Providing a safe work environment for employees should be a priority for your company. When compliance is overlooked and workers aren’t trained properly or act carelessly, an accident or injuries can easily occur. Compliance with safety regulations will help your company to avoid accidents and costly OSHA violations that will stall your project or worse, shut down a work site. In this post, we’ll cover the top 10 OSHA violations and how to avoid them in 2020.

“The OSHA Top 10 is more than just a list. It is a blueprint for keeping workers safe. When we all work together to address hazards, we can do the best job possible to ensure employees go home safely each day.” – Deborah A.P. Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council

Top OSHA Violations

Here’s a quick list at the top OSHA violations. We’ll provide a closer look at each below along with some tips on how to avoid them:

• Fall Protection – General Requirements
• Hazard Communication
• Scaffolding
• Lockout/Tagout
• Respiratory Protection
• Ladders
• Powered Industrial Trucks
• Fall Protection – Training Requirements
• Machine Guarding
• Eye & Face Protection
• Electrical – Wiring Methods

This list is a great place to start to evaluate safety on your own jobsite or workplace. Doing so will help you to avoid potential OSHA violations and expensive fines. This will also help you to be prepared if an OSHA inspector shows up at your site.

Device Magic can help you complete site inspections, audits, and compliance reports faster with mobile forms. Learn more

OSHA Violation Breakdown

Let’s take a closer look at each of the most common OSHA violations noted above:

Fall Protection – General Requirements

Every year, over 300,000 people are injured due to a fall in the workplace. This happens most commonly on construction sites, but the risk of slipping and falling is something every business needs to take very seriously. To avoid this extremely dangerous workplace risk:

• Keep walking surfaces clean and free of clutter
• Lighting and signage
• Require proper footwear
• Regularly inspect scaffolding and other susceptible areas

Hazard Communication

OSHA requires companies to have a hazard communication plan in place to keep everyone safe and accountable. An OSHA compliant Hazards Communication plan consists of four parts: a written program, appropriate labels and warnings, datasheets for material safety, and comprehensive hazard communication training. This allows employees to be clear about the hazards of the chemicals they are exposed to when working.

To avoid an OSHA violation:

• Educate employees on Hazard Communication labels around the workplace and what they mean
• Educate employees on how to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area and what to do if they find themselves in this situation
• Educate employees on the procedures you have in place to protect them from exposure to hazardous chemicals. This includes safe work practices, how to handle a hazardous materials emergency, and how to use/access personal protective equipment.

Scaffolding

Scaffolds are a necessary type of equipment used on most construction sites to help workers build, repair, and clean specific structures. They are essential to help workers reach projects that are high off the ground, but they can put workers at risk of slipping, falling, or being struck by falling objects.

OSHA has established specific standards to regulate the design, use, and construction of on-site scaffolds. To avoid this type of OSHA violation:

• Ensure all scaffolds higher than 10 feet have guardrails
• Use step stools and ladders to ensure workers can safely get off and on to the scaffold
• Check for gaps between the planking and decking that could cause a fall
• Check that the foundation of the scaffold is placed on something solid such as level gravel or crushed rock.

Device Magic makes it easy to keep track of your inspections. Use our free inspection report templates, or create custom forms to meet your unique requirements. Learn more

Lockout / Tagout

Lockout / Tagout (LOTO) procedures are in place to ensure that hazardous energy is not expelled during the service or maintenance of equipment and machinery. It also helps to prevent the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment. According to OSHA, a Lockout / Tagout involves “authorized employee(s) either locking or tagging the energy-isolating device(s) to prevent the release of hazardous energy and take steps to verify that the energy has been isolated effectively.”

One of the easiest ways to prevent injury on the job is to ensure that all machinery and equipment is disabled when not in use, so it doesn’t start up accidentally. To avoid this type of OSHA violation:

• Get all of your employees on the same page. Many times, a lockout / tagout violation is not due to an employer’s negligence, but instead due to employees not being trained on the risks and procedures associated with LOTO. Require all employees to go through a LOTO training program.
• Perform regular inspections to audit all machinery and equipment, especially when there is a new piece of equipment in the workplace. Identify all sources of energy, not just electricity. A pulley could technically be a source of energy and could result in an accident if not stored and handled correctly.
• Don’t buy cheap equipment. Investing in durable and reliable machinery and equipment is much more cost-effective than paying thousands of dollars in OSHA violation fines—or workers compensation claims.

Powered Industrial Trucks

Incidents involving powered industrial trucks or forklifts consistently rank among the top 10 OSHA violations. OSHA requires any company using a forklift to have procedures in place regarding “hazard identification and solutions, supervision, operating procedures, maintenance and repair procedures, facility design, and forklift selection criteria.”

The improper use of a forklift could result in serious damages, injury, and even death. To avoid this type of violation:

• Develop a training program that identifies the type of workplace forklifts and which employees are authorized to use them.
• Set clear rules and restrictions on how and where a forklift can be used.
• Ensure adequate licensing. Ensure everyone who operates this equipment meets all the designated requirements and has the appropriate licensing.

Fall Protection – Training Requirements

Your company can be found in violation of OSHA standards if you don’t have a fall protection training program in place. Falling off of scaffolding or a tall ladder is not the only fall risk in a workplace. Many workers are injured when falling into an excavation site or in other situations as well.

To avoid this violation:

• Understand the four different levels of fall protection training requirements: awareness, authorized-user, competent person, and qualified-person training
• Ensure that all employees go through authorized-user training to comply with OSHA standards and regulations
• Keep good records. Detailed training records, such as dates and employee attendance, are required in some OSHA mandates.

Machine Guarding

Machines that are not guarded correctly put workers in harm’s way. Employees could be injured by flying pieces, sparks, and moving parts when machines do not have a safety guard in place. Some examples of machines that require the use of safety guards include transmission shops, flywheels, belt tighteners, portable saws, and more.

To keep employees safe and avoid this type of violation:

• Use safety guards. Make sure every machine that needs a safety guard has a safety.
• Watch pinch points. Keep guards away from pinch points.
• Train your workers. Provide adequate machine guard training so your workers know how to use these devices properly.
• Stay on top of preventive maintenance. Keep your machine guards maintained, and ensure all employees understand the importance of replacing machine guards after their removal for maintenance.

Eye & Face Protection

When a job requires an employee to come in contact with chemical, environmental, or radiological hazards, eye and face protection must be provided. Workers must go through a workplace hazard assessment and undergo training to ensure their health and safety. The training should include details on when this equipment is necessary, what equipment to use when, and the proper care, maintenance and disposal of the equipment.

Neglecting to train employees about the appropriate use of eye and face protection could result in severe injuries, blindness, and even death. To avoid this common type of OSHA violation:

• Make sure there are emergency eyewash stations in all areas that are considered hazardous.
• Post first aid instructions and procedures in areas of the workplace that could potentially be dangerous.
• Conduct workplace training that covers the proper care and use of personal protection equipment.

Electrical – Wiring Methods

Electrical equipment and wiring systems that are improperly installed can create a dangerous workplace environment. Faulty wiring methods can lead to blown circuits, fires, and electrocution. OSHA lists the following as the most frequent causes of electrical injuries: “contact with power lines, lack of ground-fault protection, the path to ground missing or discontinuous, equipment not used in the manner prescribed, and improper use of extension and flexible cords.”

To avoid this type of violation:

• Train employees on how to spot potential hazards and familiarize employees with the proper use of extension cords.
• Provide guidelines for appropriate maintenance and storage of power tools.
• Regularly inspect heavy machinery to make sure there is no risk of it coming in contact with live wires.
• Provide ladders that are not made of metal for employees who work with power lines.

More Tips to Avoid OSHA Violations

Here are a few more general tips to help you avoid top OSHA violations:

Document Procedures

Make sure that everyone at your company is aware of OSHA standards and guidelines so they can better follow them. One of the most important things you can do to avoid potential OSHA violations is to create a plan to deal with these hazards, and to train your employees sufficiently. Keep safety plans and procedures well documented and accessible to employees.

OSHA also provides training materials and resources to help you stay compliant and to create procedures for your company.

Identify Hazards

Violations related to falls and fall hazards consistently top OSHA’s list. Workers need to be able to safely access all areas on a jobsite or in the workplace to complete tasks. Guardrails, safety harnesses, railings, secure scaffolding and not having open areas are all steps you should take to protect workers.

In order to minimize risks for everyone on your site, it’s important to complete a job safety analysis. Each job safety analysis should outline the hazards of the job being performed, as well as what steps will be taken to prevent injury to the people completing the task. Once documented, this information can be used in employee training and can help you to be OSHA compliant.

Provide Sufficient and Frequent Training

Make sure that everyone at your company is aware of OSHA standards so they can better follow them. This is one of the most crucial areas to focus on to avoid violations. A lack of employee training is more likely to lead to an accident.

Provide training for all employees on using equipment and general safety procedures. Also, make sure that your documentation and training materials are updated regularly.

Safety training shouldn’t be limited to employee on-boarding. It needs to be consistently discussed and emphasized. Hold safety trainings every few months to keep the information fresh in employees’ minds. Creating a culture of compliance and safety will help your company to avoid dangerous situations and costly delays.

Consider Using Mobile Forms

Complete site inspections, audits and compliance reports faster with mobile forms. Learn more

The post Top 10 OSHA Violations & How to Avoid Them in 2020 appeared first on Device Magic.

The telecom industry is under constant pressure to compete while maintaining very high reliability. If your telecom firm has already achieved high performance, what’s next? The answer lies in pursuing continuous improvement goals to improve performance.

Why Does Continuous Improvement Matter in the Telecom Industry?

Telecom companies, resellers, and retailers are competing fiercely to win new customers. As Fortune reported:

Wireless customers have gotten numerous opportunities to lower their bills over the past few months. During the first quarter [of 2017], T-Mobile eliminated added fees and taxes from its unlimited data plans, and Sprint slashed the price of its unlimited plan to just $90 for up to five lines. Meanwhile, Verizon finally caved from the pressure and debuted its unlimited plan, while AT&T cut the price of its unlimited plan and opened it to all customers—not just its paid TV subscribers.

This means that customers will switch to a different provider at the drop of a hat. If you fail to deliver reliable, high-quality calls and data, your customers will move to other providers. Unlike breakthrough innovations which take years to develop, telecom companies can work on continuous improvement projects right now.

Use These Steps to Build Your Continuous Improvement Process

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals” by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, and Jim Huling informed our approach to continuous improvement.

1. Choose One Continuous Improvement Goal

Pull out a copy of the company’s annual goals. If you are a large firm, customer retention may be high on the list. Resist the temptation to choose multiple goals for continuous improvement because focus is critical for making improvements that last.

Tip: Whenever possible, seek a goal that can be traced directly or indirectly through numbers or statistics. That approach makes it easier to find success.

[Read how Spligitty Fiber Optic was able to revamp their field data collection with mobile forms]

2. Brainstorm Continuous Improvement Measurement Options

If your telecom company wants to improve customer retention, how will you know if you are succeeding? The answer lies in brainstorming a list of ideas. Here are a few possibilities to get you started:

• Customer Service Wait Times. If customers are kept waiting too long, they are more likely to leave the company.
• Customer Appreciation Tracking. What programs and activities do you have in place to track and reward customers? Some companies, like Virgin Mobile, have reward programs to encourage customer loyalty.
• Problem Resolution Satisfaction. Even with the best people and technology, you will have problems. Measuring your effectiveness at resolving problems may merit a closer look.
• Net Promoter Score. This widely used system is a popular way to measure customer satisfaction in telecom, banking, and other industries.

3. Choose 1 Lead Indicator that Predicts Success

Based on the ideas you generated in the above step, it is time to come up with a few key points to track and measure success. Ultimately, you are seeking to retain a higher percentage of your customers.

However, the percentage of customers retained is only reported after the month or quarter is over. That is why you need to focus on lead indicators: measures that you can control and which predict success.

In the sales context, here is an example of a lead indicator and how it connects to your goal:

• Lead Indicator: number of in-person meetings held with Finance VPs at Fortune 1000 companies
• Goal: sales of finance software upgrades

4. Create a Form to Track Continuous Improvement

With your goal and lead indicator in mind, you can create a process to track continuous improvement progress. Consider creating a form to record your findings. Keep in mind that you will be asking staff to complete the form on a daily or weekly basis. Therefore, it should be simple and easy to complete.

Using a mobile or digital form will make it easier for employees to complete and give you access to data about your progress faster.

Tip: Keep your form to 3-5 questions or less because that amount of information is easy to read on any device, including smart phones.

5. Carry Out a Pilot Test of the Continuous Improvement Process with One Department

Time to test your process!

Meet with one department, preferably one that has direct customer interactions, to review your process and have them use the new form for a few weeks. When these processes are developed by managers, it is easy to lose sight of the pressures that front-line service reps have to manage.

After a few weeks, use a survey or in-person meeting to gather feedback from the department. Consider offering a random draw prize such as a gift card to encourage feedback on the form.

6. Measure Results and Improve the Process

At this stage, you will have a continuous improvement process that is working in the field. If you can show improvement to your ultimate goal (e.g., increasing customer retention by 1% quarter over quarter), it will be easy to win support from other departments.

Use mobile forms to make achieving your goals easier. Learn how to get started.

The post Telecom: Achieve Your Continuous Improvement Goal with this Process appeared first on Device Magic.

Cell phone towers are the Rodney Dangerfield of cellular communications: they get no respect from the public. Yet this infrastructure, and the people who maintain them, are indispensable to keeping our 21st century lifestyle. Consistent inspection of each and every cell phone tower keeps our systems running smoothly.

The Challenges of Staying Productive in the Field

Unlike office workers, cellphone tower technicians work in the field. It can be dangerous work! In 2014, OSHA investigated the safety of this field after several deadly accidents.

Pacific Standard described the field in these terms: “Tower climbing, a small field of roughly 10,000 workers, has been called the most dangerous job in America.” Fortunately, there is one simple way to improve safety and productivity: use a standardized inspection report.

With a standard form to use, it is easier to focus under pressure. You don’t have to worry about your tasks or what to look at next. You just work through the list one item at a time.

Keeping staff safe and productive in the field is one benefit of the inspection report, but it’s not the whole story.

Who Reads Your Cell Phone Tower Inspection Reports?

Before we can improve your cell phone tower inspections, we need to take a step back. Who exactly uses this report? What do they need from this report? The answers will vary depending on your company situation. Here are some of the answers:

• Field Technicians. Easy to read and use inspection reports help your front-line staff organize their daily work.
• First Line Managers. By reviewing these reports, managers are better able to coach and guide their staff to success. This information also informs management reporting and planning questions such as “do we need to hire more staff?” and “are we equipping our staff to succeed?”
• Business Intelligence and Analytics. Companies run on data, and the telecom industry is no exception. Back office analysts use data from inspection reports to detect problems and trends throughout the system.
• Business Planning and Strategy. How much money should we budget for maintenance and inspection activities next year? To answer that question, management analysts require high quality data from the field.

The 5 Step Improvement Process

1. What is your “why” for improving the inspection report?

Improving a report may not be your idea of a good time. Don’t worry — we understand. However, the process is still worth the effort once you understand your why.

In this situation, look for a way to connect improving the report to your existing goals. Take a look at the following examples to get started:

• Productivity. What if you are asked to service 5% more cell towers with the same budget you currently have? Looking at every aspect of your operation — including reports and procedures — would make sense. You may find out that you can simplify your inspection reports without hurting quality.
• Worker Safety. A few years ago, worker safety was a major issue in the cell phone tower inspection industry. Don’t wait for the government to step in — take responsibility for improving safety by improving your inspection processes.

2. Talk to your field staff about their experience with the reports

Now that you understand why you are changing the report, it is time to gather feedback. Ask your staff about their experience, positive and negative. In particular, find out what sections they find difficult to use.

If multiple people consider a section to be unclear, it is time to cut it. By including your staff, they are more likely to use the revised report diligently.

3. Cut, cut, cut: ask what can be removed from the inspection report

A highly complex inspection report with out of date fields and requirements doesn’t serve anyone. That’s why we recommend that you start by cutting irrelevant and out of date material from the inspection report design first.

If you leave obsolete sections on the form, your staff are more likely to make mistakes when try to determine which sections are mandatory in the field.

4. Add legal and regulatory updates to the inspection report

Staying current with legal and regulatory updates is vital for cell phone tower inspections, and to avoid violations. Take note of telecommunications requirements, health and safety (e.g. OSHA regulations) and company policies.

If a company’s policy is not translated into daily practice, those policies have no value.

Tip: For policy news related to the telecommunications industry, look into RCR Wireless.

5. Seek digitization opportunities for the inspection report

If you are still working with paper inspection reports, pay special attention to this step. Instead of wasting time trying to decipher handwriting on forms, a digital form is easier to manage.

Get access to inspection data from the field faster with mobile forms. Learn how.

The post The 5 Step Plan To Better Cell Phone Tower Inspection Reports appeared first on Device Magic.

A checklist is a proven way to increase quality and make sure that work is completed thoroughly. But what exactly is worth including on your preventive maintenance checklist?

We’ll guide you through the process of writing a simple, money-saving checklist for your staff.

Why Do Preventive Maintenance Checklists Matter?

You might appreciate the value of preventive maintenance after a major equipment failure or system breakdown occurs at your property or site. But what if you need to convince your managers to fund your preventive maintenance program?

To help you make the pitch, consider the following case study from Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments set a goal of “zero major interruptions” in 2008. From a mechanical perspective, the Dallas campus completed the year achieving goal of zero.

The cost difference, when comparing interruptions for 2007 vs. 2008, exceeded $12 million. That’s a major cost savings by avoiding errors and interruptions.

Phase 1: Assess Your Environment

To create an effective preventive maintenance checklist, you need to understand your environment. Use the “SWOT” (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) framework to quickly assess where you are starting from.

Scenario: Your company is responsibile for maintaining telecom infrastructure. In your role as the maintenance manager, you are looking for ways to improve your team’s effectiveness.

• Strengths: Your staff are well trained and motivated to carry out their work.
• Weaknesses: Reliance on paper forms and out-of-date forms causes you to receive responses of questionable value.
• Opportunities: Next month, your maintenance portfolio will include five new facilities because your company won new business. Sustaining quality during this expansion will be a key test of your leadership.
• Threats: Some of your end clients complain about paying for expenses when there is nothing wrong. Demonstrating the value of your preventive maintenance program is one solution you have considered.

Now that you are equipped with this information, you will be able to create a checklist tailored to your work.

Phase 2: Create a Draft Checklist

The art of successful maintenance requires making choices. If you assign your staff to carry out an in-depth inspection of site A, they will be unavailable to inspect other sites. Keep that in mind if you feel anxious that your efforts may not cover every asset in your building.

Continuing with the telecom maintenance example above, here are some of the ideas you can put into your checklist:

1. What are the high value assets? For telecom, you may choose to focus on infrastructure and equipment exposed to the elements.
2. What are the leading indicators of asset failure? Combing through user reports, you may find that connectivity becomes intermittent for several weeks prior to complete failure. Detecting that type of connectivity failure is a good way to be proactive about problems.
3. What are “quick wins” for preventive maintenance? Ask your field staff for suggestions in this area. If your staff are involved in creating a checklist, they are more likely to use it.
4. What important checks are neglected when staff are under pressure? This will be a key question for you as your company expands to care for additional facilities or sites.

Phase 3: Test the Checklist

At this stage, your preventive maintenance checklist may have a half dozen items and questions in place. You’ve already focused on high value assets, taken staff comments into account and looked at leading indicators.

Now it is time to test your checklist with the following steps:

1. Read the checklist backwards to double check for issues. This proofreading technique helps identify errors.
2. Test the checklist yourself. The best approach is to use the checklist in an unfamiliar environment where you will focus on each step.
3. Ask two other people to use the checklist and provide feedback.
4. Prepare adjustments to the checklist as required based on the feedback you receive.

Phase 4: Introduce the Checklist

If the preventive maintenance checklist is a new process for your team, you will need to guide your staff through it and train them to use to effectively.

Use the following tips to introduce your team to the document. If your staff are based at the same location, organize a short staff meeting to explain the process.

• Start with why. Explain that prevention is an excellent way to minimize accidents and save money by avoiding more costly repairs.

• Summarize how you developed the checklist. Your staff will feel more confident about using the checklist once they hear that it has already been tested in the field.
• Answer questions and provide support. Encourage your employees to ask questions now so that they avoid becoming confused in the field.
• Issue the checklist to your team. Using a digital form system for data collection is a great way to both introduce the checklist and keep it easily accessible for your team.

Keep your checklist at your fingertips with mobile forms. It’s easy to get started. Sign up for free.

The post How To Create A Better Preventive Maintenance Checklist appeared first on Device Magic.

When it comes to phone lines and other infrastructure, we all understand that nothing lasts forever. Your management tools and techniques also need to be refreshed. Take your safety audit checklist as an example. Does your current checklist reflect lessons learned from your frontline staff?

These hard-working documents need to be updated on an annual basis. That review cycle ensures you stay productive and current with safety requirements. Consider these areas to determine if your checklist needs to be updated.

1. You Cannot Remember When the Checklist Was Created

Think back to the first time you used the checklist. Did it strike you as out-of-date at that time? If so, the problem may have become worse over time. If there is no record of when or how the checklist was created, it is due for an update.

2. Your Staff Complain About Using the Checklist

Listen to the people who work around you — are they frustrated or bothered by using the safety audit checklist? In listening to these comments, seek out specific observations, such as complaints about answering complicated questions. If you take the initiative to update your checklist, you will make life easier for everyone you work with.

3. Checklists Are Frequently Returned Incomplete

If you are in a management role, you might be in the position to receive and review completed safety audit checklists. If that is your situation, ask yourself about the quality of the completed checklists. Is each question properly answered? Are the responses readable? Are the checklists filed on time? If you are not satisfied with the answers to those questions, it may be time to update your checklist.

4. You Are Still Using Paper Checklists

Don’t get me wrong — there are still a few cases where paper is a good option. You might like to read a paperback book right before going to sleep. You might also find it helpful to take a paper notebook to meetings so you can focus on the meeting. When it comes to safety checklists, however, it just doesn’t make sense anymore.

If you are using paper checklists, it is time to update your checklists and transition to a digital process.

5. Your Staff Use the Checklist Inconsistently

Incomplete responses on your safety checklists are one problem, but inconsistent usage is a different problem entirely. One person may take detailed measurements while another uses rough estimates. Inconsistent usage suggests that your checklist has confusing elements. In that case, it is due for an update.

6. Your City Passed New Safety Laws or Regulations

Safety mistakes and failures or OSHA violations can result in major problems for your organization. Staying on top of regulations and guidelines is essential to keeping everyone safe at work. If your state, city or country has recently changed laws relating to health and safety or construction, your safety audit checklist needs to be updated to reflect these changes.

Update Your Safety Audit Checklist This Week In 4 Steps

If your safety audit checklist has two or more reasons to prompt a review, it is time to get started. Fortunately, the update process does not have to be complicated.

1. Schedule Time On Your Calendar

Open your calendar and schedule 30-60 minutes to review your checklist and audit procedures. If your organization uses Microsoft Outlook or a similar shared calendar tool, booking this time will discourage others from disturbing you.

2. Review Your Safety Experience

Over the past year, what have you observed in your safety inspection work? If you have had injuries or significant property damage, those incidents may suggest new items to add to your safety checklist. Don’t forget to review any job safety analyses completed for your organization. Remember that safety problems are not always physical — accidents may occur due to insufficient training or management oversight.

3. Review Safety Requirements

Time to do your homework on the safety laws and regulations that govern your location and industry. If you are part of a larger company, check to see if there is an in-house lawyer to help you. Otherwise, you will need to do research on your own.

Tip: To find new changes to safety laws, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Law & Regulates website is an excellent place to start your research.

4. Create An Updated Checklist

Go through your notes and start making changes to your safety audit checklist. If you already have an e-form or online checklist, this will be easy to do. Once you make the changes, ask a few other people to validate the changes before you put them into use.

Don’t be held back by paperwork. Turn your checklists and audits into mobile forms.

The post Why Your Safety Audit Checklist Needs an Update appeared first on Device Magic.

When a tech needs to go back out to a job or do a task again because it wasn’t finished completely or correctly the first time, it costs your business time and money. Preventing errors and finding ways to reduce reworks will keep projects moving forward on schedule and allow you to get more done.

Follow these steps to reduce the number of errors and reworks for your organization or project.

1. Create a Quality Process

Preventing reworks and errors is more effective than spending time and resources fixing problems after they occur. Your company needs to have a quality process in place to document standards and provide guidelines for work.

Document the steps that should be taken at each stage of a project or task and what needs to happen before it can move forward. This process may include a check by a manager, submitting documentation, or a peer evaluation. That way, quality and completeness can be assessed before moving on to the next piece, and any problems can be fixed sooner.

Consider having written instructions or guidelines for tasks that are completed less frequently, such as seasonally or once a year, to ensure that they are done the right way.

2. Plan Out Work

As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Work that needs to be completed should be planned out on a daily and weekly basis (as much as possible). That way, you can lump similar tasks together or jobs that need to be completed at the same site so that time is used more efficiently. This also should help to reduce jumping back and forth between unrelated things, which tends to be less productive.

Having a timeline and plan of work that is updated frequently allows you to keep clients and supervisors more accurately informed of progress and make adjustments where necessary.

3. Use a Checklist

Having a detailed checklist of what needs to be done ensures that no steps are forgotten or overlooked, which will reduce reworks. This can be based on your overall quality process. Make sure that techs complete and submit documentation of the work that was done so a record exists that can be referenced at a later date and used to update project timelines. Mobile forms are an easy way for techs to submit checklists while out in the field or at a jobsite.

Also, completing a checklist and leaving notes can help someone else pick up more easily on where a task was left off if a job needs to be finished later.

4. Prioritize Task Assignments

It’s important to play to the strengths of the members of your team and prioritize which tasks are assigned to which people. Reduce the potential for an avoidable error to occur by giving more complicated tasks to more experienced people, or having less experienced techs work together. Some jobs require more specialized skills or training, so assign these tasks to techs who will be able to tackle them most effectively. You also need to know when it’s time to call in an expert.

Jobs that need to be completed also should be given a clear level of priority so that the most important or crucial items are addressed first. This will ensure that work on a project continues to move forward or that work orders are completed in a timely way.

5. Provide Training

Employees that are thoroughly trained in processes and have standards to keep them accountable for how a job is completed are more likely to do things right the first time. Training sessions should be held regularly to reinforce standards or go over any changes.

Make sure projects are done right the first time with mobile forms. Field test our data collection solution on your project today.

The post 5 Ways to Reduce Reworks and Errors appeared first on Device Magic.