ATLAS (Tactical and Logistic Support Applied to Safety)
A.T.L.A.S. is an “Industrial and Occupational Safety System”. The main purpose of this system is to increase continuously the safety and the operative efficiency levels of the productive activities. It is based on the following premises:
- Safety operates from bottom to top
- The worker is the first point to be considered
- Everything is not allowed
A.T.L.A.S. has been designed to give an answer to safety and coordination problems during industrial turnarounds and/or major works, where a great number of companies happen to meet. The answer leaded by A.T.L.A.S. lies in the base. It comes from the worker and the work needs. It applies a different point of view, opposite to the usual one, which consists on melting safety with the worker competences, so that, the worker is able to grow in a personal and professional way, and consequently creates a compromise and a self improvement spirit. The A.T.L.A.S. spirit.
Given that A.T.L.A.S. is a management system aimed to change behaviours, a scientific approach for the conception and development phase becomes essential. An approach that is able to support the practical progress and the long-term objective achievements. A.T.L.A.S. is based on own methodology, information and a validation systems, which are applied in three concrete moments: before the turnaround, while the turnaround and at the end of the turnaround.
Some key points are: the worker, worker’s training, work consultancy and training, work safety marking, communication, tasks coordination, meetings with supervisors, safety and work technicians, emergency drills, inspections previous to the turnaround; workgroups creation (together with the other involved companies managers, other contractors), production of turnaround-news and other information systems, confined-spaces inspections, logistic systems, selective recycling of waste, etc.
A.T.L.A.S. has been applied total or partially in several industrial turnarounds, from them we conclude that it had a significant influence on the safety from the points of view of the conception, perception and execution.
