Posted By Trevor Webster On behalf of the London Health & Safety Forum (London Boroughs Health & Safety Group) I am reviewing audit systems. Specifically we are looking at audit tools that test safety management systems in large orgainsations i.e compliance with HSG 65. If you know of any good systems I would like to hear from you (we already have details of the ROSPA QSA system)

Posted By Ciaran McAleenan Trevor I can offer two suggestions of tools that you may wish to look at; There is a HS(G)65 audit questionnaire that you can download from the following website http://www.web-safety.co...es/exchange.htm#othermts Also Norton Waugh produce an extremely effective, low cost software program for auditing systems. It can be previewed on http://www.nortonwaugh.co.uk/ Any system that defines the procedures to be followed and the standards of performance expected can be audited. Whether the system is designed around HS(G)65, 18001, 14001, 9001 or the Operational Analysis and Control (OAC) model it can be and should be audited regularly. If an organisation has a well designed safety management system appropriate to it's business needs then it should fit with any of the management system badges that are available. Regards Ciaran mailto:ciaran@confinedspaces.com

Posted By Trevor Webster Ciaron Thank you I will follow up your ideas Trevor

Posted By Trevor Webster Kevin, Thanks for your comments - it is very interesting to see how few audit systems there are in the market place that organisations can use themselves. There are plenty of organisations who will carry out the audit for you - but it can be more cost effective for large organisations to run their own programmes. Regards Trevor

Posted By Ciaran McAleenan Tim The purpose behind the operational analysis and control model is to ensure that work operations are carried out in strict accordance with all relevant safe working procedures. In this way we can make sure that our people, plant and property is protected from harm prior to, during and after the work operation, regardless of the nature of the hazards faced. This emerging model, that has been functioning successfully in a Government Department in N. Ireland for some time now, is in three stages as follows; A. Operation (Hazard Analysis) 1. What can cause harm? (Look for the harm factors in the work operation itself, the workers, the materials, the machinery and plant, the public & visitors and the environment). 2. What are you doing about it? (Once you know what can cause harm you look for the controls that are needed to prevent that harm from occurring). 3. Is it enough? (At this stage, before embarking on the work operation consider whether you have done enough to prevent harm. If necessary seek specialist advice e.g. from trade or professional associations, manufacturers, your National Statutory Safety Body, other safety professionals etc). B. Manage 1. What has to be done? (Having carried out the analysis you must list what needs to be done to ensure a safe outcome to the work operation. E.g. have you made your employees aware of what can cause them harm and what they must do?, do you know what training they need?, are there written safety instructions? Does everyone know who is responsible and for what? etc). 2. What resources do you need? (Material, human, financial). 3. Make them available. (Some will be needed well in advance of any work operation. Build your controls into your budget and business plan). C. Review Believing that you have a safe workplace is a sure way of ensuring that you have not. Like every aspect of your work safety needs to be continually managed and improved, as necessary. Things can go wrong and you must be able to anticipate and act in advance to ensure that they don’t happen. Ask yourself the following questions: 1. What could go wrong? 2. How could it happen? 3. How would you deal with it? Should an accident occur use these three questions (the first two looking back to and the third looking forward to how to prevent the accident being repeated). If we do not always get it right there is no reason to give up or accept a lesser standard. Accepting accidents as inevitable is fatalistic. Our objective of integrating the highest standards of health and safety with improved business performance means that our end product/ service must be achieved in a manner that protects our employees and the public from harm. Operating to any less a standard will only guarantee this negative outcome and ensure that accidents continue. You can download a PowerPoint™ graphic of the Operational Analysis and Control Model from my website http://www.web-safety.com/ Follow the links to the safety exchange, presentations and download the “5 Minute Safety Sideshow”. Let me know if I can help further. Regards Ciaran

Posted By Ian Waldram Any Management System (MS) that is genuinely 'systematic' should be modelled on some form of 'continuous improvement' cycle. I am therefore puzzled as to why your Group should wish to look for audit systems as such, rather than looking at how MS are applied in large organisations, and how effective the self-audit element is within these. On behalf of IOSH, I recently attended an ILO Meeting of Experts which finalised their Guidelines on OSH MS - to be published around September. I was pleased to find that several others at that meeting had the same experience as myself - that self-audit (i.e. internal by a team independent of the area being reviewed) is THE important first step, with external audit a potentially valuable add-on once the internal system seems to be working OK. I can provide contact details for relevant 'Experts' from New Zealand, US and UK if needed. If you want a more detailed explanation, see the paper on "Lessons from Safety Cases" in the current edition of the IOSH Jounral.