Integrating Safety in Real-Time for Maintenance

This paper was presented at the 2024 International Elevator & Escalator Symposium in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Abstract

“Safety First” is a universal slogan emphasizing the paramount importance of safety in any job. However, achieving this in practice requires ensuring that mechanics have the proper training, tools and focus to minimize accident risks. This necessitates a concerted effort across all business aspects while requiring an efficient toolkit or platform to streamline the process. Fragmentation within companies, with different departments handling various work aspects, often creates disparate requirements for field mechanics. While some companies leverage data consolidation through new technologies, others still struggle with fragmentation across paper, PDFs and data entry systems. This presentation explores how to create and manage workflows that seamlessly integrate safety into operational tasks and data sets. We will explore the challenges of workflow management through data collection, process compliance and risk assessment.

1. Introduction

Mechanics in the field face overwhelming pressures, not only to complete and document tasks but also to meet demands from various departments, such as:

• Inspections: Addressing deficiencies, identifying new ones and reporting status
• Sales: Generating new leads or completing sold work
• Service: Identifying required parts or potential work to reduce risk of shutdown

Safety requirements are also extensive, including:

• Proper training and licenses
• Safe arrival at the site
• Training onsite equipment
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) availability
• Familiarity with site-specific hazards
• Completion of Job Hazard Assessments (JHAs)
• Jumper Logs
• Ensuring safe departure

This is a lot for a mechanic to be made aware of, and without a proper tracking mechanism, most of this is done in his or her head, which can lead to something being overlooked or forgotten. The solution is to find a way to provide a single solution to navigate the requirements and capture the data efficiently.

Effective data management and integration are crucial to track and analyze these tasks, ensuring compliance and safety.

2. Start Here: Education and Training 

Before a mechanic is dispatched to the field each day, the company must ensure that the mechanic possesses the appropriate licenses and has received training for the tasks they are expected to perform. Typically, this responsibility falls to administrators or safety directors within the office. However, dispatchers and supervisors who assign mechanics to sites should also be informed. 

It is also crucial to verify whether the mechanics have undergone any continuing education related to their tasks and if they are aware of any updates to processes or near-miss incidents associated with those tasks. Continuing education utilizing data analytics reinforces the tasks, hazards and other items that are commonly overlooked or present a higher risk of injury. 

If a mechanic is not trained on a task/equipment or they are not licensed in a state, it should be a non-starter to send that mechanic to a site alone. 

3. Getting to the Site

While it might seem trivial or intrusive, the arrival of a mechanic at a site is a significant event. The mechanic could have encountered an incident en route or faced delays that need to be communicated. Arrival at the site marks the initiation of a ticket, and the mechanic should begin reviewing site-specific data, whether it is their first or 100th visit. This process starts with two critical considerations: Awareness of any existing building hazards and ensuring the mechanic has all necessary PPE. Although these steps may appear minor, informing a mechanic unfamiliar with the site about specific hazards, such as a tripping hazard near the motor room, is crucial. Additionally, notifying the office about the need for new gloves or a hard hat is essential for safely completing the tasks at hand.

Too many accidents occur from mechanics not being made aware of the unique safety risks for a site, an elevator and surrounding equipment. 

4. Getting Down to Maintenance

A significant aspect of maintenance involves understanding the tasks to be performed and the history of the elevator(s) being serviced. Traditionally, these tasks have been managed using check charts in the motor room, with limited information communicated back to the office. While new mobile platforms have improved data sharing with the office, the information is often still limited to generic tasks with minimal site-specific details unless actively sought out. Maintenance should be viewed as a dynamic risk assessment workflow, tailored to each device based on available data and the mechanic’s training. A mechanic should not be presented with a situation where they need to determine if a task is a requirement or optional based on code/equipment/agreements. 

As mechanics undertake each task, they should be aware of the task requirements, call history and necessary JHAs. Additionally, they should be able to communicate these results back to the office to ensure compliance across all levels, including safety, operations and sales. While the task may be complete, the data collection is just as important to understand what was done and how it was done. 

It is crucial to eliminate the use of “N/A.” Every task and checklist item should be mandatory. Mechanics should only see items relevant to the specific requirements of each unique device to prevent inadvertent omissions.

5. Industry Focus on JHA 

The emphasis on JHAs has become a significant topic in the industry, and rightfully so. JHAs serve as an essential tool to remind personnel of the tasks at hand, potential hazards and the required PPE to mitigate risks — before they begin the tasks.  Elevator companies and contractors are increasingly mandating the completion and submission of these documents. However, without a consistent process and requirement, tracking and understanding JHAs can be challenging.

Training: The Safety Absolutes

A good starting point is the Safety Absolutes, a list of nine tasks related to high-risk work. Companies should train their mechanics on all aspects of these tasks, tailored to the type of work they perform. This training should include follow-up field exercises to ensure mechanics understand how to perform these tasks safely and recognize associated hazards, along with the necessary PPE. While generic, understanding these Absolutes (and other tasks) allows the mechanic to apply their training to each worksite and piece of equipment. 

Performing a JHA

There are various methods to perform a JHA, ranging from generic task collections to site-specific tasks. It is crucial to know when a JHA should be performed and ensure mechanics conduct them reflexively. Each site, device and situation can vary, and these forms act as reminders to make mechanics aware of their environment and tasks.

Example: Even if a mechanic performed a pit access JHA on the same pit yesterday, they should review the JHA again today in case the environment has changed. 

Some JHAs include specific instructions and requirements, while others rely more on the mechanic’s training. In all cases, the JHA requires mechanics to be aware of their surroundings and document their observations. Utilizing an integrated platform to notify and capture the required information ensures compliance, reduces risk and allows for data analysis. 

Identifying Hazards

Each site is different, and each day can bring change; it is important to be aware of this when reviewing hazards. Ideally, a mechanic should be aware of previously identified hazards on site. Taking a “Where’s Waldo” approach can be flawed. This is why data capture and management are key. Companies using paper or PDFs may have mechanics identify hazards themselves, which can be less effective as they may not be available later to review.

PPE Requirements

Mechanics should always ensure they have the proper PPE, and they should know what that PPE is. If they do not have the proper PPE, they should not perform the task. With proper training, a mechanic should know what PPE is required. Similar to hazard identification, you do not want to leave this up to guesswork where possible. Utilizing a process to recommend PPE for the task is key, versus generic check charts. Dynamic platforms can suggest PPE based on the task and ensure mechanics carry the right PPE for the JHA and task.

Collecting Details

What are you doing? How did you do it? What did the environment look like? There is a lot of operational data that needs to be collected for a JHA, most of which should be leveraged for future visits and training. Mechanics should provide basic information on the specific task and any pictures to explain hazards and site conditions. Once the JHA is complete, the mechanic can begin work and submit the JHA back to the office. It is crucial to determine if the assessment and results were accurate and address any issues.

Compliance, Integration and Workflow Management

A lot of data is created in the field, but what is collected, and how is it transmitted back to the office for assessment and action? Tracking JHAs for maintenance and service events can be challenging in a fragmented environment. Integrating the JHA into tasking procedures ensures they are completed every time a task is closed and transmitted as a “data packet.” This approach introduces alerts and notifications to remind mechanics of operational and safety requirements. Managers also can now see where there are gaps in creating JHAs. 

Storing the JHA

Data collection often suffers from a lack of enthusiasm due to the perceived lack of results. JHAs should be accessible at multiple levels, including the building, elevator, mechanic and task. This approach allows mechanics to access historical JHAs and identify additional needs or hazards. Data storage should extend beyond the form itself, allowing data points to be analyzed later.

Analyzing the JHA

Tracking JHAs beyond the basic form allows data points to identify risks and efficiency. This data should be reviewed and assessed for safety and operational improvements.

Example: What if the mechanic missed a PPE item?

Example 2: What if the mechanic skipped the “check power is turned off” step of the JHA?

Safety and Operations Assessments

Safety directors can use JHA data to understand commonly overlooked hazards and PPE while analyzing the JHA processes for improvements. Operations assessments are equally important, allowing supervisors and managers to identify process changes for efficiency and safety. Ensuring JHAs are filled out correctly and when required is crucial.

Continuing Education

With data points and compliance records, companies have a robust platform for continuing education and training. Reviewing Safety Absolutes or JHA processes with real data reinforces training and helps identify improvements.

Example: Explaining commonly missed hazards based on real data helps mechanics retain information.

Using real data to identify risks and gaps improves processes and provides a relational point for mechanics to understand their importance.

6. Integrating Additional Tasks Into the Maintenance Process 

Even after completing maintenance tasks and JHAs, additional work remains, which should be integrated into the overall process. These additional tasks often stem from other jobs or potential jobs at the site. Depending on how data is collected and managed, this integration can be challenging.

Mechanics should have access to a single platform to review this data and link it to existing tasks. A consolidated process simplifies leveraging data points across various requirements, including those of the sales, operations and inspection teams.

7. Departure Notification

Similar to arrival tasks, it is crucial to inform everyone when you are leaving the site after completing your tasks. This ensures that any potential issues, such as accidents or getting locked in a room, are promptly addressed. It is important to confirm that you are safe and on your way home or on your way to the next site.

Equally important is ensuring that you leave with all the equipment you arrived with, especially your jumpers. Establishing a process to verify that no jumpers are left behind is essential to prevent future accidents for fellow mechanics or the riding public.

8. Exercise: the Ideal Workflow

Daily Process

• Safety Director: Ensure all mechanics in the field are compliant with licenses and training.
• Supervisor/Safety Director: Verify that all mechanics have the critical PPE they need.
• Mechanic: Confirm arrival at the site, personal safety and possession of all PPE.
• Mechanic: Review any reported building hazardous conditions.
• Mechanic: Before cleaning the pit, complete the JHA and review any prior hazards.
• Mechanic: Identify any sales leads and complete deficiency reports while in the pit.
• Mechanic: Confirm departure from the site, ensure all jumpers are accounted for and submit data.
• Repeat: Follow this process consistently.

Conclusion

Managing these tasks in a paper or PDF environment is often impractical. A robust analytics platform is essential to provide the required transparency and analysis. Mechanics should not be burdened with entering data into multiple platforms, filling out paper forms or memorizing historical site information. They need real-time access to information with clear guidance to comply with operational and safety requirements.

For safety managers, managing data without a platform is daunting. Sifting through paperwork and PDFs to identify trends and inaccuracies is nearly impossible and would require additional resources. A dedicated platform can manage this efficiently, allowing safety managers to focus on training and high-risk areas rather than paperwork.

It is important that we don’t create more paperwork, but provide a platform to manage the process efficiently allowing for more analytical work in the field and the office to reduce risk.