3.2 Concept Of Health And Safety Culture And Its Significance In The Management Of Health And Safety In An Organisation

Question 1

Nebosh Learning Outcome 2016

3.2 Explain the concept of health and safety culture and its significance in the management of health and safety in an organisation

Answer 1

3.2 Concept of health and safety culture and its significance in the management of health and safety in an organisation
- Meaning and extent of the term ‘health and safety culture’
- Relationship between health and safety culture and health and safety
performance
- Indicators which could be used to assess the effectiveness of an organisation’s health and safety culture:
- tangible outputs or indicators of an organisation’s health and safety culture (eg accidents, absenteeism, sickness rates, staff turnover, level of compliance with health and safety rules and procedures, complaints about working conditions)
- Influence of peers.

Question 2

What is a health and safety culture

Answer 2

Individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation’s health and safety management

Question 3

When you look through past safety culture questions, you will find that nearly all of them could be answered by reference to ‘four Cs’ what are they?

Answer 3

The ‘four Cs’ refer to:

• Control
• Cooperation
• Communication
• Competence

Question 4

Health and safety advisers need to be able to advise management and employees on:

Answer 4

• Creating and developing health and safety policies.
• The promotion of a positive health and safety culture.
• Health and safety planning.
• Day-to-day implementation and monitoring of policy and plans.

Question 5

Define the important components of a positive health and safety culture:

Answer 5

• Leadership and commitment
• High standards of health and safety are achievable
• Detailed assessment of health and safety risks and the development of appropriate control and monitoring systems
• A policy statement outlining health and safety objectives.
• Relevant employee training programmes and communication and consultation procedures
• Systems for monitoring equipment, processes and procedures
• The prompt investigation of all incidents and accidents

Question 6

What is the significance of a safety culture in the management of health and safety in an organisation?

Answer 6

• Managers at all levels of the organisation must show their commitment to health and safety by leading by example

Question 7

Managers at all levels of the organisation must show their commitment to health and safety by leading by example
Why?

Answer 7

• If employees perceive that managers are not seriously committed to high health and safety standards, they will assume that they are expected to put commercial interests first.
• Safety initiatives or programs will be undermined as a result
• The health and safety procedures may be circumvented or simply forgotten when production or other performance targets are threatened.
• Structural reorganisation or changes in market conditions will produce feelings of uncertainty among the workforce which, in turn, will affect the health and safety culture.
• Poor levels of supervision, health and safety information and training are very significant factors in reducing health and safety awareness and, therefore, the culture.