IOSH Managing Safely study guide
IOSH Managing Safely · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
IOSH Managing Safely is a training course offered under the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's qualifications and courses portfolio, aimed at people who manage or supervise others and who need a practical grounding in workplace health and safety rather than a professional-level qualification. IOSH describes itself as a registered charity and a global body with 50,000 members worldwide across 130 countries, and its courses are delivered through a network of training partners. The IOSH Managing Safely study guide has 7 sections and about 2,226 words.
01Introducing Managing Safely: the case for managing risk
Managing safely means controlling risk to a level that is tolerable, not removing every activity that carries risk. The starting point is the distinction that examiners love: a hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm (a wet floor, a chemical, a rotating shaft); a risk is the likelihood that harm occurs and how severe it would be.
335 words, about 2 min02Assessing risks
A risk assessment follows a simple sequence: 1) identify the hazards; 2) decide who might be harmed and how; 3) evaluate the risks and decide on precautions; 4) record the significant findings and implement them; 5) review and update. Step 4 is where assessments usually fail - a document that sits in a folder but is not implemented is worthless.
328 words, about 2 min03Controlling risks
Controls are not equal. The recognised hierarchy runs: eliminate the hazard (remove the task or substance); substitute with something less hazardous; engineering controls (enclose, isolate, guard, ventilate, damp down noise); administrative controls (safe systems of work, permits to work, training, rotation, signage); and finally personal protective equipment .
304 words, about 2 min04Understanding responsibilities
In Great Britain, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out broad duties.
325 words, about 2 min05Understanding hazards
Hazards are easier to find if you look for families of them. Mechanical hazards include moving machinery, entanglement, cutting, impact and falling objects.
313 words, about 2 min06Investigating incidents
An investigation has one purpose: to establish what happened and why, so that it does not happen again. It is not a disciplinary process and it is not about apportioning blame.
303 words, about 2 min07Measuring performance
Performance is measured in two directions. Active (proactive, leading) measures tell you what you are doing to control risk before anything goes wrong: inspections, safety tours, audits, safety climate surveys, training completion, maintenance and statutory examination compliance, occupational hygiene sampling, near-miss reporting rates, and the proportion of risk-assessment actions closed on time.
318 words, about 2 min