Visual Inspection training courses
This course could also be called Human Reliability or Causes of Human error.
It is based on the observation that people make mistakes, why? There are multiple reasons and many of them are complex but experience shows that from a basic understanding of the multiple reasons we can make significant reducts in human error. Unfortunately, there exists little easily understood reading matter on the subject and almost all of the published papers are written by scientists for scientists. In most cases this material does not make much sense to the lay reader. This course has been designed to distil out of all this scientific jargon sufficient useful material to make a difference.
It is a general fact that 90% of all inspection is visual and that more than 80% of this uses no specialist aids of any kind and that human beings are quite vulnerable when situations require high levels of attentiveness. (If we watch the same film twice we will always see things the second time that we missed the first even when we thought we were riveted to the screen). This vulnerability can be significantly reduced by being aware of the reasons for this and adjusting the design and organisation of work to take the various factors into account.
Much of inspection work involves what are referred to in the jargon of the subject as ‘multiple monitors’. This refers to inspection tasks where a single inspector is required to view a large number of often unrelated features either collectively or sequentially and are mostly visual using only low level magnifiers. Research shows a negative linear relationship between inspection performance and the number of features being checked. The more the features the more that the inspector is prone to error.
Considerations for the improvement of this type of inspection include: Lighting, work organisation, physiological and psychological factors, the fallibility of the human inspector, man vs machine etc.
DHI can provide two courses to deal with this.
Course 1. A one day course for operations management.
Course 2. A two day course for the workforce. This would include development of skills in continuous performance improvement.
1. Top Team Visual Inspection course for Operations Management. The overall objective of the day will be:
To enable the members of the top team to evaluate the opportunities available for Inspection Risk reduction. It is recommended that this event takes place sufficiently in advance of courses for production and Inspection personnel in order to have time to discuss and agree any policy changes that might result.
The event will include:
• The history of inspection as a business activity and its roots in military procurement.
•The economics of inspection vs right first time and the risks involved.
• The vulnerability of the human Inspector. Examples from a range of research which highlight the issues to be considered for risk reduction. • Factors which impact performance
• Physical factors – eyesight, age, sex, etc.
• Psychological Factors – Introvert/extrovert, lifestyle. Broadbent's Single Channel Theory. Mackworth clock test,
• Task related – time on task, vigilance decrement, signal to noise effects, multiple monitors, lighting, background, instrument reading errors, repeatability of measurements.
• Organisation – Effect of training, job design, motivation.
• Self Managing Teams as a means of performance improvement.
• Relationship between Teams and line management and supervision.
The roles of:
- Top Management.
- The Steering Committee (what it is and how it works).
- Middle Management.
- Supervision.
- Workforce representatives (both formal and informal).
- Non group members.
- The Facilitator and Coordinator.
- The tools for continuous improvement.
- The importance of training in continual improvement.
- The roll out programme.
- Publicity and communications.
- The role of the consultant.
Key members of the eventual steering team might also attend this and all other elements of these proposals as part of their personal development and to effectively link with all aspects of the programme.
2. Inspection Risk Reduction course for production and Inspection Personnel. (No restrictions on numbers)
This will be for those directly involved in both the production and the inspection of the products in question. The event will be extremely participative with approximately 50% of the time being engaged in small group problem solving activities using the tools of continuous improvement
Content: Similar to the programme contents for the one day course for managers but focussed more on their perceptions as to the relevance of the specific concepts covered to their own respective jobs.
The history of inspection as a business activity and its roots in military procurement. The economics of inspection vs right first time and the risks involved. The vulnerability of the human Inspector. Examples from a range of research which highlight the issues to be considered for risk reduction. Factors which impact performance Physical factors – eyesight, age, sex, etc. Psychological Factors – Introvert/extrovert, lifestyle. Single Channel Theory. Task related – time on task, vigilance decrement, signal to noise effects, multiple monitors, lighting, background, instrument reading errors, repeatability of measurements. Organisation – Effect of training, job design, motivation. • Overview of Small Group performance improvement activities, how they operate, the underlying principles, how they impact on and how they may be supported at all levels and their importance to business performance improvement.
The roles of:
- Top Management,
- Middle Management,
- Supervision,
- Workforce representatives
- Workforce,
- Facilitation,
- Steering Committee.
Q&A session.