Maintaining the Set of Work Smart Standards

DOE-HDBK-1148-2002

15.0

Maintaining the Set of Work Smart Standards

Work and its hazards are dynamic. Static sets of requirements even when carefully

developed and fully complied with cannot be relied upon indefinitely to provide assurance of

safety. A number of conditions may indicate a need to revise the WSS set or some portion

thereof. Such conditions could include:

changes in mission and work, or work conditions, resulting in a different set of hazards;

discovery of new hazards or better understanding of existing hazards;

input from Stakeholders, Interested Parties, or Departmental lessons learned that

suggests the existing standards set may not be necessary and sufficient to adequately

address all hazards;

changes to laws, regulations, standards, or DOE directives that are included in the WSS

set; or

changes in contract or contractor.

Effective maintenance of the WSS set requires continuing vigilance for change. Changes to

mission, equipment, facilities, processes, materials, etc. may introduce new hazards. Changes

to procedures, personnel or budgets may likewise introduce new circumstances that should be

evaluated. New regulations, revision of standards or DOE directives are also sources of

changes that must be evaluated. Robust change control mechanisms are a requirement of

Integrated Safety Management and WSS sets should be controlled through these mechanisms.

When changes are noted that may raise safety concerns, the WSS standards basis should be

evaluated to determine if the WSS set should be revised. In practice it is considered advisable

that the WSS set contain a standard for controlling the set. The guiding principle should be that

a single standards change control mechanism for controlling all standards, including the WSS

set, should be established as part of the ISMS.