If you're developing an assessment tool that relates to an industrial process or the operation of a machine, a good reference document is the relevant safe operating procedure (SOP).

If you don't already have an SOP for that process or machine, you could make up your own. This will not only provide an important basis for your assessment tool, it will also be useful for training purposes.

One of the best source of information for an SOP relating to a piece of equipment is the manufacturer's manual. If you've lost the original manual, you may be able to find it on the internet.

Some manufacturers put PDF versions of the manuals on their websites, and there are also businesses and websites that specialise in old operator's manuals.

Another important source of information is the personnel in the workplace who carry out the task you're describing.

The key operators and the supervisor in charge should be involved throughout the SOP development process, and particularly at the review stage. Always make sure that the experts agree on the details and the wording that you've used.

Sometimes you'll find that expert operators have very particular ideas about how something should be done, and it's not always the same method as other experts might use. If this does turn out to be the case with the machine or process that you're writing an SOP for, you'll have to work with the people involved to get a consensus view. Even if that takes time, it's vitally important for the credibility of your document, because that is the only way you'll be able to present it to the rest of the workers as the 'approved' procedure.

Limitations of SOPs

It is worth noting here that the term 'SOP' has changed in meaning over the years, at least in Australia. In the past, SOP stood for 'standard operating procedure', and its purpose was to provide a company-approved standardised method of operating a machine or carrying out a specific workplace task.

But as safety awareness became more prevalent, 'standard' operating procedures began to evolve into 'safe' operating procedures, in order to accentuate their emphasis on risk management and safety. In parallel with this progressive shift in focus, the documents also tended to become more templatised, as SOP writers tried to achieve a consistency of style that met the generic requirements of WorkCover and workers compensation insurers.

These days, many off-the-shelf SOPs are highly stylised and generic in nature, and are simply safety documents designed to satisfy the company's WHS obligations. This sort of document is not sufficient to use as a basis for an assessment tool.

However, there are modern SOPs that have at least some details relating to operational procedures and other task-specific information. These documents can provide useful material for the practical demonstration checklists and other performance criteria you develop for your assessment tool. Below is a typical example of an SOP that combines safety information with a basic coverage of operational details.

Sample Safe Operating Procedure