1) Discuss the moral, financial and legal reasons for managing health and safety in the workplace

Moral argument for health & safety

1) The moral arguments for health and safety relate to ethical and responsible behaviours and based on
the concept of an employer owing a duty of care to his employees.
2) It is the right thing to do. No one expects to risk their safety or their health as a condition of
employment or place it second to making a profit.
3) Workers expect it; fulfilling a moral obligation keeps the workforce safe and ensures employees return
home without injury or ill health.
4) Society also has increasing expectations regarding excellent standards of health and safety and expects
that a company looks after its workforce
5) It allows the workforce to remain pleased because the company shows care for their wellbeing.
6) It improves worker morale which contributes to reducing unnecessary absenteeism and sickness.
7) Keeping workers safe reduces losses and allows the company to expand. This in turn could create new
jobs and provide job security for those already employed.
8) Keeps the reputation of the company high through eliminating or reducing civil claims.
9) A company that looks after its workers has reduced staff turnover and attracts and keeps excellent
workers.
10) Lastly, it is morally improper to sacrifice human health and safety for a company’s activities.

Legal argument for health & safety

1) Laws define the framework that governs the conduct of business. Failing to do so can result in heavy
fines, penalties, and even jail time.

Financial argument for health & safety

2) Explain how health and safety is regulated and the consequences of non-compliance

3) Summarise the main health and safety duties of different groups of people at work

The main responsibility for protecting the health and safety of employees lies with the employer. This is
achieved by the delegation of duties and allocation of responsibilities throughout the management structure of
the company. This is to ensure that OHS policy is formulated and sufficient arrangements are in place to put the
policy into practice. Specialist OHS personnel may also be required to provide expert advice to the Employer on
how to meet their statutory obligations.
In addition, the duties and roles of workers and worker representatives also need to be considered.

Roles of Directors/Managers/Supervisors
1) Directors/Managing Directors have the overall responsibility and accountability for health and safety
performance at the organization;
2) They must ensure adequate resources are available which incorporates the appointment of competent
persons
3) They must make sure that the HSE policy is established and sign the policy to demonstrate commitment
to the policy objectives.
4) Develop a powerful, positive health and safety culture throughout the corporate and communicate it to
any or all managers. this could make sure that all managers have a transparent understanding of their
health and safety responsibilities;
 5) Provide guidance and leadership on health and safety matters to their management team;
6) Establish minimum acceptable health and safety standards within the organization;
7) Ensure that adequate resources are available for the health and safety requirements within the
organization and authorize any necessary major health and safety expenditures;
8) Evaluate, approve and authorize health and safety-related projects developed by the organization’s
health and safety advisers;
9) Ensure that a working knowledge of the areas of health and safety that are regulated by various
governmental agencies are maintained;
10) Ensure that health and safety is included as an agenda topic at all formal senior management meetings;
11) Review and act upon major recommendations submitted by outside loss prevention consultants and
insurance companies;
12) Ensure that accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences are investigated;
13) Establish, implement and maintain a formal, written health and safety program for the organization that
encompasses all areas of significant health and safety risk;
14) Appoint controls to ensure uniform adherence to the health and safety program across the organization.
These controls should include both corrective and follow-up actions;
15) Attend the health and safety committee meetings at the organization;
16) Review, regularly, all health and safety activity reports and performance statistics;
17) Review health and safety reports submitted by outside agencies and determine that any agreed actions
have been taken;
18) Review the effectiveness of annually, and, if necessary, require revision of the site health and safety
program;
19) Appraise the performance of the health and safety advisers and provide guidance or training where
necessary;
20) Monitor the progress of managers and others towards achieving their health and safety objectives;

Sources:
IG1 Element 1 (1.3) Who does what in organizations
https://www.hseblog.com/health-and-safety-responsibilities-of-managing-directors-chief-executives/

Department/Middle Managers
1) They are responsible and accountable for health and safety within their area of responsibility
2) Responsible for implementing the organization policy within their area
3) Ensuring that risk assessments are carried out and are up to date
4) Establishing a monitoring and review programme
5) Ensuring that, when necessary, accident investigations are carried out.
6) Identifying employee health and safety training needs

Supervisors
1) Responsible and accountable for their team’s health and safety performance
2) Enforcement of safe systems of work, including wearing of PPE
3) Instruct subordinates in health and safety rules, procedures
4) Carrying out health and safety inspections

Employees
1) Complying with safe systems of work (to protect themselves and others who may be affected by their
work)
2) Reporting accidents, near misses, health and safety problems
3) Wearing PPE as required
 4) Maintaining good standards of housekeeping
5) Additional responsibilities should be detailed for persons given specific/specialist responsibilities (i.e.
Competent persons – such as health and safety advisers, occupational hygienists, major hazard experts,
fire experts).

4) Explain how contractors should be selected, monitored and managed

Selection: Before the work starts, spell out the conditions your contractor needs to meet and select the one best
prepared to meet them. Identify health and safety procedures related with the work and incorporate them
within the contractor’s specification. When bids are received, check them against the determination to create
beyond any doubt that appropriate arrangement has been made for controlling risks. Selection criteria ought to
not be based on cost alone but ought to too incorporate specialized competence; accessibility; unwavering
quality and wellbeing and safety. Further subcontracting may cause problems unless there are good
arrangements between parties, therefore rules need to be set.
Information that may assist in determining health and safety competence includes:

a) Health and Safety policy

b) Accident statistics
c) Enforcement action by regulatory bodies
d) Risk assessments; Method Statements
e) Training records for employees
f) References from previous Clients
g) Membership of professional body/trade association
h) Previous experience
i) Monitoring
j) Employers’ liability Insurance
k) Arrangements for selection of sub-contractors.

Monitor: This is critical in controlling activities conducted by contractors in what is being done and if all is going
as planned. Contractors are responsible for supervising their own work so the frequency or level of monitoring
by the Client can be determined in relation to the hazards and risks associated with the job. This level of
monitoring is required to be clarified at the beginning of the job. Additional monitoring may be required with a
new contractor to verify that agreed controls are complied with.

Manage:
Clients must co-ordinate or nominate a competent person to co-ordinate all activities relating to safety and
health on their construction projects
They must inform all contractors on the project of special risks to health and safety of which the clients are or
should be aware. Contractors need to be told about the hazards they face when they come on site. Often an
induction talk is the best way of passing this information on. Additional training that may be given to contractor
personnel might include:
a) Information on local procedures
b) Prohibited areas (unless specifically trained)
c) Permit to Work training
d) Confined space training (standby role; rescue role)
e) Electrical isolation procedures (lock out, tag out)
f) Use of specialist RPE/PPE (such as breathing apparatus)
 Arrangement should be put in place to determine contractor employee whereabouts on site at any time. This is
often achieved by either a sign in/out system, or the issue of personal ID cards.

Contractors need a site contact – someone to get in touch with on a routine basis or if the job changes and there
is any uncertainty about what to do. In addition to agreeing a method of work with the Contractor, the site
contact acts as a source of help and advice should the Contractor encounter problems during the work.

5) Give an overview of the elements of a health and safety management system and the benefits of having a
formal/certified system

The elements of a health & safety management system as per the ILO-ISO: 2001 model is as follows:

Policy: The formulation of the policy sets out the direction for the organization to follow. It is a statement of
intent made by top management displaying their commitment to targets and objectives in HSE performance and
in reducing accidents or even achieving zero harm.

Organizing: This section makes sure that management structure is in place and contains the elements of
responsibility and accountability at various levels towards health and safety, competence and training,
documentation, and communication.

Planning and implementation: This section contains the elements of initial review, system planning,
development, implementation OSH objectives and hazard prevention. While the policy speaks about what needs
to be achieved, this section speaks about how it can be achieved and usually encompasses procedures.

Evaluation: This includes methods to monitor and measure performance, accidents, ill health, work related
injuries, auditing, and management review. It defines how the OSH management system functions and
highlights weaknesses for improvement.

Action for improvement: this element includes preventative and corrective action and continual improvement
identified by the evaluation and audits carried out. It further emphasizes the need for continual improvement of
OSH performances.

Benefits of having a formal/certified system

In addition to ensuring the reputation as a safe workplace is promoted, a formal/certified system OHSMS
ensures regulatory compliance, minimizing the chance of prosecution or fines/penalties.
Furthermore, it provides a framework for managing organizational risk.
It demonstrates due diligence and reasonable care and further reduces the overall occurrence of incidents, ill
health, and associated costs.
It reduces downtime and the costs to disruption to operations.
Avoids costs of increased insurance premiums.
It contributes to reduced staff turnover rates and absenteeism.
It amplifies recognition for the organization for having a recognized, certified OSHMS.
Improves morale of employees and others and improves reputation and image of the company

https://www.firehse.com/2021/09/element-2-nebosh-ig1-how-health-and.html
6) Discuss the main ingredients of health and safety management systems that make it effective – policy,
responsibilities, arrangements

Policy: Statement of intent – which both demonstrates management’s commitment to health and safety and
sets goals and objectives for the organization,

Organization – the purpose of which is to allocate health and safety responsibilities within the company and to
ensure effective delegating and reporting and finally,

Arrangements – section which sets out in detail the systems and procedures that show how the policy is to be
implemented.

7) Describe the concept of health and safety culture and how it influences performance
Health and safety culture can be described as the attitude, beliefs, perceptions, and values that employee share
in relation to safety in the workplace and is linked to organizational culture and reflects the organization’s
commitment and prioritizing of health and safety in the workplace. It is also best understood as ‘the way we do
things around here’.

A poor safety culture has contributed to many incidents in the workplace. Poor organizational culture does
influence behaviours and performance at work.

8) Summarize how health and safety culture at work can be improved

9) Summarise the human factors which positively or negatively influence behaviour at work in a way that can affect
health and safety

10) Discuss typical workplace changes that have significant health and safety impacts and ways to minimise those
impacts

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

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

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

14) Explain why and how incidents should be investigated, recorded and reported

15) Discuss common methods and indicators used to monitor the effectiveness of management systems

16) Explain what an audit is and why and how it is used to evaluate a management system

17) Explain why and how regular reviews of health and safety performance are needed