NEBOSH – IGC

International General Certificate in

Occupational Safety and Health
What is NEBOSH

N - National
E - Examination
B - Board in
O - Occupational
S - Safety &
H Health
A UK awarding organization
offering professional
qualifications in health, safety and
environmental management.
What is NEBOSH training and why is it important?

The courses offer globally recognized

qualifications such as the NEBOSH National
General Certificate in Occupational Health and
Safety or NEBOSH International General
Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety,
which are excellent first steps towards becoming
a fully qualified health and safety.
Am I eligible for NEBOSH training?

The NEBOSH International

General Certificate is an ideal
starting point for people
looking to begin a career in
health and safety management
or to formalize previous
training. It is a Level 3
qualification, equivalent to A
Level.
NEBOSH entry requirements

Both the NEBOSH National General

Certificate and the NEBOSH
International General Certificate do
not require any previous health and
safety knowledge.
Pros

• NEBOSH is a highly respected awarding body

• Support your role and long-term career
• Gain practical, transferable skills
 Conduct risk assessments
 Reduce risks and control hazards
 Support an active and aware health and safety culture
• Broaden your job opportunities
NEBOSH International General Certificate
in Occupational Safety and Health
IGC1

Element 1: Why We Should Manage

Workplace Health and Safety
Learning Objectives
• Discuss the moral, social and financial reasons for
managing health and safety in the workplace.
• Explain how health and safety is regulated and the
consequences of non-compliance.
• Summarise the main health and safety duties of different
groups of people at work.
• Explain how contractors should be selected, monitored and
managed.
Introduction to Key Terms
• Health - absence of disease
or ill health.

• Safety - absence of risk of

serious personal injury.

• Welfare - access to basic

facilities.
Health
• Absence of disease or ill health.
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental,
and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity.
For example:
If you inhale asbestos dust, you may contact
lung cancer at some stage later in life.
• Health relates not only to physical ill health but
also psychological ill health.
Example:
Exposure to extreme stress can lead to acute
mental collapse or a nervous breakdown.
Safety

• Absence of risk of serious personal injury.

• Freedom from harm or danger: the state of
being safe
Example:
Wearing seat belt while driving.
Welfare

Access to basic facilities. Such as:

 Toilet facilities
 Hand-wash stations
 Changing Rooms
 Rest Rooms
 Places where food can be prepared &
eaten in relatively hygienic condition
 Drinking water
 Basic first aid provision
Why Manage Health and Safety?
The three main reasons that why an organization has to manage
health and safety

• Moral reasons
• Legal (or social) reasons
• Economic (or financial) reasons

In this section we cover two reasons; the moral and

financial reasons.
Why Moral Reason for Managing Health and Safety
Global statistics from International Labour Organization (ILO) Safe
Work Programme:

• Over 350,000 work-related fatal accidents each year.

• 2.75 million work-related fatalities each year.

• 2.4 million fatalities from occupational diseases.

• 270 million accidents and 160 million diseases a year due to work.

• 4% of global GDP is lost.

Moral Reasons:

• Moral reason relates to moral duty that one person has to another.

• Many people are killed, injured or made sick by their work.

• This harm is morally unacceptable & society as a

whole demands that people remain safe while at work.

Financial Reasons:

• The financial reasons relates to the fact that accidents &

ill health cost money.

• When an accident occurs, there will be direct & indirect

costs as a result of that event.

• Some of these losses can be insured against; many of

them will be uninsured.
Financial Reason for Managing Health and Safety

Accidents and ill health cost money.

Costs may be:

• Direct - measurable costs arising directly from accidents.

• Indirect - arise as a consequence of the event but may not directly involve
money. Often difficult to quantify.

Health &Safety failure can affect the broader economy, as well as individual
companies.
Financial Reason for Managing Health and Safety

Direct:
Measurable costs arising directly from accidents.
Examples:
 First-aid treatment.
 Worker sick pay.
 Repair to, or replacement of, damaged equipment & buildings.
 Lost or damaged product.
 Lost production time while dealing with the injury.
Continued
Indirect:
As a consequence of the event but may not
directly involve money. Often difficult to
quantify & may be hard to identify. Examples:
 Reduction in staff moral.
 Difficulties in recruiting & retaining staff.
 Loss of goodwill of customers.
 Damage to public image & business
reputation.
 Damage to industrial relations.
Insured Costs

Insurance to cover some of the losses that £1

might foreseeably occur to an organization.
Examples are:
• Damage to plant, buildings &
equipment.
• Compensation paid to workers.
• Worker injury/death.
• Medical costs.
• Legal costs associated with a legal claim
£8 - £36
for compensation.
• Fire. The British regulator, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
have estimated that uninsured losses are between 8-36 times
greater than insured losses
Uninsured Costs
Cost that cannot be covered by insurance
company. Examples are:
• Production delays or down time.
• Loss of raw materials due to accidents.
• Accident investigation time.
• Criminal fine & Legal costs
• Sick pay for injured worker.
• Overtime.
• Hiring & training new employees
• Loss of business reputation.
• Equipment repairs.
• Lost materials.
Video
 Element 1.2

REGULATING
HEALTH & SAFETY

24
Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health and Safety

• Most countries have health and safety laws.

• Failure to achieve legal minimum standards can lead to

prosecution.
The International Framework

International Labour Organization (ILO)

• Agency of the United Nations.
• Most countries are members.
• Sets international standards for H&S by publishing:
‒ Conventions.
‒ Recommendations.
Conventions & Recommendations

Conventions

• Create binding obligations or policies to

implement their provisions.

• No legal authority, unless ratified by the member

state into its own legal structure.

Recommendations

• Provide guidance on policy, legislation and

practice.
Occupational Safety & Health Convention (C155)

• In 1981, the ILO adopted the

Occupational Safety & Health
Convection (C155).

• This describes a basic policy for health

& safety at both the national level &
the level of the individual organization.
Occupational Safety & Health Recommendation (R164)
• The Occupational Safety & Health Recommendation
1981 (R164) supplements C155 & provides more
detailed guidance on how to comply with the
policies of C155.

• In Particular, it identifies obligations that might be

placed on employers & employees in order to
achieve the basic goal of a safe & healthy place of
work.
The International Framework

• Many countries that belong to the ILO have ratified

C155 & R164 and have then legislated to put their
requirements into the national (or regional) law.
• In C155 & R164 there is a general recognition that
most of the responsibility for ensuring good
standards of health & safety at work lies with the
employer.
• They also recognize that individual workers have
responsibilities.
• The General theme is that employers and workers
must exercise reasonable care to ensure safety &
absence of risk to health.
Employers’ Responsibilities
Everybody is responsible for health and safety
but most of the responsibility lies with the
employer to provide:

• Safe place of work (SPW).

• Safe plant and equipment (SPAE).
• Safe systems of work.
• Training, supervision and competency
of staff.
Employer’s Responsibilities
Article 16 of C155 identifies some basic obligations
place on employers.
• To ensure that the workplaces, machinery,
equipment & processes under their control are safe
& without risk to health.
• To ensure that the chemical, physical & biological
substances & agents under their control are without
risk to health when protective measures have been
taken.
• To provide adequate protective clothing &
protective equipment to prevent risk of accidents or
of adverse effects on health.
Continued
Specifically, Article 10 of R164 puts the following obligations on
employers:
• Provide safe workplaces & work equipment, and use work
methods.
• Give necessary instruction, training and supervision.
• Introduce organizational arrangements relevant to activities.
• Health & safety arrangements adapted to suit the size & nature of
the undertaking.
• Provide any necessary personal protective equipment & clothing.
• Take measures to eliminate any extreme physical & mental
fatigue.
• Ensure that work organization, particularly working hours and rest
breaks, does not adversely affect occupational safety and health.
• Keep up-to-date with scientific and technical knowledge.
Worker’s Responsibilities & Rights
Article 19 of C155 states that all workers & their
representatives have to cooperate with their employer so
that they can fulfil their safety obligations. R164 says that
workers should:
• Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of
other people who might be affected by the things that
they do and the things that they fail to do.
• Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
• Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with
it.
• Report any situation which they believe could be a
hazard and which they cannot themselves correct.
• Report any work-related accident or ill health.
Worker’s Responsibilities & Rights
In addition to the basic right to a safe workplace, Article 19
of C155 gives workers the following rights:
• Given adequate information on actions the employer has
taken to ensure occupational safety and health.
• Given the right to the necessary training in occupational
safety and health.
• Consulted by the employer on all matters of
occupational safety and health relating to their work.
• The right to leave a workplace which the worker has
reason to think presents an imminent and serious danger
to their life or health, and not be compelled to return
until it is safe.
Role of Enforcement Agencies
There is no harmonized global standard for the enforcement of
health and safety law, so legal and enforcement systems vary
between countries. There are, however, some general principles
which normally apply:
• Each country or region has one (or more) enforcement
agency (or authority) responsible for enforcing health and
safety law. Such an agency is effectively the ‘health and
safety police force’.
• Many countries have a separate fire authority with a role in
enforcing fire safety legislation and/or advising employers.
• In some countries, insurance companies fulfil a major role
in enforcing safety by carrying out inspections and audits
on a regular basis.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
A breach of health and safety legislation is usually a criminal offence.
Failure to meet legal standards might lead to:
• Formal enforcement action:
An enforcement agency might force an employer either to make an
improvement within the workplace within a given time period, or to stop
carrying out high risk activities altogether until improvements are made.
Failure to comply with formal enforcement action is usually considered to
be an offence in itself.
• Prosecution of the organization in the criminal courts:
Successful prosecution might result in punishment in the form of a fine.
• Prosecution of individuals, such as directors, managers and workers:
Successful prosecution might result in punishment in the form of a fine
and/or imprisonment.
Continued
As well as the criminal law consequences there is also the matter of
compensation for workers and others injured by a
workplace accident. Depending on the region/country concerned, this might
involve the worker:
• Taking legal action against their employer through the civil legal system,
and having to prove that their employer had been negligent and was
therefore to blame for their injury.
• Claiming compensation from national or regional compensation schemes,
with no requirement to prove negligence or blame through the use of the
legal system.
Consequences of Non-Compliance

Breach of H&S legislation is usually a criminal

offence, leading to:

• Enforcement action:
 Improvement.
 Prohibition.
• Prosecution:
 Organisation may be fined.
 Individuals may be fined or imprisoned.
Consequences of Non-Compliance

Consequences
of Non-
Compliance

Enforcement
Prosecution
Action

Individuals
Organisation
Improvement Prohibition may be fined
may be fined
or imprisoned
CIVIL LAW

The branch of law concerned with the right of individuals,

for example, compensating people for harm that is done to
them through no fault of their own.
Other International Standards
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
World’s largest developer of management standards, e.g.:
• ISO 9001 - Quality Management
• ISO 14001 - Environmental Management
• ISO 12100 - Safety of Machinery
These standards are not ‘law’, they’re good management practice.
They lead to a worldwide common approach to good management.
Internationally-recognised standard for occupational health and
safety is currently
ISO 45001.
Compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
 Element 1.3

WHO DOES

WHAT IN ORGANISATIONS

47
Element 1.3

The Employer

Who does
what in
organizations
The shared
responsibilities
Contractor
of joint
Management
occupiers of
premises

48
The Employer

The Employer:
A person or organisation that employs people.
• The employer in this context is normally an
organisation, such as a company, and is
sometimes referred to as the ‘corporate body’.
They are a legal person.

49
The Employer

Responsibility for ensuring that the workplace is safe

and free of health risk rests with the employer.
As we noted earlier, this responsibility is made clear in:
• ILO Convention C155.
• ILO Recommendation R164.
These international standards are normally reflected in
local law.
The Employer
The employer carries ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the
workplace is safe and free of health and safety risks. Employer
owes a duty to ensures the safety of:
• Their own workers
• Other workers who might be working within their workplace
• Workers who are not their employees and are not working in
their workplace but are carrying out work on their behalf.
• People who might be in their workplace but not carrying out
work on their behalf, such as visitors.
• People who might be outside their workplace, but are affected
by their work activities; such as members of the public
passing by.
Directors and Senior Managers

• Give an organisation its direction. Top Tier

Management
• Set its priorities.
• Allocate resources and appoint Managing
Director
(MD)
competent persons.
• Allocate responsibilities.
Directors Directors Directors
• Are responsible for ensuring that all of
the legal requirements are met.
Responsibilities of Directors and Senior Managers

The responsibility of directors and senior

managers is to ensure that:
• The right health and safety policy is
put in place.
• Adequate resources are allocated to
establish, implement and maintain
the health and safety management
system.
• The right organizational structures
with clear roles and responsibilities
are put in place.
Responsibilities of Directors and Senior Managers

A director/senior manager is appointed with

specific responsibility for health & safety so that it
can be championed at board level.
• One or more competent persons are appointed
to assist the organization in meeting its health
& safety obligations.
• Contractors are engaged & managed correctly,
demonstrating the organization's health &
safety responsibility to third parties.
• The health & safety performance of the
organization is reviewed on a regular basis to
ensure that the objectives are being achieved
and that the objectives and measures in place
remain valid.
Directors and Senior Managers

Directors and senior managers can have enormous

influence over their organisation and its priorities.

The way they are perceived by those lower in the

management hierarchy is very important, they must

demonstrate clear commitment and leadership with

regard to health and safety.

Middle Managers and Supervisors

Middle managers and supervisors are involved in the

day-to-day operational running of the organisation so

are responsible for the health and safety standards

Middle
within the operations under their control. Management

Mangers Mangers Managers Managers

Supervisors Supervisors Supervisors Supervisors

Middle Managers and Supervisors
Their operational areas of responsibility are
normally defined in their job description and in
the organization's health and safety policy
documentation.
Line managers will be operationally responsible
for the health and safety of:
• The staff that work directly for them (their
direct reports).
• Staff lower down in the organizational chart
(below their direct reports).
• The areas and activities under their control.
The shared responsibilities of joint occupiers of premises

• ILO Convention C155 – Article 17

• ILO Recommendation R164 – Recommendation 11
• Employers in shared facilities should communicate to develop
appropriate health and safety standards and appropriate policies and
procedures.
• This may include:
 Sharing of procedures, e.g.
fire and emergency response.
 Sharing of risk assessments.
 Joint management-committee
meetings.
The shared responsibilities of joint occupiers of premises

• When two employers share a workplace it is not

difficult to imagine that the risks that one
employer creates in that workplace may affect the
employees of the other employer. For example,
where two employers occupy offices in the same
building, the fire risk created by one employer
affects the safety of the employees of the other.
• It follows that both employers must co-operate
and co-ordinate their activities to ensure good
health and safety standards. This is set out in ILO
C155 (Article 17) & in ILO R164
(Recommendation 11).
ILO Convention C155 – Article 17

In ILO C155 (Article 17):

“Whenever two or more undertakings

engage in activities simultaneously at one

workplace, they shall collaborate in

applying the requirements of this

Convention.”
ILO Recommendation R164 – Recommendation 11

In ILO R164 (Recommendation 11):

“Whenever two or more undertakings engage in
activities simultaneously at one workplace, they
should collaborate in applying the provisions
regarding occupational safety and health and the
working environment, without prejudice to the
responsibility of each undertaking for the health
and safety of its employees. In appropriate
cases, the competent authority or authorities
should prescribe general procedures for this
collaboration.”
The shared responsibilities of joint occupiers of premises
This requires:
• Effective communication between employers
• The exchange of relevant information
• The development of appropriate policies and
procedures.
This could be carried out in a variety of ways, depending
on the nature of the work and the worksite.
A common approach should be developed for the
management of joint issues such as fire procedures,
security-threat response, emergency spill response, site
rules, visitor and contractor control, traffic management,
etc. It may also be appropriate to have a site-wide
inspection process, common fire drills and even shared
waste-disposal procedures.
The shared responsibilities of joint occupiers of premises

If there are specific risks associated with one

workplace, then awareness of the issues and the
appropriate response from other workplaces can be
raised.

Employers working more closely together may need

to share risk assessments. This is to ensure that all
organizations are aware of the possible impacts of
any equipment and substances being used, so that
activities can be coordinated.
Contractor Management

CONTRACTOR:
A person or organization engaged to undertake certain
work on behalf of a client but not under the client’s direct
supervision and control.
Note that the word ‘contractor’ can be used to indicate
both the company providing a contract service, and the
individual workers who work to provide that service.
Contractor Management

CLIENT:

A person or organization who engages a contractor.

If a client can be held responsible for an injury caused

by a contractor working for the client, then it must be

in the client’s own best interests to ensure that

contractors do not endanger workers or others.

Contractor Management

• Contractors are used widely in the

workplace, either to deliver a specific
project or skill, or to deliver extra
labour when needed.
• It is not in the interest of health and
safety for the client to ignore the
risks associated with the contractor’s
work or for the contractor to ignore
the risks inherent in the client’s
workplace.
Shared Duties

Contractors are responsible for their

own health and safety and the health
and safety of others who might be
affected by their work activities.
A contractor company is an employer
in their own right. They therefore owe a
duty to:
• Their workers.
• Other people who might be affected
by their work.
Shared Duties

The client (as an employer) owes a duty to:

• Their own workers.
• Others who might be affected by their work,
including:
 The contract cleaners in the premises.
 Any other workers in the premises.
 Visitors to the client’s premises.
Shared Duties

The way that a client manages contractors

can be broken down into three key areas:

• Selection of contractors.

• Planning and co-ordinating the work.

• Monitoring and managing the work.

Selection of Contractors
Things you should check:
• Health and safety policy.
• Risk assessments.
• Qualifications and training records.
• Membership of a professional
organisation.
• Maintenance and equipment testing.
• Previous or current clients.
• Accident records.
• Enforcement action.
• Adequate resources.
Selection of Contractors
For health and safety competence you can ask to
see evidence such as:
• A copy of their health and safety policy.
• Examples of risk assessments and method
statements.
• Qualifications & training records of staff.
• Membership of a professional organization
or certified body.
• Records of maintenance and test for plant
and equipment.
• Names of previous or current clients to use
as references.
• Accident history records.
• Records of enforcement action taken by
against them.
• Proof of adequate resources.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work

Information to be shared between client and contractor:

• Hazards posed by the site and work carried out.

• Hazards posed by the contractor’s activities.

• Risk assessments.

• Method statements.
Planning and Co-ordination of the Work

Arrangements between the client and

contractor include:

• Ensuring activities don’t conflict.

• Permit-to-work system to control activities.

Monitoring and Managing the Work

Arrangements must be made by the client to

ensure the contractor complies with safe working
practices. These arrangements should include:
• Having a signing in and out procedure.
• Ensuring that the contractor provides a named
works supervisor.
• Carrying out site induction training for all
contractor workers.
• Controlling high-risk activities with a permit-
to-work system.
Monitor and Managing the Work

Clients must:
• Monitor the work to ensure safety.
The client can:
• Stop the work if it involves unsafe
practices.
Auditing against agreed method
statements is a good technique.
Permit To Work

A formal, documented safety

procedure forming part of a safe
system of work, which ensures that
all necessary actions are taken
before, during and after particularly
high-risk work.
Summary
In this element, we have:
• Introduced some key words, such as: health; safety; and welfare.
• Highlighted the three main reasons why an organisation has to manage health and safety, which
can be summarised as moral, legal and financial.
• Set out the basic requirements of the international standards that govern health and safety, i.e.
the ILO Convention C155 and Recommendation R164.
• Discussed the consequences for employers and workers of non-compliance with legal standards,
together with the possible issue of worker compensation.
• Noted some sources of information on national health and safety standards.
• Identified various parties within and outside of the workplace and the responsibilities that they
have.
• Considered the responsibility that a client has for the management of contractors and outlined
the steps that a client should take to choose a competent contractor and plan and monitor their
work.