70 peoples. However, the more streamlined the mechanisms, the more easily their effectiveness can be monitored, and the more successful they can be at identifying generalized patterns and trends in how the enterprise is addressing its human rights impact. Q 73. What issues should an operational-level grievance mechanism be able to address? To be fully effective, a grievance mechanism should not be limited to addressing complaints that amount to alleged breaches of human rights or other specific standards. Such limitations will exclude a host of concerns that may, if neglected, harm human rights or lead to protests or violent action, which in turn may increase the risk of human rights abuses. For instance, communities that find that an enterprise persistently ignores their concerns about noise, dust or work opportunities may feel driven to take action to disrupt its operations as the only way to get its attention, perhaps leading to physical confrontation and even risk to life. One of the comparative advantages of an operational-level grievance mechanism over formal third-party mechanisms is precisely its ability to identify and address problems early, before they escalate. It is reasonable for a mechanism to exclude clearly vexatious complaints, but great care should be taken before concluding that a complaint falls into this relatively rare category. A complaint that appears vexatious may mask other, genuine concerns with potential human rights implications or wider risks to the enterprise. The default should be to take every complaint seriously in the first instance. Q 74. Who should oversee the mechanism? A grievance mechanism will rarely be effective without adequate senior-level oversight and accountability within the enterprise. In a small enterprise, this may mean a simple reporting line to the head of the enterprise from whoever handles incoming complaints. In a larger enterprise, it will typically entail more formal internal control and oversight systems. The allocation of oversight roles should avoid any conflicts of interest, for instance, between ensuring the effectiveness of the mechanism and defending the actions or decisions of certain parts of the business.