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Risk Management
Page 50
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DrJohn Powell is head of the Health and Safety Executive's engineering national group. From his high rise Birmingham office, he outlines the duties that an operator must take. "I see health and safety very much as risk management. The manager must ensure the health, safety and welfare of staff."
Powell's point is that it is not sufficient to simply have the correct paperwork in place.
Rather, work practices must come under the spotlight, all the time. No stone should be left unturned.
The knock-on effects of poor housekeeping can have a direct impact on business, he warns. 'A key member of staff could be out of action, which could mean that a vehicle would not be repaired. Then you have a situation where people go to help the injured employee, and even go to the hospital with the injured person these are uninsured costs."
Health and Safety Executive inspectors have the power to enter an operator's premises at will. The inspector can issue an improvement notice, or a prohibition notice as he sees fit.
Again, Powell points out that failing to uphold standards does not just threaten safety and attract fines. Bad practices can impact on an entire operation. "A prohibition notice could stop one piece of equipment from being used, but this could affect a whole workshop."
The essence of sound risk management is dealing with root causes, not the syrnptoms. If a deafening noise in a workshop threatens safety, it should be the manager's priority to reduce the din. Failing that, he should issue protective hearing equipment.
A Magistrates Court can impose a E20,000 fine on an operator who fails to comply with a prohibition or improvement notice. At a Crown Court, our sloppy operator can be faced with an unlimited fine or even imprisonment for failing to comply.