https://hsebox.

com/2021/04/27/element-1-foundation-in-health-safety/

Element 1: Foundation in Health &

Safety.
What is an accident?
 An unwanted, unplanned event that results in a loss of some kind.
 What is an Incident or Near miss?
 An unwanted, unplanned event that had the potential to result in a loss.
 What is a Hazard?
 Something with the potential to cause harm.
 What is Risk?
 The likelihood that harm will occur and the severity of the harm.

Why manage health and safety?

There are 3 major reasons why an employer should manage health and safety in
the workplace:

 Moral,
 Legal,
 Financial,

The main goal is to:

 Reduced accidents,
 Reduced loss through damage to equipment,
 Reduced absenteeism,
 Reduced insurance premiums,
 Improved morale,
 Improved company reputation,
 Reduced fines,
 Reduced compensation claims,
 Increased likelihood of securing business,
What is the difference between Civil and
Criminal Law?
Civil: to compensate an injured party for loss as a consequence of an accident or
ill health,

Criminal: To punish and deter individuals/Organisations from behaving in a way

that society has decided is unacceptable,

Fault Liability:
 There was a duty of care owed to the injured party.
 The duty of care was breached (Negligence).
 The breach caused injury or loss.

What must an employer provide?

 Safe place of work and safe access and egress,
 Safe systems of work,
 Safe plant and equipment,
 Information, Instruction, Training and supervision,
 Safe and competent fellow workers.

What are the hidden costs of accidents?

 Lost Time,
 Extra wages, overtime payments, temporary workers,
 Sick pay,
 Fines,
 Legal costs,
 Claims,
 Damage to equipment,
 Repairs to plant and equipment,
 Production delays,
  Loss of contracts,
 Increased insurance premiums,
 Loss of business reputation.

Why there are some variations of

Legislation between countries?
The principal reasons that create some variation in the legislation between
countries are:

 Different legal systems,

 Different standards of legislation and enforcement,
 Different penalties for breaches,
 Religious and cultural issues,
 Knowledge of enforcement bodies,
 Funding of enforcement staff,
 Degree of monitoring/reporting to enforcement authorities,
 Political pressure.

What are the principal sources of

Information organizations should use?
The sources of information are internal and external.

Internal.
Regarding internal information can be used for example:

 Risk assessments,
 Policies,
 Inspection reports,
 Medical records
 Health and safety committees
 Plant registers
 Safety advisors
  Etc.

External.
 Government bodies,
 National safety organizations,
 Suppliers and manufacturers,
 International standards,
 Consultants and specialists,
 Insurance companies

What are the most important steps to

have in place a successful Management
system?
To maintain a successful health and safety management system in place the
organization needs to ensure is following these simple six steps:

1. Policy:

Health and safety aims of the organization, health and safety objectives, and
management commitment.

 Organizing:

Competence, commitment, and control, Cooperation, Communication.

 Planning and Implementation:

Identify hazards, assess risks, and decide how risks can be eliminated or
controlled. Sets standards against which performance can be measured.

 Measuring Performance:
Be used as a means of determining the extent to which health and safety policy
and objectives are being implemented and should be both reactive and
proactive.

 Reviewing:

Analyzing data gathered through monitoring to see whether performance is

adequate.

 Audit:

Systematic critical examination of each stage of an organization’s management

systems and procedures.