Policy
2.5 Practice NEBOSH questions for Chapter 2
1. (a) Outline the legal requirements whereby an employer must prepare a written health and safety policy.
(b) Identify the three main sections of a health and safety policy document and explain the purpose and general content of each section.
2. (a) State the legal requirements whereby employ- ers must prepare a written statement of their health and safety policy.
(b) Outline the various methods for communicating the contents of a health and safety policy to a workforce.
Safety, quality and production
will receive equal priority Policy Statement View
Figure 2.4 Sound policy but not put into practice–blocked fi re exit.
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3. Explain why a health and safety policy should be signed by the most senior person in an organization, such as a Managing Director or Chief Executive.
4. (a) Identify the typical content of the ‘statement of intent’ section of an organization’s health and safety policy document.
(b) Outline the factors that may indicate that health and safety standards within an organization do not refl ect the objectives within the ‘statement of intent’.
5. Identify the purposes of each of the following sec- tions of a health and safety policy document:
(i) ‘statement of intent’
(ii) ‘organization’
(iii) ‘arrangements’.
6. Identify SIX categories of persons who may be shown in the ‘organization’ section of a health and
safety policy document AND state their likely gen- eral or specifi c health and safety responsibilities.
7. Outline the issues that are typically included in the arrangements section of a health and safety document.
8. Outline the key areas that should be addressed in the ‘arrangements’ section of a health and safety policy document.
9. (a) Explain why it is important for an organization to set targets in terms of its health and safety performance
(b) Outline SIX types of target that an organiza- tion might typically set in relation to health and safety.
10. Outline the circumstances that would require a health and safety policy of be reviewed.
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Policy
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Appendix 2.1 Health and Safety Policy Checklist
The following checklist is intended as an aid to the writing and review of a safety policy. It is derived from the booklet Writing a safety policy statement pub- lished by the HSE in booklet HSC 6.
General policy and organization
➤ Does the statement express a commitment to health and safety and are your obligations towards your employees made clear?
➤ Does it say which senior manager is responsible for seeing that it is implemented and for keeping it under review, and how this will be done?
➤ Is it signed and dated by you or a partner or senior director?
➤ Have the views of managers and supervisors, safety representatives and of the safety commit- tee been taken into account?
➤ Were the duties set out in the statement dis- cussed with the people concerned in advance, and accepted by them, and do they understand how their performance is to be assessed and what resources they have at their disposal?
➤ Does the statement make clear that co-operation on the part of all employees is vital to the suc- cess of your health and safety policy?
➤ Does it say how employees are to be involved in health and safety matters, for example, by being consulted, by taking part in inspections, and by sitting on a safety committee?
➤ Does it show clearly how the duties for health and safety are allocated and are the responsibil- ities at different levels described?
➤ Does it say who is responsible for the following matters (including deputies where appropriate)?
– reporting investigations and recording accidents – fi re precautions, fi re drill, evacuation procedures – fi rst aid
– safety inspections – the training programme
– ensuring that legal requirements are met, for example, regular testing of lifts and notifying accidents to the health and safety inspector.
Arrangements that need to be considered
➤ Keeping the workplace, including staircases, fl oors, ways in and out, washrooms, etc. in a safe and clean condition by cleaning, maintenance and repair
➤ The requirements of the Work at Height Regulations
➤ Any suitable and suffi cient risk assessments.
Plant and substances
➤ Maintenance of equipment such as tools, lad- ders, etc. Are they in a safe condition?
➤ Maintenance and proper use of safety equipment such as helmets, boots, goggles, respirators, etc.
➤ Maintenance and proper use of plant, machinery and guards.
➤ Regular testing and maintenance of lifts, hoists, cranes, pressure systems, boilers and other dan- gerous machinery, emergency repair work, and safe methods of doing it.
Figure 2.6 Responsibilities.
Figure 2.5 Emergency procedures.
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➤ Maintenance of electrical installations and equipment.
➤ Safe storage, handling and, where applicable, packaging, labelling and transport of dangerous substances.
➤ Controls of work involving harmful substances such as lead and asbestos.
➤ The introduction of new plant, equipment or sub- stances into the workplace by examination, test- ing and consultation with the workforce.
Other hazards
➤ Noise problems – wearing of hearing protection, and control of noise at source
➤ Vibration problems – hand-arm and whole-body control techniques and personal protection
➤ Preventing unnecessary or unauthorized entry into hazardous areas
➤ Lifting of heavy or awkward loads
➤ Protecting the safety of employees against assault when handling or transporting the employer’s money or valuables
➤ Special hazards to employees when working on unfamiliar sites, including discussion with site manager where necessary
➤ Control of works transport, e.g. fork lift trucks by restricting use to experienced and authorized
operators or operators under instruction (which should deal fully with safety aspects).
Emergencies
➤ Ensuring that fi re exits are marked, unlocked and free from obstruction
➤ Maintenance and testing of fi re-fi ghting equip- ment, fi re drills and evacuation procedures
➤ First aid, including name and location of person responsible for fi rst aid and deputy, and location of fi rst aid box.
Communication
➤ Giving your employees information about the general duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act and specifi c legal requirements relating to their work.
➤ Giving employees necessary information about substances, plant, machinery, and equipment with which they come into contact.
➤ Discussing with contractors, before they come on site, how they plan to do their job, whether they need any equipment from your organization to help them, whether they can operate either in a segregated area or only when part of the plant is shut down and, if not, what hazards they may create for your employees and vice versa.
Training
➤ Training employees, supervisors and managers to enable them to work safely and to carry out their health and safety responsibilities effi ciently.
Supervising
➤ Supervising employees so far as necessary for their safety – especially young workers, new employees and employees carrying out unfamiliar tasks.
Keeping Check
➤ Regular inspections and checks of the workplace, machinery appliances and working methods.
Figure 2.7 Fork lift truck.
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