NEBOSH INTERNATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATEUnit IGC1
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Learning Outcomes
On completion of this element, you should be able to demonstrate understanding of the content through the application of knowledge to familiar and unfamiliar situations. In particular you should be able to:
Outline the key elements of a health and safety management system
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ILO-OSH 2001 Safety & Health Management System
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Safety & Health Management System
The key elements are:
Policy
It is a clear statement of commitment to H&S by management at all levels particularly at the top
Organising
Roles and responsibilities for H&S must be created within the organisation from senior management down to the workers including appointment of specialist staff
Planning and Implementing
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Evaluation
Methods should be made to monitor and review the effectiveness of the arrangements put into place.
Action for Improvement
Steps to correct identified shortcomings found in the review process in the policy, organisation and arrangements for implementation
Audit
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Continual Improvement
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Outline the key elements of the ILO-OSH Health & Safety Management System?
End of Section Quiz
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Purpose and Importance of Setting Policy for Health and Safety
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It is an important document of an organisation
It sets out the organisation’s commitment to achieving it aims and objectives with regards to H&S
It identifies who is responsible for achieving these aims by setting responsibilities for staff
It states how the aims are to be achieved
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Stress that we are now talking about a physical document that you can actually get hold of and read. This is not "Policy" as shown in the top box of the H&S Management System model.
This can be difficult to get across to students, particularly if English is not their first language. You may try to explain the difference by saying that is a company's policy to insure all goods while they are in transit. The document which will show they have insurance cover is the insurance policy.
The first "policy" is the one in the management system. The second is the document that we're talking about here.
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A policy should allow decision making within the organisation.
Senior management have to decide what kind of H&S standards they are committing the organisation to and will have to allocate resources accordingly.
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Stress that we are now talking about a physical document that you can actually get hold of and read. This is not "Policy" as shown in the top box of the H&S Management System model.
This can be difficult to get across to students, particularly if English is not their first language. You may try to explain the difference by saying that is a company's policy to insure all goods while they are in transit. The document which will show they have insurance cover is the insurance policy.
The first "policy" is the one in the management system. The second is the document that we're talking about here.
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Group Discussion Point
Why might the Health & Safety Policy of two organisations be different?
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Why isn’t there a prescribed, “one size fits all” approach to developing a Policy?
Discuss the fact that the nature of the organisation, it’s structure and “characteristics” will be very different. Also ask the group to consider the nature of the work that is undertaken and whether this is an important factor – clearly it is, and the hazards posed due to the operations will greatly influence the policy.
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Health and Safety Policy
No two organisations would have similar H&S Policy because the H&S Policy of an organisation should be based on:
the size of the organisation
the complexity of the organisation.
the hazards & risks involved in the work activities
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Stress that we are now talking about a physical document that you can actually get hold of and read. This is not "Policy" as shown in the top box of the H&S Management System model.
This can be difficult to get across to students, particularly if English is not their first language. You may try to explain the difference by saying that is a company's policy to insure all goods while they are in transit. The document which will show they have insurance cover is the insurance policy.
The first "policy" is the one in the management system. The second is the document that we're talking about here.
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Unit IGC1
Element 2.3
Key Features and Content of a Health and Safety Policy
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Health and Safety Policy usually has three parts:
General Statement of Intent: outlines the importance that the organization places on H&S and its commitment to following H&S standards. It sets the aims and objectives that the organisations sets to achieve. It is signed by the owner/controller of the organisation
Organization section: shows the roles and responsibilities that exist at each level in the organization.
Arrangements section: gives the details on how the organization manages H&S.
Key Elements of a H&S Policy
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It demonstrates the management’s commitment to Health & Safety specially that of the top level management.
Key features:
The commitment of the organization to legal compliance is shown.
The roles and responsibilities of the managers and workers are stated.
It is signed by the top most person of the organization eg CEO / MD to indicate that commitment come from the highest level.
General Statement of Intent
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It should be dated to indicate when the current statement was prepared and provide a reference point for review.
The factors, if a review is to be done.
General Statement of Intent
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Some of the objectives that an organization needs to achieve are:
Meeting legal obligations
Providing safe workplace, safe equipment and safe system of work, training and supervision.
Doing risk assessments to all workplace activities
Performance monitoring
Providing adequate resources such as expert H&S advice
Objectives of an Organisation
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Setting quantifiable targets for an organisation to achieve will allow performance to be measured and provide goal for staff to aim for. Targets also helps to drive continual improvement. Targets may be related to:
Accident rates: to achieve a reduction in accidents or ill-health rate.
Active monitoring: to complete successfully a number of active monitoring activities such as: providing training to all workers,
carrying out risk assessment for all tasks,
carrying out safety inspections of all tasks over a year.
Targets of an Organisation
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Targets are usually set in relation to past performance or performance of similar organisations. This process of comparing performance is called as benchmarking.
Targets of an Organisation
Key features of the Organisation section:
The Organisation section deals with people and their operational duties in relation to H&S
It outlines the chain of command for H&S management.
It outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff for H&S within the organisation from the senior management down to the workers.
It includes an organization chart that shows the lines of communication and the feedback routes that exist within the organization for clear reporting.
Organisation Section
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The green lines show line management responsibility flowing down through the structure.
The blue lines show functional responsibility the H&S Manager has for providing advice at all levels of organization.
The orange lines show the lines of communication and feedback up through the structure.
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Organisation section defines responsibilities for:
The CEO or MD who is ultimately responsible and accountable for the entire organisation
Management at all levels who are responsible for ensuring that all appropriate safety measures are in place and being carried out effectively within their area of control
All employees who are responsible for acting safely at all times while performing their duties at work
Competent persons such as first aiders, fire marshals, etc to carry out specialist H&S duties.
Specialist H&S practitioners who are responsible for providing advice to support management and employees in achieving safety
Organisation Section
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It sets out in detail, the arrangements that exist to manage H&S and the specific arrangements that are necessary to deal with particular risks relevant to the organisation and its activities.
Arrangements Section
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Discuss here how the arrangements covered will differ according to the hazards faced by the organisation.
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Accident and near miss reporting, recording and investigation
Consultation with workers on matters of health & safety
Developing safe systems of work and Permit-To-Work systems to control hazards
Control of contractors and visitors
Arrangements Section
Communication of H&S matters including hazards and control measures
Compliance monitoring including auditing of systems
Arrangements Section
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Arrangements Section
Examples of specific risks and problems within an organisation that may need detailed arrangements include:
Lone working
Fire safety & prevention
Control of contractors
Organizational changes:
Changes in the management structure
Changes to the type of work done by the organisation
Changes in legal laws applicable to the organization
Changes in technology eg when new machinery is introduced or new processes
Following an enforcement action
If audit, investigation or risk assessment suggest policy is no longer effective
After passage of time e.g. annual review
After consultation with workers
When requested by third party eg insurance company or client
Reviewing the H&S Policy
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The H&S Policy is not "set in stone". It's a dynamic document which should be regularly reviewed.
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Employers should
to set down in writing,
their policy and arrangements for occupational health and safety management and
give this information to all workers
in a language or medium the worker readily understands
International Standards for Policy
Outline the three key elements of a H&S Policy?
Identify the Objectives/Targets that might be included in the Statement of Intent section of an H&S Policy?
Identify the responsibilities of the various staff members in an organisation?
Identify the circumstances that would require an H&S Policy to be reviewed?
End of Section Quiz
1 – • The General Statement of Intent outlines the importance that the organisation places on health and safety and the commitment that can be expected. It sets aims and objectives for the organisation to achieve. It is signed by the person in overall control of the organisation.
• The Organisation section highlights the roles and responsibilities that exist at all levels within the organisation. It shows the lines of responsibility and accountability.
• The Arrangements section provides the detail on how the organisation manages health and safety. It outlines
the general arrangements that relate to health and safety management and the specific arrangements that relate to individual health and safety topics and issues.
2- The Statement of Intent may also set targets for the organisation to achieve. Possible targets might relate to:
• Accident rates: to achieve a reduction in the
accident or ill-health rate.
• Active monitoring: to complete successfully a number of active monitoring activities, e.g. successful completion of 90% of all supervisor safety inspections over a year.
• completion of key activities – such as the completion of risk assessments across the organisation
• Delivery of training to all workers
• Development of a consultation process to engage the workforce
 • Benchmarking against other organisations