DOSHS Safety Committee Exam cheat sheet

Kenya's OSHA 2007 applies to all workplaces; the employer's core duty is to ensure safety, health and welfare of workers 'so far as is reasonably practicable' (SFAIRP).

SFAIRP balances likelihood and severity of harm against cost, time and trouble of control measures; grossly disproportionate cost can justify lesser controls, but not inaction.

Employers with 20 or more employees must establish a safety and health committee; smaller workplaces must designate a safety officer.

DOSH (Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services) inspectors may enter workplaces, issue improvement and prohibition notices, and prosecute; obstruction is an offence.

Employees have a duty to take reasonable care of themselves and others, cooperate with the employer, report hazards, and not misuse safety equipment.

Employers must report accidents and dangerous occurrences to DOSH; failure to notify is an offence under OSHA 2007 and the WIBA framework.

WIBA 2007 provides no-fault compensation for work-related injuries and diseases through the Director of Occupational Safety and Health Services.

Regulations supplement OSHA 2007: noise, fire risk reduction, hazardous substances, and electric power rules set specific exposure limits and controls.

Committee applies to workplaces with 20 or more workers; composition must reflect all sections, shifts and departments of the workplace.

Employer side and worker side should have equal representation; worker members are elected by fellow workers, not appointed by management.

A chairperson and secretary are elected by the committee; the secretary typically handles records, minutes and notices of meetings.

Members should be trained in safety and health; training records for committee members are part of required documentation.

Committee members serve a defined term; vacancies are filled promptly to maintain quorum and representation.

Meetings occur at least once every three months; quorum requires the agreed minimum attendance of members from both sides.

Worker safety representatives have the right to inspect the workplace, accompany inspectors, and access accident records relevant to their area.

Committee composition and minutes should be communicated to all workers, and members should not suffer detriment for performing committee duties.

Core functions: promote safety and health, review risk assessments, monitor control measures, and advise the employer on improvements.

Committee reviews incident and inspection reports, recommends corrective actions, and tracks them to closure.

Committee participates in developing and reviewing safety and health policies, safe work procedures and emergency plans.

Committee monitors the effectiveness of safety training and induction and identifies training gaps.

Committee promotes worker consultation and two-way communication on hazards and controls.

Committee reviews statutory compliance and prepares for DOSH inspections, keeping required registers and records.

Committee members act as a channel for worker concerns and escalate unresolved issues to management with recommendations.

The committee does not replace the employer's legal duty; the employer remains responsible for implementing controls and providing resources.

Hazard is a source of potential harm; risk is the combination of likelihood and severity of harm from that hazard.

Risk rating = likelihood x severity; a common 5x5 matrix yields scores 1-25 mapped to low, medium, high and critical bands.

Hierarchy of control, in order: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE as last resort.

Risk assessment steps: identify hazards, determine who may be harmed, evaluate risk, record findings, implement controls, review and update.

Hazard identification sources include inspections, incident records, worker reports, SDS data, and task/job safety analysis.

Residual risk is the risk remaining after controls; it must be recorded and judged acceptable against defined criteria.

Assessments must be reviewed when processes change, after incidents, and at planned intervals; record date, assessor and review date.

PPE is the least reliable control because it depends on correct fit, use and maintenance; it supplements, never replaces, higher controls.

Inspection types include routine scheduled, follow-up, incident-triggered, and statutory compliance inspections.

Prepare a checklist based on hazards, prior findings, and legal requirements; use consistent scoring to allow trend comparison.

Inspect all areas including storage, welfare facilities, walkways, and areas across all shifts, not just main production zones.

Record findings with location, description, risk rating, responsible person, and target completion date.

Follow-up inspection verifies corrective actions are implemented and effective; close findings only after verification.

Inspection frequency should reflect risk level; higher-hazard areas require more frequent inspection.

Committee members participate in inspections and review findings at meetings; findings feed into the risk assessment review.

Inspection records must be retained and made available to DOSH inspectors on request.

Reportable events include fatalities, serious injuries, dangerous occurrences, and occupational diseases; notify DOSH within statutory timelines.

Investigation aims to establish root causes, not to assign blame; use a structured method such as 5 Whys or fault tree analysis.

Sequence: secure the scene, provide first aid, gather evidence, interview witnesses, analyze causes, recommend controls, implement, verify.

Distinguish immediate causes (unsafe acts/conditions) from root causes (management system, training, design, procedures).

Preserve evidence: photographs, sketches, equipment, witness statements, and records of training and maintenance.

WIBA claims are separate from DOSH notification; both may be required after a serious injury.

Track corrective actions to closure and share lessons learned across the organization to prevent recurrence.

Maintain an accident register and statistics; analyze trends by department, shift and incident type for preventive planning.

Occupational hygiene hierarchy: anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control workplace health hazards.

Exposure limits are compared against time-weighted averages (TWA) over an 8-hour reference period; short-term exposure limits apply to brief peaks.

Noise: action level typically 85 dB(A) 8-hour TWA; hearing protection and audiometric testing are triggered at defined exposure levels.

Welfare facilities include drinking water, washing and sanitation, rest areas, and separate changing facilities where required.

Health surveillance (e.g., audiometry, spirometry, biological monitoring) is required where workers are exposed to specific health hazards.

Chemical controls include substitution, ventilation, enclosure, and use of safety data sheets (SDS) for hazard communication.

Biological hazards require immunization, hygiene facilities, PPE, and post-exposure procedures where relevant.

Records of exposure monitoring and health surveillance must be kept confidential and retained per statutory periods.

Emergency plan must cover fire, chemical release, medical emergency, and evacuation; it is tested through drills at planned intervals.

Fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, heat; removal of any one side prevents or extinguishes combustion.

Fire classes: A (solids), B (flammable liquids), C (gases), D (metals), and electrical; extinguisher selection must match the class.

PASS technique for extinguishers: Pull pin, Aim at base, Squeeze handle, Sweep side to side.

Evacuation routes must be unobstructed, clearly signed, and illuminated; assembly points must be designated and communicated.

First aid: adequate trained first aiders, stocked kits, and a written procedure for summoning help and transporting casualties.

Fire detection, alarms and extinguishers require scheduled inspection and maintenance with records retained.

Emergency contacts, roles (wardens, first aiders) and contact numbers must be displayed and updated.

Training needs analysis identifies gaps by role, task hazard, and legal requirement; induction training precedes work commencement.

Training records must include trainee name, content, date, trainer, and outcome; retained for audit and DOSH inspection.

Communication channels include toolbox talks, notice boards, committee minutes, and safety signage in a language workers understand.

Records required include risk assessments, inspection reports, accident register, training records, committee minutes, and maintenance logs.

Retention periods are set by statute; accident and health records typically require long retention, sometimes decades for exposure records.

Competency must be verified (test, observation, or certification) before a worker performs a hazardous task independently.

Refresher training intervals should be defined and triggered by process change, incident findings, or new legislation.

Confidentiality applies to individual health records; aggregate data may be shared with the committee for prevention purposes.

The employer must keep a register of accidents and dangerous occurrences and make it available to DOSH on request.

A safety and health policy statement is required in writing and must be communicated to all workers.

Risk assessment records must be dated, identify the assessor, and be reviewed on a defined cycle.

Committee records include constitution, membership, meeting minutes, and action tracking logs.

Training and induction records must be retained and produced during inspection.

Maintenance and inspection records for equipment, fire systems and PPE demonstrate ongoing control.

Records may be kept electronically if retrievable, legible and secure; backups protect against loss.

Failure to keep required records is an offence and weakens the employer's defense in enforcement or compensation claims.

DOSH inspectors may issue improvement notices requiring remedial action within a stated period.

Prohibition notices halt activities that pose imminent risk of serious personal injury; work may not resume until the risk is removed.

Appeals against notices follow statutory procedures and timelines; non-compliance can lead to prosecution and fines.

Workers have the right to raise concerns without detriment and to participate through elected safety representatives.

The committee is the formal mechanism for worker consultation on safety and health matters.

Inspectors may interview workers privately and examine records; cooperation is a legal duty.

Prosecutions may follow fatalities or serious breaches; evidence of a functioning committee and records supports mitigation.

Employers must display required statutory notices and abstracts where prescribed.

Effective committees set annual objectives, track performance indicators (incident rates, inspection closure rates, training completion).

Action tracking with owners and deadlines converts meeting discussion into measurable outcomes.

Trend analysis of incidents, near misses and inspection findings informs risk assessment updates and training priorities.

Worker feedback surveys and suggestion schemes supplement formal committee channels.

Benchmarking and audits (internal or external) identify gaps in committee functioning and documentation.

Review of the safety and health policy and objectives occurs at planned intervals and after significant change or incident.

Communication of outcomes to the workforce builds trust and demonstrates that concerns lead to action.

Continuous improvement cycle: plan, do, check, act, applied to committee processes and controls.