4.4 A Health and Safety Management System

A management system helps you manage health and safety. Most are based on plan, do, check, act, also called the Deming cycle or Shewhart cycle.

The main benefits of a system are:

• compliance with the law and other requirements
• help in delivering the policy
• better management of risk
• a competitive edge
• a good fit with business management

An effective system has these elements:

1. Leadership and worker involvement. Attitudes to safety are set by top management and other individuals, not by the size of the organisation. The organisation needs clear direction.
2. Policy. A statement of intent by top management to comply with the law and meet ethical and professional responsibilities. In the UK an employer with five or more people must have a written policy. In some countries writing it down is not required, but the ILO guidelines recommend it.
3. Planning. A plan for risk management and emergency response, with the legal and other standards identified.
4. Risk profiling. Identify hazards and evaluate the risks: what could cause harm, to whom and how. This sets the priorities.
5. Implement the plan. Put the plans into action, from risk assessment through safe systems of work to audit.
6. Collect data. Gather proactive and reactive data, such as training, risk assessments, incidents, injuries and ill health.
7. Measure performance. Use reactive data, for example injuries and ill health, and proactive data, such as inspections and training, to see whether the actions work. Audits show whether the whole system works.
8. Learn lessons. Learn from investigations, audits and reviews to find gaps and to improve.
9. Review performance. Compare the design and resources of the system with the results. It shows a commitment to manage risk in advance so that accidents and ill health fall, or the goals are met with fewer resources.

Several published management systems exist, and all rest on continual improvement through plan, do, check and act, from setting the policy to the lessons of review.

Getting it right

• Understand the key concepts and the enforcement process, so that you know when to act, when not to act and when to ask for help.
• Assess risk. In some countries, such as the UK, you must assess reasonably foreseeable risks and reduce them as far as is reasonably practicable.
• Fit the system to the organisation's needs and culture, or it will not last. All systems need adapting.
• Involve everyone. Safety management only works when people are part of it.

Glossary

Summary

1. The law requires you to assess reasonably foreseeable risks and to control them so far as is reasonably practicable, within the rules of your own country.
2. Safety is overseen by the regulator, whose inspectors can enforce with improvement and prohibition notices.
3. The key parts of a management system are leadership, policy, planning, risk profiling, implementation, data, measurement, learning and review.

A study aid, not published or endorsed by IOSH or OSHA. Laws and limits differ between countries.