NEBOSH International General Certificate

in Occupational Safety and Health

Unit IGC1

Element 3: Do

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 Learning Outcomes
• Outline the health and safety roles and responsibilities of
employers, directors, managers, supervisors, workers and
other relevant parties.
• Explain the concept of health and safety culture and its
significance in the management of health and safety in an
organisation.
• Outline the human factors that influence behaviour at work in
a way that can affect health and safety.
• Explain how health and safety behaviour at work can be
improved.
• Explain the principles and practice of risk assessment.
• Explain the preventive and protective measures.

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 Learning Outcomes
• Identify key sources of health and safety information.
• Explain what factors should be considered when
developing and implementing a safe system of work
for general activities.
• Explain the role and function of a permit-to-work
system.
• Outline the need for emergency procedures and the
arrangements for contacting emergency services.
• Outline the requirements for, and effective provision
of, first aid in the workplace.

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 Organisational Health and Safety
Roles and Responsibilities

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 Organisational Health and Safety
Roles and Responsibilities
• Employer.
• Directors and senior managers.
• Middle managers and supervisors.
• Safety specialists.
• Workers.
• Controllers of premises.
• Self-employed.
• Suppliers, manufacturers, designers.
• Contractors.
• Joint occupiers of premises.
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 Organisational Roles

Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace

is safe and free of health risk rests with the
employer.
As we noted earlier, this responsibility is
made clear in:
• ILO Convention C155.
• ILO Recommendation R164.

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 Organisational Roles:
The Employer

The employer - a person or organisation that employs

people.

The employer in this context is normally an organisation,

such as a company, and is sometimes referred to as the
‘corporate body’. They are a legal person.

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 Reminder - What are the Employer’s
Four Duties?

Safe Place of Work

Safe Plant and Equipment

Safe System of Work

Training and Supervision

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 Employer

The employer carries ultimate responsibility

for ensuring that the workplace is safe and
free of health and safety risks.

Ensures the safety of workers and ‘others’,

e.g. visitors and contractors.

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 Directors and Senior Managers

Directors and senior managers:

• Give an organisation its direction.
• Set its priorities.
• Allocate resources and appoint competent persons.
• Allocate responsibilities.
• Are responsible for ensuring that all of the legal
requirements are met.

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 Directors and Senior Managers

Directors and senior managers can have

enormous influence over their organisation
and its priorities.

The way they are perceived by those lower in

the management hierarchy is very important;
they must demonstrate clear commitment
and leadership with regard to health and
safety.

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 Middle Managers and Supervisors
Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the
day-to-day operational running of the organisation so
are responsible for the health and safety standards
within the operations under their control.

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 Safety Specialists
Safety specialists (or practitioners) are
responsible for giving correct advice to the
organisation so that the organisation can meet
its legal obligations and achieve its policy aims.

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 Group Discussion

What are the typical responsibilities of a

health and safety specialist?

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 Group Discussion
Typical responsibilities include:
• Providing advice and guidance on health and safety
standards.
• Promoting a positive culture.
• Advising management on accident prevention.
• Developing and implementing policy.
• Overseeing the development of adequate risk
assessments.
• Identifying training needs.
• Monitoring health and safety performance.
• Overseeing accident-reporting and
investigations.
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 Workers
Workers have a responsibility to take reasonable
care of their own health and safety and that of
other people who might be affected by what they
do (or don’t do).

Workers must also co-operate with their employer

on matters of health and safety.

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 Controllers of Premises
To the extent that they have
control, controllers of
premises are responsible for
ensuring that the premises
are safe to use as a
workplace, and that there is
safe access to it and egress
from it.

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 The Self-Employed

The self-employed have responsibilities that

are similar to employees’:
• To take reasonable care of their own
health and safety and the health and
safety of others who might be affected by
their acts or omissions.

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 Suppliers, Manufacturers, Designers

Designers, manufacturers, importers and

suppliers of items and substances form the
‘supply chain’.
They have responsibilities to ensure their
products are safe.

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 Clients and Contractors

If a client can be held responsible for an injury

caused by a contractor working for the client,
then it must be in the client’s own best
interests to ensure that contractors do not
endanger workers or others.

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 Clients and Contractors
The way that a client manages contractors can be
broken down into four key areas:

• Selecting the contractor.

• Planning the work.

• Co-ordinating the work.

• Monitoring the work.

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 Selecting the Contractor
Things you should check:
• Health and safety policy.
• Risk assessments.
• Qualifications and training records.
• Membership of a professional organisation.
• Maintenance and equipment testing.
• Previous or current clients.
• Accident records.
• Enforcement action.
• Adequate resources.
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 Planning the Work
Information to be shared between client and
contractor:

• Hazards posed by the site and work carried out.

• Hazards posed by the contractor’s activities.
• Risk assessments.
• Method statements.

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 Co-ordination of Work
Arrangements between the client and contractor
include:

• Ensuring activities don’t conflict.

• Permit-to-work system to control activities.

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 Monitor and Control
Clients must:
• Monitor the work to ensure
safety.
The client can:
• Stop the work if it involves
unsafe practices.

Auditing against agreed method

statements is a good technique.

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 Shared Responsibilities
• ILO Convention C155 - Article 17
• ILO Recommendation R164 - Article 11
• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to
develop appropriate health and safety standards and
appropriate policies and procedures.

• This may include:

‐ Sharing of procedures, e.g. fire and emergency
response.
‐ Sharing of risk assessments.
‐ Joint management-committee meetings.

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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. To whom does an employer owe a duty

with regard to health and safety?
2. How can directors influence health and
safety?
3. What are the key worker responsibilities?
4. What would you look for/check when
selecting a contractor?

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 The Concept and Significance of
Health and Safety Culture

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 Group Discussion

What do we mean by the term “health and

safety culture”?

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 Health and Safety Culture

The safety culture of an organisation is the

shared attitudes, values, beliefs and
behaviours relating to health and safety.

It will be positive or negative.

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 The Relationship Between Culture
and Performance
Positive Culture
● People think that safety is
important.
● Safety is considered in all
management decision-making.
● People work safely because
they want to, not because they
are told to.
● All workers are positively
influenced by this peer-thinking
and behaviour.
Negative Culture
● Lots of people think safety is of
low priority.
● Safety is not considered in
decision-making at any level.
● People will only work safely if
they are told to and think that
they will be caught and punished
if they don’t.
● All workers are negatively
influenced by this peer-thinking
and behaviour.

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 Group Discussion Point

What indicators would you look at in order to

determine the safety culture of an
organisation?

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 Factors Promoting a
Negative Culture
• Lack of leadership from management.
• Presence of a blame culture.
• Lack of management commitment to safety.
• Health and safety a lower priority than other issues.
• Organisational changes.
• High staff turnover rates.
• Lack of resources, e.g. too few workers, low investment.
• Lack of worker consultation.
• Interpersonal issues, e.g. peer-group pressure, bullying.
• Poor management systems and procedures.
• External influences, e.g. economic climate.
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 Indicators Used to Assess Culture
• Accident records.
• Absenteeism.
• Sickness rates.
• Staff turnover.
• Compliance with safety rules.
• Worker complaints.
• Staff morale.

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 The Influence of Peers
When people come together in groups:
• Interaction occurs.
• Influence is exerted.
• A hierarchy forms.
(known as ‘pecking order’).
• ‘Norms’ of behaviour are established.
• Peer group pressure is exerted.

● Good indicator of H&S culture.

● Peer group pressure can be harnessed to encourage good
safety-related behaviour.
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 Group Activity

What factors could result in the deterioration

of an organisation’s health and safety culture
and hence safety performance?

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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. Give a definition of health and safety

culture.
2. What factors could result in the
deterioration of the health and safety
culture of an organisation?
3. What indicators can be used to assess the
health and safety culture?
4. What is “peer pressure”?

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 Human Factors which Influence
Safety-Related Behaviour

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 Human Factors Influencing Safety-
Related Behaviour
Three significant factors influence worker behaviour:

The organisation
Characteristics of the business.

The job
Nature of the job.

The individual
Personal characteristics.
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 Organisational Factors
• Safety culture of the organisation.
• Commitment and leadership from
management.
• Resources.
• Work patterns.
• Communication.
• Levels of supervision.
• Consultation and worker
involvement.
• Training.

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 Job Factors

• Task.
• Workload.
• Environment.
• Displays and controls.
• Procedures.

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 Individual Factors

● Competence.
● Skills.
● Personality.
● Attitude.
● Motivation.
● Risk perception.

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 What is ‘Competence’?

A combination of:
• Knowledge.
• Ability.
• Training.
• Experience.

A competent person isn’t just one who is

trained:
• Nor is it someone who has been there a long
time!
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 Attitude, Competence and Motivation

Attitude:
• A person’s point of view, or way of looking at
something; how they think and feel about it.

Motivation:
• A person’s drive towards a goal; what makes
them do what they do.
• Particular care needed with the use of financial
incentives!

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 Changing Attitudes

• Education and training.

• High-impact intervention.
• Enforcement.
• Consultation and involvement.

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 Perception of Risk

Perception - the way a person interprets

information detected by their senses:

• Sight.
• Hearing.
• Smell.
• Taste.
• Touch.
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 Perception - Activity

On the following slide there is a graphic.

You are asked to count the number of
squares.

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 Activity

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 Perception - Activity

You will be shown the following slide for

20 seconds.

You are asked to count the number of ‘Fs.’

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 FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT

OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY

COMBINED WITH THE

EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS

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 Perception of Risk
Factors that can affect perception of hazards
and risk include:
• Illness.
• Stress.
• Fatigue.
• Drugs and alcohol.
• Previous experiences.
• Training and education.
• Use of PPE.
• Workplace environment factors.
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 Group Discussion Point

How can workers’ hazard perception be

improved?

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 Improving Hazard Perception

• Understand why hazards are not noticed by

talking to workers.
• Awareness campaigns/training
programmes.
• Highlight hazards, e.g. signs.
• Ensure adequate lighting is available.
• Reduce distractions, e.g. noise.
• Avoid excessive heat.

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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. What three key factors influence a

worker’s behaviour? Give examples of
each.
2. What is “competence”?
3. How can an organisation inadvertently
motivate people to behave unsafely?
4. Suggest reasons why two people may
perceive hazards differently.

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 Improving Health and Safety
Behaviour

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 Management Commitment and
Leadership
Securing management commitment is
essential:
• Senior managers provide leadership and
motivation.
• Needs clear policy, priorities and targets.
Commitment cascades down through the
organisation.
Requires visible leadership.

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 Group Exercise

In groups, discuss the leaders that you have

worked with. What made them good (or bad)
leaders, particularly on health and safety?

From here, think about what managers can do

to demonstrate their commitment to health
and safety.

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 Visible Leadership

Demonstrated by:
• Behaving safely themselves.
• Involvement in the day-to-day management of
safety, e.g. attending safety meetings.
• Taking part in safety tours and audits.
• Promoting activities to improve safety.
• Enforcing the rules.

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 Disciplinary Procedures

• Sometimes rules are broken.

• Employees may endanger themselves or
others.
• Ignoring issues can result in injuries.
• Sometimes it is necessary to use discipline
to enforce the rules.

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 Who Would You Discipline?

• A supervisor who orders the team to cut

corners to save time?
• A reckless forklift-truck driver?
• A persistent prankster?
• An office worker who repeatedly fails to
wear PPE when in the factory area?
• A maintenance worker who doesn’t isolate
a machine because the job was only 10
minutes?

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 Competent Staff

A competent person is someone who has

sufficient training, knowledge, experience and
other abilities or skills to be able to carry out
their job safely.

Staff must be competent.

So must managers - they need to understand
the implications of their decisions on health
and safety.
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 Keeping Up To Date

Essential to be up to date:
• Especially with law.
Various methods, including:
• HSE newsletters - www.hse.gov.uk
• EU law - http://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation
http://osha.europa.eu/en/oshnetwork/focal-points
• Websites - www.osha.gov
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
• Practitioner publications and subscriptions.
• Conferences.
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 Group Activity
List some specific examples of communicating in
the workplace as you can think of, splitting your list
into:
● Verbal communication.
● Written communication.
● Graphic communication.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of

each method?

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 Verbal Communication
Limitations Merits
Language barrier. Personal.
Jargon. Quick.
Strong accent/dialect. Direct.
Background noise. Check understanding.
Poor hearing. Feedback.
Ambiguity. Share views.
Misinformation. Additional information (body
Forget information. language).
No record.
Poor quality (telephone
or PA).

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 Written Communication
Limitations Merits
Indirect. Permanent record.
Time. Reference.
Jargon/abbreviations. Can be written carefully for clarity.
Impersonal. Wide distribution relatively
Ambiguous. cheaply.
May not be read.
Language barriers.
Recipient may not be able to read.
No immediate feedback.
Cannot question.
Impaired vision.

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 Graphic Communication
Limitations Merits
Very simple. Eye-catching.
Expensive. Visual.
May not be looked at. Quick to interpret.
Symbols or pictograms may be unknown. No language barrier.
Feedback. Jargon-free.
No questions. Conveys a message to a wide
Impaired vision. audience.

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 Broadcasting Methods
How to get the message across:
• Notice boards.
• Posters and videos.
• Digital media
• Company Intranet.
• Toolbox talks.
• Memos and e-mails.
• Worker handbooks.

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 Co-operation and Consultation

What is the difference between consulting

and informing employees?

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 Co-operation and Consultation

Negative culture:
• Informing.
• Dictatorial approach.

Positive culture:
• Consultation.
• Worker involvement.

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 Co-operation and Consultation

Consulting
Two-way exchange of information and opinion
between the employer and worker.

Informing
One-way flow of information to the worker.

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 Typical Issues to Consult On

• Introduction of new measures affecting

health and safety.
• Appointment of new advisers.
• Health and safety training plans.
• Introduction of new technology.

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 Methods of Consultation

Direct consultation:
• Employer talks to each worker and resolves
issues.
Through worker representatives:
• Committee is formed to represent workers.
• Regular meetings to discuss and resolve issues.
• Members may have rights in law.

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 Group Exercise

What makes an effective committee/forum?

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 Safety Committee Forum

Effective committees will depend on:

● Who is on the committee.
● How often the committee meets.
● Who will act as chairperson.
● What authority the committee will have.
● What will be discussed.
● How the discussions will be recorded.
● How issues will be followed up.

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 Safety Committee/Forum

Issues that may be considered:

● Study of accident and disease statistics.
● Review of reports from active monitoring.
● Examination of safety audit reports.
● Consideration of reports and information from
authorities.
● Consideration of reports submitted by safety reps.
● Provide assistance in development of procedures and
policy.
● Monitor the effectiveness of training.
● Monitor and improve safety communications.
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 Training
What is Training?
Training (in the context of health and safety)
is:
“…. The planned, formal process of acquiring
and practising knowledge and skills in a
relatively safe environment.”
Training is a key component of competence.

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 Training
Dramatic effect on safety-related behaviour.
Without training, workers try to do their jobs by:
• Copying others (including their bad habits).
• Doing the job the way they think is best.

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 Training

Helps workers understand:

• Hazards and risks.
• Rules and precautions.
• Emergency procedures.
• Limitations and restrictions.

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 Training Opportunities:
When Do You Need to Train?
Induction ‐ For new employees.
training
Job change ‐ New hazards following a change in
job.
Process change ‐ New hazards associated with new
ways of working.
New technology ‐ New hazards associated with plant
and machinery.
New legislation ‐ Implications of the new legislation.

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 Group Activity

Design a health and safety induction training

programme for new starters. Consider the
following:
• What topics should be included?
• In what order?
• How long should the induction take?
• When are you going to do it?
• What problems might be involved in doing
it?

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 New Employee Induction Topics
• Health and safety policy.
• Emergency procedures.
• First aid.
• Welfare facilities.
• Safe movement.
• Accident and incident-reporting.
• Consultation arrangements.
• Safety rules.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Safe working and permits.
• Risk assessment system.
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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. How can directors/managers

demonstrate their commitment to health
and safety?
2. What are the three different
communication methods that are used?
3. What is the difference between
‘consulting’ and ‘informing’?

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 Principles and Practice of
Risk Assessment

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 Hazard and Risk

Hazard - something with the

potential to cause harm.

Risk - the likelihood that a

hazard will cause harm, in
combination with the
severity of the foreseeable
harm.

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 Whole Group Activity

In five minutes, identify as many hazards as

possible present in the training environment.

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 Hazard Categories
Physical:
• E.g. electricity, noise, vibration, radiation,
machinery.
Chemical:
• E.g. mercury, solvents, carbon monoxide.
Biological:
• E.g. legionella bacteria, hepatitis.
Ergonomic:
• E.g. manual handling, repetitive tasks.
Psychological:
• E.g. stress, violence.
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 What is a Risk Assessment?

“Risk assessment is the formal process

of identifying preventive and protective
measures by evaluating the risks
arising from a hazards, taking into
account the adequacy of any existing
controls, and deciding whether or not
the risk is acceptable”

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 Objectives of Risk Assessment

Prevent:
• Death and personal injury.
• Other types of loss incident.
• Breaches of statute law,
which might lead to
enforcement action and/or
prosecution.
• The direct and indirect costs
that follow on from
accidents.
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 The Risk Assessors
• Competent people:
‐ Training, knowledge, experience.

• Team approach is beneficial:

‐ Workers familiar with tasks.
‐ H&S specialists.
‐ Technical specialists.
‐ Line managers.
‐ Worker safety representatives.

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 Criteria for a Suitable and Sufficient
Risk Assessment
• State the name/competence of assessor.
• Identify significant hazards and risks.
• Identify persons at risk.
• Evaluate effectiveness of current controls.
• Identify additional controls.
• Enable employer to prioritise controls.
• Record significant findings.
• Appropriate to nature of work.
• Proportionate to risks.
• State validity period.

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 The Five Steps to Risk Assessment

and implement

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 Step 1: Identify the Hazards
Safety Health
Capable of causing physical Capable of causing
injury: occupational disease or ill
• Work at height. health:
• Falling objects. • Physical.
• Moving vehicles. • Chemical.
• Machinery. • Biological.
• Electricity. • Ergonomic.
• Chemicals. • Psychological.
• Deep water.
• Low oxygen levels.
• Fire/explosion.
• Animals.
• Violence.
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 Hazard Identification Methods
• Task analysis:
‐ Analyses job components before the job
starts.
• Legislation:
‐ Standards, guidance documents.
• Manufacturers’ information:
‐ Operating handbooks, chemical safety data
sheets.
• Incident data:
‐ Accidents, near misses, ill health.

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 Task Analysis

S elect the task.

R ecord the stages of the task.
E valuate risks associated with each stage.
D evelop the safe working method.
I mplement the safe working method.
M onitor to ensure effectiveness.

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 Step 2: Identify the People at Risk
● Workers/operators:
- Maintenance staff.
- Cleaners.
● Contractors.
● Visitors.
● Members of the public.

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 Vulnerable Groups

People at special risk:

• Young people.
• New or expectant mothers.
• Disabled workers.
• Lone workers.

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 Step 3: Evaluate the Risk

What is risk?
It is a measure of the likelihood of harm
occurring and the severity of that harm.

Or, to put it more simply:

Risk = Likelihood × Severity

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 Step 3: Evaluate the Risk

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 Risk Assessment Matrix

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 Hierarchy of Control

• Elimination.
• Substitution.
• Engineering controls.
• Administrative controls.
• Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE).

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 Use of Guidance and Legal
Standards
What does the law require?
• Sometimes, there are very clear regulations and
codes of practice to be met.
• Often, there is no specific standard in law - but
codes of practice and guidance may be available.

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 Residual, Acceptable and
Tolerable Risk
Residual risk - the risk that we are left with after
controls have been implemented.

If risk is unacceptable, more action is needed.

If risk is lower, it may be tolerable for a short
period of time.
If risk is acceptable, the risk is adequately
controlled.

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 Priorities and Timescales

High-risk = high-priority actions.

Low-risk = low priority.

BUT risk and timescale are not the same:

Low-cost, easy actions should be taken, even
if low priority.

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 Step 4: Record Significant Findings

Typical content:
• Activity/area assessed and hazards.
• Groups at risk.
• Evaluation of risks and adequacy of existing
control measures.
• Action plans for further precautions needed.
• Date and name of
competent person.
• Review date.
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 Step 5: Review and Update
Significant change in:
• Process.
• Substances.
• Equipment.
• Workplace environment.
• Personnel.
• Legal standards.
If it is no longer valid:
• Accident.
• Near miss.
• Ill health.
Periodically, e.g. annually.

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 Group Exercise
Lawn-mowing
Using task analysis, prepare a brief risk
assessment suggesting control measures to
reduce the risks involved with this activity.
Use the 5 × 5 risk matrix we covered earlier.

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 Alternative Group Exercise

In groups, carry out a risk assessment on

these premises:
• Use Steps 1 to 4.
• Use a quantitative scoring system.
Present your findings to the other groups in
20 minutes.

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 Young Persons
• Defined in national law (e.g. <18).
• Lack of experience.
• Physical and mental immaturity.
• Poor risk perception.
• Influenced by peer group.
• Eager.
• Control measures:
‐ Prohibit certain high-risk activities, e.g. high-risk
machinery.
‐ Restrict work patterns and hours, e.g. no overtime.
‐ Train and supervise.
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 New and Expectant Mothers

Hazards:
• Certain chemicals, e.g. lead.
• Certain biological agents, e.g. rubella virus.
• Manual handling.
• Temperature extremes.
• Whole-body vibration.
• Ionising radiation.
• Night shifts.
• Stress.
• Violence.
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 Disabled Workers

Identify:
• Health and fitness criteria for some jobs:
‐ E.g. eyesight requirements to drive forklift trucks.
• Workers with known disabilities:
‐ What are the implications of their disability?

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 Lone Workers

Workers especially vulnerable and more at

risk:
• Of violence:
‐ E.g. prison officer, mental-health nurse.
• If they are injured or ill:
‐ E.g. confined-space entry.

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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. Define “hazard” and “risk”.

2. What are the five steps to risk assessment?
3. What should a suitable and sufficient risk
assessment contain?
4. Who should be considered in a risk
assessment?
5. How is risk evaluated?

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 Preventive and Protective
Measures

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 General Control Hierarchy
• Remove the source of the risk -
Eliminate the hazard. the most effective option.

• Engineering solutions provide

Create a safe place. physical protection.
• Safe working methods - relies
Create a safe person. heavily on safe behaviour.

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 Hierarchy of Control
Elimination.
Substitution.
Engineering controls:
• Isolation, total enclosure.
• Separation, segregation.
• Partial enclosure.
• Safety devices.
Administrative controls:
• Safe systems of work.
• Reduced exposure.
• Reduced time of exposure, dose.
• Information, instruction, training and
supervision.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
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 Worked Example - Cleaning the
Oven
Current chemical is corrosive (burns):
• Eliminate - don’t clean the oven? Buy a new
oven? Don’t use chemicals?
• Substitute the corrosive chemical for a less
hazardous one?
• Isolate - keep others out of the kitchen.
• Procedures - follow instructions on tin.
• PPE - wear gloves as per instructions.

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 Group Activity

You are the manager of a large, commercial

bakery. You have recently discovered that
flour dust can be harmful to the health of
your workers.
Flour is currently added by hand from sacks.
Assume no other controls are present.
Using the hierarchy of control, identify
possible controls to reduce the risk of dust
inhalation.

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 Alternative Group Activity

You are the manager of a domestic window-

cleaning company.
You are concerned by the potential for
injuries due to falls from height.
Using the hierarchy of control, identify
possible controls to reduce the risk of falls.

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 Safety Signs

Prohibition Warning Mandatory

Safe Condition Fire-Fighting Equipment

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 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Employers should:
• Supply suitable PPE:
‐ Appropriate for risk.
‐ Ergonomic.
‐ Fits the wearer properly.
‐ Doesn’t increase overall risk.
‐ Complies with standards.
• Ensure compatibility of items.
• Suitable storage.
• Information, instruction and training.
• Enforce use of PPE.
• Replace or repair damaged or lost items.

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 Group Exercise

Discuss the benefits and limitations of

PPE as a risk-control method.

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 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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 End-of-Section Quiz

Outline the general hierarchy of control.

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 Sources of Health and Safety
Information

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 Sources of Information

Sources can be:

• internal, and
• external
to the organisation.

List all the internal and external sources you

can think of and discuss them.

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 Sources of Information
Internal External
• Accident records. • National legislation.

• Medical records. • Safety data sheets.

• Codes of practice.
• Risk assessments.
• Guidance notes.
• Maintenance reports.
• Operating instructions.
• Safety inspections. • Trade associations.
• Audit reports. • Safety publications.
• Safety-committee minutes.
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 Source Organisations
International Labour Organisation (UN)
www.ilo.org

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA)

www.osha.gov

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU)

http://agency.osha.eu.int

Health and Safety Executive (UK)

www.hse.gov.uk

Worksafe (Western Australia)

www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. What internal sources of health and safety

information are there within an
organisation?
2. What external sources of information are
there?

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 Safe Systems of Work

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 Safe Systems of Work

Formal Systematic
Recorded Examination of work

Hazards Safe Methods

Identified Defined

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 PEME
To be effective, the SSW must bring together:
● People: Who is the SSW for?
What level of competence or technical ability should
they have?
● Equipment: What equipment will be used?
What safety equipment will be required?
● Materials: What materials will be used or handled during the
work?
● Environment: Where will the work take place?
e.g. space, light and temperature?

in such a way as to create a safe work method.

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 Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility of the employer:

• Ensure SSW are available for activities that
create significant risk, e.g. maintenance.
Role of competent persons:
• Developed by people who can identify and
control hazards.
Workers involvement:
• Active part in development of SSW.
• Gains commitment, helps culture.

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 Group Discussion Point

Why do you think it may be beneficial to have

written procedures?

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 Written Procedures

Written procedures:
• Ensure consistency.
• Provide a basis for training.
• Establish a standard (can be checked).
• Provide a written record for incident
investigations/regulatory inspections.
Can be in many forms:
• Checklists.
• Short notes.
• Detailed manuals.
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 Technical, Procedural and
Behavioural Controls
SSWs require the integration of controls:
Technical:
• Equipment and engineered solutions.
Procedural:
• Safe systems of work, procedures, permits.
Behavioural:
• Training, awareness, competence.

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 Developing Safe Systems of Work

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 Worked Example - The Steps in
Changing a Wheel
Step 1 - park the car in a safe location.
Step 2 - remove equipment from boot.
Step 3 - loosen wheel nuts.
Step 4 - jack up car.
Step 5 - remove wheel nuts.
Step 6 - replace wheel and wheel nuts.
Step 7 - lower car, remove jack.
Step 8 - tighten wheel nuts.
Step 9 - replace equipment in boot.
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 Identifying Controls

For each step:

• First identify the hazards.
• Then identify the controls.

So, Step 1 (changing wheel) might have:

• Hazards - traffic, risk of violence.
• Controls - select location off-road if possible,
use hazard lights, if you feel area is unsafe/at
night or if vulnerable group, call recovery
service and stay in car.

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 Group Discussion Activity

Suggest hazards and controls for each step of

the worked example “changing a wheel”.

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 Introducing Controls and
Formulating Procedures
Often most difficult stage!

Consultation and engagement helps gain

buy-in from workers.

Allow concerns to be raised and addressed

during development.

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 Information, Instruction, Training
and Monitoring
May need detailed training in the SSW.

Must monitor to ensure:

• SSW is being applied correctly.
• SSW is as safe as was intended!

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 Optional Group Activity

Using SREDIM, develop a simple safe system

of work for the task allocated to your group:
• Making a cup of tea.
• Making a batch of cement with a cement
mixer.
• Painting a ceiling (emulsion).

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 Specific Examples of SSW

Confined spaces.

Using PEME
Lone working. principles,
what should
be included in
a SSW for
each?

Travelling abroad.

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 Confined Space
• Enclosed in nature (ventilation will be
restricted and access/egress may be difficult).
• One or more foreseeable specified risks exist:
– Fire or explosion.
– Loss of consciousness from gas, fumes, vapour, lack of
oxygen.
– Drowning.
– Asphyxiation from free-flowing solid.
– Loss of consciousness from temperature.

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 Confined-Space Control Measures
Do not work inside a confined space if possible.
Carry out a risk assessment.
Develop safe system of work.
Emergency arrangements.
Permit to work.
Trained personnel.

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 Safe System of Work for
Confined Spaces
• Supervision. • Isolation, lock off of
• Competency. electrical/mechanical
• Communication. hazards.
• Atmospheric • PPE.
testing/monitoring. • Access/egress.
• Ventilation. • Fire prevention.
• Removal of residues. • Lighting.
• Isolation, lock off of • Suitability of
in-feeds and out-feeds. individuals.
• Emergency/rescue
procedures.

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 Lone Workers

“Workers who are separated from their work

colleagues.”
Lack assistance if things go wrong.
Communication with colleagues more difficult, in
other words:
• Out of eyesight.
• Out of earshot.

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 Group Discussion

Give as many examples of lone workers as

you can in 1 minute.

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 Lone Working Examples
Maintenance workers.
Service engineers, e.g. gas, appliance.
Garage forecourt attendants.
Trainers/tutors.
Security guards.
Receptionists (sometimes).
Social workers/carers.
Health visitors/district nurses.
Painters/decorators.
Sales representatives (on the road).
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 Safe System of Work for Lone
Working
No lone working for high-risk activities, e.g. confined spaces.
Remote supervision.
Logging workers’ locations.
Mobile phones or radios.
Lone-worker alarm systems.
Procedures for lone workers.
Emergency procedures.
Training for workers.

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 Working and Travelling Abroad

Risks when travelling related to:

• Security.
• Health.
Workers may also be ‘lone workers’.

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 Working Abroad
Employers have a duty to workers whom they send
to work abroad and should provide:
• Pre- and post-visit briefings.
• Insurance.
• Health advice and vaccinations.
• Financial arrangements.
• Security training and advice.
• Cultural requirements advice.
• Accommodation.
• In-country travel.
• Emergency arrangements.

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• 24-hour contacts.
 End-of-Section Quiz
1. What is a safe system of work?
2. Who is responsible for developing safe
systems of work?
3. What are the advantages of a written
procedure over a verbal one?
4. What are the key steps in carrying out a
task analysis before developing a safe
system of work (SREDIM)?
5. What controls might be implemented to
ensure the safety of lone-working social
workers?
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 Permit-to-work Systems

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 Permit-to-Work Systems
A formal, documented safety procedure, forming
part of a safe system of work.

Typical applications:
• Hot work (involving naked flames,
or creation of ignition sources).
• High-voltage electrical systems.
• Confined-space entry.
• Operational pipelines.
• Excavation near buried services.
• Complex machinery.
• Working at height.
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 Permit to Work

Consists of four elements:

1. Issue.

2. Receipt.

3. Clearance/return to
service.

4. Cancellation.

May also be an extension.

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 Permit-to-Work System

Issue - Pre-Job Checks

• Description of work to be carried out.
• Description of plant and location.
• Identify hazards and assess risks.
• Identification of controls.
• Signed off by authoring manager.

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 Permit-to-Work System

Receipt - handover of permit:

• Competent and authorised person issues
permit to workers.
• Workers sign to say they accept controls.
Work can now start:
Plant is now under the control of the workers.

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 Permit-to-Work System

Clearance - return to service:

• Workers sign to say they have left the
workplace in safe condition, work is complete
and operations can resume.

Cancellation:
• Authorised person accepts plant back and can
remove isolations, etc. cancels permit.
Plant is now returned to the control of the
‘site’.

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 Importance of Permit Control
● Poorly-implemented permits are
useless.
● People must be trained in use.
● Permits must not be treated as
‘pointless paperwork’.
● System must be monitored.

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 Hot-Work Controls

• Remove flammable materials.

• Fire-retardant blankets/screens.
• Floor swept of debris.
• Floors damped down, if necessary.
• Fire extinguishers at hand.
• ‘Fire-watcher’ present.
• Post-work checks to ensure
no smouldering embers.

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 Work on Live Electrical Systems

Work must be justified:

• Not possible to work dead.
Precautions are in place.
Workers are competent.

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 Machinery Maintenance

Work is carefully planned and controlled:

• May be several people working.
Hazards are communicated.
Services are isolated and locked off.
Stored energy is released.
Workers are competent.

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 Confined Spaces

Risk assessment by competent person.

Controls implemented (already covered).
Safe system of work.
Emergency arrangements.

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 Work at Height

Avoidance, if possible.
Prevention of falls by using:
• Safe platform with adequate edge-protection.
Minimise distance and consequence of fall:
• PPE and fall-arrest devices.
Weather conditions considered:
• Wind, ice/snow.

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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. What types of work require a permit to

work?
2. What are the key features of a permit-to-
work document?
3. What are the main limitations of a permit-
to-work system?

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 Emergency Procedures

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 Emergency Procedures

Why do we need them?

Because despite all of the precautions, things
can still go wrong!

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 Group Activity

What emergency situations would the

following organisations have to consider
when developing emergency procedures?
• A primary school.
• A chemical-manufacturing plant.
• A shopping centre.

Be prepared to feed back to the group.

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 Group Activity
Primary school:
• Fire, first aid, bomb threat (possibly), severe weather,
outbreak of disease.
Chemical-manufacturing plant:
• Fire, first aid (including multiple-casualty incident),
bomb threat, severe weather, outbreak of disease,
chemical release, toxic chemical exposure.
Shopping centre:
• Fire, first aid, terrorist threats including bomb and/or
suspect packages, multiple-casualty incident, severe
weather, crowd control/panic.

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 Emergency Procedures

The organisation needs to arrange:

• The foreseeable emergencies.
• Procedures for raising the alarm.
• Procedures to be followed.
• Provision of suitable equipment.
• Nomination of responsible staff.
• Dealing with the media.
• Arrangements for contacting the emergency
services.

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 Contacting Emergency Services
Communication equipment:
• Phones, radios, etc.
Contact details:
• National and local emergency numbers.
Responsible individuals:
• With the necessary information and training.
Testing:
• Drills and practices.
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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. What types of emergency situation might

an organisation need to consider?
2. You are developing fire response
arrangements - what key things would you
include?

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 First Aid

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 First Aid
An employer has a duty to make appropriate first-
aid provision for his employees, which include:
• Facilities:
‐ An appropriate location where first-aid
treatment can be given.
• Equipment:
‐ Suitably stocked first-aid kits and other
equipment.
• Personnel:
‐ Trained staff.

Must inform people of these arrangements.

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 First-Aid Facilities
First-Aid Facilities Equipment
• Centrally located; First-aid kits (minimum).
accessible by emergency Plus:
services. • Eye-wash stations.
• Clean and adequately • Emergency showers.
heated, ventilated and lit.
• Blankets.
• Hand-wash facilities,
chair, clinical-waste bin, • Splints.
etc. • Resuscitation equipment.
• Stretchers.
• Wheelchairs.
• Other equipment, as
required.
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 'The Three Ps'
Basic principle of first aid is to keep the injured
person alive until professional medical assistance
arrives, sometimes called 'the three Ps':

● Preserve life.
● Prevent deterioration.
● Promote recovery.

Also provides treatment for minor injuries.

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 Personnel and Coverage
Trained personnel:
• Appointed person - basic training only.
• Emergency First Aiders, and First Aider
- full training.

Coverage will depend on:

• The general risk level of the workplace.
• The hazards present in the workplace.
• Accident history.
• Vulnerable persons.
• The number of workers.
• Work patterns and shift systems.
• Workplace location (geographic).
• The size and spread of the workplace.
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 End-of-Section Quiz

1. What is the basic function of a first aider?

2. What should be considered when
determining the number of first aiders on
site?
3. What other factors should be considered
when evaluating the overall level and type
of first-aid provision for a site?

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 Summary
• Looked at the various parties within a workplace and the
responsibilities that they have.
• Looked at other parties outside the workplace and the
responsibilities that they have.
• Considered the responsibility that a client has for the
management of contractors and outlined the steps that a client
should take to choose a competent contractor and plan and
monitor their work.
• Defined safety culture (as the shared attitudes, values, beliefs and
behaviours relating to health and safety) and made a link between
safety culture and health and safety performance.
• Outlined how safety culture might be assessed by looking at
indicators such as accidents, ill health, compliance and complaints.
• Discussed the three human factors that influence a worker’s
behaviour: individual, job and organisational factors.

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 Summary
• Outlined the influence of a worker’s attitude, competence
and motivation on their safety-related behaviour, and
considered the importance of perception.
• Looked in detail at some of the issues that must be dealt
with in order to improve safety culture.
• Defined the terms “hazard” (something with the potential to
cause harm), “risk” (the likelihood that a hazard will cause
harm in combination with the severity of outcome), and “risk
assessment” (a formalised process of identifying hazards,
assessing the risk they generate and then either eliminating
or controlling the risk).
• Identified the aim of risk assessment - to ensure that
hazards are eliminated or risk is minimised by the correct
application of relevant standards.

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