Archive for the ‘Health & Safety Management’ Category

Not only does a job description play an important role in assisting with human resource planning, but it also provides prospective employees with a description of specific job expectations and functions. A job description also serves as the starting point for employee recruitment. A job description is usually a two-to-four-page document which outlines the requirements and details of a specific position. An overview of the job as well as specific duties that the job entails is provided by the job description.

What is the Significance of a Job Description?

Apart from supplying a prospective employee with details regarding the job, a job description can also be used as a tool for human resource departments and managers. The human resource department makes use of a job description to recruit for vacant positions or to restructure positions or departments within the organization, while managers utilizes a job description during the evaluation of an employee’s performance.

What Details are included within a Job Description?

Regardless of the type of job, any job description contains standard information, which includes job title, job duties, job overview, pay grade, necessary skills or certifications, preferred/required education, preferred/required work experience, and physical requirements. Some organizations even require an employee’s signature as proof that he has been presented with and subsequently reviewed the job description.

Are there any Considerations with regards to a Job Description?

It is important to note that not each aspect concerning a job will be included within a job description. A job description should thus only be used as a general guide by human resource departments, managers, and prospective employees.

What is the Review Process concerning a Job Description?

It goes without saying that job descriptions should be reviewed and edited periodically as job duties change or evolve over time. In addition, present employees should even be allowed to review their job descriptions on an annual basis.

Incidents usually occur when hazards are not detected through preventive measures, which includes job or process safety analysis, or as the result of combinations of circumstances that were difficult to foresee. A thoroughly done incident investigation should thus identify previously overlooked physical, environmental, or process hazards, the need for new or more extensive safety training, or even unsafe work practices. The main focus of any incident investigation should be the facts surrounding the incident and the lessons learnt from it to prevent similar future occurrences. It should be understood that the process should be thought of as an opportunity for improvement within the company, and not to place blame.

Book a consultation with one of our consultants.

When to conduct an Incident Investigation?

An incident investigation should be conducted for:

• All injuries;
• All incidents with potential for injury;
• Property/product damage situations; and
• All “near misses” where the potential for serious injury was present.

How to plan for an Incident Investigation?

Planning an incident investigation includes procedures that determine the following:

• �
  • Who should be notified of accidents?
  • Who is authorized to notify outside agencies (police, fire department)?
  • Who is assigned to conduct incident investigations?
  • What training does accident investigators require?
  • Who receives and acts on investigation reports?
  • Who should work out timetables for conducting hazard correction?

How to gather information during an Incident Investigation?

Information should be gathered regarding the direct and indirect contributors to the incident. Below are some tools that should be used to gather as much information as possible during an incident investigation:

• Eye witnesses should be interviewed as soon as possible after the incident. Note that witnesses should be interviewed separately and not as a group;
• Other interested persons such as supervisors and co-workers should also be interviewed;
• The following related records should be reviewed:

1. Training records;
2. Disciplinary records;
3. Medical records;
4. Maintenance records;
5. WCA Forms;
6. Safety Committee records;

• The incident scene should be documented with photographs, videotape, sketches, as well as appropriate measurements.

Determining the gap that exists between your organisation’s current occupational health and safety management system and OHSAS 18001 requirements is of extreme importance in the planning, rationalisation, development and implementation process. A thorough analysis does not only save organisations a lot of money, it also provides upper management with the means to:

• Gain an understanding regarding OHSAS 18001 requirements;
• Identify where implementation will impact the organisation the most;
• Accurately determine required resources; and
• Formalise an implementation plan.

Book a consultation with one of our consultants if you need help with OHSAS Gap Analysis Audits.

Processes involved with OHSAS 18001 Gap Analysis Audit

• Firstly, a Documentation Review of your organisation’s occupational health and safety management system should be conducted. You are asked to provide existing policies, procedures, as well as a master list of documents and records. The Project Director will also visit your location, interview staff, research policies, and evaluate existing business processes from an OHSAS 18001 perspective. Ultimately, the result of this Documentation Review is a detailed report that identifies where your current practices meet OHSAS 18001 requirements, and where gaps exist. A draft Project Plan and a custom tailored Lean OHS Curriculum can thus be developed once this process of the gap analysis has been performed.
• The second process involves conducting an Executive Briefing. The Executive Briefing is aimed at your management team and key implementation project participants. The results of the gap analysis are reviewed by the Project Director while also busy conducting clause-by-clause reviews of OHSAS 18001 and its applicability to your organisation.
• Thirdly, a Process Discovery Session is facilitated in order to identify and rationalise your organisation’s core and support processes. These are a comprehensive set of processes that govern all activities of your organisation. This set of processes is also crucial to project planning, scheduling, and resource allocation.

Objectives of OHSAS 18001 Gap Analysis Audit

• Reviewing and identifying current occupational health and safety practices and processes;
• Assessing compliance with OHSAS 18001 and identifying areas of weakness;
• Determining the resources required in order to achieve certification;
• Training upper management on the requirements and applicability of OHSAS 18001;
• Developing a draft Project Plan;
• Identifying training needs;
• Making recommendations concerning the addressing of OHSAS 18001 requirements; and
• Designing and/or tailoring a Lean OHS Curriculum.

Book a consultation with one of our consultants if you need help with OHSAS System Audits.

General Requirements:

• Providing a safe workplace for staff;
• Identifying and controlling hazards;
• Training and supervising staff; and
• Recording all accidents and reporting all serious injuries to the OccupationalSafety and Health service ( OSH).

Book a consultation with one of our consultants.

General Duties of Employers to Provide a Safe Workplace

• Providing and maintaining a safe working environment;
• Providing your staff with necessary facilities for their health and safety while at work, as well as maintaining these facilities;
• Ensuring that equipment and machinery is safe;
• Ensuring that your staff are not exposed to hazards when in the workplace or when they are working near the workplace and thus under your control; and
• Developing procedures for dealing with emergencies.

Duties of Employers to Identify and Control Workplace Hazards

• Taking all practical steps in eliminating any significant hazards;
• If those steps do not eliminate the hazards, you must take all practical steps to isolate it from your staff; and
• If those steps do not succeed in isolating the hazard, you need to take all practical steps to minimize the likelihood that the hazard will cause harm. You should thus provide protective clothing and equipment to your staff. You should also closely monitor their exposure to the hazard.

General Duties of Employers to Train and Supervise staff

• Ensuring that your staff has the necessary knowledge to do their work or appointing someone else to supervise them in their duties; and
• Ensuring that your staff is properly trained in the safe use of machinery and substances with which they work, as well as in the use of protective clothing and equipment.

General Duties of Employers to Record and Report Accidents

• Recording all accidents in a special register kept for that purpose;
• Notifying the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) of any serious injury as soon as possible. Within even days of becoming aware of it, a written notice should be handed to the Occupational Safety and Health Service explaining details of the injury; and
• Duties relating to recording and reporting of accidents apply to all accidents involving not only employees but independent contractors as well.

We can help you with the following:

• Implementation of Health and Safety Management Systems;
• Preparing for a Certification Audit;
• To comply with International Best Practices;
• Re-engineering of Health and Safety Management Systems;
• Managing and Maintaining Health and Safety Management Systems;
• Health and Safety Management System Development;
• Compiling a Health and Safety Manual Draft;
• Conducting a Review of current Policies and Procedures;
• Development of Health and Safety Policies and Procedures;
• Conducting Internal Health and Safety Management System Audits;
• Conducting Gap Analysis Audits;
• Conducting Supplier/Third Party Audits;
• Conducting Health and Safety Inspections;
• Risk Assessment and Safe Work Procedure Development;
• Writing Job Descriptions;
• Emergency Response Procedure Development;
• Complying with the OHS Act;
• Health and Safety Documentation Management and Control;
• Composing Surveys related to Occupational Health;
• Conducting training regarding Health and Safety;
• Organize inspections concerning Fire Fighting Equipment;
• Comply with regulations concerning Fire Fighting Equipment;
• Comply with regulations concerning Safety Signs;
• Comply with regulations concerning Hazardous Chemicals;
• Comply with regulations concerning Construction;
• Comply with regulations concerning Mine Health and Safety;
• Service regarding Advise and Consultancy;
• Conducting a study concerning Health and Safety Due Diligence;
• HACCP System Implementation for the Food Industry.

This management system is for every small & large company having or needing a system for their files of the following systems:

• Quality Management (ISO 9001)
• Health and Safety Management (OHSAS 18001)
• Environmental Management (ISO 14001)

We have a computer based fully automated management system that will give people in your company, access to relevant SHEQ information. A simple search done, will give you fast access to legislation information on ISO standards.

The Rynmag System is not only for companies needing ISO / OHSAS documents, but also companies who has their documents sorted out and now need a system that will control the flow of information from the system, and also have a safe computerised system to contain their documentation.

Read more about the different options within the Rynmag Management System:

• RynMag 181
• RynMag 182
• RynMag LI
• RynMag AI
• RynMag Retail

The RynMag Management System will address documentation issues within the following industries:

• Industrial Companies
• Manufacturing Companies
• Construction Companies
• Transport
• Mining Industry
• Petro Chemical Industry
• Retail

The laws of the country in question serve as the starting point of the system’s development. The system can thus be implemented in any country and even for companies that are spreaded over different countries; the information can be loaded together.

The documentation from the client will be woven to an integrated unit. The ISO and BSI Standards are loaded to the system together, as a unit that covers all the necessary aspects.

Industry related articles:

Home | About | Management Systems | Services | Book a Consultation | Industries | Contact | Sitemap