Essentials for all

These are questions that an owner/manager should be asking to start/check that the business is managing for health and safety. The answers to them will give an indication about what the business needs to do next. Links show you the way to more information. This will lead to a list of actions that need to take place. Use the Risk Profiling information to put them into a priority order.

• Managing
• Leadership
• Competence
• Worker involvement
• Health

Managing for health and safety

This is the approach taken to prevent ill health and accidents. It is about the priority of health and safety in the business; it should be the no 1 value. You should consider it to be part of the way you normally operate the business, “the way things are done around here”. It can be a plan, do, check and act/learn approach, in larger businesses it’s sometimes a separate h/s management system. Whichever way, it will need the support of the people in the business.

What does a business leader need to do to have a healthy workforce?

• Firstly identify your risks: see risk profiling
• Secondly take stock of how you now stand with your workforce, use questions below
• Thirdly assess the risks using these risk assessment guides
• Fourthly draw up a plan using this approach or system:
  • Plan: say what you want to happen
  • Do: make sure there are systems in place to provide the tools and equipment to do the job
  • Check: Make sure the work is being done safely
  • Act and Learn: listen to problems and successes and make improvements

How to:

• Management Assessment Tool for SMEs (MAST)
• Looking after your business: Getting started - step-by-step

Leadership

Effective health and safety performance comes from the top. Your workers will expect to meet the standards you set for health and safety. You need to own and understand the key issues and take action accordingly.

Questions for leaders to ask themselves:

• How do I demonstrate this organisation’s commitment to health and safety?
• Have I arrangements to deal with the real risks the people in my organisation face?
• Do I know what is happening in the workplace; what checks are carried out to tell me what’s happening?
• How often is there a top-level review to learn from our past performance and plan for the future?

How to:

• Leading health and safety at work: Leadership actions for directors and board members
• Leadership for small and medium organisations

Competence

When workers are trained to work healthily and safely, they improve productivity, adding more value to your business and take less absence generally and for ill-health or accidents in particular.

Competence is part of good health and safety management. Someone having sufficient training with experience or knowledge to undertake the work required properly is competent.

Questions to ask:

• Do I know everyone has the right training to do their job safely and prevent any health problems?
• Have my managers and supervisors the right knowledge and experience to be responsible for health and safety
• Have I got the right health and safety advice (competent) for my organisation?

How to:

• Health and safety training: A brief guide
• Getting specialist help with health and safety

Worker involvement

Involving the workforce is essential to good health and safety performance – and good for business. If you don’t involve them - they will think you don’t care about them. And importantly by law you must consult all employees and this will help in a practical way too by helping you spot workplace risks, making sure health and safety controls are practical and increasing the level of commitment to working in a safe and healthy way.

Questions to ask:

• Have I asked them if their tasks are difficult to do safely?
• Do I ask them what health and safety needs improving and if they have all they need to do the job safely?
• Do I take account of employee views when there are changes in the workplace that might impact on health and safety and on arrangements for competent advice?
• And when there are changes how does this affect their information, instruction and training?
• Do I provide the necessary information and arrangements for the representative who could be elected by their colleagues or appointed by a trade union?
• Do I have suitable arrangements in place for consulting my employees, either directly or through their representatives?

How to:

• Worker involvement
• Involving your workforce in health and safety: Good practice for all workplaces

Health

Health problems are less obvious than injury issues, four times more days are lost through ill health than through injury. It doesn’t always happen straight after an incident, and workers are less likely to tell you about It. Key health issues include: exposure to asbestos, chemicals/dusts, noise, stress, manual handling and vibration.

Questions to ask:

• Do I have an occupational health problem in my business and have I taken steps to prevent ill health in my workforce?
• Do my workers know what health risks in my business could affect them?

• More about occupational health