TCC GROUP 'ONSITE SAFE'

TCC GROUP 'ONSITE SAFE'
Equipment checking and maintenance

Recently an issue arose where the work crew were complaining that onsite equipment maintenence was not being done and the relevant person who did general maintenance was not doing their job and endangering other workers potentially!?
Lets unpack this a bit.Sure designated roles for maintenance make certain staff responsible for maintenance activities,but actual onsite/in situ safety precautions and prestarts/JHAS should be in use helping to identify potential hazards/as well as slack maintenance.In reality we rely on both our own preventative measures and responsibility to make equipment and environments safe.It is not just one persons job.So blaming someone who is remote from the job will not prevent an accident /hazard occuring.Its a shared responsibility.If we can fix an issue at its origin and feedback improvements taht can be made and participating...being part of the maintenance team, things will improve.Its the obligation of every worker and employer to take full responsibility for circumstances that could arise.This doesnt mean that serious feedback is not given back to the maintence section with suggestions of how it could be improved...both procedure and equipment selection.Each link in the chain requires good communication to increase safe working.If at any stage there is an abdication of responsibility the system doesn't work.Maintenance and safety go hand in hand...with one being the preventative and the other the last line of precaution.Innovations that increase safety and efficiency can only take place if communication is maintained and feedback captured and acted upon continuously and not in a reactive manner.All are links in the chain.The hardest part is accepting responsibility for our own actions and participating to make the appropriate changes in a system of work.In the situation sited...I believe the role was vaguely described and understood by the worker...but in addition the job was too burdensome...with not enough time available to do a thorough job.In addition some workers wanted not just improved controls...but were not willing to do basic prestart preventative maintenance onsite to make a situation safe.It wasnt all bad though.These issues were addressed at a toolbox and cited there as well as suggestions being made for equipment changes/replacements.Still Prestarts and the jha are the failsafes.Now we need to just trial legal equipment and increase levels of communication and maintenace amongst the crew.Changes have to be made as the reflection and feedback is given.Perhaps an overall maintenance strategy needs to be put in place and a database/scheduling maintained...something to think about anyway.!