Work Planning & Control (WPC)
Over recent years significant enhancements have been made to our safety programs; however, there exists room for improvement. In line with Integrated Safety and Environmental Management (ISEMS), SLAC is implementing a Work Planning and Control Process to help ensure that all work is properly planned, authorized and controlled.
- Policy: ES&H Manual Chapter 2 - Work Planning and Control
- Work Authorization and Release
- Levels of Work: Green, Yellow, Red
Major Elements of the WPC Process
Work Planning and Control (WPC) is a standardized process used to understand the scope of work, identify qualified workers, evaluate & control hazards, communicate hazards & controls to workers, authorize, coordinate & release work and perform it within established controls.
The WPC process:
- Is used for all activity level work, including projects, construction, research and development (R&D), manufacturing, experiments, facility operations and maintenance, and environmental restoration
- Applies a graded approach where the level of planning and coordination is commensurate to the job complexity
- Integrates safety (ISEMS) so that the overall management of safety functions and activities become an integral part of mission accomplishment
- Has site-wide application and is used to plan ALL activity level work and requires full support of the entire organization
- Is not intended to cover project management, scheduling, or budgeting aspects of projects
WPC in a Nutshell
The WPC process is built on many existing SLAC systems - modifying and enhancing them where necessary, changing or eliminating what was redundant or not useful, enhancing or creating support tools and training, and where necessary adding additional formality.
The foundation of the process is that all work is placed into one of three categories based on the job complexity. There is a JSA Library (SharePoint site) and an online JSABuilder tool both of which can be used by supervisors and workers to generate consistent Job Safety Analysis's (JSA) or Activity & Training Authorization (ATA).
Green
This work is associated with everyday living, routinely accepted by society, and controlled by means well known to the workers, without requiring any permits and where specific ESH training is not required. It is possible to perform green activities, yet be required to complete GERT or RWT1. Those courses are required for access, not necessarily required because of the activity you perform.
In office-type areas, authorization and release to perform green work is granted upon completion of new employee safety orientation (EOESH or SON) and the Safety Comes First checklist. In non-office areas, authorization is granted by the same training. For release of green work in non-office areas, click on the green-shaded word at the beginning of this paragraph. Examples of green activities are available, and workers may perform these tasks without any additional documentation.
Yellow
This is work that may require coordination between 1 or 2 work groups or trades simultaneously, or require 1 or 2 permits/plans, and that the work is sequenced so that an any given time not more than 2 permits will be required for work being performed. Yellow work may be performed in your resident work area or in another location. Authorization is granted by your supervisor or other knowledgeable SLAC employee. If performing work in your resident work area, you are also released by your supervisor as documented in an Activity & Training Authorization. If performing work outside your resident work area, you must notify the Area Manager, if there is one, or the Building Manager to receive a release before initiating your work. Users shall be authorized & released per Directorate requirements in accordance with the framework of WPC. The WPC aspects of yellow work performed by sub-contractors shall be managed by their Service Manager. Examples of yellow activities are available.
Red
This is work that requires coordination between 3 or more work groups or trades simultaneously, or requiring 3 or more permits/plans. Work must be planned as red work when 3 or more permits/plans are required for the simultaneous work, regardless of the number of work groups performing the work. Work groups should identify one work planner responsible for coordinating the planning and documenting it per the WIP. If they are unable to identify a planner, they should escalate to their managers for resolution. In addition, all work designated as construction work or any high risk sub-contractor work is considered red. For construction work performed by sub-contractors, their company designated representative authorizes their work with a JSA. All red work requires detailed coordination and release. Construction sub-contractors are released after signing the Tailgate/Pre Job Release Form (or equivalent). The Facility Construction Manager (FCM) will obtain and grant the initial release, which must then be communicated to the workers & documented by their company designated representative. Examples of red activities are available.
