Managing health and safety:

guidance

• Successful health and safety management HS(G)65 ISBN

0 11 885988 9

• Five steps to successful health and safety management

IND(G)132L
NEBOSH national General
Certificate

Unit 3

Organising for health and safety

 Organising for health and safety
• Elements of organisation: control, co-operation,
communication and competence

• Health and safety responsibilities of parties involved with

work activities

• Requirements placed upon employers to consult with their

employees
 Organising

The process of designing and establishing the responsibilities

and relationships between individuals which form the social
environment in which work takes place
 Why Organise (1)
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999: Regulation 5:

‘every employer shall make and give effect to such

arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the nature
of his activities and the size of his undertaking, for the
effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and
review of the preventive and protective measures’
 Why Organise (2)
A major influence on individual and group behaviour (often
overlooked). Structures and processes needed which:

• establish and maintain management control

• promote co-operation between individuals to produce a
collaborative effort
• ensure effective communication
• secure competence of employees
 Control
Generally securing commitment of managers, supervisors,
employee who follow lead of senior managers and directors
by:
• treating issue as a line management concern
• agreeing health and safety objectives at all levels of
management
• establishing performance standards
• holding individuals responsible through appraisal/review
• providing adequate supervision
 Co-operation
Establishing co-operation and involvement:

• at site level via formal safety committee(s) looking at the

direction of the health and safety effort

• at local group level involvement in teams and problem

solving activities
 Communication
Securing good communication and adequate
information flows, including:

• collecting essential information from outside

• visible and supportive management behaviour
• documentation of essential operational information, eg
safety policy, organisation, procedures
• encouraging face to face communication in groups
• ensuring adequate external information flows
 Competence
Establish competence via:

• recruitment
• selection and placement
• training
• provision of adequate professional health and safety advice
(Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations
1999: Regulation 7)
 HSWA 1974: Section 2
General duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the
health, safety and welfare at work of all employees and in
particular:
• safe plant and systems of work
• safe use, handling, transport and storage of substances and
articles
• provision of information, instruction, training and supervision
• safe place of work, access and egres
• safe working environment and adequate welfare facilities
 HSWA 1974: Section 2 (cont)
• Written health and safety policy statement (where 5 or
more employees)

• consultation with safety representatives and formation of

health and safety committees where there are recognised
trade unions (Safety Representatives and Safety
Committees Regulations 1977)
Note that Health and Safety (Consultation with
Employees) Regulations 1996 extends consultation rights
to all employees
 HSWA 1974: Section 3
General duty of employers and self employed to conduct their
undertaking so as to ensure so far as reasonably practicable
that persons other than their employees are not exposed to
risks to their health or safety, eg, visitors, contractors,
members of public.

Potentially of wide application.

HSWA 1974: S3 and Contractors
R v Associated Octel [1994]

• use of contractors is part of ‘conduct of undertaking’

• host employer liable for health and safety of contractor’s

employees

• Engineering Employers Federation publication Safety and

contractor/client relationships: the good practice guide for
manufacturing
 Contractors
Client responsibilities

• selection: ‘approved lists’

• planning and co-ordination of work (CDM Regulations
may apply): method statements
• provision of relevant health and safety information
• authorisation
• managing the contract (checking progress)
• reviewing performance
 Contractors
Contractor responsibilities

• planning and co-operation

• preparation of method statements
• exchange of information
• use of competent employees and sound supervision
 HSWA 1974: Section 4
General duty of persons concerned with premises to persons
other than their employees

Covers situations where persons permit use of non-domestic

premises by persons who are not their employees as:

• a place of work or,

• a place where they may use plant or substances provided
for their use there
 HSWA 1974: Section 4 (cont)
Duty of person(s) in control of premises to take reasonable
measures to ensure so far as reasonably practicable:

• that premises, means of access and egress available for

persons using the premises and,

• any plant or substances provided for use there is or are safe

and without risk to health
 HSWA 1974: Section 6
General duty of manufacturer etc. as regards articles and
substances for use at work. Applies to any person who:

• designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any article for

use at work or,
• manufactures, imports or supplies any substance for use at
work.
 HSWA 1974: Section 6 (cont)
Articles (machinery, equipment or appliance for use at
work).

Duty requires so far as reasonably practicable:

• design and construction so as to be safe and without risk to

health when being set, used, cleaned or maintained
• appropriate testing and examination
• supply of information and any revisions
 HSWA 1974: Section 6 (cont)
Substances

Duty requires so far as reasonably practicable:

• substance to be safe and without risk to health when used,

handled, processed, stored or transported
• testing and examination
• provision of adequate information and revisions
• carrying out research (manufacturers only)
 HSWA 1974: Section 7
General duties of all employees at work:

• Section 7(a): to take care for health and safety of

themselves and others who may be affected by acts or
omissions and,

• Section 7(b): to co-operate with employer so as to enable

compliance with statutory requirements.
 HSWA 1974: Section 8

No person to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or

misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or
welfare
The Management of Health and Safety at
Work Regulations 1999
Employers Duties
• risk assessments
• arrangements for planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of
health and safety measures
• competent persons to assist in compliance with duties
• emergency procedures
• provision of information
• co-operation and co-ordination in shared workplaces
• provision of relevant information to non-employees working on site and
temporary workers
• consideration of capabilities and provision or training
• new or expectant mothers and young persons
MHSWR 1999: Regulation 7 (health and
safety assistance)

• one or more competent persons to be appointed to assist

employer in complying with health and safety law

• scope and nature of appointment(s) will vary according to

size of organisation and/or complexity of operations

• specialists may be needed from time to time e.g.

consultants, occupational health specialists, engineers,
ergonomists, etc
The Management of Health and Safety at
Work Regulations 1999
Employees duties

• use any equipment or substances in accordance with

training or instruction
• report to employer any serious or immediate danger
• report any shortcomings in employers health and safety
arrangements
 The self employed
Health and safety at work etc Act 1974:
• to ensure their own health and safety (S2)
• to conduct undertaking so as ensure health and safety of
others (S3)
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999:
• carry out risk assessments (Reg 3)
• co-operate with others (Reg 11)
• provide information to others working in their undertaking
(Reg 12)