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Aircraft Pilots are trained using key words to hone their instincts to apply a concept known as Threat and Error Management (TEM). The origins of this can be traced back to a partnership between the University of Texas Human Factors Research Project (UT) and Delta Airlines in 1994 which identified the most common threats, errors and undesired states when flying.
The results were used to define Pilot training regimes to hone Pilot instincts to Anticipate, Recognise and Recover from problems when they occur. The ultimate goal, however, was to avoid "common threats, errors and undesired states".
The concept of "Normal Conditions" in Manufacturing Operations adopts a similar approach to deal with the causes of human error which typically contributes to around 50% of recurring problems and unplanned stoppages.
"Normal Conditions" is part of the TPM improvement Roadmap. Its purpose is to surface and resolve the knowledge and skill gaps that contribute to human error.
The use of "Normal Conditions" involves honing operator and maintainer instincts to:
- Anticipate: By training around what patterns of data to pay attention to. That could include build back or starvation of materials, inspection points and other look, feel or listen checks.
- Recognise: How those patterns highlight important causal relationships.
- Respond: To confirm the issue at hand and take steps avoid poor outcomes.
- Reflect: Update understanding of cause and effect to reinforce/improve best practices.
Applying this process as part of the shop floor reality reinforces the proactive outlook to spot potential problems early, investigate the causes and learn how to prevent future reoccurrence.
It also builds effective working relationships where ideas and lessons learned are shared across functional boundaries to ratchet up collective competence.
Many organisations equate TPM to Operator asset care that never changes but the TPM Improvement process takes a stepwise approach to developing Operator and Engineer capabilities.
It starts with learning how to sustain basic conditions, moves on to how to prevent mis operation. The use of "Normal Conditions" as part of this activity makes it easier for all to visualise and achieve stable operation. That in turn releases time to work on how to deliver the full potential of the operation.
In other words, the TPM Roadmap uses a similar approach to developing instinctive good practices as the Threat and Error Management approach developed for the Aviation industry. Once that is in place, the TPM Roadmap adopts the same process to raise standards that deliver year on year improvement in performance.
