Health and Safety for Senior Managers

Is it really worth the Senior Manager improving H&S knowledge?

• a strong lead comes from the top, nobody lower down the management ladder believe that their efforts viz. spending more time, energy, money; will be positively recognised or thanked.
• H&S is not a ‘favourite’ subject, it is often considered obvious - but we are not born with the knowledge of workplace risks or controls and how to manage them.
• World-wide studies show that no health and safety system will function effectively without support from the top. All efforts is likely to be wasted.

Causes of Incidents

Incidents are direct result of unsafe acts or conditions.

Unsafe Acts

• Working without authority.
• Failure to warn others of danger
• Using dangerous equip.
• Using wrong equipment
• Failure to issue control measures
• Horseplay etc.

Unsafe Conditions

• Inadequate or missing machine guards.
• Defective tools or equipment
• Fire Hazards
• Ineffective housekeeping
• Excessive noise
• Poor ventilation and lighting etc.

Health and Safety Management

Systematic use of techniques to identify and remove hazards, the control of risks which remain, and the use of techniques to influence the behaviour and encourage safe attitudes. This is the primary responsibility of management.

Practical Objectives of Safety Management

• Gain support from all concerned for the health and safety effort
• Motivate, educate and train – to enable recognition of hazards
• Achieve hazard control by design and purchasing
• Support inspection system to provide feedback
• Ensure hazard control principles form part of supervisory training
• Devise and introduce controls based on risk assess.
• Comply with regulations and standards