Health and Safety

Question 1

Why is HSE Important?

Answer 1

• People
• Law
• Morally
• Protect environment
• Cost
• Reputation

Question 2

Risk

Answer 2

• Likelihood that a hazard will actually occur with a measure of the consequence
• Hazard: Something that can cause an adverse consequence
• Risk = likelihood * consequence

Question 3

5 Steps of Risk Assessment

Answer 3

1. ID hazards
2. Decide who/what can be harmed
3. Evaluate risk
4. Record findings
5. Review and revise

Question 4

Methods of controlling risks

Answer 4

1. Eliminate hazard
2. Substitute with lesser hazard
3. Use engineering controls to reduce hazard
4. Administrative controls eg. workplace procedures
5. Damage reduction - PPE/Emergency reponse

Question 5

Regulators of HSE

Answer 5

• Eg. Health and safety executive, Environment agency
• Powers of regulators
  
  • Prosecution (Imprisonment, fines)
  • Prohibition (Halt production)
  • Enforcement notice

Question 6

Process and personal safety

Answer 6

• Personal safety:
  
  • Hospital treatment
  • Single fatality
• Process Safety
  
  • Major accidents resulting in multiple fatalities

Question 7

Human factors of HSE

Answer 7

• Mental and physical capabilities of people
• Ergonomics - eg. red = stop, green=go
• Organisational characteristics eg shift patterns, job satisfaction, job security
• Human Failure
  
  • Errors: actions/decisions not intended
  • Voilations: deliberate deviations from rules/procedures

Question 8

HSE - Swiss Cheese model

Answer 8

Using layers of defence - barriers between hazard and humans/environment

Question 9

Safe and Reliable Operations

Answer 9

Fundamental way to defend against Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

All actions taken to defend against MAH are checked by independent person

Question 10

Safety Critical Element

Answer 10

• Such parts of an installation and such of its plant (including computer programmes), or any part thereof –
  
  • the failure of which could cause or contribute substantially to; or,
  • the purpose of which is to prevent or limit the effect of a major accident

Question 11

Role of the Independent Competent Person (ICP)

Answer 11

• •Review and comment on list of SCEs (Safety Critical Elements)
• •Review and comment on the verification scheme overall
• •Execution of verification activities specified in the scheme
• •Reporting results of those activities
• •Participating in the regular reviews and/or revisions of the scheme required by OSCR
• •These roles will almost certainly require the skills and competency of more than one person

Question 12

What is COSHH

Answer 12

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

Question 13

What COSHH records are kept?

Answer 13

Within the workplace a record must be kept about all the aspects of an individual substance. Items that must be recorded are as follows:

• Each substance will have a unique numerical identifier. This is called a CAS number.
• Where the substance is kept
• People who use it and may be at risk
• Intended use and justification
• Risk to health and safety from its intended use
• Control measure
• Relevant training
• Monitoring exposure limits
• Waste disposal procedures including H number
• Assessment review date
• Emergency action in case of fire or spillage
  *

Question 14

Effects of hazardous substances

Answer 14

Examples of the effects of hazardous substances include:

• skin irritation or dermatitis as a result of skin contact
• asthma as a result of developing allergy to substances
• losing consciousness as a result of toxic fumes
• cancer, which may appear long after the exposure to the chemical that caused it
• infection from bacteria and other micro-organisms

Question 15

HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISION

Answer 15

• made up of nine commissioners appointed following consultation with representative groups to create a system that represents trade unions, employers and Government.
• The non-executive Commission works to ensure that
  
  • relevant legislation is appropriate and understood by conducting and sponsoring research;
  • providing training;
  • providing an information and advisory service;
  • submitting proposals for new or revised regulations and approved codes of practice.
  • Duty to maintain the Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS), which provides advice on occupational health matters.

Question 16

HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE

Answer 16

• The Health and Safety Executive is the operating arm of the Commission. It advises and assists the Commission in its functions and has specific responsibility, shared with local authorities, for enforcing health and safety law.
• HSE’s statutory functions include:
  • proposing new laws, or updating existing laws
  • conducting research on safety in the workplace
  • providing information and advice
  • Making adequate arrangements for the enforcement of health and safety law in relation to specified work activities

Question 17

RIDDOR

Answer 17

• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurances Regulations 1995
• Legal duty on employers, self-employed people and persons in control of premesis to…
  
  • report work related deaths, major injuries and injuries resulting from violence in the work place, which have resulted in the injured person being absent from work for more than 3 days.
  • Report dangerous near misses should also be reported e. g. falling scaffolding, plant explosions, electrical short circuits.

Question 18

Why do we have RIDDOR?

Answer 18

• It helps the HSE and local authorities to know where and how risks arise. The risks can then be investigated and advice given on how to reduce injury and ill health in the workplace.
• The legal requirement is to keep records of accidents or incidents in one of the following forms:
  
  • On a computer database (large companies)
  • In an accident book
  • In a daily log/diary

Question 19

Main legislation for H+S

Answer 19

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  
  • Your health, safety and welfare at work are protected by law.
  • Your employer has a duty to protect you and keep you informed about health and safety.
  • You have a responsibility to look after yourself and others.
  • The provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health;
  • Arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
  • The provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, the health and safety at work of his employees;
  • The provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees