Element 2: How Health & Safety

Management Systems Work and

What They Look Like
 How Health & Safety Management Systems Work and What They Look Like: Element 2

2.1 What they are and the benefits they bring?

THE BASICS OF A HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ILO-OSH – Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management
Systems
ILO-OSH 2001 Guidelines on OHS Management System reflects ILO's values on the
support and maintenance of highest standards in terms of physical, mental and social
health for workers in all occupations, and is not intended to replace national laws,
regulations or accepted standards. The ILO Guidelines on Safety and Health Systems
contain the below mentioned main elements:
1. Policy
2. Organising
3. Planning and implementation
4. Evaluation
5. Actions for improvement.

Policy (Plan)
The health and safety policy establishes a plan which influences all the organisation’s
activities and decisions, including those to do with the selection of resources and
information, the design and operation of working systems, the design and delivery of
products and services, and the control and disposal of waste.

Organising (Plan)
The organisation section of the policy should clearly define the roles and responsibilities
of everyone in the organisation. This is required to establish a positive culture that secures
involvement and participation at all levels. This culture is sustained by effective
communications and the promotion of competence that enables all managers and workers
to make a responsible and informed contribution to the health and safety effort.

Planning and implementation (Do)

Planning and implementation should aim are to minimise the risks created by work
activities, products and services. They use risk assessment methods to identify hazards,
decide priorities and set objectives for hazard elimination and risk reduction. Wherever
possible, risks are eliminated by the careful selection and design of facilities, equipment,
substances and processes or minimised by the use of physical control measures. Where
this is not possible, provision of a safe system of work and personal protective equipment
are used to control risks.

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Evaluation (Check)
Measuring performance is a key step in the management of health and safety.
Regular procedures should be developed, developed and periodically examined for
monitoring, measuring and recording OSH's performance. The management structure
should be responsible, accountable, and monitoring authority at various level. It is
necessary to consider qualitative and quantitative measures appropriate to the needs of
the organization.
Performance monitoring and measurement should:
• Be used to determine the scope of implementation of OSH policies and objectives
and control of risk
• Include active and reactive surveillance and are not based on statistics only on
occupational injury, ill health, illness and incidents and
• Be recorded.

There are two ways to generate information on performance:

Active (Pro-active) Monitoring: monitors organisational achievements whose objective is
to prevent accidents and ill-health, etc., e.g. achieving performance standards and annual
plan targets, systematic inspection of machinery and premises, and the extent of legal
compliance

Reactive Monitoring: monitors management failures that have occurred, e.g. near misses,
dangerous occurrences, accidents, ill-health, enforcement action, complaints by the staff,
etc. Regular audit arrangements must be established to determine the implementation,
adequacy and effectiveness of the OSH management system and its elements in protecting
employees ' safety and health and prevent incidents.

Management reviews should assess the OSH management system's overall strategy to
determine whether it meets the planned performance targets. The frequency and scope of
regular review by the employer or senior official of the OSH management system
according to company needs and conditions should be defined.

Management reviews should evaluate the overall strategy of the OSH management system
to determine whether it meets the intended performance objectives. The frequency and
scope should be defined according to company needs or conditions for the regular review
by the employer or senior official of the OSH management system to:

The level of health and safety standards compliance (including legislation)

• The achievement of the stated objectives and
• Injury, illness and incidence data: analyzes of the immediate and underlying
causes, trends and common elements

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 How Health & Safety Management Systems Work and What They Look Like: Element 2

• Areas where standards are missed or inadequate.

The management review findings should be recorded and communicated officially to:
• Persons responsible for the elements of the OSH management scheme to take
suitable actions and
• Committee on Health and Safety, the employees and their officials.

Actions for improvement (Act)

When system non-conformities, for example, the identification of additional hazards,
procedures not being followed or planned action not implemented, prompt corrective and
preventive action systems should be taken. Corrective action is that action to correct the
non-conformity and prevent further harm being caused by it; this tends to deal with the
immediate causes of the nonconformity. Preventive action deals with the underlying and
root causes of the non-conformity. This type of action reduces the likelihood of the non-
conformity re-occurring in the same place or in other places.

ISO 45001:2018: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (OHSMS)
Leadership and Worker Participation (H&SMS Framework)
Leadership & Commitment: The top management needs to show that they are engaged in
serious OH&S management. They should protect workers from penalties when reporting
incidents, as well as promote a positive culture of safety at work. OH&S Policy Top
management must prove their commitment to the serious management of OH&S. They
should protect workers from penalties and promote a positive culture of work safety when
reporting incidents. Organisational roles, responsibilities and authorities - The Top
Management is entrusted to persons in the company with defined responsibility and
authorities to perform their activities under their supervision. Consultation and
participation of workers - consultation and employee involvement The Company shall
remove all obstacles and obstacles

Planning (PLAN)
The planning mainly concerns system installation. The OHSMS planing is an activity that
must continue throughout the endless PDCA cycle. At the operational and strategic
levels, opportunities and risks need to be identified. The OH&S risks and the operational
processes and further risks associated with OHSMS are related to the strategic levels of
"OH&S risks" and "OHSMS opportunity." OHSMS activities include the identification of
risks, risk evaluation, planning action etc. It is important for the company to define its
goals to achieve a certain level of performance in order to maintain and improve its HMDS
and OH&S performance.

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Support (DO)
The company has to provide all resources it deems necessary to establish, implement,
maintain and continuously improve its OHSMS. The top management is in charge of
distributing the resources. The efficiency of OHSMS may also be limited by resource
provisions. The Company must define the competency requirement for OH&S employee
performance. Individuals working within a company need to be aware of its policies on
O&S according to company requirements. Management accidents, hazards, investigations
and so on should inform them. They should be trustworthy to stop working without fear
of life or health risks.

The organization needs to develop and implement a process for those management
systems issues that require communication. The timing of such communication, whether
internal or external, the intended audience and the delivery method in particular. The
company must also control the documented information to ensure that it is available
when required.

Operation (DO)
The companies need to plan in order to establish operational criteria and control
processes. Elimination of the risk / reduction, management change and acquisition will be
the main events involved. It is also necessary to plan, develop and implement emergency
situations including initial aid. Emergencies can influence employees ' health and safety.

Performance evaluation (CHECK)

It is important for companies to decide what needs to be monitored and measured in the
assessment and evaluation of OHSMS ' performance. In order to verify whether the
OHSMS meets both the requirements of the standard and the needs of the company,
companies need to conduct internal controls at regular interval. The top management
needs to regularly analyze the appropriateness, adequacy and efficiency of the OHSMS.
The reviews should include objectives achievement, incidents, corrective measures,
internal and external audits etc.

Improvement (ACT)
The company will be able to achieve OHSMS project results by seeking improved
opportunities. Whenever an OHS&S event or system non-conformity occurs, the company
will have to take immediate action. Once the company has been identified, it must act
immediately to exercise control and correct it and to deal with the consequences. The root
cause of the occurrence must be identified, and the measures taken to avoid the
occurrence again. In order to improve the company continuously, the company must

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increase its operations, promote a positive culture of safety, encourage the participation of
employees and communicate better results to employees.

THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A FORMAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A formal management system or framework can help manage health and safety; it’s upto
the company whether to use one or not. Example:
• National and international standards such as:
o ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems –
requirements with guidance for use
o Bs EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System
• In-house standards, procedures or codes
• Sector-specific frameworks such as the:
o Energy Institute’s High-level framework for process safety management
o Chemical Industries Association's Responsible Care framework

Taking a systematic approach to management makes managing your business both easier
and more effective. You work out the best way to handle each key activity and make sure
that everyone uses the same approach every time. A consistent approach like this reduces
the number of mistakes and the cost of correcting problems. It also reduces the level of
risk and ensures that you comply with laws.

This can positively influence your business:

• Improved health and safety performance by your business will reduce the costs
associated with accidents and incidents.
• Improved awareness of legal requirements reduces the chance that you will
commit any offences. The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland
(HSENI) will generally regulate your business with a lighter touch if it is well
managed.
• If employees see that you are actively looking after their health and safety,
relations and morale will improve.
• The public see that you are taking a responsible attitude towards your employees.
This improves your image and helps generate positive PR for your business.
• Improving the efficiency of your business reduces your costs.
• You can demonstrate to your insurers that you are controlling risk effectively. This
may help lower your insurance premiums.
• Banks and investors will be more willing to finance your business if you can show
that it is well managed.

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• Business partners have more confidence in your business. Larger companies and
government agencies may only buy from businesses that can show effective
management systems.
• Confidence in your management systems will be highest if you can demonstrate
that you comply with recognised management standards, such as health and safety
British standards

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 How Health & Safety Management Systems Work and What They Look Like: Element 2

2.2 What Good Health and Safety Management

Systems Look Like
THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY
Role
The policy on health and safety provides a framework for decision-making with two main
functions. First, it serves as a tool for safety, officializing decision making with identifiable
steps. Secondly, it contributes to identifying important decision-making principles and
organizational values. Individuals who influence the specific activities and behaviors that
determine the success or failure of health and safety initiatives as well as the employer's
compliance with H&S legislation operate (ruled) by their decision-making. These people
influence greatly the culture of the business or company and accountability within it
through their decisions and behavior.

They make important decisions regarding the resources available for health and
safety at work and policies to support compliance. The core of a policy is that the
policy outlines an organization's general approach and commitment to achieving
specific goals, and it provides guidelines for decisions on more detailed
operational arrangements for those objectives.

Typical Content
Businesses must have a health and safety policy, however if there are fewer than five
employees, a health & Safety policy is not needed.
Most businesses set out their policy in three sections:
• The statement of general policy on health and safety at work sets out your
commitment to managing health and safety effectively, and what you want to
achieve
• The responsibility section sets out who is responsible for specific actions
• The arrangements section contains the detail of what you are going to do in
practice to achieve the aims set out in your statement of health and safety policy
The arrangements section should mention how you will the company meet the
commitments they have made in their policy. Information on how you are going to
eliminate or reduce the risks of hazards in your workplace should also be included.

Proportionate to the needs of the organization

If the company is geographically widespread or has several different activities, it may be
necessary to formulate policies at more than one level. Organizations are not compliant
with a standard policy. A small company with a limited number of employees may need a

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less complex policy than a large organization, which may require a much more complex
policy It should outline systems that managers might have to carry out their
responsibilities for health and safety and affect all the organization's activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF WORKERS AT ALL LEVELS OF AN

ORGANISATION FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY
The roles and responsibilities of all people in the organization must be defined according
to all business activities. It is the organization's "driving force." If people do not
understand their responsibilities, they may not manage or work in cooperation, depending
on their role.

Responsibilities should be assigned to all levels of employees throughout the organization

by position. Including an organizational chart showing the health and safety structure and
responsibilities is a good practice. The communication routes, such as policies, strategies
and information, and feedback paths can be included, such as success, failure, improving
areas, etc. It is important to measure responsibilities, e.g. there is not much value in a
vague comment such as:
‘It is the duty of managers to monitor progress in health and safety’.

More information is needed, such as how will progress be monitored, and how often?
A more useful statement would be:
‘It is the duty of managers to monitor progress in health and safety by undertaking
monthly inspections of the work area, in conjunction with the health and safety
representative, and undertaking a quarterly review of the department annual plan to
determine whether targets have been met. In both cases a report will be sent to the
business unit manager within 1 week’.

Further, specific training requirements for each role must be identified to allow the
individuals to carry out their assigned duties.
The roles and responsibilities should:
• Identify:
o The person responsible for overall safety and health, e.g. The managing
director
o The Director of Health and Safety at Board level
o Individuals with specific responsibility for health and safety such as health
and safety consultants, health and safety representatives, fire / incident
controllers and marshals, first aid workers. and
o Significant people in charge of ensuring that safe working systems are
written, implemented and maintained

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• Define the roles and responsibilitiesof line andfunctional management, including

how they report to the management
• Identify a competent person/s to:
o Provide Support and advice, health and safety performance monitoring and
o Deal with emergencies, first-aid, fire, evacuation, etc.
• Define the roles and responsibilities of workers
• Identify representatives of health and safety and the role of the health and safety
committee
• Indicate the requirements for health and safety training for each identified role
• Identify external sources of advice, e.g. occupational healthcare services for health
checkups and
• Identify the role of external disaster plan emergency services, etc.

Managerial Responsibilities
In enterprises with various management layers, the person in charge cannot control any
business function every day and is therefore required to delegate duties. If there are more
people, say department supervisors, they may have more or less the same H&S duties, but
have additional duties with regard to their job.
An organisation, which classifies tasks with postal services instead of people, allows
employee changes without a revision of the policies. It means that:
• In addition to the additional responsibilities of the post, complete safety
responsibilities are possible in the job description
• A new holder will inevitably have the same responsibility for safety
• The satisfaction of the job description can then be one of the terms of the
employment contract.
• A new employment contract is not required for any changes in the job description

Employer responsibilities
The legal requirements for employees vary between countries. Employees, for example,
have legal obligations to:
• Take due care of your own health and safety and those who may be affected by
your actions
• Cooperate with management to meet the legal duties of the employer
• Not interfere with or use anything for the sake of health, safety or welfare
intentionally or reluctantly

Accountability
Management responsibilities start from top to bottom. The person who is identified in
policy begins and controls the company. Each management level is responsible for the
above performance.

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Delegation of Responsibility
It is impossible to expect a CEO of a large organization to prevent a worker from being
shocked by an electrically untested kettle, instead responsibility must be delegated to
ensure that checks have been carried out. If the person in immediate control, along with
the chairman, would also be accountable if he had not ensured that their managers had
the responsibility and resources to have the equipment checked.

Lines of Communication
The chain of command is determined by level of management, degree of authority and
responsibility. The CEO or MD of the company is ultimately responsible for all of the
company's activities, including health and safety. But the individual can not do it by
himself. Therefore, the hierarchy of management is all-important activities. Everyone with
delegated functions is responsible for carrying out the tasks .. Most organizations have a
table on the organization to identify the specific roles, responsibilities and their
relationships.

Feedback Loops
Management needs to ensure that workers are consulted and involved in any health or
safety matter that will, or may, affect them. Workers should be given the opportunities to
raise issues or provide ideas and feedback to management. Information may also come
from performance measures such as accident rates, through workplace inspections and
from workers who actually do the work. Auditing and monitoring arrangements must be
in place to ensure that feedback of information takes place as a natural part of the
management system. This will include giving specific responsibilities to designated staff to
carry out inspections and report findings to more senior management, as well as having
procedures for consultation with workers and their representatives.

PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MAKING IT WORK

There is little value to a health and safety policy which allocates goals, targets and
responsibilities without specifying how the requirements are met. The policy should
therefore include details on how to execute responsibilities.
The document or manual of procedures is likely to be long and should consider the size of
the organization, the kind of work it carries out and measures for effective planning,
organization, control, supervision and review of human rights measures.

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The arrangements should have procedures as a minimum to:

Plan
• Develop the annual health and safety plans to implement the requirements of the
policy and management system and to reduce accidents and ill health.

Organise
• Consultation with staff and their representatives as well as the Health and Safety
Commission
• Communication with stakeholders and stakeholders, such as staff members,
agencies and media
• Develop emergency and disaster plans and
• Provide health and safety training.

Control
• Hazards are identified, risk evaluation and safe working system development
• Work permits for high risks are developed and used, and
• Activities include risks control risks, for example, the:
o New equipment purchase, safe chemicals, etc., hazardous substances use
o Secure material handling
o The application of machinery and equipment, substances or processes
o Assessment and use of display screen equipment
o Safe driving on company business
o Selection and control of contractors and
o Provision and use of equipment for personal protection.

Monitor
Active monitoring:
• Monitor and record performance in, e.g.,
o Use of personal protective equipment
o Pre-shift machinery guard checks
o Workplace noise levels and
o Workplace inspections, etc.
• Test emergency and disaster plans and
• Audit safety management systems.

Reactive monitoring:
• Report near-misses, accidents and ill-health and
• Investigate accidents and ill-health.

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Review
• Review annual performance.

The Arrangements section should be adapted in a useful and understandable manner to

meet the specific needs of the organisation.

Consultation
The ILO requires that employers should consult with their workforce on matters of health
and safety. Consultation with employees could take the form of either informing or
consulting. ‘Consulting’ is a two-way process in which the employee receives information
and provides feedback which the employer will consider. ‘Informing’ is a one-way process
of providing information to the employee
Consultation demonstrates commitment which should lead to co-operation among all
levels of the organisation. The organisation should document the employee involvement
and consultation

Employees should be:

• Involved in the development and review of policies and procedures to manage
risks such as safe systems of work and risk assessments.
• Consulted where there are any changes that affect workplace health and safety
• Represented when discussing health and safety matters
• Informed who their employee OH&S representative/s are

Communication
The need for communication of the policy
A well-drafted policy cannot be effective unless the existence is known and it is readily
available to all those who are intended to use it. It is useful to observe that the strict
interpretation supports a split of the sections of the policy in that it only mandates for a
distribution of the statement, not the whole policy. This is sensible since it permits the
employer to inform the employees of the existence of the policy, to indicate the aims and
objectives and to direct the reader to another text file where the item - the constitution
and arrangements sections can be set up.

Monitoring Compliance
Many managers may view the policy as just another bureaucratic tool preventing them
from achieving the targets which have been set for them. Monitoring is, therefore,
important to ensure that the policy does not become just another piece of paper in which

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both management and workforce see the rules but do not observe them because they
cannot justify them in terms of their own values. Monitoring can be carried out by either
Proactive Monitoring or Reactive Monitoring.

PROACTIVE MONITORING REACTIVE MONITORING

This is assessing the situation before This involves looking at things after
things go wrong. Such as conducting a something has gone wrong. Such as
safety inspection, safety tours, safety reviewing reports of accidents, ill health,
audits. enforcement notices.

Examples of Proactive Monitoring Examples of Reactive Monitoring

­ Inspecting for missing guards ­ Investigating accident
­ Checking noise levels ­ Ill health reports
­ Looking at use of PPE ­ Near miss reports
­ Testing emergency systems ­ Damage to property reports

Table Source: PCFSM

Monitoring should also take place when there have been:

Changes in legislation, codes of practice, guidance notes, new industry codes, processes,
procedures, manning levels, etc.

REVIEW OF HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

The health and safety policy are important not only for the legislative document on the
shelf to be a legal compliance document. It should be reviewed and updated regularly, to
take into account the continuous changes that organizations undergo.
Policies need to be renewed or reviewed:
• If they are not valid any longer
• If there is major change, e.g.:
• In working arrangements, e.g. Procedures
o In the structure of the organisation
o Change of work premises
o When any new technology, process or work method is introduced or
o When changes in legislation occur
• As a result of management systems monitoring and revision, e.g.:
o Following the results of an accident investigation or ill-health
o To reflect consultation with the workforce
o If enforcement action reveals weaknesses or specifically requires a review
or

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o In response to monitoring or audit findings and

• Periodically after a reasonable period of time, e.g. Annually.

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References
• ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (ILO-OSH
2001) ISBN: 978-0-580-37805-5 http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/ilo-
bookstore/order-online/books/WCMS_PUBL_9221116344_EN/lang--en/index.htm
• Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18000): Occupational
Health and Safety Management Systems OHSAS 18001:2007 ISBN: 978-0-5805-9404-
5 OHSAS18002:2008 ISBN: 978-0-5806-2686-9
• www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/managing/writing.htm
• ILO 1981 C155: Occupational Safety and Health Convention.
• ILO 2001 ILO-OSH: Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management
Systems.
• www.ilo.org/safework/info/standards-and-instruments
• BSI 2002 OHSAS 18002: Occupational health and safety management systems –
Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001.
• HSE 2003 HSG 65: Successful Health and Safety Management.
• HSE 2004 Health and Safety Statistics Highlights 2003/04.
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics

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