Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ELEMENT 1
1.1 MORALS AND MONEY
n Advise on the main duties for health and safety in the workplace and help their
organisation manage contractors.
01
SYLLABUS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
n Discuss the moral, financial and legal reasons for managing health and safety in the
workplace
n Explain how health and safety is regulated and the consequences for non-
compliance.
visitors, members of the public, customers suitable working hours, returning home to
and suppliers, extending our social and public spend more time with family and friends, and
expectations. being free from illness and injury.
It is also deemed socially moral for organ- The media puts much emphasis on the
isations to seek to prevent and/or reduce restrictions of health and safety, often using
accidents and injuries, including the pain and “The world gone mad” scenarios, which have
suffering of employees. prevented events going ahead, or restricted
Morally, it is not acceptable to put employees the liberties of individuals, and citing health
at risk or to expect them to risk life or limb in and safety (mostly incorrectly) as the cause.
order for the organisation to make money or The extent of the problem that is faced is
to achieve its goals. undermined by such reporting and does
Ultimately, it is unacceptable to put people nothing to promote the positivity that actively
at risk from health and safety failures. caring for health and safety brings.
Regardless of work activity, no one should be
Who does not want to be safe and healthy!
at risk of injury, illness, or death.
Both at work and at home, it is our moral right
The social attitude to work has undergone a and should be reported as such, in the media
considerable change, from previously tolerat- and within organisations. Health and safety
ing poor working environments and conditions still has a long way to go, as nationally and
and accepting injuries and ill health as part internationally the accident rates are still too
of the job, to currently having high expecta- high and we are still getting things wrong, as
tions of a comfortable working environment, the statistics below confirm.
INFORMATION FOR
NATIONAL STUDENTS
The information within this
section is required for the
national syllabus but can also be
studied by international students
providing information on UK
legislation.
According to the ILO, their figures reveal The human cost of this daily adversity is
(2019): vast, and the economic burden of poor
occupational safety and health practices is
n More than 2.78 million deaths per year
estimated at 3.94 per cent of global Gross
n Additionally, there are some 374 million Domestic Product each year.
non-fatal work-related injuries each
year, resulting in more than 4 days of You can access the latest figures via:
absences from work. https://www.ilo.org/global/
n Working children suffer 12 million occu- topics/safety-and-health-at-
pational accidents and an estimated work/lang--en/index.htm
12,000 of them are fatal
n Asbestos alone kills more than 100,000
workers every year.
Of course, the moral argument should be the physical, or psychological); impact on health
most compelling and relies on the premise or their state of well-being, then this argument
that, “everyone wants to do the right thing, takes precedent over “getting the work out
to ensure either themselves or others are the door”.
not harmed”. The moral argument is also
Health and safety is not just concerned with
described as, “what a reasonable person
objects and premises; predominantly the
would do”.
objective is to protect people. To do this
Sometimes this premise can be lost in the introduces a broader challenge because it is
pursuit of profit as that is where the focus is in extremely difficult to legislate for behaviour.
business terms. The proactive management of health and
safety at work helps organisations prevent
The moral thing to do of course is ensure
injuries and ill-health and if this is carried
suitable provisions are made within each
out effectively, the organisation will see the
organisation to ensure the balance is in
rewards in increased morale, productivity,
the favour of the moral expectations. If the
trust, confidence, and increased reputation as
employer is unreasonably exposing its work-
being an organisation that actively cares for
force to situations that could endanger them,
its employees. This in turn results in a suc-
leading to either loss of life; injury (mental,
cessful profitable business.
Direct and indirect costs insurance to cover for injuries and ill health
experienced by their employees while at work.
When an accident occurs, there are two types
of costs that are accrued: Employers may also have insurance for
accidents involving vehicles, and possibly
Direct costs are concerned with the imme- third-party, buildings insurance or product
diate costs of the accident and will include liability insurance. However, insurance
damage to any equipment, the loss of the policies only cover a small proportion of the
worker if they have to take a leave of absence costs of accidents. It is important you check
and potentially fines or compensation. Some your organisation’s policy to understand the
of which may be insurable. scope of cover.
Indirect costs are concerned with the less
obvious costs, such as replacement labour, Uninsured costs
clean up after the incident, loss of sales, and The uninsured costs are estimated at about
loss of confidence of the workforce, which ten times the amount of the actual incident.
may result in employees deciding to leave These consist mostly of indirect costs, such
the company. In general, you cannot insure as, the repair or replacement of damaged
against indirect cost. machinery or work equipment and the need to
hire additional equipment or additional labour.
The following diagram illustrates that the
insured costs are just the tip of the iceberg. Effective health and safety can improve
Beneath are far more substantial costs that production and product quality, and boost
cannot be insured against. motivation within the workforce. This in turn
helps to lower the staff turnover rate and
to save on such costs as retraining and job
advertising.
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
Health and safety made simple: This guide is for those who want some basic
information on what they must do to ensure
the basics for your business they comply with health and safety law.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/
indg449.pdf
The health and safety toolbox: Packed with simple, straightforward advice,
this book covers the most common workplace
how to control risks at work hazards. It shows how most small to medi-
um-sized businesses can put measures in
place to control the risks.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/
priced/hsg268.pdf
CASE STUDY
n Sources of law
u Statute law: the legal status and relationships between Acts of Parliament,
regulations, approved codes of practice, official guidance; absolute and
qualified duties (practicable and reasonably practicable)
u Common law: precedents and case law; the importance of common law
u Relevance of statute and common law to criminal and civil law
01
n Types of law
u Criminal law: offence against the state; prosecution to establish guilt; burden
and onus of proof (see s40 Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974)
u Civil law: private individual seeking compensation; burden of proof; statute
barred
13
LEGISLATION
The Health and Safety at Work etc., Act (1974)
Aim is to set out general duties which employers have towards employees
and members of the public and employees have to themselves and to each
other. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents
some other means to prove that the meas- advice contained in ACOPs and provides
ures adopted achieve compliance with the information that an organisation can adopt
Regulations in question. and incorporate into procedures and safe
working practices. Although it holds no
Due to the nature of these Codes of
legal standing and cannot be used in a court
Practice, they are easier to amend than
of law as a reason for prosecution, it may
legislation, so the guidance can be given
be referred to in court as a fair argument of
to industry more quickly than having to
what may have been done to prevent injury
go through an amendment stage or the
and/or ill-health.
parliamentary process. It is recommended
that these are always used as a first point of Absolute and qualified duties
reference when requiring interpretation of It is important to know that the requirement
legislation. You generally get the Regulation, to fulfil legal duties does vary between leg-
ACOP and guidance in one document. islation, and in some cases, within the same
legislation. There are 3 levels of duty, and all
must be complied with by the duty holder:
imprisonment. The Magistrates decide if S40 of the Health and Safety at Work etc.
there is sufficient evidence to try the case Act 1974.
and can refer it to the Crown Court. There is
no time limit. Civil law: private individual seeking
Burden and onus of proof
compensation; burden of proof;
statute barred
The burden and onus of proof is that the
prosecution must convince the judge and Civil law is mainly concerned with common
jury, through the degree of evidence pro- law, as the title suggests, it is more to do
duced (generally about 90%) to establish with civil wrongs. It is not generally a crime
guilt beyond all reasonable doubt. under statute law that has been committed
here, but in health and safety terms, a wrong
This high degree often leads to acquittal, (or a civil tort or delict in Scotland) has been
even when the authority trying the case committed against another individual.
feels that the guilt of the accused, based on
the evidence, is more probable than their A civil action can be brought against
innocence. Even so, if the slightest doubt someone when the other party feels that a
as to the guilt of the accused is created in wrongdoing has been committed against
the mind of the Court, they are given the them. Generally, a private individual seeking
benefit of the doubt and their innocence compensation for the wrongdoing.
proclaimed.
Civil law aims to restore justice to those
The burden and onus of proof, which is who have been wrongfully harmed and
beyond a reasonable doubt as outlined in this is generally accomplished or decided
upon by looking at past cases, as discussed
above in Common Law, to see if there is any regarding personal injuries due to a tort for
past precedent they can use regarding the negligence or breach of duty, the time limit
resolution. to submit the claim is 3 years from the date
of knowledge or date of injury.
Civil law is based on decisions made by
judges (from common law past precedents) Within this Act, there are different limitation
and aims to award compensation to restore periods for different types of cause of
the claimant (the person bringing the claim) action. For example, the limitation period
to the same position prior to the wrongful is six years for a normal contract claim but
act. To be found in breach of civil law does 12 years if the contract was created by
not necessarily mean that any crime has deed. If the claim is brought to the court
been committed. outside of this time it will be barred, and the
claimant may be prevented from continuing
Burden of proof with the claim against the employer. So it is
The burden of proof is based on the balance necessary to determine whether or not the
of probabilities. This is a lesser standard limitation period has already expired.
than in a criminal case. Civil law needs
If a claim proceeds out of time, the defend-
a minimum proof of 51% for a case to be
ant will be able to plead the defence of
successful under the balance of probability.
limitation and the claimant will have the
Essentially, an employer is 100% respon-
burden of proving that the cause of action
sible for their duty of care, but if they can
arose within the relevant statutory period.
demonstrate that they have taken reasona-
ble actions, such as provided training, safe
systems of work, suitable equipment, etc.,
Criminal law liabilities
the percentage of probabilities decreases. The following diagram illustrates the UK
The judge will award compensation accord- court structure and both branches which
ing to the extent of probability. If the judge relate to Civil and Criminal Law.
thinks the case is 70% right, they will award
more than if the judge thinks the claimant is
The roles functions and powers of:
only 60% correct.
The Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) / HSE Northern Ireland
Damages are intended to return the claimant (HSENI), Procurator Fiscal (Scotland)
to their original position before the injury. and local authorities
Damages are split into two categories:
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) / HSE
n General (for non-monetary loss, e.g., Northern Ireland (HSENI), Procurator
pain and suffering) Fiscal (Scotland)
n Special (for financial loss, e.g., medical The role of the Health and Safety Executive
costs, lost earnings, etc.) is threefold. It advises the Secretary of
State in the creation and amendment of
Statute barred
regulations and also provides information
Claims may be statute barred (bar as in to and guidance for all industries. In addition,
prevent from bringing the claim under the the Health and Safety Executive provides
relevant statute) under the Limitations Act enforcement for directly regulated indus-
1980. Under the Limitations Act 1980 S11, tries, which we will learn more about.
The HSENI is a Northern Ireland non- and with the same authority as Health and
departmental public body sponsored by the Safety Executive Inspectors.
Department for the Economy. It is responsi-
Activities that are enforced by the Local
ble for the encouragement, regulation and
Authorities include:
enforcement of occupational health and
safety in Northern Ireland. Its functions are n Retail
similar to those of the Health and Safety
n Offices
Executive in the rest of the United Kingdom.
n Catering
HSE and HSENI collaborate to ensure the
n Hotels and guest houses
effective delivery in the UK of the promotion
and enforcement of health and safety at n Restaurants
work standards. n Leisure facilities
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal n Churches and places of worship
Service (COPFS) is Scotland’s prosecution n Car parking facilities
service. They receive reports about crimes
from the police and other reporting agen- Fire Authorities
cies and then decide what action to take, Since the introduction of the Regulatory
including whether to prosecute someone Reform (Fire Safety) Order in 2005,
and also look into deaths that need further Fire Authorities are now involved with
explanation. enforcement for fire-related compliance.
Fire Inspectors have the same rights and
Local Authorities (LAs)
authority as Health and Safety Executive
Local Authorities provide enforcement Inspectors and have the ability to issue
for industries that are not directly regu- improvement and prohibition notices for
lated by the Health and Safety Executive. fire-related breaches. Their authority does
This is achieved through Local Authority not extend to the enforcement of any other
Inspectors, who work to the same guidance health and safety breaches or practices,
except for fire.
Why fees for intervention (FFI) payable for handling disputes that are not
are charged (material breach of upheld and will be applied to all HSE staff
legislation) involved in responding to the dispute.
Under regulations 23 to 25 of the Health The introduction of the FFI has firmly estab-
and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012, the lished the HSE as an enforcement body and
Health and Safety Executive have been not an advisory service.
able to recover costs for carrying out some
It helps to ensure compliance, which in turn
of its activities from those organisations
makes enforcement action, such as notices
found to be in material breach of health and
and prosecution that potentially lead to fines
safety law.
and imprisonment, less likely to occur.
This cost recovery approach is known as a
Controlling the risks effectively within the
Fee for Intervention (FFI) and is intended to
workplace also prevents serious injury,
shift enforcement costs from public funding
which reduces the likelihood of civil claims
to those organisations that breach the law.
from those seeking compensation for losses
The FFI charges apply when the HSE inspec- or injuries.
tor identifies a ‘material breach’, which is
where an organisation has breached (failed Powers of inspectors (see s20 of the
to carry out a duty or break a contract) a Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
health and safety law and the HSE inspector 1974)
believes this is serious enough for them to
Provisions for the powers of Inspectors are
take action. This will either be a notification
set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc.
of contravention, an improvement or prohibi-
Act 1974 under Section 20, which permits
tion notice, or a prosecution.
them to stop works where necessary, issue
The fees include site visits, time spent notices and begin prosecution in cases of
writing letters or investigating a case and/ serious breaches.
or any other activities related to the material
Inspectors also have the right to be involved
breach, including charging for anyone else
in accident investigations.
conducting work for the HSE. As of 2021
the fees chargeable are £160 per hour. An Inspector may choose to visit a particu-
Keep your eye on these fees as they do go lar organisation for a number of reasons:
up annually. Such charges are usually not to carry out routine inspections; to follow
covered by company insurance. The HSE
retains a percentage of all money raised,
with the balance going to the Treasury.
It is also within their rights to request assis- n There does not have to be a breach of
tance or facilitation with the inspection from legislation for the notice to be served
relevant people with control or responsibility (although there normally will be), but in
within the organisation. their opinion there is likely to be.
n The notice will prevent the use of the
The Inspector also has the right to take
equipment or premises in question.
authorised people or equipment/materials
with them on a visit. n Failure to comply with the notice is a
criminal offence. A typical example is
Inspectors may also test any article or an unsafe scaffold or a missing machine
substance and take samples. guard.
co-operate. They may wish to take pho- Penalties for failing to comply
tographs of site conditions and possibly Prosecution may follow for failure to
statements comply with enforcement or where there is
n Decide whether the information available non-compliance, such as:
is strong enough to support the notice if
n Obstructing an inspector
the duty holder appeals.
n Contravention of a requirement imposed
Generally, a notice is serviced immediately by inspector
on hand on site, posted to or left at the n Preventing others from appearing before
recipients’ proper address and the receipt of an inspector
the notice must be confirmed accepted.
n Contravening a prohibition or improve-
Right and effects of an appeal ment notice
Under s24 of the Health and Safety at Work n Making a false statement
etc. Act 1974, an organisation can appeal n Falsifying records
against either notice at an Employment
n Preventing access of an inspector.
Tribunal, although any appeal must be
lodged with 21 days of receiving the notice.
A simple caution is defined in the EPS as: “a 6 months ordered by magistrates or 2 years
statement by an Inspector, that is accepted via the Crown Court. Crown Court cases
in writing by the duty holder, that the duty are heard by a judge and jury. In England
holder has committed an offence for which and Wales there are 12 members of the jury,
there is a realistic prospect of conviction. A while in Scotland there are 15.
simple caution may only be used where a
Disqualification of directors
prosecution could be properly brought.”
In addition to fines and imprisonment, The
Cautions are entirely different from the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
caution given by an Inspector prior to asking empowers a court to make a disqualification
questions of a suspect concerning an order against a person convicted of an
alleged offence. indictable offence (Crown Court).
CASE LAW
https://www.lawteacher.net/cases/donoghue-v-stevenson.php
Contributory negligence
This is a form of defence, albeit a partial
one, and involves the defendant taking The defence operates by asserting that the
responsibility for a proportion of the blame. plaintiff freely and voluntarily assumed the
risk that caused the injury, so should not be
Using this type of defence requires the
allowed to blame someone else.
defendant to identify not only their own
failures but also to apportion some of the Unlike contributory negligence, volenti is
blame to either a third party or the claimant. a total defence. That is, if it succeeds the
The claimant’s award is then reduced, or plaintiff gets nothing at all. However, to
can even be denied entirely, if they were to succeed, the defendant must show that
blame. the plaintiff consented to the actual risk
to which he or she was exposed, either of work, he is performing the duty of the
expressly or by inference. employer. The employer remains vicariously
responsible for the agent’s negligence.
Defences based on express consent are
relatively rare, but they do occur. A duty rests on the employer to take rea-
sonable care for the safety of his workmen,
The Employer’s legal duty to provide whether the employer is an individual, a
a safe place of work, safe plant firm or company, and whether or not the
and equipment, safe systems of employer takes any share in the conduct of
work, training and supervision, and the operations.
competent workers
These duties are owed by the employer and
The Common Law duties of an employer as such cannot be delegated to any other
were established in 1938, from the rulings person. Although the means to implement
passed in the case of Wilsons & Clyde Coal these provisions might be allocated to others
Co. Ltd v. English, see below. in the workforce to implement, the ultimate,
responsibility rests with the employer.
Where an agent is performing the
employer’s duty of providing a safe system
CASE LAW
n A Safe system of work and provision of It was therefore ruled under Common Law
competent employees. (not Statute), that the employer has a duty
to provide for his employees:
This obligation is fulfilled by the exercise of
due care and skill. The case was also n A safe place of work (including safe
important because it stated that those access/egress)
duties were owed personally by the
n Safe plant and equipment
employer to each employee and were
non-delegable, that is to say the n Safe systems of work
performance of those duties could be
delegated but the responsibility for their n Training and supervision
correct discharge could not. n Competent fellow employees.
https://www.lawteacher.net/cases/wilsons-and-clyde-coal-v-english.php
Timescales Initiate 3 years from knowing Six months for summary offences
about the loss (can be longer)
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
CASE STUDY
01
n Where you can find information on national standards.
LEGISLATION
The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention C155
Occupational safety and health convention (1981) (No. 155)
https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:
0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C155
33
the chemical, physical and biological regarding occupational safety and health
substances and agents under their and the working environment adapted
control are without risk to health when to the size of the undertaking and the
the appropriate measures of protection nature of its activities;
are taken. e) to provide, without any cost to the
3. Employers shall be required to provide, worker, adequate personal protective
where necessary, adequate protective clothing and equipment which are rea-
clothing and protective equipment to sonably necessary when hazards cannot
prevent, so far as is reasonably prac- be otherwise prevented or controlled;
ticable, risk of accidents or of adverse f) to ensure that work organisation, par-
effects on health. ticularly with respect to hours of work
and rest breaks, does not adversely
Each Nation will make suitable provision
affect occupational safety and health;
for this within their National Legislative
Framework. We will discuss these arrange- g) to take all reasonably practicable meas-
ments in more detail in later sections, it is ures with a view to eliminating excessive
vitally important that you are aware of the physical and mental fatigue;
pertinent legislation in the country/region in h) to undertake studies and research or
which you live and/or work. otherwise keep abreast of the scientific
and technical knowledge necessary to
Employers’ responsibilities R164 comply with the foregoing clauses.
recommendation 10
Workers’ responsibilities and
The obligations placed upon employers with
rights (C155 Article 19 and R164
a view to achieving the objective in Article
Recommendation 16)
16 of the Convention might include, as
appropriate for different branches of eco- As well as the requirements placed on the
nomic activity and different types of work, Employer, national legislation should also
the following: place responsibilities on the individual
workers involved. This is likely to extend to:
a) to provide and maintain workplaces,
machinery and equipment, and use n Taking reasonable care of themselves
work methods, which are as safe and and others
without risk to health as is reasonably n Co-operating with their Employer
practicable;
n Reporting hazards/near misses, etc.
b) to give necessary instructions and
n Attending health and safety training and
training, taking account of the functions
following instructions
and capacities of different categories of
workers; n Wearing Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE), using safety equipment, not inter-
c) to provide adequate supervision of work,
fering with safety equipment, etc.
of work practices and of application and
use of occupational safety and health C155 Article 19
measures;
There shall be arrangements at the level of
d) to institute organisational arrangements
the undertaking under which:
methods, such as accident and ill health problem solving solutions for particular risks.
data. This enables an organisation to
Manufacturer’s data is also invaluable;
understand the incidents that have caused
it will provide guidance on maintenance
injury, damage, or loss and to assess the
requirements, safe operations and the vital
weaknesses of the current arrangements.
statistics of any equipment or machinery
Absence records can also assist in under-
being used within the workplace.
standing the scope of absence from work
and the underlying causes. British, European and International
Standards provide further information and
There are also active monitoring records
compliance requirements and standardise
that can assist, such as completed Inspec
safety requirements so that at the purchas-
tions and maintenance reports. These can
ing stage an organisation can identify the
be used to assess how effectively arrange-
required standard and purchase appropri-
ments are being carried out and indicate
ately graded equipment.
areas where more investment or further
processes might be required. Trade associations publish a wealth of infor
mation on all aspects of safety, whether it
Audits can provide a wealth of structured
is in relation to working practices, particular
information, which systematically go
equipment or the human effects of the
through the arrangements and identify
workplace. Trade associations make survey
areas where compliance is strong and also
results known and have a larger resource
where it requires further development. Audit
than many individual organisations for the
scores can be used in setting targets and
commissioning of studies, so the reliability
objectives for the following year.
of the studies increases due to the numbers
Investigation reports provide a key oppor- involved.
tunity to understand failures and to identify
IT sources and encyclopaedias are a great
areas where improvements are required.
resource for the health and safety pro-
The use of internal information sources can fessional and ensure that the practitioner
be collated and used for comparison against or the organisation is kept up to date with
other companies within the same industry, developments, recent events and topical
this gives an organisation the opportunity discussions. In terms of sources of infor-
to measure itself against competitors and to mation that are provided by websites and
identify where improvements can be made publicity offices of national and international
and to develop a stronger position within agencies, it is important to be aware of:
the marketplace.
n International Labour Organisation (ILO)
External Sources of Information n Occupational Health and Safety
External information comes from a range Administration (for the USA)
of sources. Legislation and ILO guidance n European Agency for Safety and Health
provides critical sources that can be used by at Work (within the EU)
an organisation to firstly ensure compliance
n Health and Safety Executive (within the
and secondly outline areas for improvement
United Kingdom)
and further development. Such sources of
information can be of great assistance when n Worksafe (within Western Australia).
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
CASE STUDY
n Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974: Sections 2–4, 6–9, 36 and 37
LEGISLATION
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)
01
Requires employers to put in place arrangements to control health and
safety risks including health and safety policy, risk assessments, effective
planning, training and consulting with employees.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/contents/made
41
Section 2 (3)
Employers must prepare a written statement
of their policy, organisation and arrange-
ments for putting the policy into effect.
Which must be revised and updated as
necessary and bring the policy and arrange-
ments to the notice of all employees.
Section 2 (4-7)
These are the key sections that will give you Employer’s duties to consult with employ-
a greater understanding of the scope and ees both unionised and non-unionised.
requirements of this Act. Refer to the Consultation with Employees
Regulations 1996 and the Safety
Representatives and Safety Committees
Regulations 1996. More detail can be found
in Element 3.2.
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
Risk assessment: a brief guide This revised leaflet aims to help you iden-
tify, assess and control health and safety
to controlling risks in the
risks associated with workplace hazards
workplace – the guidance replaces ‘Five steps to risk
assessment’.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/
pubns/indg163.htm
CASE STUDY
n Roles of directors/managers/supervisors
01
help the organisation meet its health and safety obligations
u Reviewing health and safety performance
49
LEGISLATION
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention
C155 Article 17
Occupational safety and health convention (1981) (No. 155)
Convention C155 – Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
(No. 155) (ilo.org)
Every organisation has to ensure that it It is good practice for one Director from
clearly defines safety roles and respon- the Board to have overall responsibility for
sibilities across the workforce. The health and safety. This requires the Director
responsibilities will need to include provi- to formally accept the role and to show the
sions for anyone affected by the activities of collective Director responsibilities as well as
the organisation; this will include directors, their own individual responsibility to provide
managers and supervisors at all levels. health and safety leadership within the
organisation.
With the implementation of an effective
organisational structure, the policy will be Directors must ensure that Board decisions
brought to life (no longer just words on reflect their health and safety intentions and
paper gathering dust on a shelf). However, recognise their role in engaging the active
this means that persons with managerial participation of workers in improving health
responsibilities must know what they are and safety standards.
responsible for in order to fulfil their duties With this responsibility comes the require-
and only then will it be possible to measure ment to ensure that they are involved and
these individuals against then. kept informed of relevant health and safety
We will now discuss in detail, what the levels issues and to carry out an annual review
of responsibilities are likely to be for some of performance. The appointed Director
of the key roles. will usually be the signatory on the Policy
Statement, so the responsibility to ensure
Directors that the policy is kept up to date and
reviewed at least annually will also form part
Health and safety management, like all
of their remit.
management functions, involves active
leadership from the top particularly at senior As a board representative, the Director
levels, they play an integral part in the responsible for health and safety will need
planning and organising of health and safety to ensure that any health and safety failures
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
CASE STUDY
n Roles and duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
2015 of the client, principal designer, principal contractor, contractors, workers
and domestic clients:
u HSE notification, pre-construction information, construction phase plan, health
01
and safety file.
55
LEGISLATION
The construction (design and management) regulations (2015)
Aims to improve health and safety in construction by ensuring work is
planned sensibly, cooperation and coordination with others, having the
right information about risks and consultation with workers.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
(legislation.gov.uk)
n Construction/maintenance/repairs
n Decorating
n Electricians/gas/water n On projects involving more than one
contractor, each contractor must plan their
n Fire extinguishers/alarms/emergency
own work so that it is consistent with the
lighting
project-wide arrangements. Contractors
n IT should expect help from other duty
n Catering holders.
n Cleaning, etc. n A contractor who employs workers or
manages workers under their control must
Planning and co-ordination of ensure that appropriate supervision is pro-
contracted work vided. The level of supervision provided
will depend on the risks to health and
In any client/contractor relationship, BOTH safety involved, and the skills, knowledge,
parties have duties under Health and Safety training and experience of the workers
legislation, all relevant National legislation concerned.
should be adopted. The client (the organisa-
tion employing the contractor has) a duty to To assist an organisation to manage contrac-
ensure that they employ competent and safe tors there are 5 management steps that can
contractors. The contractor has a duty to be applied:
comply with health and safety arrangements
n Step 1: Planning
and if they decide to sub-contract any of the
work, then all parties have duties to ensure n Step 2: Choose a contractor
that competent fellow workers are provided. n Step 3: Contractors on site
The extent of each party’s responsibilities will
n Step 4: Keep check
depend upon the specific circumstances of
the works being conducted. n Step 5: Review of work
are completed on time, within budget and to Dependant on the complexity of the work you
the quality specified. may want to interview different contractors
to ascertain their competence and relevant fit
Not only do we consider the designer, con-
for your organisation and the work activity to
tractor, and worker interaction, but we should
be undertaken. If you need to, ask questions,
also consider users of the space, and anyone
and get advice from relevant consultancy
effected in the surrounding area. As an
professionals about the best way to select
example, if conducting work in a school, other
and manage contractors.
employees, contractors, students, visitors and
where appropriate the nearby community, Issues to explore
would need to be informed of the construction
There are several issues you may want to
activities.
explore when selecting and determining your
choice of contractor including:
Pre-selection and ongoing
management of contractors n Experience in this kind of job
n Reputation, including references
When pre-selecting (or sometimes known as
n Health and Safety policy
“pre-qualification”) a contractor, it is impor-
tant in your pre-selection that you consider n Risk assessments and method statements
the following with regards to ensuring n Health and Safety performance
competence. n Accident performance
n Enforcement action
Step 2: Choosing a contractor
n Membership of trade/professional bodies
Spell out conditions the contractor(s) must n Procedures for subcontractor selection
meet. Deciding factors may include availabil-
n Training/competence of staff
ity, cost, technical competence, and reliability.
“Pre-Qualification” can save time and effort in n Access to competent health and safety
the future. advice
n Arrangements for supervision and
consultation
n Accident/incident reporting
n Insurance – Employers and Public Liability.
this saves clients time and money in selecting instruction and supervision. The contractor
contractors. Example is the CHAS (Contractor was found guilty and fined £3,000 plus costs
health and safety assessment scheme). for failing to implement straightforward
controls and safeguards.
Duty holders can assess potential appointees
against the core criteria or use independent Example Two
(third party) accreditation schemes as stated
Contractors installed overhead projectors
above. The agreed criteria will help prevent
into asbestos ceilings at a local school in
a diverse range of demands from clients and
Caerphilly. No information regarding the pres-
others and reduce the amount of paperwork
ence of asbestos was known by the school
and bureaucracy.
and therefore the presence of asbestos or any
Individual competency should also be relevant information could not be given to the
assessed by a two-stage process: contractors.
The construction industry has a high rate of As a result of this failing, the contractors
fatalities, serious accidents, and ill health. unknowingly exposed themselves to asbestos
Such impact is often attributed to the poor while completing their set tasks. Caerphilly
planning, co-ordination, and management of County Council was fined £8,000 plus costs.
construction projects. Other risks increase
Example Three
because the designer has not effectively con-
sidered health and safety aspects during the Contractors were appointed to conduct roof
design and planning stages. These examples works at a B&Q store. One of the contractor’s
illustrate the need for contractor activities workers was seen working on the roof with no
to be monitored and for the organisation to protection from fall risks.
assess the tasks required and ensure that
B&Q had previously been made aware of the
suitable information is given to the contrac-
requirements to control contractors and had
tors prior to works starting.
been given extensive advice regarding roof
Example One work, due to two accidents in the past. B&Q
was fined £4,500 plus £25,000 costs.
Contractors provided a scaffold for access
onto a fragile roof, which was 10m off the Example Four
ground. An operator walked onto the roof and
An accountancy firm had previously been
fell to his death through a fragile vent.
given advice about unsafe working at
The client was found guilty and fined £27,000 height arrangements but failed to make
plus costs for failing to provide adequate improvements.
Unsafe work was being carried out on a tower n Learn about the job and the contractor
scaffold by contractors, which led to the indi- when the work is done
vidual partners of the firm being fined £1,250 n What needs to be done differently next
plus £2,000 costs each. time?
n Any surprises or lessons learned should
Step 3: Contractors working on site be recorded and used for next time
n Contact person should be appointed for n The record can be used when reviewing
communication the list of preferred contractors.
n Contractors should sign in and out for a
record of who is on site
n Contractors should be told about health
and safety rules – smoking, first aid, emer-
gency procedures, restricted areas, waste
disposal, PPE, etc. (visitors/contractors’
cards/leaflets may be useful)
n Regular consultation/communication with
contractors
n Employees might need information on job,
duration, hazards, etc.
It is important to note that when a contractor
Step 4: Keeping check is on your premises or site that you have a
responsibility to them to ensure they are kept
n Checks should be carried out to ensure safe from any of the site activities which may
that contractors are doing the work in the cause them harm. You need to consider how
way that was agreed you are going to ensure the ongoing manage-
n Contractors are responsible for supervis- ment of these contractors whilst on site and
ing their own work and for ensuring that that they are working to their own risk assess-
they work safely, however, they cannot be ments and procedures submitted. Questions
left to their own devices to be considered will be:
n They do not need to be watched all the n How do you plan to supervise this job?
time
n Who will be responsible for supervision on
n The amount of checking should be based site?
on the level of risk involved
n How are changes which arise during a job
n It should be decided and agreed at the dealt with?
beginning of the job
n How will you liaise with them?
n Contractors should be encouraged to
n If you identify a problem, what action
report accidents and incidents.
do you take concerning your staff or
Step 5: Review work subcontractors?
n Will you report incidents/accidents to us?
As with all work, the work undertaken by a
contractor should be reviewed at appropriate n Are you prepared to abide by our rules?
intervals and upon completion.
Designers
For projects involving more than one con-
Regulations 9, 10 and 11 set out the duties
tractor, these regulations require the client
placed on designers. These include the duty
to appoint a principal designer and principal
to eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable
contractor and to make sure that they carry
health and safety risks through the design
out their duties.
process such as those that may arise during
A client must make suitable arrangements construction work or in maintaining and
for managing a project, including the alloca- using the building once it is built.
tion of sufficient time and other resources. A
A designer is an organisation or individual,
client must provide pre-construction infor-
who prepares or modifies a design for a
mation as soon as is practicable to every
construction project (including the design
designer and contractor appointed, or being
of temporary works); or arranges for or
considered for appointment, to the project.
instructs someone else to do so.
The appointments must be made as soon as
The term ‘design’ includes drawings, design
is practicable, and in any event, before the
details, specifications, bills of quantity and
construction phase begins. If the client fails
calculations prepared for the purpose of a
to appoint a principal designer, or principal
design.
contractor the client must fulfil the duties of
both.
and relevant work carried out as part of n Plan, manage and co-ordinate H&S in
feasibility studies. pre-construction phase
A designer must not start any design work n Help and advise client with pre-con-
unless they are satisfied that the client is struction information
aware of the duties that client has under n Eliminate/control foreseeable risks
CDM 2015. through design
On projects involving more than one con- n Ensure all involved in pre-construction
tractor, the task of informing the client phase communicate and co-operate
of their duties should normally fall to the n Liaise with the PC, informing them of
principal designer. Any other designers risks which require control
appointed can seek confirmation from the
n Compile the H&S file for the project
principal designer that the client has been
made aware of their duties. Principal contractor
When preparing or modifying designs, a Regulation 13 sets out the duties the princi-
designer must take account of the general pal contractor has during the construction
principles of prevention, and the pre-con- phase.
struction information provided to them, with
the aim, as far as reasonably practicable, of A principal contractor is the organisation or
eliminating foreseeable risks. person that co-ordinates the work of the
construction phase of a project, involving
Where this is not possible, they must take more than one contractor, so that it is
reasonably practicable steps to reduce the carried out in a way that secures health and
risks or control them through the design safety.
process and provide information about the
remaining risks to other duty holders. They are appointed by the client and
must possess the skills, knowledge, and
Designs prepared for places of work also experience, and (if an organisation) the
need to comply with the Workplace (Health, organisational capability necessary to carry
Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (the out their role effectively given the scale and
Workplace Regulations), so designs need to complexity of the project and the nature of
take account of factors such as lighting and the health and safety risks involved.
the layout of traffic routes.
In planning, managing, monitoring and
A designer must provide information to co-ordinating the construction phase, a
other duty holders using or implementing principal contractor must take account of
the design. the general principles of prevention.
Designers must also co-operate with con- The principal contractor must also ensure
tractors and principal contractors so that anyone they appoint has the necessary
their knowledge and experience in matters skills, knowledge, and experience, and (if an
such as the practicalities of building the organisation), the organisational capability
design is considered. to carry out their role effectively given the
Summary of the designer’s duties: scale and complexity of the project and
the nature of the health and safety risks activities on each site combine to create
involved. hazards outside the sites that need to be
addressed jointly.
This work must include liaising with the prin-
cipal designer for the purposes of planning, Regulation 14 places duties on the principal
managing, monitoring and co-ordination of contractor to consult and engage with
the pre-construction phase. workers or their representatives. These
duties are in addition to those in separate
As the project moves into the construction
legislation which requires employers to
phase, the principal contractor should take
consult with their employees on health and
the lead in planning, managing, monitoring
safety matters. Consultation must be carried
and co-ordinating the project while contin-
out in a timely manner.
uing to liaise with the client and principal
designer. Summary of principal contractor duties:
A principal contractor has a specific duty n Plan, manage and co-ordinate construc-
to ensure that the contractors under their tion phase
control co-operate with each other so n Take account of H&S risks to everyone
that the risks to themselves and to others affected
affected by the work are managed effec-
n Liaise with client and PD
tively. This includes ensuring contractors
who start work at different stages of the n Prepare written construction phase plan
construction phase co-operate with each and revise/review
other so that any information and instruction n Arrange and manage H&S throughout
that is relevant for a new contractor to carry construction
out their work safely is provided to them.
n Consult and engage with workers on
The principal contractor should also work H&S
with the client to ensure there is co-oper- n Ensure suitable welfare facilities are
ation with others outside the construction provided
site who may be affected by the activities
n Ensure competence of anyone appointed
on-site. This includes co-ordinating the
to project
activities of contractors on the principal
contractor’s site with contractors on any n Provide appropriate inductions and
neighbouring sites, particularly where the training
n Update the H&S file.
Contractors
Regulation 15 places duties on contractors.
The main duty is to plan, manage and
monitor the work under their control.
and preparing a construction phase plan on out their work without risk to health and
sites where they are the only contractor. safety.
If the work is in connection with a business To notify a project, the F10 online form
attached to domestic premises, such as a should be used, which is available on the
shop, the client is not a domestic client. HSE internet site. The particulars that need
to be notified include:
The role of designers, principal designers,
principal contractors, and contractors when n Date of forwarding
working on a project for a domestic client, n Address of construction site
is normally no different to their role when n Name of local authority where site is
working for a commercial client. They have located
the same duties and should carry them
n Brief description of project
out in the same way as they would for a
n Contact details of client, Principal
commercial client. However, the effect of
Designer and Principal Contractor
regulation 7 of CDM 2015 is to transfer the
client duties to other duty holders when n Date planned for start of construction
working for domestic clients. phase
n Time allowed by client to PC for planning
A domestic client is not required to carry
and preparation of construction work.
out the duties placed on commercial clients
in regulations 4 of CDM (Client duties for n Planned duration of construction phase
managing projects), 6 (Notification) and 8 n Estimated maximum number of people at
(General duties). work on construction site
n Planned no. of contractors on construc-
HSE notification tion site
n Name and address of any contractor
The CDM Regulations require that some
already appointed
construction projects must be notified to
the authorities. Regulation 6 sets out the n Name and address of any designer
duty that a client must notify in writing to already engaged
the relevant enforcing authority of certain n Declaration signed by client that he is
aware of his duties under CDM.
Health and safety file n Residual hazards and how they have
been dealt with
A health and safety file is required for
projects requiring more than one contrac- n Key structural principles and safe
tor and should contain all the information working loads for floors and roofs
required for the building’s life to enable any n Hazardous materials used
additional works to be carried out safely,
n Information regarding removal or
such as construction, cleaning, mainte-
dismantling of plant/equipment
nance, alterations, repairs, refurbishment
and demolition. n Health and safety information about
equipment provided for cleaning and
The Principal Designer is responsible for
maintaining the structure
compiling the file and the Client must retain
it for future use and reference. n Nature, location and marking of
services, utilities and fire-fighting
The file should include: systems
n Description of the work, including “as n Information and drawings of the
built” drawings and plans structure and plant/equipment.
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
Construction (design and This publication provides guidance on the
legal requirements for CDM 2015 and is
management) regulations 2015: available to help anyone with duties under the
guidance on regulations Regulations.
A short guide for clients on the This leaflet is aimed at anyone having main-
tenance, small-scale building work or other
Construction (design and man work carried out.
agement) regulations 2015 Need building work done?
A short guide for clients on
the Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations 2015
(hse.gov.uk)
CASE STUDY