Unit IA: Suggested Answers to Revision Questions

Element IA6: Organisational Factors

Question 1
Internal influences include financial status, production targets, trades unions, and organisational goals and safety culture.

Question 2
External influences include the bodies that are involved in framing legislation and those agencies responsible for its
enforcement. Other organisations that may exert an influence on health and safety in the workplace include the courts
through their decisions, trade unions by promoting the health and safety of their members, insurance companies by
influencing company control measures, professional organisations and various pressure and campaign groups. Public
opinion also has a significant influence.

Question 3
The formal structure is represented by the company organisation chart, the distribution of legitimate authority, written
management rules and procedures, job descriptions, etc. The informal structure is represented by individual and group
behaviour.

Question 4
The legal reasons for ensuring that third parties are covered by health and safety management systems are that ILO
Occupational Safety and Health Convention C155 (Article 17) and accompanying Recommendation R164 (Article 11) state:

Whenever two or more undertakings engage in activities simultaneously at one workplace, they should collaborate in
applying the provisions regarding occupational safety and health and the working environment, without prejudice to
the responsibility of each undertaking for the health and safety of its employees. In appropriate cases, the competent
authority or authorities should prescribe general procedures for this collaboration.
So, both of these imply that account is taken of third parties who happen to be working on the same premises. This
invariably will involve the exchange of information (on hazards, etc.) as well as the co-ordination of emergency
arrangements and sharing of procedures.

Question 5
There are two main economic implications:

Accidents resulting from poor health and safety management result in huge financial losses to everyone concerned.
Poor health and safety management is often itself caused by a lack of economic resources available for health and safety
purposes both at national and workplace levels.

It is not difficult to compare the costs of preventing accidents with the costs arising from them (compensation, lost
production, increased insurance premiums, overtime, legal fees, fines, etc.). Prevention of accidents and ill-health is an
investment which attracts enormous dividends both for the individual employer and the national economy as a whole.

Question 6
The main role of representatives on health and safety is to work actively to prevent worker exposure to occupational
hazards. Typical activities include:

Workplace observations and inspections.

Examination of records.

Listening to complaints.

Reading information.

Asking those that they represent what their views are.

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Question 7
Typical activities of these committees would include:

Promoting health and safety in the workplace (including providing training).

Monitoring the workplace for hazards and legal compliance (including inspections).

Agreeing the health and safety policy and its implementation.

Working with management to resolve health and safety problems/complaints.

Involvement in planning proposed changes that may impact on health and safety.

Keeping union members informed about planned actions.

Question 8
A safety circle is a small group of workers - not safety representatives or members of safety committees - who meet
informally to discuss safety problems in their immediate working environment. The idea is based on the quality circles
concept and allows the sharing of ideas and the suggestion of solutions. Any insurmountable problem would be referred to
the safety representative or safety committee.

Question 9
Positive consultation involves the willingness on both sides - employer and worker - to consider problems together, to make
use of each others knowledge and expertise, and to apply that collective wisdom to the problem in hand.

Question 10
Workers.

Temporary workers.

Contractors.

Customers.

Suppliers.

Enforcement authorities.

Employment agencies.

Members of the public.

Question 11
External sources of health and safety information include:

Legislation, codes of practice and guidance.

National and international Standards.

Manufacturers instructions.

Guidance from safety and professional bodies, e.g. ILO, WHO, IOSH.

Guidance from industrial bodies.

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Question 12
Internal sources of health and safety information include:

Health and safety policy document.

Compliance data.

Cost data.

Risk assessments.

Monitoring results noise, dust, lighting, atmospheric, etc.

Job descriptions.

Job safety analyses.

Results of inspections/audits.

Accident and ill-health reports/statistics.

Training records.

Management system performance data.

Question 13
A definition should centre on a description of the attitudes, values and beliefs which members of an organisation hold in
relation to health and safety, and which, when taken together, produce an organisational culture that can be positive or
negative.

Question 14
The most common way to assess safety climate is by using a tool which includes a questionnaire survey asking workers the
extent to which they agree or disagree with a number of statements which reflect the management of health and safety.

Question 15
Management commitment can be demonstrated by (three from):

Managers being seen and involved with the work and correcting health and safety deficiencies.

Providing resources to carry out jobs safely.

Ensuring that all personnel are competent.

Enforcing the company safety rules, and complying with them personally.

Managers matching their actions to their words.

Question 16
A positive health and safety culture is characterised by:

Management commitment and leadership.

High business profile to health and safety.

Provision of information.

Involvement and consultation.

Training.

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Promotion of ownership.

Setting and meeting targets.

Question 17
The following are needed to effect cultural change:

Good planning and communication.

Strong leadership.

A step-by-step approach.

Action to promote change.

Strong worker engagement.

Ownership at all levels.

Training and performance measurements.

Feedback.

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