185: Supervision Issue
Definition/Typical Issues
This major root cause category addresses issues related to supervision of personnel, including job preparation and supervision during the performance of the work.
Did immediate supervision fail to provide adequate preparation, job plans, or walkthroughs for a job? Was there a failure to identify potential problems identified before the work began? Were inappropriate personnel selected and scheduled for the task? Did immediate supervision fail to provide adequate support, coverage, or oversight during job performance? Did supervisors fail to correct improper performance? Did personnel fail to work together as a coordinated team?
Examples
Example 1
- An operator failed to respond properly to an alarm because he was covering for two unit operators simultaneously. This was required because his immediate supervisor did not schedule enough control room operators to cover the shift operations.
Example 2
- Operators were supposed to perform plant rounds at least once per shift and generate work requests for any equipment that was inoperable or needed repairs. Often the operators skipped the rounds when it was cold or raining even though the rounds were still required. Supervisors knew what was occurring and did nothing to correct the situation.
Typical Recommendations
- Adopt a standard job plan format.
- Distribute duties equally among similarly skilled/trained personnel.
- For nonroutine jobs or jobs that require specific safety precautions, encourage supervisors to oversee the job and provide job support as necessary.
- Encourage supervisors to provide more supervision to less experienced workers.
- Ensure that supervisors correct improper performance.
Cross-References
| Version 10 Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 180 | Immediate Supervision |
| Maritime Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 206 | Operations/Job Supervision |