Competence is a the extent to which workers are engaged and

combination of involved in the management of health and safety

knowledge,
experience, training
Each individual has
and ability that brings a
skills that they have
person up to a level
developed over time;
where they are able to
some of these skills
perform to an
are physical whilst
acceptable standard
others are mental
and are aware of their
own limitations.
issues and in the decision-making process.
` whether this is visibly
demonstrated outside -They are suffering from an illness (e.g. ‘flu) and so
the boardroom (since they are not processing information very well.
culture is gradually
absorbed by the behavior in the
-They are under stress and so other issues may be
individual boardroom is not
dominating their thinking.
visible by most of the
workers in an -They may be fatigued and so not alert or capable of
how good the organisation is responding quickly to circumstances.
organisation).
at identifying health and
-They may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
safety training needs and
opportunities, and how well -They have past personal experiences that is skewing
it then provides those needs the provision of their thinking.

Organizational factors adequate time, -They may not have received good quality training and
Individual factors money, equipment education on the hazards and risk of the job.
Various innate and personnel to
characteristics Safety- manage and carry out
-They may be required to wear PPE that is interfering
with their ability to detect the hazards creating the risk.
underpin a work safely.
person's Related -Workplace conditions, such as high levels of noise,
character, such may be interfering with their ability to correctly identify
as risk-taking or Behaviour the hazard that creates the risk.
risk aversion,
introversion or how effective
extroversion, etc. such as shift systems, Ways of Improving Worker Perception of
the
Attitude to health working at night or Hazards
and safety can be organisation is
working extended
influenced, skills at using various • Carrying out safety awareness campaigns
Different people hours. This can
can be increased perceive risk in communication using posters, toolbox talks, etc.
attitude is a person’s the presence or adversely affect
and competence different ways. methods
developed, but a
point of view or way of absence of, and the workers’ health. • Developing training programmes to increase
looking at something; messages and awareness of the hazard and its
person’s competence of,
personality
how they think and feel information to consequences.
supervision (in the
about it. the workforce.
remains largely context of health and • Highlighting hazards (e.g. using safety signs to
fixed – it’s who inform employees that hearing protection is
the characteristics of the work safety) and the way
they are. required, or to warn of a hazard, such as the
itself, in particular the that poor safety-
ergonomic requirements. presence of forklift trucks or wet floors). Paint
related behaviour is and tape can also be used to highlight
dealt with. hazards like low objects or changes in
the amount of work, rate of work, deadlines and variety level (e.g. the edge of steps).
of work that individuals have to cope with, and the •
Job factors

Ensuring that there is adequate lighting.

degree to which these are under the direct control of the
worker or imposed externally. • Removing distractions such as noise (which
could result in a worker not hearing a
the workplace conditions such as space, lighting, noise,
warning) or excessive heat (which can
the existence and quality of working procedures. If there temperature and humidity and the way that these
is a lack of written procedures, or if they are poorly cause fatigue).
parameters are controlled so as to minimise their
written, out-of-date, overly complex or unpractical, impact on worker performance.
workers may not comply. To be effective, procedures
should be accurate, concise, use familiar language and
they must be doable. the design of these, and the way that poorly designed
displays and controls can contribute to the likelihood of
human error (e.g. critical displays that are out of the
DEFINITION operator’s normal field of view).

ERGONOMICS

The interaction between the worker and their work task, work equipment and work environment so as to
achieve the best match.