I’m always fascinated by the insight the data gives us into the issues our peers in the safety industry tackle during site audits and tech reviews.

Assure360 is the only community audit and compliance tool available for the asbestos removal and construction industry. Over a hundred and sixty safety professionals use the system, completing, to date, more than 3500 audits. Assure360 is developing real insight into the challenges and issues all our clients and peers face and overcome. As a result, we have the power to genuinely improve the construction industry.

What kind of data?

The system not only incorporates site audits, but records tech reviews during the planning stage. This allows managers to learn from common issues picked up by their peers – before the project goes live.

We regularly share the community’s findings with our army of independent auditors through our customer newsletter.

The 10 most common non conformance issues

This time the issues that the Contracts managers faced mirrored the overall top 10:

The top 10 list looks like this:

1. Accuracy of the drawings
2. Appropriateness of the method statement
3. Welfare facilities
4. Analyst recorded – who, and who they are employed by
5. Method Statement – clearly written, less a comment on the effectiveness of the plan, more how effective it was in communicating to the team
6. Risk Assessment – generic assessments lacking in site specificity
7. Risk Assessments – whether the identified controls are reflected in the method
8. Electrical Isolations
9. Risk Assessment (vibration)
10. Report QC checks completed – evidence that errors slipped through the net

If we look at the numbers – three of these are clearly related:

·     Risk Assessment – generic assessments

·     Risk Assessments – whether the identified controls are reflected in the method

·     Risk Assessment (vibration)

If we also consider that electrical isolation not being in place could also be connected to a lack of adequate risk assessment – we can see the attention to detail with respect to non-asbestos hazards is by far the most common issue at 27 instances.

Improved general H&S awareness and training for the contracts managers should be considered.

The most common issues for supervisors

Assure360 allows us to drill down and identify issues faced by supervisors. This allows the teams to address targeted issues within supervisor meetings, rather than allowing company-wide concerns to cloud the issue:

The top 10 for supervisors looks like this:

1.  Access Routes

2.  Housekeeping

3.  Tied (scaffold)

4.  COSHH Assessments

5.  Double hand rails (scaffold)

6.  Scaffold (Fans)

7.  Signing in

8.  Method Statement (briefing)

9.  Scaffold (Boards)

10. Scaffold (Design)

Two main issue stand out for the site teams – housekeeping / safe access routes and scaffolding. Again, these are non-asbestos general construction issues.

Root and branch

Assure360 is not a dumb smart form or isolated tablet application – it is linked to a powerful cloud database. Its sophisticated system of automatic reminders and dashboards, ensures the right people deal with the issues at the right time. As Assure360 always asks – ‘what could we do to prevent this from happening again?’ everything is dealt with – root and branch.

How could Assure360 help you?

How does this data compare with your own audits? Do you have a tool that can help you monitor and tackle these issues, saving you time and money and keeping everyone on the project up to speed?

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