3.4 How Health And Safety Behaviour At Work Can Be Improved

Question 1

Nebosh Learning Outcome 2016

3.4 Explain how health and safety behaviour at work can be improved

Answer 1

3.4 How health and safety behaviour at work can be improved
- Securing commitment of management
- Promoting health and safety standards by leadership and example and
appropriate use of disciplinary procedures
- Competent personnel with relevant knowledge, skills and work experience
- Identifying and keeping up to date with legal requirements
Effective communication within the organisation:
- merits and limitations of different methods of communication (verbal, written and graphic)
- use and effectiveness of notice boards and health and safety media such as films, digital media, company intranet, posters, toolbox talks, memos, employee handbooks
- co-operation and consultation with the workforce and contractors where applicable (roles and benefits of employee participation, safety committees and employee feedback)
- Duties to consult; appointment, functions and entitlements of employee representatives (trade union-appointed and elected); safety committees (legal requirement, typical constitution, requirements for / ways to promote effectiveness)
Training:
- the effect of training on human reliability
- opportunities and need for training provision (induction and key health and safety topics to be covered, job change, process change, introduction of new legislation, introduction of new technology).

Question 2

What are good indication of a managements commitment to health and safety?

Answer 2

The amount of resources
- Money
- Time
- People
allocated to health and safety.

Question 3

No single section or department of an organisation can develop a positive health and safety culture on its own.

What else is needed?

Answer 3

• The promotion of health and safety standards
• Effective communication within the organisation
• Cooperation from and with the workforce
  and
• An effective and developing training programme.

Question 4

4 Cs that effect behavioural change at work:

• Control
• Co-operation
• Communication
• Competence.

Answer 4

Examination key point
In the context of the ‘four Cs’, ‘control’ is taken to refer to all management functions rather than the more limited use of the word as for example in:
- the control of noise
- the control of a corrosive chemical, etc

(Remember)
The safety policy is the key instrument of managerial control.

Question 5

Training

What is the importance of providing appropriate training and what are the legal requirements to do so

Answer 5

For the individual:
- it can provide motivation and build self-esteem.
For the company:
- it can improve performance and increase productivity.

The general duty on employers to provide safety training is to be found in the HSWA section 2 which states:
that it shall be the duty of every employer, so far as is reasonably practicable, to provide such …… information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of his employees.

Question 6

Below is a typical training exam question:

Describe some reasons why training may be required for workers who have been with the company for some time.

Answer 6

Start with a few general words about a mature persons ‘changing circumstances’ followed by a list such as:

• relocation to new premises
• introduction of new equipment
• introduction of new processes
• newly recruited staff
• new regulations, codes of practice and guidance
• better ways found to do job, safely and easily
• poor accident records
• higher insurance premiums
• updates and changes to operating procedures
• audits and reports
• visit from enforcement authorities

Question 7

Identify three main types of training need from those provided for a mature person

Answer 7

• organisational
• job-related
• individual

Question 8

Organisational needs are needs that are common to all those in the organisation.

They include knowledge and information about:

Answer 8

•the health and safety policy and the philosophy underlying it
•the organisational structure and systems for:
»the control of health and safety
»securing the co-operation of all employees
»communicating health and safety information
»ensuring the competence of individuals

Question 9

Job needs:

These include needs other than those related to management, such as:

Answer 9

An overview of health and safety principles
- Detailed knowledge of factors intended to control the risks of the job:
»relevant safety performance standards
»systems, procedures and rules
»the principles underlying them
Communication and problem-solving skills encourage effective participation in health and safety activities

Question 10

Training needs specific to an individual are generally identified through performance appraisal.

Answer 10

Individual needs
- They may arise because an individual has not understood the formal job training which has been delivered.
- Training needs vary from time to time and regular assessments of needs should be made which cover:
•induction of new starters, including part-time and temporary workers
•maintaining the performance of established employees (especially in the case of critical emergency procedures) and keeping them up to date with changes
•changes to individual’s roles arising from:
»job moves
»promotion
»possibility of having to deputise for others
•introduction of new equipment or technology