Workplace Safety and Health : Analysis of Internal Factors Influencing Organization WSH Policy

Analysis of internal factors that can influence organization WSH policy in particular feedback from audit results and feedback from WSH performance measurements will be analyzed and presented in this post

Feedback from audit results

Auditing results from either internal or external audits constitutes the “feedback loop” to the planning stage which enables the organization to reinforce, maintain and develop it’s ability to reduce the risks to the fullest extent and to ensure the continued efficiency, effectiveness and

reliability of the WSH Management system.

In addition, there should be information flowing between the development,implementation and maintenance stages and the auditing stage so as to ensure the correct operation of the safety management system

Organization

should establish procedures to monitor and measure WSH

performance on a regular basis for continual improvement. Checks on the

WSH management system should be done through periodic reviews by

the organization and by conducting regular audits of the system.

Areas to look out for include unsafe acts and conditions above and

beyond that reportable to MOM. Corrective or even preventive actions

should be taken to eliminate the causes of actual and potential accidents

or incidents of ill-health.

A review of an existing WSH management system should assess the

performance against key indicators such as:

• compliance to legislations, standards and WSH management

systems /programmes;

• number of WSH related accidents, incidents of ill-health; or

• achievement of specific WSH objectives defined in the planning

stage (e.g. implementation of control measures).

Following the WSH performance assessment, proposed improvements to

the system and its connecting processes should be reviewed through the

risk assessment process prior to implementation.

Procedures should be established by organization for periodic audits of

the WSH management system with a view to determine whether the

system:

Following the WSH performance assessment, proposed improvements to

the system and its connecting processes should be reviewed through the

risk assessment process prior to implementation.

Procedures should be established by organization for periodic audits of

the WSH management system with a view to determine whether the

system:

• conforms to what was specified in the procedures and documents

• has been properly implemented and maintained; and is effective in

meeting the facility’s policy and objectives

Feedback from WSH Performance Measurements

Organization should take into consideration it’s WSH performance when

when developing it’s WSH policy. The WSH performance measurement

provides an yard stick for the organization to get improvement objectives

and targets with the policy providing guiding principles towards achieving

them

In order to manage workplace WSH, organization should establish

performance parameters in order to be effective in managing them as it

is a well established management principle that we can only manage

those that we can measure which is also in line with the saying “ what’s

get measured, usually gets done”

The WSH Performance measurement should be measured and monitored on a regular basis

The purpose of WSH performance measurement data is to provide an

indication of :

• Extent to which organizational WSH policy and objectives are met

• The effectiveness of WSH training, communication and

consultation programmes.

• The effectiveness of WSH control measures

• The need to review and/or improve aspects of the WSH

management system

When such WSH performance measurement data are made available,

organization will be able to analyze their current WSH performance and

revise their WSH policy and strategy accordingly when necessary so as to

ensure that they achieve the WSH objectives and goals as stated in the

WSH policy. As the famous saying goes “ What’s Gets Measured,

Usually Gets Done”

Both proactive and reactive performance parameters should be

incorporated into the organization WSH performance measurement

system for effective workplace WSH management.

Proactive parameters are essential for WSH performance measurement

as it is used to check conformity to WSH activities, for example by

monitoring the frequency and effectiveness of WSH inspections. Example

of proactive parameters may include but not restricted to :

• Number of observations conducted in behaviour based safety

program

• Number of safe behaviour in behaviour based safety program

• Number of WSH improvement projects completed

• Number of WSH promotion activities conducted

• Number of action items closed for WSH inspection

• Number of action items closed for internal and external audits

• Number of workers trained on WSH

• Number of training hours on WSH

Reactive parameters are essential for WSH performance measurements

as it is used to investigate, analyse and record WSH management system

failures, including accidents, incidents, near misses, ill-health and property

damage cases. Example of reactive WSH performance indicators are:

• Accident frequency severity index where accident frequency rate

refers to the number of workplace accidents per million man-hours

worked

• No. Of accidents

• No. Of loss days

• No. Of occupational illness report

• Accident costs

• Insurance cost on WSH

• Workmen Compensation payout