3.8 A Safe System Of Work, (SSW) Flashcards
Nebosh Learning Outcome 2016
3.8 Explain what factors should be considered when developing and implementing a safe system of work for general activities
3.8 Factors that should be considered when developing and implementing a safe system of work for general work activities
- Employer’s duty to provide safe systems of work
- Role of competent persons in the development of safe systems
- Importance of employee involvement in the development of safe systems
- Importance and relevance of written procedures
- The distinction between technical, procedural and behavioural controls
- Development of a safe system of work
- Analysing tasks, identifying hazards and assessing risks
- Introducing controls and formulating procedures
- Instruction and training in the operation of the system
- Monitoring the system
- Definition of and specific examples of safe systems of work for:
- confined spaces
- lone working (including travelling away from the employee’s usual place of work)
One of the legal requirements for a safe system of work can be found in the HSW Act section2, which requires employers to provide safe plant and systems of work. Name another?
the Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, require information and instructions to be provided to employees and others. Also employers need to provide a safe system of work to fulfil their common law duty of care.
What factor should be consider when developing and implementing a safe system of work?
- employers duties.
- role of competent person
- importance of employees involvement
- important and relevance of written procedures
- the distinction between technical, procedural and behavioural controls.
- development of safe systems.
- analysing tasks, identifying hazards and assessing risks.
- introducing controls and formulating procedures
- instruction and training
- monitoring the system
- definition and examples of safe system of work
Explain (in simple terms) what a safe system of work is?
A safe system of work is normally a formal and documented method for doing a job in a safe way. It takes account of all foreseeable health and safety hazards and seeks to eliminate or minimise them. Can be written or verbal
Developing a safe system of work requires?
- A competent person, as stipulated by the
MHSWR and/or the CDM Regulations - Management to ensure employees are
adequately trained in the specific safe
system of work - Consulting with employees and those
supervising the operation - A thorough analysis of the job or operation to be
covered by the system
Name three formal hazard analysis techniques?
- Hazard and operability (HAZOP) study
- Fault tree analysis
- Failure modes and effects analysis
- Job safety analysis (JSA)
The first three should be considered for use in high loss potential situation, JSA uses is a simple approach
When is a safe system of work required?
- When hazards cannot be eliminated and a degree of risk remains after technical control measures have been introduced.
A simple SSW may be defined verbally, as a written procedure or become a formal Permit-to-Work (PTW), depending on the level of risk and the needs of the organisation.
In all cases the SSW should:
- Consider the preparations and authorisations necessary before beginning the work
- Ensure the job sequence is logically and clearly planned
- Specify safe methods for undertaking specific activities
- Specify safe means of access and egress if relevant
- Consider the end of activity tasks such as dismantling and disposal.
Job Safety Analysis (JSA) SREDIM
Process of identifying hazards in each component part of a job in order to assess the risk and decide on control measures for a SSW.
Stages are:
- Select the job/task to be reviewed
- Record – Identify and record the sequence of steps and/or components in the process
- Examine each component part of the job to identify the hazards/risks
- Develop control measures
- Install SSW/Control measures
- Maintain. Carry out regular reviews.
