Class Notes – IG 1 Element 3

Managing Risk – Understanding People and Processes

Health and Safety Culture

The safety culture of an organisation is the shared attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours relating to
health and safety. It will be positive or negative.

Positive Culture:

• People think that safety is important.

• Safety is considered in all management decision-making.
• People work safely because they want to, not because they are told to.
• All workers are positively influenced by this peer-thinking and behaviour.

Negative Culture:

• Lots of people think safety is of low priority.

• Safety is not considered in decision-making at any level.
• People will only work safely if they are told to and think that they will be caught and punished
if they don’t.
• All workers are negatively influenced by this peer-thinking and behaviour.

Indicators Used to Assess Culture

• Accidents.and the standard of investigation.

• Sickness rates.
• Absenteeism.
• Staff turnover.
• Compliance with safety rules.
• Worker complaints about conditions.

Influence of Peers

Put people together in groups

1. Interaction occurs.
2. Influence is exerted.
3. A hierarchy forms:
‒ known as ‘pecking order’.
4. ‘Norms’ of behaviour are established.
5. Peer group pressure is exerted.
• Good indicator of H&S culture.
• Peer group pressure can be harnessed to encourage good safety-related behaviour.

Improving Health and Safety Culture

• Management Commitment & Leadership

• Competent Workers- To ensure workers are competent
• Effective communication
• Co-operation & Consultation
• Training
Management Commitment and Leadership
 • Senior management set policy.
• They also set priorities and targets.
• They must inspire and motivate.
• Their leadership cascades through the organisation.
• Visible leadership:
‒ Behaving safely.
‒ Involvement in, e.g. safety meetings.
‒ Doing safety tours and audits.
‒ Promoting changes to improve safety.
‒ Enforcing rules through use of discipline.

Competent Workers

A competent person is someone who has sufficient:

• Knowledge,
• Ability
• Training,
• Experience, and
• skills,
and perhaps other attributes such as attitude or physical ability to be able to carry out their job
• It is the responsibility of employer to ensure workers are competent to carry out the allocated
task.
• Competent workers are able to do the job safely, which will influence safety culture positively.
• Employers may check qualification, request references or membership in professional bodies.
• Managers should be competent to understand H&S implication of the decision they make day
to day basis.
Effective Communication
• Process of delivering information from sender to recipient.
• Key H&S information must be conveyed using different methods of communication to
overcome barriers
• Ensure that correct message has reached the right people and they understood it properly
• Workplace communication delivery methods: Verbal communication, Written
communication & Graphic communication.
Verbal Communication (eg. Tool box talk, instructions)
Benefits:
• Personal.
• Quick.
• Direct.
• Check understanding.
• Feedback.
• Share views.
• Additional information (body language, tone, facial expression).
Limitations:
• Language barrier.
• Jargon.
• Strong accent/dialect.
• Background noise.
• Poor hearing.
• Ambiguity.
• Missing information.
• Forgetting information.
• No record.
 • Poor quality (telephone or PA).
Written Communication
Benefits:
• Permanent record.
• Reference.
• Can be written carefully for clarity.
• Wide distribution relatively cheaply.
Limitations:
• Indirect.
• Time.
• Jargon/abbreviations.
• Impersonal.
• Ambiguous.
• May not be read.
• Language barriers.
• Recipient may not be able to read.
• No immediate feedback.
• Cannot question.
• Impaired vision.
Graphic Communication
Benefits:
• Eye-catching.
• Visual.
• Quick to interpret.
• No language barrier.
• Jargon-free.
• Conveys a message to a wide audience.
Limitations:
• Simple messages.
• Expensive.
• May not be looked at.
• Symbols or pictograms may be unknown.
• Feedback.
• No questions.
• Impaired vision.
Broadcasting H&S Information
• H&S information are broadcasted by using all methods of communication.
• Usually a mix of all communication methods are used for effective communication
Broadcasting Methods

• Noticeboards - General information display

• Posters and videos – provides safety information on particular issues
• Films or Videos - used in training programmes
• Toolbox talks – Short safety briefing/awareness
• Digital Media and intranet system- dissemination of information in written, graphic,
video/audio form through mobile phone, tablet, computers and other devices. Access to
company policy and procedure documents through intranet for employees
• Memos and e-mails- written notification on specific issues
• Worker handbooks- dissemination of information to workers such as site rules, emergency
arrangements etc.
Co-operation and Consultation
Consulting: Two-way exchange of information and opinion between the employer and employee.
Takes note of feed back
Informing: One-way flow of information to the employee. No feed back
Typical Issues to Consult On
• Introduction of new measures affecting health and safety.
• Appointment of new advisers.
• Health and safety training plans.
• Introduction of new technology.
Methods of Consultation
Direct consultation:
• Employer talks to each worker and resolves issues. (very small organisations)
Through worker representatives:
• Committee is formed to represent workers.
• Regular meetings to discuss and resolve issues.
• Members may have rights in law.
Effective committees will depend on:
• Who is on the committee.
• How often the committee meets.
• Who will act as chairperson.
• What authority the committee will have.
• What will be discussed.
• How the discussions will be recorded.
• How issues will be followed up.
Issues that may be considered:
• Study of accident and disease statistics.
• Review of reports from active monitoring.
• Examination of safety audit reports.
• Consideration of reports and information from HSE.
• Consideration of reports submitted by safety reps.
• Provide assistance in development of procedures and policy.
• Monitor the effectiveness of training.
• Monitor and improve safety communications.
Training
H&S training is the planned, formal process of acquiring and practising knowledge and skills in a
relatively safe environment.
Training has a dramatic effect on safety-related behaviour.
Without training, workers try to do their jobs by:
• Copying others.
• Doing the job the way they think is best.
Training helps workers to understand:
• Hazards and risks.
• Rules and precautions.
• Emergency procedures.
• Who to contact with concerns.
• Limitations and restrictions.
• Personal safety responsibilities.
• Consequences of breaking rules including disciplinary procedures.

Human Factors Which Influence Safety-Related Behaviour

Organisational Factors
• Safety culture.
• Commitment and leadership.
• Resources available.
• Work patterns.
• Communication.
 • Levels of supervision.
• Peer group pressure.
• Consultation and worker involvement.
• Training.
Job Factors
• Task – Ergonomic considerations
• Workload.
• Environment.
• Displays and controls – Human error
• Procedure – Quality procedures
Individual Factors
• Competence:
‒ Knowledge.
‒ Ability.
‒ Training.
‒ Experience.
‒ Skills – developed over time physical & mental
• Personality – Character/who they are
• Attitude – persons point of view
• Motivation - the thing that is making a person do what they do:
‒ Rewards/incentives.
‒ Positive or negative.
• Risk Perception
Attitude
A person’s point of view or way of looking at something; how they think and feel about it.
Can be changed by:
• Education and training.
• High-impact interventions.
• Enforcement.
• Consultation.
• Involvement.
Risk Perception: the way a person’s brain interprets information sent to it by their senses:
• Sight.
• Hearing.
• Smell.
• Taste.
• Touch.
Factors that can distort a person’s perception of hazard and risk include:
• Illness.
• Stress.
• Fatigue.
• Drugs and alcohol.
• Previous experiences.
• Training and education.
• Use of PPE.
• Workplace conditions, e.g. high noise levels.
Risk Assessment

Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm:

Risk: The likelihood of harm occurring in combination with the severity of the foreseeable harm.

Risk Assessment:
The formal process of identifying preventive and protective measures by evaluating the risks arising
from a hazards, taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether or
not the risk is acceptable.

Purpose of Risk Assessment

To prevent:

• Death and personal injury.

• Other types of loss incident.
• Breaches of statute law.
• The costs of loss.
Step 1: Identify the Hazards

Safety: Capable of causing physical injury:

• Work at height.
• Falling objects.
• Moving vehicles.
• Machinery.
• Electricity.
• Chemicals.
• Low oxygen concentration.
• Deep water.
• Fire/explosion.
• Animals.
• Violence
Health: Capable of causing occupational disease or ill health:

• Physical.
• Chemical.
• Biological.
• Ergonomic.
• Psychological.
Internal and External Information Sources
Internal:
• Accident records.
• Ill-health data/absence reports.
• Medical records.
• Risk assessments.
• Maintenance reports.
• Safety inspections.
• Audit and investigation reports.
• Safety committee minutes
External:
• National legislation.
• Approved Codes of Practice.
• Standards e.g. BSI, ISO.
• Manufacturers’ information.
• Trade associations.
• Safety publications.
• International bodies.
• Trade unions, charities, etc.
Hazard Identification Methods
 ‒ Task analysis: Analyses job components before the job starts.
‒ Legislation : Standards, guidance documents.
‒ Manufacturers’ information: Operating handbooks, chemical safety data sheets.
‒ Incident data: Accidents, near misses, ill health.
Step 2: Identify the People at Risk
• Workers/operators:
‒ Maintenance staff.
‒ Cleaners.
• Contractors.
• Visitors.
• Members of the public - even trespassers.
Vulnerable groups or individuals:
• Young people.
• New or expectant mothers.
• Disabled workers.
• Lone workers.
Young Persons
• Under 18.
• Lack of experience.
• Physical and mental maturity.
• Poor risk perception.
• Influenced by peer group.
• Eager.
• Control measures:
‒ Prohibit certain high-risk activities, e.g. high-risk machinery.
‒ Restrict work patterns and hours, e.g. no overtime.
Train and supervise.
New and Expectant Mothers

• Certain chemicals, e.g. lead.

• Certain biological agents, e.g. rubella virus.
• Manual handling.
• Temperature extremes.
• Whole-body vibration.
• Ionising radiation.
• Night shifts.
• Stress.
• Violence.
Step 3: Evaluating the Risk and Deciding on Precautions

Risk = likelihood × severity

General Hierarchy of Control

• Elimination.
• Substitution.
• Engineering controls:
 ‒ Isolation, total enclosure.
‒ Separation, segregation.
‒ Partial enclosure.
‒ Safety devices.
• Administrative controls:
‒ Safe systems of work.
‒ Reduced exposure.
‒ Reduced time of exposure, dose.
‒ Information, instruction, training and supervision.
• PPE.

Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 (as amended)

• Supply suitable PPE:
‒ Appropriate for risk.
‒ Ergonomic.
‒ Fits.
‒ Doesn’t increase overall risk.
‒ Complies with standards.
• Ensure compatibility of items.
• Suitable storage.
• Information, instruction and training.
• Enforce use of PPE.
• Replace or repair damaged or lost items.
Residual Risk
• The risk level we are left with after controls have been implemented.
Acceptable Risk
• Risk has been reduced to an adequate level.
Tolerable Risk
• Not acceptable but can live with it for a short period of time with interim
controls.
Unacceptable Risk
• Risk is too high.
Step 4: Record Significant Findings and Implementing
Typical content:
• Activity/area assessed and hazards.
• Groups at risk.
• Risks and adequacy of existing control measures.
• Further precautions needed.
• Date and name of competent person.
• Review date.

Step 5: Review
• Significant change in: Process.Substances.Equipment.Workplace environment.Personnel.
• If it is no longer valid: Accident. Near miss. Ill health. Change to legal standards.
• Periodically.

Risk Profiling:
• The process of identifying and assessing the range of risks that threaten an organisation along
with recognition of their likelihood and probable impacts, the current risk management
controls in place and the identification and prioritisation of further control measures.

Each organisation will have its own risk profile.

A risk profile examines:
 • the nature and level of the threats faced by the organisation.
• the likelihood of those adverse effects occurring.
• the level of disruption and costs associated with each type of risk.
• the effectiveness of controls in place to manage those risks.
The outcome of risk profiling will be that the right risks have been identified and prioritised for action,
the right control measure have been identified and implemented and minor risks have not been given
a disproportionate priority.

The Risk Profiling Process:

• Identify the risk that threaten the organisation.
- The risks are created by the nature of works the organisation does.
• Identify the health and safety impacts and the business impacts associated with each threat.
- Safety impacts and business impacts
• Identify how well each threat is controlled.
- Adequacy of existing controls
• Identify the likelihood of each threat happening.
- Timescales over which the threat might occur
• Prioritise the threats.
- Ordering them in terms of importance based on all information in the above steps
The Impact of Change
Temporary works include:
• Short-term building projects.
• Building maintenance.
• Renovation work.
• Demolition.
• Excavations.
Mitigating the Impact of Change
• Risk assessment – of the work itself and its impact on the workplace.
• Communication and co-operation – between all affected parties.
• Competence – of workers and managers.
• Segregation – of the work area.
• Emergency procedures – and the impact of the works on existing emergency arrangements.
• Welfare provision – for all workers involved.
• Regular review
Safe Systems of Work

To be effective, the SSW must bring together…

• People:

‒ Who is the SSW for?

‒ What level of competence or technical ability should they have?

• Equipment:

‒ What equipment will be used?

‒ What safety equipment will be required?

• Materials:

‒ What materials will be used or handled during the work?

• Environment:
 ‒ Where will the work take place? E.g. space, light and temperature?

... in such a way as to create a safe work method.

Permit-to-Work Systems

A formal, documented safety procedure, forming part of a safe system of work:

• Hot work.
• High-voltage electrical systems.
• Confined space entry.
• Operational pipelines.
• Excavation near buried services.
• Complex machinery.

• Issue: details of the work; location; date; time/duration; hazards; isolations/controls;

PPE.
Name and signature of authorised person issuing permit
• Receipt: name and signature of person receiving permit.
------- Work can start -------
• Clearance/return to service: permit signed back to confirm workers are finished.
• Cancellation: permit signed to accept area back under normal operation.
• Extension: if necessary.

The Need for Emergency Procedures

• Why do we need them?
Because despite all the precautions you take, things can still go wrong.
• What incidents?
‒ Fires.
‒ Bomb threats.
‒ Spillage of a hazardous chemicals.
‒ Release of a toxic gas.
‒ Severe weather.
‒ Multiple casualty accidents.
‒ Terrorist/security incident
Emergency Procedure Arrangements
• The foreseeable emergencies.
• Procedures for raising the alarm.
• Procedures to be followed.
• Suitable emergency equipment.
• Responsible staff.
• Dealing with the media.
• Contacting emergency services.
First-Aid Requirements
Facilities: An appropriate location where first-aid treatment can be given.
First-Aid Facilities:
• Centrally located; accessible by emergency services.
• Clean and adequately heated, ventilated and lit.
• Hand-wash facilities, chair, clinical waste bin, etc.
Equipment: Suitably stocked first-aid kits and other equipment.
Equipment:
• First-aid kits.
• Eye-wash stations.
 • Emergency showers.
• Blankets.
• Splints.
• Resuscitation equipment.
• Stretchers.
• Wheelchairs.
• Other equipment as required.

Personnel: Trained staff.

Trained personnel:
• Appointed person - no or basic training only.
• Emergency first aiders and first aiders - full EFW or FW training.

The basic principle of first aid is to keep the injured person alive until professional medical assistance
arrives.
The ‘3 Ps’:
Preserve life.
Prevent deterioration.
Promote recovery.
And to treat minor ailments that require no further medical help.

Coverage will depend on:

• The general risk level of the workplace.
• The hazards present in the workplace.
• Accident history.
• Vulnerable persons.
• The number of workers.
• Work patterns and shift systems.
• Workplace location.
• Size and spread of the workplace.
Selecting Staff to be First Aiders
• Reliable, calm, good communication skills.
• Aware of own limitations and of the training.
• Ability to absorb new knowledge and learn.
• Ability to cope with stressful situations.
• Able to accept responsibility.
• Physically fit enough.
• Consideration of the need for first aiders considering gender, ethnicity and religious
convictions.
• Must be able to be released from normal duties to attend an incident.