TABLE OF CONTENTS Safety is a management responsibility requiring an awareness of all relevant local legislation and a strategy that comprises:
A clear, widely-published statement of company policy on safety.
Clear lines of responsibility identified for each level of management and the workforce to enable the policy to be implemented.
Company management systems and 'safe systems of work'.
Emergency procedures.
Procedures for monitoring compliance with the policy and the safety performance.
In the UK these duties are imposed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. Employees also have a legal responsibility to cooperate with management by using designated protective devices and not interfering with such apparatus.
An excellent framework for the management of occupational health and safety is provided by OHSAS 18001:1999 which is compatible with ISO 9001: 1994. Key elements of the standard addressed include
Policy.
Legislation.
Hazard identification and risk assessment and risk control.
Structure and responsibilities.
Training, awareness and competence.
Consultation and communication.
Documentation.
Documentation and data control.
Operational control.
Emergency preparedness and response.
Performance measurement and monitoring.
Accidents, incidents, non-conformances and corrective and preventative action.
Records and their management
Audits.
Management review and continuous improvement.
Plant must be properly designed, installed, commissioned, operated and maintained. Depending upon the risk, working procedures should be documented, e.g. as codes of practice. Consideration of safety at the design stage was discussed in Chapter 12.
Commissioning embraces those activities essential for bringing a newly installed plant into routine production. It includes mechanical completion and provisional acceptance, pre-commissioning, first start-up...
