NEBOSH IGC 1

HEALTH & SAFETY

DEFINITIONS

Health: is the wellness of body & mind of a person at the work place and not alone lack
of illness
Safety: is the work condition, with absence of risk for personal injury or illness
Welfare: is providing basic amenities to workmen & others, like toilets, hand wash, rest
room, changing room etc
Environment: consists of air, water, land, flora & fauna around the work place
Accident: is an unplanned & undesirable event which leads to personal injury, damage
or loss
Near Miss: is also an undesired & unplanned event which had the potential to cause
injury, damage or loss, but did not actually do so.
Dangerous Event: is also an undesired & unplanned event, which had the potential to
cause injury, damage or loss, but did not actually do so and has to be reported to the
relevant enforcement authority.
Hazard: is an unsafe condition or unsafe act or a anything with potential to cause harm
Risk: the likelihood or/and severity of a hazard which shall cause harm

REASONS FOR PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK PLACE

Moral: The moral duty that one person has to another to ensure that by his action, no
harm is caused to another. Society as a whole expects every constituent of it be of high moral
& ethical standards.

Legal: There are national & international statutes which make the practice of good
health & safety a legal requirement for organisations. These laws set the minimum standards of
amenities and safe methods of work, safe plant & equipments, safe system of work. There is
provision for periodical inspections by enforcement authorities. Failure in compliance would
result in prosecution.

Economic: Accidents & ill health cost the organisation by direct & indirect way. There
can be production loss, goodwill loss, Raw material loss etc and it is in the best interest of the
organisation to follow a good safe & healthy practice in its endeavors
BARRIERS OF GOOD STANDARDS OF HEALTH & SAFETY

Complexity: Work place involves co-ordination of many people performing many

different activities. Hence extensive background knowledge is necessary to finalise a good
system of work by taking into account the consequential effect in the entire gamut of activities.

Conflicting demands: Most common conflict of interest in the work place is the demand
for time bound output and the need for safety & health practices. Another prominent conflict is
to comply with different types of standards set by different law; eg. Safety law, environment
protection law

Behavioral: A perfect and uniform behavioral pattern cannot be expected at the

workplace from the workforce. They tent behave in one way at a given situation and in another
way in a second situation. Similarly behavior of one group of people and the other groups are in
much contrast as they all come from different backgrounds and style of life. This behavioral
heterogeneity proves to be a great barrier for good standards of health & safety.

DIRECT & INDIRECT COST RESULTING OUT OF ACCIDENTS

Direct Costs

Fines by court
Compensation to injured
First Aid Treatment
Worker Sick pay
OT for make up the production time
Cost of treatment & rehabilitation
Loss of raw materials
Loss of damaged product

Indirect Costs

Loss of staff from active work

Loss of staff morale
Cost of investigation
Loss of good will
Damage to industrial relations
Loss of production time
Excess insurance charges
INSURABLE & NON-INSURABLE COSTS DUE TO AN ACCIDENT

Insurable Costs

Damage to plant & Compensation to workers

equipment Medical costs
Damage to building Legal costs
Non-insurable Costs

Production delay costs OT for extra work

Loss of raw materials Loss of business reputation
Investigation cost Hiring & training new
Criminal fines employees
Sick pay for workers

KEY ELEMENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Policy: is the strategic statement made on line with the statutory regulations made by the
government. It is signed & delivered by the Top Management, expressing its commitment to
improvise the safety standards contually. It aims at reducing or averting the risk of injury &
illness for workers, customers, visitors & consultants, while the main activities are undertaken.
Identifying the risks, addressing the same to mitigate the chances of risk, are the fore-runner
activities to making such a policy. The Policy may have to be periodically updated when the
statute undergoes any change, the methodology changes, the environment changes and the
priority of production chain is altered. Clear objects & targets are fixed and pursued to be
realized, improved on due course and re-set for furtherance to result in continual improvement
in OSH.

Organising: is the activity of getting staff involved and committed to develop a positive health &
safety culture by identifying the responsible officers in the organizational chart at all levels from
Top to Bottom, allocating authority & Accountability for assuring desired level of safe practices
in the entire gamut of the organizational activity. Clear roles & responsibilities are spelt out for
all level officers. Competence, Control, Communication & consultation are the key elements
allocated so that the envisaged SMART objectives are realized progressively within the desired
time frame.

Safety Training/ Risk assessment/ Safety Audit/ House keeping/ Emergency Plan/Special
procedure to be set for Hazardous chemical handling/ Drilling machine usage/ Confined area
work/ Work at height/ Work at deep trenches /Work alone at farther location etc
Plan & Implementation: are the set of activities which stipulate the plan of action as to how the
risk assessment, general & special task procedure, like working at high altitude, working with
hazardous chemicals, working in deep trenches etc, appointment of Safety Committees,
Inclusion of first aid trained staff & fire marshals in the work place etc. are carried out.
Procedure for reporting incidents, investigating & improving, collecting additional information on
the changes coming forth in the methods of work, provide PPE
etc are also part of these activities.

Evaluation: is the act of evaluating the effectiveness of the policy, plan & implementation to
confirm that the procedure & practice facilitate positively to bring the OSH standards high. In
case the desired levels of outcomes are not noticeable, then it is time to take a re-look on the
entire policy, organizing and the plan & implementation for modification. Bench marking is a
methodology, comparison accident rates, near misses the investigation reports etc are all
facilitating evaluation.

Action for Improvement: Based on the evaluation on the effectiveness of the existing system
and then re-setting a higher performance standard, apart from the additional stipulations being
brought by the Government, an action plan to bring forth improvement to the Policy & Plan are
to be brought forth. Effective feedback system and proper & periodical auditing by experts shall
facilitate in guiding the practice of improvement.

Feedback: The management to confirm that the objectives set under the policy & plan are
being realized must get inputs from ground realities and hence having a formal as well as
informal feedback & reporting system shall be advisable to continually improve the OSH
standards of the Organisation

Audit: by external agencies, especially by experts on the subjects shall enable the organization
confirm that the OSH system of the organization is flawless and effectively fetches the desired
objectives. In case of any hindrance, the audit shall enable the management to unearth it &
tackle

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYER & EMPLOYEE REGARDING OSH

IMPLEMENTATION

Employer should provide

Safe place for work/ Safe system for work/ Safe plant & equipment for work/ Safe
environment for work/ Comply with statutory regulations/ Employ competent people for
work/ Give required training & skill to the employees/ Give required PPE, instructions on
dos & don’ts/ Should have a detailed OSH plan at the strategic level to guide the
employees at all time

Employee should

Wear the PPE while turning up for work/ Should abide by safety regulations/ Should take
reasonable care to keep oneself safe/ Should take care not to inflict injury or loss to
others/ Report all incidents to Management for investigation & improve/ should not
recklessly use or misuse any tools or appliances given for safety purpose/

OBJECTIVES & PURPOSES OF THE THREE MAJOR SECTIONS OF OSH POLICY

Health & Safety Policy generally consists of three major sections i) Statement of Intent,
ii) the organizing & iii) the arrangement.
 The first part focuses on the following targets/objectives

 Meet legal requirement

 Safe working place
 Safe equipment
 Safe system of work
 Provision for training
 Risk analysis
 Adequate resources
 Communication & consultation with workforce
 Setting of SMART objectives
 Carry out active monitoring
 Issue of PPE
 Reduce accidents & ill-health
The second part organizing serves the following purposes

 Implementation of Policy
 Identifies operational duties for health & safety
 Identifies chain of command
 Identifies roles & responsibilities
 Covers all levels of the organisation from top to bottom
The last part does indicate the following

 Arrangements for implementation of the policy

 Specific work arrangements for key risks
 Arrangements for collection of information on incidents from the site
 Arrangements to have frequent tool box talks
 Arrangement for emergency response
 Arrangement for lone worker safety

BASIS TO FORMULATE OSH PLAN

 Risks being faced by employees

 Risks for visitors, contractors & suppliers
 What regulations need to be complied with
 Current level of performance
 Practices/Controls and safe systems currently in place
FEATURES OF THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH SYSTEM

 Is to be a Line – management responsibility

 Define & communicate responsibility & accountability at each level of organisation
 Promote co-operation & communication
 Fulfill the stipulations under the Law
 Establish clear & measurable objectives
 Constitute Health & Safety Committees to facilitate participation of all strata of
employees, especially the workmen

WHY SHOULD THE POLICY BE SIGNED BY THE TOP MANAGEMENT

The primary responsibility for the safety of employees and providing safe methods,
practice & premises for work are the responsibilities of the employer as per different statutes
and also as per the decisions of Enforcement Authority. The policy document sets the realistic
targets achievable by the organization, allocates resources required and as such to ensure
compliance in the whole system.

BENCHMARKING

Can be used to set as a standard against which progress can be watched and timely corrective
action brought in. Accident & incident reports serve as an input for benchmarking. Staff
absenteeism and turn over are other inputs against which bench mark can be fixed. Pro-active
& Reactive plans of action and its effectiveness can also be gauged by bench marking. The
industrial average, previous years statistics are generally taken as the base and by
incorporating improvement, bench mark is set. Bench mark helps in detecting deviations easily
so that needful action for correction or promotion can be planned instantaneously.

HOW TO PROMOTE COMMUNICATION OF POLICY AMONG EMPLOYEES

By periodic staff meeting of the department/ by memoranda/ By discussing accident causes &
remedial actions/By discussing near misses/ By circulation/ By debate/ Through tool box talks/
Through Experts/ Through mentors/By notices/by posters/by drills/by signs

HEALTH & SAFETY CULTURE

It is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and
pattern of behavior that determine the commitment to and the style and proficiency of a group’s
health & safety management. It refers to deep set values, being exhibited by the group
consistently over a period of time and make others feel that the group behavior & approach are
dominated by such values.

Compliance with rules & regulations/ Reduced number of accidents/ Lesser complaints on
working conditions/ Lesser Absenteeism/ Less staff turnover/lesser sickness etc are all
indicators of positive H&S culture
CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE POLICY NECESSITATES REVISION

When the statute undergoes changes/when the technology changes/when the product is being
changed/when work is to be undertaken in new areas having greater challenges/structural
change in the organization/ based on enforcement authority directives/to increase standard of
process & production/based on audit observation/after consultation with employees

CLIENT-CONTRACTOR OBLIGATION ON OSH

In this situation, the responsibility is shared. The client is responsible for the workplace,
environment and his own employees, while contractor is responsible for the work and its impact
on others and also as the employer of his workers. The client has a general responsibility
because the contractor works in his premises, therefore he is duty bound to ensure that the
contractor complies with established safe practices. Wherever necessary, permit to work
system shall be adopted. Both are jointly responsible for the safety of public against the impact
of activities being undertaken by the contractor within the building.

FIVE STEPS OF “SUITABLE & SUFFICIENT” RISK ASSESSMENT

1. Identification of hazards

Sources & Form of harm

Inspection
Task Analysis
Preliminary study of documents
Observation
Interaction
Validation
Manufacturer’s warnings
Incident data

2. Identify Population at Risk

Operators
Maintenance staff
Cleaners
Contractors
Visitors
3. Evaluating risk & adequacy of control

LIKELIHOOD SEVERITY

Likely Fatal
Probable Major Injury/Permanent Disability
Possible Minor Injury
Remote First Aid Case
Impracticable No injury
 RISK=LIKELIHOOD X SEVERITY

4. General control hierarchy

Elimination
Substitution
Isolation
Changing work methods
Changing work frequency
5. PPE
DESIGNING FOR SAFETY

 Providing easy operating  Hazard lights & signals

controls  Ventilation systems
 Auto closure of lids & valves  Exhausts
to prevent accidental  Safety signs
spillages  Prohibition
 Fail-safe device to make
device non operable if any
failure in the system

RESIDUAL RISK

Is the risk that remains even after control measures have been set. If the same within a
reasonable limit, it is acceptable risk.

EXAMPLES OF ACTIVE/PRO-ACTIVE MONITORING METHODS & REACTIVE MONITORING

METHODS

Active/pro-active monitoring

1. Survey
2. Tour
3. Inspection
4. Sampling
5. Risk Assessment

Reactive monitoring

1. Incident investigation report

2. Investigation after a dangerous occurrence
3. After survey ill-health records
4. Following enforcement action
5. Complaints from workers
6. Following civil action
IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT COULD INFLUENCE THE FREQUENCY OF HEALTH & SAFETY
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

1. Accident rates
2. Near Miss/Dangerous occurrence rates
3. Absence rates
4. Sickness rates
5. Near Miss rates
6. Turnover rates

EXPLAIN WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ORGANISATIONS TO REVIEW THEIR HEALTH &

SAFETY PERFORMANCE REGULARLY

The health & safety performance is watched and monitored regularly to confirm that the set
objectives as per the safety plan & policy are being realized over a period of time. The
monitoring against benchmarks will enable to quickly notice any deviations and indicate the
areas of concern, needing better focus and improvement. The monitoring of performance
allows the organisation to catch the probable incident at its early stages, thus preventing heavy
consequences and loss. Such monitoring shall keep the employees continuously conscious
about safe practices and enable them avoid mistakes and unsafe acts.

FACTORS INFLUENCING SAFETY RELATED BEHAVIOUR

I)organizational ii)job-related iii)personal

ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS

Safety culture of the organization influences the degree of seriousness an employee is

habitually bestowing towards safety
Policies & procedures: quality of these play an important role in mitigating risk in work place.
Levels of supervision: The competence & availability of supervision impact the safe behavior at
workplace
Peer - group pressure: The extent to which this is allowed in the organization is likely to impact
worker behavior
Consultation & worker involvement: The level of inclusion in consultation & decision making of
the workmen shall influence the attitude of them in adopting safety prescriptions
Communication: Lack or inadequate communication fail to educate the workmen and hence
shall influence the safe behavior of workmen
Training: The extent of training and the frequency of training play important role in ensuring safe
behavior of workmen
Work patterns: Overtime, night work, work in isolation etc shall influence safety at work place
 JOB FACTORS

Task – the work involving a certain posture needs a scientific, systematic ergonomic posture
prescription, failing which individual may opt for convenient posture, which may not be the safe
one.
Workload – Heavy work load may make the person tiresome and may tempt to lose seriousness
in safety prescriptions and involuntarily violate.
Environment – The pressure environment imposes on the person working, especially the noise
around, availability of light, space, temperature, humidity etc. is significant in making the worker
vulnerable to risk.
Controls – inadequate control & poor design fail to check the exposure of workmen to risk
Procedure – the improper procedure being allowed to be followed in work place shall pose a risk

 illogical design of equipment and instruments

 missing or unclear instructions
 poorly maintained equipment
 noisy and unpleasant working conditions

PERSONAL FACTORS

Competence Stress
Attitude Drugs & alcohol
Perception of risk Medication
Habit Feeling of uncertainty
Illness

IDENTIFY INTERNAL & EXTERNAL FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

Internal
Trade Unions
Customers
Share-holders
Suppliers
Employees
External
Technology
Social
Legal
Economic
Political
Competitors
IDENTIFY WAYS BY WHICH ORGANISATION CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE HEALTH
& SAFETY BEHAVIOUR OF THEIR WORKERS

1. Toolbox talk
2. Participatory safety meetings
3. Sign boards & posters
4. Mock drills
5. Role playing
6. Safety Training
7. Best safety awards

IDENTIFY FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED TO HELP REDUCE THE RISKS TO WORKERS

REQUIRED WORK ALONE

1. Emergency contact arrangement

2. Quick first aid facilities
3. Proper PPE
4. Proper training
5. Reliable communication facility
6. Give awareness of hazard & risk involved in the work

OUTLINE IMPORTANCE OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

Even after introduction of safe working system, equipment & environment, the chances
of any un-expected & sudden incident happening cannot be ruled out. It is therefore necessary
that the organisation develop an emergency procedure to make the employees know what to to
do, how to do & whom to contact in such eventualities, so as to escape from or reduce the
impact of it on them and on the property.

IDENTIFY FOUR CATEGORIES OF WORKPLACE SAFETY SIGNS

1. Prohibitory e.g.: No Entry, No smoking

2. Mandatory e.g.: Wear safety helmet
3. Caution e.g.: Deep excavation work
4. Safe/positive e.g.: Drinking water facility

IDENTIFY PRECAUTIONS TO HELP ENSURE HEALTH &SAFETY OF VISITORS TO WORK

PLACE

Accompanied by staff Intimate the emergency procedure

Allot PPE First Aid point
Sign in while entering Give emergency contact numbers
Sign out while leaving Have the induction done on safety
Brief about the work & hazards
COMMUNICATION

Two types i) verbal ii) Non-verbal

Verbal communications consist of oral & written communication

Oral communication

Merits demerits

personal language barrier

quick & direct jargons may not be understood
allows feedback may not remember for long
allows for exchange of views other noises may interfere
allows additional information may not be taken seriously

written communication

Merits demerits

Permanent record indirect

Can be referred back Jargons & abbreviations
Can be written carefully avoiding ambiguity may not be read by the recipient

Non-verbal communication

Merits demerits

Eye catching can convey only simple messages

Quick to interpret symbols/pictograms may be unknown to recipients
No language barrier no immediate feedback
Jargon free impaired vision distorts the content
Conveys to a wide audience may not be taken seriously

IDENTIFY DIFFERENT WAYS OF COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANISATION

Employee handbooks Notices, Posters & films

Manual of procedure Sign boards
Safety briefings Consultation & participation
Tool box talks Formal meetings of committees
Memoranda Team briefing

BARRIERS OF COMMUNIACTION
  The use of jargon - Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
 Emotional barriers. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some
topics may be completely 'off-limits'.
 Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. 
 Differences in perception and viewpoint.
 Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal
cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less
effective.
 Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
 Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. 
People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to
incorrect conclusions.
 Cultural differences.  The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as
do the way in which emotions are expressed.

IDENTIFY ERRORS & VIOLATIONS IN THE ORGANISATION

Errors are mistakes committed in action or decision without intend to deviate from the
prescribed standard or procedure. Violation is a conscious act to deviate from the prescribed
procedure or practice.
OUTLINE RESIDUAL RISK & ACCEPTABLE RISK
The residual risk is the risk remaining after controls have been introduced into the system. The
risk or residual risk becomes acceptable risk when the net risk has been reduced to the lowest
level that is reasonably practicable. The level of acceptance depends upon the skill &
experience of the workforce who are expected to undertake the job. An acceptable risk for a
specially skilled worker may not be acceptable when unskilled workers are to be deployed for
work.
OUTLINE CONTROL REQUIRED FOR WORK IN CONFINED SPACE
Work in confined space involves risk of specialized nature like oxygen deficiency, excessive
heat, entrapment by the physical dimension, presence of dangerous gas/vapours, improper
ingress & egress. The controls are technical[safe methods of operation, introduction of proper
light & ventilation, usage of correct tools & equipment etc], procedural[prior check of the
atmosphere to assess the gravity of the risk, put external support nearby, provide adequate
supervision, availability of emergent equipment. etc] & behavioral [use of proper PPE, breathing
apparatus, fire precautions, be aware of emergency procedure]
OUTLINE CONTROL REQUIRED FOR LONE WORKER
Lone workers work in isolation from the main group of people and hence to counter any
untoward contingency, the concerned individual must be phyisically & mentally fit. He should be
provided with proper PPE, a proper communication network to get in touch with others when
needed, he must be made aware of the probable risk involved and the availability of emergency
service facilities, emergency contact person details etc. Proper training as to what to do, how to
do and whom to contact must be imparted. A sugn in & sign out record has to be maintained to
make others aware of the lone worker presence in the work front.
EXPLAIN THE PERMIT TO WORK SYSTEM
Permit to work system is a clear writted record, signed by a responsible officr that all
foreseeable hazards have been considered and all precautionary actions have been
undertaken. Before commencement of work and till completion, the permit has to be with the
employee who carries out the job. The Permit to work system is so designed to ensure that all
necessary precautionary action to mitigate the risk in the work has been taken before hand.
The permit is issued after hazard evaluation, precaution planning, instructing supervisor &
workmen. Once the work is completed the permit is taken back & cancelled
OUTLINE THE ELEMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN PERMIT TO WORK SYSTEM
Permit title and number Precautions necessary
Reference to relevant job permits Protective equipment to be used while
Job location working
Plant identification Dated signature to authorize the work
Description of work Period of validity of the permit
Hazard identification

OUTLINE WHY EMPLOYEES MAY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY PROCEDURE AT

WORK

Unrealistic or ill-considered procedure Competency

Mental or physical capabilities of the Peer group pressure
workers not taken into account Risks not clearly perceived
Inadequate training Lapses of attention
Poor safety culture Fatigue & stress
Lack of employee motivation

OUTLINE THE PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION & MANAGEMENT OF CONTRACTORS

Check the safety policy Intimate the emergency procedure

Check previous records Give details of any other work being done
Check competency, especially the technical simultaneously in the place
ones Ask for contractor’s method statement
Provide information about the job and the Fix time schedule & period limit for the work
site
OUTLINE THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE CANNOT PERCIEVE THE HAZARDS WELL

Physical deformity Work pattern of continuous work

Lack of knowledge Change of work system
Fatigue & stress Wrong attitude

OUTLINE HOW THE SAFETY CULTURE COULD BE IMPROVED

Management intervention Tool box talks

Employee involvement Safety drills
Competency Mock drills
Training Regular communication
Safety Committee meetings Positive & negative re-enforcement of
Team briefing behaviour

OUTLINE THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING AN ACCIDENT

To be done without waste of time Identify the basic or indirect cause

Attend the injured properly Identify the Root cause
Keep the site undisturbed Suggest remedial action
Check for the immediate cause for the
accident – unsafe condition or unsafe act

OUTLINE THE PROCESS OF AUDIT

Collection of information about the health & safety system

Making judgment about its adequacy and performance
Drawing hands on information by interviewing the people involved in the work
Gathering information on specific aspects using questionnaire
Assessment by comparison of the practice with a fixed standard
Judging based on incident report & Training report

DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN INTERNAL & EXTERNAL AUDITS

Internal
Use of own staff makes it cheaper
Since audited by those who actually perform, the audit is more objective
Can be done more frequently. So that deficiencies can be corrected on a timely basis
Increases the accountability of the department
Is a good way of monitoring the process
Serves as an early warning system
External
Impartial examination of the system is facilitated
 Makes a comprehensive examination of the whole practice
May bring up information on good practices in similar establishments
Throws information for revision of policy, revision of system
External audit provides expertise analysis
OUTLINE FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF SAFETY
INSPECTIONS
 As per the guidelines stipulated in the safety management system
 number, size, and potential risk of different work operations or equipment
 As part of team building/employee involvement exercise
 Based on safety committee recommendations
 number of shifts; the activity of each shift may vary
 the number of man hours worked by the team
 introduction of new processes, equipment, or workers
 historical patterns of at-risk activity
 past incident/near-miss records

OUTLINE THE PURPOSE OF SAFETY AUDIT

1. Serves as an evaluating tool of the existing system & practice

2. Confirms the compliance of the statutory obligations of the organisation
3. Brings in new ideas/information through the knowledge & experience of the Auditor
4. Being arranged by Management, it sends out a message of its keenness in safety of
the people
5. Audit undertakes interviews of staff and makes the employees feel part of the
process, thereby prompts them to give sincere opinions for improvement
6. Audit clearance is sometimes mandatory for getting certification & hence
organisation shall be compelled to keep their activities well

OUTLINE THE POWERS OF ENFORCEMENT INSPECTORS

1. To enter the premises at almost any time, where it is believed that dangerous state
exists or does not conform to the prescribed standards
2. To carry out any investigation & examinations, taking photographs, vedeos,
drawings, measurements, taking samples
3. To direct that whole or part of premises be kept undisturbed to facilitate special & an
intense detail examination
4. To dismantle any item or substance, which according to them is harmful to health
5. To question the employees to collect more in depth details
6. Prosecute the employer for any breach of statutory provisions

OUTLINE WHY MANAGERS OF AN ORGANISATION NOT CONSIDER HEALTH & SAFETY

TO BE A PRIORITY?
 Health & Safety has to compete with many other Management prioirities including those of
production & services, which is generally considered to be the main objective of the
organisation. Unfortunately OSH is sometimes taken as an unproductive expenditure which
conflicts with the motto of low cost production or services.

OUTLINE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR AN EMPLOYER OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH

HEALTH & SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES

Non-compliance may lead to penalizing by fines or/and

Prosecution through criminal courts
Also may warrant payment of compensation
May lead to permanent or partial prohibition of further activity

OUTLINE THE ROLE OF EVALUATION IN HEALTH & SAFETY SYSTEM

To ensure that the plan & implementation of OSH program is working efficiently
To monitor that the safety systems and measures conform to the desired standard
And to indicate the extent of non-conformity in the plan & implantation, so as to bring
forth desired correction

OUTLINE WHY HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY OF TWO ORGANISATIONS, BOTH DOING
SIMILAR WORK, BE DIFFERENT

Policy is the organizational arrangement made in conformity with various influential external
& internal factors including size, nature & operational arrangements, which differ from
organization to organization. As such the policy may also differ accordingly, even though
the nature work being done is same.

OUTLINE WHAT AN ORGANISATIONAL CHART SHOW

Hierarchy of roles, responsibilities for health & safety and the lines of accountability are
shown through the organizational chart. This also indicates the line of communication and
the feedback flow

OUTLINE THE RESPONSIBILITY PLACED ON PEOPLE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR

ARTICLES & SUBSTANCES THAT THEY SUPPLY TO WORKPLACES

Ensure that the products rendered by them are safe & without risk to health
Carry out necessary tests & confirm the acceptability of products
Provide end-users with information about the article, the intended use, the limitations,
the procedure for operation, inherent hazards
and in case of any undesired eventualities what to do

OUTLINE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLIENT AND CONTRACTOR WHERE A CONTRACTOR IS

WORKING IN A CLIENT’S WORK PLACE
 The client shall have the overall responsibility for the safety of the premises including the
buildings for people working within and as employer for the safety of his/her own workers.
He shall be responsible for the safety of anyone else in the premises or outside when he or
his people undertake any work and also to public safety primarily when any activity is done
within his premises by his worker and partially when done by those of the contractor. The
Contractor shall be responsible for the safety of his people and the for the impact of his work
on other people within the premises, including public

OUTLINE HOW PEERS EXERT INFLUENCE OVER HIS/HER BAHAVIOUR

Social groups getting formed within the work place act as an influential entity, which
modulates the behavior of the individual member to be in conformity with group shares
views, ideology & thoughts. One or more group leaders may play an important role in
exercising influence on the rest of the members of the group

OUTLINE WHAT IS PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION & HOW MAY IT ARISE

Perception distortion occurs when brain does not perceive something in its proper manner.
This happens when the people are not competent, when they have any mental retardation,
when they are stressed, when they are absent minded, when they have illness, when they
are not properly trained, when they are intoxicated by alcohol or drugs

OUTLINE THE PRIORITY IN INDUCTION TRAINING

Induction is the activity of introducing a new employee into the workplace. He has to be
therefore briefed about what to do, what not to do, how to do, what are the hazards, what if
anything happens, what are the emergency procedure, what are the contacts one can avail
and what all facilities are available in the work place, including basic facilities, the first aid
services, Fire marshals and whom to intimate in case of any untoward incident etc

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

Induction is the activity of introducing a new employee into the workplace. He has to be
therefore briefed about what to do, what not to do, how to do, what are the hazards, what if
anything happens, what are the emergency procedure, what are the contacts one can avail
and what all facilities are available in the work place, including basic facilities, the first aid
services, Fire marshals and whom to intimate in case of any untoward incident etc
REASON WHY DISTINCTION BETWEEN HAZARDS AND RISKS SO IMPORTANT IN
HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Hazards generally exists in the workplace and may not be avoidable totally whereas risk due
to the hazard can be mitigated by responsive action and therefore the focus of OSH
Management is to identify the hazards and eliminate or reduce the risk

TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFYING HAZARDS

Inspection,
Job Analysis,
Analysis of incident data,
Examination of legislative requirement,
manufacturer’s information leaflet on products,
Information forthcoming from other establishments etc

CONDITIONS WHICH MIGHT TRIGGER A RISK ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Changes in legislation Recurring accidents or patterns of ill-

Changes in work practices health
Installation of new Enforcement action
machinery/equipment Safety audit/investigation
New information on hazards/risk Increased absenteeism of work force

FIVE STEPS INVOLVED IN RISK ASSESSMENT

Identification of hazards
Who shall be affected by the hazard
Evaluate the risk
Decide on precautions
Record findings & Implement
Review & update

FACTORS USED TO EVALUATE RISK

The likelihood of the risk

The severity of the risk

WHEN SHOULD PPE BE USED

When the residual risk is considered more than the normally acceptable level, either by
severity or by the likelihood, PPE is resorted as the final resort to mitigate the impact
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH & SAFETY

Internal
Incident data Surveys
Medical records Sampling
Absence record Tours,
Risk assessment Safety Committee Meetings
Maintenance reports Workers’ feed back
Audits Safety Policy
External
National legislation Enforcement Authority
Manufacturer’s manual directives
Information from safety Publication by ILO or ISO
journals

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK

The safe system of work is the formal practice of identifying the hazards, judging the risks,
incorporating sufficient controls, prescribing appropriate PPE and monitor progress
continuously & review the system periodically or when necessity arises.

DIFFERENTIATE TECHNICAL, PROCEDURAL & BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS

Technical Control is applied on the hazards directly, while the procedural control is applied
on the process of doing work and the behavioral control is applicable to the people behavior
& conduct at the work place

IMPORTANCE OF INSTRUCTION, TRAINING & SUPERVISION IN SAFE SYSTEM

These three are the tools with Management to ensure that the people at work are competent
and also that they do the work as stipulated. Instructions & training impart knowledge & skill
respectively whereas the supervision shall ensure the work is being done in the prescribed
manner

HEALTH & SAFETY AUDITING

Is an independent act of assessing the effectiveness, efficiency and reliability of the total
health & safety management system and suggesting correction/improvements, wherever felt
needed. Being external, the safety audit is an overall assessment of the existing system by
an expert who by having auditing elsewhere, may have better knowledge of practices being
done in the other similar establishments within the industry
DIFFERENTAITE AUDIT WITH INSPECTION

Audit
Assess the health & Safety Management System as a whole
Primarily on review of documentary evidences/ observations & interview of
personnel
Long & Comprehensive report
Done annually
Both Internal & External Audits are conducted
Is a strategic tool to bring up the safety system to a better level

Inspection
Assess the effectiveness of the existing practice & control systems
Generally confined to a particular department or particular process
Based on observations & interview of people and limited scruitiny of documents
Short report on corrective action needed
Done more frequently – weekly, monthly or as desired by Management
Focuses the existing system, practices & equipment’s