Problem Solving

WHS for Health and Safety Committees – NSW Edition

Lesson 3 – Topic 5:  Problem Solving

Problem Solving Steps

1. Describe the problem
   Agree with other stakeholders how to best describe the problem.  This to make sure that everybody is talking about the same thing.
2. Why is the problem a problem? & Investigate what causes it
   Be clear and agree on why the problem is a problem. Why should you and others be spending time on this? How could it affect worker safety? What is the potential level of harm? What is the likelihood of injury? Could it impact on other areas of the business? Why is it important to get it fixed?
   Identify the cause(s) of the issue.
3. Specify your desired outcome
   What are you trying to achieve? What should the end result be?
4. Brain storming for solutions
   When brainstorming for solutions, do not let your thinking be affected by cost or technology.
   Write down any idea that comes up, no matter how unrealistic it might seem. Think about short and longer term solutions if necessary.
5. Evaluate solutions & implement the best
   Evaluate each suggested solution carefully. Cost and technology are evaluated here as well.
   After careful consideration of all suggested options, management will decide on the course of action.
   This course of action can include both short and longer term corrective actions.
6. Monitor & evaluate effectiveness

Think about what, how, how often and how long you are going to monitor to see whether the corrective actions work as intended. This process also allows you to intervene early and make adjustments if needed.

At the end of the monitoring period, an evaluation will be made to determine how successful the corrective actions were. A decision will then be made whether to continue, stop, to make further adjustments or to do something totally different.