Question:

Explain the moral social and economic reasons for monitoring and promoting good standards of health and safety in the workplace

Examiners observed that candidates’ knowledge of these parts of the syllabus as being somewhat superficial and did not enable them to provide the breadth and depth of answers needed to gain good marks.

Question:

• Explain the reason for maintaining and promoting good standards of health and safety in the workplace.
• Identify the source of information that an organization may use to help maintain and promote good standards of health and safety in the workplace.
• Outline possible reasons why good standards of health and safety in the workplace may not be achieved.

Part (a)

• The moral argument centered on the need to provide a reasonable standard of care and to reduce the injuries, pain, and suffering caused to workers by accidents and ill- health
• While the legal reasons centered on compliance with the law and ILO and other international standards to avoid criminal penalties and to comply with the employer’s common law duty to take reasonable care of workers.
• Social reasons were concerned with the need to provide a safe place of work, safe plant and equipment, safe systems of work, competent workers and a high standard of training and supervision. The economic benefits would include a more highly motivated workforce resulting in an improvement in the rate of production and product quality;
• The avoidance of costs associated with accident investigations;
• The avoidance of costs associated with accidents such as the hiring or training of replacement staff and the possible repair of plant and equipment;
• Securing more favorable terms for insurance and maintaining the image and reputation of the organization with its various stakeholders.

Part (b)

Sources of information that an organization may use to help maintain and promote good standards of health and safety include:

• legislation including directives and regulations;
• ILO codes of practice, conventions,
• Guidelines and recommendations together with those produced nationally;
• Information produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work;
• International standards such as those from ISO and BSI;
• Guidance produced by the various enforcement agencies;
• Manufacturers’ data;
• Information produced by trade associations, trade unions, and professional bodies;
• Accident and ill-health data and information emanating from completed risk assessments, inspections, and audits.

Part (c)

Reasons, why good standards of health and safety may not be achieved in the workplace, include:

• A lack of management commitment;
• Poor morale among the workforce and a lack of motivation;
• Frequent changes in the organization;
• A lack of resources possibly due to a harsh economic climate;
• Conflicting demands with priority being given to production targets and meeting deadlines;
• Poor communication and consultation with the workforce;
• A failure to provide adequate training leading to a lack of awareness amongst workers;
• A failure to complete risk assessments and to produce safe systems of work and method statements;

“Answers to this question were generally to a good standard though, for part (a), some candidates explained how rather than why good standards could be maintained and promoted while for part (c), others outlined the consequences of having poor standards rather than the reasons why good standards may not be achieved.”

Question:

A machine has leaked hot liquid into a work area.  No-one has been injured.

Outline reasons why it is important for an organization to investigate “near miss” incidents.

• The investigation of ‘near-miss’ incidents and the identification of their underlying causes might allow the preventive action to be taken before something more serious occurs.
• It also gives the right message that all failures are taken seriously by the employer and not just those that lead to injury.
• It is generally accepted that ‘near- misses’ far outnumber incidents resulting in injury and can, therefore, produce more data from which a greater understanding of the deficiencies in existing management systems such as risk assessments and safe systems of work can be identified and rectified.

“This question was not well answered. There were only a few references made to Bird’s or Heinrich’s triangle and the general indication was that most candidates had little understanding of the topic.”

Question:

• Outline the main health and safety responsibilities of employers.
• Identify actions an enforcement authority might take if it finds that an employer is not meeting its responsibilities.

Part (a)

The main health and safety responsibilities of an employer are

• To provide and maintain safe plant and equipment, to carry out risk assessments and to introduce safe systems of work;
• To ensure the safe use, storage, handling and transport of articles and substances;
• To provide and maintain a safe workplace, including access and egress;
• To provide a safe working environment with adequate welfare facilities including first aid,
• To provide information, instruction, training, and supervision of workers.
• To cooperate with and consult with workers;
• To secure competent health and safety advice and to cooperate with other employers at the workplace.

“This part of the question was generally well answered though some candidates continue to provide a list instead of the additional detail required by an ‘outline ‘question.”

Part (b)

Possible actions which the enforcement authority can take, such as

• Giving advice or warning either verbally or in writing;
• Requiring that an improvement is made within a given period of time;
• Requiring the cessation of work until improvements in health and safety are made;
• Taking formal legal proceedings such as prosecution.

“Good answers to this part of the question were not common.”

Question:

Identify possible costs to an organization following an accident in the workplace.

Or

Identify possible costs to an organization resulting from inadequate health and safety standards.

Possible costs such as those associated with

• Lost production, staff absence, sick pay,
• Temporary replacement with the need for additional training,
• Repair of damaged plant and equipment,
• Damage to products, investigation and remedial action,
• Administration incurred, an increase in insurance premiums,
• Fines and compensation awarded,
• Court and other legal representation.
• Intangible costs arising from a loss of business image
• The detrimental effect on worker morale resulting in reduced productivity.

Question:

Outline how national governments can contribute towards good standards of health and safety within their territories.

Question:

Explain the role of national governments and international bodies in formulating a framework for the regulation of health and safety.

• National governments‟ role in respect of establishing laws and setting up the means for those laws to be enforced.
• National governments‟ roles such as the promotion of worker and trade union rights and requiring good standards when the state is the client for contracts.

“In the case of this question, it is likely that failure to provide sufficient points related to a lack of understanding of the topic of the question rather than poor examination technique.”

Question:

Identify the powers given to health and safety enforcement officers appointed under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The powers include:

• The right to enter premises, if necessary by enlisting the assistance of a police officer;
• To carry out examinations and investigations;
• To direct that premises or equipment be left undisturbed for the purpose of investigations;
• To take measurements and photographs;
• To inspect and/or take copies of documents and records;
• To take samples;
• To require a person to answer questions and sign a declaration to the truth of his/her answers;
• To take possession of articles and substances;
• To issue enforcement notices;
• To instigate to conduct proceedings in a magistrates’ court.