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Class Notes Element 1
Class Notes Element 1
Global statistics from the International Labour Organization (ILO) SafeWork Programme:
• 270 million accidents and 160 million diseases a year due to work.
Definitions
• Unsafe Act- [ Unsafe behaviour / Unsafe Practices] Any activity which can cause harm eg.
Driving at high speed
• Unsafe Condition- Any condition which can cause harm Eg. Slippery floor
Group Exercise
In groups, list the possible effects and implications of this accident on the:
• Injured employee.
• Company.
• Line manager.
Answers
• Injured employee:
– Pain and suffering, lost time/wages, impact on family, on-going impact on work.
• The company:
– Payment of sick pay, overtime cover for employee, recruitment costs for
replacement, insurance claims, fines/prosecutions, increased insurance premiums.
– Loss of skills from team, time and cost of retraining replacement, effect of overtime
cover on shifts.
H&S failure can affect the broader economy, as well as individual companies.
Definitions
• Health – Protection of bodies and minds of people from illness in a workplace Resulting from
the materials, processes or procedures used in the workplace.
• Welfare – The provision of facilities to maintain the health and well-being of individuals in
the workplace
• Accident – Any unplanned incident that result in injury or ill-health or property damage.
‒ Conventions.
‒ Recommendations.
ILO CONVENTIONS
• These are put to vote among nominated members form different member nations
• ILO will help in making the law and implementing it by guidance and technical support
• ILO will also provide information through published recommendations and codes of practice.
• ILO has the power to take actions against those who do not follow up
• These safety laws, when implemented, will improve the health and safety standards of the
country.
‒ supplements C155 and gives more guidance on how to comply with its policies.
‒ Fire authority.
‒ Insurance companies.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
• Enforcement action:
Improvement notices.
Prohibition Notices
• Prosecution:
Sources of Information
• www.hse.gov.uk
‒ www.osha.gov
‒ https://osha.europa.eu/en
‒ www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
Group Exercise
Identify potential:
Group Exercise
Answers
1. What are the two main standards that the ILO has produced for health and safety? What do
countries do with these standards?
4. What action could be taken against organisations breaking health and safety law?
The Employer
Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is safe and free of health risk rests with the employer.
The Employer
The employer carries ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is safe and free of
health and safety risks.
Ensures the safety of workers and ‘others’, e.g. visitors and contractors.
Employers’ Responsibilities
• Ensure that workplaces, machinery, equipment and work processes are safe and without
risks to health.
• Ensure that chemical, physical and biological substances and agents are without risk to
health when protective measures have been taken.
• Provide adequate protective clothing and equipment to prevent risks of accidents or adverse
health effects.
Employers’ Responsibilities
Everybody is responsible for health and safety - but most of the responsibility lies with the
employer to provide:
• Report any situation that they believe could be a hazard and which they cannot themselves
correct.
Directors and senior managers can have enormous influence over their organisation and its
priorities.
The way they are perceived by those lower in the management hierarchy is very important; they
must demonstrate clear commitment and leadership with regard to health and safety.
– Allocate resources
– Appoint competent persons./ Ensure competent advice is available
Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the day-to-day operational running of the
organisation so are responsible for the health and safety standards within the operations under their
control.
• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to develop appropriate health and safety
standards and appropriate policies and procedures.
‒ Joint management-committee
meetings.
Shared Responsibilities
• ILO - C155 – Article 17 / R164 – Article 11
• Discuss on fire, spills, emergencies, site rules, visitor and traffic management
Contractor Management
If a client can be held responsible for an injury caused by a contractor working for the client, then it
must be in the client’s own best interests to ensure that contractors do not endanger workers or
others.
Shared Duties
The way that a client manages contractors can be broken down into three key areas:
• Selection of contractors.
The way that a client manages contractors can be broken down into four key areas:
• Risk assessments.
• Qualifications and training records.
• Accident records.
• Enforcement action.
• Adequate resources.
• Risk assessments.
• Method statements.
Co-ordination of Work
Clients must:
1. To whom does an employer owe a duty with regard to health and safety?
Summary
• Highlighted the three main reasons why an organisation has to manage health and safety,
which can be summarised as moral, legal and financial.
• Set out the basic requirements of the international standards that govern health and safety,
i.e. the ILO Convention C155 and Recommendation R164.
• Discussed the consequences for employers and workers of non-compliance with legal
standards, together with the possible issue of worker compensation.
• Identified various parties within and outside of the workplace and the responsibilities that
they have.
• Considered the responsibility that a client has for the management of contractors and
outlined the steps that a client should take to choose a competent contractor and plan and
monitor their work.
What are the possible costs to an organization following an accident in the workplace.[8]
Direct Costs
• First-aid treatment.
• Sick pay.
• Repairs to equipment.
Indirect Costs
• Investigation time.
You are asked to give a presentation to the Management on the following, What are the points
you would like to use in the presentation
1. How ILO can improve the health and safety standards in the territories of member nations [8]
2. How National Governments can improve the health and safety standards in their territories [8]
3. Why National Governments should have health and safety laws ? (4)
4. How can National Governments ensure that employers follow Health and Safety laws(4)
5.How can an employer ensure that the contractors are working safely (8)
Scenario-1
You are safety officer in a company. There was a major accident and the employee had to be
admitted in hospital for 4 days and then on medical leave for one month.
• You wanted to put some control measures, which needed money. Your finance manager is
not agreeing.
• Write down the points you may use in convincing him to sanction the budget [10]