Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Dimension
The Role of engineers in Occupational Health
& Safety
The contributions of OHS Council in
enhancing safety culture in Hong Kong
OSH Developments & Legislations in HK
Accident Prevention Modeling Risk &
Safety Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Definition of Accident
Any undesired event that results in harm
to people, damage to property, or loss to
process
Risk Assessment
What is HAZARD?
What is RISK?
HAZARD ? RISK
=
Hazards
Physical hazards
Chemical hazards
Biological hazards
Ergonomic hazards
Fire
Electricity
Mechanical
Slip/fall
10
Cost Avoidance
Injury & illness
cost
Hidden Cost:
Iceberg Theory
Loss of expertise
Clearing site
Source: Jimmy
YUEN, Occupational
Safety & Health
Council, Occupational
Safety & Health Talk
Material damage
Investigation
Overtime
Loss of business ...
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
11
12
13
Workplace Precautions
(machine guarding, local exhaust)
Stage 2
(1989 ~)
Stage 3
(1999 ~ )
OSH-MS Arrangement
(OSH-MS and Audit)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
15
Stage 1 1955~
16
Stage 2, 1989~
17
Stage 3, 1999~
18
22
23
Physical Hazards
24
Chemical Hazards
Acids/Alkalis (dermatitis/eye
injury)
Metal mercury/lead poisoning)
Non-metal (cyanide)
Gases (CO)
Organic compounds
Dust
Source: Jimmy YUEN, Occupational Safety & Health Council
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
25
Biological Hazards
Animal-borne (anthrax)
Human-borne (AIDS)
Vegetable-borne (farmers lung)
Air-con (legionnaire disease)
26
Ergonomic Hazards
Over exertion
Manual handling
Musculo-skeletal disorders
Work stress
27
Others
Fire/explosion
Electricity
Slip/fall
Mechanical
- entanglement
- friction/abrasion
- cutting
- shearing
- stabbing/puncturing
- crushing
- drawing-in
- fluid injection
- ejection
- impact
28
Further reading
Spurrier, N.; Hard lessons, IET Engineering &
Technology, Volume 4, Issue 7, 25 April-8 May
25 2009 Page(s):18 - 21 Full Text: PDF(1168
KB)
Hong Kong Government, Occupational Safety &
Health Information Centre
http://www.oshc.org.hk/eng/resource/law.asp
Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
http://www.mom.gov.sg
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
29
Contents
Introduction
Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance
Safety and Health Rules
Workplace
Work clothing
Personal Protective Equipment
Prevention of Unsafe Behaviour
Safety and Health Signs
General Safety Measures
A. Fire Prevention
B. Electrical Appliances Safety
C. Prevention of Accidents Caused by Hand Tools
D. Safe Use of Ladders
E. Dangerous Substances
F. Common Hazards at Work
i. Falling from Height
ii. Manual Handling Operations
iii. Working in Confined Spaces
iv. Organic Solvents
v. Dust / Harmful Gases
vi. Noise
Introduction
No matter what industry we are in, we encounter various kinds of
occupational safety and health hazards, such as working at heights,
working in confined spaces, using machines or chemicals, or prolong
use of display screens equipment. If there is no safety and health
measures, we may be injured at work, maimed or even die.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and
other related legislation the employer is responsible for providing a
safe and healthy working environment as well as working facilities.
As far as employees are concerned, they should also cooperate with
their employer, and take good care of the safety and health of
themselves and other employees. This includes taking note of the
high risk procedures and facilities. They should also fulfil all safety
requirements and use necessary personal protection equipment.
This Work Safety and Health Handbook
introduces the common safety and health
hazards in the workplace and the related
safety issues to help employees understand
the potential hazards in various work
processes and the necessary safety measures.
Safety Rules
Workplace
There are many benefits in having a clean and tidy workplace, such as:
1. Reducing the operational costs.
2. Reducing the consumption of materials and components.
3. Increasing productivity.
4. Improving production management.
5. Using the workplace more effectively.
6. Reducing the accident rate.
7. Boosting staff morale.
8. Reducing fire hazards.
Work Clothing
1. Different types of work require different clothing. Hence
employees should wear appropriate work clothing.
2. Work clothes should be kept clean, otherwise they may induce
skin diseases.
3. Loose cuffs, ties and scarves can easily be caught by machines,
leading to an accident.
4. Long hair can easily entangle with machines, leading to head
injury.
5. If it is necessary to wear personal protection equipment such as
safety goggles, ear protector, gloves, as well as respirator, then
the employee should wear them properly.
6. If the workplace is subject to the hazard of falling objects, then
safety helmets can provide protection to a certain degree.
7. Safety shoes can protect the toes, and prevent the sole from
piercing by sharp objects. They can also prevent slipping on wet
and slippery floors.
8. If the work clothing
becomes contaminated
by chemicals, it should
be changed immediately
and thoroughly washed.
B. Method of Use
The correct use of personal protective
equipment can prevent accidents or
reduce injury to employees to a minimum
severity in an accident.
1. The selection and method of use
should comply with the instructions of
the supplier and the employer.
2. The distributed protective equipment
should not be modified without
authority, for instance piercing a hole
in a safety helmet.
3. Take note of the validity period. If the personal protective
equipment is found to be defective, the employer must be
notified so that it can be changed.
14
Points to note:
1. Take extra care when handling objects on working platforms,
slopes, stairs or places where you can easily lose your balance.
When moving an object through a door, ensure that the door is
of an adequate width so as not to injure the palm or fingers.
2. When handling relatively light objects, do not take things lightly,
because a sudden twist of the waist can also result in waist injury.
3. When moving a long object, the front part should be slightly
raised so as not to injure the people around.
4. When passing an object to another person, you should first make
sure he/she has firmly grasped the object before you let it go.
5. When two or more persons are handling the same object, one
should take command to ensure that the steps are synchronised
and that you lift and lower the object at the same time.
15
Ass Risk
essm
e
nt
contingency procedures. If
you are not equipped with a
suitable breathing apparatus
and rescue equipment and
have not been appropriately
trained, never enter the space
to carry out rescue.
16
Work
it
Perm
Characteristics:
1. Inflammable or explosive.
2. Anaesthetic.
Preventive measures:
1. The container must be covered with a lid.
2. Never use them to wash hands.
3. Never place them near the ventilation system.
4. Appropriate protective equipment must be used.
THINNER
THINNER
- Highly flammable
- Irritant to skin and
respiratory track
- Wear goggles, face
shield, chemical
resistant gloves and
apron
- Exhaust ventilation
Preventive measures:
1. Try to control the source of the dust and
harmful gases.
2. Activate the local exhaust system to remove
the amount of dust and harmful gases.
3. When the ventilation system fails to effectively control the dust or
harmful gases, the workers will need to wear suitable respirator.
4. Respirator can be categorised into two types filtering type and
breathing apparatus with air supply.
17
5. When using breathing apparatus, ensure that the air supply has
not been contaminated.
6. Regularly maintain the cleanliness and functionality of the
respirators.
VI. Noise
If a worker is exposed to a noisy environment for an extended
period, his hearing may be permanently damaged. The employer
should conduct an assessment on the noisy working environment,
and implement hearing protection measures based on the degree of
daily exposure of each worker.
Noise situation
Noise level
First action
level
Second
action level
Peak action
level
18
C. Contact signals
In crowded or noisy working environments, manual signals are often
used for communication. Employees must be clear about what these
specific signals mean, and use them at the appropriate time.
E. Special issues
If special problems appear during work, such as the machines need
repair, inspection or testing, you need to notify your supervisor, who
will seek assistance from qualified personnel.
19
Machine Guard
Machine hazards include the workers body being hit or entangled
by the moving part of the machine and brought into the danger
zone, or the worker is injured by the broken pieces emitted.
The function of the machine guards is to separate the operators
hand or other parts of the body from the dangerous parts of the
machine.
1. To ensure the normal operation of the machine guards, never
remove or damage them for the sake of expedience.
2. Regular maintenance and inspection can also extend the useful
life of the machine guards.
3. If a machine guard is found to be damaged, notify the supervisor
to have it repaired.
4. Before repairing the guard or other parts of the machine, you
must turn off the power source and make sure the machine
has completely stopped. Lock the switches and put up a sign to
prevent other people turning on the machine by accident.
20
21
Biological Hazards
Flower , bushes or places with stagnant water may breed
mosquitoes. Apart from affecting environmental hygiene,
mosquitoes can spread Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and
other diseases. Not only can unhygienic refuse collection points
breed mosquitoes, they can also attract mice. Contact with the
excrement of mice may lead to leptospirosis, and if bitten by mice,
one may also contract rat-bite fever. Hence workers must try their
best to keep the environment hygienic in order to prevent biological
hazards.
1. Keep the environment clean and well-ventilated.
2. Remove stagnant water in the workplace. For water storage vessels
like vases, the water inside should be changed at least once a week.
3. Remove refuse as soon as possible to prevent it from breeding
mosquitoes.
4. Maintain personal hygiene by washing hands thoroughly after
work and before a meal.
5. Use appropriate personal protective equipment, such as
mosquito repellent creams, masks, and long sleeved clothing.
6. If mosquitoes are found to breed, or if mice are sighted, hire a
professional pest control company to handle the situation.
If workers need to work at a place where patients of infectious
diseases (such as influenza) are treated (such as hospital wards and
quarantine rooms), the following preventive measures need to be
taken to avoid contracting diseases though inflection:
1. Appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn. This
includes masks, goggles/ face shields, protective clothing, gloves,
shoe covers, etc.
22
Outdoor Work
If a worker needs to work outdoors for an extended period, he/she
must take measures to prevent heat stroke under very hot weather.
1. Change the working procedures: consider the possibility of
changing the working environment, such as working indoors or in
a cool, shaded place, to avoid prolonged exposure under the sun.
2. Provide shelters: construct shelters at the workplace to reduce the
likelihood of workers being exposed to direct sunlight.
3. Alter the shifts or work types: avoid having to work when the sun
is at its hottest and brightest. Alternatively change the workers
job types to avoid doing outdoor work for extended periods.
4. Take a rest in a cool place at the appropriate time.
23
24
Violence at Work
Employees may come into conflict with colleagues or clients at
work. These incidents may be quarrels leading to emotional issues,
or in more serious situations become incidents of violence leading to
injury. Hence employees should stay calm at all times during work.
When there is conflict between colleagues and customers, you must
remain calm and handle the incident objectively, with the aim of
solving the problem well. Never be emotional. If the other party
refuses to settle the incident, you can consider the following skills to
calm the person down or reduce the intensity of the incident:
1. State that you understand the other partys feelings;
2. Stress that your authority is limited;
3. Use crowd pressure;
4. Frankly admit your mistake;
5. Take immediate follow-up action in
front of the person concerned;
6. Try to think from the point of
view of the interests of the person
concerned;
7. Remind the person concerned about similar past incidents;
8. Explain the policy of your company to the person concerned; or
9. Request your supervisor to handle the incident.
25
Work Stress
Work stress is a common issue in occupational safety and health,
because it may appear in various professions. The issue of work
stress is often neglected, but in fact it can inflict on the employee
various negative effects. In serious cases it may lead to health
problems.
1. Psychological problems anxiety, rashness, annoyance,
depression, loss of concentration, forgetfulness and confusion.
2. Behavioural problems dislike of social life, loss of peace
of mind, lack of appetite / eating without control, violent
behaviour, insomnia etc.
3. H e a l t h p r o b l e m s h e a d a c h e , s t o m a c h - a c h e / n a u s e a ,
constipation / diarrhoea, surge in blood pressure, muscle pain,
and frequent fatigue.
Employees can prevent and manage their own work stress in the
following ways:
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet.
2. Cultivate good psychological wellness and positive values. Be
optimistic and learn how to face success and failure, and avoid
excessive pursuit of material goals.
3. Maintain a happy mood, and dont waste your time on unnecessary
worries.
26
27
Please note:
28
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.3, 04/2012
It is important to note that the cost of accidental loss must be deducted entirely
from potential profit. It is sobering to consider the extent to which turnover would
need to be increased to replace that lost profit.
The HSE study shows that there is a need to capture and act upon even
relatively minor accidents. Some of the ways of doing this will the subject of
another article in this series. Reducing the number of accidents at work will not
only minimise the human suffering involved and bad publicity which often arises,
but can play a surprisingly significant part in the continuing search for means of
reducing the costs in industry.
ensure articles are designed and constructed such that they will be safe
and without risks to health when they are being set, used, cleaned and
maintained, and carry out such testing and examination necessary for the
performance of this duty
provide adequate information about the use for which articles are
designed or have been tested and about any conditions necessary to
ensure that they will be safe and without risks to health when used for the
above purposes and when they are being dismantled or disposed of
provide revised information when anything about articles give rise to a
serious risk to health or safety
carry out any necessary research to discover and eliminate or minimise
any risks to health and safety to which the design or articles may give rise
ensure that there is nothing about the way in which articles are erected or
installed which makes them unsafe or a risk to health
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.4, 05/2012
ensure substances will be safe and without risks to health at all times they
are being uses, handled, processed, stored or transported, and carry out
such testing and examination necessary for the performance of this duty
provide adequate information about any risks to health or safety to which
the inherent properties of the substances may give rise, about the results
of any relevant tests which have been carried out on or in connection with
the substances and about any conditions necessary to ensure the
substances will be safe and without risks to health when used for the
above purposes and when they re being disposed of
provide revised information when anything about substances give rise to a
serious risk to health or safety
carry out any necessary research to discover and eliminate or minimise
any risks to health and safety to which substances may give rise
Sections 7 and 8 call upon employees to take reasonable care for the health
and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or
omissions
Section 21 requires persons served with an improvement notice by HM
inspectors of health and safety to remedy the contravention of one or more of the
relevant statutory provisions specified on the notice
Section 22 requires persons served with a prohibition notice by HM inspectors of
health and safety to cease the activity until the matters specified in the notice and
any associated contraventions have been remedied.
The next Health and Safety Briefing will give details of the penalties for health
and safety offences.
For more information consult the Health and Safety at Work (etc) Act 1974, as
amended by the Consumer Protection Act. Both are obtainable from:
All the above regulations require employers and the self-employed to assess
certain risks to identify what has to be done to protect people from harm.
However, in the case of the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 they are required under Regulation 3 to make a suitable and
sufficient assessment of the risks created by their undertaking for the purpose of
identifying the measures they need to have in place to comply with their duties
under health and safety legislation. It is important to note that the assessment
provisions of these regulations are superimposed over all other workplace health
and safety law, including the general duties in the Health and Safety at Work etc.
Act 1974.
Regulation 3 does not set out the measures to be taken following a risk
assessment. The risk assessment guides the judgement of employers as to
measures they should take to fulfil their statutory obligations. Regulation 3 also
requires employers who employ more than 5 employees to record significant
findings of the assessment and any identified group of employees assessed as
being especially at risk. The assessment is also required to be reviewed if there
is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been significant change in
the matters to which it relates.
Interpretation
The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) accompanying the management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 defines risk assessment as
identifying the hazards present in any undertaking and then evaluating the
extent of the risks involved, taking into account whatever precautions are already
being taken. It further defines hazard as something with the potential to cause
harm, risk as expresses the likelihood that the harm from a particular hazard is
realised and extent of risk as covers the population which might be affected by
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.5a, 05/2012
a risk; i.e. the number of people who might be exposed and the consequences
for them.
The above ACOP also describes the term a suitable and sufficient risk
assessment as meaning one that:
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.5b, 04/2012
a power press where the precautions need to be substantial and are enforced by
PUWER 1998. Here the hazard is trapping of the operators hand(s) between
closing tools and the risk is high, because of frequency of access (say 400 times
per hour) and the potential for severity of injury i.e. amputation of fingers or
hands. If the evaluation reveals that existing precautions are inadequate,
determine if the hazard can be eliminated. If this is not possible decide how the
risks can be controlled so that the possibility of harm being done to people is
minimised. The intention should be to reduce risks to a low level by adding, if
necessary, to the precautions already in place. Begin by checking that all
statutory obligations are being met, for instance, there are legal requirements for
guards to be fitted to machines to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of
machinery. Then determine if published guidance on industry practice is being
followed - membership of a relevant trade association normally gives access to
this type of information. Finally, as there is a legal obligations to do so, decide if
the precautions taken to keep the workplace safe are reasonably practicable.
Fourth - record significant findings
If 5 or more employees are employed, significant findings of the assessment
must be recorded by writing them down. Details on how the assessment was
made are unnecessary, provided it can be shown that a proper assessment was
carried out, all the significant hazards and groups of people identified as being
affected by these hazards were taken into account, the precautions were
reasonably practicable and any residual risk was low. In simple terms, show that
the precautions are reasonable and that a proper check was made.
Written documents should be kept for future reference as they may help to
demonstrate that legal obligations have been met.
Fifth - review assessment and revise if necessary
New processes or procedures introduced into the workplace can lead to possible
new hazards and significant changes in workplace activities need to be included
in the assessment. In any case, a review of all assessments should be carried
out at periodic intervals to keep them up to date with current practice.
A positive safety culture implies that the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
The different aspects interact together to give added effect in a collective
commitment. In a negative safety culture the opposite is the case, with the
commitment of some individuals strangled by the cynicism of others. From
various studies it is clear that certain factors appear to characterise organisations
with a positive safety culture. These factors include:
10
policy
organisation
arrangements
Policy
the
declaration
of
intent
The general statement of policy is a declaration of intent on the part of the
management: it should contain a commitment to the health and safety of all
employees, and reflect the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The commitment should be demonstrated by actions and provisions specific to
the organisation, for example:
The policy should also quote the name and designation of the person responsible
for overall implementation. This person should be a senior executive of the
company and he/she should sign and date it.
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.08, 07/2013
11
Organisation
the
formal
systems
and
procedures
The organisation for health and safety should reflect the organisational structure
and method of working of the company. Responsibility for health and safety
should be given at successive levels of management, from the top to individual
supervisors. Responsibilities should be clearly defined, and preferably included in
job descriptions, to prevent over-lapping and omission.
Particular clarity is required where the health and safety organisation cuts across
the company organisation lines. The input required from functional management
e.g. works engineer, chemist, safety advisor should also be described, as well as
the organisation for consultation between safety representatives and safety
committees.
Monitoring
A system for monitoring the effectiveness of the arrangements and for reviewing
safety performance as a whole.
Conclusion
To sum up, a Health and Safety Policy is the essential framework for the
successful management of the health and safety function which should be
accorded the same priority and importance as other management functions.
12
A clear statement of health and safety policy. This should specify the toplevel goals of the organisation and set the Corporate requirements for
health and safety in a way which in unambiguous. It should also commit to
provide the necessary resources to ensure that the goals can be achieved.
The structure and organisation by which the policy is to be achieved. This
will be concerned with establishing management control, securing cooperation, ensuring effective communication and specifying levels of
competence.
The planned and systematic approach to implementing policy. The
approach should be an integral part of the organisation's general
management systems. It will have the objective of assessing risks,
assigning priorities for the reduction of risk and establishing standards to
enable this to be achieved.
The measurement of performance against the standards which have been
set. This will provide a measure of achievement and reveal when and
where action is required to achieve further improvements.
The arrangements for audit and review of all the elements of the system.
This process of self-regulation will ensure that lessons are systematically
learnt and will enable performance to be compared with internal and
external standards in order to promote continuous improvement.
These key elements have been described fully by the Health and Safety
Executive in a publication "Successful Health and Safety Management" (HSG 65
- HSE Books 1998 ISBN 0 7176 1276 7) and the approach is summarised in the
figure below which is taken from this booklet. (Another useful reference is BS
8800: "Guide to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems" BSI
1996)
Absolutely crucial to the success of any system for managing health and safety is
a demonstrable commitment at the top of the organisation. Actions at this level
should clearly be compatible with and reinforce the policy commitment since the
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.18, 05/2012
13
cue will be taken from the top. Nevertheless, all organisations aspiring to high
levels of health and safety performance, should ensure that they have present
within their organisations, all the elements of the management process described
above. These are not "bolt-on" extras. They will frequently be part of the existing
management systems designed to achieve quality and business excellence.
Commercially successful companies often have good health and safety
performance for this reason. Equally, achieving high levels of health and safety is
an important contributor to business success.
14
SAFETY AUDITS
Did you know that...
To manage safety objectively, Line Managers need arrangements to enable
them to monitor implementation of systems against the defined standards.
Often, managers assume that because the written procedures are in place and
staff are trained to use them compliance is automatic - this has been proven to
be a dangerously erroneous assumption in many cases, for example Kings Cross,
Piper Alpha, Clapham Junction, the Herald of Free Enterprise, etc. There is
always the danger of the 'short-cut' or 'custom and practice' being established
and very often this is only identified in public enquiries following serious
accidents rather than by routine monitoring before the accident occurs.
To manage any aspect of an organisations activity the manager must have
targets and regular feedback of information on performance. Safety management
is no exception, the performance feedback comes from monitoring and
incident/accident information.
There are varying levels of monitoring activities, and companies adopting best
practice in safety management will have in-house procedures for all of the
following:
Safety Audit
Safety audit is the part of a safety management system which subjects each area
of company activity to a systematic critical examination. Each component of the
total system is included: management policy, features of the process and design,
operating procedures, emergency procedures, training, etc. The aim is to
disclose the strengths and weaknesses and the main areas of vulnerability and
risk, with the objective of minimising loss through accident and/or plant damage.
The outcome of the audit will be a report, followed by an action plan agreed with
local management. The implementation of the action plan must be monitored. A
Safety Audit will be carried out by a team of people who are competent and with
a satisfactory degree of independence from the plant or unit under audit.
The frequency of the audit will be dependent on management policy. For
example, some companies may audit on an annual basis and use a scoring
system to monitor improvements. Others may consider that a full safety audit is
only necessary at five yearly intervals. The frequency of future audits is decided
by weighing the benefits gained against the more frequent checks of compliance
offered by an inspection program following the initial audit. Some companies
prefer to carry out integrated audits, which include not only safety but also
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.25, 05/2012
15
16
the workplace, personally check that the safety requirements are being
implemented and communicate with his staff on the job regarding their safety
concerns.
It is the Line Managers attitude towards safety which will largely determine the
attitude of his workforce.
These Line Management Inspections should be planned and documented and
the outcome communicated to the workforce and action taken to rectify
inadequacies.
Senior Management Inspections:
The Safety Policy Statement will be issued by the chief executive of the
organisation, who must demonstrate his commitment to the safety policy by
personal involvement and communications with the workforce. Senior
management safety inspections are an ideal vehicle for demonstrating
commitment between workforce and senior managers.
Incident/Accident Investigation
In any activity in life human beings learn from past mistakes. The quality of the
Incident/Accident investigation system is very important to aid continued
improvement in safety performance and ensure there is no recurrence of the
incident. The incident/accident investigation should contain a number of elements:
Accidents are not caused simply by human error. There will always be a number
of fundamental or root causes. Investigations should seek these out and not stop
at the superficial. For example, an accident apparently caused by a failure to
observe working procedures might have more fundamental causes such as:
inadequate training; impractical procedures; excessive production pressures; or a
working group culture of ignoring formal methods.
17
18
He went on to say:
A system may be adequate for the whole course of the job or it may have to be
modified or improved to meet circumstances which arise; such modifications or
improvements appear to me to equally fall under the head of system.
In more simple terms, the process is clarified under the duty of Care by Lord
McLaren in Bett v. Dalmaney Oil Co as early as 1905.
The obligation (on the employer) is threefold:
These latter criteria are now embodied in Section 2 of the Health and Safety at
Work etc. Act so there is no reason for anyone to feel the principles are merely a
desirable standard to strive for.
Of course, latterly, people have come to refer to the use of Risk Assessment in
the development of Safe Systems of work and this approach has much to be said
for it. But again, it is not by any means new since in researching negligence
under the common law, the case of Webb v. Rennie comes under spotlight
where Cockburn C.J. said in 1865:
The Costs to Industry of Accidents and Ill-Health, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET),
Health & Safety Briefing No.32, 05/2012
19
20