ELEMENT 1

FOUNDATIONS IN HEALTH AND SAFETY

BARRIERS TO GOOD
STANDARDS OF HEALTH &
COMPLEXITY
SAFETY

Complicated work Places, Coordination of many

people involved in variety of activities

Finding a solution to specific health & safety issue

can be complex , may require extensive knowledge
and an awareness of possible consequences of
various courses of action

CONFLICTING DEMAND

Need to supply a product at appropriate speed and

make profit

Need to comply with different type of standards at

the same time

BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES

Individual Behaviour

DEFINITIONS

HEALTH

SAFETY

The Absence of risk of serious personal

injury

WELFARE

Absence of Disease or Ill health

Access to basic facilities like toilet, hand

wash stations, changing rooms, rest rooms
and place to have food

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Prevention of damage to the air, land ,

water and living creatures in the wider
environment.

REASONS FOR MAINTAINING

AND PROMOTING GOOD
STANDARDS OF HEALTH AND
THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM
SAFETY

EACH YEAR 270 MILLION OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS AND 160 MILLION

OCCUPATIONL DISEASES ARE RECORDED

2 MILLION PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR FROM OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS &

DISEASES

4 % OF THE DOMESTIC PRODUCT IS LOST EVERY YEAR

AROUND 355,000 WORK RELATED FATAL ACCIDENTS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR

REASONS FOR MANAGING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

MORAL
LEGAL
FINANCIAL

MORAL REASON
DUTY OF CARE
PEOPLE GOING TO WORK TO EARN SHOULD NOT
EXPERIENCE PAIN AND SUFFERING FROM THE WORK
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT GET INJURED OR KILLED AT WORK
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT GET AFFECTED BY MAJOR
DISEASES WHICH IS A RESULTANT OF THE WORK
SUFFERINGS OF WORKING PEOPLE ,ALSO AFFECTS
THEIR DEPENDENTS, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND
COLLEAGUES
ALL THESE ARE UNACCEPTABLE , SO EMPLOYERS
SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEIR BUSINESS WHICH EARNS
THEM PROFIT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE EMPLOYESS
WHO ARE PAID FOR THEIR WORK

LEGAL/SOCIAL REASON

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND

STANDARDS

MOST OF THE COUNTRIES HAVE THEIR OWN

HEALTH AND SAFETY LAWS AND STANDARDS

MEETING SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS

SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS ARE FRAMED AS LAW

EMPLOYER HOLDS THE PRIMARY

RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY
AT WORK

LEGAL/SOCIAL
EMPLOYERS RESPONSIBILITY
REASON
SAFE PLACE OF WORK

SAFE PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Machines, Tools, Plant & Equipment should be reasonably

safe and without health risk
Greater the risk greater the protection
Provision for service, inspection, repair and replacement

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK

Reasonably safe work place and without risk to health

Procedure for all the activity for safe execution (routine and
non-routine activities)

TRAINING SUPERVISION AND COMPETANCY OF STAFF

Provision of trainings to workers to create awareness about

hazards and risks in the work
Trainings should be providing information's and instructions
Work to be supervised to ensure it is done with minimal risk
Workers, Supervisors, Managers to be competent

LEGAL/SOCIAL REASON
CONSEQUENCES OF NON COMPLIANCE

FORMAL ENFORCEMENT ACTION

To make improvements at the workplace

PROSECUTION OF THE ORGANISATION IN THE

CRIMINAL COURT

Within time period

By stopping the activity

Punishment in the form of fine

PROSECUTION OF THE INDIVIDUALS

Punishment in the form of fine and
imprisonment
Directors, Managers, Workers

FINANCIAL/ECOMOMIC
REASON
ACCIDENTS AND ILLL HEALTH COST MONEY TO
THE ORGANISATION
ACCIDENTS SUFFER

DIRECT COSTS

INDIRECT COSTS

LEGAL/SOCIAL REASON
DIRECT COSTS
1.

Fines in the criminal courts

2.

Compensation payable to the victim

3.

First aid treatment

4.

Worker sick pay

5.

Lost or damaged product

6.

Lost production time

7.

Overtime

8.

Rehabilitation (recovery) of the injured worker

LEGAL/SOCIAL REASON
INDIRECT COSTS
1.

Loss of staff from productive duty during investigation,

hospital visit, dealing with relative, attending court
proceedings

2.

Loss of staff morale

3.

Cost of remedial action following an investigation (change

of process or material, introduction of new controls)

4.

Compliance with enforcement notice

5.

Difficulty in recruiting and training staff

6.

Loss of goodwill of customers (delays in production and

fulfilling orders)

7.

Activation of penalty clauses (not meeting the delivery

dates)

8.

Damage to public image and business reputation

LEGAL/SOCIAL REASON
INSURED COSTS

UNINSURED COSTS

Damage to plant, buildings & Production delays or down

Equipment's
times
Compensation paid to
workers

Loss of raw materials due to

accidents

Medical Costs

Accident investigation time

Legal Costs (Civil Claim)

Criminal fines & legal costs

Sick pay for injured workers
Overtime to makeup for lost
production
Hiring & Training new
employees
Loss of business reputation

ROLE OF NATIONAL
GOVERNMENTS AND
INTERNATIONAL BODIES

NO DEFINED INTERNATIONAL HSE LAWS

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATIONS

HAS DEFINED CERTAIN STANDARDS ON
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

CONVENTIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS

COUNTRIES DEVELOP THEIR OWN HEALTH

AND SAFETY STANDARDS BASED ON ILO
STANDARDS AND PROJECT THEM AS
LEGISLATIONS AND STANDARDS

EMPLOYERS
RESPONSIBILITIES
TO PROVIDE WORKPLACES AND WORK EQUIPMENT,
AND USE WORK METHODS, WHICH ARE SAFE AND NO
RISK TO HEALTH

TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONS AND

TRAININGS

TO PROVIDE NECESSARY SUPERVISION

TO PUT IN PLACE HEALTH & SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS

ADAPTED TO SUIT THE SZE AND NATURE OF THE
UNDERTAKING

TO PROVIDE ANY NECESSARY PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT FREE OF CHARGE

TO ENSURE THAT THE HOURS OF WORK DO NOT

ADVERSLY AFFECT EMPLOYEES SAFETY AND HEALTH

TO REMOVE ANY EXTREME PHYSICAL AND MENTAL

FATIGUE

EMPLOYEES
RESPONSIBILITIES
1)

TAKE RESPONSIBLE CARE OF THEIR OWN

SAFETY AND SAFETY OF OTHER PEOPLE

2)

COMPLY WITH SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND

PROCEDURES

3)

USE ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT PROPERLY AND

NOT TAMPER WITH IT

4)

REPORT ANY SITUATION WHICH THEY

BELIEVE COULD BE AHAZARD AND WHICH
THEY CANNOT THEMSELVES CORRECT

5)

REPORT ANY WORK RELATED ACCIDENTS OR

ILL HEALTH

EMPLOYEES RIGHT
1.

THE RIGHT TO BE PROVIDED WITH ADEUATE

INFORMATION ON ACTIONS THE EMPLOYER
HAS TAKEN TO ENSURE OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH

2.

THE RIGHT TO THE NECESSARY TRAINING IN

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

3.

THE RIGHT TO BE CONSULTED BY THE

EMPLOYER ON ALL MATTERS OF
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
RELATING TO THEIR WORK

4.

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE A WORKPLACE WHICH

HE HAS REASON TO THINK PRESENTS AN
IMMIMENT AND SERIOUS DANGER TO HIS
LIFE OR HEALTH AND NOT BE COMPELLED