Element IA3: Measuring and Reviewing Health and Safety Performance

Transcription

1 Element IA3: Measuring and Reviewing Health and Safety Performance 1. Outline two of the main objectives that should be included in a health and safety policy statement. Health and safety policy statements should state their main objectives, e.g. (a) Commit to operating the business in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and all applicable regulations made under the Act, 'so far as reasonably practicable'. (b) Specify that health and safety are management responsibilities, ranking equally with responsibilities for production, sales, costs, and similar matters. (c) Indicate that it is the duty of management to see that everything reasonably practicable is done to prevent personal injury in the processes of production, and in the design, construction and operation of all plant, machinery and equipment, and to maintain a safe and healthy place of work. (d) Indicate that it is the duty of all employees to act responsibly, and to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves and fellow workers. Although the implementation of policy is a management responsibility, it will rely heavily on the co-operation of those who actually produce the goods and take the risks. (e) Identify the main board director or managing board director (or directors) who have prime responsibility for health and safety, in order to make the commitment of the board precise, and provide points of reference for any manager who is faced with a conflict between the demands of safety and the demands of production. (f) Be dated so as to ensure that it is periodically revised in the light of current conditions, and be signed by the chairman, managing director, chief executive, or whoever speaks for the organisation at the highest level and with the most authority on all matters of general concern. (g) Clearly state how and by whom its operation is to be monitored. 2. Outline the limitations of placing reliance on accident and ill-health data as a performance measure? There are limitations on these data, which can be set out follows: Accident data are the result of accidents that happened in the past, sometimes a considerable time ago, so it can be said that they are not up-todate. Occupational diseases are quite rare because their long-term effects cannot be easily measured or recorded. 3. Identify four key performance areas for reviewing overall performance. assessment of the degree of compliance with health and safety system requirements dentification of areas where the health and safety system is absent or inadequate (those areas where further action is necessary to develop the total health and safety management system assessment of the achievement of specific objectives and plans accident, ill-health and incident data accompanied by analysis of both the immediate and underlying causes, trends and common features.

2 4. Identify the criteria that can be used by organisations, wishing to benchmark their performance against other organisations accident rates with those organisations in the same industry which use similar business processes and experience similar risks Management practices and techniques with other organisations in any industry to provide a different perspective and new insights on health and safety management systems. 5. With reference to monitoring systems, list the reasons why organisations need to measure what they are doing. to implement their health and safety policy to assess how effectively they are controlling risks to assess how well they are developing a positive health and safety culture. 6. Outline the 2 types of monitoring systems. active systems which monitor the design, development, installation and operation of management arrangements, Risk Control Systems and workplace precautions; reactive systems which monitor accidents, ill-health, incidents and other evidence of deficient health and safety performance. 7. Outline the various forms of active monitoring. routine procedures to monitor specific objectives, e.g quarterly or monthly reports or returns periodic examination of documents to check that systems relating to the promotion of the health and safety culture are complied with. One example might be the way in which suitable objectives have been established for each manager, regular review of performance, assessment and recording of training needs and delivery of suitable training; the systematic inspection of premises, plant and equipment by supervisors, maintenance staff, management, safety representatives or other employees to ensure the continued effective operation of workplace precautions; environmental monitoring and health surveillance to check on the effectiveness of health control measures, and to detect early signs of harm to health systematic direct observation of work and behaviour by first-line supervisors to assess compliance with Risk Control Systems and associated procedures and rules, particularly those directly concerned with risk control; the operation of audit systems; consideration of regular reports on health and safety performance by the board of directors 8. Identify the areas that performance standards should cover. Performance standards should cover the following areas: policy formulation and development;

3 methods of accountability; health and safety committee and similar consultation meetings; involvement of people in risk assessments and writing procedures; collection and dissemination of information from external sources; the involvement of senior managers in safety tours and accident and incident investigations; preparation of health and safety documentation, performance standards, rules and procedures; health and safety plans and objectives; the risk assessment process; implementation of RCSs and workplace precautions; the active monitoring arrangements including inspections; the accident and incident reporting and investigation system; audit and review. 9. What are the objectives of reactive monitoring? The objectives of reactive monitoring are to analyse data relating to accidents, ill-health and other loss causing events. 10. What is identified and reported during reactive monitoring? Reactive systems, by definition, are triggered after an event and include identifying and reporting: injuries and cases of ill-health (including monitoring of sickness absence records), other losses, such as damage to property, incidents, including those with the potential to cause injury, ill-health or loss; hazards; weakness or omissions in performance standards. 11. Define health and safety audit The organisation learns from all relevant experience and applies the lessons. There is a systematic review of performance based on data from monitoring and from independent audits of the whole health and safety management system. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement involving the constant development of policies, systems and techniques of risk control. Performance is assessed by: internal reference to key performance indicators; and external comparison with the performance of business competitors and best practice, irrespective of employment sector. 12. Define workplace inspections Workplace inspections involve routine monitoring of the basic provisions for Health and Safety within the organisation by internal personnel, usually using a checklist to ensure consistency of inspections. Inspections cover items such as fire extinguishers, fire doors, access/egress, lighting etc. but the content of the checklist will vary according to the activities taking place in any location, and the findings of relevant risk assessments.

4 13. Define safety tours A safety tour is an unscheduled examination of a work area. The examination is often carried out by a manager, who is usually accompanied by a member of the health and safety committee. The purpose of the tour is to determine whether control measures are being observed and maintained i.e. fire exits kept clear, good housekeeping being observed etc. 14. Define safety sampling This method or technique is used to measure (by random sample) the potential for accidents and incidents in a specific area or place by identifying hazards and risks in situations. For example, an area or workplace is divided into sections, with an observer appointed in each section. A pre-determined route through the area is undertaken where observers follow the itinerary in a pre-determined allowed time, during which the observer will record on a safety sampling sheet the points they have observed. 15. Define safety surveys A safety survey is a detailed examination of a specific area of the organisation in health and safety terms. For example, stress in the workplace. Much will depend on the inherent hazards that are present in the workplace or organisation, and the risks that have been identified. 16. With reference to safety tours, identify the main points central to effective observation. Effective observation has the following main points: Be selective. Know what to look for. Practice. Keep an open mind. Guard against habit and familiarity. Do not be satisfied with general impressions. Record observations systematically 17. A prerequisite of effective health and safety plans and objectives is that they should be SMART. What does SMART stand for? SMART objectives are: Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Realistic/Relevant; Time bound and 18. Explain what is meant by health and safety benchmarking.

5 Health and Safety benchmarking is a planned process by which an organisation compares its health and safety processes and performance with others to learn how to: reduce accidents and ill-health; improve compliance with health and safety law; cut compliance costs. Benchmarking is not just about comparing data or copying your competitors. Benchmarking is more about continuously learning from others, learning more about your organisation s strengths and weaknesses in the process, and then acting on the lessons learned. This is what leads to real improvement. Benchmarking is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Some organisations aim for business excellence and want to be seen as best, or at least better than average. Benchmarking all aspects of your business, including health and safety can help you achieve this. But it is also useful in helping you meet your health and safety duties in a more effective and efficient way. 19. Identify the five steps to benchmarking. Step 1 Decide what to benchmark Step 2 Analyse where you are. Step 3 Selecting partners. Step 4 Working with your partner Step 5 Acting on the lessons learned 20. Provide and explanation of `Key Performance Indicators. Businesses use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress toward specific health and safety goals or simply to monitor trends associated with corporate and facility activities or special projects. KPIs are used as a means to collect data and communicate trends, which can then be used to indicate where further improvements and resources are required. 21. Outline the factors to be considered by an organisation when selecting Key Performance Indicators. An organisation should consider: Where is the organization today with respect to health and safety performance? Where does the organization want to be tomorrow? Who receives the KPI data and what do they do with it? How are KPIs and the conclusions that are drawn from the KPIs communicated to others? 22. Organisational and planning issues to be addressed in the development of the audit programme. Consideration of the scope and terms of reference of the audit Resources/Logistics Support/Commitment of senior management Audit Schedule/Frequency - Consideration were the nature, scale and frequency of the auditing relative to the level of risk involved

6 Audit Standards - the standards against - to be audited such as, for example, legal or good practice, Audit Process - planning, interviews and verification, feedback routes and the preparation and presentation of the final report. Audit Protocol/Software - Recognition of the need to develop audit protocols and consider issues such as scoring or the use of proprietary software. Audit Type - The types of auditing such as comprehensive, horizontal or vertical slicing; Audit Scope - Scope such as management system elements or selected performance standards; Team - The use of a single auditor or audit teams; Training Briefing of those members of the organization who were likely to be affected.