Tag: Safety-Compliance

In ‘Project Safety Initiation’ we look at what you need to do to get your safety project or program started.

Introduction

Definitions

A stakeholder is anyone who will be affected by the introduction of the system and who needs to be consulted or informed about the development and fielding of the system, and anyone who contributes to the ultimate acceptance of the project.

We will look at the RACI chart of stakeholders under a later SMP.

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Project Safety Initiation: Objectives

This procedure describes the start-up of safety management activities on a project. It identifies safety stakeholders and legislative and other standards that need to be satisfied. The procedure also creates the key elements of the safety management organization for the project.

In normal circumstances, this procedure would be applied at the outset of a project, early in the Concept phase. However, it can be applied at any point of the life cycle where it is necessary to initiate a formal safety management process on an existing system. The procedure may also be re-applied at significant points in the life cycle (e.g. after Full Business Case approval), to review and update the project safety arrangements and ensure that they continue to be appropriate.

Remember that a Project delivers on a specific:
a) Outcome, result or benefits, e.g. meeting requirements;
b) Schedule; and
c) Quality criteria, e.g. needed to realise benefits.

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Comprehensive Guide to Safety Management Procedure Initiation

Safety management is critical to any project, especially those involving complex systems with safety and environmental implications. This procedure outlines the early-stage safety processes that should be followed, assuming that the Program Director has already been appointed and safety responsibilities have been delegated to a competent team member within the delivery team. The goal of safety initiation is to ensure that safety management starts on a firm basis, identifying crucial stakeholders, regulatory authorities, and internal teams responsible for safety and environmental protection.

In this article, we will provide an in-depth understanding of the safety initiation process, stakeholder identification, project safety organization creation, compliance considerations, and necessary documentation.

Purpose of Safety Initiation

The primary objective of safety initiation is to commence the safety management process by:

• Identifying stakeholders, regulators, and approval authorities.
• Appointing a Project Safety Manager (PSM) and, if required, an Independent Safety Auditor (ISA).
• Forming the Project Safety Committee (PSC).
• Ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations and creating a responsible, accountable, consulted, informed (RACI) chart.

This procedure helps mitigate risks to project timelines, cost, and overall safety by ensuring safety requirements are identified and met early in the project lifecycle.

All applicable factors need to be lined up to ensure the success of a safety project or program.

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Project Safety Initiation: How It’s Done

1. Stakeholder Identification in Safety Initiation

The identification of stakeholders is crucial. Stakeholders include any individuals or groups impacted by the project’s development or operation, as well as those responsible for the project’s approval and compliance. This may include industry professionals, regulatory bodies, and environmental authorities. Here’s how to systematically identify and involve relevant stakeholders:

Who Are the Stakeholders?

A stakeholder is defined as anyone affected by the system or involved in its acceptance, including:

• Individuals who are responsible for safety at any stage of the project.
• Groups or individuals with safety information or requirements relevant to the project.
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) with specialized knowledge critical to project safety.

Consulting Key Stakeholders

At a minimum, the following must be consulted:

• Project Sponsor (e.g., Director of the End Users’ Business Unit).
• Equipment Users who will be directly affected.
• Director Technical responsible for the technical aspects of the project.
• Safety & Environmental Protection Group tasked with compliance.
• Other Delivery Teams involved with subsystems or associated projects.

After identifying stakeholders, record their involvement and details in Form SMP01/F/02 – Register of Stakeholder Requirements and Information. External stakeholders such as other government departments or industry experts should also be logged into the communication plan. For complex projects, develop a communication plan outlining stakeholder contact details, responsibilities, and relevant security considerations.

It may be helpful to rename the project communication plan the Project Stakeholder Management Plan – what do you need from stakeholders for your Project to succeed?

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2. Ensuring Compliance with Safety Regulations

Compliance with safety and environmental regulations is a critical responsibility of the Delivery Team. The following methods ensure compliance across various safety aspects:

Key Compliance Strategies:

• System Specifications: Delivery Teams develop specifications to meet user requirements, ensuring safety and environmental standards are incorporated.
• Through Life Management Plan (TLMP): This plan outlines the long-term impact of safety and environmental legislation on equipment.
• Enterprise Guidance: Use internal guidelines when creating contracts to include safety and environmental performance targets.

Sources for Regulatory and Legislative Information:

To maintain compliance with safety and environmental legislation, teams can access a wide range of resources, including:

• Legislative registers held by the program teams.
• Defense Regulator intranet pages.
• Health & Safety Executive publications and other professional societies.
• Suppliers, contractors, and consultants with expertise in safety and environmental law.

The Delivery Team must identify applicable legislation at the start of the project and continuously update a legislative register as part of the Safety Case.

For more information on this vital task, see the post on System Requirements Hazard Analysis here.

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3. Creating a Project Safety Organization

Establishing a robust safety management structure is essential to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations. The Safety Management Plan (SMP) will eventually document the project’s entire safety organization, but before that, some key safety roles need to be defined.

Steps to Set Up Project Safety Organization:

Develop a Project Safety RACI Chart: This chart defines who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed at different stages of the safety process.

Appoint a Competent Project Safety Manager (PSM): This individual is responsible for overseeing safety management throughout the project.

Appoint an Independent Safety Auditor (ISA): For complex or high-risk projects, appointing an ISA is advisable. The ISA ensures that safety audits are conducted independently.

Form a Project Safety Committee (PSC): This group will be responsible for monitoring and governing safety issues within the project.

3. Ensuring Compliance with Safety Regulations

Compliance with safety and environmental regulations is a critical responsibility of the Delivery Team. The following methods ensure compliance across various safety aspects:

Key Compliance Strategies:

• System Specifications: Delivery Teams develop specifications to meet user requirements, ensuring safety and environmental standards are incorporated.
• Through Life Management Plan (TLMP): This plan outlines the long-term impact of safety and environmental legislation on equipment.
• Enterprise Guidance: Use internal guidelines when creating contracts to include safety and environmental performance targets.

Sources for Regulatory and Legislative Information:

To maintain compliance with safety and environmental legislation, teams can access a wide range of resources, including:

• Legislative registers held by the program teams.
• Defense Regulator intranet pages.
• Health & Safety Executive publications and other professional societies.
• Suppliers, contractors, and consultants with expertise in safety and environmental law.

The Delivery Team must identify applicable legislation at the start of the project and continuously update a legislative register as part of the Safety Case.

4. Safety Documentation and Records

Documenting safety processes ensures accountability and maintains a clear safety management trail. These records feed into critical project documentation, including:

• System Specification: Defines specific safety requirements.
• Customer-Supplier Agreement: Documents agreements on safety information.
• Through Life Management Plan (TLMP): Outlines the ongoing safety and environmental impact.
• Safety Elements in Business Case Submissions: Ensures all safety-related information is considered in formal project submissions.

Outputs to Record:

1. Appointed PSM and ISA, if appropriate;
2. Completed Form SMP01/F/01 – Safety Operating Environment Questionnaire;
3. Completed Form SMP01/F/02 – Register of Stakeholder Requirements and Information, which should be reviewed and updated as the project proceeds;
4. Completed Form SMP01/F/03 – Register of Safety Legislation and Other Significant Requirements, which should be reviewed and updated as the project proceeds.

Proper documentation supports future audits, stakeholder engagement, and compliance efforts. Competent to perform the required responsibilities.

5. Importance of Competence in Safety Management

Competence in safety management is key to project success. The competence of the PSM and ISA must be demonstrated and documented to assure that they can effectively discharge their safety responsibilities.

Consequences of Incompetence or Delays:

Failure to appoint competent individuals or delay the initiation of safety management procedures can lead to:

• Increased risk to project timelines and costs.
• Delayed engagement with stakeholders.
• Overlooked safety and environmental requirements.

Conclusion: Importance of Early Safety Management Initiation

Initiating a structured safety management process at the early stages of a project is crucial for ensuring compliance with safety and environmental standards. By identifying stakeholders, setting up a robust safety organization, ensuring compliance, and maintaining accurate documentation, the project minimizes risks, avoids delays, and maintains clear communication with all involved parties.

Project Safety Initiation: Timing

Initial Application

In an acquisition program, the procedure should be carried out early in the Concept phase.  Stakeholders, system boundaries, supporting systems/arrangements, and acceptance authorities need to be identified as early as possible to support the subsequent Preliminary Hazard Identification activity (Procedure SMP04 – Preliminary Hazard Identification) and the preparation of the SMP.

The procedure can be applied at any point of the life cycle where it is necessary to initiate a formal safety management process.

Review

The registers of stakeholders and requirements should be reviewed and updated after the Outline Business Case and Full Business Case as part of the review and update of the SMP.

New Safety Managers could also use this as a take-over checklist, to make sure all necessary decisions have been made and clearly documented.

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Acknowledgment of Copyright

In this article, I have used some material from a UK Ministry of Defence guide, reproduced under the terms of the UK’s Open Government Licence.

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