CIEH Introductory Certificate in

Occupational
Health and Safety
 Sessions 1– 4
1. Introduction to occupational health and safety
2. Workplace hazards
3. Workplace conditions
4. Workplace procedures

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 2

 Session 1: Introduction to 1
occupational health and safety
You should develop an awareness of occupational health and safety
and be able to:
a. Define the key terms used in the context of occupational health
and safety.
b. State how occupational health and safety is managed.
c. Outline the roles and responsibilities of employers and workers in
relation to occupational health and safety.

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 3

 What is occupational health and safety?
Keeping everyone well and safe from harm at work, including employees, contractors,
maintenance staff and members of the public who visit the workplace.

Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety.

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 4

 Key terms
 Hazard
 Risk
 Control measure
 Incident
 Accident
 Near miss
 Work-related injury
 Work-related ill health

Definitions

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 5

 Key terms continued

Hazard something that could cause harm

Risk the chance or likelihood that a hazard will

cause harm

Control measure something put in place to remove a hazard or

reduce a risk

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 6

 Key terms continued

Incident any unsafe work-related event that causes or

could have caused injury or ill health
Accident an unplanned or uncontrolled event that causes
injury, damage or other loss
Near miss an incident that did not cause injury, damage or
other loss
Work-related injury physical damage to the body caused by a work
activity or workplace conditions

Work-related ill health a poor physical or mental condition that is caused

by or made worse by a work activity or workplace
conditions

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 7

 Deaths in the workplace
The three most common causes of death in the workplace are:

Falls from height Being struck by a Being struck/hit by a

moving vehicle moving object

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 8

 Work-related injuries
The three most common causes of work-related injuries are:

Handling, lifting Slips and trips Being struck/hit by a

and carrying moving object

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 9

 Work-related ill health
The two most common causes of work-related ill health are:

Musculoskeletal Stress, depression

disorders and anxiety

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 10

 Occupational health and safety management

Plan involves setting Check involves

the health and safety measuring and
policy for the monitoring
organisation and performance and
planning how this investigating and
policy will be reporting
implemented through incidents.
the health and safety
management system.

Act involves reviewing the Do involves risk profiling

organisation’s health and (identifying
identifying hazards and
safety performance and assessing health and safety
identifying actions to risks) and organising and
improve risk management implementing measures to
and control. control these.

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 11

 Risk assessment

Identify the hazards

Decide who might be

harmed and how

Evaluate the risks and decide

on control measures

Record significant findings

Review the risk assessment

and update if necessary

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 12

 Costs of poor risk control
What happens if an organisation gets risk control wrong?

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 13

 Costs of poor risk control
A lack of effective occupational health and safety management can result in a
dangerous workplace.

 Work-related death, injury and ill health

 Higher staff turnover and discontented staff who do not work well
 Higher costs and decreased profitability
 Higher legal and insurance costs
 Bad publicity and potential business closure

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 14

 Benefits of good risk control
What happens if an organisation gets risk control right?

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 15

 Benefits of good risk control
Occupational health and safety management can result in a healthier and safer
workplace.

 Fewer accidents and fewer people off sick

 Healthy, contented workforce
 Increased profitability
 Lower insurance payments
 A good reputation

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 16

 Health and safety law
General health and safety law is there to protect everyone at
work. There are a wide range of regulations covering specific
matters.

 Specific issues (such as the management of health and

safety at work and first aid at work)
 Specific hazards (such as work at height, manual handling,
electricity, fire)
 Specific high-risk workplaces (such as factories,
construction sites and mines)

What are the three responsibilities that you have as a worker?

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 17

 Roles and responsibilities
Employers must look after employees’ health, safety and welfare, provide a safe and
healthy place to work, provide a safe and healthy way to carry out tasks, provide
information, instruction and training, assess and control risks.

Workers must not put themselves or others at risk, must co-operate with their
employers, must report hazards/unsafe conditions.

Self-employed people must take responsibility for their own health and safety and that
of anyone else who could be affected by their work.

Contractors, visitors and maintenance staff (such as cleaners) must follow the site
rules.

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 18

 Doing the right thing
Everyone in the workplace must comply with the law and ensure their actions do not put
their own (or anyone else’s) health and safety at risk.

You must:
 follow the rules and work in a safe manner
- safe systems of work are designed to protect you from harm
 use the right tools and equipment for the job
- if your employer provides you with personal protective equipment (PPE) you must
use it

1 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 19

 Session 2: Workplace hazards 2

You should develop an awareness of how work and workplaces can

cause harm and be able to:
a. Identify common hazards that may cause work-related injuries and
some control measures.
b. Identify common hazards that may cause work-related ill health
and some control measures.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 20

 Workplace hazards
Each workplace has its own type of hazards.

Workplace hazards can cause work-related injury or ill health.

Some hazards are common to most workplaces.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 21

 Hazard: Work at height
Need not be very high off the ground.

Falls from height most often occur when:

 using a ladder incorrectly
 working on a fragile roof
 working on scaffolding.

Falls from height are the most common cause of death in the workplace and also a
common cause of major injury.

Work at height creates another hazard for those below, who may be struck or hit by a
moving object that has fallen from above.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 22

 Control: Work at height
 Avoid
 Safe system of work
 Using the right equipment
 Training

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 23

 Hazard: Workplace transport
Any activity involving vehicles used in a workplace:
 being struck by a moving vehicle
 falling off vehicles
 being struck or crushed by a vehicle.

Workplace transport is the second most common cause of death in the workplace and
also a major cause of work-related injury.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 24

 Control: Workplace transport
 Separating pedestrians from vehicles
 Training
 Being fit to drive
 Using the right vehicle
 Checking loads
 Never playing around on vehicles

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 25

 Hazard: Work equipment
What types of equipment do you use at work?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 26

 Hazard: Work equipment
Includes any equipment or machinery used at work.

Mechanical hazards:

Entrapment Entanglement Ejection Contact Impact

Non-mechanical hazards: noise, vibration, hazardous substances and electrical.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 27

 Control: Work equipment
 Machine guards
 Report faults
 No loose clothing or jewellery
 Tie back and cover long hair
 Trained and fit to use
 Follow instructions
 Proactive maintenance
 Specific examination where required

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 28

 Hazard: Manual handling
Using your body to lift, carry, push or pull a load.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – any injury, damage or disorder of the joints

or other tissues in the upper/lower limbs or the back.

Handling, lifting and carrying is the most common cause of work-related injury, so
it is important to get manual handling right.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 29

 Control: Manual handling
 Training in the correct technique
 Manual handling tasks must be properly assessed

Four key points to consider:

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 30

 Hazard: Slips and trips
Everywhere you go there is a risk of slips and trips.

Second most common cause of work-related injury.

Not just employees who are at risk – many workplace accidents involving
the public (customers, visitors, passers-by) are caused by a slip or trip.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 31

 Hazard: Slips and trips
Identifying slip and trip hazards

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 32

 Hazard: Slips and trips
Objects left lying around.

Wet floors.

Damaged stairs or loose carpet on stairs.

Trailing cables and wires.

Floors that are uneven,

cracked or with holes.

Poor lighting.

Running or wearing the

wrong type of footwear.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 33

 Control: Slips and trips
 Keeping work areas clean and tidy
 Mopping up any liquid spills as soon as possible
 Reporting any damage to floors and stairs
 Walking and never running
 Always wearing the right type of footwear

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 34

 Hazard: Electricity
Electric shock

Burns

Fire

Death (electrocution)

What should you do if someone has an electric shock?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 35

 Control: Electricity
 Use manual or battery-operated tools
 Regular checks by qualified electricians
 Turn the power supply off before plugging in or unplugging
 Do NOT use in the wet or with wet hands
 Check for signs of wear and tear
 Do NOT try to fix any fault
 Report faults to your supervisor immediately

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 36

 Hazard: Fire
Fires need three elements:
 a source of heat or flame
 fuel that will burn
 oxygen.

These three elements are often referred to as the fire triangle. If one of the elements is
missing, the fire cannot carry on burning.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 37

 Hazard: Fire

What sources of heat or flame might be present in your workplace?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 38

 Control: Fire

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 39

 Fire response: Fire exit

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 40

 Hazard: Hazardous substances
Any substance that could cause harm.

May be highly flammable, explosive, toxic, harmful to the environment or harmful to

health.

Forms: chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases or living organisms (such as
bacteria or viruses).

Routes of entry: absorbed, swallowed, breathed in, injected.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 41

 Hazard: Hazardous substances
Containers holding hazardous substances must display pictograms.

Pictograms are diamond shaped with a distinctive red border and a black image on a
white background.

Pictograms tell you what type of harm could be caused by the substance.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 42

 Control: Hazardous substances
 Specific risk assessment
 Elimination
 Find a safer form of the product
 Make sure any vapours, fumes or dust are removed and the air is kept clean
 Restrict contact with the hazardous substance
 Make sure everyone who has contact with a hazardous substance is trained properly
in its use
 Provide appropriate PPE

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 43

 Control: Hazardous substances
For some workplaces, personal hygiene is an important control measure.

Wash your hands:

 before and after being exposed to any hazard
 before and after work
 after using the toilet.

Keep nails clean and do not wear nail varnish.

Use the correct PPE and keep it clean.

Keep your hair clean, tidy or tied back and covered.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 44

 Hazard: Work-related stress
Natural reaction to pressure or other types of demand, but can become too much.

Can lead to mental and physical ill health.

Causes include:
 too much work to do and too little time to do it in
 not being clear about what you should be doing
 not being able to do the job/not being trained to do the job
 poor working conditions (for example, cramped or noisy)
 negative working environments (for example bullying and harassment).

When you are stressed, how does it make you feel?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 45

 Control: Work-related stress
 Signs of stress include feeling sad, anxious, tired, irritable,
distracted, confused, unsure, demotivated
 Tell your supervisor if you feel stressed
 Your supervisor will give you the support you need

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 46

 Hazard: Work-related violence
 Physical attacks
 Verbal abuse
 Threats
 Bullying
 Harassment

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 47

 Control: Work-related violence
 Seek help
 Report it to your supervisor
 Your employer has a duty to protect you from harm

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 48

 Hazard: Alcohol and drugs
Can slow down your reactions.

You can put yourself and others at risk.

Alcohol levels in the body may still be high the morning after drinking heavily.

If you are ill and on medication, check that it will not affect your ability to work.

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 49

 Control: Alcohol and drugs
 You must not work if you have drunk alcohol or taken certain drugs
 Some employees might test for substances with your consent
 Professional help
 Disciplinary action

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 50

 Hazard spotting
How many hazards can you spot?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 51

 Workplace hazards
Can you remember the:
 three most common causes of deaths in the workplace
 three most common causes of work-related injuries
 two most common causes of work-related ill health?

2 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 52

 Session 3: Workplace conditions 3

You should develop an awareness of the range of workplace

conditions that can affect occupational health and safety and be
able to:
a. Identify the benefits of well-designed workplaces and
workstations.
b. Identify the benefits of good housekeeping.
c. State the importance of maintaining suitable levels of lighting,
temperature, general ventilation and controlling exposure to noise
and vibration in the workplace.
d. Outline the welfare facilities that should be provided in the
workplace.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 53

 The workplace
Should be designed with occupational health and safety in mind:
 room to move about safely
 good lighting and ventilation
 the right temperature
 plenty of storage space and shelves
 regular maintenance.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 54

 Workstations
An arrangement of equipment for a work activity.

If not designed with health and safety in mind, can be a hazard.

Could develop musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Training – both to carry out the job safely and in workstation assessment.

If you experience pain or discomfort, report this to your supervisor.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 55

 Housekeeping
Essential part of health and safety in the workplace.

 Keep your work area clean and tidy

 Put things away, in the correct place, after use
 Clean and clear as you go
 Empty bins
 Dispose of rubbish correctly
 Keep walkways clear, clean and dry – spot it, sort it

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 56

 Access and exit routes
Use the correct routes in and out of the workplace.

Access and exit routes must be kept clear at all times.

Particularly important if there is an emergency.

Why must you not prop open, lock or block fire doors?

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 57

 The work environment
For workers to be healthy and safe, it is important that the work environment itself is not
harmful.

This includes:
 lighting
 temperature
 ventilation
 noise
 vibration.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 58

 The work environment: Lighting
Correct level of lighting for the work activity.

Poor lighting can cause headaches and eyestrain.

Natural light is best.

Glare must be controlled.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 59

 The work environment: Temperature
Not too hot, not too cold.

Wrong temperature can affect concentration.

Heating should be controllable.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 60

 The work environment: Ventilation
Good ventilation with supply of fresh air.

Poor air quality can cause health problems and drowsiness.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 61

 The work environment: Noise
Any unwanted sound (often loud).

Noise can cause:

 stress
 loss of concentration
 communication difficulties
 long-term problems – hearing loss.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 62

 The work environment: Vibration
A continuous series of small, fast movements around a point of equilibrium.

Prolonged and regular exposure to vibration can affect your health.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

Handheld power tools, hand-guided machinery, hand-fed machines.

Regulations require special risk assessment.

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 63

 Welfare
Welfare facilities are provided for your comfort and safety and include:
 toilets
 somewhere to wash your hands
 somewhere to go during a break
 changing rooms (including storage)
 special restrooms
 health checks (if exposed to specific hazards).

3 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 64

 Session 4: Workplace procedures 4

You should develop an awareness of the procedures in place to

protect the health and safety of workers and be able to:
a. Outline the ways in which health and safety information should be
communicated.
b. Explain why workers need to report incidents promptly.
c. List the arrangements that should be in place for first aid.
d. Identify the types of PPE that may be provided in the workplace.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 65

 Health and safety information
Employers are required to provide health and safety information to workers:
 health and safety policy
 known risks
 safe systems of work
 procedures for reporting hazards and incidents.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 66

 Communication
Goes up, down and across the organisation.

In writing, so everyone receives the same message.

In plain English, so everyone can understand the message.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 67

 Safety signs
Required where there are significant risks to health and safety.

Will be in different parts of the workplace.

Five main types of safety sign:

 warning signs
 prohibition sign
 mandatory sign
 emergency escape or first aid sign
 firefighting sign.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 68

 Safety signs
Match the sign to the description

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 69

 Reporting
You must report work-related injury
to your supervisor.

Employers have a duty to record

and report incidents.

You must also report any accidents,

near-miss incidents and anything
you think may be dangerous.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 70

 Work-related ill health
Any illness that could be caused or made worse by a work activity or work conditions.

Effect of work on health.

Effect of health on work.

Report illness to your supervisor.

Reasonable adjustments.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 71

 First aid
First aid can save lives.

Prevent minor injuries turning into major injuries.

Equipment and qualified personnel.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 72

 First aiders
Someone who holds a current first aid at work certificate, having undertaken a training
course in administering first aid.

First aiders will:

 look after first aid equipment
 take charge when someone is injured or ill
 call an ambulance if required.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 73

 Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Will help keep you safe when risks are insufficiently controlled by other methods.

If you are told to use PPE in the workplace, then you must do so by law.

PPE includes:
 ear plugs and defenders
 goggles and masks
 safety harnesses
 safety helmets
 boots or shoes
 gloves.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 74

 PPE
You must use PPE if you are told to do so.

Can you identify the different types of PPE shown?

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 75

 Final word
Remember, you must:
 not put yourself or others at risk
 co-operate with your employer on health and safety
 report hazards/unsafe conditions to your supervisor immediately
 ask your supervisor if you are not sure about any aspect of your work.

4 CIEH Introductory Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety • Slide 76