NeboshDiplomaElementA1

RelevantExternalDocuments
Youshouldreadthefollowingsectionsofregulationsandlawinassociationwiththiselement.It'sa
goodideatoreadthesebeforeyoustartontheelement,thenrefertotheminthecourseofstudyingthis
element.YoucandownloadPDFcopiesoftheseviatheHSEwebsite,andIsuggestusingtheMHSWR
1999ApprovedCodeofPractice.
ManagementofHealthandSafetyatWorkRegulations1999Regulations3,4,5and7
HealthandSafetyatWorketc.Act1974section2

Principlesofhealthandsafetymanagement
OneofthefirstquestionsweshouldanswerisWhyspendtimeandmoneyonmanaginghealthand
safety?

MORALReasons:
Societyplacesmoralobligationsonpeopletobehavereasonablytooneanotherandto
takecareofeachother.Thisisdisplayedthroughpublicopinionandcanbeoftenseenin
newspapersandothermediaafteramajorincidentoranactwhichoffendsthemoral
standardofthemajorityofthepublic(suchasmurder,robberyandothercrimes).
Thepublicexpectsemployerstotakereasonablecareoftheiremployees,schoolstotake
careofthechildrenintheircare,hospitalstotakecareoftheirpatients.
Itshouldnotbeaconditionofworkthatanemployeeriskslifeandhealthindoingtheir
job.
Societyalsoexpectsthatthepublicareprotectedfromharm.
Themoralcaseformanaginghealthandsafetyshouldbeenoughyouwouldthink,however
historyhasshownthatnoteveryonehassufficientmoralmotivationandinthosecasesthelegal
andeconomicargumentsreinforcetheexpectationtomanagehazardsandrisks.

LEGALReasons:

PunitiveAsaresultofpublicpressureparliamenthasmadelawsandregulationsto
definethebehaviourexpectedofpeopleandorganisations,toexposethosewhodonot
complywiththesestandardsofacceptablebehaviorandtopunishthemusingfines,
imprisonmentandpublicityoftheirconduct.Inextremecasesawindingupordercanbe
issuedbythecourtsinordertocloseanorganisationandindividualswithinan
organisationcanbeprosecutedandimprisoned.
PreventiveThegovernementappointedregulatorsforhealth&safety(theHSEand
LocalAuthorities)havelegalpowerstoissuenoticeswhichhavelegalstatusandcan
prohibitdangerousactivities(prohibitionnotices)andforcechanges(improvement
notices)topreventaccidents.Failuretocomplywiththesecanalsoresultinfinesand
imprisonmentasaresultofcourtaction.
CompensatoryCivillawallowspeoplewhohavesufferedharmasaresultofhealth&

safetyfailurestosueforcompensationfortheirpainandsufferingandtocompensatefor
futurelossesexpectedtobeincurredasaresultofaninjuryorillhealth.

ECONOMICReasons:

Organisationsrequiremoneytooperateandachievetheiraimsandpartofthisis
controllingcosts.Business'existtomakeaprofitfortheirowners,socontrollingcosts
andmaximisingprofitareofprimeimportance.
Managinghealthandsafetyisareadilymeasurablecost,butlessreadilyavailableisthe
costofnotmanaginghealthandsafety.