05 Health and Safety Management Systems 4- Measuring, Audit and Review Flashcards
Define Reactive and Active Monitoring.
Active Monitoring is about checking to ensure that standards are met and that the workplace is in fact safe and free of health risks before any unwanted event takes place.
• Safety Inspections
• Safety Sampling
• Safety Surveys
• Safety Tours
Reactive Monitoring is about measuring safety performance by reference to accidents, incidents and ill-health that have already occurred. The purpose is to find out what went wrong and identify action to prevent recurrence. It also involves the use of accident statistics to identify trends and patterns in accident history.
What do we mean by systematic monitoring?
Systematic monitoring involves the planned, regular examination of standards in the workplace as a matter of routine.
State the sources of information used in reactive monitoring.
Reactive monitoring can be carried out by learning lessons. Those can be studied
• From one individual event such as an accident (in this case it is involved event reporting) or
• From data gathered from large numbers of the same type of events (this method is concerned with the collection and use of statistics)
The sources in both cases come from unwanted events like:
• Accidents
• Dangerous occurrences
• Near Misses
• Cases of ill-health
• Complaints from the workforce
• Enforcement action
State the purpose of workplace inspections
The purposed of workplace inspections is to ensure that the control measures are operating effectively and that they are appropriate to current conditions in the workplace.
What is the difference between a safety inspection and a safety tour?
Safety inspections are routine examinations of workplace conditions carried out by a competent person(s)(e.g. the weekly inspection of a workshop by the workshop supervisor).
Safety tours are high-profile inspections carried out by a team of people, including managers.
What role does senior managements have in workplace inspections?
Senior management has responsibility for ensuring that effective workplace inspections regimes are in place and are operated effectively. This will include receiving reports and overseeing / agreeing action. In addition, the visible involvement of senior managers in inspections is to be encouraged for the commitment it demonstrated towards safety and the effect on the promotion of a positive health and safety culture.
Why are checklists used in inspections?
Checklists help to ensure a consistent, systematic and comprehensive approach to checking all the safety elements to be covered during an inspection.
What should the introductory part of an inspection report contain?
The introductory part of an inspection report should set the scene, outlining what the report is about, why it has been written (the aim), when and where the inspection took place and who carried it out
Define Health and Safety Auditing
Health and safety auditing is the structured process of collecting independent information on the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the total health and safety management system and drawing up plans for any corrective action necessary.
Outline the differences between health and safety audits and workplace inspections
The differences between Audits and Workplace Inspections are
• The A has the aim of assessing the health and safety management system of an organization, and the WI has the aim of assessing the use and effectiveness of control measures.
• The A follows a long process involving the examination of the entire management system, while the WI is a relatively short process looking at practices in part of a workplace.
• The A is based primarily on review of documentary evidence, backed up by some observations and interviews of personnel at all levels, and te WI is primarily based on observations, perhaps involving limited scrutiny of paperwork and interview of operators.
• The outcome of an A is a long, comprehensive report that records areas of concern and weaknesses in the management system, and the outcome of the WI is a short report identifying key corrective actions required
• The A required a detailed planning, and also considerable resources. The WI requires only limited planning, and the main resource required is the inspectors’ time.
• A is done annually, and the WI is done on a weekly, monthly or quarterly frequency
• A aims to improve systems at a high level, with ultimate effect of cascading down to operating level. Is a strategic tool, addressing long-term progress. WI focusses on activities and equipment at operational level, though remedial actions may address system faults.
What is the main purpose of an accident investigation?
The main purpose of an accident investigation is to find the root causes, with the intention of preventing a recurrence.
What are the four elements of the investigation process?
- Gather factual information about the event
- Analyze that information and raw conclusions about the immediate and root causes
- Identify suitable control measures
- Plan the remedial actions
Identify the categories of staff who might be considered useful members of an internal accident investigation team.
The categories of staff might include
• the immediate line manager (of the injured person, or of the area where the accident took place)
• A member of management
• A safety representative
• A safety officer
• An engineer or technical expert, if relevant.
List the types of documentation which may need to be consulted during an accident investigation
The types of records to be consulted might be
• Inspections and maintenance records
• Risk assessments
• Safe systems of work or permits-to work
• Environmental measurements
• Medical records
• General and specific safety reports and analyses which relate to the circumstances
• Training and other personnel records
• Minutes of safety committee meetings
What are the two categories of immediate cause of accidents/incidents?
Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions
