LOCAL - NATIONAL - INTERNATIONAL
RISK ASSESSMENTS, HAZOP - FMEA- ETA- HRA STUDIES, 5s, HEALTH SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- FORMULATION- INTEGRATION- DOCUMENTATION- SUPPORT, AUDITS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT, CONTROL FORMULATION, LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION TESTING AND EXAMINATION.
LOCAL - NATIONAL - INTERNATIONAL
RISK ASSESSMENTS, HAZOP - FMEA- ETA- HRA STUDIES, 5s, HEALTH SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- FORMULATION- INTEGRATION- DOCUMENTATION- SUPPORT, AUDITS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT, CONTROL FORMULATION, LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION TESTING AND EXAMINATION
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Essential format and content of a H.S.E.M.S. policy statement
Essentially, a policy statement should consist of three parts, as follows:
1 A general statement of intent
This should outline in broad terms the organisation's overall philosophy in relation to the management of health, safety and environment, including reference to the broad responsibilities of both management and workforce.
2 Organisation (people and their duties)
This outlines the chain of command in terms of health, safety and environment management.
· Who is responsible to whom and for what?
· How is the accountability fixed so as to ensure that delegated responsibilities are undertaken?
· How is the policy implementation monitored?
Other organisational features should include:
· individual job descriptions having a H.S.E.M.S. content;
· details of specific responsibilities;
· the role and function of committee(s);
· the role and function of worker representatives;
· a management chart clearly showing the lines of responsibility and accountability in terms of health, safety and environment management.
The competent person who is to assist with compliance with health, safety and environment requirements should also be included.
3 Arrangement (systems and procedures)
This part of the policy deals with the practical arrangements by which the policy will be effectively implemented. These include:
· H.S.E.M.S. training;
· H.S.E.M.S systems of work;
· environmental control;
· safe place of work;
· machine/area guarding;
· housekeeping;
· safe plant and equipment;
· noise control;
· radiation safety;
· dust control;
· use of toxic materials;
· internal communication/participation;
· utilisation of safety committee(s) and safety representatives;
· fire safety and prevention;
· medical facilities and welfare;
· maintenance of records;
· incident reporting and investigation;
· emergency procedures;
· and workplace monitoring.
Basic objectives and general content of statement
Health, safety
and environment policy statements should state their main
objectives, e.g.:
(a) Commit to operating the business in
accordance with the Health, safety and environment legislation
'so far as reasonably practicable';
(b) Specify that health, safety and
environment 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, safety and environment, 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; and
(g) Clearly state how and by whom its
operation is to be monitored.
Organisation (people and their duties)
Suitable policies
will demonstrate &127; both in written and diagrammatic form
(where appropriate) &127; the following features:
(a) The unbroken and logical delegation
of duties through line management and supervisors who operate
where the hazards arise and the majority of the accidents occur.
(b) The identification of key personnel
(by name and/or job title) who are accountable to top management
for ensuring that detailed arrangements for safe working are
drawn up, implemented and maintained.
(c) The definition of the roles of both
line and functional management. Specific job descriptions should
be formulated.
(d) The provision of adequate support for
line management via relevant functional management such as safety
advisers, engineers, medical advisers, designers, hygienists,
chemists, ergonomists, etc.
(e) The nomination of persons with the
competence and authority to measure and monitor safety
performance.
(f) The responsibilities of
all employees.
(g) The arrangements for employee
representation on health, safety and environment matters (i.e.
whether by trade union safety representatives, employee elected
safety representatives or by direct consultation with each
employee (see joint consultation, safety representatives and
safety committees).
(h) The involvement of the safety adviser
and relevant line/functional management at the planning/design
stage.
(j) The provision of the
means to deal with failures in order to meet job requirements.
(k) The fixing of accountability
for the management of health, safety and environment in a similar
manner to other management functions.
(l) The organisation must
unambiguously indicate to the individuals exactly what they must
do to fulfill their role. Thereafter a failure is a failure to
manage effectively.
(m) The organisation should make it known &127;
both in terms of time and money &127; what resources are
available for health, safety and environment. The individuals
must be certain of the extent to which they are realistically
supported by the policy and by the organisation needed to fulfil
it.
Arrangements (systems and procedures)
It is vital to
establish safe and healthy systems of work designed to counteract
the identified risks within a business. The following aspects
should be used as a guide when preparing arrangements for health,
safety and environment at work:
(a) The provision of health, safety
and environment performance criteria for articles, and product
safety data for all raw materials and equipment, prior to
purchase.
(b) The provision of specific
instructions for using machines, for maintaining safety systems,
and for the control of health hazards.
(c) The development of
specific health, safety and environment training for all
employees.
(d) The undertaking of
medical examinations and biological monitoring.
(e) The provision of suitable
protective equipment.
(f) The development and
utilisation of permit-to-work systems.
(g) The provision of
first-aid/emergency procedures, including aspects of fire
safety/prevention.
(h) The provision of written
procedures in respect of contractors and visitors.
(i) The formulation of
written safe systems of work for use by all levels of management
and workforce.
The disciplinary measures consequent upon a breach of the policy.
Policy monitoring
Policy monitoring highlights four areas as follows:
(a) The incident and ill-health record.
(b) The standards of compliance with
legal requirements and codes of practice.
(c) The extent to which organisations specify and achieve &127;
within a given time scale &127; certain clearly defined
objectives (of both short-term and long-term nature).
(d) The extent of compliance with the 'organisation' and
'arrangements' parts of the organisation's own policy, including
in particular the written standards /systems that have been
developed by the organisation to meet its individual needs.
(i) The statement of intent
A general statement of good intent, usually linked to a
commitment to comply with relevant legislation. Many employers
extend their policies so as to relate also to the health, safety
and environment of others affected by their activities. In order
to demonstrate clearly that there is commitment at a high level,
the statement should preferably be signed by the chairman, chief
executive or someone in a similar position of seniority.
(ii) Organisational responsibilities
It is vitally important that the responsibilities for putting the
good intentions into practice are clearly identified. In a small
organisation this may be relatively simple but larger employers
should identify the responsibilities held by those at different
levels in the management structure. Whilst reference to
employees' responsibilities may be included, it should be
emphasised that the law requires the employer's organisation to
be detailed in writing. Types of responsibilities to be covered
in the policy might include:
· Making adequate resources available to implement the policy;
· Setting health, safety and environment objectives;
· Developing suitable procedures and safe systems;
· delegating specific responsibilities to others;
· monitoring the effectiveness of others in carrying out their responsibilities;
· monitoring standards within the workplace; and
· feeding concerns up through the organisation
(iii) Arrangements
The policy need not contain all of the organisation's
arrangements relating to health, safety and environment but
should contain information as to where they might be found, for
example in a separate health, safety and environment manual or
within various procedural documents.
Employees must be aware of the policy and, in particular, must
understand the arrangements which affect them and what their own
responsibilities might be. They may be given their own copy (for
example, within an employee handbook) or the policy might be
displayed around the workplace. With regard to some arrangements
detailed briefings may be necessary, for example as part of
induction training. Employers must revise their policies as often
'as may be appropriate'. Larger employers are likely to need to
arrange for formal review and, where necessary, for revision to
take place on a regular basis (e.g. by way of an ISO 9000
procedure). Dating of the policy document is an important part of
this process.
