Aero's Hinen submits ITD's 1,000th implemented innovation

Ideas that are taken beyond the idea stage and are implemented in our everyday work lives are the centerpiece of Innovate ITD. Jim Hinen of the Division of Aeronautics recently helped the department achieve a significant milestone, as his near-miss safety reporting innovation became the 1000th implementation since the innovation effort began in early 2014.

Those implemented innovations have so far amounted to $8.75 million in taxpayer savings that can be applied back to the state's roads and bridges. They have also accounted for more than 206,000 hours saved, and more than half of the innovations improve customer service.

"I wanted to create a simple way for an employee to submit a safety report to make the workplace safer for everyone," explained Hinen. He explained that he utilized a no-cost, 10-question survey form available on Constant Contact.

Although Hinen's submission was based on an aviation-focused program, he has adapted it to include all environments. Regardless of the environment, any potential safety issue can be prevented or mitigated once a report is received.

"A near-miss is a potential hazard or incident that has not resulted in any personal injury or property damage -- yet. Near-misses could be caused by unsafe conditions, improper use of equipment, use of faulty equipment, or not following proper procedures.They happen everywhere."

"This could be implemented wherever there is a safety committee."

Aero initiated the system earlier this month.

"We are now 'live' with the near-miss safety report form. When a report is received, Aero's Safety Committee will review the information and take appropriate action to remediate or prevent future safety issues. Constant Contact sends Hinen, the Safety Officer, an email whenever a survey is received.

"When a survey is received, I give it a priority to determine if I call an immediate meeting of the Safety Committee or if it can wait until the next meeting or a more convenient time," Hinen said.

"Once presented to the Safety Committee, we will review the submission. If it is something we can handle at the meeting, we will come to a resolution and assign someone to follow through with action items and report completion at the next meeting. If it is more complex, we will assign an action officer to manage the issue through its resolution."

The innovation is listed as a Times 7 candidate, meaning it could be implemented in districts across the state, and supports the department's strategic safety goals.

"It is everyone's responsibility to report and correct these potential hazards immediately," Hinen said.

Published 01-18-19