management theory and practice of health and safety

7/28/2019 Management Theory and Practice of Health and safety

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Page | 1James Flounders 30091328

Management Theory and Practice of Health, Safety and Risk Assessment

Management models and regulation / legislation

Scenario

Young engineers should be aware of the principles, planning and implementation of health

and safety practice within an industrial environment such as those to be found in

engineering production, manufacture, services and maintenance and those in the

chemical, transport and telecommunication engineering industries.

In particular, engineers should have an awareness of the selection, application and

evaluation of safe working procedures. As a part of this awareness, engineers should be

familiar with current UK and EU health and safety legislation, the role of the inspectorate,

safety audits and current codes of practice.

During the career of a young engineer, risk assessment will be a constant activity. Risk is

assessed and evaluated by identifying, rating and assessing the severity of hazards and

recording all evidence and actions taken for future monitoring of these hazards. In order

for engineers to have a well rounded understanding of these issues, it is important for

them to be aware of the risk management activities, including the methods used for

gathering evidence, disseminating information, complying with current regulations and

implementing policy to minimise risk to life and property, for activities within a general

engineering environment. Identify industrial work areas where current regulations would

apply and the impact on the organisation.

1. Detail the regulations in force within the chosen work area.

2. Reference current working practices in the chosen work area to current UK / Euro regulationsand the specific (if any) management model in use within the organisation. If a management

model is not in use, suggest and justify a suitable model that could be adopted or cross

referenced to the methods in use.

3. For the scenario you have described, identify the impact on the organisation, referencinglegislation and the role of the HSE inspectorate where appropriate.

For the organisation chosen, you have been tasked to develop and introduce an in-house

auditing programme to assess the effectiveness of the organisations health and safety

management arrangements.

4. Describe the organisational and planning issues to be addressed in the development of the

audit programme.

5. Prepare an initial schedule outlining the implementation of your programme.You do not need to consider the specific factors to be audited.


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We are instructed to isolate a specific work area within an organisation we are either part of or have

a detailed knowledge of; my previous employment has all been in the construction industry, firstly as

a builder then more recently as an electrician. I have had to have a strong awareness of current

regulations whilst working on construction sites as both an employee and a sub-contractor, a few of

the legislations I would have to deal with on a day to day basis were The electricity at work act 1989

(Health and Safety Executive, 2012), The working at height regulation 2005 (Health and Safety

Executive, 2005), The personal protective equipment at work act 1992 (Health and Saftey Executive,

1992) and The control of substances hazardous to health regulations (COSHH) 2002 (Health and

Safety Executive, 2002). Obviously there are many more regulations to be aware of but these were a

few that I would almost certainly deal with every day, Instead of using a specific organisation for this

assignment I have chosen to use a fictional company based loosely on a company I have been

employed by in the past.

During employment for a building company based in Plymouth, I had been instructed to start work

at a construction site with two other employees, before meeting up with the site manager we had a

meeting at our head office to be given all a brief run through of the job. Due to the fact we had more

than five working employees in our company, BS 31100:2011 (BSI Group, 2011), states that we must

complete our company`s daily risk assessment and method statements whilst (Health and Saftey

Executive, 1992) says we must wear all the relevant PPE, The HSEs Five steps to risk assessment

(Health and safety executive, 2011) says the law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you

are required to protect people as far as `reasonably practicable. The job we were undertaking

involved wiring a fire alarm system above ceiling height and plastering onto dry wall and sand and

cement backgrounds, we would be dealing with mains electricity, erecting and working on tower


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scaffolds and mixing and laying up Thistle Multi Finish plaster as well as using various 110v and

battery power tools.

The main regulations we would have to consider for the tasks set are as follows, The personal

protective equipment at work regulations 1992 (Health and Saftey Executive, 1992), We would be

required to wear steel toe-capped boots, hi-visibility vests and Hard hats at all times once on site,

dust masks, safety goggles and safety gloves were provided to be worn whenever necessary. The

manual handling operations regulations 1992 (Health and Safety Executive, 1992), We would be

lifting 25kg bags of plaster,sections of tower scaffold as well as all hand tools . COSHH (Health and

Safety Executive, 2002), says thatProlonged contact with wet cement in construction can lead to

chemical burns and/or dermatitis. The Electricity at work regulations (Health and Safety Executive,

2012), various sub-sections need to be taken into consideration from the IEE Wiring Regulations

BS7671. The working at Height Regulations 2005 (Health and Safety Executive, 2005), this is needed

because of the use of tower scaffolding to get above ceiling level and to reach high points whilst

completing plastering jobs. A permit to work (Health and Safety Executive, 2005) would also be

required for access to dry risers whilst wiring alarm system and when preforming isolation

procedures (Health and Safety Executive, 2006).

The company follows a specific safety management system, Successful Health and Safety

Management (HSG65) (Health and Safety Executive, 1997), This organisation was formed by the

accident prevention advisory unit to be used as a guide by managers and directors of company`s

wanting to improve health and safety within their own organisations. The HSE (Health and Safety

Executive, 1997) says the message it sends out is simple: Organisations need to manage health and

safety with the same degree of expertise and to the same standards as other core business activities,

if they are effectively to control risks and prevent harm to people. This system encourages managers

and employees alike to plan things in great detail, Risk assessments are to be completed on a daily


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basis to eliminate errors, Tool box talks would also take place at the start of each working day to

make clear which areas each employee would be working and whether they had the correct permits

to be in the subject area. Once a week a tool box talk would take place with tradesman from other

companies so specific jobs could be planned in advance, health and safety issues could be discussed

and everybody could find out how the other trades were progressing and whether they would be

holding anybody up.

Although it is not a legal requirement nearly all building sites now ask for a Valid CITB CSCS card

(CSCS, 2012) before entry, this is a general competency exam that all operatives must take to prove

that they understand all the risks of working on a building site and are capable of doing the job they

are on site to do; regular spot checks from HSE inspectors would take place. There were also some

mandatory requirements for the erection and use of tower scaffolds; a tower must be inspected by a

competent person, before first use, after substantial alteration and after any event likely to cause

instability (Health and Safety Executive, 1997). On the Building site we were working on, a yellow

and red card system was in operation; if you were working from a scaffold which wasnt deemed

safe then you could receive a yellow card as a first warning followed by a Red card for a second

warning, a red card meant indefinite exclusion from the site. The yellow and red card system

covered all aspects of health and safety on site and was governed very strictly by some health and

safety officials from specific companies and not so much by others; it was usually enforced with a

greater deal of intensity at the start of the job and was not a requirement from the HSE.

I believe it is fair to say that the role the HSE plays where Construction sites are concerned is of the

utmost importance, peoples lives are at stake and nothing can be taken for granted and although

some of the rules and legislations can hamper your ability to get on with a job, they are in place for a

reason. Common sense is a key factor in the work place and whilst common sense cannot be handed

out to people, the competent person tests that are required are a step in the right direction to


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ensure accidents are kept to a minimum and that injuries are avoided. Just being competent

unfortunately isnt always enough and no matter how well trained somebody is, complete care and

attention needs to be used at all times on a construction site, On the 14th

September 2007 a young

builder was killed in an accident on a building site in Plymouth run by Kier Western. A fully qualified

telescopic forklift driver ignored five golden rules (ecv, 2008) which lead to the death of the 20 year

old, The HSE and CPS lead an investigation and the driver was charged with manslaughter and

received 21 months in prison, this goes to show that the HSE will prosecute individuals for

negligence leading to injury in the work place.

An audit is a review to confirm that all rules and regulations are up to date and being followed

effectively, obviously where health and safety is concerned, rules and regulations need to be

adhered by or the company could find themselves either under investigation or in court. We have

been asked to develop an in-house auditing program for our own organisation giving details on

organisational and planning issues that may need addressing, followed by preparing a schedule

outlining the implementation of the program. My preferred method for an audit would be to devise

a checklist which would need to be completed at the beginning of each job commenced on site by all

company employees, the checklist would cover a large range of all plant and equipment on site, all

of which needs to be inspected by a competent person before works commence. The audit would

cover all aspects of work undertaken by the company but only the relevant checklists for the job

would be necessary, various subsections would include access, scaffolds, ladders, manual handling,

site traffic, tools and machinery, fires and emergencies, hazardous substances, confined spaces,

noise, welfare, electricity and public safety.

A mandatory first aid course for all company employees would be arranged in accordance to the

health and safety first aid regulations (Health and Safety Executive, 1981), and all company work

vehicles would be provided with a first aid kit that meets the British standards (BSI Group, 2011) and


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a fire extinguisher (BSI Group, 2009). A stock take of all PPE would be taken and employees would be

issued with any necessary equipment, an annual allowance of 30 would be allocated to each

employee towards Steel toe-capped safety boots and all employees would require an up to date

CSCS card along with their own specific qualifications needed for their job. Any 240v equipment

would need to have an up to date PAT test (RSG, 1992), all scaffolding and ladders would need

inspection tags (BSI Group, 2003), and health and safety signs would be placed in the office and be

supplied to each vehicle to be placed around their specified working area. During the first four

weeks of running the audit the checklists will be reviewed by the companies appointed Health and

safety officer, at this point any flaws or weaknesses can be assessed and dealt with and employees

who are not following health and safety procedures shall be issued an official warning.

The steps taken in the audit should ensure the company keeps in line with the HSEs regulations and

provide the companies employees with the ability to spot hazards in the work place and deal with

them in the appropriate manner. With the relevant training and equipment there is no reason

anyone should not abide to the laws and legislations meaning the company can move forward and

continue to expand knowing that every person in the organisation is aware of what is expected of

them.


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A manufacturing process involves the use of three volatile organic solvents (VOCs),exposure to which is controlled by local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and personal protectiveequipment (PPE). The LEV system is regularly inspected and is subject to thoroughexamination and testing on an annual basis. By selecting VOCs of your own choice andwith reference to the possible safety phrases for the substances and the associateddocumentation provided by the HSE;

6. Outline how the exposure of the process workers to solvent vapours could be assessed.

7. Outline how the data obtained could be used to determine if the exposure of the process

workers to the solvents is adequately controlled.

The first VOC in my chosen manufacturing process is BOYSEN ACRYLIC LOW VOC PRIMER, an

ultralow, eco-friendly VOC adhesive used for priming masonry, the relevant data sheet (BOYSEN,

2010), gives us all the needed risk and safety phrases needed to complete the required task.

Risk phrase 43: May cause sensation by skin contact

Safety phrase 2: keep out of reach of children

Safety phrase 23: Do dont breathe gas/fumes/vapour/spray

Safety phrase 24: Avoid contact with skin

Safety phrase 29/56: Do not empty into drains, dispose of this material and its container at

hazardous or special waste collection point

Safety phrase 37: wear suitable gloves

Safety phrase 46: If swallowed, seek medical advice immediately and show this container or label


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The second VOC used is Clear Cure VOC J7WB, a water based resin curing compound used on freshly

laid concrete floors and walls to act as a membrane and to aid hydration of cement. The material

data sheets in accordance to ISO/DIS 11014 (Superior, 2012), can gives us the required safety and

risk phrases associated with this product.

Risk phrases: 36 and 43

Safety phrases: 2, 23, 24/25, 26, 28, 37/39, 46

Various specific toxic chemicals are found in this product and are governed by section 313 (toxic

chemical listings).

The third substance used is Evostick `sticks like sh*t (Bostik, 2005), an industrial strength glue used

in the same way as grip fill for bonding various different materials together, the risk and safety

phrases are as follows.

Risk phrase R20: Harmful by inhalation

Risk phrase R36/37: Irritating to eyes and skin

Risk phrase R65: Harmful: May cause lung damage if swallowed

Safety phrases: S2 and S36/37/39

This products data sheet contains a guidance note naming the occupational exposure limits (EH40),

the introduction to local exhaust ventilation HS (G) 37 and CHIP for everyone HS(G)108 to be taken

into consideration.


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Certain control measures can be taken to ensure exposure to these harmful substances is kept to a

minimum, as well as the LEV system and employees PPE, hand and eye wash stations need to be

positioned directly outside each workstation where exposure is possible. All employees would need

regular in-house medicals to keep track of workplace exposure levels keeping in line with (WELs)

EH40/2005 (Health and safety executive, 2005), other sampling strategies include personal sampling;

a measurement of the hazardous substance within the breathing zone of the employee, specific

methods can be found in the HSE`s `methods for the determination of hazardous substances

(MDHS). Time limitations should be set to keep employees exposure levels to the desired minimum,

a clocking in and out system is a good way of knowing the exact times an individual has spent in a

hazardous area and keeping them under the exposure limit.


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Works Cited

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Available at: http://www.insulationplace.co.uk/files/Evode/Sticks-like-Sht.pdf

[Accessed 05 03 2013].

BOYSEN, 2010. B-105 acrylic low VOC primer. [Online]Available at: www.boysen.com.ph/donloaditemfile.do?_id=2604

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BSI Group, 2003. Temporary works equipment, scoffolds. [Online]

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BSI Group, 2009. BSI.shop. [Online]

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[Accessed 25 02 2013].

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