edpManagement Systems
for Health Safety + Environment
health, safety and environment consultants
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Planning and Implementation
Achieving Health and Safety
Planning is essential when implementing your Health and Safety policies. You can only achieve adequate control of risks by coordinated action by all members of your organisation.
For effective planning you need to establish and operate a Health and Safety Management System that:
- Controls Risks
- Reacts to changing demands
- Sustains a positive safety culture
HSG 65
Risk control systems are fundamental to adequate workplace precautions.
The following range of activities are typical of those that fall within the scope of a Risk Control System:
| INPUT | PROCESS | OUTPUT |
| Design/Construction Design/Installation Purchasing/Procurement Recruitment/Selection Selection of Contractors Acquisitions Information |
Routine and Non-Routine Operations Maintenance Plan and Process Change Foreseeable Emergencies Decommission Demolition |
Product and Service Design Packaging/Labelling Storage/Transport Off-site Risks Disposal and Pollution Control Divestments Information |
Effective planning is concerned with prevention, which is achieved through identifying, eliminating and controlling hazards and risks.
Particular emphasis should be on health risks, which may only become apparent after a long latency period.
Suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all foreseeable risks are an essential component of effective planning.
OHSAS 18001
Your organisation needs to establish and maintain procedures for identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing essential control measures.
Procedures should encompass:
- Routine and non-routine activities
- Activities of all personnel having access to the workplace (including subcontractors and visitors)
- Facilities at the workplace, whether provided by the organisation or by others
Your organisation needs to consider the results of assessments and the effects of controls when setting Occupational Health and Safety objectives. It is important to document the results of these considerations and keep the information up to date.
Your organisation's methodology for hazard identification and risk assessment should:
- Be defined in terms of scope, nature and timing to ensure it is proactive rather than reactive.
- Classify risks and identify which are to be eliminated or controlled by effective measures.
- Be consistent with operating experience and the capabilities of your risk control measures.
- Help determine facility requirements, identify training needs and/or develop operational controls.
- Monitor how actions are implemented to ensure they are timely and effective.