TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION TO FID10102
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH MANAGEMENT
TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES (TLO)
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

Explain the importance of occupational safety and health

Identify key historical figures that have contributed to the profession

Define terminology used in occupational safety and health

List job titles of individuals performing occupational safety and health

activities

Identify roles and responsibilities of safety and health professionals

INTRODUCTION
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Preserving and protecting human and facility

resources in the workplace.

Help people by preventing them from being injured

or becoming ill due to hazards in their workplaces.

Also the management function to improving

organization quality and efficiency.

Also a legal compulsion for companies to promote

occupational safety and health.
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE?

Workplace Safety and involves the assessment

Health (WHS) and migration of risks that
• often referred to as may impact the health,
• Occupational Health and Safety safety or welfare of those
(OH&S) in the workplace.

Help all employers and their workers decrease job

accidents, injuries, medical illnesses and death.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY?

The main purpose is to protect workers from health

and safety hazards on the job.

It sets out duties for all workplace parties and rights

for workers.

It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace

hazards and provides for enforcement of the law
where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE SAFE?

Save cost
• Safety training saves more money, in the long
run, than it costs. ...
Protects
• Workplace safety is important because it:
protects employees and the employer from
death or injury. Teaches workers how to work
in a safe environment.
EARLY RECOGNITION OF OCCUPATIONAL
DISEASES
In 1473 a German physician, Ellenborg, published the
first known pamphlets on occupational disease from
gold miners.

In 1556 the German scholar, Agricola, described the

diseases of miners.

In 1713 Ramazzini, who is regarded as the father of

occupational medicine, suggested that in diagnosis
doctors should ask patients about their occupations.

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EMERGENCE OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT

Industrial accidents arose out of the Factory

System during the Industrial Revolution in
Britain in 18th Century (1700s).

Women and children worked as heavy

labourers under unsafe and unhealthy
workplaces.

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EMERGENCE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
LEGISLATION
In 1833 English Factory Acts was the first effective industrial
safety law.

It provide compensation for accidents rather than to control

their causes.

Insurance companies inspected work places and suggested

prevention methods

Problem:
• Safety became injury and insurance oriented

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EMERGENCE OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Role of Herbert W. Heinrich (1930’s),

• Developed Domino Theory and promoted
control of workers behaviour.
Problem:
• Focused on worker behaviour and not
management
• Caused people to think that safety is about
policing worker
FID26002 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT 14
EMERGENCE OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Frank Bird (1970) developed Loss Control Theory.

Suggested that underlying cause of accidents are lack of

management controls and poor management decisions.

Problem:
• Not so popular: blames management (responsibility and control).

FID26002 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT 15

EMERGENCE OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT

In 80’s Behavioural Based Safety (BBS) was introduced;

Based on Heinrich’s findings.

Work by recognizing safe work habits and offering rewards

and punishment.

Problem:
• Focuses on workers and not on hazard or management
• Reward and punishment system have flaws

FID26002 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT 16

EMERGENCE OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM

Current development of
Occupational Safety And Health
management system was driven by
two parallel forces:
• Self-regulatory legislation in the
United Kingdom (1974),
• Quality management movement
FID26002 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT 17
A-SELF REGULATION LEGISLATION

Lord Robens, Chairman of a Royal Safety

Commission Report noted that:
• There was too many OSH legislation,
• Was fragmented,
• Limited in coverage (specific hazards & workplace),
• Out of date and difficult to update,
• Inflexible (prescriptive),
• People thought that safety was what government
inspectors enforced.
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A-SELF REGULATION LEGISLATION

Lord Robens recommended

• Self regulation

Report resulted in the Health and Safety of Workers At

Work Act in the UK in 1974

Similar legislation was enacted in Australia in 1984

Enacted in Malaysia in 1994 after the 1992 Bright Sparkler

accident in Sungai Buloh

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A-SELF REGULATION LEGISLATION

Features of “Robens’ style” legislation:

• General duties of care by:
• Employer, employee, manufacturer, designer,
supplier
• Duty of employer to make the workplace safe
• Consultation with employees through Safety
Committees
• Safety Officer as advisor and coordinator
• Improvement and prohibition notices
FID26002 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT 20
A-SELF REGULATION LEGISLATION
Legislation follow major accidents and reinforce need for
management system.
ACCIDENT REGULATION/PROGRAMME
CIMAH regulation
Flixborough (1974)

“Responsible Care” / Process safety

Bhopal (1984)

Piper Alpha (1988) Risk Assessment / Management system

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TERMS AND CONCEPT FID10102
ACCIDENT –
Undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-health or injury,
damage to property, plant, products or the environment; production
losses or increased liabilities.
INCIDENT –
Undesired circumstances and ‘near misses’ which could cause
accidents.
ILL HEALTH –
Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical, chemical or
biological agents as well as adverse effects on mental health.
HAZARD –
The potential to cause harm. Harm including ill health and
injury, damage to property, plant, products or the environment,
production losses or increased liabilities.
RISK
Means the likelihood that a specified undesired event will
occur due to the realisation of a hazard by, or during work activities
or by the products and services created by work activities.
 Hazards/Danger
Observable or predicted from knowledge

Risk
Not directly observable - probability of harm to system elements being
realised from exposure to hazards and danger.

Harm
Damage to system elements - long or short term

Accidents

Injuries Ill-Health Damage
SAFETY
The ‘control of accidental loss’.
REASONS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS
There are three main reasons for preventing accidents and ill-
health.
MORAL / HUMANE

No-one comes to work to be injured or killed

COST
Accidents cost organisations money.

e.g. Piper Alpha – 167 people killed – estimated to have cost

over £2 billion including £746 million in direct insurance
payouts.
LEGISLATION

Organisations have a legal obligation.

In the UK – Health & Safety at Work Act, 1974 and

associated Regulations
e.g.
Management of Health & Safety at Work Regs 1999
Quarry Regulations, 1999
ACCIDENT COSTS ‘ICEBERG’
Insurance Costs
Covering Injury, ill
£1 health, damage

Uninsured Costs
£8-36 Product and material
damage.
Plant & building damage
Tool & equipment damage.
Legal costs
Expenditure on emergency
supplies.
Clearing site
Production delays
Overtime working and
temporary labour
Investigation time.
Supervisor’s time diverted
Clerical effort.
Fines
Loss of
expertise/experience
TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Safety - concerned with people and company resources.
These are LOSS

People Company
• injury, illness & resources
Elimination or fatalities • Damage
Safety control of equipment, raw
hazards materials,
products,
reputation, down
time, facilities

Techniques use to eliminate or control of hazard are loss prevention

and loss control.
 TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Loss prevention
• a program designed to identify and correct potential
accident problems before they result in financial loss or injury.
• Example: Fire prevention program – training to inspect work
area to remove combustible materials
Loss control
• a program designed to minimize incident-based financial
losses.
• Example: Fire protection program – training in the use of fire
extinguisher
 JOB TITLES OF INDIVIDUALS PERFORMING
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACTIVITIES

Industrial Risk Manager Safety Safety Safety

Hygienist Professional Engineer Manager
• the effects • responsible • Specialized • Control and • establishing
on health of for insurance knowledge modification and
chemical programs and skill of the maintaining
and physical and other workplace the safety
agents activities and other organization
under that environments and its
various minimize to achieve activities in
levels of losses optimum an
exposure. protection enterprise
for both
people and
property.
 THE SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Accident Investigation
• determining the facts and causes related to an accident based on witness
interviews and site inspections.
Work with Emergency Response Teams
• organizing, training, and coordinating skilled employees to react to
emergencies such as fires, accidents, or other disasters.
Environmental Protection
• recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazards that can lead to undesirable
releases of harmful substances into air, water, or the soil.
Ergonomic Analysis and Modification
• designing or modifying the workplace based on an understanding of human
physiological/psychological characteristics, abilities, and limitations.
 THE SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Fire Protection
• eliminating or minimizing fire hazards by inspection, layout of facilities, and design
of fire suppression systems.
Hazard Recognition
• identifying conditions or actions that may cause injury, illness, or property damage.

Hazardous Materials Management

• ensuring dangerous chemicals and other products are stored and used in such a
manner as to prevent accidents, fires, and the exposure of people to these
substances.
Health Hazard Control
• recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazards that can create undesirable health
effects, including noise, chemical exposures, radiation, or biological hazards.
 THE SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Inspection/Audit
• evaluating/assessing safety and health risks associated with equipment,
materials, processes, or activities.
Recordkeeping
• maintaining safety and health information to meet government requirements, as
well as provide data for problem solving and decision making.
Regulatory Compliance
• ensuring all mandatory safety and health standards are satisfied.

Training
• providing employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize
hazards and perform their jobs safely and effectively.
QUESTIONS
1. Why does it make good business sense to have a good safety
program? List four reasons.
2. Do you think most working individuals are concerned with
occupational safety and health issues? Why?
3. Why is it useful to study historical occupational safety and
health events?
4. What is your definition of the term safety? How does it differ
from the professional definition of this term?
5. What potential losses can result from safety and health
hazards in the workplace?
6. What are some of the responsibilities of safety professionals?