Foundations in Health and Safety

Nota:

• workplaces can be complicated areas, involving the co-ordination of many people performing many different activities. Finding a solution to a specific health and safety problem or issue can be complex, requiring extensive background knowledge and an awareness of the possible consequences of the various courses of action that are available

Nota:

• i.e. between the need to supply a product or a service at an appropriate speed so as to make a profit, and the need to do so safely and without risk to people’s health. Another conflict can be created by the need to comply with different types of standards atthe same time, e.g. health and safety law as well as environmental protection law

Nota:

• Good health and safety practice often relies on the perfect behaviour ofindividuals, and people sometimes do not behave in this ideal way. The solution to a health and safetyproblem usually requires a worker to carry out their job in a particular way. For example, a worker on aconstruction site should wear a hard hat to protectthemselves from falling objects. But people are notrobots; they do not behave as they are supposed toall the time. Workers sometimes make mistakes (theydo the wrong thing thinking that it is the right thingto do). Sometimes they deliberately do the wrongthing, knowing that it is wrong, but doing it anyway.The fact that health and safety standards are affectedby worker behaviour can be a significant barrier to maintaining good standards in a workplace.