Element 1

NEBOSH IG1
Element 1: Why We Should

Manage Workplace Health and
Safety
© RRC International
Learning Objectives
• Discuss the moral, legal and financial
reasons for managing health and safety in
the workplace.
• Explain how health and safety is regulated

and the consequences of non-compliance.
• Summarise the main health and safety duties of

different groups of people at work.
• Explain how contractors should be selected,

monitored and managed.
Element 1.1
Morals and
Money
Introduction to Key Terms
• Health - absence of
disease or ill health.
• Safety - absence of
risk of serious personal
injury.
• Welfare - access to
basic facilities.
Group Exercise
Why might the

management of an
organisation not consider
health and safety to be a
priority?
Answer
• Ignorance of legal duties.
• Lack of care for staff welfare.
• Focus on output and profitability at
expense of worker well-being.
• Cost to the business - taking a short-term view.
• Ignorance of true cost to the business of
worker ill health.
• Competition within the business for
access to limited funds.
• Unwillingness or lack of resources to devote
time to H&S management.
Why Manage Health and Safety?
Moral reasons
Legal (or social)
reasons Economic
reasons
- Moral effect on family
- Closure, regulator & fines
- Publicity
- Loss of reputation
- End of scene
Health and Safety?
Reasons: moral
There are three key reasons to manage
safely:
• moral
Reasons: legal
safely:
• moral
• legal
Reasons: financial

safely:
• moral
• legal
• financial
The Moral Reason for Managing Health and Safety
Global statistics from the International

Labour Organization (ILO) SafeWork
Programme:
• Over 350,000 work-related fatal accidents each
year.
• 2.75 million work-related fatalities each year.
• 2.4 million fatalities from occupational diseases.
• 270 million accidents and 160 million diseases a
year due to work.
• 4% of global GDP is lost.
Group Exercise
An employee at your workplace has been

seriously injured in a workplace accident.
In groups, list the possible effects and
implications of this accident on the:
• Injured employee.
• Company.
• Line manager.
Answer
• Injured employee:
– Pain and suffering, lost time/wages, impact on family,
on- going impact on work.
• The company:
– Payment of sick pay, overtime cover for
employee, recruitment costs for replacement,
insurance claims, fines/prosecutions, increased
insurance premiums.
• The line manager:
– Loss of skills from team, time and cost of
retraining replacement, effect of overtime
cover on shifts.
Who's Responsible for Health and Safety?
Everybody - but most of the

responsibility lies with the employer
to provide:
• Safe place of work
• Safe plant
and
equipment
• Safe systems of work
• Training and supervision
The Financial Reason for Managing Health and Safety
Accidents and ill health cost

money. Costs may be:
• Direct - measurable costs arising directly from
accidents.
• Indirect - arise as a consequence of the event
but may not directly involve money. Often difficult
to quantify.
H&S failure can affect the broader economy, as

well as individual companies.
Group Discussion
An employee has been injured at

work Identify potential
– Direct costs of the accident
– Indirect costs of the accident
Group Discussion Answers
Direct costs include

• First aid treatment, sick pay,
lost production time
• Fines and compensation
Indirect costs
– Lost time for investigation
– Lost morale and damaged
worker relationships
– Cost of recruitment of
replacements
– Lost reputation
Insured and Uninsured Costs
Insured Costs £1
•Damage to plant/equipment/building
•Worker injury/death.
•Medical costs
•Legal cost associated with claim
Uninsured Costs
•Loss of raw materials due to
accidents.
•Production delays
•Sick pay.
•Overtime. £8 - £36
•Equipment repairs.
•Lost materials.
•Loss of Business Reputation
End of Section 1.1 Exercise
1. What are the three main reasons for

managing health and safety?
2. What should an employer provide to
ensure health and safety:
1. Safe place of
2. Safe plant and
3. Safe of work
4. Training, and competency of
Element 1.2
Regulating Health and

Safety
Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health and Safety
• Most countries have health and safety laws.

•Failure to achieve legal minimum standards
can lead to prosecution.
The International Framework
International Labour Organization (ILO)

• Agency of the United Nations.
• Most countries are members.
• Sets international standards for H&S by
publishing:
‒ Conventions.
‒ Recommendations.
The International Framework
Conventions
• Create binding obligations or policies to implement
their provisions.
• No legal authority, unless ratified by the member
state into its own legal structure.
Recommendations
• Provide guidance on policy, legislation and practice.
Regulations Adopted by the ILO
• Occupational Safety and Health

Convention (C155)
‒ a goal-setting policy for companies and
nations.
• Occupational Safety and
Health Recommendation
1981 (R164)
‒ supplements C155 and gives more
guidance on how to comply with its

policies.
Employers’ Responsibilities
Article 16 of C155 identifies obligations
placed on employers to:
• Ensure that workplaces, machinery, equipment and
work processes are safe and without risks to health.
• Ensure that chemical, physical and biological
substances and agents are without risk to health when
protective measures have been taken.
• Provide adequate protective clothing and
equipment to prevent risks of accidents or adverse
health effects.
Everybody is responsible for health and

safety - but most of the responsibility lies
with the employer to provide:
• Safe place of work.
• Safe plant and equipment.
• Safe systems of work.
• Training, supervision
and competency of
staff.
Article 10 of R164:
• Provide and maintain workplaces, machinery and equipment and use
working methods that are safe.
• Give necessary instruction, training and supervision in application
and use of health and safety measures.
• Introduce organisational arrangements relevant to activities and size of
undertaking.
• Provide PPE and clothing without charge to workers.
• Ensure that work organisation, particularly working hours and rest
breaks, does not adversely affect occupational safety and health.
• Take reasonably practical measures with a view to eliminating excessive
physical and mental fatigue.
• Keep up-to-date with scientific and technical knowledge to comply
with
the above.
Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights
Article 19 of C155 also places obligations on

workers, expanded in R164 as follows:
• Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of
other people.
• Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
• Use all safety equipment properly.
• Report any situation that they believe could be a
hazard and which they cannot themselves correct.
• Report any work-related accident/ill health.
Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights
Article 19 of C155 states that every worker must be:

1. Given adequate information on actions the employer
has taken to ensure safety and health.
2. Given the right to the necessary training in safety
and health.
3. Consulted by the employer on all matters of safety
and health relating to their work.
4. Given the right to leave a workplace that he has
reason to think presents an imminent and serious
danger to his life or health, and not be compelled to
return until it is safe.
The Role of Enforcement Agencies
• No harmonised global standard.

• Country-specific agencies may include:
‒ H&S Enforcement Agency.
‒ Fire authority.
‒ Insurance companies.
• Police may be involved in enforcing H&S law in

some countries.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Breach of H&S legislation is usually a

criminal
offence, leading to:
• Enforcement action:
‒ Improvement.
‒ Prohibition.
• Prosecution:
‒ Organisation may be fined.
‒ Individuals may be fined or imprisoned.
Other International Standards
International Organization for Standardization

(ISO)
World’s largest developer of management standards, e.g.:
– ISO 9001 - Quality Management
– ISO 14001 - Environmental Management
– ISO 12100 - Safety of Machinery
These standards are not ‘law’, they’re good management
practice.
They lead to a worldwide common approach to good
management.
Other International Standards
Internationally-recognised standard for

occupational health and safety is
currently ISO 45001.
Compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO
14001.
Sources of Information
• Health and Safety Executive (UK)

‒ www.hse.gov.uk
• Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (USA)
‒ www.osha.gov
• European Agency for Safety and Health at

Work (EU)
‒ https://osha.europa.eu/en
• Worksafe (Western Australia)

‒ www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe
End of Module 1.2 Exercise
1. What are the two main standards that the ILO has
produced for health and safety? What do
countries do with these standards?
2. What are employers’ responsibilities under R164?
3. What are employees’ responsibilities under R164?
4. What action could be taken against
organisations breaking health and safety
law?
1 - ILO has produced C155 and R164, which are then
ratified by countries and implemented in national law.
2 - Specifically, Article 10 of R164 puts the following obligations on
employers:
To provide workplaces and work equipment, and use work methods,
which are safe and no risk to health.
To provide appropriate instructions and training. To
provide necessary supervision.
To provide any necessary personal protective clothing and
equipment free of charge.
To ensure that the hours of work do not adversely affect employees’
safety and health.
To remove any extreme physical and mental fatigue.
To stay up to date with knowledge in order to comply with the
above.
3 - Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of
other people who might be affected by the things that
they do and the things that they fail to do.
Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with it.
Report any situation that they believe could be a
hazard and which they cannot themselves correct.
Report any work-related accident or ill health.
4 - Formal enforcement action (improvement or

prohibition notices or similar).
- Prosecution of the organisation.
- Prosecution of individuals.
- Compensation through the civil courts.
1.3: Who Does What in
Organisations
The Employer
The employer - a person or organisation that

employs people.
The employer in this context is normally an
organisation, such as a company, and is
sometimes referred to as the
‘corporate body’. They are a legal person.
The Employer
Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is

safe and free of health risk rests with the
employer.
As we noted earlier, this responsibility is made
clear in:
• ILO Convention C155.
• ILO Recommendation R164.
The Employer
The employer carries ultimate responsibility

for ensuring that the workplace is safe and
free of health and safety risks.
Ensures the safety of workers and ‘others’,

e.g.
visitors and contractors.
Directors and Senior Managers
• Give an organisation its direction.

• Set its priorities.
• Allocate resources and appoint competent
persons.
• Allocate responsibilities.
• Are responsible for ensuring that all of the
legal requirements are met.
Directors and Senior Managers
Directors and senior managers can have

enormous influence over their organisation
and its priorities.
The way they are perceived by those lower in

the management hierarchy is very important;
they must demonstrate clear commitment
and leadership with regard to health and
safety.
Middle Managers and Supervisors
Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the

day- to-day operational running of the organisation
so are responsible for the health and safety
standards within the operations under their control.
The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupiers of
Premises
• ILO Convention C155 – Article 17
• ILO Recommendation R164 – Recommendation 11
• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to develop

appropriate health and safety standards and appropriate policies
and procedures.
• This may include:

‒ Sharing of procedures, e.g.
fire and emergency response.
‒ Sharing of risk assessments.
‒ Joint management-committee
meetings.
Contractor Management
If a client can be held responsible for an injury

caused by a contractor working for the client,
then it must be in the client’s own best interests
to ensure that contractors do not endanger
workers or others.
Shared Duties
The way that a client manages contractors can be
broken down into three key areas:
• Selection of contractors.
• Planning and co-

ordinating the work.
• Monitoring and
managing the work.
Selection of Contractors
Things you should

check: • Maintenance and
• Health and safety policy. equipment
testing.
• Risk assessments.
• Previous or current clients.
• Qualifications and
training records. • Accident records.
• Membership of a • Enforcement action.
professional • Adequate resources.
organisation.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work
Information to be shared between

client and contractor:
• Hazards posed by the site and work carried
out.
• Hazards posed by the contractor’s activities.
• Risk assessments.
• Method statements.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work
Arrangements between the client and

contractor include:
• Ensuring activities don’t conflict.
• Permit-to-work system to control activities.
Monitor and Managing the Work
Clients must:
• Monitor the work to ensure safety.
The client can:

• Stop the work if it involves
unsafe practices.
Auditing against agreed method statements is a

good technique.
End of Module 1.3
Exercise
1. To whom does an employer owe a duty with
regard to health and safety?
2. How can directors influence health and safety?
3. What are the key worker responsibilities?
4. What would you look for/check when

selecting a contractor?
Summary
In this element, we have:
• Introduced some key words, such as: health; safety; and welfare.
• Highlighted the three main reasons why an organisation has to manage health
and safety, which can be summarised as moral, legal and financial.
• Set out the basic requirements of the international standards that govern health
and safety, i.e. the ILO Convention C155 and Recommendation R164.
• Discussed the consequences for employers and workers of non-compliance with
legal standards, together with the possible issue of worker compensation.
• Noted some sources of information on national health and safety standards.
• Identified various parties within and outside of the workplace and the
responsibilities that they have.
• Considered the responsibility that a client has for the management of contractors
and outlined the steps that a client should take to choose a competent contractor
and plan and monitor their work.

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NEBOSH IG1

Element 1: Why We Should

• Explain how health and safety is regulated

• Summarise the main health and safety duties of

• Explain how contractors should be selected,

Why might the

Legal (or social)

There are three key reasons to manage

Global statistics from the International

An employee at your workplace has been

Everybody - but most of the

Accidents and ill health cost

H&S failure can affect the broader economy, as

An employee has been injured at

Direct costs include

1. What are the three main reasons for

Regulating Health and

• Most countries have health and safety laws.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

• Occupational Safety and Health

guidance on how to comply with its

Everybody is responsible for health and

Article 19 of C155 also places obligations on

Article 19 of C155 states that every worker must be:

• No harmonised global standard.

• Police may be involved in enforcing H&S law in

Breach of H&S legislation is usually a

International Organization for Standardization

Internationally-recognised standard for

• Health and Safety Executive (UK)

• Occupational Safety and Health

• European Agency for Safety and Health at

• Worksafe (Western Australia)

4 - Formal enforcement action (improvement or

The employer - a person or organisation that

Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is

The employer carries ultimate responsibility

Ensures the safety of workers and ‘others’,

• Give an organisation its direction.

Directors and senior managers can have

The way they are perceived by those lower in

Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the

• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to develop

• This may include:

If a client can be held responsible for an injury

• Planning and co-

Things you should

Information to be shared between

Arrangements between the client and

The client can:

Auditing against agreed method statements is a

2. How can directors influence health and safety?

3. What are the key worker responsibilities?

4. What would you look for/check when

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