NEBOSH International General

Certificate in Occupational Safety and

Health
IGC1
Element 1: Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and Safety
 Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
• Discuss the moral, social and financial reasons for
managing health and safety in the workplace.

• Explain how health and safety is regulated and the

consequences of non-compliance.

• Summarise the main health and safety duties of different

groups of people at work.

• Explain how contractors should be selected, monitored

and managed.
 What is NEBOSH
NEBOSH: National

Examination

Board

Occupational

Safety

Health
3
 Introduction to Key Terms
Introduction to Key Terms

• Health - absence of disease

or ill health.

• Safety - absence of risk of

serious personal injury.

• Welfare - access to basic

facilities.
 Element 1.1
Element 1.1

Morals and Money

 Group Exercise
Group Exercise

Why might the management

of an organisation not
consider health and safety
to be a priority?
The Moral Reason for Managing Health and Safety
Moral Reasons for Managing Health & Safety
Global statistics from the International Labour
Organization (ILO) SafeWork Programme:
• Over 350,000 work-related fatal accidents each year.
• 2.75 million work-related fatalities each year.
• 2.4 million fatalities from occupational diseases.
• 270 million accidents and 160 million diseases a year
due to work.
• 4% of global GDP is lost.
 Group Exercise
Group Exercise
An employee at your workplace has been seriously
injured in a workplace accident.
In groups, list the possible effects and implications
of this accident on the:
• Injured employee.
• Company.
• Line manager.
The Financial Reason for Managing Health and Safety
The Financial Reasons for Managing Health & Safety
Accidents and ill health cost money.
Costs may be:
• Direct - measurable costs arising directly from accidents.
• Indirect - arise as a consequence of the event but may
not directly involve money. Often difficult to quantify.

H&S failure can affect the broader economy, as well as

individual companies.
 Exercise

Tell about few of the direct cost?

 Direct Costs

• First-aid treatment.
• Worker sick pay.
• Repairs to, or replacement of, damaged
equipment and buildings.
• Lost or damaged product.
• Lost production time while dealing with the
injury.
 Indirect Costs

• Reduction in staff morale (which impacts on

productivity, quality and efficiency).
• General difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff
as a result of the accident.
• Loss of goodwill of customers following delays in
production and fulfilling orders.
• Damage to public image and business reputation.
• Damage to industrial relations, perhaps leading to
industrial action (e.g. strikes).
 Insured and Uninsured Costs
Insured and Uninsured Costs
Insured Costs
• Fire. £1
• Worker injury/death.
• Medical costs.

Uninsured Costs
• Loss of raw materials due to
accidents.
• Sick pay.
• Overtime.
• Equipment repairs.
• Lost materials. £8 - £36
 End of Section 1.1 Exercise
Exercise
1. What are the three main reasons for managing
health and safety?
2. What should an employer provide to ensure
health and safety:
1. Safe place of _______________
2. Safe plant and ______________
3. Safe _______ of work
4. Training, _____ and competency of ______
 Element 1.2
Element 1.2

Regulating Health and

Safety
Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health and Safety
Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health & Safety

• Most countries have health and safety laws.

• Failure to achieve legal minimum standards can
lead to prosecution.
 The International Framework
The International Framework
International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Agency of the United Nations.
• Most countries are members.
• Sets international standards for H&S by publishing:
‒ Conventions.
‒ Recommendations.
 The International Framework
The International Framework
Conventions
• Create binding obligations or policies to implement their
provisions.
• No legal authority, unless ratified by the member state
into its own legal structure.
Recommendations
• Provide guidance on policy, legislation and practice.
 Regulations Adopted by the ILO
Regulations Adopted by the ILO

• Occupational Safety and Health Convention

(C155)
‒ a goal-setting policy for companies and nations.

• Occupational Safety and Health

Recommendation 1981 (R164)
‒ supplements C155 and gives more guidance on

how to comply with its policies.

 Employers’ Responsibilities
Employer Responsibilities
Article 16 of C155 identifies obligations placed on
employers to:
• Ensure that workplaces, machinery, equipment and work
processes are safe and without risks to health.
• Ensure that chemical, physical and biological substances and
agents are without risk to health when protective measures
have been taken.
• Provide adequate protective clothing and equipment to
prevent risks of accidents or adverse health effects.
 Basic Employers’ Responsibilities
Basic Employer Responsibilities
Everybody is responsible for health and safety -
but most of the responsibility lies with the
employer to provide:
• Safe place of work.
• Safe plant and equipment.
• Safe systems of work.
• Training, supervision and
competency of staff.
 Employers’ Responsibilities
Employer Responsibilities
Article 10 of R164:
• Provide and maintain workplaces, machinery and equipment and use
working methods that are safe.
• Give necessary instruction, training and supervision in application and
use of health and safety measures.
• Introduce organisational arrangements relevant to activities and size of
undertaking.
• Provide PPE and clothing without charge to workers.
• Ensure that work organisation, particularly working hours and rest
breaks, does not adversely affect occupational safety and health.
• Take reasonably practical measures with a view to eliminating excessive
physical and mental fatigue.
• Keep up-to-date with scientific and technical knowledge to comply with
the above.
 Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights
Workers Responsibilities & Rights
Article 19 of C155 also places obligations on workers,
expanded in R164 as follows:
• Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of other
people.
• Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
• Use all safety equipment properly.
• Report any situation that they believe could be a hazard and
which they cannot themselves correct.
• Report any work-related accident/ill health.
 Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights
Workers Responsibilities & Rights
Article 19 of C155 states that every worker must be:
• Given adequate information on actions the employer has
taken to ensure safety and health.
• Given the right to the necessary training in safety and
health.
• Consulted by the employer on all matters of safety and
health relating to their work.
• Given the right to leave a workplace that he has reason to
think presents an imminent and serious danger to his life or
health, and not be compelled to return until it is safe.
 The Role of Enforcement Agencies
The Role of Enforcement Agencies

• No harmonised global standard.

• Country-specific agencies may include:
‒ H&S Enforcement Agency.
‒ Fire authority.
‒ Insurance companies.
• Police may be involved in enforcing H&S law in some
countries.
 Exercise

What could happen if someone causes a breach of the law?

 Consequences of Non-Compliance
Consequences of Non Compliance
Breach of H&S legislation is usually a criminal
offence, leading to:
• Enforcement action:
‒ Improvement.
‒ Prohibition.
• Prosecution:
‒ Organisation may be fined.
‒ Individuals may be fined or imprisoned.
 Other International Standards
Other International Standards
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
World’s largest developer of management standards, e.g.:
– ISO 9001 - Quality Management
– ISO 14001 - Environmental Management
– ISO 12100 - Safety of Machinery

These standards are not ‘law’, they’re good management

practice.
They lead to a worldwide common approach to good
management.
 Other International Standards
Other International Standards

Internationally-recognised standard for occupational

health and safety is currently
ISO 45001.
Compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
 Sources of Information
Sources of Information
• Health and Safety Executive (UK)
‒ www.hse.gov.uk

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA)

‒ www.osha.gov

• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU)

‒ https://osha.europa.eu/en

• Worksafe (Western Australia)

‒ www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
 Group Exercise
Group Exercise

An employee has been injured at work.

Identify potential:
• Direct costs of the accident.
• Indirect costs of the accident.
 End of Module 1.2 Exercise
Exercise
1. What are the two main standards that the ILO has
produced for health and safety? What do countries do
with these standards?
2. What are employers’ responsibilities under R164?
3. What are employees’ responsibilities under R164?
4. What action could be taken against organisations
breaking health and safety law?
1.3: Who Does What in
Organisations
 The Employer
The Employer
The employer - a person or organisation that employs
people.
The employer in this context is normally an organisation,
such as a company, and is sometimes referred to as the
‘corporate body’. They are a legal person.
 The Employer
The Employer
Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is safe
and free of health risk rests with the employer.
As we noted earlier, this responsibility is made clear
in:
• ILO Convention C155.
• ILO Recommendation R164.
 The Employer
The Employer

The employer carries ultimate responsibility for

ensuring that the workplace is safe and free of
health and safety risks.

Ensures the safety of workers and ‘others’, e.g.

visitors and contractors.
 Directors and Senior Managers
Directors and Senior Manager
• Give an organisation its direction.
• Set its priorities.
• Allocate resources and appoint competent persons.
• Allocate responsibilities.
• Are responsible for ensuring that all of the legal
requirements are met.
 Directors and Senior Managers
Directors and Senior Manager

Directors and senior managers can have enormous

influence over their organisation and its priorities.

The way they are perceived by those lower in the

management hierarchy is very important; they must
demonstrate clear commitment and leadership
with regard to health and safety.
 Middle Managers and Supervisors
Middle Managers & Supervisors

Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the day-

to-day operational running of the organisation so are
responsible for the health and safety standards within the
operations under their control.
The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupiers of Premises
The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupancies of Premises
• ILO Convention C155 – Article 17
• ILO Recommendation R164 – Recommendation 11
• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to develop
appropriate health and safety standards and appropriate policies
and procedures.

• This may include:

‒ Sharing of procedures, e.g.

fire and emergency response.

‒ Sharing of risk assessments.
‒ Joint management-committee
meetings.
 Contractor Management
Contractor Management

If a client can be held responsible for an injury

caused by a contractor working for the client, then it
must be in the client’s own best interests to ensure
that contractors do not endanger workers or others.
 Shared Duties
Shared Duties

The way that a client manages contractors can be broken

down into three key areas:

• Selection of contractors.

• Planning and co-ordinating

the work.

• Monitoring and managing

the work.
 Selection of Contractors
Selection of Contractor

Things you should check:

• Maintenance and equipment
• Health and safety policy. testing.
• Risk assessments. • Previous or current clients.
• Qualifications and training • Accident records.
records.
• Enforcement action.
• Membership of a professional
organisation. • Adequate resources.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work
Planning and Coordination of Work

Information to be shared between client and

contractor:
• Hazards posed by the site and work carried out.
• Hazards posed by the contractor’s activities.
• Risk assessments.
• Method statements.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work
Planning and Coordination of Work

Arrangements between the client and contractor

include:
• Ensuring activities don’t conflict.
• Permit-to-work system to control activities.
 Monitor and Managing the Work
Monitoring & Managing the Work

Clients must:
• Monitor the work to ensure safety.

The client can:

• Stop the work if it involves unsafe
practices.

Auditing against agreed method statements is a good

technique.
 End of Module 1.3 Exercise
Exercise
1. To whom does an employer owe a duty with regard to
health and safety?
2. How can directors influence health and safety?
3. What are the key worker responsibilities?
4. What would you look for/check when selecting a
contractor?
 Summary
Summary
In this element, we have:
• Introduced some key words, such as: health; safety; and welfare.
• Highlighted the three main reasons why an organisation has to manage health
and safety, which can be summarised as moral, legal and financial.
• Set out the basic requirements of the international standards that govern health
and safety, i.e. the ILO Convention C155 and Recommendation R164.
• Discussed the consequences for employers and workers of non-compliance with
legal standards, together with the possible issue of worker compensation.
• Noted some sources of information on national health and safety standards.
• Identified various parties within and outside of the workplace and the
responsibilities that they have.
• Considered the responsibility that a client has for the management of contractors
and outlined the steps that a client should take to choose a competent contractor
and plan and monitor their work.