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Its a Quick learning center for Safety professionals:

Safety is the state of being "safe" (from French sauf), the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be considered non-desirable. Safety can also be defined to be the control of recognized hazards to achieve an acceptable level of risk. This can take the form of being protected from the event or from exposure to something that causes health or economical losses. It can include protection of people or of possessions.

General Safety Overviews:

Click the videos to Know how Safety is Important:

Work Safely, Prioritize safety Everywhere

NEBOSH Helpful Information for Starter Students

WEB SITE ADDRESS: http://www.hse.gov.uk/

DEFINITION OF A HAZARDS :

Anything with the potential to cause harm ( e.g. injury, ill health)

DEFINITION OF RISK :

Risk is the likelihood that the harm from one or more particular hazards is realized/ or occurs

DEFINITION OF ACCIDENT :

An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which results in loss of some kind.

DEFINITION OF INCIDENT :

An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which had the potential to result in loss of some kind.

ALARP :

As Low As Reasonably Practicable.

SFAIRP :

So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable.

ELI:

Employers Liability Insurance.

HSE in UK :

Health and Safety Executive

IT IS :

Information Training Instruction Supervising.

COMPETENT :

Skill Knowledge Experience

AUDIT :

Systematic Formal Independent

JSA :

Job Safety Analysis

MSDS :

Materials Safety Data Sheet

ERGONOMIC:

The relationship between human and machine. The study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.

MATHAMATICAL FORMULA OF RISK / HAZARD:

Risk = Likelihood X Severity

FIVE STEPS OF RISK ASSESSMENT:

1. Identify the Hazard

2. Identify Those at Risk

3. Evaluate the Risk

4. Record

5. Review

LEV :

Local Exhaust Ventilation

HAZOP :

HAZard and OPerability Study

ROPS :

Roll – Over – Protective - Structure

M.E.E.P. (Safe System of Work – SSW) :

M Materials

E Equipment and Plant

E Environment

P People

BSAFE ( Common Hazards from Electricity ):

B Burns

S Shock

A Arcing

F Fires

E Explosions

SREDIM ( Job Safety Analysis ):

S Select

R Record

E Evaluate

D Develop

I Implement

M Maintain

ERIC PD ( Risk Control Hierarchy ) :

E Eliminate

R Reduce

I Isolate

C Contain

P PPE

D Discipline (IT IS)

ENITICE ( Machinery Hazards – Mechanical) :

E Entanglement

N Nips

T Trapping

I Impact

C Contact

E Eject

FIAT (Remember the hierarchy of machine control) :

F Fixed

I Interlocked

A Adjustable

T Trip Devices

PPE :

Personal Protective Equipment

RPE :

Respiratory Protective Equipment

RCD in UK ( Circuit Breaker ) :

Residual Current Device

The Spread of Fire :

Conduction Convention Radiation Direct Contact

Details of Signage Color:

Yellow : Warning

Blue : Mandatory

Green : Safe Condition

Red : Danger

4C’s

The activities necessary to promote a health and safety culture are divided into the 4C’s

Control
Co-operation
Communication
Competence

MUSCULOSKELETAL:

Relating to the Muscles and Skeleton together. (used to

define many injuries/disease e.g back strain, slipped disc,

hernia, strained muscles, carpel tunnel syndrome,

repetitive strain injury)

HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

HS (G) 65:

‘Successful Health & Safety Systems’

OHSAS 18001:

Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems –

Specifications

HS (G) 65 ALL ELEMENTS:

Policy, Organizing, Planning & Implementation, Measuring

Performance, Review Performance, Audit

Students Areas to concentrate on for the written

Examination:

It is important that you read the questions very carefully, answer the questions you feel comfortable with first and leave the other until you can formulate your thoughts.

Remember the rules answer the question that is asked: e.g.

Outline – Give the most important features of (less in depth than ‘Explain’ or ‘Describe’, but more in depth than ‘List’.

Define – Provide an generally recognized or accepted definition

Describe – Give a word picture

Explain – Give a clear account or reasons for

Give – Provide without explanation (used normally to ‘give’ an example)

Identify – Select and Name

List – Provide a list without explanation

Sketch – Provide a simple line drawing using labels to identify specific features

State – A less demanding form of ‘define’ or where there is no generally recognized definition.

NOTE:Do not use word like “Proper” Use “Sufficient /

Suitable / Adequate”.

Do not use word like “Capable Person” Use “Competent
Person”

NEBOSH International Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health:

Course introduction

NEBOSH Diploma
NVQ Level 6 equates to honours degree level qualification
NEBOSH Certificate
NVQ Level 3 qualification
IOSH Managing Safely
IOSH Supervising Safely
IOSH Safety for Senior Executives/Directors
IOSH Working Safely

Syllabus Content:

Management of Health and Safety:

HSG 65 Management System
Health and Safety Policies
Safety Culture
Human behaviour
Risk Assessment
Incident Investigation
Monitoring and Review

Controlling Workplace Hazards

Movement of People/Vehicles
Manual and Mechanical Handling
Work Equipment
Electricity
Fire
Chemical hazards
Physical /Psychological hazards
Construction

IGC 1 – Management of Health and Safety: 2 Hour exam
(1x 20 mark and 10 x 8 mark questions) 45% Pass mark.

IGC 2 – Controlling Workplace Hazards: 2 Hour exam (1 x 20 mark and 10 x 8 mark questions) 45% Pass mark

IGC 3 – Practical Assessment : Workplace inspection (45
mins) and written report (1 hour) 60% Pass mark
Practical Assessment

Part 1 : Carry out Workplace Inspection

Identify hazards in a workplace/workshop
under examination conditions
45 minutes under exam conditions
Complete NEBOSH observation sheets
About 20 good and bad practice observations

Part 2: Prepare a Report to Management

An hour to complete a written report, About 4 sides of A4 Introduction, main body findings, conclusion, Identify
priorities for action, Convince management to take action.

Grades:

Distinction: 65% or more in each paper and 80% or more
in practical

Credit: 55% or more in each paper and 70% or more in
practical

Pass: 45% or more in each paper and 60% or more in
practical

Refer: less than 45% in either paper or less than 60% in
practical

Fail: less than 45% in both papers and less than 60% in
practical

NEBOSH IGC Training:

NEBOSH International Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health

IGC 1 - Element 1

Health and safety foundations

Content:

The scope and nature of occupational health and safety

The moral, legal and financial reasons for promoting and maintaining health and safety

The role and the powers of enforcing agencies, the judiciary and external agencies

Sources of information on health and safety Health and safety management system

Objectives:

Outline the scope and nature of occupational health and safety

Explain briefly the moral, legal and financial reasons for promoting good standards of health and safety

Describe the roles and the powers of enforcement agencies, the judiciary and external agencies

Identify the nature and main sources of health and safety information

Outline the key elements of a health and safety management system

Why manage health and safety?

There are clear, pressing reasons why businesses should effectively manage health and safety, arising from a complex interaction of social, legal, professional, ethical and ergonomic considerations. Here we will attempt to summarize the issues under three key headings.

Three good reasons: -

Moral
Economic
Legal

Humanitarian / moral reasons:

Our lives depend on what we do at work.
We all have a moral obligation not to cause harm to
others.
Employers have a moral obligation toward their
employees and others.
Morale is also increasingly important to encourage their workforce to give commitment.

Economic:

The true cost of accidents is a lot higher than most people realize.
Studies have shown that the true cost of accidents were in organisation: - 37% of the annual profit in a third organisation

To avoid prosecution:

The style of criminal law now demands active management of risks, not just compliance with prescribed standards.
Risk management is the cornerstone of modern health and safety law.

Cost (avoiding financial loss):

Work-related injuries and ill-health cost industry 30 million lost days each year; nearly ten times the days lost due to strikes.
The cost of health and safety control programmes (precautionary and preventive measures) are usually easily recognized and calculated as a bottom-line expense.
accident investigation
payments for non productive time (injured persons)
payments for non-productive time (witnesses, investigators, first aiders, clearing up etc.)
replacement labour (probably less effective)
training for replacement labour
business interruption/disruption
loss of reputation
damage repair
replacement plant
compensation payments
legal costs and fees
insurance

The Costs of Accidents at Work:

Any analysis should include the cost of:

lost time
first aid
property damage
consequential lost time (investigation etc.)
delayed/disrupted production
other losses that result from the accident.

Accidents / incidents:

The most common definition of an “Accident”: “An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which results in loss of some kind.”

Definition of “Incident”: “An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which had the potential to result in loss of some kind.”

True cost of accidents and ill health:

This is best illustrated as an iceberg, where the tip is the easily accounted for expense of accidents and ill health.
The hidden proportion, made up from the list above, can be between 8 - 36 times higher.

Other costs:

The cost of long term damage to health
The cost in terms of loss of reputation
Reduced work output due to low morale and sheer inefficiency arising from poorly designed/ poorly managed work activities
Insurance premiums

The business benefits of good health and safety performance:

Reduced loss through damage and injury
Reduced absenteeism
Reduced insurance costs
Improved morale
Improved company reputation
Reduced litigation/ legal costs, fines, compensation payments.

Humanitarian:

Clearly it would be immoral for employers to make profit at the cost of pain and suffering to their employees.
Industry is still responsible for a considerable number of workplace fatalities, serious injuries, and occupational diseases each year.

Occupational Health:

In the past, the focus has been mainly on safety issues, possibly because accidents are often visible, dramatic and very visible.

The long-term nature of many health issues (deafness, musculoskeletal disorders, asthma, cancer etc.) possibly makes them less dramatic.

It is also easier to pretend that damage to health is not work related or that the resulting disability is not really as severe as the victim claims it to be.

Law (avoiding Prosecution):

The old style prescriptive legislation attempted to anticipate and set out in detail what would be needed in every organisation to prevent accidents and ill health.
This approach failed to stop the ever-increasing number of occupational injuries and disease.
It also possibly contributed to a culture in which the aim was to avoid prosecution by complying with the (often-inadequate) technical requirements of the law.

“Show me where it says in black and white that I must do it” was a common cry.

International Labour Organisation – ILO Role:

The International Labour organisation (ILO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues. Its headquarters are in Geneva , Switzerland . Founded in 1919, it was formed through the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles , and was initially an agency of the League of Nations .
It became a member of the UN system after the demise of the League and the formation of the UN at the end of World War II .
As stated by its Director-General, the primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity." In working towards this goal, the organisation seeks to promote employment creation, strengthen fundamental principles and rights at work - workers' rights , improve social protection , and promote social dialogue as well as provide relevant information, training and technical assistance.
One of the principal functions of the ILO involves setting international labour standards through the adoption of Conventions and Recommendations covering a broad spectrum of labour-related subjects and which, together, are sometimes referred to as the International Labour Code.

ILO Conventions:

All adopted ILO Conventions are considered international labour standards regardless of how many national governments have ratified them. The topics covered by them cover a wide range of issues, from freedom of association to health and safety at work, working conditions in the maritime sector, night work, discrimination, child labour and forced labour.

Meanings and distinctions:

Safety is not a matter of laying down and enforcing rules it also requires a careful assessment of all hazardous work activities to be carried out.
Safety rules are designed to control hazards and limit or control risks.
Safety rules clearly define how the system should operate to overcome all known hazards and risks arising from them.

Definition of a hazard:

A hazard is “anything with the potential to cause harm”
Definition of “risk”: Risk is “the likelihood that the harm from one or more particular hazards is realised (the extent of the risk covers the population affected and the consequences for them)”.
Occupational Health: The medical surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, study etc of diseases and health conditions related to work.

Welfare:
Every employer has a duty to provide, or ensure there are provided, certain health and welfare facilities for his own employees, who must make proper use of them.

¡ Environmental Protection:
Anxiety over the way in which human activity pollutes air or water is of major concern in today's society. Human activity is threatening the earth as a planet. For this reason protection of the environment has assumed greater significance.

Sources of H&S information:

Internal:

Accident/ Incident reports
Absence records
Audit reports/ inspections
Maintenance records

External:

Manufacturers data
Legislation
HSC/E publications
Trade organisations
International/ European/ British standards
Web based/ IT sources

Sample Health & Safety Management System HS(G)65 (HSE)

The Health & Safety Executive's (HSE) model for successful health & safety management

breaks the process into 5 key steps.

Setting Policy
Organizing
Planning, setting objectives and standards, and implementing.
Monitoring and measuring performance.
Audit and review (Learning from experience)

The 5 steps given above are more of a concept than a flow chart. Obviously there are more intermediate steps in the process of setting up a health & safety management system.

However, this is used in order to give the trainee a picture of a generic health & safety management system..

Health & safety is viewed as a Line Management function by HSE and this responsibility cannot be delegated.

Thus it is important that all staff play an important part in setting up and maintaining a health & safety management system.

Health & safety policy (step 1):

The employer, in consultation with workers and their representatives should write down an OSH Policy which should determine and influence all workplace activities.
This should include selection of personnel, equipment and materials, the way the work is done.
This should also include how goods and services are designed and rendered.

Reference: ILO guidelines on OSH management systems.

The employer, in consultation with workers and their representatives should set out in writing down an OSH Policy which should be:

specific to the organization appropriate to its size and the nature of its activities;
Concise, clearly written dated and made effective by the signature or endorsement of the employer or the most senior accountable person in the organization.
Communicated and readily accessible to all persons in the organization at their place of work.
Reviewed for continuous suitability, and Made available for relevant external parties, as appropriate.

Health & safety policy:

This Policy must clearly demonstrate commitment to ‘Continual improvement’.
The Policy should show the company's responsibilities to the people and environment are met to the spirit and letter of the law and should satisfy the expectations of stakeholders.

The policy should demonstrate the company’s objective to protect the health & safety of all members of the organization by preventing work related injuries, ill health, diseases and incidents.

The OSH Policy should include, as a minimum, the following key principles and objectives to which the organization is committed:

Protecting the safety and health of all the members of the organization by preventing work-related injuries, ill health, diseases and incidents.
Complying with relevant OSH national laws and regulations, voluntary programmes, Collective agreements on OSH and other requirement to which the organisation subscribes;
Ensuring the workers and their representatives are consulted and he encouraged to participate actively in all elements of OSH management system; and
Continually improving the performance of the OSH management system.

The OSH Management system should be compatible with or integrated in other management systems in the organization.

Organizing (Step 2):

The Organisation need to create a clear framework for management activity and detail the responsibilities and relationships that will deliver an improved performance.
To make a Health & Safety Policy effective, staff must become involved and committed to a positive Health & Safety culture.
To evolve and promote a positive health & safety culture, organizations need to address the 4 C’s.
The employer must have overall responsibility for the protection of worker’s safety & health, and provide leadership for OSH activities in the organization.

They should also ensure compliance with the relevant national and international OSH codes of practice and guidelines laid down.

The employer and senior management should allocate responsibility, accountability and authority for the development, implementation and performance of the OSH management system and the achievement of set OSH objectives.

Organizing – Four C’s:

1. COMPETENCE Every organization must:

Assess the skills required for each job function so as to carry out each task safely.
Undertake measures to ensure all employees, including directors, managers and all temporary staff are adequately instructed and trained.
All employees as mentioned above must have access to sound advice and / or help.

Ensure that those taking up the responsibilities health & safety at any time are competent for the purpose.

The employer should define and establish arrangements to ensure that all persons are competent to carry out the health & safety aspects of their duties and responsibilities.
Training programmes should be customized to suit company activities and requirements.

They should;

Cover all members of the organization
Be conducted by competent persons
Provide effective and timely initial and refresher training at appropriate intervals.
Include participants’ evaluation of their comprehension and retention of the training.
Be reviewed periodically in discussion with the health and safety committee, where it exists, and modified as necessary to ensure their relevance and effectiveness.

2. CONTROL

Organizations must ensure that directors, line management and staff;

Lead by example thereby demonstrating a clear commitment to health & safety.
Understand their responsibilities and allocate time and resources to carry them out.

Know what must be one an how they shall be held accountable through set objectives.

Structures and processes must established which;

Ensure that OSH is a line management responsibility. This should be known and accepted at all levels.
Define and communicate to all levels of the organization the responsibility, accountability and authority of persons who identify, evaluate and control OSH hazards and risks.
Provide effective supervision as necessary to ensure protection of workers’ safety & health.
Establish effective arrangements to identify and eliminate or control work related hazards and risks and promote health at work. This should be done with total participation of workers and their representatives.
Provide appropriate resources to ensure that OSH functions can be carried out correctly.
The development, implementation, periodic review and evaluation of the OSH management system and reporting to the senior management on the performance of this system.

3. CO-OPERATION

Organizations should;

Consult their staff on matters of health & safety.
Involve staff in planning, reviewing performance, writing procedures and solving problems.

Co-operate and co-ordinate with contractors who carry out work on their premises.

According to the size and nature of activity of the company, the OSH management system must be established and maintained covering:

OSH policy and objectives of the organization.
Key OSH roles and responsibilities for it’s implementation.
Clearly written and presented in a way that is understood by all those who have to use it.
Workers should have a right to access records relevant to their working environment and health, while respecting the need for confidentiality.

4. COMMUNICATION

Organizations should;

Provide adequate information on hazards, risks, preventive measures and other matters of health & safety to employees, temporary employees and contractors.
Hold discussions on health and safety on a regular basis.

Have a visible activity on health & safety e.g. campaigns, posters etc. Arrangements and procedures should be established and maintained for;

Receiving, documenting and responding appropriately to internal and external communications related to OSH.
Ensuring the internal communication of OSH information between relevant levels and functions of the organization.
Ensuring that the concerns, ideas and inputs of workers and their representatives on OSH matters are received, considered and responded to.

Planning & implementing (Step 3):

Proper planning is essential for the implementation of health & safety policies. Adequate control of risks can be achieved only through coordinated action by all members of the organization.

An effective system for health & safety requires the organization to plan, establish and operate a health & safety management system that;

Controls all risks.
Encompasses changing demands.
Sustains a positive health & safety culture.

The purpose of planning should be to create and OSH management system which ensures and supports;As a minimum, compliance with relevant national and international laws, regulations and guideline.Continual improvement of the OSH performance.

Preparation of a plan for achieving each OSH objective, with defined responsibility and clear performance criteria indicating what is to be done by whom and when.
The provision of adequate resources, including human and financial resources and technical support as appropriate.
Setting up measurable OSH objectives that are specific to the organization and appropriate to, and according to its size and nature of activity.
Objectives that is realistic and achievable.
Documentation and communication to all relevant functions and levels of staff in the organization.
Identifies all hazards and risks.
Controls them by eliminating them or minimizing hazards / risk at work.
Management of change.
Emergency prevention, preparedness and response.
Procurement.
Contracting.

Measuring performance (Step 4):

Measurement is essential to maintain and improve health & safety performance. Two ways of measuring performances are:

1. ACTIVE MONITORING

2. REACTIVE MONITORING.

Procedures to monitor, measure and record OSH performance on a regular basis should be developed, established and periodically reviewed.

Responsibility, accountability and authority for monitoring at different levels in the management structure should be clearly allocated.

Selection of performance indicators must be according to the size and nature of activity of the organization and set OSH objectives.

Measurement must be based on the organization’s identified hazards and risks in the Risk Assessment process, the commitments in the OSH policy and OSH objectives.

Performance monitoring and measurement must be used as a means of determining the extent to which the OSH policy and objectives are implemented and risks controlled.

Measurement must include active and reactive monitoring that will evolve;

Feedback on OSH performance
Information to determine whether day-to-day arrangements for hazard and risk identification, prevention and control are n place and are operating effectively.
The basis for decisions about in improvement in hazard identification and risk control, and the OSH management system.

ACTIVE MONITORING which monitors the achievement of plans and the degree of compliance with standards BEFORE an accident, incident or ill health.

Progress monitoring of objectives
Performance reviews
Review of training assessments, records and needs
Workplace inspections
Management system audits
Environmental monitoring
Health surveillance
Behavioural observations
Safety tours
Safety sampling
Safety survey
Consideration of regular reports by Board of Directors.

Active monitoring should have the elements necessary to have a proactive system and should include:

Monitoring f the achievements of specific plans, established performance criteria, and objectives
The systematic inspection of work systems, premises, plant and equipment.
Surveillance of the working environment, including work organization.
Surveillance of worker’s health, where appropriate, through medical monitoring or follow-up of workers for early detection of signs and symptoms of harm to health in order to determine the effectiveness of prevention and control measures.
Compliance with applicable national and international laws and regulations, collective agreements and other commitment on OSH to which the organization subscribes.

REACTIVE MONITORING which monitors accidents ill health and incidents.

Examples would be:

Accident incidence rates
Ill health incident rates
Accident frequency rates
Accident severity rates
Sickness absence
Property or product damage
Incidents / near misses

Reactive monitoring should include the identification, reporting and investigation of:

Work related injuries, ill health (including monitoring of aggregate sickness absence records), diseases and incidents;
Other losses such as damage to property.
Deficient safety and health performance, and OSH management system failures.
Workers rehabilitation and health-restoration programmes.

Audit and review (Step 5):

Organizations may maintain and improve their ability to manage risks by learning from experience through audits and performance reviews.

Monitoring produces the information necessary to review the organization’s activities and to improve performance.

Internal and external audits complement monitoring activities by determining whether the health and safety policy, organization and systems are actually achieving the required reliability and effectiveness.

IGC 1 - Element 2: Policy

Content

The importance of setting policy for health and safety
The key features and appropriate content of an organisations health and safety policy

Objectives:

Explain the purpose and importance of setting policy for health and safety
Describe the key features and appropriate content of an effective health and safety policy.

What is a safety policy?

A health and safety policy is a business plan for safety. It is an organisation's statement of the importance that it places upon health and safety, its aims as regards safety performance and how it intends to achieve those aims.
A health and safety policy is the starting point for the process of managing health and safety.
The original summary of HS(G)65 states that "Organisations which are successful in achieving high standards of health and safety have health and safety policies which contribute to their business performance, while meeting their responsibilities to people and the environment in a way which fulfils both the spirit and the letter of the law."
"Stakeholders' expectations in the activity (whether they are shareholders, employees or their representatives, customers or society at large) are satisfied."
Thus sound health and policy therefore is regarded as the first step in successfully managing safety.

What makes a policy effective?

Effective health and safety policies contribute to all aspects of business performance as part of a demonstrable commitment to continuous improvement. Effective health and safety policies are based upon cost-effective approaches to preserving and developing physical and human resources, which reduce financial losses and liabilities.
The best health and safety policies are concerned not only with injury and ill health but also with positive health promotion, thus supporting the claim that people are a key resource.
The ultimate goal is an organisation in which accidents and ill health are eliminated, and in which work provides satisfaction, and physical and mental well-being which will benefit both the individual and the organisation.

Policy requirements:

Setting targets: general statement of intent; signatory to statement; setting objective and quantifiable targets; concept of ‘benchmarking’.

Organizing for health and safety: allocation of responsibilities; lines of communication; feedback loops; the role of managers in influencing the health and safety policy and monitoring effectiveness. Policy

Health and safety arrangements: The importance of specifying the organization’s arrangements for planning and organizing, controlling hazards, consultation, communication and monitoring and reviewing compliance with, and assessing the effectiveness of, the arrangements.

Review: The circumstances that may lead to a need to review the health and safety policy (e.g. passage of time, technological, organizational or legal changes, results of monitoring).

The legal requirements and guidance relating to health and safety policy and arrangements.

Policy development:

Statement of intent:

The statement of intent is intended to communicate to all employees the importance of, and the commitment to health and safety.

The 'statement' should bear the signature of the owner, managing director, chief executive or other 'most senior person' to give weight to the commitment being shown in what is a very important feature of the policy.

Statement of intent:

In order to clearly demonstrate this commitment, it is helpful to state some underlying beliefs such as:

“continuous improvement in health and safety performance is the responsibility of all employees”.

“the preservation of human and physical resources is an important means of minimising cost”.

Statement of intent:

“good health and safety performance is of equal importance as productivity and quality”.

“all accidents are preventable and should be seen as a management failure”.

"people are our most valuable asset"

The better forms of statements of intent contain entries such as the following:

clear declarations of the organisation's intention to provide safe and healthy working conditions and to conduct work activities safely so as not to harm others (the public, contractors etc) or the environment
commitments to continuous improvement in health and safety performance to meet all relevant laws and regulations
declarations that the preservation and development of physical and human resources is central to the organisation's mission
references to the consultation facilities that exist, including the need to consult individual employees before giving them specific health and safety responsibilities
references to sources of expert advice regarding health and safety
commitments to the provision of relevant information and training in respect of health and safety as well as to providing appropriate funds for health and safety
reference to the support demanded from all persons in the firm in order to achieve the safety objectives

Note:

It must be emphasised that a policy statement can achieve nothing unless the words are translated into deeds.

Organisation:

The organisation section should, ideally, contain a chart illustrating the management structure so far as health and safety is concerned.
The section should also show details of staff from the lowest levels to the highest with key personnel identified by name as well as by job title.
duties and responsibilities for health and safety at all Levels. The person ultimately responsible for health andSafety.
Specific responsibilities for things such as:

1) training

2) monitoring compliance with the policy

3) sources of advice including the competent

person(s) to assist

4) contact with safety representatives /representatives of employee safety etc.

Arrangements - HOW the policy will be implemented

This is likely to be a lengthy document or more likely a manual of procedures which identify how responsibilities are to be carried out.

“Every employer shall make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the nature of his activities and the size of his undertaking, for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures”.

The arrangements therefore should include not only the technical operating procedures but also the way in which health and safety is to be managed. At the minimum they should cover:-

the procedures for identifying hazards and for assessing and dealing with all manner of risks to health and safety

the procedures for identifying in advance the risks and precautions involved in site building operations including work involving contractors

methods of consultation with employees or their representatives
accident reporting and investigation
provision and use of personal protective equipment
Procedures for introducing new machinery, substances or processes.

IGC 1 - Element 3

Organising for health and safety Aims:

On completion of this Unit candidates will understand:

The health and safety roles of employers, managers, employees and other relevant parties.

Organizing for Health and Safety:

Identified within the health and safety policy
Sets out the roles and responsibilities

Ensures the employer takes account of everyone who may be affected by its undertakings

The policy sets the direction for health and safety, but organisations need to create a robust framework for management activity and to detail the responsibilities and relationships that will deliver improved performance.

To make a health and safety policy effective the employer is responsible (legally and organizational) for the health and safety of staff (permanent and temporary), visitors, contractors and the general public.

Employees must become involved and committed to health and safety matters.

This is often referred to as a positive health and safety culture.

Worker participation is an essential element of the OSH management system

Worker participation is an essential element of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management system in the organisation.

The employer should ensure that workers and their safety and health representatives are consulted, informed and trained on all aspects of OSH, including emergency arrangements, associated with their work.

The employer should make arrangements for workers and their safety and health representatives to have the time and resources to participate actively in the process of organising, planning and implementation, evaluation and action for improvement of the OSH system.

The employer should ensure, as appropriate, the establishment and efficient functioning of a safety and health committee and the recognition of workers’ safety and health representatives in accordance with national laws and practice.

Safety Representative are discussed further in element 4.

Responsibility and Accountability:

Employer has overall responsibility
Employer and senior manager should allocate responsibility, accountability and authority

The employer has the overall responsibility for the protection of worker’s safety and health, and provide leadership for OSH activities in the organisation.

The employer and senior management should allocate responsibility, accountability and authority for the development, implementation and performance of the OSH Management system and the achievement of the relevant OSH objectives.

Senior Manager:

A person or persons at senior management level should be appointed with responsibility and accountability for:

Development, implementation and review of the OSH system
Periodic reporting to the senior management
Promoting participation

A person or persons at the senior management level should be appointed, where appropriate, with responsibility, accountability and authority for:

The development, implementation, periodic review and evaluation of the OSH management system
Periodic reporting to the senior management on the performance of the OSH management system
Promoting the participation of all members of the organisation.

Planning and Implementing:

An effective planning system for health and safety requires organisation’s to establish and operate a health and safety management system that:

Controls Risk
Reacts to changing demands
Sustains a positive health and safety culture

Although health and safety management systems vary in detail they have some general common characteristics.

OSH Management System:

The OSH structure and processes should:

Ensure line management responsibility is known and accepted
Define and communicate to the members of the organisation
Provide effective supervision
Promote cooperation and communication

Ensure that OSH is a line-management responsibility which is known and accepted at all levels throughout the organisation.

Define and communicate to the members of the organisation the responsibility, accountability and authority of persons who identify, evaluate and control OSH hazards and risks.

Provide effective supervision, as necessary, to ensure the protection of workers’ safety and health.

Promote cooperation and communication among members of the organisation including workers and their representatives, to implement the elements of the OSH management system.

Fulfil the principles of the OSH system
Establish and implement a clear policy with measurable objectives
Establish effective arrangements to identify, eliminate or control workplace hazards
Establish prevention and health programmes.

Fulfil the principles of the OSH management systems contained in relevant national guidelines, tailored guidelines or voluntary programmes, as appropriate, to which the organisations subscribes.

Establish and implement a clear OSH policy and measurable objectives

Establish effective arrangements to identify and eliminate or control work-related hazards and risks, and promote health at work.

Establish prevention and health promotion programmes in accordance with the organisations undertakings.

Ensure effective arrangements for participation of workers
Provide appropriate resources for the management of OSH
Ensure effective arrangements for the participation of representatives

Ensure effective arrangements for the full participation of workers and their representatives in the fulfilment of the OSH policy.

Provide appropriate resources to ensure that persons responsible for OSH, including the safety and health committee, can perform their functions properly.

Ensure effective arrangements for the full participation of workers and their representatives in safety and health committees where they exist.

Common characteristicsIt shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees and includes in particular:

provision and maintenance of plant and systems
Arrangements for safe handling of articles and substances
Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision

The provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health.

Arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;

The provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees;

Safe place of work including access and egress
Provision of welfare arrangements
Conduct its undertakings to ensure that it does not affect persons not in its employment.
places a duty on self-employed to conduct his undertakings safely

So far as is reasonably practicable with regards to any place of work under the employer's control, he must ensure the maintenance of it in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks:

The provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.

It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

There are other duties imposed on persons in relation to those who:

(a) are not their employees but (b) use non domestic premises made available to them as a place of work (c) or as place where they may use plant or substances provided for their use . Duty on persons in control of premises

Safe access and egress
Safe plant and equipment

It shall be the duty of each person who has to any extent, control of premises to which this section applies or of the means of access thereto or egress there from or of any plant or substance in such premises to take such measures as it is reasonably practicable for a person in his position to take to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that the premises, all means of access thereto or egress there from available for use by persons using the premises and any plant or substance in the premises, or as the case may be, provided for use, that they are are safe and without risks to health.

General Duties of Employees at Work

It shall be the duty of every employee to:

a) To take reasonable care

b) To co-operate with the employer.

It shall be the duty of every employee while at work:

a) To take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work; and

b) As regards any duty or requirement imposed on his employer or any other person by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions to co-operate with him so far as is necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with.

Duties of Designers, Manufacturers and Suppliers of Articles and Substances for use at Work:

Ensure articles are designed and constructed safely
Safe and without health risks when being used
Carry out testing, research and examination which may be necessary

¡ Provide information, existing or new.

Ensure articles are designed and constructed so as to be safe and without health risks when being set, used cleaned or maintained.Ensure substances are safe and without health risks when being used, handled, processed, stored or transported.Carry out or arrange for the carrying out of testing, research and examination which may be necessary to comply with the above.

Provide information about the use for which the product has been designed and tested, and about any conditions necessary to ensure that when put to use or being dismantled or disposed of, the product will be safe and without health risks.

Take steps to inform those who have been supplied with an article or substance of any new information which may give rise to a serious risk to health or safety.

Employed and Self Employed:

Shall ensure persons outside the organisation have information on:

The risk to those employees health and safety

¡ The measures taken by the employerSimilar requirements apply to self employed persons working in an employers undertaking

Every employer and self employed person shall ensure that the employer of any employees from an outside undertaking who are working in his undertaking is provided with comprehensible information on:

The risk to those employees health and safety arising out of or in connection with the first mentioned employers undertakingThe measures taken by that first mentioned employer in compliance with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him under the relevant statutory provisions (insofar as they relate to those employees)Similar requirements apply to self employed persons working in an employer’s undertaking

Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response:

Arrangements should be established and maintained.
Should identify the potential for accidents and emergency situations, and
Address the prevention of OSH risks.

Emergency prevention, preparedness and response arrangements should be established and maintained. These arrangements should identify the potential for accidents and emergency situations, and address the prevention of OSH risks associated with them.

The arrangements should be made according to the size and nature of the activity of the organization.The arrangements should consider: Necessary information and communication –

Internal
External

Address first aid, firefighting and evacuation Provide information and training

The arrangements should:

Ensure that the necessary information, internal communication and coordination are provided to protect all people in the event of an emergency at the worksite.

Provide information to, and communication with, the relevant competent authorities, and the neighbourhood and emergency response services.

Address first-aid and medical assistance, fire-fighting and evacuation of all people at the worksite; and

Provide relevant information and training to all members of the organisation, at all levels, including regular exercises in emergency prevention, preparedness and response procedures.

NOTE:

Emergency prevention, preparedness and response arrangements should be established in cooperation with external emergency services and other bodies where applicable.

IGC 1 - Element 4

Promoting a positive health and safety culture:

Content:

Concepts of health and safety culture
Factors influencing health and safety culture
Factors influencing health and safety related behaviour
Improving health and safety culture
Internal and external influences on health and safety management standards

The organisation and safety culture:

Those who have worked in more than one organisation will be aware that attitudes and patterns of accepted or 'normal' behaviour vary enormously. The extent to which the organisation's health and safety support climate is known as:

“safety culture”

Safety culture is the result of a complex interaction between social, formal, technological, and individual structures of the organisation.

Health and safety culture:

Definitions:

“ The ideas and beliefs that all members of the organisation share about risk, accidents and ill health”.
“ The characteristics and shared attitudes, values, beliefs and practices of people at work concerning only the magnitude of the risks that they encounter but also the necessity, practicality and effectiveness of control measures”

Or simply;

“ The way we do things around here”

The organisation and safety culture:

'Organisations with a positive safety culture are characterised by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by confidence in the efficiency of preventive measures.'The definition shows, that to a large extent the development of a positive safety culture is in the hands of senior levels of management, it involves four C's:

Competence	Control	Co-operation	Communication
The systematic identification and development of skills resulting in a workforce that is well informed and knowledgeable about risks and the precautions and procedures that exist for controlling risks.	Clear demonstration of commitment, an organisational structure in which responsibilities are clear and people are accountable.	The extent to which employees are involved in planning and developing safe systems of work as well as monitoring performance. An atmosphere in which everyone is actively involved in continuous improvement	The provision of information about risks, plans, objectives and feedback on performance. Also an atmosphere in which individuals are encouraged to report hazards and near misses as well as injuries.

The key to success or failure in terms of climate change and improvements to an organisations culture rests upon

another C thought :“Commitment”

¡ This is the 1^st C, not the 5^th. Commitment from board level is imperative though clearly it is necessary throughout the management structure.

1	Committed	Creates and modifies the rules or systems to achieve the goal.
2	Involved	Does what can be done within existing systems.
3	Compliant	Sees the benefits. Does what is expected, but no more.
4	Non-compliant	Does not see benefits Does what is expected to keep job. Probably makes reluctance known.
5	Reluctant	Fails to see the benefits. Will not do what is expected.
6	Apathetic	No opinion or interest.

HUMAN FAILURE:

Any incorrect action by an individual is termed human error and is traditionally regarded as the individual’s “fault”.
In fact the fallibility of individuals is almost entirely predictable. Failure to consider the human limitations of people to perceive, cope with, remember, process and act on information is expecting too much of people.

Human Failure and Accidents

The more a system relies on human interventionthe more “foolproof” it should be, but bear inmind that experience has shown that nothing isfoolproof to someone determined enough to override the controls. Conversely, well-trainedand motivated personnel can spot potentialincidents and prevent them.

The human failures can be expressed as:

Active failures -

these have an immediate consequence and are usually attributed to line staff e.g. drivers, pilots and control room personnel.

Latent failures-

provide as great a threat to Health and Safety andare often attributed to designers, decisions makersand managers. These are often hidden and mayonly come to light as an accident investigationunfolds.

Job factors:

Illogical design of equipment and controls
Unclear instruction
Disturbances and interruptions
High workload
Lack of skill and competence
Health and medical problems
Tired, bored or disheartened

Organisational factors:

Poor work planning/ pressure of work
Lack of safety management
Not learning lessons from previous incidents
Poor Health and Safety Culture

Human error: Action or decision is not intended, which involved a departure from accepted standards and led to an adverse outcome. Violations: Deliberate departures from procedures or rules. The different categories of human failure are illustrated on the following diagram :

HUMAN FAILURES:

Errors fall into two broad categories:

Slips - Lapses of attention Familiar tasks where there is normally little need to pay conscious attention. Driving a car is a good example of a typical ‘skill based’ task for many of us, but is very prone to error, with grave consequences, should attention be diverted. Turning a control knob in the wrong direction

- Doing the right thing on the wrong object- Reading the wrong dial

Lapses –

Cause us to forget to carry out or complete an action or even forget what we set out to do. These are most common when there is a long period of waiting or tasks take a long time to complete.

Mistakes: Are complex failures where the wrong thing is done, but the person believes that the correct action has been taken.Rule based – behaviour is based on remembering rules or familiar procedures, often without checking for changes. There is a strong tendency to revert to these rules or solutions even when not always the most efficient.

Mistakes : Knowledge based – when in unfamiliar, or circumstances that may feel familiar but unknown there is a tendency to apply first principles or to try to match it with a situation which resembles a familiar one i.e. one that they are knowledgeable with.Experienced and knowledgeable personnel without compete information on the hazards and risks are susceptible to this type of mistake.

Mis-perceptions:

Actions having an unexpected result.
Incorrect interpretation of information, especially when under pressure (e.g. in emergency situations).
Poorly designed controls and display systems have caused many accidents involving complex plant.

All such systems should be designed around ergonomic principles (“Ergonomics” - the study of the relationship between workers and their environment).

Violations are the other key type of human failure, or in common terms

“breaking the rules” Violations also fall into three distinct categories:

Routine: Breaking the rules has become the normal way of working. Causes can include:

The desire to cut corners and save energy
Perception that the rules are too restrictive or no longer apply
Lack of supervision or enforcement
New workers being taught bad habits then believing them to be correct.

Simply doing what everybody does (e.g. speeding):

People are generally strongly influenced by their peer groups (their colleagues or workmates).

The development of a safety culture means the development of safe practices as the “normal” way of doing things.

Situational/ breaking the rules due to pressure of the job:

Time pressure
Insufficient staff for the workload
Equipment not available

Extreme weather conditions

Finally,

Exceptional/ rare:

Happens when something has gone wrong and the decision making is to try to put things right even if it means taking risks that are known to be inappropriate.Doing something knowing that it would not normally be acceptable i.e. where motivation to act exceeds motivation to comply with known rules/procedures. Often this is done out of helpfulness to speed up a job (e.g. dealing with emergencies and breakdowns).

Human error summary:

Failure type	Description
Slips and lapses	Those occurring at a mainly physical level, that is error due to: • Lack of skill • Fatigue, • Boredom • Distractions • Poor instrument layout
Mistakes	The wrong decision but made in good faith; • Lack of experience• Excessive decision making requirements • Misperceptions, i.e., unexpected result, particularly when under pressure
Violations	Deliberate deviations from the rules, procedures, instruction and regulations.

Summary of Influences on behaviour:

Individual factors	Organisational factors	Job factors
• Attitudes • Motivation • Knowledge and information (training and experience) • Perception • Mental and physical capabilities	•culture (affected by competence control,co-operation and communication)	• Safe systems of work • Ergonomics • The extent of decision making procedures/ instructions the work environment work patterns

What Can Be Done To Promote Safe Behaviour?

It has been shown that almost all of the factors that influence behaviour are to some extent within the control of the organisation and its management system.
There is no single route to promoting safe behaviour; rather there are five approaches which can be used simultaneously:

Promoting safe behavior:

Compelling:

Clear responsibilities, accountabilities and standards of performance that are consistently applied. The perceived risk of disciplinary action can be greater than the perceived risk of injury.

Rewarding:

Rewarding can be a powerful means of promoting a good safety culture and of motivating individuals. Great care must however be taken in the selection issues for which rewards are to be given and the manner in which performance is to be measured and communicated.

Facilitating:

Making safe behaviour easy, removing obstacles (e.g. providing PPE that is comfortable).

Informing:

Raising peoples understanding of the reasoning behind precautions and performance standards.

Training:

Developing competence, influencing attitudes and reducing the risk of mistakes.

What are human factors?

“Human factors refer to environmental, organisational and job factors, and human and individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect health and safety”

A simple way to envisage the concept is to consider three spheres of influence :-

the individual
the job
the organisation and how they impact on people’s health and safety related behavior.

Why Manage Human Factors?

The traditional approach to health and safety was to concentrate on the ‘hardware’ aspects of work e.g. the plant and equipment, premises and substances.

This approach has been very successful in reducing the overall level of accidents and ill-health and is referred to as ‘Safe Place Strategies’.

The trend is illustrated in the graph below

Human factors:

However, it is now widely accepted that the majority of accidents at work are to some extent attributable to human as well as technical factors in the sense that the actions (or inactions) of people initiated or contributed to the accidents.
Many researchers have gone further, and argue that the human factors are the dominant cause, or at least trigger of most accidents:-

“Most accidents are the result of apathy” Roburns

“90% of all accidents and ill health are the result of unsafe acts of people” DuPont Co.
“At least 80% of accidents are triggered by unsafe behaviour” Dr. Cooper

¡ In many organisations, particularly those with mature safety programs the particular importance of human factors becomes evident by reference to internal accident data.

The same trend can also been seen in national statistics. The factors that determine the ways in which they act are manifold and include:-

Attitudes
Motivation
Training
Human error
Perceptual, mental and physical limitations

Efforts to influence these factors so as to promote safe behaviour is often termed a “Safe Person Strategy”.
Experience has shown that a combination of safe place and safe person strategies is necessary.
A study of human factors will show that although much can be done by organisations to promote safe behaviour, human error is to some extent inevitable.
This being the case a safe system of work should make due allowance for this.

How people work is influenced by the following:

Individual

Individual employees at all levels will have a unique set of characteristics many of which will change gradually over time, for example:-

past experiences (whether or not unsafe
behaviour resulted in injury)
training and education
age and physical condition
stress (and the way one reacts to stress)
peers (workmates/colleagues)
personal interests, job satisfaction
home life
ambition, job security

These characteristics influence and are influenced by that individuals:

Attitude
Motivation
Knowledge and perceptions
Actions

Attitudes:

Attitude is a remarkably difficult concept to define or quantify.

It may be regarded as:

The way the person believes they will respond in a given situation (as opposed to the way they actually respond which maybe quite different);

A combination of beliefs feelings and intention to act.
Attitudes are formed by many factors including inherited personality traits, anxieties, experiences, expectations and behaviour learned from others i.e. advertising, posters etc.
Some of these factors are outside the control of an organisation once an individual has been recruited, the culture of the organisation itself has a profound influence upon attitudes.

Attitudes can be changed for the better or worse, but it is important to note that a change in attitude does not necessarily result in corresponding change in behaviour.

The irony is that if behaviour can be changed, attitudes are likely to follow. People tend to resist change but if that change is unavoidable (e.g. consistently enforced and monitored safety rules) then peoples attitudes tend to change also.
The initial resistance disappears and people will eventually defend their new “safe” behaviour if challenged. This is particularly true if the individual has been involved in the changes (e.g. consulted during risk assessments or when selecting personal protective equipment).

Motivation:

The force which stimulates an individual to do something is termed motivation. People are motivated by their “wants” or perceived needs. Various studies by behavioural psychologists (notably A Maslow and F Hetzberg) have shown that people are motivated by the expectation of a reward. A reward might be financial, but often in human factors, rewards are more complex. For example peer approval, praise and recognition, or the opportunity to further ones career or other personal interests.

Since many of these rewards are within the control of managers, motivational techniques can be used to influence behaviour and hence the attitudes and performance of employees.
Often the motivating force of a given reward is such that people will place themselves at considerable risk to secure it. Often this is because an individuals perception of the risks involved is incorrect, or based on the powerful reinforcement of previous successful unsafe behaviour – i.e. experience.
People learn by their own experiences and it is in the nature of risk that unsafe behaviour does not always result in injury. Unsafe practices are reinforced every time we “get away with it”. Unfortunately there are often forces at work which tend to motivate people into unsafe action.
The possibility of saving time coupled with a strong though ill founded belief that,
“I will get away with it” provides ample motivation for people to take unnecessary risks.

The need to maximise the motivation for safe action whilst reducing any temptation towards unsafe action is paramount in developing safe person strategies.

What is meant by “safe behaviour”?

Performance standards must be made crystal clear, vaguely exhorting people to “be careful” or to “think safety” has been found to be ineffective.
Rules in themselves are not motivating, but the desire (or need) to comply with rules can be motivating if those rules are seen to be valid and enforced. The reasoning behind health and safety rules should always be made clear to the people who have to comply with those rules. Safe practices become a habit if they are consistently reinforced.
Perceptions of risk can be raised so that people do feel the need for improved personal safety. This can be achieved by helping people to learn from the experiences of others (e.g. communicating information about accidents resulting from unsafe behaviour).
make the commitment to safety very clear i.e. not merely ‘lip service’; be seen to be monitoring compliance with safe working practices
consistently deter unsafe behaviour and comment on safe behaviour; provide frequent feedback on performance
welcome and deal with any obstacles that make it difficult to work in a safe manner (e.g. uncomfortable protective equipment, defective guarding etc)
Involve everyone in the safety improvement and monitoring process. Take advantage of “windows of opportunity” when individuals might be influenced ( e.g. induction training, promotion, performance review, following an accident)

Training:

Training and competence are important in promoting safe behaviourThe Learning or Training process can be classified into a hierarchy of levels, building from the simplest stimulus response learning to the most complex processes. 3 levels of learning are particularly relevant:

1 Stimulus response learning (Skill)
2 Concept and rule learning (Rule)
3 Problem solving (Knowledge)

Perception:

How we understand things? Perception is the process by which we organised and make sense of sensory input in the brain.

The raw, unorganised sensory stimuli (sensations) that come from seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting are almost instantaneously corrected into “precepts” for usable experiences.

Perception of risk:

People learn by experience, their perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and behavior are shaped by it. It is in the nature of risk that unsafe behavior does not always lead to injury.

This creates the view that “If I have survived this long I will continue to survive” or “I have always got away with it before”. This experience reinforces the unsafe behavior. Even when individuals recognize risks, and the benefits of safe working, there is a natural tendency to ignore these in the interests of immediate or short term benefits.

On a wet night individuals can be seen hurrying across roads with umbrellas obscuring their view of the traffic.

They risk serious injury in order to stay dry!

Mental and physical capabilities:

The limitations of machines and equipment are well known and are generally taken to ensure that equipment is not used beyond its capability.
One of the fundamental principles of ergonomics is that people also have limitations, both physical and mental.

Care to avoid subjecting people to mental or physical demands that are outside their limitations is an important aspect of work design and management.

Job factors:

Safe Systems of Work

It seems obvious but is worth stating that employees cannot work in a safe manner if the systems of work are inherently unsafe.
Caution and training etc. are no substitutes for a safe system of work.
Major considerations include:

> identifying jobs needing special precautions

> anticipating likely errors

> analysing the mental and physical demands

> planning for emergencies

> ensuring that adequate stimulation and involvement exists.

Ergonomics:

This should include:

Adequate and clear information about faults and emergencies
Visible and understandable information displays
Feedback and confirmation following operators actions
Logical layout of controls
Controls operating in a consistent and expected way

Procedures and instructions:Written procedures are often ignored or misinterpreted.

Instructions must be :

Clear, unambiguous and understandable to the users
Checked for clarity and workability by means of feedback
Monitored for compliance by means of auditing

The working environment:

Unsuitable physical working conditions (heat/cold, lighting, noise etc.) can affect people’s attitudes and undermine any attempt to develop a safety culture.
Poor working conditions can therefore have an indirect contribution to accidents in addition to the more obvious direct health risks.

Work patterns:

Shift work and ‘unsociable hours’ working can affect the way in which people act at work.
Research has shown that the risk of injury on a 4^th night shift was 42% higher than on the 1^st.

The natural rhythms of the human body may well result in individuals being more vulnerable at certain times of the day.

Some Simple examples questions are:

Q : List six items of PPE required on a construction site?

A : Hearing Protection

Respiratory Protection

Eye Protection

Protective Clothing

Skin Protection

Safety Belts and Harness

Q : Define the acronym ALARP and give an example where you would use it?

A : The acronym ALARP is As Low As Reasonably Practicable and an example of usage would be – After completing the quantified risk assessment the team looked at extra control measure to ensure the risk was as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)

POLICY : STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Statement of intent is intended to communicate to all employees the importance of, and the commitment to health and safety.

The ‘statement’ should bear the signature of the owner, managing director, chief executive or other ‘most senior person’ to give weight to the commitment being shown in what is a very important feature of the policy.

Q : Outline the three main reasons why manage health and safety and explain which is the most important of those reasons (6).

A : The Moral, Legal and Financial are three main reasons for promoting good standards of health and safety within an organization. The most important reason is MORAL because, we all have moral obligation not to cause harm to others. Employers have a moral obligation toward, their employees and others. Managing health and safety is an integral part of any management of business.

Q : Explain the difference between Pro-active and Re-active monitoring and give and example of each (8).

A : Proactive monitoring which monitors the achievement of plans and the degree of compliance with standards before an Accident, Incident on Ill Health.

Reactive monitoring which monitors after accidents, ill health and incidents.

Examples for Proactive Monitoring: Performance Reviews, Review of Training assessments, Records and needs, Workplace Inspections, Management system audits & Safety Survey.

Examples for Reactive Monitoring: Accident Investigation, Accident / Incidence Rates, Ill Health Incident rates, Accident frequency rates, Accident severity rates & Sickness absence.

Q : Name the three spheres of influence related to ‘Safety Culture’ and explain how these three spheres of influence interact to ensure safety at work (8)

A : The three spheres of influence related to Safety Culture are

The Organization (The Organizational controls from management)
The People (Employees / Contractors etc)
The Job (Tasks)

The three spheres if influences are known to work together to influence and foster a positive safety culture. The organization that ensure a safe place of work, information, training, instruction, and supervision, together with good risk controls sets the scene for employees to work in a secure and well motivated environment. With this the people within the organization and those connected to it should be competent and believe in the goals and preventative measures set by management, this forms a team of well-motivated employees. The third sphere of influence is essential to complete the interrelation of the three spheres of influence. This is the ongoing tasks / jobs, which if well organized and controlled by management with good communication, consultation and supervision will go a long way to ensuring and reinforcing a positive safety culture.

Q : An employee has been seriously injured after being struck by a reversing vehicle in a loading bay.

Give four reasons why we should investigate accidents? (6)

The reason this accidents should be investigated are numerous and they include –

Ø Examining the direct cause of the accidents and the root cause of the accident to try to prevent future accidents by identifying and eliminating or reducing the causes.

Ø Accidents also give use valuable information in relation to hazards that may exist in the workplace that have not been identified by a pro-active approach.

Ø To ensure compliance with legislation The Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations ( RIDDOR) 1995 and accident reporting internally

Ø To ensure training and information can be targeted in the areas of concern and management controls can be strengthened.

II. Outline the information that should be included in an accident report (6)

An accident report should be comprehensive to enable the direct and indirect (root causes) to be identified.

The report should ideally contain the events preceding the accident, the date and time of the accident, the precise location information on person(s) involved. A clear account of what was found at the accident scene with the possible direct causes, together with witness statements.

Initial injuries of person(s) if medical personnel are at the scene their initial findings should be included.

Other information as required, e.g. – weather conditions, road or ground conditions etc.

If root cause analysis has been carried out this information should be included. A conclusion by the accident investigation team is important for clarity.

III. Give four possible immediate causes of accidents and underlying (root causes). (8)

Four possible causes of immediate caused of the above accidents may be slips on workplace surface on the level, employee not paying attention, no reversing alarm on the vehicle, fork lift truck operator not be attentive and looking around for pedestrians.

The route causes for the above accidents could be:

· Slips on the workplace level may have a root causes of oil being split and not cleaned up immediately

· The root cause of a Fork Lift truck could be attributed to the driver being not properly trained and inadequate training in reversing techniques.

· The root cause of the employee slipping may be that the housekeeping regime is in adequate and not monitored.

· The fork lift truck may not be well maintained to check the reversing alarm is working.

Q : 2. Outline the factors you should consider when developing a safe system of work (8)

When developing a safe system of work you should consider the following,

Materials – how and what we will use and under what circumstances.

Environment – will the environment in which the work is being carried out have sufficient heating, ventilation, lighting etc. will the activity or process have an impact on the environment?

People – are people ‘competent’ trained to conduct the specific work / task

Equipment – is the machinery / equipment to specification for the work and is it is good condition, with guards where necessary

Within the consideration risk assessments, inspection and accident reports should be consulted to ensure the safe system of work addresses all hazards and risk which are likely to arise. Also manufactures instruction and information and equipment, machinery and chemicals etc should also be consulted. Safe Systems of Work should be easily understood by all workers at every level.

Q : 3. Explain why PPE should be considered as the last resort in the control of occupational hazards? (8)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is considered the last resort in the hierarchy of control measures / precautions, as hazards should be assessed by the risk assessment process and all hazards where possible should be eliminated or controlled at their source – e.g. reduce the noise of a compressor by engineering controls by making it quieter with insulation etc, this will help reduce the level of noise at source prior to issuing PPE (ear protection). If PPE is given without trying to eliminate or reduce the hazard (s) we are not using a systematic method of permanent controls. PPE is a good method of control for various hazards, however, if we use PPE without first trying to eliminate or reduce the hazard, the hazard may still exist in its full form and PPE may not be sufficient means of safe control, also different types and ranges of PPE protect at varying levels so health may be compromised, more importantly PPE depends on the user to wear it and this is practice is difficult to ensure to enforce with consistent supervision and regular inspections etc.

Q : 4. Describe the main components of a health and safety management system (10)

The main components of a management system are: Policy, Organization, Planning and Implementation, Measuring Performance, Reviewing Performance, Audit and Continuous Improvement.

The components are explained as follows:

Policy should contain

· Protecting the safety and health of all members of the organization by preventing work related injuries, ill health, diseases and incidents.

· Complying with relevant OSH national laws and regulations, voluntary programmes, collective agreements on OSH and other requirements to which the organization subscribes.

· Ensuring the workers and their representatives are consulted and encouraged to participate actively in all elements of the OSH management system: and

· Continually improving the performance of the OSH management system.

· Signed / endorsed by senior management and cascaded to all employees.

Organization Section should ideally contain: a chart illustrating the management structure so far as health and safety is concerned. The section should also show details of employees from the lowest levels to the highest with key personnel identified by name as well as by job title. Also arrangements, procedures, instructions or other internal documents used within the framework of the OSH management system.

Planning and Implementation – An effective planning system for health and safety requires organization’s to establish and operate a health and safety management system that, Controls Risk Reacts to changing demands, Sustains a positive health and safety.

Measuring Health and Safety performance must be monitored at all levels of the organization from day to day monitoring by line managers and supervisors to periodic audits of management systems. Performance measurement techniques fall into two broad categories: Reactive monitoring which monitor accidents, ill health and incidents Active monitoring which measure the effectiveness of management systems and the extent of compliance with standards and the achievement of plans.

Reviewing Performance – Annual or periodic review of the performance to ensure the system is working on the ground and assess if any of the components need more attention.

Audit – An audit is not intended to identify all of the hazards, it is intended as an evaluation of health and safety management systems, and is often independent.

Q : 5. Outline the topics that may be typically included on the agenda of a safety committee meeting (6)

A safety committee would normally include subjects which were of concern to employees on various health and safety issues. The agenda would be made up of suggestions and issues which may have been brought up by employees, contractors and others. The agenda items that may be typically included are any recent accidents, incidents and near misses, any problems arising from workplace inspections, e.g. housekeeping, blocked fire exits etc. Also areas such as the identification of unsafe acts, conditions and hazards that have been reported and perhaps not suitably rectified.

Other topics may include, stress at work, due to long hours, or environmental conditions, manual handling issues, worker dissatisfaction with welfare arrangements, food and catering contractors etc.

Q : 6 (a). Explain the reasons why young persons may be at a greater risk of accidents at work. (4)

Young persons at work are more prone to risk due to various factors. They include their age and physical capability, their lack of knowledge and experience of the workplace. Also the young person’s perception of risk has not developed in the workplace setting. The general move from home/school and a tendency of young persons to take risks to respond to peer group pressures is also a factor.

6 (b). Outline the measures that could be taken to minimize the risks to young employees. (4)

It is mandatory to conduct a risk assessment of the areas of work and activities where a young person is required to work. This should ensure that all hazards are controlled to as low as reasonably practicable. Young people should not be subject to excessive hours of work, exposed to risks (such as dangerous machinery, heavy lifting – manual handling excessive heat or cold etc.). Other control measure should include comprehensive safety orientation (which should include emergency procedures), PPE where required and competent supervision and monitoring.

Q : 7. Outline the practical means by which a manager could involve employees in the improvement of health & safety (8)

Management can involve employees in many projects and schemes which will enhance and improve health and safety in the workplace.

Some of the methods for involving employees in the improvement of health and safety include, active involvement in reporting of near misses, unsafe acts and conditions – this could be accompanied by and incentive scheme to encourage participation. Also the involvement of employees in ‘Town Hall’ meetings and with safety committee is a way of ensuring participation in health and safety improvements. Other methods include; training which outline the results of poor health and safety practices, involvement in the selection of PPE and other safety equipment and materials. Active participation in monthly campaigns such as the health hazards of smoking, and the benefits of wearing PPE are all helpful tools in improving employee involvement in health and safety.

Q : 8. Outline four active monitoring methods that can be used when assessing health & safety (8)

Active (Proactive) Monitoring is intended to reveal hazards that are not controlled to a standard. Reveal visible non compliance with standards relies heavily on visible evidence only

When assessing health and safety in the workplace proactive (active) monitoring can be achieved by various methods. Those methods include:

Documented workplace inspections which are conducted on a regular basis to spot immediate hazards, unsafe acts and conditions and ensure action is taken for remedial measure as soon as possible. Checklists are often used for inspections, but care should be taken not to miss ‘other’ hazards that are not part of the generic checklist.

Risk assessments is a major active monitoring tool as this systematic method highlights hazards and risks and eliminates of or reduce them to ALARP.

Auditing is also a voluble monitoring tool as this method examines the health and safety management systems and outlines areas for improvement.

Reporting near misses / incidents is very important as this can lead to prevention of major accident in the future.

Q : 9 (a). Explain the purpose of the ‘Statement of Intent’ of a health & Safety Policy (2)

The statement of intent is intended to communicate to all employees the importance of, and the commitment to health and safety. The ‘statement’ should bear the signature of the owner, managing director, chief executive or other ‘most senior person’ to give weight to the commitment being shown in what is a very important feature of the policy.

Q : 9 (b). Outline the circumstances which would require a health and safety policy to be reviewed. (4)

A health and safety policy is not a static document and should be reviewed at regular intervals, those intervals can be determined by certain factors and they include:

The circumstance that may lead to a need to review the health and safety policy:

· Passage of time – at least annually is there have not been organizational changes.

· Technological, organizational or legal changes – when new technology has been introduced into the workplace that may pose further hazards, the workface or management has been reduced or increased or new legislation required that changes is area of health and do safety be reflected in the policy – e.g. if a pattern accidents in a certain area have been highlighted.

Q : 10. Giving reason in each case, identify FOUR categories of persons who may be considered a useful member of an accident investigation team. (6)

Accident team members must be chosen for their knowledge, skill and experience in certain areas. Four members who could be useful are:

Health & Safety Manager – the individual would bring the skills and knowledge of a health and safety professional and have in – depth knowledge of accident investigation.

Supervisor – this individual would have first hand knowledge of the workers task and activities and the ‘on the job hazards’.

Worker Representative – this individual would bring the experience of the work and have information gained via interaction with colleagues on a range of issues in the workplace. Worker and the

Site Engineer – This person would probably be the most senior to lead the investigation, the professional engineering background would bring a systematic methodology of examining any mechanical failures etc.

Q : 11. Identify the factors to be considered to ensure the health and safety of persons who are required to work on their own away from the work place. (8)

Risk assessment is essential to examine the hazards and potential risks of lone workers who are more vulnerable. Control measure include

Procedures will need to be put in place to: monitor lone workers to see they remain safe.

These may include supervisor’s periodically visiting and observing people working alone; regular contact between the lone worker and supervision using either a telephone or radio.

Automatic warning device which operate if specific signals are not received periodically from the lone worker, e.g. systems for security staff;

Other devices designed to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency and which are operated manually or automatically by the absence of activity. Checks that a lone worker has returned to their base or home on completion of a task.

Lone workers should be capable of responding correctly to emergencies. Lone workers should have access to adequate first – aid facilities and mobile workers should carry a first – aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries.

Q: 12 With Respect to the Safety Representative and Safety Committees Regulations 1977

(a) State when a safety representative is legally entitled to inspect the workplace (6)

(b) Describe the facilities that an employer needs to provide to a safety representative. (2)

(a) There are a number of occasions detailed in the Safety Representatives Committee Regulations 1997 when a safety representative is legally entitled to inspect the workplace. He/She may do so on giving the employer reasonable notice in writing of the intension, providing the safety representative has not carried out an inspection in the preceding three months. Also when there has been a change in legislation that has been published by the HSE relevant to the hazards in the workplace, and following a notifiable accident/incident in the workplace, and when the interests of the employees could be involved.

(b) A safety representative should be given access to a telephone, fax, computer and photocopying machine for relevant safety information etc. Also a meeting room when safety meetings are scheduled and time off work for training.

Q: 13 State the legal duties that a manufacturing company owes the contractor’s employees under the Health & Safety at Work etc 1974. (4)

Section 3 of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 places a duty on the employer to ensure that persons working on their premises , who are not their direct employees, were not exposed to risks the their health from the activity carried out by the manufactures at their factory.

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