2018

Question 1

(a) Distinguish between prescriptive legislation and goal-setting legislation.
(b) Outline TWO benefits and TWO limitations of prescriptive legislation.
(c) Outline TWO benefits and TWO limitations of goal-setting legislation.

Answer 1

(a) Goal setting legislation sets an objective but leaves it to the duty holder to decide on the best way of achieving the defined goal.(the person on whom legal duty is placed) for example HSW act 1974, whereas prescriptive legislation dfines the standard to be achieved in far more explicit terms for example Regulation 26, Rolling over of mobile work equipment:.

(b)
Prescriptive legislation
has clearly defined requirements which are more easily understood by the duty holder and enforced by the regulator. It does not need a higher level of expertise to understand what action is required, and provides a uniform standard to be met by all duty holders.

Limitations - it is inflexible and so depending on the circumstances may lead to an excessively high or low standard. Also it does not take account of the circumstances of the duty holder and may require frequent revision to allow for advances in knowledge and technology.
(c)
Goal-setting legislation allows more flexibility in compliance because it is related to the actual risk present in the individual workplace. It is less likely to need frequent revision and can apply to a much wider range of workplaces.

Limitations – it is more difficult to enforce because what is “adequate” or “reasonably practicable” are much more subjective and so open to argument, possibly requiring the intervention of a court to provide a judicial interpretation. Duty holders will also need a higher level of competence in order to interpret such requirements.

Question 2

An organization has introduced management systems for environmental management and quality management. It is now considering implementing a health and safety management system.

(a) Outline the role of the health and safety policy in relation to health and safety management.

Answer 2

(a)
The health and safety policy sets the whole framework of the Safety Management System (SMS)

a demonstration of commitment. It frames the company vision on health and safety.

it commit the organisation to continual improvement and compliance with legislation.

The principle of the health and safety policy document is that, in simple terms, it sets out:

• What needs to be done.
• Who needs to do it.
• How it is going to be achieved.
The policy is therefore usually made up of:

• A statement of intent that sets out the aims and objectives of the organisation regarding health and safety.
• An organisational structure that details the people with health and safety responsibilities and their duties.
• The systems and procedures in place to manage risks.

Question 3

An organization based in New Zealand operates from five separate sites.

The organization employs a total of 50 workers, full and part-time, and uses the services of contractors when necessary.

Recommend how the organization can consult effectively with workers across the five sites. (10)

Answer 3

o Establishment of the safety committee
o Consultation with safety representatives
o Planned direct consultation at departmental meetings and Team briefings

Less formal consultation arrangement such as
o Consultation as part of accident/incident investigation
o Consultation as part of the completion of risk assessments And other informal consultation arrangements such as
o Day to day informal consultation by supervisors with employees at the workplace
o Toolbox talk
o Discussion as a part of safety circles or improvement groups
o Use of departmental meeting for ad-hoc consultation on safety issues
o Raising the subject of health and safety at staff appraisals
o Questionnaires and suggestion scheme
o E-mail and Web-based Forums

Question 4

In a chemical processing plant complex, risks are being assessed. A preliminary part of the risk assessment process is a hazard and operability (HAZOP) study.

Outline the principles and methodology of a HAZOP study. (10)

Answer 4

A hazard and operability study (HAZOP) is a formal type of risk assessment which follows a set format, with a study leader gathering a team of people, who would consist of supervisors, operators, maintenance staff, designers, H&S professionals, etc.

there has to be awareness of the scope of the study which is to be conducted by the team.

The installation/process is broken down into key parts/elements (known as “nodes”); that help with the Identification of deviations from intended normal operation and that HAZOPs are best carried out at design stage of installation but can be used for modifications to processes/installations.

The study involves brainstorming and the use of guide words which are then applied methodically to each process parameter to form “deviations” from normal operating conditions. Examples of process parameters include flow, pressure, temperature and concentration, whereas guidewords include no, more, less and reverse. An example deviation would therefore be “less flow” or “more concentration”.

the study looks at possible causes and consequences of each deviation and will identify possible corrective actions.The study also needs to be documented and you can use a set format, which is then recorded and kept in the project file or H&S file.

Question 5

Outline information that should be included in written safe systems of work. (10) Details of any specific risk controls are not required.

Answer 5

describing how the work is carried out
identifying the work activities assessed as having safety or environmental risks
stating what the safety and environmental risks are
describing the control measures that will be applied to the work activities
describing how measures will be implemented to undertake the work in a safe and environmentally sound manner
outlines the legislation, standards and codes to be complied with and
describing the equipment used in the work, the qualifications of the personnel undertaking the work and the training required to undertake the work in a safe manner.

Question 6

High levels of violation of workplace rules by workers may be influenced
by poor organisational safety culture.

(a) Give the meaning of the term ‘violation’.

(b) Outline the classification of violation as ‘routine’, ‘situational’ or
‘exceptional’, as described in HSG48: Reducing error and influencing behaviour.

(c) Outline why poor organisational safety culture might lead to higher levels of violation by workers.

Answer 6

a) Violations are a deliberate deviation from a rule or procedure, e.g. driving too fast or removing a guard from a dangerous piece of machinery, both of which increase the risk of an accident. Health risks are also increased by rule breaking, e.g. a worker who does not wear ear defenders in a noisy workplace increases their risk of occupational deafness

(c)
Routine Violations
are ones where breaking the rule or procedure has become the normal way of working. The violating behaviour is normally automatic and unconscious but the violation is recognised as such, by the individual(s) if questioned. This can be due to cutting corners, saving time. or be due to a belief that the rules are no longer applicable.

Situational Violations
occur because of limitations in the employees immediate work space or environment. These include the design and condition of the work area, time pressure, number of staff, supervision, equipment availability, and design and factors outside the organisations control, such as weather and time of day. These violations often occur when a rule is impossible or extremely difficult to work to in a particular situation.

Exceptional Violations
are violations that are rare and happen only in particular circumstances, often when something goes wrong. They occur to a large extent at the knowledge based level. The individual in attempting to solve a novel problem, violates a rule to achieve the desired goal.

(c)
A lack of visible communication from management can be seen as somehow condoning violations of health and safety rules.

A poor safety culture will tolerate indifferent and even dangerous behaviour which will inevitably become the norm so that even workers well aware of unsafe practices will tolerate poor practices. One such influence is peer pressure from work
colleagues

Wrong messages about health and safety are received rule breaking can be encouraged.

New workers starting a job where routine violations are the norm and not realising that this is the incorrect way of working. This in itself may be due to culture/peer pressure or a lack of training.

Lack of consulation leads to the task being impractical .

Question 7

The management of an organisation intends to introduce new, safer working procedures.

(a) Outline practical measures that the management could take to communicate effectively when managing this change.(10)
(b) Other than effective communication, outline additional ways in which the management could gain the support and commitment of workers when managing this change.(10)

Answer 7

(a)
- The provision of regular and frequent newsletters or memos using language and technical content which is clear and easily understood

• Holding regular meetings between management and the workforce such as team briefings and tool box talks
• Providing the opportunity for regular meetings between the workforce and their safety delegates;
• Through training session
• Placing notice boards at various locations on the site and ensuring that they display relevant information and are updated at regular intervals;
• use of email and telecommunications

(b)
completing staff surveys,
use of trials and pilots, and reviewing and amending the processes.

To Find out the reasons for the resistance” whether fear of redundancy, de-skilling or simply a dislike of any type of change.

• The most important requirement is to effectively consult with the workforce This could be through formal means –such as the safety committee or more informally
• A steady / progressive or step by step change process with trials and pilots of the proposed changes
• Setting out clearly the reasons for, and the benefits of, the proposed changes such as improved accident rates and production rates
• It will be important to actively involve the workforce in the proposals, take on board suggestions and offer trainings in the new methods
• Strong Leadership Managers at all levels need to demonstrate strong leadership & commitment and not give inconsistent or mixed messages.

Question 8

(a) Givethe meaning of:
(i) qualitative risk assessment;(3)
(ii) quantitative risk assessment;(2)
(iii) dynamicrisk assessment.(2)

Answer 8

• Dynamic Risk Assessments (DRA)
DRAs are needed when work activities involve changing environments and individual workers need to make quick mental assessments to manage risks. Police, fire-fighters, teachers and lone workers, for example,
often have to make swift risk judgments and identify controls, sometimes on their own and in high-pressure, potentially stressful, environments.

To deal with these situations dynamic risk assessments are required. Dynamic risk assessment is “the continuous assessment of risk in the rapidly changing circumstances of an operational incident, in order to implement the control measures necessary to ensure an acceptable level of safety”

Qualitative Assessments
Qualitative risk assessments are based entirely on judgment, opinion and experience including approved guidance, rather than on measurements. They use technology-based criteria to establish if you have done enough to control risks, i.e. “ If I use this standard control measure I’m pretty sure the risk will be adequately controlled ”. They allow you to easily prioritise risks for further action, but while they enable risks to be ranked against other risks, they do not objectively estimate risks and so do not allow direct comparisons with external estimates.

Quantitative Risk Assessment
Quantitative risk assessments attempt to calculate probabilities or frequencies of specific event scenarios. This is sometimes mandated by legislation, so that the results can be compared with criteria on what is considered an acceptable or a tolerable risk. They may use advanced simulation or modelling techniques to investigate possible accidents and will utilise plant component reliability data.

Question 9

Identify sources of information that may be used to identify hazards during the risk assessment process.(4)

Answer 9

Equipment and machinery operating manuals.
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) provided by chemical manufacturers.
Self-inspection reports and inspection reports from insurance carriers, government agencies, and consultants.
Records of previous injuries and illnesses, such as OSHA 300 and 301 logs.
Reports of incident investigations.
Workers’ compensation records and reports.
Patterns of frequently occurring injuries and illnesses.
Exposure monitoring results, industrial hygiene assessments, and medical records (appropriately redacted to ensure patient/worker privacy).
Input from workers, including surveys or minutes from safety and health committee meetings.
Results of job hazard analyses or job safety analyses.
Documentation from other existing safety and health programs (lockout/tagout, confined spaces, process safety management, PPE, etc.).
There are also external sources of information that you can use, such as:

Websites, publications and alerts from OSHA, NIOSH, the CDC, EU OSHA, EU ECHA, the UK HSE, and other government agencies from around the world.
Best practices or other publications made available by industry groups or trade associations.
Labor unions, state and local occupational safety and health committees/coalitions, and worker advocacy groups.
Safety and health subject matter experts and consultants.

Question 10

(c) Outline potential limitations of qualitative risk assessments.
(d) Other than significant risks, hazards and record of persons, outline what should be included in the significant findings section of a risk assessment.

Answer 10

(c)
-The evaluation of risk and its result are subjective.
-it is possible that the reality is not defined correctly because of the subjective perspective of the evaluator.
-The performance of risk management are hard to follow because of their subjectivity
-A cost benfit analysis is not implementedn, only subjective approach of the author and that makes difficult the impelemtantion of control
-Insuifficient differentiation between major risks
-resultts depends on the quality of risk management team
-failing to identify all hazards, variation of
subjective perceptions between individuals, lack of competence of assessor
(d)
• A record of the preventive and protective measures in place to control the risks.
• What further action, if any, needs to be taken to reduce risk sufficiently.

Question 11

(a) Outlinethe purpose of health and safety management auditing.(4)
(b) Describefactors that should be considered when planning an audit programme.(12)You do notneed to consider specific factors to be audited.
(c) Outline how senior managers can assist in the auditing process.(4)

Answer 11

A)
purpose is to assess the extent to which the elements of the system are still effective, and whether any action is necessary to avoid accidents and other losses. To be used as a measure, standards need to be setin the key areas.
b)
- Correct identification and gain of the resource such as money, time , personnel through careful planning and analysis.
- Gaining support of directors and senior managers – so that
o Those resources are made available
o Access is authorized to all of the necessary information and personnel across the organization
o Access to the senior managers themselves during the audit process is agreed
- A scope of the auditing to be carried out –
o Will the audit stick to H&S issues, or range across other areas as well?
o Which parts of the organization are to be audited? These will be particularly important questions to answer with regard to geographical locations to be audited and, consequently, the legal standards that will apply.
- The type of auditing will also need to be decided.

o Will a proprietary system be purchased, or will one be developed from scratch internally, or a combination of two?
o The manager will have to decide on whether to use a scored audit system or one more reliant on narrative judgments.
o Whether software need to be purchased to run the audit system and decision will have to be taken for type of the software and resource requirement.
- An audit schedule will have to be designed, taking into account
o The resources made available for conducting audits,
o The size of the oraganisation and the frequency required, the frequency may vary from one part of the organization to other depending on the risk level presented.
Ø The auditors will be selected and given adequate trainings and ongoing support, this will off course require the co-operation of their manager.
Ø The standards against which the management arrangements were to be audited, the identification of the key elements of the audit process such as the planning, interviews and verification, feedback routes and the preparation and presentation of the final report.
Ø The methods used to provide feedback on audit findings, the type of feedback given, the methods used for resolving disagreement with feedback and the review process will all have to be considered and finalized.
Ø Consideration must be given to how the audit program will be launched, this might involve –
o Clear communication of programme
o Its aim, methods and processes through various media
o A test pilot may have to be conducted to ensure the efficient working of the system and to ensure the acceptability of scheme to others.

c)
- providing adequate resources
- communicating the importance of the programme
- ensuring action plans were implemented

Question 12

A worker was on an elevated working platform when it was struck by a
contractor’s vehicle. The platform overturned, the worker fell and was
seriously injured. An initial report recommends further investigation.
(a) Outline why the accident should be investigated.
(c) Outline the benefits of conducting an accident investigation.

Answer 12

(a) Legal reasons for investigating
1)To ensure you are operating your organisation within the law.
2)The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 5,
requires employers to plan, organise, control, monitor and review their health
and safety arrangements. Health and safety investigations form an essential
part of this process.
3)Following the Woolf Report6 on civil action, you are expected to make full disclosure of the circumstances of an accident to the injured parties
considering legal action. The fear of litigation may make you think it is better not to investigate, but you can’t make things better if you don’t know what went wrong! The fact that you thoroughly investigated an accident and took remedial action to prevent further accidents would demonstrate to a court that your
company has a positive attitude to health and safety. Your investigation findings will also provide essential information for your insurers in the event of a claim.

(b)

(c)
Benefits arising from an investigation
1)The prevention of further similar adverse events. If there is a serious accident,
the regulatory authorities will take a firm line if you have ignored previous
warnings.
2)The prevention of business losses due to disruption, stoppage, lost orders and
the costs of criminal and civil legal actions.
3)An improvement in employee morale and attitude towards health and safety.
Employees will be more cooperative in implementing new safety precautions
if they were involved in the decision and they can see that problems are dealt
with.

Question 13

A worker was on an elevated working platform when it was struck by a contractor’s vehicle. The platform overturned, the worker fell and was seriously injured. An initial report recommends further investigation.

(b) Outline steps that should be followed when investigating the accident.

Answer 13

Information gathering:

• explores all reasonable lines of enquiry;
• is timely;
• is structured, setting out clearly what is known, what is not known and records the investigative process.

Analysis:
- is objective and unbiased;
- identifies the sequence of events and conditions that led up to the adverse event;
- identifies the immediate causes;
- identifies underlying causes, ie actions in the past that have allowed or caused undetected unsafe conditions/practices;
- identifies root causes, (ie organisational and management health and safety
arrangements, supervision, monitoring, training, resources allocated to health and safety etc)

Risk control measures:
- identify the risk control measures which were missing, inadequate or unused;
- compare conditions/practices as they were with that required by current legal requirements, codes of practice and guidance;
- identify additional measures needed to address the immediate, underlying and
root causes;
- provide meaningful recommendations which can be implemented. But woolly recommendations such as ‘operators must take care not to touch the cutters during run-down’ show that the investigation has not delved deep enough in search of the root causes.

Action plan and implementation:
-provide an action plan with SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Timescaled);
- ensure that the action plan deals effectively not only with the immediate and underlying causes but also the root causes;
-include lessons that may be applied to prevent other adverse events, eg assessments of skill and training in competencies may be needed for other
areas of the organisation;
- provide feedback to all parties involved to ensure the findings and recommendations are correct, address the issues and are realistic;
- should be fed back into a review of the risk assessment.
- communicate the results of the investigation and the action plan to everyone who needs to know;
- include arrangements to ensure the action plan is implemented and progress monitored.

Question 14

Question 2 (a) Outline the behavioural attributes of the following types of
leadership:
(i) transformational; (4)
(ii) transactional. (4)
(b) Explain why leadership styles need to vary in practice. (2)

Answer 14

(i)
-visionary and a good communicator
-aim is to engage and convert the workforce to the vision of the leader
-motivation and the involvement of individuals in the health and safety program.
-generating enthusiasm and energy
-People follow who inspired them
-must continually sell the vision slow process
-a continuing effort to motivate the workforce
-Transformational Leaders are people-oriented and believe that success is achieved through commitment,
(ii)
- is based on the assumption that people are motivated by reward and punishment
-social systems work best with a clear chain of command
-The organization and therefore the subordinate’s manager has authority over the subordinate
-When things go wrong holds the subordinate is personally at fault
(b)
Situational and Contextual (Hersey and Blanchard)
Hersey and Blanchard recognize that tasks are different and each type of task requires a different leadership approach. A good leader will be able to adapt leadership to the goals to be
accomplished.

(b)

Question 15

The consequences of human failure can be immediate or delayed.
(a) Explain the differences between active failures and latent
failures.
(b) (i) Give examples of an active failure.
(ii) Give examples of a latent failure.

Answer 15

(a)
Active failures
have an immediate consequence and are usually made by frontline people such as drivers, control room staff, or machine operators. In a situation where there is no room for error, these active failures have an immediate impact on health and safety.

Latent failures
are made by people whose tasks are removed in time and space from operational activities, eg designers, decision-makers, and managers. Latent failures are typically failures in health and safety management systems (design, implementation, or monitoring).
- uncertainties in roles and responsibilities.

Latent failures provide as great, if not a greater, potential danger to health and safety as active failures. Latent failures are usually hidden within an organization until they are triggered by an event likely to have serious consequences.

(b)
(i) Examples of latent failures are:
- Poor design of plant and equipment;
- Ineffective training;
- Inadequate supervision;
- Ineffective communications;
- Inadequate resources (e.g. people and equipment); and
- Uncertainties in roles and responsibilities
- Poor SOPs.

(ii) Active failures created by the individual include:
the omission of a checklist item
use of wrong procedures
not following procedures
not completing a final system check properly
not double-checking
lack of skill and knowledge
an example being the chemical plant operator who opens a valve allowing a hazardous substance to escape.

Question 16

Organizations are subjected to many influences in health and safety.
Identify influential parties AND outline how they can affect health and
safety performance in an organization.

Answer 16

Employer Bodies
These represent the interests of employers. In the UK the main body is the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The CBI helps create and sustain the conditions in which businesses in the United Kingdom can compete and prosper for the benefit of all. The CBI is the main lobbying organisation for UK business on national and international issues. It works with the UK government, international legislators and policy-makers to help UK businesses compete more effectively.
Trade Associations
Trade associations are formed from a membership of companies who operate in a particular area of commerce and exist for their benefit. They can promote common interests and improvements in quality, health, safety, environmental and technical standards. This can be through various appropriate means. For example, the publication of guidelines, information notes, codes of practice and regular briefing notes on technical issues and regulatory developments. Sharing of good practice can be facilitated together with provision of news and events appropriate to their members’ areas of activity.There can also be meetings, workshops and seminars held, depending on an association’s membership, both internationally and at a national/regional level, to enable networking and the exchange of information and ideas, for example on technical and safety issues Safety is of prime importance in any industry and there is usually a way of publicising and circulating safety messages to the members on a regular basis.Membership of a trade association is generally available to companies and organisations active in the relevant industry.
Trade Unions
A trade union is an organisation of workers who have formed together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions. The trade union negotiates with the employer on behalf of its members and negotiates contracts with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers. In the UK, Unions may appoint safety representatives from amongst the workers who may investigate accidents, conduct inspections and sit on a safety committee.
Professional Groups
A professional group is an organisation of individuals who work in a particular profession and have achieved a defined level of competence. Members typically pay a subscription to join the group and receive a range of benefits. In the UK, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the largest body for health and safety professionals. It is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that sets professional standards, supports and develops members and provides authoritative advice and guidance on health and safety issues.
Pressure Groups
A pressure group is an organised group of people who seek to influence government policy or legislation. They can also be described as ‘interest groups’, ‘lobby groups’ or ‘protest groups’. They carry out research, lobby members of parliament and so aim to influence public and ultimately government opinion. One example in the UK is the Centre for Corporate Accountability. This is concerned with the promotion of worker and public safety. Its focus is on the role of state bodies in enforcing health and safety law and investigating work-related deaths and injuries

Question 17

(a) Outline the purpose of task analysis.

(b) Outline a method for carrying out task analysis.

Answer 17

A)
- Is to identify where the human error might occur in each step of the task to be carried out.
- To assess hazards and risks and to produce a safe system of work
B)
the selection of the task to be analyzed ideally, all tasks should have task analysis, but because of the significant number of taks,and the revision which is required if there’s a change in process, equipment, enviromnt, it may not be practical to do this for every single one, for these reasons it is necessary to identify which taks to be anlyzed considering the follwing factors while doing so:

• Accident frequency and severity: task where accidents occur frequently or where they occur infrequtlt but result in serious injury
• Tasks where potential for injury or illnes is high
• Newly established /modified task; due to lack of exprience in these jobs, hazrds may not be evident
• infrequently performed tasks

after the task has been chosen for analysis, the next stage is Splitting or breaking the task down into respective components/steps, care must be given to no omit any step, By breaking the task down into each step then the cause of the injury may become apparent and a better way of completing the task may be identified.

once the task ahs been broken to basic steps, the hzarads should be identified at each step based on the observation of the job, knowledge of accident, and injury causes, personal experience, the things that could go wrong each step should be identified. To help identify potential hazards the task analyst may use question s such as these:

• Can any body part get caught in or between objects?
• Do tools, machines, or equipment present any hazards?
• Can the worker make harmful contact with moving objects?
• Can the worker slip, trip, or fall?
• Can the worker suffer strain from lifting, pushing, or pulling?
• Is the worker exposed to extreme heat or cold?
• Is excessive noise or vibration a problem?
• Is there a danger from falling objects?
• Is lighting a problem?
• Can weather conditions affect safety?
• Is harmful radiation a possibility?
• Can contact be made with hot, toxic, or caustic products?
• Are there dusts, fumes, mists, or vapours in the air?

lastly, the final stage in the task anlysis, task anlyst needs to determine ways to eliminate or control harzards identified at each step, the primary method of control is to eliminate the hazard completely, if that is not practical the next option is to reduce the risk as much as possible and there are three key ways which should be consider in the following order:

Engineering controls can include:

• Substitution: less flammable
• Isolation: sound proof barrier
• Modification of tools/equipment: installing guards around moving parts.

Adminstrative control:

• PTW.
• Training, Supervision.
• Job rotation

PPE:
the right type , fit , trained on use, stored properly

All the following infromations should be written in one formate

Question 18

Question 8

(a) Explain the objectives of:
(i) active health and safety monitoring;
(ii) reactive health and safety monitoring.
(c) Outline examples of reactive performance data that could be
used to benchmark health and safety performance.

Answer 18

Objectives of Active Monitoring
The objective of active monitoring is to check that the health and safety plans have been implemented and to monitor the extent of compliance with:
• The organisation’s systems and procedures (check that practice reflects the written procedures).
• Legislation and technical standards.
By identifying non-compliances, steps can be taken to ensure that any weaknesses are dealt with, so maintaining the adequacy of the health
and safety plans, and helping to avoid any incidents.

Objectives of Reactive Monitoring
setting the basis of continual improvement and demonstrating commitment;
The objective is to analyse data relating to:
• Accidents.
• Ill-health situations.
• Other loss-causing events.
• Any other factors which degrade the system.
It is better to identify, and deal with, any potential problems by means of active monitoring, rather than waiting for an event to happen to highlight any shortcomings in the systems.

Other data are reactive, and are typically based on accidents and incidents that have occurred. They include:
• Sickness absences. • Reportable dangerous occurrences.
• Fatalities. • Reportable major injuries.
• Near misses. • Three-day, lost-time accidents.
• Damage-only accidents. • Health surveillance reports.
• Lost-time accidents. • Cases of occupational diseases.

Question 19

(a) A manufacturer wants to introduce a permit-to-work system at a factory that operates continuously over three shifts.

Outline the key issues that will make an effective permit-to-work the system at the factory. (10)

(b) An audit takes place a year later. The audit shows many permits-to-work has not been completed correctly, or have not been signed back.

Outline possible reasons why the permit-to-work system is not being followed. (10)

Answer 19

a)
-Defining actvities requiring permits, consulting with worrkers.
-Providing a clear definition of the job areas where the PTW would apply and ensuring that each PTW was identifiable with a unique reference to avoid confusion.
-The issue of a permit does not, by itself, make a job safe.
-Provision of appropriate information on the PTW form such as hazards, controls and persons responsible clearly identifiable on the documentation, Roles and responsibilities - is it clear who is in charge, and who does what - with no important gaps or overlaps?:If the job cannot be finished in one shift, ensure that it will be left in a safe state and that clear instructions are available for the next shift (see Shift Handover topic);
-The Permit should contain all relevant information, be correct, and presented in a suitable format (e.g. not overly complex or ambiguous, a single-sided A4 permit might suffice - see Procedures topic);
-Ensure end-user involvement in the design of the permit system, and the document design process;
-Communicate all relevant information (including hazards and controls) to all personnel involved;
-Ensure that other people are aware of what maintenance staff are doing and vice versa; If there are a number of permits, they should be displayed at an appropriate location, in a systematic arrangement that enables staff to check which equipment is e.g. isolated or undergoing maintenance;
-Make links between related permits – consider simultaneous tasks and interdependent activities;
-Consider the balance between communicating ‘routine’ safety information on a Permit (e.g. PPE, housekeeping), and issues specific to the task in hand, including process safety information where relevant;
-The permit system should have a process for hand-over of plant on completion of work;
-Train all users in the PTW system and provide information to other persons affected by it;
-Make arrangements to manage non-compliance e.g. where there may be overload of permits at the beginning of a shift;
-Plan work to smooth out the distribution of PTWs, or provide more PTW authorisers at busy times;
If you are considering introducing an electronic permit system, assess the risks from the changeover from a paper-based system. Use good interface design, and train personnel in the PTW process, not just use of the software interface. See HSG250, p.16.
-Additionally arrangements would need to be in place to cover training of persons directly involved with the PTW system along with a system to monitor individual performance to ensure that systems were effectively maintained and training interventions such as refresher brought in as required when identified during monitoring activities; other monitoring should be in place to allow for auditing and checking of the operation of the system over time. Finally it would of course be necessary to involve the workers through consultation on the development of and the implementation of the new PTW system.
-Ensure effective management and review of the work permit system

B) There are many reasons to account for the failure to adhere to a permit to work system. They include
•The lack of competence of both permit issuer and permit receiver
•The level of training and information that has been given to both
•A poor health and safety culture within the organization
•Routine violation
•Pressure to complete the task and
•The complexity and impracticability of the system which makes it difficult to understand
•Inadequate level of supervision
•Lack of routine monitoring and the non-availability of the permit issuer to activate the sign back procedure and cancel the permit once the work had been completed

Question 20

An organisation is expecting the arrival of contractors to start work on a project within a large chemical manufacturing site. The work does not include any confined space working or work at height.

The health and safety implications of the work, level of risk and additional information have been assessed by the organisation and communicated to the contractor management team.

The contractors have been selected based on evaluation of competence, health and safety policy,
risk assessments and method statements.

The organisation and contractor management teams have assessed the risks to the organisation’s workers, contractor’s workers and the public based on the planned work.

Outline practical ways of managing contractors:

(a) in relation to provision of training when they initially arrive on site for work;
(b) during work;
(c) on completion of work.

Answer 20

A) Before worker’s are gaining access to site every site worker must be given a suitable site induction. The induction should be site specific and highlight any particular risks and control measures that those working on the project need to know about and can over other issues such as use of identity badges, site contact arrangements..

Site inductions should also be provided to those who do not regularly work on the site, but who visit it on an occasional (e.g. architects) or once-only basis (e.g. students). The inductions should be proportionate to the nature of the visit. Special traning is carried out for those who will be working and even those who will be involved in the PTW process should be provided to the traininig as well, also an on site trainining sometimes is provided for people to familirize the worker with site and but such training should be provided udner adequate supervision and after attending the safety induction.

After conducting all the required training at wirtten test can be carried out to ensure whether or not the workers who attended the training did understood the training material., a traininig passport should be given to the worker’s who conducted the trainning to facilitate the inspection process later on.

An induction also gives you an opportunity to assess whether the appropriate personnel have been engaged to do the work, and to check any licences or permits that are required to perform the work.

(b)

The main thing is to make sure the work is going against what have been agreed on . this can be achieved by
■ regular checks – ask question ‘are the control measures working?’
■ investigating if things go wrong, eg near misses, accidents, ill health.

assess the degree of contact needed
how is the job going
is the contractor working safely and as agreed?
any incidents?
any changes in personnel?
are any special arrangements required?

Ensure the contractor has submitted a safe work procedure.
Check that they are complying with the safe work procedure.
Conduct an audit and review of the contractor’s work.
Regularly review your business’s safety performance information and ensure that contractors follow any controls or processes you introduce.
Implement an incident reporting system that extends to all contractors.
Require that contractors you often engage regularly report on safety issues, e.g. by completing safety checklists and self-audits.

c) Management actions such as
reviewing the work on completion for technical content, as well as the health and safety
performance of the contractor

Question 21

The management of an organisation intends to introduce new, safer working procedures.

(a) Outlinepractical measures that the management could take to communicate effectively when managing this change.(10)
(b) Other than effective communication, outline additional ways in which the management could gain the support and commitment of workers when managing this change.(10)

Answer 21

(a) Measures that could have been considered in this scenario include:

• The provision of regular and frequent newsletters or memos using language and technical content which is clear and easily understood;
• Holding regular meetings between management and the workforce such as team briefings and tool box talks;
• Providing the opportunity for regular meetings between the workforce and their safety delegates;
• Placing notice boards at various locations on the site and ensuring that they display relevant information and are updated at regular intervals;
• Introducing team building activities and staff suggestion schemes; and
• Providing accident and incident data to all the workers

(b) Additional ways in which the management could gain the support and commitment of workers when managing this chang:

-The very first step should be “to Find out the reasons for the resistance” whether fear of redundancy, de-skilling or simply a dislike of any type of change
-The most important requirement is to effectively consult with the workforce. This could be through formal means
–such as the safety committee or more informally
–through day to day meetings with leaders , employees; tool box talk; safety circles or improvement groups.
- A steady / progressive or step by step change process with trials and pilots of the proposed changes.
- Setting out clearly the reasons for, and the benefits of, the proposed changes such as improved accident rates and production rates
- It will be important to actively involve the workforce in the proposals, take on board suggestions, and offer training in the new methods.
- A final part of the process should be continuing demonstration of senior management commitment and
- Regular review of the changes to learn from any mistakes.
- change management tools such as staff surveys, consultation, the involvement of workers, incentives, disciplinary measures, resource allocation, et