ISPON HSE Level 3 cheat sheet

Hierarchy of legal sources: statute > regulations > approved codes of practice > guidance; statutes set duties, regulations set specifics.

ISPON Act (Nigeria) and HSE regulations require employers to ensure safety, provide PPE, and report incidents to the regulator.

ALARP principle: risks must be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, balancing cost versus risk reduction.

Duty of care extends to employees, contractors, visitors, and the public affected by work activities.

Competent person: someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to perform the task safely.

RIDDOR-type reporting: fatalities and specified injuries must be reported to the enforcing authority without delay.

Consultation with workers on HSE matters is a legal duty, often via safety committees or representatives.

Enforcement actions include improvement notices (fix by date) and prohibition notices (stop activity immediately).

Risk = likelihood × severity; use a 5×5 matrix to assign risk ratings (low, medium, high, extreme).

Hierarchy of control: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE (last resort).

Hazard identification methods: inspections, JSA/JHA, HAZOP, checklists, incident data review, worker reports.

Residual risk is the risk remaining after controls are applied; it must be acceptable before work proceeds.

ALARP applies to risk control: continue reducing risk until further reduction is grossly disproportionate to cost.

Dynamic risk assessment: reassess when conditions, tasks, or personnel change.

Risk register: document hazards, controls, risk ratings, responsible persons, and review dates.

Bow-tie analysis: links threats and consequences via preventive and mitigative barriers around a top event.

Occupational exposure limits (OELs) set maximum airborne concentrations; compare measured exposure to OEL.

Exposure monitoring: personal sampling near the breathing zone; results expressed as 8-hour TWA or 15-minute STEL.

Hygiene control hierarchy: eliminate, substitute, enclose, ventilate, then PPE (respirators).

Health surveillance: detect early signs of work-related ill health (e.g., audiometry for noise, spirometry for dust).

Noise: action level 80 dB(A) for information, 85 dB(A) for hearing protection and hearing checks (typical).

Hazardous substances: obtain SDS, assess exposure, apply COSHH-type controls, and monitor where risk is significant.

Biological monitoring measures the substance or its metabolites in body fluids to assess uptake.

Ergonomics: match work to the worker; assess manual handling, repetition, posture, and vibration exposure.

Incident categories: near miss, first aid, medical treatment, lost time, fatality; report per regulatory thresholds.

Immediate causes: unsafe acts and unsafe conditions; root causes: management system failures (e.g., training, design).

Root cause techniques: 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa), fault tree analysis, event tree analysis.

Investigation steps: secure scene, gather evidence, interview witnesses, analyze causes, recommend actions, follow up.

Report within required timelines; fatalities and serious incidents to regulator immediately, then written report.

Corrective actions must be specific, assigned, time-bound, and verified for effectiveness.

Preserve evidence: photographs, sketches, equipment, samples, and witness statements with timestamps.

Lessons learned should be shared to prevent recurrence across similar operations.

Emergency plan elements: risk assessment, roles, alarms, evacuation routes, assembly points, drills, review.

Assembly point must be safe, upwind if possible, and known to all; headcount taken and reported.

Drills: conduct at planned intervals and after changes; record time to evacuate and lessons learned.

Emergency response hierarchy: evacuate, contain, rescue, first aid, communicate; never enter without PPE/training.

Alarm types: continuous siren = evacuate; intermittent = standby; voice announcement for specific instructions.

First aid: trained first aiders, stocked kits, and access to defibrillators where risk assessment requires.

Spill response: stop source, contain with absorbents/booms, protect drains, dispose as hazardous waste.

Business continuity: identify critical functions and backups; test communication and alternate arrangements.

Fire tetrahedron: fuel, oxygen, heat, chemical chain reaction; remove any one to extinguish.

Fire classes: A (solids), B (flammable liquids), C (gases), D (metals), F (cooking oils); match extinguisher to class.

Extinguisher types: water (A), foam (A/B), CO2 (B/E), dry powder (A/B/C/E), wet chemical (F).

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

Fire risk assessment: identify hazards, people at risk, evaluate/remove/reduce risk, record, review.

Means of escape: adequate exits, unobstructed routes, emergency lighting, and signage.

Hot work permit: remove combustibles, use fire watch, have extinguisher, check area after work.

Fire detection and alarms: smoke/heat detectors, call points, and regular testing/maintenance.

Waste hierarchy: prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose (least to most preferred).

Pollution control: prevent release to air, water, land; use permits, containment, and treatment.

Environmental aspects and impacts: aspect = cause (e.g., emission), impact = effect (e.g., air quality).

Spill prevention: secondary containment, drip trays, bunded storage, and inspection.

Waste segregation: label containers, separate hazardous from non-hazardous, and track disposal.

Environmental monitoring: air, water, noise, and soil sampling compared to permit limits.

Energy and resource efficiency reduce emissions and costs; measure and set targets.

Environmental management system (EMS): plan-do-check-act cycle, legal register, objectives, audits.

PDCA cycle: Plan (objectives), Do (implement), Check (audit/monitor), Act (correct and improve).

Safety culture maturity: pathological (blame), reactive (report), calculative (systems), proactive (prevent), generative (learning).

Leading indicators: training hours, inspections, near-miss reports; lagging: incidents, lost time, fatalities.

Management commitment: visible leadership, resources, safety policy, and accountability at all levels.

Worker engagement: reporting systems, safety committees, and feedback loops improve culture.

Audit vs inspection: audit checks system conformity; inspection checks physical conditions and behaviors.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be SMART and reviewed at management reviews.

Contractor management: pre-qualification, induction, supervision, and performance monitoring.

PPE is last resort after elimination, substitution, engineering, and administrative controls.

PPE selection: match to hazard (e.g., respirator for airborne, gloves for chemical, helmet for impact).

PPE training: how to don, doff, inspect, maintain, and dispose; fit testing for respirators.

PPE limitations: only protects the wearer, can fail, may create new hazards (heat stress, visibility).

Safe work practices: permits to work (hot work, confined space, excavation), LOTO, and toolbox talks.

LOTO: lockout/tagout isolates energy sources; verify zero energy before work.

Confined space entry: permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, attendant, rescue plan.

Housekeeping: keep work areas clean and orderly to prevent slips, trips, and fire loads.