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How can operators suggest a better procedure step without logging a deviation?

Operators notice when a step is wrong, unclear or out of date long before anyone in the office does, but if the only way to say so is to log a formal…

Operators notice when a step is wrong, unclear or out of date long before anyone in the office does, but if the only way to say so is to log a formal deviation, most of that feedback never gets written down. A suggestion is a different thing from a deviation, since the operator still did the job as written and just thinks the step could be better.

The easiest fix is to let operators leave a comment or suggested change on the exact step, right from the device, which then goes to whoever owns the procedure for review. That keeps the deviation record clean for real departures from the procedure, and it gives procedure owners a steady flow of improvements from the people who actually do the work.