Role of the Identification Team cont'd

DOE-HDBK-1148-2002

must thoroughly examine the context in which the work will be performed and include standards

that address these features. ISM Plans often reflect such standards.

Identification Team members should work together to satisfy objectives and expectations

established by the Convened Group as a whole, and not to represent individual or

organizational agendas. Even with the proper mix of committed, knowledgeable personnel,

some time will be needed for the group to "jell" as a team, and to begin working productively

under a common set of expectations. The Process Leader's earlier work with team members in

developing protocols and documentation requirements will provide an important foundation for

developing a common team approach. Central to this team approach is the need for all team

members to be fully qualified, empowered to make decisions, and dedicated to participate. The

N&S Process is designed to be carried out by a team, not by an active few reporting back to a

larger group of individuals who are only marginally or sporadically involved. Reliance on

"alternate" Team members, while permitted, will often impede the timely and effective resolution

of issues.

The N&S Process is designed to be iterative. As work proceeds in one process element,

information from a previous element may need to be revised or expanded. During identification

a number of factors (such as the need for different/additional team members, or the need to

better define the work and hazards) may arise that require revisiting one or more of the earlier

process elements.

In addition to identifying other information or expertise needed, the Identification Team performs

the following:

Evaluate relevant sources of standards. Drawing on their expertise, the Identification

Team evaluates relevant existing standards that address the identified hazards as

discussed in Section 11.2, Standards Reference Base. Though it may be tempting at

this point to "cut and paste" from the standards set used by another (perhaps similar)

DOE site, experience has proven the value of conducting a zero-based analysis to focus

on the specific work, hazards and work environment. Such local tailoring ensures that

potential feasibility issues are fleshed out and addressed, if necessary, by the Convened

Group.