Health, Safety and Industrial Environment

(HSE)
ME381
Lecture # 2

Dr. Muhammad Ali Shahbaz

HSE Policy

 Every organization should have a clear policy for the management of health and safety so that everybody
associated with the organization is aware of its health and safety aims and objectives.
 For a policy to be effective, it must be honoured in the spirit as well as the letter.
 A good health and safety policy will also enhance the performance of the organization in areas other than
health and safety, help with the personal development of the workforce and reduce financial losses.

Key elements of HSE Policy

 A health and safety policy statement of intent
• includes the health and safety aims and objectives of the organization
 The health and safety organization
• Positions and their duties
 The health and safety arrangements
• in terms of systems and procedures

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HSE Policy: Statement of intent

 Typically, the regulatory authorities require companies to have a well-documented safety policy.

 Must be written in clear and simple language

 Should be brief and broken into series of smaller statements
 It must contain:
• Aims
• Objectives
• “The statement should be signed and dated by the most senior person in the organization. This will demonstrate management
commitment to health and safety and give authority to the policy. It will indicate where ultimate responsibility lies and the frequency with
which the policy statement is reviewed”

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 HSE Policy: statement of intent

 Aims
• the aims should cover health and safety, welfare and relevant environmental issues
• the position of the senior person in the organization or company who is responsible for health and safety (normally the
chief executive)
• the names of the Health and Safety Adviser and any safety representatives
• a commitment to the basic requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act
• (assessments, safe plant and systems of work, use, handling, transport and handling of articles and substances,
information, training and supervision)
• a commitment to the additional requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (risk
assessment, emergency procedures, health surveillance and employment of competent persons)
• duties towards the wider general public and others (contractors, customers, students, etc.)
• the principal hazards in the organization
• specific policies of the organization (e.g. smoking policy, violence to staff, etc.)
• a commitment to employee consultation possibly using a safety committee or plant council
• duties of employees (particularly those defined in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations)
• specific performance targets for the immediate and long term future.

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HSE performance targets

 they indicate that there is management commitment to improve health and safety performance
 they motivate the workforce with tangible goals resulting, perhaps, in individual or collective rewards
 they offer evidence during the monitoring, review and audit phases of the management system.

The type of target chosen depends very much on the areas which need the greatest improvement in the
organization. The following list, which is not exhaustive,shows common health and safety performance targets:

 a specific reduction in the number of accidents, incidents and cases of work-related ill-health (perhaps to zero)
 a reduction in the level of sickness absence
 a specific increase in the number of employees trained in health and safety
 an increase in the reporting of minor accidents and ‘near miss’ incidents
 a reduction in the number of civil claims
 no enforcement notices from the HSE or Local Authority
 a specific improvement in health and safety audit scores
 the achievement of a nationally recognised health and safety management standard, such as OHSAS 18001.

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HSE Policy: Statement of intent

 The policy statement of intent should be posted on prominent notice boards throughout the workplace
 brought to the attention of all employees at induction and refresher training sessions.
 It can also be communicated to the workforce during team briefing sessions, at ‘toolbox’ talks which are
conducted at the workplace or directly by email, intranet, newsletters or booklets.
 It should be a permanent item on the agenda for health and safety committee meetings where it should be
reviewed at each meeting.

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 A sample HSE policy statement

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HSE policy organization

Three key areas

 Positions/responsibilities
 Resources provision
 Certain Key functions defined

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HSE policy organization

Positions/responsibilities
 directors and senior managers (responsible for setting policy, objectives and targets)
 supervisors (responsible for checking day-to-day compliance with the policy)
 safety advisers (responsible for giving advice during accident investigations and on compliance issues)
 other specialist, such as an occupational nurse, chemical analyst and an electrician (responsible for giving
specialist advice on particular health and safety issues)
 safety representatives (responsible for representing employees during consultation meetings on health and
safety issues with the employer)
 employees (responsible for taking reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others who may
be affected by their acts or omissions)
 fire marshals (responsible for the safe evacuation of the building in an emergency)
 first aiders (responsible for administering first aid to injured persons)

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 HSE policy organization

For the health and safety organization to work successfully, it must be supported from the top
(preferably at Board level) and some financial resource made available.

Important key functions to be included in the organization structure include:

 accident investigation and reporting
 health and safety training and information
 health and safety monitoring and audit
 health surveillance
 monitoring of plant and equipment and its maintenance
 liaison with external agencies
 management and/or employee safety committees
 the management committee will monitor day to day problems and any concerns of the employee health and
safety committee

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HSE policy organization

 The role of the health and safety adviser is to provide specialist information to managers in the organization
and to monitor the effectiveness of health and safety procedures. The adviser is not ‘responsible’ for health
and safety or its implementation; that is the role of the line managers.
 Finally the job descriptions, which define the duties of each person in the health and safety organizational
structure, must not contain responsibility overlaps or blur chains of command. Each individual must be clear
about his/her responsibilities and the limits of those responsibilities.

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HSE policy arrangement

 Details about systems & procedures for HSE implementation

• employee health and safety code of practice
• accident and illness reporting and investigation procedures
• emergency procedures, first aid procedures for undertaking risk assessments
• control of exposure to specific hazards (noise, vibration, radiation, manual handling, hazardous substances etc.)
• machinery safety (including safe systems of work, lifting and pressure equipment)
• electrical equipment (maintenance and testing)
• maintenance procedures
• permits to work procedures
• use of personal protective equipment
• Details about systems & procedures for HSE implementation
• employee health and safety code of practice
• accident and illness reporting and investigation procedures
• emergency procedures, first aid procedures for undertaking risk assessments

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 HSE policy arrangement

 Details about systems & procedures for HSE implementation

• control of exposure to specific hazards (noise, vibration, radiation, manual handling, hazardous substances etc.)
• machinery safety (including safe systems of work, lifting and pressure equipment)
• electrical equipment (maintenance and testing)
• maintenance procedures
• permits to work procedures
• use of personal protective equipment
• monitoring procedures including health and safety inspections and audits
• procedures for the control and safety of contractors and visitors
• provision of welfare facilities
• training procedures and arrangements
• catering and food hygiene procedures
• arrangements for consultation with employees
• terms of reference and constitution of the safety committee
• procedures and arrangements for waste disposal.

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The three sections of the health and safety policy are usually kept together in a health and
safety manual and copies distributed around the organization.

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HSE Policy review

Reasons to review the policy

 significant organizational changes have taken place
 there have been changes in personnel
 there have been changes in legislation
 the monitoring of risk assessments or accident/ incident investigations indicate that the health and safety
policy is no longer totally effective
 enforcement action has been taken by the HSE or Local Authority
 a sufficient period of time has elapsed since the previous review.

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 HSE Policy review

A positive promotion of health and safety performance will achieve far more than simply
prevent accidents and ill-health.

 support the overall development of personnel

 improve communication and consultation throughout the organization
 minimize financial losses due to accidents and ill-health and other incidents
 directly involve senior managers in all levels of the organization
 improve supervision, particularly for young persons and those on occupational training courses
 improve production processes
 improve the public image of the organization or company.

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Reasons for failure of HSE policy

 the statements in the policy and the health and safety priorities are not understood by or properly
communicated to the workforce
 minimal resources are made available for the implementation of the policy
 too much emphasis on rules for employees and too little on management policy
 a lack of parity with other activities of the organization (such as finance and quality control) due to mistaken
concerns about the costs of health and safety and the effect of those costs on overall performance. This
attitude produces a poor health and safety culture
 lack of senior management involvement in health and safety, particularly at board level
 employee concerns that their health and safety issues not being addressed or that they are not receiving
adequate health and safety information. This can lead to low morale amongst the workforce and, possibly, high
absenteeism
 high labour turnover
 inadequate personal protective equipment
 unsafe and poorly maintained machinery and equipment
 a lack of health and safety monitoring procedures.

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Check list for assessment in Appendix 2.1

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