We get many requests from clients for us to show them what is involved in setting up and managing a risk assessment plan using Plant Assessor.
Plant & equipment safety is only one aspect of business that our clients need to manage. In the daily grind it can be pushed down the priority list as other more “urgent” issues arise – however urgency generally does not equate to importance!
In order to help keep equipment safety on the priority list, we have built a range of functions into Plant Assessor to quickly and simply help our clients create and execute thorough risk assessment plans.
Over the next few feature articles, we will work through how to use Plant Assessor to set up, monitor and manage such a plan.
How long does it take to set up a plant & equipment safety plan using Plant Assessor?
A risk assessment plan for a plant fleet of 50 items can be set up in a couple of hours. After that couple of hours, you will have a fully scheduled assessment plan, with automatic reminders, email reporting and progress dashboards.
What’s involved in setting up and managing a plan?
We regularly help Plant Assessor clients walk through the stepped process set out below.
The steps include:
Fleet Entry: Entering into Plant Assessor all fleet items of the types that are to be assessed under the plan
Fleet Analysis:
Reviewing the makeup of the fleet and understanding its risk profile
Deciding what equipment types should be included in the risk assessment plan
Deciding initial assessment dates based on risk
Reviewing and adjusting re-assessment periods based on risk
Assigning fleet items to assessors
Monitoring and review:
The assessments dashboard
The scheduling dashboard
Weekly and monthly email reports (push notifications)
Periodic review of fleet and the plan
The balance of this article will focus on steps 1 & 2 above.
Entering Fleet into Plant Assessor
In order to use Plant Assessor’s risk rating and scheduling functionality – we need to start by entering the plant & equipment fleet into Plant Assessor.
Should I put every item in my fleet list into Plant Assessor – even small plant?
Many Plant Assessor clients enter their small plant items to Plant Assessor – not necessarily to conduct a full risk assessment on them – but to use Plant Assessor digital pre-start checks on these items.
Each client’s situation is different, but for many clients it is not reasonably practicable to conduct full risk assessments on small plant, and therefore pre-start checks act as a surrogate for a risk assessment.
When setting up an initial risk assessment plan, we suggest that clients focus on what they consider to be higher risk items in their fleet. We often assist clients make this judgement during this process.
Once you have decided what you want to add to Plant Assessor, add fleet items in the home screen using the ADD NEW MACHINE button (see image). Alternatively, Plant Assessor can assist in getting your fleet in as well – please contact us to find out how.
Fleet Analysis
In analysing the fleet, we really want to focus on the overall and relative risk of the fleet categories and items in the list, which will set us up to decide on initial assessment dates and consider the issue of reassessment periods.
Plant Assessor’s assessment scheduling function* includes pre-determined machine risk ratings for every make and model of equipment in the system. These risk ratings are fully adjustable and tailorable to each client’s circumstances and risk appetite.
* Scheduling is a premium function that is available to all Plant Assessor members, but it needs to be switched on by us in order for you to use it
Once scheduling is switched on, in order to review and manipulate fleet and machine risk ratings, we simply export the fleet out of Plant Assessor and into an excel spreadsheet.
| Make | Model | Type | Location/Owner etc. | Risk Rating |
| Volvo | FL 6 4×2 | Beaver Tail | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Franna | AT-20-3 4WD | Crane – Mobile | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Liebherr | LTM 1040 | Crane – Mobile | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Caterpillar | 740 | Dump Truck – Articulated | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Caterpillar | 975F | Dump Truck – Rigid | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Volvo | A25C 6×6 | Ejector Truck – Articulated | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Caterpillar | 320DL | Excavator – Large | Plant Assessor Audit | Very High |
| Komatsu | PC200-5 | Excavator – Large | Contractors Machines | Very High |
| Abac | 50 Litre | Compressor – Fixed/Skid Mounted | Contractors Machines | Medium |
| A.T.A | 2.6 x 1.4m | Box Trailer | Plant Assessor Audit | Medium/Low |
| Abex | EXB120SN | Demolition Hammer | Contractors Machines | Low |
Sorting this data by risk rating (high to low) will give us a very clear picture of the fleet risk profile. This allows decisions to be easily made regarding which items need to be prioritise, and how many assessments should be conducted in the first 12 month period.
Summary
So those are steps 1 and 2 of the plan setup process. For a 50 item risk assessment plan, these steps will take around 30-60 minutes provided fleet information is easily obtained.
Stay tuned for the next instalment in the series, which will investigate the next 3 steps in the process:
Step 3: Deciding initial assessment dates based on risk
Step 4: Reviewing and adjusting re-assessment periods based on risk
Step 5: Assigning fleet items to assessors
For more information, or to start your plan, please contact us.
Disclaimer: This information is intended to provide general information on the subject matter. This is not intended as legal or expert advice for your specific situation. You should seek professional advice before acting or relying on the content of this information.