Improving Hazard Controls
Dr. W. Edwards Deming is considered by most to be the father of Total Quality Management and Continuous Improvement. His PDSA Cycle uses a systematic series of steps to gain data for the continual improvement of a product or process.
The process is called a "cycle" because the steps are continually repeated. As the image to the right shows, the PDSA Cycle contains four primary steps. These four steps may be used when improving the worksite through the use of hazard controls as follows:
- Plan: The first step is to plan the design and development of the hazard control strategy. Base your design on objective facts about the hazard and best practices within the industry to eliminate or mitigate the hazard.
- Do: Next, implement the control strategy in a limited manner. This is done to limit the "damage" should the control strategy not work. If you have many facilities, implement the control strategy in one facility (unless an imminent danger situation exists).
- Study: Analyze the change in work to see if the control strategy has improved the process or work area. Once you have the data, discuss the results objectively.
- Act: If the control strategy works, then adopt and deploy it to all relevant worksites. If it doesn't work, revise the strategy by making small changes or throw it out completely and start over. It is also important to conduct follow-up analysis by moving on once again to the first step of the cycle.
Each of the four steps in the PDSA Cycle are important and must not be skipped.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-12. What is the correct action to take if hazard control did not work as anticipated?
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