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Element 1 Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and Safety

There are three main reasons why organizations should manage workplace health and safety: moral, legal, and financial. Morally, harming employees through work is unacceptable. Legally, most countries have adopted standards from the ILO requiring employers to provide a safe work environment. Financially, accidents and illness result in direct and indirect costs that can significantly impact an organization's resources. Failure to comply with health and safety laws can result in fines or imprisonment. Managing health and safety helps organizations meet their moral, legal and financial obligations.

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Abd Errahmane
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8K views4 pages

Element 1 Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and Safety

There are three main reasons why organizations should manage workplace health and safety: moral, legal, and financial. Morally, harming employees through work is unacceptable. Legally, most countries have adopted standards from the ILO requiring employers to provide a safe work environment. Financially, accidents and illness result in direct and indirect costs that can significantly impact an organization's resources. Failure to comply with health and safety laws can result in fines or imprisonment. Managing health and safety helps organizations meet their moral, legal and financial obligations.

Uploaded by

Abd Errahmane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Why we should Manage Workplace Health and Safety

1.1 Moral and Money


The three main reason why an organisation has to manage Health and Safety are: Moral, Legal and financial
(Economic).

Moral Reason
That relates to the duty that one person has to another. Many people are killed, injured or made sick by
their work. This harm is morally unacceptable and society as a whole demands that people are safe while at
work.

Financial Reason
That relates to the fact that accidents and ill health cost money. When an accident occurs, there will be
direct and indirect costs as a result of that event. Some of these loses are insured against, many of them
will be uninsured.

Accident and ill health can significantly affect the financial resources of an organisation, and in some
cases,that can put an organisation out of business, this is the financial argument for managing Health and
Safety.

Direct and indirect costs


Direct cost are the measurable cost arising directly from the accident:
- First aid treatment
- Worker sick pay
- Lost or damaged product
Indirect costs are those, which arise indirectly as a consequence of the event, they are often difficult to
quantify precisely and may be hard to identify.

Insured and uninsured costs


It is usually possible to take out insurance to cover some of the loses that might foreseeably occur to an
organisation.
Examples of insured costs:
- Damage to plant, building and equipment
- Compensation paid to workers
- Medical costs
Examples of indirect costs:

- Production delays or down time


- Hiring and training new employees
- Loss of business reputation
Why we should Manage Workplace Health and Safety

1.2 Regulating Health and Safety


Legal reason
That relates to the framework of laws that govern the conduct of business and organisation.

The international Framework


The key player in the international legal standards in Health and Safety is the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), which is an agency of the United Nations (UN).

ILO has set out Convention C155 and Recommendation R164, which apply to workplace Health and Safety
standards.

Most countries that are members in ILO have ratified C155 and R164 and have then legislated to put their
requirements into the national law in order to meet or exceed the minimum standards set out in these
standards.

Responsibilities
These standards place a duty on both employer and workers toward Health and safety issue.

Employers’ Responsibilities
Article 16 of C155 places a duty on employer to provide:
- Safe place of work
- Safe plant and equipment
- Safe system of work
- Adequate training, supervision and competent staff.

Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights


Responsibilities
- Workers have to look after their own and other people Health and Safety.
- Workers have to cooperate with their employer so that they can fulfill their Safety obligations.
Rights
Workers have the right to:
- Have necessary training in Occupational Health and Safety
- Be provided with adequate information related to Health and Safety
- Be consulted by the employer on all matters of Occupational Health and Safety
- Leave a workplace which is not safe and presents an imminent and serious danger

The Role of Enforcement Agencies


Each country has on (or more) enforcement agency (or authority) responsible for enforcing Health and
Safety law.

Consequence of Non-Compliance
A breach of Health and Safety legislation is usually a criminal offence, wherever you are in the world.
Failure to comply with these legal standards may lead to enforcement action by the authorities or
prosecution through a country’s criminal courts. Successful prosecution usually results in a fine, but may
result in imprisonment.
Why we should Manage Workplace Health and Safety
Work related injuries may result in compensation being paid to the victim, in some countries this is
achieved by legal action through the civil courts, while other countries may have worker compensation
schemes for this purpose.

Sources of information
Information on national standards can be obtained from the relevant national regulatory bodies. Who
publish guidance documents, which provide information on legal standards required.
Why we should Manage Workplace Health and Safety

1.3 Who does what in Organisations


Employer
He has responsibility for the Health and Safety of everyone who might be affected by what they do for
work, whether they are their employees, or not.

Directors and senior managers


The have a duty to ensure that their organisation meets this obligation. In particular:
- They are responsible for setting policy and allocating resources to allow that policy to work effectively,
this includes the provision of competent health and Safety advisers.
- They must demonstrate clear commitment and leadership, which usually includes appointing a senior
manager with responsibility for Health and Safety.

Middle managers and supervisors


- They have to ensure that the part of the organisation under their control is safe and free of Health risk.
- They execute the policy of their organisation operationally.

The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupiers of Premises(Article 17 of C155 and Article 11 of R164)
They must co-ordinate their activities to ensure good Health and Safety standards.

Contractor management
The client must carefully select contractors on the basis of their Health and Safety competence. This can be
done by looking at:
- The contractors’ policy documents
- Accident and enforcement history
- References, qualifications and experience.

Planning and Co-ordination of the Work


The client must ensure the contractors carry out risk assessments and develop method statements for their
work so that the work is properly planned and coordinated.

Monitoring and Managing the work


The client must monitor and manage contractors to ensure that they work safely, and comply with safe
working practices.

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