SMS : Organizing for Safety: Roles Rights and Responsibilities

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Chapter : Safety Management

Organizing for Safety: Roles, Rights and Responsibilities

Everyone must know what their duties are; have the authority, resources, and time to carry them out; and have required knowledge (education, training, and certification)

Everyone in the workplace is legally responsible for workplace safety. Every Countries Employment Act requires that they work together to carry out health and safety duties at a place of employment. 

Employer

All employers must meet the minimum requirements for health and safety standards as required by law. An Employer must: Provide a safe and healthy workplace;

1. Establish and maintain an effective health and safety program and obtain input from the occupational health committee (OSH);
2. Make sure that managers and supervisors are trained, supported, and held accountable for fulfilling their workplace health and safety requirements;
3. Oversee the health and safety performance of their managers and supervisors;
4. Make sure workers have the information, training, certification, supervision, and experience to do their jobs safely;
5. Make sure medical/first aid facilities are provided as needed;
6. Set-up effective occupational health committees;
7. Cooperate with the occupational health and safety (OHS) representative and other parties to resolve health and safety issues in a timely fashion;
8. Keep OSH representative meeting minutes on file and readily available;
9. Ensure workers are not exposed to harassment in the workplace; and
10. Ensure that legal health and safety requirements are met.

Duties Of Employers

The following are some of the responsibilities of an employer:

• Provide a safe and healthy workplace;
• Make sure that managers and supervisors are trained, supported, and held accountable for fulfilling their workplace health and safety requirements;
• Oversee the health and safety performance of their managers and supervisors;
• Make sure workers have the information, training, certification, supervision, and experience to do their jobs safely;
• Ensure workers are not exposed to harassment in the workplace; and
• Ensure that legal health and safety requirements are met.

Employers are also required to have a copy of country and organization Employment Act and regulations readily available to workers and management.

It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the sub-trades on-site are following health and safety regulations. They should receive a site orientation before starting work, have the appropriate training certification readily available and be included in the documentation, for example, daily toolbox/safety meetings.

Supervisors are also required to ensure that sub-trades are following the OHS Regulations, the company safety program and as well being part of the daily paperwork and ongoing documentation.

Safety Is Everyones responsibility :- 

1. Every person is the architect of their own fortune, good or bad, depends on the individual’s acceptance of personal responsibility.  At a young age, we are taught to assume responsibilities. ("Look before you cross the street . . . playing with matches is dangerous . . . be home before dark . . .") Even today, as adults, we still learn and decide whether to accept certain obligations. Young or old, we make individual choices.
2. When responsibilities are shunned or rejected, someone must cope with the results. Police officers, judges, juvenile officers, and social workers respond to most of these rejections in our society. In safety, doctors, nurses, and funeral directors deal with the consequences of rejected responsibilities.
3. There are laws, both federal and state, designed to spell out responsibilities for safety in the workplace, but actual performance of these obligations still belongs to you.
4. By accepting and practicing safety responsibility, you insure your future both at home and on¬ the¬ job. You do the same for your fellow worker as well, because socially and morally you are responsible for preventing accidents to others as well.
5. If you see an unsafe act, do something about it ¬ point it out so others are aware and can avoid future mistakes.
6. Point out to other employees when safety isn't being practiced. (IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE SOMEDAY!) After all, it's their responsibility to prevent an accident to you as well.
7. Be willing to serve on a safety committee. Be more than just a member, be active and creative.
8. Use good work habits don't be impulsive, and remember that hurry up can hurt!
9. Develop the attitude that "If I do something wrong, I'm going to get hurt!" Then do the job the right way.
10. If you are a supervisor ¬ help new employees learn that safety is the rule, not the exception. Teach them proper safety responsibility before you turn them loose. Practice leaving personal problems and emotional stress away from the job. Remember that accidents don't happen ¬ they are caused. 
11. Correct little mistakes before they grow into permanent bad habits.
12. While attempts may be made to cloud or reject the responsibility for safety, when all is said and done, safety responsibility is up to you. You are the architects of your own fortune.

Managers/Heads of Department

The Managing Director

The Managing Director is responsible for the overall arrangements and for ensuring that the company’s operations are executed at all times in such a manner as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees and others who may be affected by its operations.

In particular the Managing Director will:

1. Ensure there is an effective company policy for health and safety and that all employees, contractors and temporary workers are made aware of their individual responsibility.
2. To understand and ensure, through the appointment of competent persons, that the company’s responsibilities as employers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act  1974   and any relevant Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments are met.
3. To appoint a Director responsible for safety.
4. To ensure that all Directors and Managers understand and fulfill their responsibilities with regard to health and safety.
5. Arrange for funds and facilities to meet the requirements of company policy and legislation.
6. Make provision for adequate and appropriate training to be given to all employees.
7. To ensure that notification and reporting procedures to the relevant statutory authorities are carried out.
8. Set a personal example on all matters of health and safety.

Director Responsible for Health and Safety

The Director Responsible for Health and Safety is accountable to the Managing Director for all matters relating to health, safety and welfare of employees and those affected by the companies operations.

In particular the Director Responsible for Health and Safety will:

1. Understand and ensure that the implications and duties imposed by new Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments, H.S.E. Guidance Notes and Codes of Practice are brought to the   attention of the Board of Directors.
2. To bring company related health and safety matters to the attention of the Board of Directors     at regular intervals.
3. To ensure that good communications exist between employer and employees and are         maintained.
4. Liaise with the person appointed in the role of Safety Manager over the full range of their duties and responsibilities, with respect to inspections, audits, report recommendations,     changes in legislation and advice obtained from other sources.
5. Ensure adequate means of distributing and communicating health, safety and welfare        information obtained for the H.S.E., Safety organizations and Trade associations regarding       new techniques of accident prevention, new legislation requirements and codes of practice        etc.
6. Ensure that an adequate programme of training for health and safety is established and that the safety culture is encouraged amongst employees.
7. Set a personal example at all times by using the correct personal protective clothing/equipment and following all safety requirements and procedures.

 Safety Manager

The primary role of the Safety Manager is to advise the Directors and Managers on all safety, health and welfare matters to ensure the Company complies with its statutory obligations.

The Safety Manager is designated responsibility by the Director responsible for health and safety to control and update this Safety Manual and to ensure that all Departments operate to the procedures and instructions contained there:-

In particular the Safety Manager will:

1. Understand the application of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and other      legislation relevant to the Companies business.
2. Keep up to date with changes in current legislation and to bring to the attention of the Director  responsible for Health and Safety any relevant new legislation.
3. Attend such courses/seminars run by external sources to enable accurate interpretation of legislation to enable implementation within the organization.
4. Ensure that all “assessments” as required by legislation are conducted and reviewed at relevant intervals and to maintain records of the same.
5. To recommend control measures and advise on the standard of P.P.E. issued to employees.
6. Conduct health and safety inspections and prepare reports of all the company’s operations.
7. Immediately contact the Director responsible for health and safety if situations are found, that    in the opinion of the Safety Manager, require immediate rectification or the stopping of any       operation.
8. To notify the Director responsible for health and safety if the corrective action agreed after any workplace inspection is not implemented by the arranged date. 
9.  To carry out investigations into all accidents and near-miss incidents and to record the findings on the relevant forms.
10. Advise the Company Secretary of all incidents reportable
11. To arrange Health surveillance as instructed.
12. To highlight areas where training/certification is required to meet the standards imposed by Legislation, Approved Codes of Practice, or H.S.E. guidance.
13. To bring new techniques for improving health, safety and welfare to the attention of the   Director responsible for health and safety.
14. To set a personal example by wearing appropriate personal protective clothing/equipment and    observing all safety requirements/procedures.

The Duties of a Safety Supervisor

A safety supervisor maintains safe working conditions in a variety of industries.

A safety supervisor is responsible for maintaining and protecting both employee and public health and safety in a variety of industries. 

Safety supervisors may work in the food industry ensuring food is handled and served correctly, in an industrial environment protecting the safety of workers around equipment or in a lab monitoring safe handling of chemicals. Safety supervisors may work alongside employees or may be solely responsible for safety-monitoring efforts.

Responsibilities of a Safety Supervisor Job Description of a Field Safety Supervisor

Risk Identification

Safety supervisors identify possible risks to employee or public safety.

The safety supervisor is responsible for identifying potential risks within the work environment as well as the public arena. Safety supervisors typically watch over current working conditions and may investigate employee work locations to pinpoint potential hazards in the manner of work, the equipment used or the products and services manufactured. 

The employees must be provided with a safe environment in which to work, one that is free of direct contact with hazardous materials or dangerous equipment, and public safety risks must also be identified to protect consumers and members of the public who use or pass by job sites and work locations.

Safety Implementation

Safety supervisors are responsible for obtaining needed safety equipment.

When a possible risk factor has been identified in an employee's work environment, job function or job process, it is up to the safety supervisor to implement the necessary changes to rectify those risks. Working independently or in collaboration with government agencies designed to protect the health and safety of workers, such as OSHA, the safety supervisor will be expected to design and implement reasonable accommodations to improve worker safety. 

Accommodations might include safety training and the procurement of safety equipment, such as gloves for the handling of hazardous materials, hard hats in construction zones and safety gates or fencing for areas that may present a risk of someone falling.

Supervising

Some safety supervisors spend time supervising employees or fellow safety administrators.

In some companies, a safety supervisor works alone to identify and implement safe working conditions and procedures. The safety supervisor might be a traditional employee who is conducting a generic job function while at the same time maintaining the responsibility for overseeing personal and coworker safety within that job role. 

Other safety supervisors work solely within the safety role and may move around the company to observe different job functions to study and understand how the job operates and what safety precautions may need to be implemented. Other safety supervisors might work as part of a team within a safety organization. The safety supervisor would be responsible for overseeing the training and work of other safety administrators within the safety team.

Each Manager/Department Head is responsible for his personal safety and that of all personnel under his or her authority, including others who may be affected by the company’s activities.

In particular they will:

1. Understand and implement the company safety policy.
2. Appreciate the responsibilities of personnel under their authority and ensure that each        employee knows his/her responsibility and are equipped to play their part
3. Conduct Risk Assessments on activities within their department ensuring that the methods and systems of work are safe. Also that the necessary procedures, rules and regulations designed to achieve this are formulated, published and applied.
4. Provide written instructions of work methods outlining potential hazards and precautions, and ensure they are complied with.
5. Ensure accident and near-miss reporting procedures are understood and complied with, and assist with accident investigations where appropriate.
6. Ensure all employees and sub-contractors are suitably trained/competent to carry out the   prescribed task and that the necessary licenses/certificates of competence are in force and       appropriate.
7. Ensure the Statutory Notices, the Safety Policy, Insurance Certificate and the names of    Appointed First Aiders are displayed and maintained in prominent locations.
8. Ensure that all new employees in the company are provided with a copy of the policy statement, receive such induction training as may be laid down in procedures, are issued with personal protective equipment as required and their personal responsibilities as set out in this manual.
9. Reprimand any employee for failing to discharge their health and safety responsibilities.
10. Set a personal example with regard to health and safety matters.

Operational Manager

The Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Manager is responsible for his personal safety and that of all personnel under his authority, including others who may be affected by the company’s activities. In particular he will:-

1. Understand and implement the Company Safety Policy.
2. Appreciate the responsibilities of personnel under their authority and ensure that each employee knows his/her responsibility and are equipped to play their part.
3. Ensure that all written schemes and procedures identified in Part 3 of this document are prepared, contain sufficient detail for each task to be critically analyzed, and fully comprehensible to all required to use them.
4. Prepare and maintain a scheme which identifies work equipment requiring inspection by competent persons and ensuring that the equipment is easily identifiable and available for inspection on the date required.
5. Prepare and maintain suitable records of all inspections. These records to identify precisely what was inspected, how, who by, when, any defects found, remedial action taken and the date/time of the next inspection.
6. As the appointed “responsible person” under the Supply of Machinery Regulations ensure that all items of work equipment manufactured in house comply with the essential health and safety requirements of schedule three of the regulations and that all necessary documentation i.e. user and maintenance guides etc. are produced.
7. Conduct Risk Assessments on activities within their department ensuring that the methods and systems of work are safe. Also that the necessary procedures, rules and regulations designed to achieve this are formulated, published and applied.
8. Ensure that all engineering construction work under his control complies with all relevant construction statutory instruments.
9. Ensure accident and near-miss reporting procedures are understood and implemented. Assist with accident investigations where appropriate.
10. Ensure all employees and sub-contractors are suitably trained/competent to carry out the prescribed task and that the necessary licenses/certificates of competence are in force and appropriate.
11. Ensure the Statutory Notices, the Safety Policy, Insurance Certificate and the names of Appointed First-Aiders are displayed and maintained in prominent locations.
12. Ensure that the impending start of any new employee is advised to the Company Secretary in good time.
13. Reprimand any employee for failing to discharge their health and safety responsibilities.
14. Set a personal example with regard to health and safety matters.

Duties of the Operational Supervisor

Anyone on site who is responsible for directing workers or overseeing work with sub-trades is considered a supervisor under the occupational health and safety regulations. This is important for employers to know and understand. An employee does not have to have the word “supervisor” in their title to be considered a supervisor under legislation. It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure that whomever is directed to supervise has the appropriate training to do so. Supervisors must:

1. Understand and ensure compliance with workplace health and safety requirements;
2. Cooperate with the occupational health committee, ensure that it functions properly, and ensure all workers support committee members in their health and safety activities;
3. Make sure hazards are identified and proper steps are taken to eliminate the hazards or control the risks;
4. Inspect work areas and correct unsafe acts and conditions;
5. Instruct and coach workers to follow safe work procedures;
6. Ensure only authorized, competent workers operate equipment;
7. Ensure equipment is properly maintained;
8. Ensure the necessary personal protective equipment is provided to workers and used properly;
9. Know how to safely handle, store, produce, and dispose of chemical and biological substances at the workplace;
10. Understand and implement emergency procedures;
11. Report and investigate incidents (meaning accidents and dangerous occurrences);
12. Promote health and safety awareness;
13. Cooperate with other parties in dealing with health and safety issues;
14. Ensure that workers under their direct supervision are sufficiently supervised; and
15. Ensure that workers under their direct supervision are not exposed to harassment at their workplace.

Duties Of Supervisors

The following are some of the responsibilities of supervisors:

• Make sure hazards are identified and proper steps are taken to eliminate the hazards or control the risks;
• Inspect work areas and correct unsafe acts and conditions;
• Instruct and coach workers to follow safe work procedures;
• Ensure only authorized, competent workers operate equipment;
• Ensure equipment is properly maintained;
• Ensure the necessary personal protective equipment is provided to workers and used properly;
• Ensure that workers under their direct supervision are sufficiently supervised; and
• Ensure that workers under their direct supervision are not exposed to harassment at their workplace.

All Employees

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations  re-enacts the Health and Safety at Work etc.  Act 1974, which places responsibilities on the employer and employees alike.  In this connection, the Company reminds employees of their duties under Section 7 of the act: to take care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.  Additionally, employees must also co-operate with the company to enable it to discharge its own responsibilities successfully.

Furthermore, all employees are expected to:-

1. Carry out assigned tasks and duties in a safe manner, in accordance with instructions, and to  comply with safety rules/procedures, regulations and codes of practice.
2. If aware of any unsafe practice or condition, or if in any doubt about the safety of any      situation, consult their supervisor.
3. Obtain and use the correct tools/equipment for the work and not to use any that are unsafe or damaged.  All tools, equipment and personal protective equipment must be stored in the   approved place after use.
4. Ensure that all guards are securely fixed and that all safety equipment and personal protective clothing/equipment provided are used.
5. Not to operate any plant or equipment unless authorized.
6. To report any accident, near-miss, dangerous occurrence or dangerous condition to their line     management.
7. To switch off and secure unattended plant or equipment.
8. To avoid improvised arrangements and suggest safe ways of eliminating hazards.
9. Not to participate in horseplay or place fellow employees in danger by their actions.

Duties Of Workers

The following are some of the responsibilities of workers:

• Understand and comply with legislation and workplace health and safety requirements;
• Follow safe work procedures;
• Use safety equipment, machine guards, safety devices, and personal protective equipment;
• Report unsafe acts and workplace hazards;
• Report incidents (meaning accidents and dangerous occurrences), injuries, or illnesses immediately;
• Work and act safely and help others to work and act safely

Three Basic Rights of Workers Workers play an important role in keeping each other safe on the job. A major part of injury prevention is ensuring each worker is aware of their legislated rights and responsibilities. The workers have three basic rights:

1. The Right to Know the hazards at work and how to control them; If an employer does not disclose what hazards exist in the workplace, all workers have the right to ask for this information. Hazards are anything that has the potential to cause an injury or illness.

2. The Right to Participate in finding and controlling workplace hazards;

Become involved in the occupational safety & health committee (OSH) at work. Every workplace with 10 or more workers must have a worker/management OSH. High-hazard workplaces with five-to-nine workers must have an occupational safety & health (OSH) representative .

3. The Right to Refuse unsafe work that is believed to be unusually dangerous.

Workers cannot be disciplined or fired for exercising their right to refuse unsafe work that is believed to be unusually dangerous, which includes:

• A danger that is not normal for the job (e.g., repairing a roof in dangerous winds);
• A danger that would normally stop work (e.g., operating a forklift with a flat tire); or
• A situation for which a worker is not properly trained, equipped, or experienced to do the work assigned (e.g., cleaning windows on a tall building with no fall protection equipment or training).

Sub-Contractors

1. All Sub-Contractors must comply with the aims of this policy as a condition of their sub   contract and will be required to forward a copy of their Safety Policy and Safety plan for the    work to vendors/suppliers/contractors for scrutiny.
2. Sub-Contractors will at pre-contract meetings or other time as may be stipulated, submit Assessments, Test Certificates and Method Statements to comply with Statutory requirements.
3. All Sub-Contractors and their employees must respond to, and promptly comply with, any instruction issued by the organisation where it effects health and safety.
4. Operators certificates of competence and test certificates for the various types of plant and equipment to be used will be presented to site management before the operation commences.
5. Every Sub-Contractor will be responsible for providing his employees with all necessary    personal protective clothing and equipment.
6. All portable tooling and other plant and equipment will be maintained and in good working order and in the case of lighting appliances and electrical equipment evidence must be    produced as to the correct testing and certification.
7. Any hired ride on plant will only be operated by persons appointed as being competent and where applicable certificated to C.I.T.B. or Q.P.T.C. standards for the plant in question.
8. All electrical plant will be rated at 110 volts or lower and be operated through a center tapped  earth transformer.  Any other electrical equipment must be notified to the site manager who will require evidence of the additional circuit and equipment protection measures to ensure the safety of the operatives.
9. Any materials or substances brought onto the site must be correctly labelled and in approved containers or packages.  Such materials or substances must be advised to the site manager together with an appropriate assessment to ensure that the substance poses no risk to health or safety of those affected by its use and that the correct storage and fire precautions are adequately catered for.
10. Sub-Contractors will be responsible for ensuring that the personnel placed on site are fully trained and competent in the work to be undertaken.  Evidence of training will be required at the tendering stage and may be requested during site safety inspections/audits.
11. Sub-Contractors will ensure that they maintain their workplaces in a safe condition and that their storage areas are kept clean, tidy and free from hazards.
12. Further conditions on any other health and safety matters will be contained in the conditions of order/contract and will form part of this policy’s requirements.