The key elements of this are the same as for other

management processes as follows:

• Setting a health and safety policy.
• 
  Organising staff and assigning roles and responsibilities for health and safety.
• 
  Planning and implementing systems.
• 
  Evaluation - monitoring and reviewing standards and systems.
• 
  Action for improvement – implementing any necessary adjustments.
• 
  Auditing the effectivene

•  
   General Statement of Intent (Policy Statement)
• Organisation
• Arrangements

This sets out the organisation’s commitment and overall approach to health and

safety and spells out the main objectives or measurable targets for health and

safety performance.

• Arrangements

 This section explains the general arrangements that exist to manage health and safety and specific arrangements to deal with particular risks, while ensuring the aims of the policy statement are met:

1. Planning health and safety measures using risk assessments.
2. 
   Developing safe systems of work and permits-to-work.
3. 
   Implementing staff consultation and communication mechanisms.
4. 
   Monitoring compliance and assessing effectiveness through active and reactive
5. monitoring methods.

Review of Health and Safety Policy

• The structure of the organisation, and/or key personnel change.
• 
  The organisation changes premises.
• 
  Work arrangements change, or new processes are introduced.
• 
  An audit or a risk assessment requires a review.
• 
  There is enforcement action or as a consequence of the findings from accident investigations.
• 
  The law changes.
• 
  Consultation with employees or their epresentatives highlights deficiencies.
• 
  A third party requests it, e.g. insurance companies, customers or clients.
• 
  Some time has passed since the policy was developed.

Element 3: Health and Safety Management Systems: 

2 - Organising

Organisational Roles and Responsibilities

Directors and Senior Managers

The right health and safety policy is in place.

• 
  There is an adequate budget for implementing the policy.
• 
  The right organisational structures are in place.
• 
  Competent people are employed by the organisation.

• Ensuring availability of resources.
• 
  Defining roles and responsibilities.
• Appointing a member of top management with specific responsibility for health
• and safety.
• 
  Appointing one or more competent persons and adequate resources to provide assistance.
• Reviewing performance at board level.
• Directors and senior managers have an enormous influence over their organisation and its priorities - they must demonstrate clear commitment and leadership with regard to health and safety.
• The influence of visible management commitment and leadership on safety culture is discussed later in this element.

• Health and safety policies are implemented and monitored.
• 
  Safe systems of work and equipment are supplied.
• Incidents are recorded and investigated.

• Providing advice on legislative requirements.
• Developing and implementing policy.
• Overseeing the implementation of adequate risk assessments.
• Identifying training needs.
• Monitoring health and safety performance

Contractors are engaged to perform a certain task without close supervision and direction from the client, the person commissioning and paying them. Responsibility

for risk control is shared between client and contractor. The client is responsible for the workplace and environment, and his own workers, while the contractor is responsible for the job in hand, and those employed by him to carry out certain duties.

The culture of an organisation refers to the formal and informal rules, values, customs and relationships that describe the “feel” of the organisation.

Safety culture can be defined as the shared attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours relating to health and safety.

A firm statement of health and safety policy.

Well defined lines of responsibilities and control.

Clear communication and consultation on health and safety.

Active approaches to health and safety at all levels.

People work safely so there will be fewer accidents and ill-health.

• Workers who think health and safety unimportant.
• Lack of clear direction and leadership from senior management.
• 
  Managers who do not consider health and safety in their decision-making.
• 
  Workers who behave unsafely because they do not know any better.
• 
  With the lack of attention to health and safety standards will be low, behaviour
• poor and accidents will occur.

Factors Influencing Safety Culture

Indicators Used to Assess Culture

• Accidents – comparing performance with previous years/industry average.
• Sickness rates – ill-health caused or made worse by work.
• Absenteeism – possibly due to ill-health caused by work or poor morale linked
• to a negative safety culture.
• Staff turnover – low turnover may indicate a good safety culture.
• Compliance with safety rules – high level of compliance indicates a positive safety culture.
• 
  Complaints about working conditions – legitimate and serious complaints may indicate a negative safety culture.

• Reorganisation/change/uncertainty.
• 
  Blame culture.
• 
  Poor leadership by management.
• 
  Conflicting priorities – output pressures in conflict with safe working.
• Poor communication/lack of consultation.

• Individual factors, e.g. attitude, aptitude, motivation, perception, etc.
• 
  Job factors – characteristics of the job or task that influence safety-related
• behaviour, e.g. workplace environment, mental demands.
• Organisational factors, e.g. policies and procedures, management commitment, supervision.
• 
  People’s attitudes, that predispose them to act or react in a certain way to a given situation; attitudes are difficult to change but training and education mayhelp.
• A person’s aptitude, which is their ability to learn and do things.
• Motivation – an individual’s drive to achieve a goal; workers should be motivated to work safely.
• 
  Perception, which allows people to recognise hazards or risks; perception can be distorted by illness, stress, fatigue, etc.

• Slips and lapses.
• 
  Mistakes.

Verbal Communication

Limitations

• Language barrier may exist.
• 
  Jargon may not be understood.
• 
  Strong accent or dialect may interfere.
• 
  Background noise may interfere.
• 
  Recipient may have poor hearing.
• 
  Message may be ambiguous.
• 
  Recipient may miss information.
• 
  Recipient may forget information.
• 
  No written record as proof.
• 
  Poor transmission quality if by telephone or PA system.

Verbal Communication

Merits

• Personal.
• 
  Quick.
• 
  Direct.
• 
  Allows for checking of understanding.
• 
  Allows for feedback to be given.
• 
  Allows for exchange of views.
• 
  Usually allows for additional information to be transmitted by means of tone of voice, facial expression and body language.

Written Communication

Limitations

• Indirect.
• 
  Takes time to write.
• 
  May contain jargon and abbreviations.
• 
  Can be impersonal.
• 
  Message may be ambiguous.
• 
  Message may not be read by recipient.
• 
  Language barrier may exist.
• 
  Recipient may not be able to read.
• 
  Immediate feedback is not available.
• 
  Questions cannot be asked.
• 
  Recipient may have impaired vision.

Written Communication

Merits

• 
  Permanent record.
• 
  Can be referred back to.
• 
  Can be written very carefully to avoid use of jargon, abbreviations and ambiguity.
• 
  Can be distributed to a wide audience relatively cheaply.

Graphic Communication

Limitations

• Can only convey simple messages.
• 
  Expensive to buy or produce.
• 
  May not be looked at.
• 
  Symbols or pictograms may be unknown to the recipient.
• 
  No immediate feedback available.
• 
  Questions cannot be asked.
• 
  Recipient may have impaired vision.

 Graphic Communication

Merits

• Eye-catching.
• 
  Visual.
• 
  Quick to interpret.
• 
  No language barrier.
• 
  Jargon-free.
• 
  Conveys a message to a wide audience.

Broadcasting Methods

 

• Notice boards.
• 
  Posters and videos.
• 
  Toolbox talks.
• 
  Memos and e-mails.
• 
  Employee handbooks.
• Co-operation and Consultation

• The organisation’s health and safety policy.
• 
  Fire and other emergency procedures.
• 
  First aid facilities and personnel.
• 
  The location of welfare facilities.
• 
  Safe movement around the workplace.
• 
  Accident and incident reporting procedures.
• 
  Worker consultation arrangements.
• 
  General safety rules such as no smoking areas.
• 
  Personal protective equipment requirements.
• 
  Introduction to the safe systems of work and permit systems.
• 
  Introduction to the risk assessment system.

• Management commitment to providing resources (time, money, people).
• 
  Impact of line managers.
• 
  Production demands and working practices.
• 
  The flow of communication within the organisation.
• 
  The competence of staff.
• 
  Worker representation and consultation.

• The attitudes and expectations of society.
• 
  The implementation and enforcement of legal requirements.
• 
  Standards set by insurance companies.
• 
  The contribution and role of trade unions in publicising health and safety matters.
• 
  Pressures exerted by stakeholders to direct organisational policies.

Fire.

Bomb threat.

Spillage of a hazardous chemical.

Release of a toxic gas.

Outbreak of disease.

Severe weather or flooding.

Multiple casualty accident.

 The three Ps:

Preserve life.

Prevent deterioration.

Promote recovery.

• Eye-wash stations.
• 
  Emergency showers.
• 
  Blankets.
• 
  Splints.
• 
  Resuscitation equipment.
• 
  Stretchers.
• 
  Wheelchairs.
• 
  Other equipment as required.
• 
  Small travelling first aid kits can be provided for drivers and lone workers.

• The general risk level of the workplace.
• 
  The hazards present in the workplace.
• 
  Accident history.
• 
  The presence of vulnerable persons.
• 
  The number of workers in the workplace.
• 
  Work patterns and shift systems of workers.
• 
  The geographic location of the workplace.
• 
  The spread of the workplace.
• 
  The geographic location is important. Workplaces within easy reach of the emergency services can perhaps provide minimal cover, but workplaces in remote locations must be far more self-reliant.
• 
  There should be adequate first-aid cover on all shifts worked in the workplace

Element 4: Health and Safety Management

Systems 3 - Planning

Setting “SMART” Objectives

• Specific – a clearly defined, precise objective.
• 
  Measurable – it is possible to measure chievement of (or towards) the target; usually by quantifying the objective.
• 
  Achievable – it can be done.
• 
  Reasonable – within the timescale set and with the resources allocated.
• 
  Time-bound – a deadline or timescale is set for completion of the objective

• Who is going to set objectives.
• 
  How objectives will be set at each functional level.
• 
  Legal and other requirements.
• 
  Hazards and risks.
• 
  Technological options.
• 
  Financial, operational, and business requirements.
• 
  Views of interested parties.

Risk is the likelihood of harm actually occurring from workplace hazards, and their

consequences. The degree of risk depends on the likelihood of harm happening and

the severity of the injury, damage or loss that might foreseeably occur

• Injury accident – an unplanned, unwanted event which leads to personal injury of some sort.
• 
  Damage only accident – an unplanned, unwanted event which leads to damage to equipment or property.
• 
  Near miss – an unplanned, unwanted event that had the potential to lead to injury, damage or loss (but did not do so).
• 
  Dangerous occurrence – a specified event that, causing loss or damage but not necessarily personal injury, may have to be reported to the relevant authority by national or local law.
• 
  Ill-health incident – an unplanned, unwanted event which leads to ill-health.

• Identify the significant risks arising out of work.
• 
  Enable the employer to identify and prioritise the measures that must be taken to protect people from harm, including complying with any relevant legal provisions.
• 
  Be appropriate to the nature of the work and remain valid for a reasonable period of time.

Step 1 - Identifying Hazards

Step 2 - Identifying the People at Risk

Step 3 - Evaluating the Risk and Deciding on Precautions

Step 4 - Recording Significant Findings

Step 5 - Reviewing

IDENTIFY HAZARDS:

BOTH

SAFETY HAZARDS: capable of causing immediate physical injury and can be categorised

according to type of accident that is foreseen

&

HEALTH HAZARDS can cause occupational disease or ill-health conditions. Can be categorised into five groups: 

Hazard Identification Methods:

• Inspections – will identify existing hazards as well as new ones.
• 
  Task analysis – finds hazards in each component step of the job.
• 
  Legislation – legal standards that need to be applied.
• 
  Manufacturer’s information – safe use, cleaning and maintenance.
• 
  Incident data – but hazard may be significant but not yet caused harm so be unnoticed.

• A change in legislation or control measures.
• 
  Any significant change in work practices, processes or volume of production.
• 
  Installation of new machinery and equipment.
• 
  New information becoming available on the hazards or risks.
• 
  Recurring accidents or patterns of ill-health.
• 
  Enforcement action.
• 
  Results of monitoring (including health surveillance) or auditing.
• 
  Employment of a category of personnel (disabled, etc.) not previously considered.

• Prohibition – directed at stopping unsafe behaviour
• Warning – telling people to take care in respect of certain hazards. Triangular with a black pictogram on a yellow background with a black border.
• Mandatory action – instructing people to follow certain instructions such as the use of PPE. Circular with a solid blue background with a white pictogram.
• Safe conditions – identifying safe behaviour or places of safety. Rectangular or square with a white pictogram on a green background.
• Fire-fighting equipment

• Eliminate the hazard or substitute it for something less hazardous.
• 
  Change work methods or patterns, reducing exposure.
• 
  Isolate or segregate the risk at source.
• 
  Use engineering controls.
• Ensure safe systems of work.
• 
  Provide training and information to all concerned.
• 
  Use personal protective equipment.
• 
  Provide welfare/monitoring/supervision.

Examples of where safe systems of work are likely to be needed include:

•  Working in confined spaces such as mines, tunnels and inside vessels.
• Lone working which involves workers who are geographically separated from their work colleagues and who might encounter increased risks in the course of their work because of the lack of assistance or the lack of facilities and warnings.
• 
  Travelling and working abroad - precautions to control the security and health risks associated with international travel, including the establishment of company policy and specific arrangements for insurance, vaccination, training, advice and emergencies.

• Issue – defines the work, identifies the hazards, and determines the necessary precautions.
• 
  Receipt – signed by workers to confirm they understand all the hazards, risks and precautions and will comply with control measures.
• 
  Clearance/Return to Service – signed by workers to confirm the workplace has been left in a safe condition.
• 
  Cancellation – authorising manager signs to accept the hand-back of the workplace.
• 
  There may also be an Extension section in case of overrun of the work.

• Hot work - permits are concerned with preventing fires/explosions in relation to maintenance activities and other non-routine work involving burning, welding, use of a naked flame, etc.
• 
  Work on electrical systems.
• 
  Machinery maintenance.
• 
  Confined spaces, where the implementation of risk assessments, (including safe systems of work), precautions, and emergency arrangements are needed to avoid
• risks such as asphyxiation from gas, fume, or vapour when working in confined
• spaces, e.g. storage tanks, silos, sewers, vats, ductwork.

Element 5: Health and Safety Management

Systems 4 - Measuring, Audit and Review

Active and Reactive Monitoring

Active Monitoring

involves systematic inspection of the workplace and existing safety measures to establish conformance with standards (good performance) and nonconformance (so that remedies can be implemented).

• Safety inspection
• Safety sampling
• Safety tour
• Safety survey

• Data on accidents, incidents, ill-health and near-misses
• Complaints or concerns voiced by the workforce through consultative channels and safety/worker representatives.
• Evidence from external agencies involving enforcement notices

1. Pre-audit preparation-
1. gathering information
2. referring to company records and documents
2. The audit process-
1. collecting information about the health and safety systems in place
2. assessing their effectiveness
3. Feedback at the end of the audit followed by written report- recommendomg improvment indicating priorityes and timescale.

Actions Taken Following Audits – Correcting Non-

Conformities

Major non-conformance

Minor non-conformance

Observations.

• To identify the immediate and root causes of the incident.
• 
  To identify corrective action to prevent a recurrence.
• 
  To record the facts of the incident.
• 
  For legal reasons.
• 
  For claim management.
• 
  For staff morale.
• 
  For disciplinary purposes.
• 
  For data gathering purposes.

Step 1: Gathering Information

Step 2: Analysing Information

Step 3: Identify Suitable Control Measures

Step 4: Plan the Remedial Action

• Unclear organisational policy.
• 
  No reporting system in place.
• 
  Overly-complicated reporting procedures.
• 
  Excessive paperwork.
• 
  Takes too much time.
• 
  Blame culture.
• 
  Apathy.
• 
  Lack of training on policy and procedures.

• Name and address of casualty.
• 
  Date and time of accident.
• 
  Location of accident.
• 
  Details of injury.
• 
  Details of treatment given.
• 
  Description of event causing injury.
• 
  Details of any equipment or substances involved.
• 
  Witnesses’ names and contact details.
• 
  Details of person completing the record.
• 
  Signatures.

• Accident and incident data.
• 
  Inspections.
• 
  Absence and sickness data.
• 
  Safety surveys, tours and sampling.
• 
  Audit reports.
• 
  Achievement of objectives.
• 
  Enforcement action.
• 
  Previous management reviews.

Element 1: Foundations in Health and

Safety  

Scope and Nature of Occupational Health and Safety

What is Health?

the general well-being of, primarily, employees at the

workplace and the promotion of conditions which help to provide for their needs in respect of health, comfort, and social and personal well-being.

general workplace conditions (i.e. levels of lighting, noise, heat, etc.) and the environment outside the workplace which

might be affected by the workplace activities (i.e. pollution or damage to land, air or water).

Occupational accidents

those that are work-related and which result in fatal or non-fatal injury.

Commuting accidents

are those that occur on the way to and from work and which result in death or personal injury.

Dangerous occurrences 

events or situations, often specified in national or

local laws, that could harm employees at work (but don’t necessarily do so) in such a way that there is a legal requirement to report them.

Near-misses

any form of accident which could, under other circumstances, result in injury or loss, but in this particular case do not.

Physiological problems

Those diseases or injuries suffered as a result of longterm 

exposure to dangerous substances in the workplace (such as various types 

of dust or fumes) or to damaging working practices (such as repetitive 

movements or excessive noise).

stress-related and can be due to traumatic events or

result from long-term exposure to workplace pressures

• Safe place of work – both the workplace and access to and from the workplace.
• 
  Safe plant and equipment – machinery, tools, plant, equipment and appliances used by workers in the performance of their work must be kept in a wellmaintained and safe condition.
• 
  Safe systems of work – appropriate review, planning and control measures should ensure that working methods are safe.
• 
  Training and supervision which ensure that staff are competent

Direct costs – these are measurable costs arising directly from an accident and/or claim for liability under the civil or criminal courts.

Indirect costs – these costs may arise as a consequence of an incident but may not involve payment of money.

What are Employers’ Legal Responsibilities?

Article 10 of R164

• To provide workplaces and work equipment, and use work methods, which are safe and no risk to health.
• 
  To provide appropriate instructions and training.
• 
  To provide necessary supervision.
• 
  To put in place health and safety arrangements adapted to suit the size and nature of the undertaking.
• 
  To provide any necessary personal protective clothing and equipment free of charge.
• 
  To ensure that the hours of work do not adversely affect employees’ safety and health.
• 
  To remove any extreme physical and mental fatigue.
• 
  To stay up-to-date with knowledge in order to comply with the above.

What are Workers’ Responsibilities?

Article 19 of C155 

• Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of other people who might be affected by the things that they do and the things that they fail to do.
• 
  Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
• 
  Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with it.
• 
  Report any situation which they believe could be a hazard and which they cannot themselves correct.
• 
  Report any work-related accident or ill-health.

• The right to be provided with adequate information on actions the employer has taken to ensure occupational safety and health.
• 
  The right to the necessary training in occupational safety and health.
• 
  The right to be consulted by the employer on all matters of occupational safety and health relating to their work.
• 
  The right to leave a workplace which he has reason to think presents an imminent and serious danger to his life or health and not be compelled to return until it is safe.