June 2004
Directors 'Go Back To The Floor'
RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) held its national health and safety congress during May in Birmingham. Focused on learning, sharing and moving forward, the congress aimed to encourage a maintained momentum for better health and safety at work. Delegates were told that more needed to be done to encourage directors and senior managers to go back to the floor and investigate the health and safety shortfalls of their organisations.
Health and safety leadership needs to be more widely promoted according to RoSPA and this includes involving and motivating employees. By law, employees must look after their own health and safety with the help of employers who must consult with them on health and safety issues in their workplace. Staff must be motivated and made aware of health and safety issues so they can become more efficient therefore reducing the number of accidents and work-related illnesses.
Directors and managers have an important role to play in committing and leading operational health and safety activities within their workforce. By developing a first-hand appreciation for the real conditions experienced at shop-floor level, more directors and managers can ensure that they are consulting with employees to a sufficient level to meet the requirements of the law.
The Director of the National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH), Dr Sara Lumley carried out a study amongst 23 award-winning organisations to look at how responsibility for health and safety was apportioned. 91% of the businesses with a proven record of health and safety excellence had senior management involved in health and safety activities at a shop floor level. The study found that 95% of these organisations also provided training in health and safety for managers. This should be extended to employees who should also receive training to extend safe practices and knowledge throughout the shop floor, setting a positive direction for the health and safety culture in the workplace.
Employees will often be closer to the everyday health and safety issues surrounding workplace activities. As an employee, there is a duty to take whatever steps are necessary to protect your own health and safety and to ensure that others do not become injured or suffer ill-health through your actions. In order to meet these requirements, a general understanding of workplace safety is important.
Such training and awareness should also be extended so employees can carry out health and safety tours and risk assessments, audits, inspections and accident and incident investigation. With health and safety legislation tightening every year, the need for safety provision and training is paramount to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths.
Pro Enviro can offer health and safety courses which can be used to train personnel via an e-learning platform. Courses include Health and Safety for Employees and for Directors and Managers. Such on-line material identifies each learner’s needs and monitors their progress throughout the course via module-based questionnaires.
If you wish to discuss any health and safety aspects affecting your organisation or would like to find our more about the on-line training courses offered, please contact Richard Whitaker.
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