Why it is Important To Maintain Competence to Assist Safety Management"
Why it is Important To Maintain Competence to Assist Safety
Management"
Introduction
Organisations have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety of their employees within the workplace. Morally the employer is required to exercise a duty of care towards its employees, a concept that has been embodied in common and company law. From a legal standpoint, the organisation is required to comply with current legislation and regulations. In the
UK, the legal framework has been founded upon the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and its subsequent amendments (HM Gov 1974), which is monitored and enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or Local
Authorities (LA) and other enforcement bodies. Penalties for non-compliance can lead to fines, and with the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and
Homicide Act 2007, charges in cases of serious neglect, which can result in criminal proceedings and unlimited fines, thus exacerbating the cost and reputation to guilty organisations (Editorial 2011).
Latest statistics from the HSE (Appendix A) indicate that, despite recent improvements, the numbers of employees who suffered ill health, injury or fatality as a directly result of work related safety issues, remains at an unacceptably high number (HSE 2012: 1). These statistics suggest there are still areas of safety management failings in some organisations. Research suggests that the causal factor related to the majority of these failings is connected to competence, with this applying to both individuals within the workforce and the safety management systems that are implemented within the organisation (Stranks 2005: 2; Ridley and Channing 2008: 187). It is the importance of competence within safety management that forms the focus of the current paper. Following a brief definition of the term, the study will examine the factors related to a competent person and assess the need to maintain competence in safety management systems.
Management"
Introduction
Organisations have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety of their employees within the workplace. Morally the employer is required to exercise a duty of care towards its employees, a concept that has been embodied in common and company law. From a legal standpoint, the organisation is required to comply with current legislation and regulations. In the
UK, the legal framework has been founded upon the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and its subsequent amendments (HM Gov 1974), which is monitored and enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or Local
Authorities (LA) and other enforcement bodies. Penalties for non-compliance can lead to fines, and with the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and
Homicide Act 2007, charges in cases of serious neglect, which can result in criminal proceedings and unlimited fines, thus exacerbating the cost and reputation to guilty organisations (Editorial 2011).
Latest statistics from the HSE (Appendix A) indicate that, despite recent improvements, the numbers of employees who suffered ill health, injury or fatality as a directly result of work related safety issues, remains at an unacceptably high number (HSE 2012: 1). These statistics suggest there are still areas of safety management failings in some organisations. Research suggests that the causal factor related to the majority of these failings is connected to competence, with this applying to both individuals within the workforce and the safety management systems that are implemented within the organisation (Stranks 2005: 2; Ridley and Channing 2008: 187). It is the importance of competence within safety management that forms the focus of the current paper. Following a brief definition of the term, the study will examine the factors related to a competent person and assess the need to maintain competence in safety management systems.