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Successful Health & Safety Management
That is the title of a HSE publication HE(G) 65 first published in 1991, and currently under review, but it has stood the test of time, because its message is so succinct and relevant to every aspect of Health and Safety. The message is summarised as “ Health & Safety and Quality are two sides of the same coin”.
So why is it being revised and is the message still true?
The answer is that the “coin” has changed on BOTH sides, so the message is still true.
Firstly on the Health & Safety side several European Directives have been implemented in the U.K. By revised regulations which place earlier "prescriptive” requirements by a “risk based judgmental” duty, for example the revised Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations replacing part of the earlier Factories Act.
Also there is a clear move to make the Employer ultimately responsible for the Health & Safety of his workforce, as seen in the new Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, replacing some of the provisions of the fire Precautions Act, which did allow the Fire Officer to grant exemption from certain requirements.
Secondly on the Quality side there is the phased replacement of ISO 9002 1994 by ISO 9001:2000. The change is a total departure from the “Procedure” based documentation to a “process” based model, within which performance is measured and compared to targets so that management control may be exercised at each stage of the overall management system.
There must be evidence of “continuous improvement” and of pro-active seeking of “customer satisfaction”, but what you do and how you demonstrate your achievements in these essential requirements is not laid down, it is entirely at the Company’s discretion.
We are entering into an enlightened phase of the relationship between the health and safety and the quality systems in U.K. Industry, and if Employer and Employee alike take the opportunity to play their part it could prove to be an enlightened phase for the relationship between Employer and Employee, because never before have they needed one another as certainly as they do now, if they are to comply with HS(G)65 and ISO 9001:2000.
If you feel a little weak on either side of this “coin” possibly a short consultancy could solve your problem?
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