WHY WE SHOULD MANAGE WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY

(Candidates are advised only take this as class notes. A detailed reading is very important
for open book examination)

What is Health and Safety?

Health: A state of well-being in both a physiological and psychological

sense. In occupational terms, it would include not suffering (e.g.) from
fatigue, stress or noise induced deafness.

Safety: The absence of danger or physical harm to persons, extending in

the workplace to things such as equipment, materials and structures.

Welfare: Relates to the provision of workplace facilities that maintain the

basic well-being and comfort of the worker such as eating, washing and
toilet facilities which enable them to fulfill their bodily functions.

Environmental protection: A measure used to prevent harm to the

environment of the world. It prevents harm to air, water, land and natural
resources providing protection to flora, fauna and human beings and their
inter-relationships.

Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm

Risk: The probability/likelihood that the potential would be realized and its
possible consequence and severity in terms of injury, damage or harm

Accident: An unwanted or unplanned event which results in a loss of

some kind.

Near Miss: These are any form of accident which could result in injury or
loss but do not.

Reason for maintaining good standard of health and safety

Moral: Responsibility of employer and employee, Injury results in a great deal

of pain and suffering for those affected the need to reduce both the number of
accidents, injuries and the incidence of ill-health to workers. Employer owns a
duty of care towards employees.
Legal: To avoid prosecution and compensation claims. Many countries have laws
on health and safety and may have various forms of punishment for failing to
comply
Financial: The cost of accident and ill health can be very high for an organisation.
There are direct, indirect cost, insured and uninsured cost to the organisation.
Direct costs

• Lost Time of Injured Employee

• Medical and First Aid
• Sick pay
• Damage to Equipment, Buildings and Repairs
• Product loss or Damage
• Loss of Production Time
• Overtime
• Insurance claims and Compensation
• Court costs and Fines

Indirect costs

• Lost Time (Other Employee, Supervisor and managers)

• Loss of Staff Morale
• Business interruption
• Loss of Business
• Cost of time spent on Investigations
• Loss of corporate image

Insured costs

• Damage to Plant, Buildings and equipment

• Compensations paid to workers
• Legal (Civil Claims)
• Medical
Uninsured costs

• Production delays
• Loss of Raw Materials
• Investigation Time
• Criminal fines and Legal costs
• Sick Pay
• Overtime Pay
• Hiring and Training New Employee
• Loss of Business Reputation

Actions that an enforcement agency may take

Enforcement agencies are vested with authority to take actions if they find
violations or non-compliances. These actions include giving advice or warning
either verbally or in writing; requiring that a specified improvement is made
within a given period of time; stopping of work until improvements in health and
safety are made; and taking formal legal proceedings such as prosecution.

Powers of an enforcement agency

• Enter premises at any reasonable time.

• Take a police person or other authorise person if there is an obstruction
in the execution of his duty.
• Examine and Investigate
• Direct that premises or part of the premises remain undisturbed
• Take photographs and measurements
• Sample or retain unsafe articles and substances
• Order the testing, dismantling and examination
• Take possession of items
• Require answers to questions with a signed statement, if necessary
• Inspect and copy statutory books and documents or any other relevant
document
• Order medical examination
• Issue improvement notice or prohibition notice
The purpose of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) convention
C155 in respect of:

The ILO Constitution sets forth the principle that workers should be
protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their
employment.

ILO Convention C 155 on Occupational Safety and Health provides for the
adoption of a coherent national occupational safety and health policy, as
well as action to be taken by governments and within enterprises to
promote occupational safety and health to improve working conditions.

Conventions are open to be agreed by UN Members and once agreed

become binding on those member states.

Recommendations for which member states have no specific obligations

other than to notify their existence to their legislatures and report on what
happens as a result.

The role of international standards (e.g. ISO 45001)

The purpose of an OH&S management system is to provide a framework

for managing OH&S risks and opportunities. The aim and intended
outcomes of the OH&S management system are to prevent work related
injury and ill health to workers and to provide safe and healthy workplaces.
It is critically important for the organization to eliminate hazards and
minimize OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective
measures.

When these measures are applied by the organization through its OH&S
management system, they improve its OH&S performance. An OH&S
management system can be more effective and efficient when taking early
action to address opportunities for improvement of OH&S performance.

ISO 45001 defines the requirements for a management system for

OH&S management, as well as giving guidance on its use. An ISO
45001 management system provides a framework to establish OH&S
management policies, objectives, processes and governance, and
facilitates an organization's achievement of its strategic goals.
Health and safety roles and responsibilities

Employer’s Responsibility

A. To provide and maintain workplaces, machinery & equipment and use

work
methods which are as safe and without risk to health as is reasonably
practicable.
B. To give necessary instructions and training, taking into account of the
functions and
capacities of different categories of workers
C. To provide adequate supervision of work, of work practices
D. To institute org arrangements according to nature of activity
E. To provide without any cost to the worker additional PPE when hazards
cannot be
controlled
F. To ensure the work org, working hours, shift, rest breaks are enough
G. To take all reasonably practicable measure to eliminate excessive
physical and mental
fatigue
H. To undertake studies and research to keep abreast of scientific /
technical knowledge to comply

Employee’s or Worker’s Responsibility

(a) Take reasonable care for their own safety and that of other people who
might be
affected by business undertakings.
(b) Comply with procedures and instructions provided to take care of
themselves and
others.
(c) Use of safety devices and Personal Protective equipment correctly and
not to
misuse it.
(d) Report any situation to the supervisor or employer which they believe,
could
present imminent danger which they cannot themselves correct.
(e) Report any accident or occupational ill health which arises as part of
the
employment.
Directors and senior managers

• Prepare and sign a health and safety policy

• Set goals and objectives for the organisation
• To lead by example and to demonstrate commitment
• Allocate responsibilities for health and safety throughout the
organisation
• Provide sufficient resources
• Appointing a Health and Safety Advisor
• Receive monitoring reports and instigate action to rectify any
deficiencies that have been found

Middle managers or Supervisors

• They should control work in their area of responsibility and set a

good example
• Take part in carrying out risk assessments
• Take part in development of safe systems of work
• Ensure that members of their teams are fully briefed on the systems
once they have been introduced.
• Carry out inspections of their working areas and deal with any
unsafe conditions or actions, reporting to managers, if in any
situation they personally do not have the power to take the
necessary action.
• They finally have an important role to play in training, coaching and
mentoring members of their team.

Health and safety officer

• Provide expert advice on matters of health and safety

• Assist in the development of the health and safety policy and
procedures and
• their periodic reviews
• Intervene when he/she comes across any unsafe conditions or acts
• Keep health and safety records such as for accidents and any
apparent trends
 • Liaise with representatives of external agencies
• Be part of an accident investigation team
• Keep up to date on health and safety topics.

General duties of designers, manufacturers and supplies of articles

and substances for use at work to ensure that they are safe and
without risk

Persons who design, manufacture, import or supply any article or substance for
use at work must ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, they are safe
and with-out risk to health. Articles must be safe when they are set, cleaned,
used and maintained. Substances must be without risk to health when they are
used handled stored or transported. This requires that information must be
supplied on the safe use of the articles and substances. There may be a need to
guarantee the required level of safety by undertaking tests and examinations

How the employer can achieve cooperation and coordination among the
employers and contractors.

• Hold regular meetings

• Share information and risk assessments
• Avoid carrying out incompatible processes
• Prepare and agree joint site rules for the workplace (assembly
points, smoking areas)
• Joint procedures for the management of visitors and contractors
• Procedures for the management of traffic and the movement of
vehicles
• Inspections and monitoring of the workplace
• Emergency procedures
• Policy for the management of waste
• Obtain advice on health and safety matters from a shared consultant
Competence of a contractor

• The contractor's previous experience with the type of work

• The reputation of the contractor amongst previous or current clients
• The quality and content of the health and safety policy and risk
assessments
• The level of training and qualifications of staff (including those with
health and safety responsibilities)
• Accident records and enforcement actions history
• Membership of approval or certification bodies
• Equipment maintenance records and the detailed proposals for the
work to be carried out
• Appropriate insurance