ELEMENT

Managing Risk – Understanding People and Processes 3 31

ELEMENT 3 03

MANAGING RISK –
UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE
AND PROCESSES
Learning Outcomes:

3.1  escribe the concept of health and safety culture and how it influences
D
performance

3.2 Summarise how health and safety culture at work can be improved

3.3  ummarise the human factors which positively or negatively influence behaviour
S
at work in a way that can affect health and safety

3.4 Explain the principles of the risk assessment process

3.5  iscuss typical workplace changes that have significant health and safety impacts
D
and ways to minimise those impacts

3.6 Describe what to consider when developing and implementing a safe system of
work for general activities

3.7 Explain the role, function and operation of a permit-to- work system

3.8 Discuss typical emergency procedures (including training and testing) and how to
decide what level of first aid is needed in the workplace

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32 NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

3.1 Health and Safety Culture  Workers behave in a safe manner because they are
well trained and competent and know the importance
Meaning of the term ‘Health and of following the rules and regulations. Those workers
who do not feel that safety is important are generally
Safety Culture’:
are in minority, but as time passes by these workers
In any organization there is a way in which things get done. also absorb this good culture and changeover for
Some organizations take important decisions very fast and the better, while those workers who are reluctant to
execute client projects in a time bound manner, while in changeover, either leave or are made to leave.
other organizations decision making is slow and generally  This good health and safety culture leads in better
clients do not get their projects executed in time. This type control of the risks, highly motivated and empowered
of delaying or poor decision-making process is in built in workforce, a strict adherence to the rules, a thorough
the companies’ psyche. It is not that only few people in the investigation of incidents thereby leading to good
organization have this habit of delaying but it is generally health and safety performance with low accidents
seen that this problem exists throughout the entire and sickness rates.
hierarchy of the organization. Negative Culture:
As explained above, organizations, thus build up its own In an organization with negative culture the following is seen:
values, traditions, customs and informal views. This can
also be stated as the ‘culture’ of the organization. There is poor health and safety leadership from the
management. Managers are generally concerned in
In the same way the organizations can also have a ‘health ensuring that the productivity is achieved and sales targets
and safety culture’. A health and safety culture can be are met even if it means adopting unsafe practices or
defined as the product of individual and group values, breaking the set procedures. Health and safety issues are
attitude, beliefs, perception and competencies related to neglected; near misses and worker complaints are either
health and safety. not reported or not adequately investigated. There are no
policies or they are poorly implemented.
Relationship between Health and
Safety Culture and Health and Workers are poorly trained and the companies’ procedures
are not properly communicated to them. They look at the
Safety Performance:
managers to lead them and follow their poor customs and
A companies’ health and safety performance is determined behaviors. There may be some workers, who are safety
by its health and safety culture. A positive culture leads conscious, but they are too few to make an impact or they
to good performance, while in a negative culture the get absorbed into this negative way of working or they
performance is poor. leave the organization.

Positive Culture:
In an organization with positive culture the following is seen:

 There is leadership and commitment to health

and safety throughout and at all levels of the
organization;
 There is acceptance
that high standards
of health and safety
are achievable as
part of a long-term
strategy formulated
This negative culture leads to workers and managers
by the organization;
violating the rules, there is poor or no implementation
 Managers believe in
of risk control measures and there are large number of
safety and treat it is
unsafe acts and conditions, which neither get reported not
an investment, rather than as a cost. Every action is
investigated. This leads to an increase in accidents and ill
taken by them only after careful assessment of the
health thus impacting the organizations health and safety
risks and after considering the companies’ internal
performance.
policies.

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 Managing Risk – Understanding People and Processes
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Indicators of an Organisation’s Health  Workers are not able to come to work as they may be
suffering from ill health which could get worsened by
and Safety Culture:
continuing to work.
It is not possible to measure health and safety culture  Workers do not want to come to work as they feel
directly, but it is possible to come to a conclusion whether their work is too risky and hence would not like to
an organizations health and safety culture is good or poor suffer any loss of limb or life.
by looking at a variety of indicators. The following are the
indicators:

Accidents/Incidents:
The number of accidents that are happening in an
organization is a good judge of its health and safety
03
culture. But only the number of accidents as a standalone
itself cannot give a clear picture. Accidents happening in
the organization need to be converted into indicators for
e.g. number of accidents per 1000 workers. Once these
indicators are generated the companies’ records can be
checked for the previous few years to see an increasing or
decreasing trend.
Sickness Rates:
A decreasing trend would obviously point out to an
A workplace is full of hazardous substances which can
improvement in the health and safety culture overall.
cause ill health effects and subsequently cause workers
An organizations accident data can be compared to similar to report sick. Sickness rates can be compared in the same
sized, similar product company which can thus be used way as accidents rates are.
as a benchmark to compare with companies having good
health and safety culture.

Other way of assessing the culture is to look at the standards

of investigation that follows the accidents. A company
with positive health and safety culture would obviously
carry out a well-structured investigation and there will be
great emphasis placed on reaching out to the root cause
of the incident and bringing out structural improvements
by looking at short comings in the risk assessments and
the companies’ policies. While in a company with negative
health and safety culture, accidents investigations will be
carried out superficially, often with an intention to blame
someone rather than with an intention to prevent such Staff Turnover:
accidents in the future.
Workers leave the work and join other organizations.
One prime reason to leave is to seek a better working
environment. An organization with poor health and safety
culture will have a higher worker turnover because they
don’t feel safe at work or suffering with poor morale.

Absenteeism:
In a company with poor health and safety culture high level
of worker absenteeism may be seen, this indicates that
workers are not able to come to work or do not want to
come to work.

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34 NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

Level of Compliance with Health and Safety 3.2 I mproving Health and
Rules and Procedures
Safety Culture
In organizations with positive health and safety culture
audits and routine inspections will point out to high level Gaining Commitment of
of compliance with health and safety rules (this obviously is Management
one of the reasons for good accident records). Conversely in
There needs to be a commitment from the very top of the
an organization with poor culture there would be rampant
organization and this commitment will, in turn, produce
violations of rules and regulations to meet the companies’
higher levels of motivation and commitment throughout
production targets.
the organization. The top management needs to be
Complaints about the Working Conditions: committed in promoting high standards of health and
safety and should believe in the benefits of working
Organizations with poor health and safety culture will
safely. Top management commitment is invariably gained
have high number of worker complaints recorded through
because they realise that it makes business and economic
formal consultation processes. Complaints will range
sense to work safely and it is also a legal requirement. The
from poor quality PPE, to poor work environment like too
top management once committed will drive the process
much noise or very dusty workplace. Organizations with
of culture change. Worker see the top management
good health and safety culture will find less of workers
take OH&S performance seriously, this cascades down
complaints because the organization will definitely be
through the organization and helps establish a positive
adhering to minimum legal requirements.
OH&S culture.
Influence of Peers on Health and Promoting Health and Safety
Safety Culture: Standards by Leadership
In an organization worker form their own groups to
Promoting health and safety standards by Leadership:
socialize and to make the work life more meaningful.
Leadership and commitment can be shown by, for example:
Within this group an informal hierarchy gets formed with
one or more of the workers becoming their unelected  Aligning the OH&S management system with the
leader who obviously influence the group due to their organizations business objectives;
imposing personality and effective communication. A  Making sure the necessary resources are available;
person wishing to become a member of this group needs  Encouraging workers and other relevant interested
to comply with the group’s norms. This pressure to comply parties to get actively involved in improving OH&S
is called as peer group pressure. performance;
If the group has a positive attitude towards health and  Involving everyone in OH&S decision-making that
safety then any new comer would also be required to affects them;
follow this norm, even if this new person doesn’t think of  Promoting open discussion about OH&S matters; and
safety as something which is important. The peer group
 Ensuring the emphasis is on improvement rather than
can also have a negative impact on health and safety
blame.
behavior in which the group as such thinks that safety is
something which is meant only to be followed on paper Appropriate Use of Disciplinary
and those who believe in safety will also tend to overlook Procedures:
it so as to comply with the peer group pressure.
The companies’ policies and procedures states clearly what
The only way for the management to overcome this peer is acceptable or not, in terms of health and safety behaviour
group pressure from imposing negative pressure on at all levels of the organization. It becomes important that
the workmen is to identify the influential persons in the non-compliance to rules brings with it certain disciplinary
group and turn them over to the safe way of behaving. procedures which are also well documented in the
This can be done by training, education and involvement companies’ policies. A good organization will ensure that
in safety-related projects. Once these workers are negligent acts are reported immediately and managers act
changed, they will influence the others in the group to upon them using the disciplinary actions available, this will
also change their behaviour. ensure that workers do not repeat their acts again.

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The level of action would depend upon the severity of the  It may be the policy that certain information to be in a
breach. Minor breaches can be dealt with even a verbal specified format;
reprimand and more severe ones through written warnings  Need to be keep evidence of the message delivered.
and even suspension of work for a few days. Disciplinary
 To ensure communication is clear and understood by all
actions should be:
Benefits and limitations of different
 Proportionate to the violation for e.g a verbal methods of communication (verbal, written
warning for not following the pedestrian routes
and graphic)
to more detailed actions including suspension for
deliberately removing guard of a machine. The three common methods of communication are verbal,
written and graphic.
 Determined after an investigation and it is important
to reach the root cause.  Verbal Communication is the most common. It is
communication by speech or word of mouth. Verbal
03
 Consistent, and not be different for different levels
of employees, for e.g. the same rule should apply communication should only be used for relatively
for a contract worker, an in house worker and a simple pieces of information or instruction. It is most
supervisor or manager. commonly used in the workplace, during training
sessions or at meetings. The following are the merits
Competent Workers: and limitations of verbal communication:
ISO 45001:2018 defines competence as “ability to apply
knowledge and skills to achieve intended results.
A competent person is a person who has sufficient knowledge,
skill, experience, and other abilities and authorised to carry
out their work safely and without risk to health.

It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the

employees are competent at all levels. Competence is
required at managerial, supervisory and at workers level
so that each one can do their jobs safely. Furthermore
Merits Limitations
an employer has to appoint competent health and safety
 It is personal and can  Language barrier
professionals so that the organization benefits from their be delivered from one may exist and hence
advice and knowledge. person to other easily, information may not be
without others knowing understood.
Good Communication within the about it.
Organisation:  It is quick and  Use of jargon, local or
preparation time technical language may
Communication can be defined as the transmission of data
required is less. not be understood.
from the sender to the receiver. Effective communication
 Allows for checking for  Strong accent or dialect
means the data is sent by the sender, which is then received understanding by asking may interfere.
by the receiver in totality and understood and acted the recipient about it.
upon as desired. There are three common ways in which
 Allows for feedback to  Background noise may
communication can be delivered. In health and safety we be given interfere
follow a mixture of all the three methods to overcome the
 Usually allows for  Recipient may have poor
barriers of each method and for the reasons such as: additional transmission hearing.
 Variety prevents over-familiarization with one method; of information by means  Message may be
of voice of tone and body arguable or debatable.
 Helps to reinforce a message; language.
 Overcome language barriers and the inability of some  Recipient may miss or
forget some information.
workers to read;
 People respond differently to different stimuli;  There is no written
record as proof.
 To motivate, stimulate interest and gain involvement
 Poor transmission quality
and feedback;
of made by telephone or
 Different types of information require different PA system.
methods to communicate;

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36 NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

 Written Communication: Communication in the Notice Boards: These are the most common and widely
written format in the form of an e-mail, memo or a used method for broadcasting information. For the notice
note etc. board to be effective the following needs to be considered:

Merits Limitations − It should be eye-catching and centrally located

 Since it is written, it  It is indirect and can be in an area which is used by most workers, like for
e.g. pantry, rest rooms or changing areas.
creates a permanent impersonal.
record. − The displays should be current and replaced at
 Takes time to prepare.
regular intervals so that it compels the workers
 Can be referred back  May contain jargon to read it more often.
to if information is and abbreviations.
− It should contain data related to health and
forgotten.
 There could be a safety only for e.g.: the companies’ policies,
 Can be written language barrier. accident data, minutes of safety committee
carefully to avoid meetings etc.
 Message may not be
confusions and to put  Posters and Videos: These are great in drawing
read.
across the message instant attention and puts forth simple information
 There is no scope for
carefully. in graphical form which can be understood by all. The
immediate feedback.
 Can be checked following are the advantages of posters:
 Questions cannot be
several times for − They are graphical and hence avoid language barrier.
raised.
correctness of − It is easily eye catching and hence generates
information.  Receiver could have interest.
impaired vision.
 Can be distributed − Cost can be kept low.
to a wide audience − It can reinforce key messages.
relatively cheaply. The following are the disadvantages of posters:

 Graphic Communication: is communication by the − Can quickly become part of the surroundings and
use of drawings, photographs or DVDs. It is used to hence ignored by the workers.
impart either health and safety information (e.g. fire − May be defaced and hence not readable.
exits) or health and safety propaganda. The most
− Can trivialize important issues.
common forms of health and safety propaganda
− Rely on the recipient interpreting the correct
are the poster and the DVD. Both can be used very
message from the image.
effectively as training aids, as they can retain interest
and impart a simple message.  Tool Box Talks: These are short practical talks
given at the start of the work shift to boost up the
Merits Limitations
motivation and morale of the workers and urging
 It is eye catching and  Can convey only them to work safely. It refreshes the knowledge of
visual. simple messages. the workers and creates awareness about the risks of
 Quick to interpret.  Expensive to buy or the task to be undertaken in that shift.
 There is no language produce.  Digital Media: DVDs can be used as a teaching medium
barrier.  May be ignored. to educate workers about the organization’s health
 It is jargon-free.  Symbols or pictograms and safety policy and its objectives. It is also used to
may be unknown. create awareness among the workers and show the
 Once made conveys
impacts of not following health and safety procedures.
a message to a wide  There is no immediate
Visual media ensures clear interpretation of concepts,
audience. feedback available.
procedures and ideas and encourages the workers to
 Questions cannot be apply safety rules and procedures at the workplace. It
raised. should incorporate pleasant and motivational visuals
 Recipient may have for better health and safety behavior.
impaired vision.  Company Intranet: It is a private network connecting
Use and Effectiveness of Noticeboards and only few numbers of computers while internet is
Health and Safety Media: a public network connecting lots of computers
across the globe. It is normally used in most of the
Health and safety information can be made in any of the
organisations to share health and safety rules and
three means of communication. Also this communication
procedures of the organisation among employees.
can be broadcasted using different methods; some of
 Memos and Emails: These are written notifications
them have been discussed below:

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used to provide specific information about a single The Indian connection: The Occupational Safety,
issue, such as updating procedures, drawing attention Health and Working Conditions Code - 2020
ton lapses in practice, etc. When using memos there
is no opportunity for feedback or questioning, so
Chapter IV, Clause 22: Safety Committee
their use is really limited to issuing clear and precise and Safety Officers
instructions or information. 1) 
The appropriate Government may, by general or special
 Worker Handbooks: It is used to set out the order, require any establishment or class of establishments
organizations health and safety policy. All employees to constitute in the prescribed manner a Safety Committee
should be given a copy on joining the organization, consisting of representatives of employers and workers
and updates are usually circulated to inform staff engaged in such establishment in such manner that the
of changes. This is a key document, containing such number of representatives of workers on the Committee
information as site rules, reporting procedures, shall not be less than the number of representatives of
emergency arrangements, etc. It is standard practice the employer and the representatives of the workers shall 03
to issue this handbook as part of the workers be chosen in such manner and for such purpose as may be
induction and to get a receipt as proof of issue. prescribed by appropriate Government.
Co-operation and Consultation with the The management can consult on a wide variety of topics
Workforce and Contractors: concerning health and safety. Following are some of them:
ISO 45001:2018 defines consultation as “seeking views  Introduction of new PPE.
before making a decision”. It includes engaging health
 Introduction of new procedures or revision of already
and safety committees and worker’s representatives,
existing ones.
where they exist.
 The results of accident investigations, audits and
other active monitoring.
ISO 45001:2018 defines participation as
“involvement in decision making”. It includes  Introduction of new legal requirements or standards.
engaging health and safety committees and There are two methods that employers can use for
worker’s representatives, where they exist. consulting with workers:
With good commitment from the top management, we Direct consultation is the method in which managers
can expect good cooperation from the workers. But here speaks to individual workers during their regular rounds
we should be aware of the requirement of consulting. Let’s and try to resolve the issues of individual workers. This type
understand what the meaning of consulting is and how it is of system would be effective in small organizations.
different from informing.
In Indirect consultation method, workers safety
 ‘Informing’ is a one-way process and generally
representatives bring forth their issues in the regular
decisions are taken by the management and
meetings, discuss with the management and resolve the
it is informed to the workers and checked for
issues and then take back the resolutions to individual
understanding. Most workers would resist this type
of communication because they look at the decisions workers they are representing.
of the management as something that is imposed Benefits of Worker Participation:
on them and the management been autocratic in
imposing their decision. This creates a negative  It
 is important for an Organization to consult with its
culture. workers on health and safety, since participation will
help improve their understanding of the value and
 ‘Consulting’ is a two-way process, where the
importance of health and safety.
management and the workers discuss on matters
affecting their work and come to a joint decision. The  It will raise the profile of health and safety and develop
workers are given an opportunity to speak out and ask their feeling of ownership of safety measures.
for clarifications. This is seen as a democratic way of  B
 y seeking their views and allowing them to
management and the decision taken by the consultation contribute to the decision making, management
process is supported whole heartedly by the workers would demonstrate their commitment towards
and the management can look at getting co-operation health and safety.
from the workers. This creates a positive culture.  Participation will also improve their morale of
Employers need to consult with employees in matters workforce and helps in developing positive culture
concerning health and safety and it is a legal requirement.  The participation of workers would be useful in
Occupational Safety and Health Convention C155 article ensuring that any suggested improvements would be
20 and R164 article 12 give specific standards on these. workable in practice.

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38 NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

 Consultation and participation might well be a legal − Personal Protective equipment – Requirements &
requirement. Use
Role of Health and Safety Committees: − Introduction to SSW & PTW etc.

A workplace health and safety committee (HSC) is a formal − Introduction to risk assessment- JSA Controls
committee established to facilitate cooperation between − Co-operation and co-ordination
an employer and workers in developing and carrying out − Do’s & Don’t – Drug abuse - Disciplinary
measures to ensure health and safety at work. It is one of Procedures
the methods of consultation.  Job change: When a workers job profile changes like
Types of Safety Committee: if an office worker has been given the task of visiting
customers at their site, then lone workers training,
 Central Safety Committee
training in safe road travel etc. may have to be given.
 Plant Safety Committee
 Process change: A change in the way of doing things
 Departmental Safety committee may expose the workers to additional hazards, this
 Foreman Safety Committee need to be communicated by training.
There shall be equal representation of Management &  Introduction of New legislation: New laws
Employee Representation in Safety Committee. been passed by the national governments may
Objectives of Health & Safety Committee require training to be given to the workers, so as to
understand its implications on their routine activities.
 Study of accident and disease statistics to
 Introduction of New technology: The introduction
recommend remedial actions
of new technology brings with it many benefits but
 Review of new legislations and guidance and also add to the hazards already existing. For e.g. the
their effects introduction of hand held bar code scanners in a
 Monitoring and review of OHS training and shopping mall should be done by training the workers
instruction activities concerned on the hazards of lasers.
 Examine audits and statutory inspection reports of OHS
3.3 How Human Factors
When training is needed
Influence Behavior
Training can be defined as the imparting of skills and
Positively or Negatively
knowledge in a structured manner in a relatively safe
environment. One critical factor that most organizations would face
while improving their health and safety culture and
Following could be the opportunities when training needs
consequently their safety performance would be the
to be imparted to workers.
human factor. Research and previous data on accident
 Induction training: This is given to employees who causation has pointed towards human error, lapses and
have joined the organization and before they can mistakes in creating unsafe acts which is most of the
settle down with their daily routine the organization times the immediate cause for an accident. We have to
needs to give them safety induction to make them understand why humans behave the way they do and that
aware of the companies’ rules and procedures and in spite of all the training and awareness why do they end
site-specific information. up in doing unsafe acts.
Content of General Induction Training to Human factor is a science of analyzing human’s knowledge,
New Workers: skills, abilities, behaviour and emotions with respect to
− Organisation’s Health & Safety Policy - Targets work. The system, workplace and environment are designed
− Fire & other Emergency Procedures- and evaluated based on the human factors observations
Assembly Point for ensuring the safety of the people.
− Location of welfare facilities Human factor is mainly influenced by the “Organizational”,
− Safe movement around the workplace “Job”, and “Individual” factors
− Incident reporting procedure
To understand the above, we need to understand the
− Worker consultation arrangements
factors that affect human behaviour. The factors that have
− General Safety rules and employee an effect on the human behaviour are:
code of Practice

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The Organizational Factor:  Resources: this could include space, manpower,

tools and training. The absence of the right tool or
Organizational factors have the greatest influence
inappropriate level of training may require a worker
on individual and group behaviour, yet they are often
to improvise thereby seen as poor behaviour.
overlooked during the design of work and during
 Training: if well trained and competent staff is not
investigation of accidents and incidents. Organizations need
accomplishing the tasks then it certainly affects the
to establish their own positive health and safety culture.
workers behaviour.
The culture needs to promote employee involvement and
commitment at all levels, emphasizing that deviation from  Work patterns: the shift start and end time,
established health and safety standards is not acceptable. overtime or extended hours, the weekly off between
Following are the characteristics of the organization that changes in shift can adversely affect the workers’
influences human behaviour: health and cause fatigue and thereby affect the
safety performance. 03
 Safety culture of the organization: a negative
culture will influence the worker to behave The Job Factor:
negatively.
Tasks should be designed in accordance with ergonomic
 Policies and procedures: the presence or the principles to take into account limitations and strengths
absence of procedures and the quality of the same in human performance. Matching the job to the person
and whether it is easy to understand and interpret. will ensure that they are not overloaded and that the
 Commitment and leadership from the most effective contribution to the business results.
management: Management should show visible Physical match includes the design of the whole
leadership and their actions should speak louder workplace and working environment. Mental match
than their words. involves the individual’s information and decision-making
 Levels of supervision: the correct level and requirements, as well as their perception of the tasks
competent supervision acts as a deterrent for unsafe and risks. Mismatches between job requirements and
behaviour. Most workers would not want to be people’s capabilities provide the potential for human error.
caught and reprimanded by the supervisors. Following are the various job related characteristics that
influence human behaviour:
 Peer group pressure: this is already discussed
earlier.
 Consultation and workers involvement: keeping
the workers involved in work related decisions
ensures cooperation and acceptance from the
workers.
 Communication: effective communication ensures
that the workers have understood their job
requirements and hence there is a less chance of
them been involved in mistakes.
 Task: the way the work is performed. If the task is too
complicated and requires the worker to stoop too
often or reach out for controls which are far from his
hands span, then it is most likely he will find an easier
way of doing the task which may not be the safest
way.
 Workload: the amount of work if it is high with
smaller and less frequent breaks will compel the
worker to find out shortcuts of accomplishing the
task quicker so that he gets some more additional
time to relax.
 Environment: If the job involves working in noisy,
dusty or hot environment, then the worker needs to
wear certain PPE to take care of the adverse effects.
Wearing the PPE and doing physically exerting jobs

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tires the workers quickly and he will find ways of quiet early in the life, and they have a tendency to
doing the job without the requisite PPE and thus stay with us. Because of this particular reason it is very
exposing himself to the hazards. difficult to change attitude. Changing the attitude can
be done using a combination of all the methods stated
 Displays and controls: poorly positioned and below:
designed displays and controls may require a worker − Education and Training: When workers are
to reach out to them or strain his eyes to see them, educated and made aware of the hazards in the
or may have to rely upon his memory to see if the workplace and in operating of machinery and the
parameters seen in the display are correct or wrong. accidents that can be caused work act as an eye
All of these factors can contribute to human error. opener, thereby changing their attitude towards
safety requirements as something provided for
 Procedures: the existence and quality of the their own good. Educating workmen that it is a
procedures. A lack of written procedures or poorly legal requirement for them to work safely also
written procedures that are out of date or overly changes their attitude.
complex or impractical can be why workers do not − High-impact intervention: Images of grievous
comply with them. bodily injuries caused by poor attitude towards
The Individual Factor: health and safety creates a lasting image on the
minds of the workers thereby changing their
People bring to their job personal attitudes, skills, habits attitude.
and personalities which can be strengths or weaknesses − Consultation and workers involvement:
depending on the task demands. Individual characteristics In this the workers are made part of the
influence behaviour in complex and significant ways. Their decision making process and therefore the
effects on task performance may be negative and may not decisions taken are more readily accepted by
always be mitigated by job design. Some characteristics such the workforce and safety critical decisions are
as personality are fixed and cannot be changed. Others, viewed with a positive attitude
such as skills and attitudes, may be changed or enhanced.
− Enforcement: workers are forced to follow the
Following are the individual related characteristics that
rules and procedures laid out by the organization
influence human behaviour:
and the managers should be seen as following
it themselves and taking unbiased action on the
workers if they violate the rules laid out.
 Motivation: is the driving force behind the way a
person acts or the way in which people are stimulated
to act. So, if a worker has to work safely, he needs to
be motivated in doing so. Following are the ways in
which workers could be motivated in working safely.
− Involvement in the decision-making process in a
meaningful way will improve motivation.
− Use of incentive schemes for having good safety
records. It is important here to know that if
production is incentivized then workers may take
shortcuts to achieve the targets thereby they
may be motivated to work unsafely and selection
of incentive schemes should be done carefully.
− Recognition and promotion opportunities, job
 Attitude: is the tendency to behave in a particular security and job satisfaction.
way in a certain situation. Attitudes are influenced  Competence: is a combination of knowledge,
by the prevailing health and safety culture within the
experience, training and ability that brings a person
organization, the commitment of the management,
the experience of the individual and the influence of to a level where they are able to perform to an
the peer group. Peer group pressure is a particularly acceptable standard and they are aware of their
important factor among young people and health and own limitations. Competence also means the right
safety training must be designed with this in mind by combination of all the factors involved. Some tasks
using examples or case studies that are relevant to may require a high level of technical knowledge, while
them. Attitudes develop over time, many of the time

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other would require physical ability to accomplish.  Highlighting hazards, e.g. by using safety signs to
If a worker is competent to do a task then his inform employees that hearing protection is required,
behaviour will be positive and he will do the task or to warn of a hazard, such as the presence of
without any shortcuts or errors, but at the same time forklifts or wet floors. Paint and tape can be used for
a non-competent worker would not have the right highlighting hazards like low objects or changes in
knowledge and hence would accomplish the task in levels.
an unsafe manner.  Ensuring that there is adequate lighting.
 Perception of risk: It is the way in which a person  Removing distractions such as noise (which could
interprets information detected by the senses. In result in a worker not hearing a warning) or excessive
health and safety, the perception of hazards is an heat (which can cause fatigue).
important concern. Many accidents occur because
people do not perceive that there is a risk. Poor
Link between Individual, Job and 03
perception of risks are caused by: Organisational Factors:
− People having sensory impairment may not be
able to correctly detect hazards in a workplace;
hence they may not feel, hear, see or smell a
hazard.
− The brain may not be correctly interpreting the
hazards sensed by the senses. It is important to
understand that when perception leads to an
increased health and safety risk, it is not always
caused by a conscious decision of the individual
concerned. The stroboscopic effect caused by
the rotation of a drill at certain speeds under
fluorescent lighting will make the drill appear
stationary. It is a well-known phenomenon,
especially among illusionists, that people will
often see what they expect to see rather than
reality. Routine or repetitive tasks will reduce Individual: Includes the person’s competence, skills,
attention levels, leading to the possibility of personality, attitude, and risk perception.
accidents. A tired worker may not be able to
Job: Includes nature of the task, workload, and the working
recognize a pothole quick enough to avoid it- in
environment
this case the eyes has spotted the pothole but
it is the brain that has failed to interpret it and Organisation: Discuss about work patterns, the culture of
send the right signals. the workplace, resources, communications, and leadership.

Other Factors that May Affect a Perception Link between individual, job and organisation factors can
of Risk are: be explained with a below example.

 Illness. Mutually complement each other

 Stress. For example:
 Fatigue. Visible leadership from management will motivate workers;
 Drugs and alcohol. Consultation and communication will improve perception of
 Previous experiences. risk, etc. (Organisational Vs Individual factor)
 Training, knowledge and education. Demonstration of management’s commitment to safety such
Ways of Improving Workers Perception as availability of resources, setting realistic targets will provide
of Risk: reasonable work load (Organisational Vs Job factor)

 Carrying out safety awareness campaigns using No distractions in terms of lighting/noise/temperature in

posters, toolbox talks, etc. working conditions will help to improve perception of risk at
work (Job Vs Individual factor)
 Developing training programs to increase awareness
of the hazard and its consequences.

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3.4 Assessing Risk Risk Profiling:

The risk profile of an organisation informs all aspects of the
Meaning of Hazard, Risk, Risk
approach to leading and managing its health and safety risks.
Profiling and Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment:
Hazard:
It is a formalized process of identifying preventive and
ISO 45001:2018 defines hazards as “source with a protective measures by evaluating the risk(s) arising from
potential to cause injury and ill-health”. It can
a hazard(s), taking into account the adequacy of any
include sources with the potential to cause harm
existing controls, and deciding whether or not the risk(s)
or hazardous situations, or circumstances with
the potential for exposure leading to injury and is acceptable
ill-health
Risk profiling: What is involved?
A hazard is something which has the potential to cause Who should be involved? The risk
harm. For example a pothole on a pedestrian walkway
is an unsafe condition which is a hazard as it can cause profiling process
somebody to trip and fall. Similarly a worker operating a
Every organisation will have its own risk profile. This is the
240V hand held power tool may face several hazards like
starting point for determining the greatest health and
electricity, vibration and noise. Hazards can be broadly
safety issues for the organisation. In some businesses the
classified as:
risks will be tangible and immediate safety hazards, whereas
 Physical e.g. electricity. in other organisations the risks may be health-related and
 Chemical e.g. sulphuric acid. it may be a long time before the illness becomes apparent.
 Biological e.g. leptospirosis. A risk profile examines:
 Ergonomic e.g. manual handling.
 the nature and level of the threats faced by an
 Psychological e.g. stress. organisation
Note: Inhalation of chemical fumes will lead to ill health  the likelihood of adverse effects occurring
but may burn the skin if in contact. Hence it is classified as
 the level of disruption and costs associated with each
Physiochemical hazard
type of risk
In any common workplace a large number of hazards exist,  the effectiveness of controls in place to manage
whether these hazards can cause us harm and to what those risks
severity is the real question that we have to answer.
The outcome of risk profiling will be that the right risks have
Risk: been identified and prioritised for action, and minor risks
will not have been given too much priority. It also informs
ISO 45001:2018 defines risks as “combination of the
decisions about what risk controls measures are needed.
likelihood of occurrence of a work-related
hazardous event(s) or exposure(s) and the severity Risk Profiling: Who should be involved?
of injury and ill-health that can be caused by the
event(s) or exposure(s) Risk Assessors
 Shall have team approach involving line manager,
It is the likelihood that hazard will cause harm in
supervisor, health & safety specialist, technical expert
combination with the severity of injury, damage or loss
and workers (representatives).
that might foreseeably occur.
 Competence of risk assessor is vital.
The above definition tells us that for a risk to be measured,
 Competence is assessed by
then we need to look at two parameters, namely the
likelihood of the hazard and next would be the severity of − Knowledge of RA procedure
the injury. Simply put we can say − Knowledge of plant & process

Risk = Likelihood of a hazard causing harm x − Knowledge of relevant standards

severity of the harm. − Keen & aware of limitations

We may describe a risk as ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’ and this − Communication skills
will all depend upon the likelihood of the hazard and the − Report writing skills
severity of the harm been high, medium or low. − Computer literacy

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Risk Profiling Process:- risk assessment should meet the following criteria to be
The HSE provides guidance in HSG65 on what it considers suitable and sufficient.
to be the key actions in effective risk profiling, which make
 State the name and competence of the assessor and
explicit the actions required of leaders (ownerships and
the name of any specialist help taken while preparing
responsibility) and managers (operational and process) to
identify and quantify the strategic and operational risk of the risk assessment.
the organisation.  Identifying the significant hazards and risks arising
out of or connected with the work, i.e. those that are
Risk profiling involves gathering information about
operations and process, using existing risk assessments, most likely to occur and result in harm been caused,
and risk assessment methodology to evaluate risks, and with any remaining risks at an acceptable low level.
developing a suitable means for monitoring and providing  Identify all the persons who could be at risk, including
assurance. Some organisations use risk registers to enable workers and other such visitors. Vulnerable people 03
them to document and monitor key risks. such as young persons should also be identified.
Those who undertake risk assessments need to be  Evaluate the effectiveness of the current control
competent to do so. While some organisations may choose measures.
to use external expertise to help them develop their risk
 Identify other control measures which are required to
profile, anyone doing so must have a broad knowledge of
control the risk to an acceptable level.
the entire organisation and have risk management expertise.
 Enable the employer to identify and prioritize the
Risk information generated from interviews, e.g. with
control measures that must be taken to protect the
directors, senior managers, operational managers and staff,
people from harm, including complying with any legal
and from workshops needs to be confirmed, and ranked,
provisions.
and together with other data (e.g. risk assessments) should
form the basis of an overall risk profile.  Record the significant findings of the risk assessment.
 Be appropriate to the nature of the work and be
Purpose of Risk Assessment and the proportionate to the risks.
‘Suitable and Sufficient’ Standard  State the period of time for which it will remain valid.
it needs to reach (as per HSG65: Proportionate risk assessment means risk assessment
‘Managing for Health and Safety’) made depending upon the level of risks. For a simple
workplace where the risk levels are generally low and the
Purpose of a risk assessment:
hazards simple, the risk control measures can be based
 To determine the measures required by the upon simple guidance that is available. But for high risk
organization to comply with relevant health and workplace, where complex processes are performed like
safety legislation. for example the processing of chemicals inside a reactor,
 To ensure that risks are minimized by the correct the risk assessment should be based on expert competent
application of risk control measures. advice.
 To ensure legal compliance.
A General Approach to Risk
 To prevent incidents from happening and the
Assessment (5 Steps)
consequent injury and ill health.
 To prevent legal enforcement action against the The following are the five steps:
company and its managers.
 To prevent the direct and indirect costs arising from Step 1 Identify Hazards

an accident.

Criteria for Suitable and Sufficient Step 2 Identify People at Risk

Risk Assessments Evaluate risk (taking account of what you

Step 3 already do) and decide if you need to do more
Legally it is required that organizations conduct risk
assessments and these risk assessments should not just
Step 4 Record Significant Findings:
be mere pieces of paper so as to achieve legal compliance
but also serve the set objectives. Hence it is required that
the risk assessments should be “suitable and sufficient”. A
Step 5 Reasons for Review

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Step 1: Identify Hazards:  Workers and Operators: These are the people who
are in the frontline of operating the machine, they
This is the first step and also an important one. Here the risk
may be both directly and indirectly affected by the
assessor needs to identify all the hazards that are present
while doing an activity, or operating a piece of equipment hazard, like for e.g. a drilling machine operator will be
or in a location. A hazard could be a safety hazard, which affected by the noise emitted by the drilling machine
may result in injury like for example a rotating drill and during operation, but at the same time a co-worker
or a health hazards for e.g. the wood dust been inhaled who is working in the vicinity on quieter machine may
while drilling holes on wooden panels. Only the significant also be affected.
hazard needs to be identified.
 Supervisory and Managerial Staff: Depending
Hazard Identification Methods: upon the type of operation a supervisor or the line
manager may or may not be continuously present at
To make the process of identifying hazards systematic and
more effective the following hazard identification methods the point of operation, but if they are expected to
may be employed be in that place for whatever duration or frequency,
then they also need to be protected.
 Carrying out a Workplace Inspection: This would
 Maintenance Staff: They are often involved in
require a formal inspection to be carried out so as
to identify the hazards present. But this method is regular servicing of the machine and may be required
contrary to the principles of safety management to attend breakdowns and also take trials of the
which states that an activity should not start unless equipment. Hence they face the same hazards, like
and until a risk assessment is carried out. that of an operator and need to be protected. They
 Task Analysis: This is the process of breaking down also face additional hazards because they work on the
an activity into smaller components and for each equipment with the safeguards removed.
component identifying what is the hazard and putting  Contractors: They may be working in tandem with
control measures for the same. The process of task the companies’ workers or independently. Either
analysis is also used for generating Safe systems of work ways their operation will be creating a hazard for
and is described in more details later on in this element. others and at the same time they may affected by the
 Sources of Information to Consult: (Adequately other workplace risks that are present.
discussed in IG1, Element 1, Section 1.2)  Cleaners and Housekeepers: Similar to the
 Legislation: Certain activities are strictly controlled maintenance workers the cleaners may have to access
by local and national legislations like for e.g. working difficult parts of the machines, which may require
on live electrical connections. Looking at what the law removal of safeguards.
says and incorporating the requirements of certain
 Visitors/ Customers: The workplace will receive a
legal guidance documents also helps in the process of
steady flow of visitors. They will have to be provided
identifying hazards.
with the requisite PPE while entering any PPE
 Manufacturers’ information: Each plant, equipment
mandatory area and also will have to be protected
or substance accompanies with it a manual prepared
against hazards like fire.
by the manufacturer. For chemicals the manufacturer
has to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet or MSDS.  Members of the Public: this category may not
Going through this information will help in identifying be inside the workplace, but in the vicinity of the
both obvious as well hidden hazards. workplace and needs to be protected against hazards
 Incident data: This is the companies’ own internal like fire and toxic gases which may get released from
data. The incident reporting and investigation forms the workplace. At the same time a construction site
are also an excellent reference source for identifying may have porous boundaries and this may not be able
the hazards. Even external data like national statistics to prevent curious on lookers or children who may
can also be useful. enter the site and thus be affected by the hazards
Step 2: Identify People at Risk: that are present.

In this we not only need to consider the workers who are While identifying the people who are affected, if there is a
working on the machines and tools but also anyone else special category of people who are present in the workplace
who may be present in the vicinity and hence affected by and likely to be affected by the hazards, then we need to
the hazard. The following are the categories of people who take the vulnerable category and include young persons,
will have to be considered: pregnant women, lone workers and disabled workers.

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Step 3: Evaluate risk (taking account of 15-16 Unacceptable - immediate action

what you already do) and decide if you required to reduce risk.
need to do more: 20-25 Unacceptable - Work shall not be
In this step, put simply, we started or continued until the risk
are going to measure the risk, has been reduced. If reduction is not
check if is acceptable and if not possible, the activity shall be prohibited.
decide on control measures to Each organization is free to design and use its own
either eliminate or reduce the risk matrix and risk rating chart, what we are trying to
risk. understand is the methodology.
To first measure the risk, we
Risk Rating = Likelihood X Severity
need to create a mathematical
Disabling
03
formula. We know that risk is a S injury 5 5 10 15 20 25
combination of the likelihood of a hazard causing harm and e Hospital
the severity of the injury as a result. So we can, now say in
v treatment 4 4 8 12 16 20
e Lost – time
mathematical terms that: r injury 3 3 6 9 12 15
Risk = Likelihood x Severity i First aid
2 2 4 6 8 10
injury
t
Now if we put a number for the likelihood and for the y Very minor
1 1 2 3 4 5
injury
severity and then multiply them, then we should be able to
quantify risk. For quantifying likelihood and severity we can
Catastrophic

Unacceptable
STOP

URGENT ACTION
1 2 3 4 5
use the following risk rating chart. Undesirable ACTION Very
Unlikely
Fairly
Likely
Very
Acceptable MONITOR Unlikely Likely likely

Likelihood Severity Desirable NO ACTION

Likelihood
1 = Very Unlikely 1 = Very minor injury
2 = Unlikely 2 = First aid injury Applying Control Measures:
3 = Fairly Likely 3 = Lost – time injury After calculating the risk, if it is found that it is high then
4 = Likely 4 = Hospital treatment we need to bring down the risk by applying the control
5 = Very likely 5 = Disabling injury measures. These control measures will bring down the risk
either by:
Using the above risk rating chart, the risk generated by a
trailing electrical cord positioned across a busy corridor  Bringing down the likelihood or,
might be calculated as 5 x 4 = 20 (very probable x hospital  Bringing down the severity or,
treatment).  Bringing down both.
The same electrical cord lying on the floor but close to the There is a separate hierarchy of risk control which is
wall of a rarely visited plant area might be rated as 1 x 4 = 4 discussed later, which suggests a systematic approach of
(Extremely unlikely x hospital treatment). applying the risk controls. But the general principle that is
applied is as follows:
Now, once we have calculated the risk, we need to evaluate
it whether it is acceptable or not. Obviously, a risk which
Remove the source of
is higher would be unacceptable and a risk which is lower
the risk. This is the most
would be acceptable. But, to make things clear, we need to
effective option since
refer to risk assessment matrix to evaluate the risk. Eliminate the hazard
removal of the hazard
Following is an example of a typical risk assessment matrix: eliminates the risk
associated with that hazard.
Risk rating Action and timescale
Use engineering controls to
1-3 Acceptable – No action required
change the hazard itself, or
4-6 Acceptable. If simple action can reduce
guard or enclose the hazard
further then must be done within one Create a safe place
in some way to prevent
week.
people coming in contact
8-12 Tolerable however efforts should be with it.
made to reduce the risk.

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Develop safe working can be tolerated for certain amount of time, say 12
methods or systems of hours, within which the control measures needs to be
work so that people are implemented.
exposed to the hazard in  Unacceptable risk means the risk is too high to allow
a controlled manner. This the work to start.
Create a safe person
required information, Possible Acute and Chronic Health Effects:
instruction, training and
supervision to be provided Acute Health Effects Chronic Health Effects
and safe behaviour to be  High levels of  Lower levels of
enforced. exposure exposure
 Short exposure time  Longer exposure time
The best approach to take will be to eliminate the hazard,
 Quick effect e.g. high  Long term effect e.g.
while the least preferred will be to create a safe person,
concentration of repeated exposure to
because creating a safe person is difficult due to the
chlorine gas solvents
inherent nature of humans, who may be prone to errors or
have a negative attitude towards the safe way of working. (For more information about Acute and Chronic Health Effect
refer IG2 Element 7, Section 7.1)
Residual, Acceptable and Tolerable Risks:
Let us understand what the right way of doing risk
Principles to Consider when Controlling
assessment is. A risk assessment is to be done by actually Risk (as per section 3.10.1 ILO-OSH 2001
assessing the work at an existing work place and by looking – ‘Guidelines on Occupational Safety and
at how the activity is carried out practically. In this way a Health Management Systems’)
risk assessment is not a table top exercise but should rely Hazards and risks to workers’ safety and health should be
on the way the work is actually done. identified and assessed on an ongoing basis. Preventive
While calculating the risk it is important to see what control and protective measures should be implemented in the
measures already exist while the work is been carried out. following order of priority:
For e.g. if a worker is to use a portable electric grinding  eliminate the hazard/risk
machine to grind a metal plate, and if he not using an
 control the hazard/risk at source, through the use of
adjustable guard around the grinding wheel so as to
engineering controls or organizational measures
protect against the sparks and also to create a barrier in
case the grinding wheel shatters, then the likelihood of the  minimize the hazard/risk by the design of safe
worker getting injured during the grinding operation will be work systems, which include administrative control
higher, say the likelihood will be 4 (likely) and consequences measures; and
will be 4 (hospital treatment) and the risk will be 4x 4 = 16  where residual hazards/risks cannot be controlled by
(Unacceptable risk). But if the worker uses a grinder with a collective measures, the employer should provide for
guard and he is trained to use it and there is supervision to appropriate personal protective equipment, including
insist on its usage then the likelihood will come down to 2 clothing, at no cost, and should implement measures
(Unlikely) and the consequence will remain the same that is to ensure its use and maintenance.
4. Now the risk will be 2 x 4 = 8 (Tolerable). So, while doing Hazard prevention and control procedures or arrangements
a risk assessment it is important to look at the control should be established and should:
measures existing rather than assume that there are no
 be adapted to the hazards and risks encountered by
controls or think that there are certain controls present.
the organization;
The risk that remains once the existing controls have been  be reviewed and modified if necessary, on a regular
taken into account can be referred to as the residual risk. basis;
 If the residual risk is low then it might be considered  comply with national laws and regulations, and
acceptable which the existing control measures are reflect good practice; and
adequate and no further action needs to be taken.  organizations, such as labour inspectorates,
 But if the residual risk is high then either it is occupational safety and health services, and other
tolerable or unacceptable. (This can be decided by services as appropriate.
looking at the action level table.
 Tolerable risk means that it is not acceptable but

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Practical Application of the Principles – arm vibration, respiratory disorders, skin disorders or
Applying the General Hierarchy of Control exposure); giving appropriate instructions to workers
(clause 8.1.2 of ISO 45001:2018) (e.g. entry control processes).

5. Personal protective equipment (PPE): providing

Most Hierarchy of Controls adequate PPE, including clothing and instructions for
effective

Physically
PPE utilization and maintenance (e.g. safety shoes,
Elimination remove the
safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves).
hazard

Replacing the
In applying the hierarchy of controls consideration should
Substitution hazardous with
less hazardous
be given to the relative costs, risk-reduction benefits and
reliability of the available options.
Engineering controls, Isolate people
reorganization of work from the hazard
Distinction between Priorities and 03
Administrative Change the way
Timescales:
controls with people work
Training
The prioritization of the implementation of risk control
PPE Protect the worker with measures will depend on the risk rating (high, medium
Personal Protective Equipment
and low) but the timescale in which the measures are
Least
effective introduced will not always follow the ratings. It may be
convenient to deal with a low-level risk at the same time as
The following examples are given to illustrate measures a high-level risk or before a medium-level risk. It may also
that can be implemented at each level. be that work on a high-risk control system is delayed due
1. Elimination: removing the hazard; stopping using to a late delivery of an essential component – this should
hazardous chemicals; applying ergonomics approaches not halt the overall risk reduction work. It is important to
when planning new workplaces; eliminating maintain a continuous programme of risk improvement
monotonous work or work that causes negative stress; rather than blindly following a predetermined priority list.
removing fork-lift trucks from an area. Use of Guidance:
2. Substitution: replacing the hazardous with less Risk assessment, is a simple tool for assessing the risks but
hazardous; (e.g. replacing solvent-based paint by one drawback that it has is that it does not consider the
water-based paint); changing slippery floor material; legal requirements. It is important here to understand that
lowering voltage requirements for equipment; using of if there are certain legal provisions or codes of practice
permanently fixed ladder system instead of temporary or legal guidance for certain hazards then they should
ladders be considered while using the scoring system and while
3. 
Engineering controls, reorganization of work, or applying the control measures. Prioritization for such types
both: isolating people from hazard; implementing of hazards always needs to be high.
collective protective measures (e.g. isolation, machine Step 4: Record Significant Findings:
guarding, ventilation systems); addressing mechanical
The significant findings of the risk assessment should
handling; reducing noise; protecting against falls from
be recorded as this acts as a legal document in case of
height by using guard rails; reorganizing work to avoid
any accidents and prove to any auditor or enforcement
people working alone, unhealthy work hours and
agency that the risks are adequately controlled. For a risk
workload, or to prevent victimization.
assessment to be suitable and sufficient, the following
4. Administrative controls including training: conducting things need to be recorded:
periodical safety equipment inspections; conducting
 The name of the risk assessor and the date of the assessment.
training to prevent bullying and harassment; managing
health and safety coordination with subcontractors’  Identification of the activity/ location/ equipment for
activities; conducting induction training; administrating which the hazards are assessed.
forklift driving licences; providing instructions on how  Identification of the groups of people at risk.
to report incidents, nonconformities and victimization  Estimation and evaluation of the risk considering the
without fear of retribution; changing the work patterns current control measures
(e.g. shifts, of workers); managing a health or medical
 Planning and implementing further precautions to
surveillance programme for workers who have been
bring down a high level or medium level risk.
identified as at risk (e.g. related to hearing, hand-

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 Noting a date on which the risk assessment needs to  Emergency routes and exits
be reviewed.  Fire detection and warning systems
 Fire-fighting equipment
 Removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
 Emergency fire evacuation plan
 Needs of vulnerable people, for example the elderly,
young children or those with disabilities
 Providing information to employees and other people
on the premises
 Staff fire safety training

Step 5: Reasons for Review:

Review and revision may be necessary when conditions
change as a result of the introduction of new machinery,
processes or hazards. There may be new information on
hazardous substances or new legislation. There could also
be changes in the workforce, for example the introduction
of trainees. The risk assessment needs to be revised only
if significant changes have taken place since the last
assessment was done. An accident or incident or a series Fire Risk Assessment – Stages
of minor ones provides a good reason for a review of the
risk assessment. Step 1 Identify Hazards

Following are the situations which can trigger the review of

a risk assessment:
Step 2 Identify the people at Risk

 Significant changes to something that the risk

assessment relates to:
− Process.
Step 3 Evaluate, remove or reduce the Risk

− Substances.
− Equipments. Step 4 Record findings, Prepare Emergency plan and train

− Workplace environment.
− Personnel.
Step 5 Review and update regularly
− Legal standards.
 There is reason to suspect that the assessment is not valid:
− Accidents.
Step 1: Identify the fire hazards
− Near miss. Fuels Ignition Sources Oxygen sources
− Ill- health.  Paper  Hot work  Oxygen
 Packaging  Electrical cylinders
 It is also a good practice to regularly review the risk
materials equipment  Oxidising
assessments. The frequency of the review is based on
 Furniture substances
the level of risk. It is common to review the risk once  Portable
 Highly
every year. heaters
flammable
Application of Risk Assessment for liquids and
gases
Specific Types of Risk and Special
Cases:
1. Fire Risk Assessment
Factors to consider

 Construction and use of building

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Step 2: Identify People at Risk Ergonomics:

People who are on the Special consideration to If workers use display screen equipment (DSE) daily, as part
premises vulnerable groups
of their normal work, continuously for an hour or more,
 Disabled/mobility
 Workers employers must do a workstation assessment.
impaired
 Visitors/contractors/
 Children/young Employers should look at:
public
persons
 People in isolated  The whole workstation, including equipment,
 Visually or hearing
locations furniture, & work conditions
impaired
 The job being done
Step 3: Evaluate, Remove or Reduce Risk
 Any special requirements of a member of staff, for 03
 Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring example a user with a disability
 Evaluate the risk to people from fire
Where there are risks, they should take steps to reduce them.
 Remove or reduce fire hazards
 Remove or reduce the risks to people Employers must also do an assessment
 Fire prevention when:
 Prevention of the spread of smoke and flames
 a new workstation is set up
 Detection and warning
 Firefighting  a new user starts work

 Escape routes  a change is made to an existing workstation or the

 Lighting including emergency lighting way it’s used
 Signs and notices  users complain of pain or discomfort
 Maintenance
Ergonomic Assessment: (computer work
Step 4: Record Findings, Prepare Emergency
station)
Plan and Train
 Is chair positioned directly in front of the monitor?
 Record the significant findings
 Develop emergency plans  Are eyes about 18 -28 inches from the monitor?

 Provide information and instruction  Able to look the monitor straight ahead?
 Train workers  Can read monitor without bending head or looking
Step 5: Review & update Regularly forward?

 Review and Revise the fire risk assessment  Do brightness, contrast and font size are set
 As necessary correctly?
− Significant changes  Is the screen free from glare?
− Fire emergency
 Any special glasses used for computer work?
 Periodically
 Are wrists in straight and neutral position?
− To keep assessment up to date
 Are elbows at 90º?
2. 
Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
Risk Assessment  Are shoulders relaxed?

 Does Chair provide good lumbar support?

 Able to use mouse, key board without stretching,

bending or twisting?

 Do the legs fit comfortably with the work surface?

 Are the feet fully supported by the floor or foot rest?

 Are short breaks such stand up, stretch, focus the

eyes on something far away

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3. Manual Handling Risk Assessment

Steps involved:

Step 1 Task description

Collect technical information Collect technical

Step 2 information

Step 3 Identify the risk factors

Gathering information about the

substances, the work and the working
Step 4 Identify the improvements to be put in place
practices
− Decide who will carry out the assessment
Step 5 Review the effectiveness of the improvements
− Identify the substances present or likely to be
identify how the substances are hazardous
− What effects could they have?
− Find out who could be exposed and how
− Find out who is doing what and what does and
could really happen

Evaluate the Risk to Health

− Decide whether you will evaluate risks to
groups or individuals What is the potential of a
substance for causing harm?
Assessing Manual Handling Risks:
− What is the chance of the exposure occurring?
 Load − How often is exposure liable to occur?
 Individual − What levels are people exposed to and for how
long?
 Task
− Draw conclusions about the risks to health
 Environment
− When might exposure constitutes a risk to
Remember as LITE or TILE health?
(adequately discussed in IG2, Element 6, Section 6.2)
Deciding on the necessary measures to
4. Hazardous Substances (COSHH) Risk
comply with regulations
Assessment
− Selection of measures to prevent or control
Steps involved:
exposure
Gathering information about the substances, − Maintaining control measures
Step 1 the work and the working practice
− Making sure control measures are used
− Plan for emergencies
Step 2 Evaluate the Risk to Health
− Monitoring exposure
− Health surveillance
Deciding on the necessary measures to
Step 3 comply with regulations − Information, instruction and training for
employees

Step 4 Recording the assessment Recording the Assessment

Record sufficient information to include at least the
appropriate items from the list provided in the COSHH
Step 5 Review the Assessment
ACOP

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 Managing Risk – Understanding People and Processes
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− Observations  Where are the potentially noisy areas in the

− Unsafe conditions and practices workplace?

− Interview  Who is working in them or visiting, and for how long?

− Sampling  Do you have to shout in those areas to be heard?

Factors to consider:  Is there any potentially noisy mobile plant being used
by employees?
 Hazardous nature of substance
 Is any hearing Protection in use, by whom and what
 Potential ill-health effects is it?
 Physical forms
Why Specific Risk Assessment
 Routes of entry
Methods are used for Certain Risks
 Quantity 03
 Concentration Certain hazards like noise, vibration, chemicals etc. require
a specific risk assessment rather than a general one for the
 Number of people exposed
following reasons:
 Assigned exposure limit (WEL)
 For certain hazards more information is required
 Frequency of exposure
to conclude on the risk level for e.g while using
 Duration of exposure
chemicals the risk phrase i.e whether the chemical
 Existing control measures is a carcinogen or an irritant and the quantity of the
chemical, whether it exceeds the threshold limit,
5. Noise Risk Assessment
contributes to the risk level. A detailed study of the
MSDS is also required.
 Other hazards like noise require a noise survey to
determine the level of risk
 Determining control measures for fire hazards can
be complex as it depends on the fire load of all the
combustibles that may be stored in a particular place.
 Specific risk assessment is a systematic approach and
it contributes to a more detailed approach ensuring
that all factors are considered.
Special Case Applications to Young People,
Expectant and Nursing Mothers; also,
Check whether a noise risk assessment needed? Consideration of Disabled Workers and
Step 1 Carry out Noise survey
Lone Workers:
The following groups of workers require special attention
Step 2 Identify Person or group of people exposed and hence the risk assessment has to focus on particular
hazards to which the vulnerable category will be more
prone to:
Step 3 Evaluate the total exposure and decide on control
Young People:
Record the findings on Check List and In a workplace any person between 15 -18 (UK) or 14-
Step 4 Assessment sheet
18 (India) is considered as a young person. These young
persons may be present in the workplace to gain some
practical experience or as part of a college project or
Step 5 Review periodically and revise
involved in certain studies. As such the young employees
should not be exposed to certain hazards during their
Things to consider during noise risk
presence in the workplace. (Apprenticeship Training)
assessments
These persons are vulnerable because:
 Who’s hearing checks show early signs of Noise
Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)?  They are both mentally and physically immature.

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 They are new to the workplace and would not know  Temperature variations
the hazards that exist and the layout.  Ergonomic issues related to prolonged standing,
 They are more willing to take risk to prove sitting or the need for awkward body movement
themselves.  Issues associated with the use and wearing of
 They are easily prone to peer group pressure and personal protective equipment
could be influenced to doing something which could  Working excessive hours
be against the companies’ policy and procedures.
 Stress and violence to staff
 They have poor communication skills.
Employers should consider the above and implement
The special risk assessment needs to be done before additional control measure as follows:
allowing young workers in the workplace. The following
 Change the hours of work, no night shifts and manual
things to be taken into consideration:
handling
 Details of the work activity, including any equipment
 Change the type of work, like no bending, stooping,
or hazardous substances;
working near radiation etc.
 Details of any prohibited equipment or processes;
 Allow additional breaks time
 Details of health and safety training to be provided;
 Allow the woman to proceed on maternity leave.
 Details of supervision arrangements.
Disabled Workers:
The following precautions need to be considered for young
workers. They should not be given work which: From a health and safety point of view, it is important
that workers with a disability are covered by special risk
 Is beyond their physical or psychological capacity assessments so that appropriate controls are in place to
 Exposes them to radiation protect them. For example, employees with a hearing
 Involves a risk of accidents which they are unlikely problem will need to be warned when the fire alarm
to recognize because of, for example their lack of sounds or a fork-lift truck approaches. Special vibrating
experience signals or flashing lights may be used. Similarly, workers in
 Involves a risk to their health from extreme heat, wheelchairs will require a clear, wheelchair-friendly route
noise or vibration to a fire exit and onwards to the assembly point. Safe
systems of work and welfare facilities need to be suitable
 Restrict their work patterns and hours for e.g. no
for any workers with disabilities.
overtime or night shift working to prevent against
fatigue The following systematic step needs to be taken by an
 Train and supervise them more than other workers employer if they employ disabled persons:

 Provide senior workers to mentor them and keep a  Identify workers with known disabilities and consider
close eye on their activities the implications it will have on their safe working.
 Provide specific health surveillance  Identify health and fitness requirements for certain
categories of work and exclude disabled workers
Expectant and Nursing Mothers:
from carrying out such activities if they do not meet
When a woman is pregnant or breast feeding then there the minimum requirements. For ex: eyesight testing
are certain activities which cannot be performed by her requirements for drivers.
due to the additional hazards that they present to them.
Lone Workers:
Certain hazards not only pose a risk to the woman but also
to the unborn child. If precautions are not taken, then it can Let’s consider a security staff guarding the perimeter of
lead to miscarriages or children born with certain genetic a large organization alone. If something goes wrong with
defects or illnesses. him like a trip and fall leading to fractured leg, there will be
no one to help him out as the nearest person could be quiet
Following are the typical factors that affect such women:
a distance away to see him or to hear his cries for help. In
 Manual handling the same way a courier delivery man could be working all
 Chemical or biological agents alone (even though there may be others around him). As
such lone workers are particularly vulnerable because:
 Ionizing radiation
 Passive smoking  They may be prone to aggression and violence from
the people been visited.
 Lack of rest room facilities

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 The work requires more than one person to be An effective management of change (MOC) process is a
present like confined space entry. cornerstone of process safety. It is a formally documented
system developed to identify required modifications
 They may be attacked by anti-social elements if they
are carrying cash or valuables for example worker Requirement for hazard and risk analysis
who are loading ATMs.
The MOC process requires hazard identification and risk
3.5 Management of Change assessment to ensure that the full implications of any
change are understood before it is put into practice, to
Typical Types of Change faced in the ensure that new hazards are not introduced and that
existing risks are not unwittingly increased. It should
Workplace and the Possible impact include procedures for both permanent and temporary
of such change modifications, and will include hardware and software
changes. In order to capture all of the proposed changes, 03
Typical types of changes faced in the the process must be robustly implemented and this is often
workplace include achieved by ensuring that a senior manager champions the
process within the organisation, ensuring it is seen as an
 Construction works
enabler rather than a barrier to engineering changes and
 Change of process removing any negative attitudes.
 Change of equipment
The MOC process should review the proposed modification
 Change of working practice to the existing operating parameters and design criteria.
As well as the installation of new plant and equipment, the
Let’s go through the following case study to know how
MOC process should be used to evaluate and record any
changes in workplace without proper hazard evaluation
planned changes to safety critical devices, replacement
and risk assessment increase health and safety risks.
of equipment with non-identical alternatives, changes to
Case in Point: alarms or other operating parameters, especially those
that are outside the ‘safe operating envelope’. In some
The Flixborough disaster in the UK in 1974 highlighted the
circumstances, changes to key workers (e.g. changing
need for effective management of change processes all too
staffing levels) should be considered as requiring MOC
well. Modifications to pipework to allow maintenance on a
leaking vessel were carried out without proper consideration This means that the following documentation may be
of the design requirements and by people without the required required to support the MOC application:
competence. The result was a pipe line that was not rated to  Original process design criteria
withstand the pressures that it experienced and it ruptured,
 Existing process drawings
resulting in a release and explosion that killed 28 people. In
the report into the official inquiry, the following observation  Detail of proposed changes, including mechanical and
was made: electrical equipment specifications
 Details of trip and alarms planned
“No calculations were done to ascertain whether the bellows
or pipe would withstand these strains; no reference was  Risk assessment or HAZOPS
made to the relevant British Standard or any other accepted Process for all changes to be authorized
standard; no reference was made to the designer’s guide
The MOC application must be:
issued by the manufactures of the bellows; no drawing of the
pipe was made, other than in chalk on the workshop floor; no  Clearly defined and communicated to those in the
pressure testing either of the pipe or the complete assembly approval process
was made before it was fitted. As a result, the assembly as
 Submitted in advance of the change by the
constructed was of completely unknown strength and failed
person proposing the modification to all relevant
to comply with the British Standard…”
stakeholders (e.g. engineering, health and safety
In the text Chemical Process Safety; Learning from case production department research and development,
histories such changes are described as ‘’ modifications made operational workers, maintenance workers, etc);
with good intentions” and there are many examples of where,
 Tracked and managed as different stakeholders
despite trying to do the right thing for the plant, without
review and approve or make comments
the correct level of hazard evaluation, risk assessment and
planning, the outcome was undesirable. These include tanks  Given final approval by a suitably responsible
collapsing, road tankers failing and reactors exploding – at person(s). Formal approval should be granted by
no point did the management intend to do the wrong thing, senior management for the most significant changes
nevertheless the outcome was disastrous. (such as removal of safety critical changes)

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Changes documented: d) Segregation of Work Areas

All changes to process plant and process design should be correctly Temporary work areas must be properly segregated
documented in order to ensure process knowledge retention: in terms of the work activities. High risk areas such as
demolition sites, excavation sites must be segregated
 the MOC file should clearly document all of the
from the workplace. Proper control measures such as
changes proposed and be retained as a formal record
provision of physical barriers such as fencing should be
 any process documents, e.g. process and carried out to provide safe access.
instrumentation diagrams, operational manuals, etc
should be updated with relevant changes e) Amendment of Emergency Procedures
 the MOC file should be retained with the design Emergency arrangements must be made because works of
specifications for future reference temporary nature may introduce extra people, equipment
Consult and Inform and additional hazards. Specific training may be required
When consulting and informing those affected by the for fire marshals and alternations to exist to exit route
changes, the following needs to be considered: signage, lighting and assembly point location may be
required to take account of the changes.
 effective change management should be the result of
collective design-making and effective consultation f) Welfare Provision
rather than the decision of one individual
The arrangements for welfare provision should include
 those affected should be consulted through the process and consideration of:
any changes should be communicated to those affected,
including operational workers and maintenance workers  Duration of the work
Training  Number of people who will use facilities
All workers should be trained in the need for MOC, the  Distance workers will have to travel to the welfare facilities
circumstances when MOC is necessary and the process for  Different locations requires, including whether the facilities
gaining MOC approval. Those in the approval process should will need to be relocated during phases of the work
receive additional training to ensure their competence.  Cleaning and maintenance of the welfare facilities.

Managing the Impact of Change: Review of change (during and after):

a) Communication and Co-operation The final step in the change management process is to carry
out the review during and after the change is implemented.
It is important that proper communication and co-ordination
This is part of the ongoing, continuous improvement of
should be there between all the people involved in temporary
change management for the organization and ultimately
works to manage the work properly and ensure health and
leads to change competency.
safety. Following are the reasons why it is necessary:
The review process in management of change involves the
 Other people at the worksite may not know how
planned and significant changes which are introduced and
the hazards of these temporary works may affect
implemented to ensure that health and safety risks are
them. Therefore, discuss the risk and ensure control
adequately controlled. The review generally involves with
measures are in place
all the relevant interested parties such as stakeholders
 All the workers of the worksite must be aware of the and external expertise with clear communication and
work being carried out at the site so that they may consultation. Based on the outcome of review the relevant
know how the work may affect their activities risk assessments need to be updated.
b) Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is a forward-looking process which detects,
3.6 Safe Systems of Work for
evaluates how the work may affect the workers and others General Work Activities
in the workplace where the temporary work is carried out.
However, these risk assessments may be very generic in Why Workers should be involved when
their approach and may not take sufficient account of the
circumstances of specific workplaces. Developing Safe Systems of Work
c) Appointment of Competent People Many people operating a piece of machinery or a
A competent person with sufficient knowledge and training manufacturing process are in the best position to help with the
about the work process and has considerable experience in preparation of safe systems of work. Consultation with those
assessing risk must be appointed. This person is responsible for employees who will be exposed to the risks, either directly or
carrying out the risk assessment within the organisation. The job through their representatives, is also a legal requirement. The
may require a collaborative work between those carrying out
importance of discussing the proposed system with those
the work and those arranging the work, therefore the person
who will have to work under it, and those who will have to
appointed must be competent enough to manage the activities,
including communication and coordination of work. supervise its operation, cannot be emphasized enough.

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Employees have a responsibility to follow the safe system form or a person’s signature must be obtained before
of work. Further, consultation with the workers helps proceeding, the names of the workforce must be
buy in ownership and ensures cooperation during its recorded.
implementation. And also aids in creating a positive health  Behavioural: These are controls which require a
and safety culture. certain standard of behaviour from individuals or
groups of individuals. For example, no smoking is
Why procedures should be
permitted during the task, hard hats must be worn,
Recorded/Written down and all heavy lifts are to be in tandem between two
Following are the salient features of having a written workers.
procedure: Developing a Safe System of Work:
 Procedures can be written carefully and signed and
Analysing Tasks, Identifying Hazards and 03
authorized by competent persons so that they carry
Assessing Risks:
authority.
 Each procedure can be given a proper document, SSOW is developed by using the methodology of Task
date and revision number, so that they are subject Analysis. Task analysis is a process of breaking down the
to regular review and old revised documents can be operation into small component tasks, identifying at each
discarded. step what is the hazard present and then defining a safe
way of doing it by identifying control measures. The steps
 A written procedure provides a point of reference
in task analysis can be broken down using the acronym
to the worker and the supervisor who can refer to it,
SREDIM
whenever they have a doubt or may have forgotten
the information.  Select the task to be analyzed.
 A procedure could be in the form of a one-page  Record the steps or stages of the task.
pictorial instruction which can be hung up very near  Evaluate the risk associated with each step.
to the machine or it could be in the form of a manual  Develop the safe working method.
which has several sections focusing on different
 Implement the safe working method.
issues.
 Monitor to ensure its effectiveness.
 Written procedures form the basis of all future
training to workers. The following factors are to be considered while developing
a SSOW.
 Written procedures are a legal requirement and
create a standard against which activities can be  People: from whom the SSOW is developed. The
audited. level of competency involved and the presence of
 It also provides a reference for investigation of vulnerable groups.
accidents and while reviewing a risk assessment.  Equipment: the equipment been used to accomplish
the task and the hazards posed by them.
The Differences between Technical,  Materials: the hazardous nature of the material
Procedural and Behavioural Controls handled. The disposal of waste and other residue
safely.
There are a variety of controls that can be adopted in safe
systems of work. They can be split into the following three  Environment: the factors like lighting, space,
basic categories: temperature, noise and dust and whether they will
have an impact on the operations.
 Technical: These are engineering or process type
Introducing Controls and Formulating
controls which engineer out or contain the hazard so
that the risks are acceptable. For example, exhaust
Procedures:
ventilation, a machine guard, dust respirator. Controls are introduced to take care of the hazards
 Procedural: These are ways of doing things to identified; the controls as discussed above could be
ensure that the work is done according to the technical, procedural or behavioural. For ex, the procedure
procedure, legislation or cultural requirements of may require the FLT driver to wear hi-visibility jacket
the organization. For example, a supervisor must (behavioural), and do a pre-use check before starting the
be involved, the induction course must be taken fork lift truck (procedural) and ensuring that the load lifted
before the work commences a particular type of is within the SWL of the FLT (technical).

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Once the procedures are developed it needs to be put the form of the permit to work) will be given only if the
into operation. Consultation with the workers at the time laid-down precautions are in force and have been checked.
of development of the procedures helps in gaining co- In fact the Permit to work or PTW is generally considered
operation from them and aids in proper implementation of as a part of a SSOW (Safe Systems of Work) which requires
the procedure. additional controls due to the nature of the activity
performed.
Instruction and Training in how to use the
System: The permit document will typically specify

Before implementing a SSOW a structured training  what work is to be done;

needs to be developed and imparted to the workers. The  the plant/equipment involved, and how it is
SSOW becomes the basis for the training and the written identified;
procedure is discussed in length.  who is authorized to do the work;
Even a change in an existing SSOW needs to be  the steps which have already been taken to make the
communicated through formal training. Some training may plant safe;
have both theoretical as well as practical aspects included  potential hazards which remain, or which may arise as
in them. the work proceeds;
Needless to say, the training records needs to be  the precautions to be taken against these hazards;
maintained. Some training may even require an assessment  for how long the permit is valid;
and formal certification as part of the process.
 that the equipment is released to those who are to
Monitoring the System: carry out the work
Examples of work that would generally qualify to be done
Once the workers are trained and the SSOW is ‘live’ in the
under a PTW:
workplace, it is important to monitor the system to ensure
the following:  Hot work which includes welding, gas cutting, grinding
etc.
 The SSOW is practical and easy to use.
 Work at height
 Workers have understood the training and are
 Working inside a confined space
deploying the control measures correctly.
 Maintenance of equipment
 SSOW is as safe as was intended to be.
 Working on electrical systems
 The SSOW has considered all the hazards that are
present while doing the task.  Working near operational pipelines or pressurized
systems
 The level of supervision that needs to be deployed
in the future once the SSOW is well set and  Excavation, especially near buried services
implemented in the workplace. Why permit-to-work systems are
3.7 Permit-to-Work Systems: used
A safe system of work is ensured by permit to work system.
Meaning of a Permit-to-Work System
It plays a major part in identification of hazards and
implementation of appropriate control measures before
the commencement of work. It is mandatory requirement
to promote safe and secure work practices among the
employees who undertakes high-hazard work.

The function of a permit-to-work system is as follows.

 Confirm if the specified work has proper

authorization
 Identify the type of work and its limitations and
The permit-to-work procedure is a specialized type of safe suggest appropriate control measures
system of work under which certain categories of high  Make sure suitable control measures are in place to
risk – potential work may only be done with the specific deal with hazards arises out of work
permission of an authorized manager. This permission (in
 Ensure that hazards and residual hazards in the work

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area have been eliminated before undertaking high- PTW. The plant and equipment will be in control of the
hazardous work in that work area workers holding the permit.
 Ensure that the work carried out is safe and secure 3. Clearance or Return to Service:
right from staring to finishing
Once the desired task as per the permit is completed, the
 Ensure the location and equipment are in control
workers will sign to mention the completion of the activity
relating to the work to avoid misuse and mishandling
and will remove any controls that they may have applied to
 Record steps involved in the work process the plant or equipment in the course of their work.

How permit-to-work systems work 4. Cancellation:

and are used: The authorizing manager signs this section to accept the
hand-back of the workplace from the workers. This also has
A PTW is generally a format which is made in triplicate and 03
the effect of cancelling the permit so that no further work
filled up by a senior level manager. It lists out the hazards
can take place under its authority.
present and the steps to control them. The worker receives
a copy, which he carries to the place of work with him and 5. Extension (optional):
completes the task as mentioned in the PTW.
This part is included in some PTWs in case the work is not
PTW system generally follows the following process: completed in the stipulated time.

 Issue of permit. Permits are generally made in triplicates:

 Receipt of permit.  One copy is carried by the workers holding the permit
 Clearance of permit. and is displayed in the area where the work is been done.
 Cancellation.  One copy is retained by the authorizing manager.
 Extension (Optional)  One copy is displayed in a central location, where all
live permits are displayed.
1. Issue of Permit:
Limitations of Permit to Work System:
This part of the PTW system is the responsibility of a
A PTW is a just a piece of paper and over reliance on it can
senior level manager. The manager must be competent to
lead to issues that can cause incidents. The authorizing
do this. Generally following are the things an authorizing
manager should realize that just my mentioning the
manager specifies:
controls required and signing the permit doesn’t essentially
 The exact type of work. makes the activity safe. A permit should never be treated
 The place where the work is to be done. casually as something which needs to be filled more as
 The workers who will be involved in doing the work. ritual rather than a necessity.

 The control measures that will be in place before, For PTW to work following needs to be adhered to:
during and after the work is completed.
 The Permit issuing authority and receiving workers need
 The date and time of the permit. to be trained and competent in the process of PTW.
 The duration for which the permit will be valid.  Permits to be filled up not from the desk but only
 Any other permits that may be running parallel to the after visiting the site.
current permit.  Permits should not be amended.
 A copy of the method statement and or risk  Active and regular supervision of the work site is
assessment is also attached. required to ensure that the permit conditions are
 The name and sign of the authorizing manager. followed by the workers and the controls are correctly
applied and in place throughout the permit duration.
2. Receipt:
 The permit issuing authority should visit the site to
The permit is handed over by the permit authority to the ensure that the controls have been removed and the
workers who are going to perform the task. The workers plant is returned to its original status and thus ready
are required to read the control measures mentioned and to use, before cancelling the permit.
sign that they have understood and fully agree to abide by
 Enough time should be accorded to fill up the permit;
the requirements.
otherwise staff may be stressed for lack of time and
Now the work can start as per the conditions stated in the may take short cuts in adhering to the system.

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When to use a Permit-to-Work System: An electrical permit-to-work is primarily a statement that a

circuit or item of equipment is safe to work on – it has been
Hot work: isolated and, where appropriate, earthed. You must never
Hot work is potentially hazardous as: issue an electrical permit-to-work for work on equipment
that is still live or to authorise live work. The information it
 A source of ignition in any plant in which flammable contains should be precise, detailed and accurate. It should
materials are handled; state which equipment etc has been made safe, the steps
 A cause of fires in all processes, regardless of by which this safety has been achieved, and exactly what
whether flammable materials are present. work is to be done.
Hot work includes cutting, welding, brazing, soldering and The electrical permit-to-work should state clearly:
any process involving the application of a naked flame.
Drilling and grinding should also be included where a  the person the permit is addressed to, i.e. the leader
flammable atmosphere is potentially present. of the group or working party, who will be present
throughout the work;
Hot work should therefore be done under the terms of a
 the exact equipment which has been made dead and
hot work permit, the only exception being where hot work
its precise location;
is done in a designated maintenance area or fabrication yard.
 the points of isolation;
 Typical precautions for control of hot work are:
 where the conductors are earthed;
 The work should be carried out only by competent
 where warning notices are posted and special safety
personnel.
locks fitted;
 All flammable substances should be removed from
 the nature of the work to be carried out;
the vicinity of the area.
 the presence of any other source of hazard, with
 Equipment that cannot be removed should be
cross-reference to other relevant permits;
covered with fire proof blankets.
 further precautions to be taken during the course of
 Fire extinguishers should be kept at hand.
the work.
 Fire watcher should be present.
Machinery Maintenance:
 Areas should be swept of any debris before start of work.
Machinery maintenance has added risks to working as
 Wooden floorings to be damped down with water.
safety critical systems are disabled and guards are removed
 After completion of the work, smoldering embers to access potentially dangerous parts of the machinery. A
should be disposed off correctly. PTW system ensures that:
Work on Non-live (Isolated) Electrical  Work is carefully planned and executed.
Systems:  There is complete isolation of power sources.
 Any stored potential energy is released.

Identify the circuit Apply circuit main

 Access and egress into plant is controlled.
or equipment to be earth(s) where
worked on necessary
 The nature of the work is communicated to the workers.
 The workers are competent to do the work.
 There is adequate supervision.
Cut off supply, Take precautions
isolate and secure against adjacent live Confined Space:
isolation parts where necessary

Retain keys. Post

Issue permit-to-work
‘caution’ and
where necessary
‘danger’ notices

Prove circuit or Apply local earth(s)

equipment dead where necessary

DEAD WORKING, ie SAFE

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An enclosed place or partially enclosed place with limited  Minimize the consequences of the fall by providing
space and accessibility is called confined space. Working in soft landing systems like ‘netting’
confined spaces may lead to death and wide range of injuries.
 Ensure that the weather conditions like wind and
A normal place is converted into confined space when visibility are at optimal levels.
certain types of work are carried out like construction,
fabrication or subsequent modification.
3.8 Emergency Procedures
E.g: Storage tanks, silos (tall tower), underground drainage, Why Emergency Procedures need to
hopper (pyramidal shaped container) and manholes be Developed:
Some of the precautionary measures should be considered
Despite all the preventative measures an organization may
for safe system of work at confined places.
initiate and implement, there are some things which may
 Test the atmosphere to detect the presence of toxic still go wrong and in those situations both the management 03
and flammable gases and oxygen levels and the workers should take appropriate steps to prevent
 Check the competency of the workers in accordance harm to all those present in the workplace and if that is
with specified task not possible, then to minimize the injuries and speedily act
upon to reduce the impact of the situation.
 Clean the work area to eradicate residues
 Isolate electrical and mechanical equipment to avoid To prepare for the above the organization needs to develop
sources of ignition emergency procedures, so that everyone is aware of their
roles and responsibilities in case an emergency.
 Ensure ventilation satisfies the work requirement
 Use of special tools and personal protective What to include in an Emergency
equipment to promote quick and safe work practices Procedure (with reference to HSG268:
 Make sure there is adequate lighting facility to work ‘The health and safety toolbox’)
without any strain
 Consider what might happen and how the alarm
 Ensure obstacle-free access and egress for safe and
will be raised. Don’t forget night and shift working,
secure access and exits
weekends and times when the premises are closed,
 Make sure emergency rescue and fire-fighting
e.g. holidays.
arrangements and communication methods are in
 Plan what to do, including how to call the emergency
place and appropriate
services. Help them by clearly marking your premises
Work at Height: from the road. Consider drawing up a simple plan
Work at height is a high-risk activity as it has got the showing the location of hazardous items.
potential to cause maximum fatalities. Incidents can occur  If you have 25 tonnes or more of dangerous
both with people falling down as well as material falling substances, you must notify the fire and rescue
down and both are high potential incidents. The PTW service and put up warning signs.
should consider the following things:
 Decide where to go to reach a place of safety or to
 Avoid working at height. get rescue equipment. You must provide suitable
 Prevent falls by providing a proper platform. forms of emergency lighting.

 Minimize the distance of the fall by providing full  You must make sure there are enough emergency
body harness. exits for everyone to escape quickly, and keep
emergency doors and escape routes unobstructed
and clearly marked.
 Nominate competent people to take control (a
competent person is someone with the necessary
skills, knowledge and experience to manage health
and safety).
 Decide which other key people you need, such as
a nominated incident controller, someone who is
able to provide technical and other site-specific
information if necessary, or first-aiders.

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 Plan essential actions such as emergency plant  Did the emergency staff operate the emergency
shutdown, isolation or making processes safe. Clearly equipment correctly?
identify important items like shut-off valves and  And did the equipments function as desired?
electrical isolators etc.
Most organizations look at the mock drills as keeping their
 You must train everyone in emergency procedures. personnel in readiness and looking at the leanings from
Don’t forget the needs of people with disabilities and these drills in further improving their procedures and
vulnerable workers. actions.
 Work should not resume after an emergency if a
serious danger remains. If you have any doubts ask What to Consider when Deciding on
for assistance from the emergency services. First Aid needs in a Workplace:
Why People need Training in The first aid coverage will depend upon the following
Emergency Procedures factors:

 General risk level of the workplace for e.g. a

Once the procedures are made, equipment procured
construction site need to have more facilities than a
and staff nominated, training needs to be provided. An
warehouse.
emergency training is given to all the employees because,
 The accident history- organizations can look at the
 Quick and effective actions may help to ease the
companies’ accident history to ensure that provisions
situation and reduce the consequences.
are adequate for the type of accidents most
 Training is essential to ensure that everyone knows frequently occurring.
what to do when there is an emergency, or disruption
 Presence of vulnerable people. An organization which
of business operations
has a large number of lone workers may have to
 Everyone needs training to become familiar with provide a portable first aid kit to each of them.
protective actions for life safety (e.g., evacuation,
 Number of workers in the workplace will determine
shelter, shelter-in-place and lockdown
the number of first aid boxes.
 Review protective actions for life safety and conduct
 Work pattern and shift systems.
evacuation drills (“fire drills”) as required by local
 The geographical location of the workplace as to how
regulations
far the organization is from the nearest hospital will
 Employees should receive training to become familiar
determine whether the organization need minimal
with safety, building security, information security
provisions or better advanced provisions so that the
and other loss prevention programs.
victim is taken care of till he reaches the hospital.
 To develop their awareness and understanding of the
 Spread of the workplace- a large workplace which
specific hazards and risks associated with their jobs
is spread in a big area need to not only look at the
and working environment.
number of workers working in an area but also how far
 There are possible vulnerable people at workplaces they need to travel before they can receive first aid.
(such as visitors), who are Usually unfamiliar with the
 Specific procedures like for e.g. workers working
alarm pattern and what they signify. Training can
with certain chemicals which may splash on to
develop awareness and the actions to be taken.
the eyes and other body parts causing injury will
 Apart from satisfying legal obligations, several require eye wash stations and full body showers as a
benefits will accrue to the employer by provision of requirement.
sound information and training employees.

Why Emergency Procedures need to

be Tested
Finally, an organization should conduct mock exercises
to mimic an emergency. These mock drills will help the
organization to understand the following:

 Is the emergency procedure working as expected?

 Have people at all levels understood their roles and
responsibilities?

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Summary
 Health and safety culture can be defined as the product of individual and group values, attitude, beliefs, perception
and competencies related to health and safety.
 A companies’ health and safety performance is determined by its health and safety culture. A positive culture leads to
good performance, while in a negative culture leads to poor performance
 Examples of positive culture of the organization
− Leadership and commitment to health and safety throughout at all levels of the organization
− Formulation of high standards of health and safety strategies
 Examples of negative culture of the organization
− Sacrifice safety for achieving productivity and sales target
03
− Violating the safety rules and procedures at workplace
− Lack of knowledge and training
− Inappropriate lines of communication system results in worker unaware of companies policies and procedures
 Indicators used to assess health and safety culture
− Accident/Incident rate
− Absenteeism rate
− Sickness rates
− Staff turnover
− Compliance with safety rules
− Complaints about the working conditions
 Influence of peers
− Peer means equal or peer is someone at your own level
− Peer group pressure involves others to perform certain activities forcefully or conform to certain standards set by
a specific group
− Peer influence is a persuasive act of encouraging others to act accordingly
− Peer group pressure may be positive or negative in relation to health and safety
Peer pressure is a forcible action and peer influence is a persuading / influencing action.
 The following things should be implemented for the group which have negative impact on health and safety behaviour
− Identify the influential persons in the group and turn them over to the safe way of behaving with use of training,
education and involvement in safety-related projects
− Once these workers are changed, they will influence the others in the group for a safe and secure behaviour
 Improving health and safety depends upon the following factors
− Gaining commitment of management
» Organization with strong top management commitment and leadership towards the health and safety
provides good foundation for health and safety culture in an organization
− Promoting health and safety standards by leadership
» By Aligning the OH&S management system with the organizations business objectives;
» By Making sure the necessary resources are available;
» By Encouraging workers and other relevant interested parties to get actively involved in improving OH&S
performance;
» By Involving everyone in OH&S decision-making that affects them;
» By Promoting open discussion about OH&S matters; and
» By Ensuring the emphasis is on improvement rather than blame
− Ensuring disciplinary procedures
» A good organization will ensure that negligent acts are reported immediately and managers should act upon
them using the available disciplinary actions in order to ensure that the mistake isn’t repeated by the workers

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 Competent workers
− It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the employees are competent at all levels for safe and
secure workplace operations
 Good communication
− Helps to achieve organizational objectives without any hassles
− Makes the work atmosphere more positive and encouraging
 There are three ways in which communication can be delivered. They are

Verbal Communication - Communication by speech or word of mouth

Merits Limitations
 It is personal and can be delivered from one person to  Language barrier may exist and hence information may
other easily, without others knowing about it. not be understood.
 It is quick and preparation time required is less.  Use of jargon, local or technical language may not be
understood.
 Allows for checking for understanding by asking the  Strong accent or dialect may interfere.
recipient about it.

Written Communication - Communication in the written format in the form of an e-mail, memo or a note
Merits Limitations
 Can be referred back to if information is forgotten.  It is indirect and can be impersonal.
 Can be written carefully to avoid confusions and to put  Takes time to prepare.
across the message carefully.  May contain jargon and abbreviations.
 Can be checked several times for correctness of
information.

Graphic Communication - Communication by the use of drawings, photographs or DVDs

Merits Limitations
 It is eye catching and visual.  Can convey only simple messages.
 Quick to interpret.  Expensive to buy or produce.
 There is no language barrier.  May be ignored.

 Communication can be broadcasted using different methods; some of them have been discussed below
S.No. Methods of communication Short description
1 Notice boards It should contain health and safety data and placed in the areas where there
are high concentrations of employees, for e.g. pantry, rest rooms
2 Posters It should be eye-catching and communicate information in simple language
(i.e. no technical jargon) with appropriate pictures
3 Tool Box Talks It is a type of meeting at the commencement of the job to make employee
aware about the risks of the task to be undertaken
4 Digital Media DVDs are used as a teaching medium to educate workers about the
organization’s health and safety policy and its objectives
5 Company Intranet It is used to share organizations latest events, meetings, upcoming trainings
related to health and safety
6 Memos These are written notifications used to provide specific information about a
and Emails single issue, such as updating procedures
7 Worker Handbooks It is a type of booklet which contains information about company policies and
procedures, safety rules and procedures and many more.

It is given to employees by the employer to create positive health and safety culture

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 Co-operation and Consultation with employees on health and safety issues plays a vital part in creating positive
health and safety culture of the organization
 A workplace health and safety committee (HSC) is a formal committee established to facilitate cooperation between
an employer and workers in developing and carrying out measures to ensure health and safety at work
 Objectives of health and safety committee
− Monitoring and review of OHS training and instruction activities
− Study of accident and disease statistics to recommend remedial actions
 Types of safety committee
− Central Safety Committee
− Plant Safety Committee
− Departmental Safety committee
03
− Foreman Safety Committee
 Training is an important aspect in building the competency of the workers. It improves knowledge and changes their
attitude towards health and safety
 The following could be the opportunities when training needs to be imparted to workers.
− General induction training
− Job change
− Process change
− Introduction of new technology
− Introduction of new legislation
 Some of the contents of a general induction training to new workers
− Organisation’s Health & Safety policy - Targets
− Fire & other Emergency Procedures- Assembly Point
− Location of welfare facilities
− Safe movement around the workplace
− Incident reporting procedure
 Human factor is a science of analyzing human’s knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviour and emotions with respect to
work. It is mainly influenced by “Organizational”, “Job” and “Individual” factors
 Following are the characteristics of the organization that influences human behaviour
− Negative culture
− No commitment and leadership from the management
− Policies and procedures
− Work patterns
− Lack of resources
− Peer group pressure
− Inappropriate communication system
 Following are the various job related characteristics that influence human behaviour
− Complicated task
− Workload
− Insufficient breaks and rest
− Poorly positioned and designed displays and controls
− Work environment (hot, cold, noisy and dusty)
− Existence and quality of the procedures
 Following are the individual related characteristics that influence human behaviour

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− Change in attitude
− Lack of motivation
− Lack of competency
− Poor perception of risk
 Link between individual, job and organisational factors
− Job allocation is to be done based on the individual’s capabilities, skills and knowledge
− Organisation requirements should be designed in accordance with the job and individual factors.
− All the three factors should go hand in hand for effective management of safety and health performance.
 The things to be considered before the evaluation and planning of training activity
− Work profile and the type of organization
− Hazards at the workplace
− Level of competency
− Accident history of organisation
− Presence of vulnerable group
 Training activity needs to be properly documented and recorded to evaluate the effectiveness of training
 Training activity is said to be effective, if it indicates the following
− Reduction in accident severity and frequency
− Reduction in injury and ill-health related absence
− Reduction in compensation claims and, possibly, insurance premiums
− Improved compliance with safe systems of work
 A hazard is a condition or situation that could hurt and bring damage to life, health, property, or environment
 Hazards can be broadly classified as

Types of hazards Examples

Physical Electricity

Chemical Sulphuric acid

Biological Leptospirosis

Ergonomic Manual handling

Psychological Stress

 Risk is the probability of getting harmed by exposure to a hazard and the potential consequences of that undesirable
event.E.g: Skin disease due to prolonged exposure to irritant chemicals, inhaling silica dust in cementing operations
develops the risk of silicosis
 The risk profile of an organisation informs all aspects of the approach to leading and managing its health and safety
risks.
 Risk assessment is a forward looking process which detects, evaluates and prevents potential problems before it
causes adverse effects to people and property in a workplace
 Purpose of risk assessment
− Determine the measures required by the organization to comply with relevant health and safety legislation
− Ensure that risks are minimized by the correct application of risk control measures
− Prevent incidents from happening and the consequent injury and ill health
− Avoid legal enforcement action against the company and its managers
 A risk assessment should meet the following criteria to be suitable and sufficient
− Ensure competence of the assessor is fit for the purpose

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− Identify significant hazards and risks and suggest appropriate control measures for the same
− Record the significant findings of the risk assessment
− Evaluate the effectiveness of the current control measures
 Employers need to follow five steps while carrying out risk assessment in a workplace

1. Identify hazards
− The most important factor in carrying out safety in a workplace is to identify the hazard accurately. Some of the
hazard identification methods are as follows.
Workplace inspection Formal inspection to be carried out so as to identify the presence of hazards
Task Analysis Hazards are identified by breaking the work activity into smaller components
Sources of information to Internal Sources (e.g accident record, medical results, risk assessment, maintenance report) 03
consult;
External Sources (e.g National Legislation, MSDS, Operating Instructions, Safety Publications)

Legislation Identification of hazards based on the legal requirements

Manufacturers’ information Hazards are identified based on the information given in the manufacture’s Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS)
Incident data Hazards can be identified with companies’ own internal data i.e. previous incidents, accidents and
investigations

2. Identify people at risk

− It is vital to identify the category of people who may be affected by the hazard. Some of them are
 Workers and operators
 Supervisory and managerial staff
 Contractors
 Cleaners and housekeepers
 Visitors/ customers
 Members of the public
 Vulnerable persons like young persons, pregnant women, lone workers and disabled workers

3. Evaluate risk
− Risk rating
 It helps to determine whether to continue with the work with the existing control measures or adopt additional
control measures to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with the identified hazards
 It is calculated by the formula
Risk rating = Likelihood (of occurrence) x Severity (of hazard)

 Risk assessment official assigns the values for the hazard severity and likelihood of occurrence and put them in a 5x5
matrix to the achieve the high, medium and low levels of risk rating

Description of Likelihood (probability of occurrence) and Severity of Hazard

S.No Likelihood (probability of occurrence) Severity of hazard
Conditions Incidents Conditions Injuries
1 Very Unlikely Occur rarely Very minor injury Slight discomfort
2 Unlikely Not yet happened, but can occur First aid injury Cut and abrasion
Strain and sprain, requires few days of
3 Fairly Likely Happened, but uncommon Lost – time injury
hospitalization
Severe injuries or prolonged illness,
4 Likely Occur often Hospital treatment
requires treatment for several months
Life loss or results in permanent illness or
5 Very Likely Occur very often Disabling injury
disabilities

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Risk levels and control measures

Risk rating Action and timescale.

1-3 Acceptable – No action required

4-6 Acceptable. If simple action can reduce further then must be done within one week.
8-12 Tolerable however efforts should be made to reduce the risk.
15-16 Unacceptable - immediate action required to reduce risk.
Unacceptable - Work shall not be started or continued until the risk has been reduced. If reduction is
20-25
not possible, the activity shall be prohibited.

Risk level values may differ for different organisation

The prioritization of the implementation of risk control measures will depend on the risk rating (high, medium and low) but the
timescale in which the measures are introduced will not always follow the ratings
Residual, Acceptable and Tolerable risk

 The certain types of risks remain after the implementation of safety measures is called residual risks
 Tolerable risk means that it is not acceptable but can be tolerated for certain amount of time, say 12 hours, within
which the control measures needs to be implemented.
 Unacceptable risk means the risk is too high and immediate control measures are needed for this type of risks
 Possible acute and chronic health effects
Acute Health Effects Chronic Health Effects
 High levels of  Lower levels of exposure
exposure
 Short exposure time  Longer exposure time
 Quick effect e.g. high  Long term effect e.g.
concentration of repeated exposure to
chlorine gas solvents

 Principles to consider when controlling risk (section 3.10.1 ILO-OSH 2001 – ‘Guidelines on occupational safety and
health management systems’
− Preventive and protective measures should be implemented in the following order of priority:
» eliminate the hazard/risk
» control the hazard/risk at source, through the use of engineering controls or organizational measures
» minimize the hazard/risk by the design of safe work systems, which include administrative control measures;
and
» where residual hazards/risks cannot be controlled by collective measures, the employer should provide for
appropriate personal protective equipment, including clothing, at no cost, and should implement measures
to ensure its use and maintenance.
 General Hierarchy of Control (clause 8.1.2 of ISO 45001:2018)
− Eliminate the Hazards
− Substitute with less hazardous processes, operations, materials or equipment
− Use Engineering controls and reorganisation of work
− Use Administrative controls including training
− Use adequate Personal protective equipment (PPE)
4. Record the significant findings

− The significant findings of the risk assessment should be recorded as this acts as a legal document in case of any
accidents and prove to any auditor or enforcement agency that the risks are adequately controlled

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5. Review the risk assessment

− Reviewing risk assessment between specific intervals, say once in two or three years helps to maintain a risk free
workplace
− Significant changes in process, substances, equipments, workplace environment, personnel and legal standards
trigger the review of a risk assessment process
Application of Risk Assessment for Specific Types of Risk and Special Cases:

1. Fire Risk Assessment - Factors to consider

 Construction and use of building

 Emergency routes and exits
 Fire detection and warning systems 03
 Fire-fighting equipment
 Removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
2. Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Assessment

If workers use display screen equipment (DSE) daily, as part of their normal work, continuously for an hour or more, employers
must do a workstation assessment.

Employers should look at:

 The whole workstation, including equipment, furniture, & work conditions

 The job being done
 Any special requirements of a member of staff, for example a user with a disability
3. Manual Handling Risk Assessment

Assessing Manual Handling Risks:

• Load

• Individual

• Task

• Environment

Remember as LITE or TILE

4. Hazardous Substances (COSHH) Risk Assessment

Factors to consider

 Gathering information about the substances, the work and the working practices
 Evaluate the Risk to Health
 Deciding on the necessary measures to comply with regulations
 Recording the Assessment
5. Noise Risk Assessment

Things to consider during noise risk assessments

 Who’s hearing checks show early signs of Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)?
 Where are the potentially noisy areas in the workplace?
 Who is working in them or visiting, and for how long?
 Do you have to shout in those areas to be heard?
 Is there any potentially noisy mobile plant being used by employees?

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Specific risk assessment methods are used for certain risks because of the following reasons

 For certain hazards more information is required to conclude on the risk level for e.g while using chemicals the risk
phrase i.e whether the chemical is a carcinogen or an irritant and the quantity of the chemical, whether it exceeds the
threshold limit, contributes to the risk level. A detailed study of the MSDS is also required.
 Other hazards like noise require a noise survey to determine the level of risk
 Determining control measures for fire hazards can be complex as it depends on the fire load of all the combustibles
that may be stored in a particular place.
 Specific risk assessment is a systematic approach and it contributes to a more detailed approach ensuring that all
factors are considered.
 The following groups of workers require special attention in the process of risk assessment.
S.No Types of persons Factors to be looked upon while risk assessment
1 Young person  Physical and psychological i.e. carried work within capacity or beyond capacity
 Exposure to chemicals or biological substances
 Type of work environment – Extreme hot or cold, noise or vibration
2 Expectant and nursing  Ergonomic issues like prolonged standing, sitting or awkward body movement
mothers  Ionizing radiation
 Manual handling
 Rest room facilities
3 Disabled workers  Health and fitness
 Competence
 Unsuitable work
 Medical facilities
4 Lone workers  Physical attacks
 Monitoring and supervising facilities
 Alarm responsiveness
 Entry and exist route

 Impact of Management of change (MOC)

Simple changes in workplace increase health and safety risks and, in some cases, lead to disasters e.g. Flixborough disaster
in the UK. Hence, MOC process requires procedures for both permanent and temporary modifications to ensure that the full
implications of any change are understood before it is put into practice, to ensure that new hazards are not introduced and
that existing risks are not unwittingly increased.

 Managing the impact of change by

− communication and co-operation
− risk assessment
− appointment of competent people
− segregation of work areas
− amendment of emergency procedures
− welfare provision
 Workers play a major role right from development to review of safe systems of work. This leads to develop positive
health and safety culture among the workers
 Documenting SSOW procedures ensure precise reference for all workers. It can also be used as a reference for use in
training and instruction in safe procedures.
 There are a variety of controls that can be adopted in safe systems of work. They are
− Technical:
» Engineering control is employed to minimize the hazards or risks.

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» It incorporates control measures such as fencing or barriers of different kinds to insulate workers from
hazards and failsafe devices to avert further damage to machinery and personnel in the event of failure
− Procedural:
» Describes safe ways of doing things to ensure that the work is done according to the procedure, legislation or
cultural requirements of the organization
− Behavioural:
» This includes best practices for promoting safe behaviours of individuals E.g: No smoking is permitted during
the task, hard hats must be worn
 Task Analysis methodology is adopted in the development of SSOW. It is the process of breaking down the operation
into small component tasks to identify the hazards at each component and suggest appropriate control measures for
the same.
 The steps in task analysis can be broken down using the acronym SREDIM
03
− Select the task to be analyzed
− Record the steps or stages of the task
− Evaluate the risk associated with each step
− Develop the safe working method
− Implement the safe working method
− Monitor to ensure its effectiveness
 The following factors are to be considered while developing a SSOW
− People – Who is it for?
− Equipment – What type of equipment involved? How it influence on health and safety performance
− Materials – What type of materials used or handled during the work? How to safe removal of material waste?
− Environment – In what type of environment conditions the work is carried out?
 Structured training needs to be developed and imparted to the workers before implementing a SSOW
 Effectiveness of the SSOW can be measured by periodic monitoring which involves
− Examining worker comfortability and adaptability in complying with SSOW
− Ensuring procedures laid down in SSOW are being carried out effectively
− Analysing of areas which require additional modifications
 The permit-to-work procedure is a specialized type of safe system of work under which certain categories of high risk –
potential work may only be done with the specific permission of an authorized manager
 The function of a permit-to-work system is as follows.
− Confirm if the specified work has proper authorization
− Identify the type of work and its limitations and suggest appropriate control measures
− Make sure suitable control measures are in place to deal with hazards arises out of work
− Ensure that hazards and residual hazards in the work area have been eliminated before undertaking high-
hazardous work in that work area
 There are four main sections in a permit-to-work:
− Issue
 This section identifies hazards and determines the safety precautions with respect to the work being carried out.

− Receipt
 This section ensures that the worker understand all the hazards, risks and necessary control measures to be imple-
mented for the work being carried out

− Clearance/Return to service
 This section confirms work completion in safe and secure conditions.

− Cancellation
 This section has an authority to cancel the work permit

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− Extension (Optional)
 This section grants additional time to complete work activities

 The following is the list of work activities that require permit-to-work

− Hot work – includes cutting, welding, brazing, soldering
− Work on Non-live (Isolated) Electrical Systems – includes working on high-voltage apparatus and high-voltage non-
live terminals
− Machinery maintenance – includes removal or disabling of safeguards and control systems, work inside the
machinery
− Confined Space - An enclosed place or partially enclosed place with limited space and accessibility
− Work at height - Work at height is a high risk activity as it has got the potential to cause maximum fatalities
 Emergency procedures comprise safe and secure plan of actions to be executed in the event of emergency
 Importance of developing emergency procedures is to avoid multiple casualties and possible financial collapse of the
organization
Things to be included in an emergency procedure with reference to HSG268: ‘The health and safety toolbox
 Plan essential actions such as emergency plant shutdown, isolation or making processes safe. Clearly identify
important items like shut-off valves and electrical isolators etc.
 You must train everyone in emergency procedures. Don’t forget the needs of people with disabilities and vulnerable
workers.
 Work should not resume after an emergency if a serious danger remains. If you have any doubts ask for assistance
from the emergency services
 Nominate competent people to take control (a competent person is someone with the necessary skills, knowledge
and experience to manage health and safety).
 Decide where to go to reach a place of safety or to get rescue equipment. You must provide suitable forms of
emergency lighting
Significance of People Need Training in Emergency Procedures
 Quick and effective actions may help to ease the situation and reduce the consequences.
 Training is essential to ensure that everyone knows what to do when there is an emergency, or disruption of business
operations
 Everyone needs training to become familiar with protective actions for life safety (e.g., evacuation, shelter, shelter-in-
place and lockdown
 Review protective actions for life safety and conduct evacuation drills (“fire drills”) as required by local regulations
 Employees should receive training to become familiar with safety, building security, information security and other
loss prevention programs.
Emergency procedures need to be tested as it helps the organisation to understand the following
 Is the emergency procedure working as expected?
 Have people at all levels understood their roles and responsibilities?
 Did the emergency staff operate the emergency equipment correctly?
 And did the equipments function as desired?
Following should be taken into account when deciding on First Aid needs in a Workplace
 General risk level of the workplace
 accident history
 Presence of vulnerable people
 Number of workers in the workplace
 Work pattern and shift systems.
 geographical location of the workplace
 Spread of the workplace
 Specific procedures like for e.g. workers working with certain chemicals

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