Element 4 | Health and safety monitoring and measuring Flashcards
Identify three different types of inspections that can be used in any workplace, and give an example for each. (8)
General workplace inspections - carried out by local first line managers and worker health and safety reps. An example of a routine inspection would be an inspection of an office location undertaken every three months where standards of housekeeping were monitored.
Preventative Maintenance Inspections - inspections of specific items usually carried out by maintenance staff.
Pre- start Inspections - checking of equipment before use. For example vehicles, forklift trucks, access equipment. Is conducted by the user.
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the use of checklists when carrying out inspections.
Advantages
- Enables prior preparations and planning
- Quick and easy to arrange
- Brings a consistent approach
- Clearly identifies standards
- Thorough
- Provides ready made basis for inspection report
- Provides evidence for audit
Disadvantages:
- Does not encourage inspector to think beyond the scope
- Items not on the checklist are not inspected
- May tempt people who are not authorised to complete inspection
- Can be out of date if standards change
- Inspectors might be tempted to fill in checklist without checking.
What are the functions of an accident investigation?
8
An investigation will vary according to the circumstances, but it will generally include the need to establish the causes of an accident, both immediate and underlying; and the appropriate preventative action to be taken. The identification of weakness in current systems, including any non-compliance with statutory requirements so that standards can be improved. Collection of statistics, by identifications of trends or frequency of occurrence. Determinations of economic losses caused by delays or failure to complete customer expectations. Improve staff retention by demonstrating commitment to health and safety.
*Function = findings contributing factors to prevent from happening again, establishing corrective actions. Improves safety culture by showing commitment.
What is the purpose of active and reactive monitoring? (8)
There is a need for a range of both active and reactive measures to determine whether health and safety objectives have been met. A balances approach to monitoring seeks to learn from all available sources. Hence two categories of monitoring are required.
Active monitoring, before the event, involves identification through regular, planned observations of workplace condition, systems and the actions of people to ensure that performance standards are being implemented and management controls are working for example workplace and plant inspections.
Reactive monitoring, after the event, involves learning from mistakes, whether they result in injuries, illness, property damage or near-misses, for example accident investigation.
Organisations need to ensure that information for both active and reactive monitoring is used to identify situations that create risks and to do something about them. Priority should be given where risk are greatest.
What are the steps to be taken when conducting an accident investigation? (8)
When conducting accident investigations the following steps should be considered.
- Gathering information
- Analysing the information
- Identifying risk control measures
- The action plan and it’s implementation
What actions should be taken following an audit?
The outcome from an audit should be a detailed written report of findings and recommendations to improve or maintain the health and safety management system. A structure and approach to the report should be agreed at the pre-audit stage. The final report should give a clear assessment of the overall performance of the organisation, identify deficiencies and make recommendations for improvement. It should also identify the observed strengths and suggest how they can be built upon. All audit reports need to be accurately and clearly communicated. In addition to the provision of a detailed written report a verbal presentation of the report may be provided soon after the close of the audit, in order to give an early opportunity for management to learn and take action.
What are the differences between audits and inspections? (8)
Health and Safety audits assess the health and safety system, or parts of it, to determine if the system is ensuring health and safety. One of the parts of the system that may be examined by and audit is active monitoring methods, like inspections. In this way, the audit would identify if the correct people were conducting them, using the right methods, at the right frequency and how effective they were.
Inspections usually involve the examinations of the workplace of work activities; with the purpose of identification of hazards or conditions that can lead to hazards and to put in controls to mitigate the hazards. It can therefore be said that inspections are concerned with the hazard identification in the workplace, whereas auditing relates to the systems that manage the prevention and controls of hazards.
