Health and Safety

Management System 3 -
Planning

CHAPTER 4
 Importance of Planning

Organization must establish a system for the

effective identification, implementation and
maintenance of health and safety
requirements.
Organizational objectives should be SMART:
specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable
and timebound.
Specific processes can be put in place to allow
the organization to achieve those objectives.
Planning requires that an organization keeps
up to date with legal requirements.
 Principals and practice of Risk Assessment

Legal requirements – ILO convention C 155

(Article 15)
Risk Assessment
 A formalized process of identifying hazards, evaluating the
risk that then either eliminating or controlling that risk to
an acceptable level

Objectives of Risk Assessment

 To prevent
 Death and personal injury
 Other types of loss incident
 The occurrence of breaches of statute law
 The direct and indirect costs that follow on from accidents
Criteria for a suitable and sufficient assessment

 State the name and competence of the assessors

 Indentify the significant hazards and risks arising out of
or connected with the work
 Identify all those persons who could be at risk including
worker and visitors
 Evaluate the effectiveness of current controls
 Identify other protective measures that are required to
control the to an acceptable level
 Record the significant findings of the risk assessment
 Be appropriate to the nature of the work and remain
proportionate to the risks
 State the period of time for which it is likely to remain
valid
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF INCIDENT

 Accident - An unplanned, unwanted event that leads to injury, damage or

loss. An accident is unplanned. Any deliberate attempt to cause injury or loss
is therefore not an accident.
 Injury accident - an unplanned, unwanted event that leads to personal injury
of some sort, e.g. a worker on the ground is struck on the head and killed by
a brick dropped by another worker from a 5m-high scaffold.
 Damage-only accident - an unplanned, unwanted event that leads to damage
to equipment or property, e.g. a lorry driver misjudges the turning circle of
his vehicle and knocks over a barrier at the edge of a site entrance, crushing
the barrier beyond repair.
 Near miss - an unplanned, unwanted event that had the potential to lead to
injury, damage or loss (but did not, in fact, do so), e.g. a worker drops a
spanner from a scaffold, narrowly missing a pedestrian, but no injury or
harm was caused.
 Dangerous occurrence - a specified event that has to be reported to the
relevant authority by statute law.
 Ill-health incident - an unplanned, unwanted event that leads to ill-health of
some sort.
 Carrying out a Risk Assessment

Five steps

1. Identify the hazards

2. Identify the people who might be harmed and how

3. Evaluate the risk and decide on precautions

4. Record the significant findings and implement them

5. Review and update as necessary (ALARP and,

suitable and sufficient)

 1. Hazard identification

Hazard identification methods

 Inspections – a formal inspection can reveal the various

hazards that are present and that need to be considered in

the risk assessment.
 Task Analysis- it allows hazards to be spotted before work

starts rather that the work has started.

 Legislation – knowledge of the legal standards that apply

to a particular workplace is an important aid to identifying

any significant hazards that need to be identified.
 Manufacturers’ information – safety instruction and

identified hazards by them.

 Incident data – internal accident and near miss data can

be useful in identifying hazards

 2. Identifying the population at risk

Workers/operators
Maintenance staff
Cleaners
Contractors
Visitors
Members of the public
 3. Evaluating the Risk

Is the level of risk generated by the hazard

acceptable or does it need to be reduced?
Risk = Likelihood * Severity

Likelihood Severity

1. Extremely unlikely 1. Very minor injury

2. Unlikely 2. First aid injury
3. Possible 3. Lost time injury
4. Likely 4. Hospital treatment
5. Very probable 5. Disabling injury
RA Matrix
 Continued..
Risk rating Action and timescale
Clarity of thinking
15 and above Unacceptable
Consistency of approach
Work may not start
Additional controls must be
Prioritization introduced to reduce below 9
9 to 14
 Tolerable
timescale Additional controls must be
introduced as soon as possible
and no later than 24 hours after
assessment
5 to 8 Tolerable
Must be reduced to below 5
within one week
4 or below Acceptable
If simple action can reduce
further then must be done within
one week
 4. Recording significant findings

Statement of hazard in the workplace

Typical content would include;
 Identification of the activity/area assessed and of the
significant hazards
 Identification of groups at risk and those especially at
risk
 Evaluation of the risks and the adequacy of existing
control measures
 Action plans for implementing further precautions
needed
 Date of assessment and name of the competent person
carrying out the assessment
 Review date
 5. Risk Assessment Review

A number of situations that might trigger a review

of a risk assessment:
 Significant change to a matter that the risk assessment
relates to;
 Process
 Substances equipment
 Workplace environment
 Personnel
 Legal standards

 There is reason to suspect that the assessment is not valid

 Accident
 Near miss
 Ill- health
Special cases and vulnerable workers

Young Persons

 Lack of experience in workplaces in general.

 Physical and, perhaps, mental immaturity.
 Poor perception of risk.
 Heavily influenced by peer group pressure.
 Eager to show a willingness to work.
 Less developed communication skills.

According to ILO, young workers aged 15-24 are

much more likely to suffer non-fetal but serious
accidents at work
Younger and older workers

Minimum age convention 1973 (No. 138)

The worst forms of child labour convention,
1999 (No. 182)
And their associated recommendations, and
the older workers recommendation, 1980
(No. 162)
What employers do?

 Carry out risk assessments specifically with young persons

in mind.
 Prohibit a young person from carrying out certain high-
risk activities (e.g. operating complicated machinery).
 Restrict their work patterns and hours (no night-shift work
or overtime).
 Train and supervise them more than other workers.
 Provide mentors to monitor and supervise young persons
more closely than other workers and to provide clear lines
of communication.
 Provide specific health surveillance.
 Expectant and nursing mothers

Hazards that present greater risk to pregnant

women:
 Certain hazardous chemicals (e.g. lead).
 Certain biological agents (e.g. the rubella virus).
 Manual handling, especially later in pregnancy.
 Lack of rest room facilities.
 Extremes of temperature.
 Whole-body vibration.
 Ionizing radiation.
 Night-shift work.
 Stress and Violence.
ILO has introduced the Maternity Protection

Convention 2000, (No. 183) and its

recommendation 2000 (No. 191) to cover the
needs of expectant and nursing mothers in
the workplaces
Employer must dos in case of pregnant or
nursing workers:

Eliminate of risk

An adaptation of her conditions of work

A transfer to another post, without loss of pay

Paid leaves in accordance with the national

law.
Lone workers:
People who work entirely on their own for
periods of time, or those who are not alone but
are not with colleagues on whom they can rely
for help, might be classified as lone workers.
They may be more at risk of violence,
They may be more at risk if they are injured
or fall ill.
Risk considerations;
Properly controlled by one person
Safe entrance and exit
All equipment and substances be safely
handled by one person
Violence from others
Workers medically fit and suitable for
working
Special training requirement
First air requirement
 Developing a Safe System of Work
(SSW)

As the name suggests, a safe system of work

is a defined set of procedures, resulting from a
careful study of a task, that inform how work
must be carried out.
Safe systems of work are developed by taking
into account the people, substances and
equipment involved in undertaking a task,
identifying all foreseeable hazards and
assessing the risks, and then seeking to
minimize or eliminate these risks by providing
a formal framework for workers to follow.
Examples of safe systems of work in the UK
and USA are typically laid out in a written
document, for example, written operating
procedures.
They can also be more informal; verbal
instructions, a list of dos and don’ts, and
accepted custom and practice are all
examples of informal safe systems of work.
However, for the sake of clarity, ease of
reference, and demonstrating compliance,
written systems of work are preferable.
 Importance SSOW

Safe systems of work ensure that all the steps

necessary for safe working have been

anticipated and implemented and are
designed to reduce human error.
They prevent situations where workers

attempt to cut corners, rush through a task or

take unnecessary risks, reducing the
likelihood of accidents occurring.
 Are SSOW required by law?

Under Section 2(a) of the

Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974, employers must,
‘so far as is reasonably practicable’, provide and maintain
systems of work that are practical, safe and without risks to
health. The phrase ‘reasonably practicable’ is rather vague in
its meaning, which is why employers often seek professional
health and safety advice to help determine what is
reasonable when it comes to creating safe systems of work.
Many regulations made under the HSWA, such as the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1
998
, require that workers are given appropriate information and
instruction on how to use work equipment safely. This is, in
effect, another more specific requirement to provide safe
systems of work.
 Five basic steps to developing safe systems of work

Step 1: Task assessment

To determine where safe systems of work need to be
developed, you should start by assessing your
organization’s operations.
Make a note of:
• What is used (plant and equipment, substances,
machinery, electrical sources);
• Potential error sources (possible human error, short
cuts, equipment failure);
• Where the task is carried out (the working
environment and its protection needs); and
• How the task is carried out (procedures, task
frequency, training needs).
Step 2: Hazard identification and risk assessment
Results of risk assessment

Step 3: Defining safe methods

If you can’t eliminate hazards and risks remain, then
procedures to ensure a safe method of work must be
worked out.
Instructions must be given by supervisors or
managers; leaving your workers to come up
with their own method of work isn’t a safe
system of work.
Different jobs will require different types of safe systems,
depending on the level of risk involved. For example, a
very-low risk job may just require workers to follow a simple
set of safety rules or a previously agreed guide (which may
or may not be in writing). A very high-risk job, on the other
hand, may require a formal written permit to work system.
The chosen method can be explained verbally and/or in
writing.
The following is a general guide to risk level and the safe
system type required:
• Very high – Permit to work
• High – Written safe system or permit
• Moderate – Written safe system
• Low – Written safe system
• Very low – Verbal instruction (with written backup such as brief
written safety rules)
Step 4: Implementing the system
 Safe systems of work will only be effective if properly
implemented and maintained.
Training
 In order to ensure safe systems of work are followed every
time, your employees must be:
• Adequately trained in how to carry out the process
correctly;
• Competent to carry out the work safely; and

• Aware of the systems and hazards which the safe

methods aim to remove/reduce.
 Particular training might therefore include:
• Why the safe system is needed;
• The identified hazards; and
• The precautions that have been decided.
Step 4: Implementing the system

Communication
Remember, for the system to be successful,
there must be adequate communication. The
system’s details should be fully understood by
everyone who works with it. The importance
of discussing the proposed system with those
who will have to work under it and those who
have to supervise its operation cannot be
underlined enough.
 Step 5: Monitoring the system

Your system must be carried out on each and

every occasion. This requires effective
monitoring: regularly checking to make sure that
the system remains appropriate for the task and
that it is being fully complied with. It is not
enough to only check systems after an
accident.
Simple questions to ask may include:
• Are laid-down procedures being carried out?
• Are these procedures still effective?
• Have there been any changes that require the system to
be revised?
 Examples of the SSW

Working in confined spaces

 A confined space can be defined as ‘’ any place such

as a chamber, tank, silo, pit, well, pipe, sewer, flue or

similar, in which by virtue of its enclosed nature.’’
 Risks are:
 Fire or explosion
 Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation arising from gas,
fumes, vapour or lack of oxygen
 Drowning
 Asphyxiation as a result of entrapment in free-flowing
solid
 Loss of consciousness as a result of high air temperature
When developing a SSW for confined space entry
things required:
 Level of supervision
 Competency requirements of the people doing the work.
 Atmospheric testing and monitoring before and during
entry
 Ventilation that may be required before and during entry
 Removal of residues
 Isolation and lock off of in-feeds and out-feeds (pipes
etc.)
 Isolation and lock off of electrical and mechanical
hazards
 PPE requirements for workers inside the confined
space which may include respiratory protective
equipment
 Safe and quick access and egress methods.
 Fire prevention measures
 Lighting
 Permit-to-work systems

Permit-to-work systems form part of a safe

system of work to control high risk work
activates such as hot work.
A permit system formalizes the control of
high risk work to ensure that all the risks
have been identified, all the precautions put
in place and the appropriate information has
been communicated to all relevant parties.
 PTW procesures

Main sections:
 Issue
 The exact nature of the work
 Where the work can take place
 The name of each of the workers authorized to carry out
the work
 The date and time that work can start
 The period of time the permit is valid for
 The control measures that must be in place before,
during and after the work
 Any restrictions
 Any other permits that may be relevant
 Receipt
 Signature of the authorized person issuing the permit.
 Signature of the competent person accepting the permit

 Clearance

 Signature of the competent person stating that the area has been
safe and that he is leaving the area and isolations can be removed.

 Cancellation

 The authorizing manager signs this section to accept the hand back
of the workplace from the workers.

.
 Typical Permit Systems

Hot work

Work on live electrical systems

Machinery maintenance

Confined spaces

Work at height
 Emergency Procedures

Emergency procedures involve control procedures

and equipment to limit the damage to people and
property caused by an incident.
ILO-R 164 article 3(q)
Development of emergency procedures to deal with
foreseeable incidents such as;
 Fire and gas explosion
 Electrical burn or electrocution
 Bomb and terrorist threat
 Spillage of a hazardous chemical
 Release of a toxic gas
 Outbreak of a disease
 Severe weather or flooding
 continued…

Internal arrangements
 Procedures to follow
 Provision of suitable equipment

 Nomination of responsible staff

 Provision of training and information

 Drills and exercises
 Contacting the emergency services