SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Introduction Objectives Safety Concept Definitions Safety Paradigm Reasons for Safety SMS Conclusions

Engineers have a pivotal role in reducing the risks on plant to acceptable or tolerable levels. As professionals that probably understand the plant best from a holistic viewpoint, we can play a vital role in the continuous improvement in safety standards - essential in this climate of ever more stringent health, safety and environmental legislation.

}Chemical

Process Safety vs. Occupational Safety

} Process

Safety is different to Occupational Safety. Process safety is pro-active and centers on the safety integrity of the process; occupational safety focuses more on injuries to workers i.e., very much a reactive focus. Often, firms focus too much effort on occupational safety when in fact, process safety should be given more attention, commensurate with risk.

Objectives
o

To define the basic terminologies on Health and Safety in Industries. To outline the reasons for a safe and healthy workplace. To give an overview on Safety Management Systems.

The Concept of Safety

}zero

accidents or serious incidents a view widely held by the travelling public;

}freedom

from hazards, i.e. those factors which cause or are likely to cause harm;

}attitudes

of employees of organizations towards unsafe acts and conditions; avoidance; and compliance.

}error

}regulatory

Definitions
} Accident

Undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-health or injury, damage to property, plant, products or the environment; production losses or increased liabilities.

}Hazard

any situation that could contribute to an accident. Hazards should be eliminated wherever practicable, but this is not always the case. Where a hazard cannot be completely eliminated then there will be some risk.

}Ill

Health -- Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical, chemical or biological agents as well as adverse effects on mental health.

}Incident

-- Undesired circumstances and near misses which could cause accidents.

} Maintenance

-- in its ordinary English sense of keeping something fit for service including, where necessary, replacing a worn-out part of the railway with a new part. So when we talk about maintenance, we are including what some people call renewals, alterations, upgrades and enhancements.

}Risk

the likelihood that an accident will happen and the harm that could arise. In many cases, risk cannot be eliminated entirely. We must accept this if we are to continually improve safety.

}Safety

-- the reduction of risk to a level that is as low as is reasonably practicable.

}Safe

-- the risk associated with it is controlled to an acceptable level.

Safety Paradigm

Hazards/Danger
Observable or predicted from knowledge.

Risk
Not directly observable - probability of harm to system elements being realized from exposure to hazards and danger.

Harm
Damage to system elements - long or short term.

Accidents Injuries Ill-Health Damage

REASONS FOR SAFETY

Moral / Humane
No-one comes to work to be injured or killed.

Cost
Accidents cost organizations 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. Ex. 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

Safety Management System (SMS)

}It

is a businesslike approach to safety.

}It

is a systematic, explicit and comprehensive process for managing safety risks. As with all management systems, a safety management system provides for goal setting, planning, and measuring performance.

}A

safety management system is woven into the fabric of an organization. It becomes part of the culture, the way people do their jobs.

Goals of SMS
}There

are three imperatives for adopting a safety management system for a business - these are ethical, legal and financial.

address these three important elements, an effective SMS should: 1. Define how the organization is set up to manage risk. 2. Identify workplace risk and implement suitable controls. 3. Implement effective communications across all levels of the organization.

}To

4. Implement a process to identify and correct non-conformities. 5. Implement a continual improvement process.

Basic Safety Management Components

Planning
}Planning

is the process of determining in advance what should be accomplished. }The planning stage answers the questions Where are we now? and Where do we want to be?.

Developing
is the process of determining how the objectives should be realized. The developing stage needs to answer How do we get there?.
}Developing

Organizing
is the process of prescribing formal relationships among people and resources in the organization to accomplish objectives.
}Organizing

Implementing
} Implementing

means a process of carrying out or putting into practice the plans to achieve the desired objectives, with appropriate and adequate control to ensure proper performance in accordance with the plans.

} In

this implementing stage, the proprietor or contractor is required:

} (a)

to determine and execute operation plans to control the risks identified and to meet the legal requirements as well as other requirements to which it subscribes to in safety management; } (b) to execute contingency plans for foreseeable emergencies and mitigate their effects;

}(c)

to arrange safety audits and periodic status analysis as an independent check to the efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of the safety management system, and carry out the required corrective actions;

}(d)

to motivate all employees by a combination of rewards and sanctions and stress on the reinforcement of the positive behaviour contributing to risk control and the promotion of a positive safety culture;

} (e)

to provide adequate and effective supervision to ensure that the policies and the plans are effectively implemented; and } (f) to prepare and maintain sufficient documentation to record and monitor the progress of policy and plan implementation.

Measuring
is the process of checking the performance against agreed standards to reveal when and where improvement is needed, and a means of monitoring the extent to which policies and objectives are being met.
}Measuring

Auditing
is carried out to assess performance in addition to the routine monitoring of occupational safety and health performance. Auditing constitutes the feedback loop to the planning stage which enables the enterprise to reinforce, maintain and develop its ability to reduce risks to the fullest extent and to ensure the continued efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the safety management system.
} Auditing

The 14 elements of a safety management system

A safety policy which states the commitment of the proprietor or contractor to safety and health at work. } 2. A structure to assure implementation of the commitment to safety and health at work.
} 1.

} 3.

Training to equip personnel with knowledge to work safely and without risk to health. } 4. In-house safety rules to provide instruction for achieving safety management objectives.

} 5.

A programme of inspection to identify hazardous conditions and for the rectification of any such conditions at regular intervals or as appropriate } 6. A programme to identify hazardous exposure or the risk of such exposure to the workers and to provide suitable personal protective equipment as a last resort where engineering control methods are not feasible

Investigation of accidents or incidents to find out the cause of any accident or incident and to develop prompt arrangements to prevent recurrence } 8. Emergency preparedness to develop, communicate and execute plans prescribing the effective management of emergency situations
} 7.

Evaluation, selection and control of sub-contractors to ensure that subcontractors are fully aware of their safety obligations and are in fact meeting them } 10. Safety committees to identify, recommend and keep under review measures to improve the safety and health at work
} 9.

} 11.

Evaluation of job related hazards or potential hazards and development of safety procedures } 12. Promotion, development and maintenance of safety and health awareness in a workplace

} 13.

A programme for accident control and elimination of hazards before exposing workers to any adverse work environment } 14. A programme to protect workers from occupational health hazards

Conclusions
>Technical Safety is only starting point >Technical safety is undermined by Human Factors as a result of the Safety Culture and the related behavior. >A mature HSE system includes Organizational and Safety Culture aspects >Constant feedback from detailed accident analysis studies is required.