Monitoring
Common Questions

Monitoring is the whole process of checking that we have rules and procedures about how to do things safely and that those rules and procedures are being carried out and are effective. Inspection provides a one off "MOT" test to see whether a particular place or piece of equipment is safe. Measuring can usually be used synonymously with monitoring but will normally refer to those things which are monitored and which can be counted.

Every line manager in as far as activities are under their control. Responsibility follows the line management structure so that checking of local controls will usually be done by local line management whilst checking of strategic control measures will be done by senior management. Checks which look at the corporation as a whole will usually be done by Occupational risk management.

Yes. You may need to check a range of different things. You may need to check the safety performance of the contractor before selecting them, you will want to check that rules were imposed in the contract and that those rules are being complied with.

For communally provided services its normally the facilities management department or contractor for example fire alarms, a system of fire drills, lifts, water quality. But there will be some overlap which has to be done by individual managers. For example managers will want to monitor that all their staff based at a fixed location have taken part in at least two fire drills every year.

The producer is responsible in any production. We don't need to monitor the performance of independent productions where the BBC is in effect just buying a finished product but we should check the overall safety performance of production companies.

My department doesn't carry out anything dangerous it's a waste of time to monitor anything. Just because you aren't physically involved in a dangerous activity doesn't mean that there aren't risks to the BBC which arise out of what you do. For example if your department is responsible for drawing up the contracts for the supply of services you'd want to check that there were systems in place to ensure that those contracts had safety standards written into them.