In 2001 a document Contract Research Report (CRR) 348/2001 was published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that introduced a method of assessing staffing arrangements for process operations in the chemical and allied industries. I’ve lost count, but over the last 10 years I have been involved in at least 30 staffing assessment projects for more than 15 different clients. Also, even where the method is not formally used I often refer to elements of it as guidance for my other human factors and risk consultancy work. Having spent 10 years using the method I decided it was a good time to stand back and reflect. In general, although I can point to some flaws in the method, I have found it to be a very good framework for assessing human and organisational factors. It prompts you to ask challenging questions and to be objective in your analysis. Also, I have found that the observations and recommendations I have made as a result of using the method have been very well received by my clients.
Download my Christmas 2011 Paper - 10 Years of Staffing Assessments
