Allen Safety takes a deep dive into SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) reviews, the blurry overlap of responsibility between teams, and why most documentation isn’t as airtight—or as collaborative—as it should be. The hosts challenge listeners to reconsider how procedures are developed, who reviews them, and how safety personnel can truly become competent stakeholders in the systems they’re expected to sign off on.
This is more than just a compliance checkbox conversation—it’s a real-world, boots-on-the-ground look at the messy middle of safety documentation, with clear, tactical solutions for bridging the gaps.
Your SOPs Might Be a Frankenstein of Mismatched Formats
SOPs are often written by third parties, recycled from other plants, or poorly updated.
Reviewers Don’t Always Know What They’re Looking For
Reviewers are often engineers or refrigeration/maintenance techs, not safety experts.
Emergency Procedures are Too Generic
SOPs frequently assume “perfect world” conditions.
Safety Needs a Seat at the Table—Early
SOPs, task procedures, PPE assessments, and LOTO protocols must all align—and often, they don’t.
Task Procedures Without Collaboration = Injuries Waiting to Happen
If safety writes procedures without consulting maintenance—or vice versa—hazards will be missed.
The Fix: Cross-Discipline Collaboration + Job Shadowing
Build SOPs and task procedures in multi-disciplinary teams—safety, engineering, maintenance in the same room.
History Matters: Use Veteran Operators as Historians
New team? High turnover? Nobody remembers the last snowstorm or failure event?
Don’t Forget Environmental Compliance (RMP)
RMP (Risk Management Plans) are increasingly under scrutiny.
Final Thoughts & Call to Action:
If you’re managing safety, you’re not just pushing paper—you’re writing the playbook for survival. And that means getting out of the silo, out of the office, and into the field with your engineering and maintenance teams. Safety, SOPs, and real operations need to speak the same language—or someone gets hurt.
Want help?
Allen Safety offers:
Onsite PSM audits & compliance coaching
Safety-PSM joint training
Online access to over 100 commercial-free training episodes
Unlimited email coaching with the team
Visit AllenSafety.com or AllenSafetyCoaching.com to learn more.
Process Safety & Compliance
Process Safety Management (PSM)
OSHA PSM compliance
EPA RMP (Risk Management Plan)
Mechanical integrity
PSM documentation review
PSM audit best practices
Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)
Emergency shutdown procedures