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What is an OHS Management System?

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The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) System

In essence, an OHS system is a group of related and interdependent plans, strategies, and policies as well as implementation and evaluation activities designed to reduce the probability and severity of workers being injured in the workplace. Like any other system there is a "plan", "do", "review" and "improve" sequence which supports continuous improvement. OHS is a "risk management" approach in which hazards (i.e. risks) are identified, assessed, treated (i.e. controlled) and the treatments evaluated.

The concept of the OHS system is relatively simple. The complexity comes from the broad range of factors and processes that underpin workplace safety. At any given point in time there will be elements of the system that are in different stages of the improvement cycle. Some elements will be highly developed and refined whilst others are embryonic.

Underpinning Principles

High quality OHS systems will be founded on proven and widely accepted principles. Whilst it is not possible to comprehensively describe key principles in an article such as this, some "basics" are outlined below.

Principle 1 - No blame approach

An effective OHS system is based on a "no blame approach". This means that regardless of the fallible nature of human beings or the circumstances of workplace injuries when they occur, safety practitioners must look for a systemic approach to addressing hazards in the workplace. Simply blaming employees for disregarding policies or engaging in "stupid" behaviour is tantamount to saying "Bad luck that you've been hurt. You should have known better". The truth is we all do "stupid" things from time to time and permanent disability or death is a high price to pay.

I recall accounts of a large smelting company which used to pour molten slag (excess by-product of the smelting process) into a large outdoor pit. The top layer of the slag would cool and harden, becoming solid enough for a person to walk over the surface. However, the slag underneath the top surface would remain molten for an extended period of time. The pit was open to employees as they walked from one part of the site to another, but they were aware of the policy that they were not to walk across the hardened surface. Unfortunately, this was the shortest route to the staff canteen from the main worksite and the policy was routinely ignored. Management also ignored the policy in their failure to enforce the policy. Inevitably, one day, a worker was walking over the top of the pit when the surface crust broke, dropping them into the molten mix. Their body would have been vaporised in an instant!

The company made fencing off the pit area a high priority, ensuring that the "human factor" would no longer present a risk in this situation.

People often behave in ways that are inherently unsafe. How often have we all lifted items that were too heavy and/or awkward to hold? The causes of serious back injury are not secret, but we take the risk anyway. Much better to have a system to manage manual handling tasks, backed up by appropriate lifting equipment where required.

Principle 2 - Effective hazard identification and management

There must be regular and ongoing attention to identifying and managing hazards. Humans are by nature adaptive creatures. The down-side of this is that where a hazardous situation exists (e.g. a trip hazard) we learn to accommodate the risk rather than treat the risk. We may avoid the hazard 999 times out of 1000, but that 1 failure to negotiate the hazard is all that it takes to cause injury.

A systemic approach (i.e. a planned approach) to hazard identification clearly signals the need to manage the hazard effectively. After all, what is the point of identifying any risk if it is then ignored? With regard to managing hazards, the "Hierarchy of Controls" is a useful way in which to determine the level of "control" required for a given risk. Whilst there are various versions of the "Hierarchy of Controls" the levels of risk treatment (from the most preferred down to the least preferred) are described as;

• Elimination - Remove the hazard or source of risk completely
• Substitution - Find a product or device that is less hazardous. This level of control is particularly useful in environments that use chemicals.
• Isolation - Block access to the source of risk either by physical means or signage
• Engineering - this level of control is often used with machinery (e.g. safety guards around moving parts) and for a range of manual handling tasks (e.g. fork lifts, "sack trucks")
• Administrative - relates to safe work operating procedures, training and instruction. Administrative controls also include regular inspections of the work environment and facilities.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Self explanatory! We often see workers in hazardous occupations using PPE. Fire-fighters, police, construction workers, outdoor workers are all examples of occupations where PPE is a basic requirement.

Principle 3 - OHS system is integrated with management systems as a whole

This principle makes safety "everybody's business". Planning for safety should be integrated with general business planning processes. The commitment to OHS risk identification and management should be no less than the commitment to other risks, whether they are risks to finances, assets, reputation, or any other kind of business risk.

The treatment of OHS risks and the evaluation of the treatments (i.e. "controls") should occur at the "work face" in every work environment. Hazard management is not a corporate exercise or a "one size fits all" approach. For example, sun block may be an essential item for outdoor workers, but for office based workers, the ergonomic design of the work station may be a much more pressing issue.

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