AAOM Handbook

WE.36 Work Scope Defined? Context

In every business area is inevitable that some urgent work needs will arise, although the frequency of such needs may vary significantly. It is also important that these urgent needs be assessed, prioritised and dealt with in a consistent and timely manner, without causing unnecessary disruption to the regular scheduled activities of the business area. The first step in appropriately dealing with urgent work is to ensure that there is one, clearly identified, and easily reached, contact point for urgent work. All urgent work requests must be directed to the nominated contact. Where there appears to be a valid need for urgent work, the urgent work point of contact will either investigate, or assign a person to investigate, the issue reported to make the initial diagnosis. The time taken to complete the initial diagnosis will depend on:  The number of urgent calls in the queue  The relative impact of the calls  The complexity of the issues that have been identified The role of the urgent work process is to promptly control, contain and (where possible) remove the immediate cause of an urgent safety, environmental or operational threat. It is not the role of the urgent work process to try to find and remove any underlying common cause issues that are inherent in the business area design, operation or maintenance. For most urgent Work Requests the immediate cause of the request will be fairly obvious and the person investigating will quickly identify it. Once the immediate cause is identified the scope of work necessary to control, contain or remove the immediate cause can be determined. Purpose To identify the scope of work necessary to deal with the immediate cause of each urgent Work Request. Quantity One diagnosis of the immediate cause of an urgent Work Request. Quality The diagnosis must identify the work scope necessary to control. contain and/or remove the issue that prompted the request for urgent work.

© McAlear Management Consultants 2004

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