e6.3 Health and safety monitoring and measurement techniques

Question 1

Range of measures to evaluate H and S performance

Answer 1

Proactive and reactive measures

Effectiveness of control measures

Staff attitudes to health and safety

Measuring managements commitment to Health and Safety

Condition of equipment and plant

Question 2

How measures are used to evaluate effectiveness of management system

Answer 2

A decline in standards indicates deterioration of management system

Reactive monitoring may indicate poor performance

Help to assess competence within the organisation

Reduction of incident and accidents may demonstrate improvement of management system effectiveness

Question 3

Collection and use of ill health data

Answer 3

Uses -

Identify patterns of short/long term sickness absence

Identify work related causes of ill health absence

Plan for absent employees

Benchmark

Question 4

Ill health data may be used to identify…

Answer 4

Any harmful environments workers are exposed to

The need for early intervention to support workers at risk of ill health

The need for specialist training of managers and workers so that they can identify symptoms of health

Question 5

Active monitoring techniques

Answer 5

Audits

Safety inspections

Safety tours

Safety sampling

Safety surveys

Safety conversations

Behavioural observations

Benchmarking

Question 6

Health and safety audit

Answer 6

Systematic, critical examination of a health and safety management system (documentation, records and processes), with robust verification that processes are being followed at all levels

Question 7

Typical audit topics

Answer 7

Management commitment

Training

Communication and consultation

Compliance with a SSW

RA procedures

Emergency plans

Maintenance of plant and equipment

Proactvive and reactive monitoring arrangements

Legal compliance

Question 8

Considerations when developing an audit programme

Answer 8

Standards to be set

Scope of the audit

Scoring system

Monitoring arrangements

Applicable legislation

Duration

Frequency of audit

Need for Auditor training

Standardised checklists to ensure consistency

Safety of auditors

Resources required

Question 9

Safety inspection

Answer 9

Detailed check, often involving the use of checklists

Always scheduled for regular basis

Identifying controlled and uncontrolled hazards

Ensuring risk controls are in place

Question 10

Safety Tour

Answer 10

Quick informal checks of workplace processes

Unscheduled and infrequent

Areas checked are pre determined

Scope is less than inspection ( only looking for obvious health and safety breaches)

Senior management involvement

Question 11

Safety tours contribute to improved performance by…

Answer 11

Helping to identify compliance and non compliance with performance standards (KPIs)

By repeating the tours, indicating an improving or worsening trend

Checking the effectiveness of new course of action implemented

Identifying common organisational issues within different areas of the organisation

Being unscheduled, can help identify actual behaviours adopted by staff

Question 12

Safety sampling

Answer 12

Concentrate on one specific aspect of health and safety and focus in detail on that one issue

Can be random or planned

Area sub divided and an observer allocated to each

Sampling sheets used

Question 13

Safety survey

Answer 13

In depth look at a particular workplace activity throughout the organisation (permit to work system)

Looking at activities in great detail

Carried out for high risk activities

Gaining in depth knowledge of process

Question 14

Safety conversations

Answer 14

Aim to improve health and safety culture and performance by ensuring co-op between management and employees

Can be formal or informal

Carried out whilst monitoring activities are taking place

Managers can be given targets to carry out a number of conversations each week

Can be used to target high risk activities

Question 15

Behavioural safety observations

Answer 15

Assessors observe work activities to look for typical health and safety behaviours relating to the work activity

Can be carried out on a continual/regular basis

Looking at levels of compliance with procedures

Help to identify common behaviours across the organisation which may need to be addressed

Question 16

In house practitioners role in third party audits

Answer 16

To attend initial and final meeting

To brief managers and other employees on the purpose of the audit

To encourage staff to be open and honest in conversations with the auditor

To ensure documentation/personnel/work areas are available to the auditor

To ensure safety of auditor/manage risk assessment of the audit

To manage any non conformances identified

To manage any recommendations/observations identified by the audit

Question 17

Benchmarking

Answer 17

Comparing performance with others

Question 18

Data which can be benchmarked

Answer 18

Accident stats

Training stats

Audit performance

Question 19

Benefits of benchmarking

Answer 19

Attention is drawn t areas where performance is weaker than others

An aid to continual improvement

Positive comparisons can be used t improve reputation and business opportunity

Gives confidence to stakeholders of the organisation

Gives useful feedback to senior management