Element 2 | How HSMS work and what they look like Flashcards
Assessment Criteria 2.1 Overview of the elements of a HSMS and the benefits of having a formal/certified system 2.2 Discuss the main ingredients of HSMS that makes it effective - policy, responsibilities, arrangements
What are the five elements in ILO Guidelines on Occupational Health and Safety management system?
The ILO “Guidelines .on Occupational Safety and Health Management - ILO - OS 2001 follow a structure that uses the following five key elements:
- Policy
- Organizing
- Planning and Implementing
- Evaluation
- Actions for continual improvement
Explain the requirements for two of the elements identified in the ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems. (3)
Policy - The health and safety policy establishes a plan which influences all the organisations activities and decisions, including those to do with the selection of resources and information, the design and delivery of products and services and the control and disposal of waste.
Evaluation - Responsibilities, accountability and authority for evaluation should be clearly allocated at different levels in the management structure.
Identify the main benefits of introducing a recognised health and safety management system.
- Demonstrates that the organisation meets the requirements of a recognised standard.
- Provides objective proof that the organisation attached=s great importance to health and safety
- Ensures clear responsibilities, (communication) structures and processes throughout the entire organisation
- Confirms a commitment to be open to independent scrutiny
- Adds credibility to the organisation
- Improves regard and reputation, giving a positive image of the organisation
- Communicates a positive message to workers, customers and other stakeholders
- Confirms to regulators that recognized health and safety standard have been met
- Meets customer expectations
- Communicates a readiness to ensure consistent and improving health and safety
- Increases reliability of the work done and raises awareness
- Establishes a level of performance to be maintained over the certification period
- Increases confidence in the organisation and it’s ability to manage health and safety risk
- Helps distinguish the organisation from others who do not have certifications.
What are the key aims an organisation should commit to in their health and safety policy statement?
ILO-OS 2001 suggests the health and safety policy statement should include; as a minimum the following key aims:
Protecting the health and safety of all members of the organisation by preventing work-related injuries, ill-health, diseases and incidents. Complying with relevant National/International occupational health and safety legislation, voluntary programmes, collective agreements on health and safety and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes. Ensuring that workers and their representative are consulted and encouraged to participate actively in all elements of the health and safety management system. Continually improving the performance of the health and safety management system.
What is the purpose of the three key features of an effective health and safety policy?
A general statement of management commitment sometimes called a statement of intent.
The statement defines what is to be achieved. The purpose of the statement section of the health and safety policy is to set and demonstrate managements commitment to its health and safety aims and to set objectives and quantifiable targets for the organisation.
Details of the organisation of health and safety
The organisation section of the policy clarifies who will achieve the aims. Its purpose is to define the structure, role, relationships and responsibilities of individuals. It allocates responsibilities and ensures effective delegating, reporting and accountability. The organisation section will usually define the organisation of worker participation through health and safety representatives, committees and direct involvement.
Arrangements to control risks
The arrangement section describes the aims that will be achieved. The purpose of the arrangement section is to detail the specific systems and procedures that establish the direction, scope and actions of the organisation when managing health and safety.
What method could you use to communicate the health and safety policy to workers and others?
All affected by the policy must understand their obligations. In order to achieve this, training and briefing will be necessary, as a minimum, to ensure effective communication. For new workers this is often done as part of the induction process. The health and safety policy should be communicated in languages and medium that managers and workers can understand. The health and safety policy should be readily accessible to all persons in their workplace and made available to external interested parties, for example visitors, neighbours, customers and suppliers. The health and safety policy statement is often posted in prominent positions in the organisation as part of the communication process and can serve as a lasting reminder to managers and workers after completion of training.
Who should sign the health and safety policy statement?
The most senior accountable person in the organisation should sign the policy statement.
Why should the policy be signed and dated?
In order to emphasise the necessary commitment to the organisations aims the statement should be signed by the most senior accountable person in the organisation and dated.
Outline reasons why health and safety objectives should be agreed by senior management.
Senior management should agree on the health and safety objectives as they are responsible for meeting the objectives. The targets should keep them in focus and monitor progress towards their completion, which is reported periodically.
Identify factors that an organisation should consider when setting health and safety objectives.
The ILO in their guidance documents recommends that objectives should be established
a) Specific
b) Consistent
c) Focused towards continually improving
d) Realistic and achievable
e) Documented and communicated
f) Periodically evaluated
Outline information that many be included in the arrangement section of an organisations health and safety policy document.
The arrangements section of the health and safety policy describes the aims that will be achieved. The purpose of the arrangement section is to detail specific systems and procedures that establish the direction, scope and actions of the organisation when managing health and safety. These can be either general arrangements such as planning, allocation of resource, Training and competence or more specific arrangements for hazards such as chemical and biological, confined spaces, contractors etc.
Identify circumstances that would require a health and safety policy to be reviewed.
A number of circumstances may lead to a need to review the policy, for example the passage of time, technological, organisational or legal change and the result of monitoring or following a major incident.
Technological change is happening in workplaces all the time and this can mean that operational controls have been defined against circumstances that no longer exist, for example different equipment or substances may have been used.
Changes in organisation have specific bearing on the health and safety management system. For example of top management changes this would require the new top manager to take ownership of the policy.
Legislation changes periodically and it usually reflects a strengthening of society’s expectations with regard to health and safety.
Outline the purpose of the “Statement of intent” section of a health and safety policy.
The Statement on intent section of a health and safety policy defines what is to be achieved. The purpose of the statement sections of the health and safety policy is to set and demonstrate managements commitment to its health and safety aims and to set objectives and quantifiable targets for the organisation.
Outline why it is important for an organisations health and safety policy to include objectives and targets.
It is important for organisations health and safety policy to include objectives and targets to provide a framework to achieve the policy aims. The ILO guidance document recommends that these should be established:
a) Specific to the organisation and appropriate to and according to the size and nature of activity. These should reflect the risks of the different work activities of the organisations.
b) Consistent with the relevant and applicable National laws and regulations and the technical business obligations with regard to health and safety.
c) Focused towards continually improving workers health and safety protection to achieve the best health and safety performance.
d) Realistic and achievable
e) Documented and communicated to all relevant functions and levels.
f) Periodically evaluated and if necessary updated.
Give the meaning of the term “benchmarking”
Benchmarking is a way for organisations to compare with other organisations progress/meeting targets.
