Element 2: How health and safety management systems work and

what they look like

1. What are the key elements of ILO OSH 2001?

a) Policy (Plan) – A clear statement has to be made to establish health and safety as a prime
commitment of management at all levels of the organisation, but particularly at the top.
Organising (Plan) – A framework of roles and responsibilities for health and safety must be created
within the organisation, from senior management down to the front-line workers, including the
appointment of specialist staff.
Planning and implementing (Do) – Detailed arrangements must be made for the management of
health and safety. Central to this idea is the concept of risk assessment and the identification and
implementation of safe systems of work and protective measures.
Evaluation (Check) – Methods must be devised to monitor and review the effectiveness of the
arrangements put into place. This might be done reactively (e.g. by reviewing accident and ill-health
statistics), or actively (e.g. by reviewing inspection reports).
Audit (Check) – Arrangements must be made for the independent, systematic and critical
examination of the SMS to ensure that all parts are working acceptably well.
Action for improvement (Act) – Any shortcomings identified by the review process must be
corrected as soon as possible by making whatever adjustments are necessary to the policy,
organisation and arrangements for implementation.
Continual improvement – The intention is that the SMS will not remain static but will develop over
time to become increasingly appropriate and useful to the organisation that it exists to serve.
2. What are the benefits of having a formal/certified health and safety management system?
a) The benefits of having a formal/certified health and safety management system are:
 Reduction of workplace incidents.
 Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, leading to increased productivity.
 Reduced cost of insurance premiums.
 Creation of a health and safety culture, whereby employees are encouraged to take an
active role in their own OH&S.
 Reinforced leadership commitment to proactively improve OH&S performance • Ability to
meet legal and regulatory requirements.
 Enhanced reputation.
 Improved staff morale.
3. Define health and safety policy and its role?
a) A health and safety policy is a written statement by an employer stating the company's
commitment for the protection of the health and safety of employees and to the public. It is an
endorsed commitment by management to its employees regarding their health and safety.
Role of health and safety policy:
A health and safety policy ensure’ s that the employer complies with the Occupational Safety and
Health Act and relevant state legislation. It provides guidelines for establishing and implementing
programs that will reduce workplace hazards, protect lives and promote employee health.
4. What are the Three Parts of a Health and Safety Policy?
a) General Statement of Intent: - It is a written document which shows the commitment of the
management towards the health and safety in the organisation while complying with the law.
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.
The most senior manager is normally the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or the Managing Director. It
is the responsibility of the CEO (or equivalent) to ensure that the health and safety policy is
developed and communicated to all employees in the organization.
Organisation Section: - This section deals with identifying the health and safety responsibilities
within the company and ensure effective delegation and reporting.
It outlines the chain of command for health and safety management, by showing the
responsibilities, accountabilities and clear reporting structure of the persons at different levels. This
section shows the hierarchy of the management within the company and delegate the
responsibilities accordingly. The responsibilities of CEO or MD, line managers, supervisors, safety
officers, employees, competent persons.
Arrangement Section: - This section sets out the details of the specific systems and procedures that
aim to assist in implementation of the general policy.
This is often the largest section of the policy. It deals with the general arrangements that exist to
manage health and safety and the specific arrangements that are necessary to deal with particular
risks relevant to the organisation.
General health and safety management arrangements:
 Carrying out risk assessments.
 Identifying and supplying health and safety information, instruction and training.
 Accident and near-miss reporting, recording and investigation.
 Consultation with workers on health and safety matters.
  Developing safe systems of work and permit-to-work systems to control hazards.
 Welfare and first-aid provision.
 Housekeeping.
 Fire safety and prevention.
 Emergency procedures.
 Communication of health and safety matters, including hazards and control measures.
 Compliance monitoring, including auditing of systems but also measuring workplace
parameters (e.g. noise, to assess the effectiveness of the arrangements).
5. What health and safety targets might usefully be included in the Statement of Intent section of a
health and safety policy?
a) An employer may identify a range of targets in the Statement of Intent. These could include:
 The organisation’s compliance with the law.
 The provision of a safe working environment with safe equipment and procedures.
 The development of risk assessments for business activities.
 The provision of information and training to employees as a result of the risk assessments.
 Targets to reduce the accident rate in the organisation.
 A target to carry out active monitoring to reduce workplace hazards.
6. What are the circumstances that may lead to a need to review the health and safety
management system?
a) The circumstances that may lead to a need to review the health and safety management system
are:
 Technological changes (e.g. introduction of new plant or processes).
 Organisational changes (e.g. changes to key personnel, such as a new CEO or MD, or
changes to the management structure of the organisation).
 Legal changes, such as the introduction of new legislation applicable to the organisation.
 Changes to the type of work that the organisation does (e.g. when work arrangements
change).
 Where an audit, investigation or risk assessment suggests the policy is no longer effective.
 When requested by a third party, such as an insurance company or client.
 Following enforcement action.
 Following consultation with the workforce.
 A change of buildings, workplace or worksite.
 After a certain amount of time has passed since the last review (e.g. an annual review is a
common practice).
The aim of the review is to make sure that the policy is up-to-date and accurate. The date of the last
review should be recorded on policy documents to indicate how current they are.