Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Safety and Health Dimensions
Safety and Health Dimensions
What is HAZARD?
What is RISK?
HAZARD ? RISK
=
A hierarchy of control
1. Elimination – This involves the complete
removal of that hazard
2. Substitution – This involves the replacement
of hazardous substance/process/equipment by
less hazardous one of similar nature
Hidden Cost:
Loss of expertise
Iceberg Theory
Clearing site
Source: Jimmy
Material damage
YUEN, Occupational Investigation
Safety & Health
Council, Occupational Overtime
Safety & Health Talk
Loss of business ...
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 11
The contributions of OSH Council in
enhancing safety culture in Hong Kong
Stage 1 Workplace Precautions
(1955 ~) (machine guarding, local exhaust)
• Acids/Alkalis (dermatitis/eye
injury)
• Metal mercury/lead poisoning)
• Non-metal (cyanide)
• Gases (CO)
• Organic compounds
• Dust
Source: Jimmy YUEN, Occupational Safety & Health Council 25
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Biological Hazards
• Animal-borne (anthrax)
• Human-borne (AIDS)
• Vegetable-borne (farmers lung)
• Air-con (legionnaire disease)
• Over exertion
• Manual handling
• Musculo-skeletal disorders
• Work stress
Workplace
Work clothing
Personal Protective Equipment
Prevention of Unsafe Behaviour
Safety and Health Signs
General Safety Measures
A. Fire Prevention
B. Electrical Appliances Safety
C. Prevention of Accidents Caused by Hand Tools
D. Safe Use of Ladders
E. Dangerous Substances
F. Common Hazards at Work
i. Falling from Height
ii. Manual Handling Operations
iii. Working in Confined Spaces
iv. Organic Solvents
v. Dust / Harmful Gases
vi. Noise
Safe Operation of Machines
Machine Guard
Display Screen Equipment
Biological Hazards
Outdoor Work
Violence at Work
Work Stress
Responses to Emergency Situations
Introduction
2
Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance
3
Safety and Health Rules
Workplace
There are many benefits in having a clean and tidy workplace, such as:
1. Reducing the operational costs.
2. Reducing the consumption of materials and components.
3. Increasing productivity.
4. Improving production management.
5. Using the workplace more effectively.
6. Reducing the accident rate.
7. Boosting staff morale.
8. Reducing fire hazards.
4
Work Clothing
5
Personal Protective Equipment
A. Types
If the workplace requires wearing personal protective equipment,
all employees should comply.
1. Safety helmet.
2. Eye protector / face shield
3. Ear protector
4. Respirator
5. Gloves and protective clothing
6. Safety shoes
7. Safety harness / belt
8. Reflective vest / belt
B. Method of Use
The correct use of personal protective
equipment can prevent accidents or
reduce injury to employees to a minimum
severity in an accident.
1. The selection and method of use
should comply with the instructions of
the supplier and the employer.
2. The distributed protective equipment
should not be modified without
authority, for instance piercing a hole
in a safety helmet.
3. Take note of the validity period. If the personal protective
equipment is found to be defective, the employer must be
notified so that it can be changed.
6
Prevention of Unsafe Behaviour
7
Safety and Health Signs
8
General Safety Measures
A. Fire Prevention
Fire is caused when a fuel is heated to a certain temperature, and
it will continue when there is a sustained supply of oxygen and the
temperature is maintained at the ignition temperature. The burning
will continue until the fuel is exhausted.
9
General Safety Measures
10
General Safety Measures
11
General Safety Measures
E. Dangerous Substances
The risks that may be caused by chemicals can be divided into
seven categories – explosive, oxidizing, flammable, toxic, corrosive,
harmful and irritant. Each kind of risk should be marked by a symbol
on a label. The containers for chemicals should be labelled with
the symbol of the category to which they belong, so as to directly
indicate the nature of the hazard.
2. Storage of chemicals
• storing in a well-ventilated place
• locking the storage room and supervision by competent personnel
• people not trained in chemical safety are not allowed to enter
• comply with the Fire Service Department’s “Dangerous Goods
Ordinance” related regulations and the Labour Department’s
“Factory and Industrial Undertakings (Dangerous Substances)
Regulations”.
12
General Safety Measures
13
3. Estimate the weight and size of the object. If it is too heavy or
difficult to hold due to its shape or size, assistance from others
should be sought.
4. Inspect the object to make sure there are no nails or sharp ends
that could lead to injury.
5. Be clear about the route and remove any obstacles as far as
possible.
14
Points to note:
1. Take extra care when handling objects on working platforms,
slopes, stairs or places where you can easily lose your balance.
When moving an object through a door, ensure that the door is
of an adequate width so as not to injure the palm or fingers.
2. When handling relatively light objects, do not take things lightly,
because a sudden twist of the waist can also result in waist injury.
3. When moving a long object, the front part should be slightly
raised so as not to injure the people around.
4. When passing an object to another person, you should first make
sure he/she has firmly grasped the object before you let it go.
5. When two or more persons are handling the same object, one
should take command to ensure that the steps are synchronised
and that you lift and lower the object at the same time.
15
3. Based on recommendations from the risk assessment, issue a
“work permit” to prove that all the necessary safety precautions
have been taken, and to specify the duration in which the
worker can stay in that confined space.
4. Ensure that only the certified workers can enter that confined
space, and provide safe means of access and egress.
5. During the working period, arrange at least one person to stay
outside the confined space to maintain communication with the
worker(s) in the confined space.
6. Provide suitable rescue facilities, including certified breathing
aids, safety harness, lifeline, resuscitation aids, emergency
lighting, first aid boxes, stretchers, tripods and winches, and set
emergency procedures and appropriate rescue arrangements.
7. If a worker feels unwell or encounters unusual situations while
working in the confined space, evacuate immediately and notify
the supervisor.
8. If a person is found to have
fainted inside the confined
space, immediately start the Ass Risk
essm
ent
contingency procedures. If
you are not equipped with a
Work
it
Perm
suitable breathing apparatus
and rescue equipment and
have not been appropriately
trained, never enter the space
to carry out rescue.
16
IV. Organic Solvents
Most organic solvents are inflammable, and if intoxicated, the victim
will experience headache, dizziness, nausea and loss of strength.
Characteristics:
1. Inflammable or explosive. 3. Irritation of the skin or the eyes.
2. Anaesthetic. 4. Damage to the liver and kidney.
Preventive measures:
1. The container must be covered with a lid.
THINNER
2. Never use them to wash hands. THINNER
- Highly flammable
- Irritant to skin and
Preventive measures:
1. Try to control the source of the dust and
harmful gases.
2. Activate the local exhaust system to remove
the amount of dust and harmful gases.
3. When the ventilation system fails to effectively control the dust or
harmful gases, the workers will need to wear suitable respirator.
4. Respirator can be categorised into two types – filtering type and
breathing apparatus with air supply.
17
5. When using breathing apparatus, ensure that the air supply has
not been contaminated.
6. Regularly maintain the cleanliness and functionality of the
respirators.
VI. Noise
If a worker is exposed to a noisy environment for an extended
period, his hearing may be permanently damaged. The employer
should conduct an assessment on the noisy working environment,
and implement hearing protection measures based on the degree of
daily exposure of each worker.
18
Safe Operation of Machines
A. Pre-operation check
Before using a machine, it is necessary to ascertain that
it is in good condition. If the machine is worn, deformed,
cracked, or leaks oil and emits abnormal sounds, you
must notify the supervisor for repair. If these problems
are disregarded, accidents might happen.
C. Contact signals
In crowded or noisy working environments, manual signals are often
used for communication. Employees must be clear about what these
specific signals mean, and use them at the appropriate time.
E. Special issues
If special problems appear during work, such as the machines need
repair, inspection or testing, you need to notify your supervisor, who
will seek assistance from qualified personnel.
19
Machine Guard
20
Display Screen Equipment
A. First line of screen at about or just below the G. Firm Footrest if required
eye level H. Adequate leg clearance
B. Comfortable viewing distance (350-600mm) I. Adequate wrist support
C. Forearm and arm at about right ngel J. Screen at right angle to line of sight
D. Adjustable back rest height and inclination K. Adjustable document holder
E. Adjustable seat height so that user can be able L. Wrist kept slightly inclined
to rest his/her thighs on seat pad and feet can
rest on the ground M. Screen support adjustable for rotation and titling
F. Firm base of chair with smooth castors for easy N. Rounded or scrolled edge seat pad
movement O. Adjustable table height preferable
21
Biological Hazards
22
2. Avoid contact with the eyes, nose or mouth
during work.
3. Avoid physical contact with patients unless
necessary.
4. Personal protective equipment should be
appropriately disposed of or cleaned and
sterilised (if not of the disposable type) after
use.
5. After work, use appropriate hand washing
method to wash the hands thoroughly.
6. If symptoms of infection appear, notify the
supervisor and seek medical assistance.
Outdoor Work
23
5. Drink more water.
6. Use personal protective equipment:
wear appropriate work clothing,
sunglasses, hats and use suntan
lotion etc.
Moreover, workers should watch out for
snakes, wild dogs or other dangerous
animals in the neighbourhood. If these
are spotted, stop work immediately
and seek assistance from the relevant
departments.
24
Violence at Work
25
Work Stress
3. H e a l t h p r o b l e m s – h e a d a c h e , s t o m a c h - a c h e / n a u s e a ,
constipation / diarrhoea, surge in blood pressure, muscle pain,
and frequent fatigue.
Employees can prevent and manage their own work stress in the
following ways:
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet.
26
4. Voice your views to the management, eliminate or reduce
the source of pressure, and discuss with your supervisor and
colleagues how to solve the problems.
5. Plan your work and set priorities, and improve your time
management.
27
Response to Emergency Situations
1. Stay calm, and notify your supervisor about the details of the
accident, such as location and the number of injuries.
2. Inform the police as soon as possible and call an ambulance.
3. Do not move the injured person(s) unless there is person trained
in first aid on site.
4. Maintain the status quo of the site as much as possible to
facilitate future investigation.
5. Even if there are no injuries in the incident, you should still
report to your department head so that an investigation can
be carried out and the recurrence of the incident avoided. An
incident without injury may turn to an accident with serious
injuries in future if without any attention.
6. There should be a detailed plan for responding to fires.
Please note:
DO NOT use the lift.
DO NOT hang around to collect your belongings
DO NOT re-enter the building until the relevant authorities announce that it is safe
to do so.
Fire Emergency Unit – person in charge: XXX
Members: XXX XXX
Address: XX XXXX XX
28
Briefing of issues for discussion
All of us wish to avoid accidents at work, to avoid the suffering which can result
from even quite minor accidents. Most of us also realise that accidents can lead
to substantial losses to the organisation for which we work. It sometimes comes
as a shock to realise just how much money is lost from causes which are almost
entirely avoidable.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out studies with five
organisations in an attempt to calculate the true costs of accidents in the UK. The
results were surprising. One organisation - a transport company - found that
accidents amounted to 37% of its annual profits. In another example - a
construction site - costs amounted to 9.5% of the tender price of the project being
undertaken, and in a third organisation, accident losses amounted to 5% of
running costs. The HSE believed that a similar picture would emerge for other
industries. It was also noted that during the period of the study, there were no
fatal injuries, prosecutions or significant civil claims to the participating
organisations. Any major occurrence of this kind would, of course, have
increased substantially the losses calculated. Nonetheless, it was estimated that
nearly 10% of the accidents recorded had the potential for serious consequences
such as fatalities, multiple injuries or catastrophic loss. This made the point again,
that learning from relatively ‘free lessons’ is of great importance.
The HSE have estimated that over 30 million working days are lost due to
workplace accidents, and that when all the costs are properly taken into account,
the total cost of work accidents and work related ill-health, to society as a whole,
is likely to be between 10 and 15 billion pounds sterling a year - equivalent to
between 1.75% and 2.75% of the GDP of the UK.
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.3, 04/2012 1
It is important to note that the cost of accidental loss must be deducted entirely
from potential profit. It is sobering to consider the extent to which turnover would
need to be increased to replace that lost profit.
The HSE study shows that there is a need to capture and act upon even
relatively minor accidents. Some of the ways of doing this will the subject of
another article in this series. Reducing the number of accidents at work will not
only minimise the human suffering involved and bad publicity which often arises,
but can play a surprisingly significant part in the continuing search for means of
reducing the costs in industry.
2
hsb04 Legal responsibilities and penalties
Sections 3 and 4 impose general duties with regard to the safety of persons
other than employees upon employers and the self-employed and on persons
having control of non-domestic premises
• ensure articles are designed and constructed such that they will be safe
and without risks to health when they are being set, used, cleaned and
maintained, and carry out such testing and examination necessary for the
performance of this duty
• provide adequate information about the use for which articles are
designed or have been tested and about any conditions necessary to
ensure that they will be safe and without risks to health when used for the
above purposes and when they are being dismantled or disposed of
• provide revised information when anything about articles give rise to a
serious risk to health or safety
• carry out any necessary research to discover and eliminate or minimise
any risks to health and safety to which the design or articles may give rise
• ensure that there is nothing about the way in which articles are erected or
installed which makes them unsafe or a risk to health
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.4, 05/2012 3
• ensure substances will be safe and without risks to health at all times they
are being uses, handled, processed, stored or transported, and carry out
such testing and examination necessary for the performance of this duty
• provide adequate information about any risks to health or safety to which
the inherent properties of the substances may give rise, about the results
of any relevant tests which have been carried out on or in connection with
the substances and about any conditions necessary to ensure the
substances will be safe and without risks to health when used for the
above purposes and when they re being disposed of
• provide revised information when anything about substances give rise to a
serious risk to health or safety
• carry out any necessary research to discover and eliminate or minimise
any risks to health and safety to which substances may give rise
Sections 7 and 8 call upon employees to take reasonable care for the health
and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or
omissions
The next Health and Safety Briefing will give details of the penalties for health
and safety offences.
For more information consult the Health and Safety at Work (etc) Act 1974, as
amended by the Consumer Protection Act. Both are obtainable from:
4
hsb05a Risk assessment - Legal position and interpretation
All the above regulations require employers and the self-employed to assess
certain risks to identify what has to be done to protect people from harm.
However, in the case of the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 they are required under Regulation 3 to make a suitable and
sufficient assessment of the risks created by their undertaking for the purpose of
identifying the measures they need to have in place to comply with their duties
under health and safety legislation. It is important to note that the assessment
provisions of these regulations are superimposed over all other workplace health
and safety law, including the general duties in the Health and Safety at Work etc.
Act 1974.
Regulation 3 does not set out the measures to be taken following a risk
assessment. The risk assessment guides the judgement of employers as to
measures they should take to fulfil their statutory obligations. Regulation 3 also
requires employers who employ more than 5 employees to record significant
findings of the assessment and any identified group of employees assessed as
being especially at risk. The assessment is also required to be reviewed if there
is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been significant change in
the matters to which it relates.
Interpretation
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), 5
Health & Safety Briefing No.5a, 05/2012
a risk; i.e. the number of people who might be exposed and the consequences
for them”.
The above ACOP also describes the term a suitable and sufficient risk
assessment as meaning one that:
6
hsb05b Risk assessment - Practical application in workplace
Risk assessment for a small company with few or simple hazards should be a
straightforward task based on sound judgement. On the other hand, a large
complex chemical process plant may need to expand the assessment into a
safety case incorporating quantified risk assessment (QRA) and other risk
assessment techniques.
There are a number of practical steps to follow when carrying out risk
assessments:
Observe what actually happens in the workplace and then identify the hazards
which can reasonably be expected to be present. Attention should be directed to
significant hazards which can result in serious harm or affect a number of people.
Employees or their representatives may be aware of hazards which may not be
immediately obvious to the assessor and they should be asked for their views.
Regulations specific to certain industries may be helpful in identifying hazards.
Third - evaluate the risks arising from the hazards and decide if the
precautions already in place are adequate
The intention here is to assess the likelihood, the chance, that harm from a
particular hazard may happen, taking into account the precautions already in
place. The risk may vary from nil where there are no hazards (with no need to
consider any precautions) to a potential high risk process, such as hand feeding
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), 7
Health & Safety Briefing No.5b, 04/2012
a power press where the precautions need to be substantial and are enforced by
PUWER 1998. Here the hazard is trapping of the operator’s hand(s) between
closing tools and the risk is high, because of frequency of access (say 400 times
per hour) and the potential for severity of injury i.e. amputation of fingers or
hands. If the evaluation reveals that existing precautions are inadequate,
determine if the hazard can be eliminated. If this is not possible decide how the
risks can be controlled so that the possibility of harm being done to people is
minimised. The intention should be to reduce risks to a low level by adding, if
necessary, to the precautions already in place. Begin by checking that all
statutory obligations are being met, for instance, there are legal requirements for
guards to be fitted to machines to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of
machinery. Then determine if published guidance on industry practice is being
followed - membership of a relevant trade association normally gives access to
this type of information. Finally, as there is a legal obligations to do so, decide if
the precautions taken to keep the workplace safe are reasonably practicable.
Written documents should be kept for future reference as they may help to
demonstrate that legal obligations have been met.
New processes or procedures introduced into the workplace can lead to possible
new hazards and significant changes in workplace activities need to be included
in the assessment. In any case, a review of all assessments should be carried
out at periodic intervals to keep them up to date with current practice.
8
hsb07 Safety culture
In recent years it has become fashionable to talk about Safety Culture but
what does this term mean...........?
"...their belief in safety was a mirage, their systems inadequate, and operator
errors commonplace...From the top to the bottom, the body corporate was
infected with the disease of sloppiness."
It has become clear that basic faults in organisational structure, climate and
procedures may predispose an organisation to an accident. This background
environment is being increasingly described in terms of safety culture where
culture comprises the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that are generally shared
within the organisation. The term safety culture was first introduced by the
International nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG) following the Chernobyl
accident. Many studies have been done which are relevant to a consideration of
safety culture. As well as the INSAG paper on safety culture the most useful
reference for further reading is the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear
Installations (ACSNI) - Organising for Safety. Another useful reference is the CBI
publication, Developing a Safety Culture.
Various definitions have been used for safety culture but it perhaps most
succinctly expressed by the CBI as ....the way we do things round here. It is
important to understand that safety culture is a sub-set of the overall culture of
the organisation. It follows that the safety performance of organisations is greatly
influenced by aspects of management that have not traditionally been seen as
‘part of safety’.
The definition of safety culture suggested by the Health and Safety Commission
is:
"The safety culture of an organisation is the product of the individual and group
values, attitudes, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the
commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation’s health and
safety programmes. 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 efficacy of
preventative measures."
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.07, 05/2012
9
A positive safety culture implies that the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
The different aspects interact together to give added effect in a collective
commitment. In a negative safety culture the opposite is the case, with the
commitment of some individuals strangled by the cynicism of others. From
various studies it is clear that certain factors appear to characterise organisations
with a positive safety culture. These factors include:
All organisations should note that a poor safety culture can prove very costly.
10
hsb08 Safety policy statement
If you are an employer with 5 or more staff you should have a written Safety
Policy. If you do not, you are in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act
1974 and liable to prosecution and a fine. The purpose is to ensure that the
management of health and safety is properly addressed and that health and
safety is not only about physical matters.
Anyone can prepare a Safety Policy, but it must contain three main elements.
The purpose is to demonstrate that the management is committed to the health
and safety of all its employees, and has developed the three elements of:
• policy
• organisation
• arrangements
The importance of the policy is not just that it is written down, but that the
hazards and safety needs of the workplace have been thought through,
appropriate persons designated, and arrangements worked out to achieve the
policy.
The policy should also quote the name and designation of the person responsible
for overall implementation. This person should be a senior executive of the
company and he/she should sign and date it.
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
11
Health & Safety Briefing No.08, 07/2013
Organisation - the formal systems and procedures
The organisation for health and safety should reflect the organisational structure
and method of working of the company. Responsibility for health and safety
should be given at successive levels of management, from the top to individual
supervisors. Responsibilities should be clearly defined, and preferably included in
job descriptions, to prevent over-lapping and omission.
Particular clarity is required where the health and safety organisation cuts across
the company organisation lines. The input required from functional management
e.g. works engineer, chemist, safety advisor should also be described, as well as
the organisation for consultation between safety representatives and safety
committees.
Monitoring
A system for monitoring the effectiveness of the arrangements and for reviewing
safety performance as a whole.
Conclusion
To sum up, a Health and Safety Policy is the essential framework for the
successful management of the health and safety function which should be
accorded the same priority and importance as other management functions.
12
hsb18 Safety Management Systems
....A health and safety management system consists of the arrangements and
processes used by an organisation to manage health and safety. Its objective is
to provide the necessary framework around which good performance can be
established and maintained and which will support the development of a safety
culture.
The nature of the system will depend on a variety of factors including the size of
the organisation and the hazards which need to be controlled. However, all
organisations should have a clearly defined system for managing health and
safety comprising several elements:
• A clear statement of health and safety policy. This should specify the top-
level goals of the organisation and set the Corporate requirements for
health and safety in a way which in unambiguous. It should also commit to
provide the necessary resources to ensure that the goals can be achieved.
• The structure and organisation by which the policy is to be achieved. This
will be concerned with establishing management control, securing co-
operation, ensuring effective communication and specifying levels of
competence.
• The planned and systematic approach to implementing policy. The
approach should be an integral part of the organisation's general
management systems. It will have the objective of assessing risks,
assigning priorities for the reduction of risk and establishing standards to
enable this to be achieved.
• The measurement of performance against the standards which have been
set. This will provide a measure of achievement and reveal when and
where action is required to achieve further improvements.
• The arrangements for audit and review of all the elements of the system.
This process of self-regulation will ensure that lessons are systematically
learnt and will enable performance to be compared with internal and
external standards in order to promote continuous improvement.
These key elements have been described fully by the Health and Safety
Executive in a publication "Successful Health and Safety Management" (HSG 65
- HSE Books 1998 ISBN 0 7176 1276 7) and the approach is summarised in the
figure below which is taken from this booklet. (Another useful reference is BS
8800: "Guide to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems" BSI
1996)
Absolutely crucial to the success of any system for managing health and safety is
a demonstrable commitment at the top of the organisation. Actions at this level
should clearly be compatible with and reinforce the policy commitment since the
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.18, 05/2012 13
cue will be taken from the top. Nevertheless, all organisations aspiring to high
levels of health and safety performance, should ensure that they have present
within their organisations, all the elements of the management process described
above. These are not "bolt-on" extras. They will frequently be part of the existing
management systems designed to achieve quality and business excellence.
Commercially successful companies often have good health and safety
performance for this reason. Equally, achieving high levels of health and safety is
an important contributor to business success.
14
hsb25 Safety Audits
SAFETY AUDITS
Often, managers assume that because the written procedures are in place and
staff are trained to use them compliance is automatic - this has been proven to
be a dangerously erroneous assumption in many cases, for example Kings Cross,
Piper Alpha, Clapham Junction, the Herald of Free Enterprise, etc. There is
always the danger of the 'short-cut' or 'custom and practice' being established
and very often this is only identified in public enquiries following serious
accidents rather than by routine monitoring before the accident occurs.
There are varying levels of monitoring activities, and companies adopting best
practice in safety management will have in-house procedures for all of the
following:
Safety Audit
Safety audit is the part of a safety management system which subjects each area
of company activity to a systematic critical examination. Each component of the
total system is included: management policy, features of the process and design,
operating procedures, emergency procedures, training, etc. The aim is to
disclose the strengths and weaknesses and the main areas of vulnerability and
risk, with the objective of minimising loss through accident and/or plant damage.
The outcome of the audit will be a report, followed by an action plan agreed with
local management. The implementation of the action plan must be monitored. A
Safety Audit will be carried out by a team of people who are competent and with
a satisfactory degree of independence from the plant or unit under audit.
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.25, 05/2012 15
environment, quality and other business improvement processes. These audits
can only be conducted using the integrated approach when the management
systems have already been integrated.
All audits should be pre-planned and a documented checklist of the audit content
prepared.
Safety Surveys
Safety Inspections
The Front Line Supervisor, because of his detailed knowledge of the work and
his position as the manager closest to the workforce is a key person in any
Safety Management programme. It is a part of the supervisor’s responsibilities to
be constantly aware of the safe working in his area of responsibility and he
should, as an integral part of his duties, correct any unsafe acts or conditions on
a daily basis. In addition, it is good safety management practice for a supervisor
to allocate a proportion of his working time to carrying out safety inspections.
16
the workplace, personally check that the safety requirements are being
implemented and communicate with his staff on the job regarding their safety
concerns.
It is the Line Manager’s attitude towards safety which will largely determine the
attitude of his workforce.
The Safety Policy Statement will be issued by the chief executive of the
organisation, who must demonstrate his commitment to the safety policy by
personal involvement and communications with the workforce. Senior
management safety inspections are an ideal vehicle for demonstrating
commitment between workforce and senior managers.
Incident/Accident Investigation
In any activity in life human beings learn from past mistakes. The quality of the
Incident/Accident investigation system is very important to aid continued
improvement in safety performance and ensure there is no recurrence of the
incident. The incident/accident investigation should contain a number of elements:
Accidents are not caused simply by human error. There will always be a number
of fundamental or root causes. Investigations should seek these out and not stop
at the superficial. For example, an accident apparently caused by a failure to
observe working procedures might have more fundamental causes such as:
inadequate training; impractical procedures; excessive production pressures; or a
working group culture of ignoring formal methods.
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Safety monitoring and Incident/Accident Investigation are vital constituents of
good practice in safety management.
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hsb32 Safe systems of work
under Section 2(a) of the Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974 you are
legally obliged to provide and to maintain systems of work that are, so far
as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health?
What is a safe system of work? What indeed, is a system? In Common Law case
law, there is much written about systems of work and in the case of Speed v.
Swift (Thomas) and Co. Ltd., Lord Greene M.R. commented:
He went on to say:
“A system may be adequate for the whole course of the job or it may have to be
modified or improved to meet circumstances which arise; such modifications or
improvements appear to me to equally fall under the head of system.”
In more simple terms, the process is clarified under the duty of Care by Lord
McLaren in Bett v. Dalmaney Oil Co as early as 1905.
These latter criteria are now embodied in Section 2 of the Health and Safety at
Work etc. Act so there is no reason for anyone to feel the principles are merely a
desirable standard to strive for.
Of course, latterly, people have come to refer to the use of Risk Assessment in
the development of Safe Systems of work and this approach has much to be said
for it. But again, it is not by any means new since in researching negligence
under the common law, the case of Webb v. Rennie comes under spotlight
where Cockburn C.J. said in 1865:
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.32, 05/2012 19
“Although in general an employer was not liable unless he knew of the
danger......it was his business to know if by reasonable care and precaution he
could ascertain whether the apparatus or machinery were in a fit state or not.”
(in other words the employer should assess the risks)
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