies and procedures can discover weaknesses in currently utilized process. Areas discovered center around isolation procedures, use of intended procedure, specific steps taken during shutdown and testing, placement and removal of lockout devices, and specific requirements for various equipment. Analysis will help locate deficient areas and determine overall corrective action.
Regulatory Compliance
OSHA 1910.147 requires that equipment specific energy isolation procedures be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy. The safety program is essential in avoiding potentially deadly accidents.
Risk analysis identifies and evaluates the hazards which could cause accidents at your facility. Emerson uses the latest techniques to identify, categorize, and prioritize the hazards in a facility. Once complete, we provide comprehensive mitigation techniques based on regulatory compliance, recognized consensus standards, and industry leading best practices. This process analyzes currently utilized processes and knowledge of current codes and regulations and compares them, assisting in the creation of an improved overall safety program.
New Equipment and Training Assessment
Equipment that is not installed correctly or modified during installation can lead to increased downtime or catastrophic failure. Electrical inspectors generally require that electrical distribution and point-of-use equipment be listed. If electrical equipment has been modified, a field inspection is usually required.
Correctly designed, constructed, and installed equipment can still present a hazard to human life and property, if operated improperly. Examples of improperly used equipment can range from something as simple as an extension cord used (like a rope) for securing a piece of equipment, to an oversized circuit breaker for the anticipated load. Emerson’s New Equipment and Training Assessment properly analyzes workforce knowledge of newly installed equipment and safety procedures. This assessment targets deficient knowledge of the latest equipment and technology and outlines ways to improve performance and get workers updated quickly and safely.
The best equipment installed in the best manner can present a hazard to human life and property if not properly maintained. A solid foundation of knowledge and proper maintenance programs can provide a cost-effective solution to maximizing maintenance dollars and extending the life of your equipment.
Employee knowledge of maintenance, adjustment calibration, and regular program maintenance methods of the electrical distribution system knowledge are analyzed and reported. A focused plan is developed that outlines proper maintenance practices for your equipment and steps necessary to maximize operations.
