What is a Safety Management System? A Modern Workplace Essential

Table of Content(TOC):

• Introduction
• Importance of Safety for Organizations
• Conventional Safety Management System
• Modern Safety Management System
• Benefits of Implementing IMS
• How Technology is Making Workplaces Safer
• The Benefits of Safety Technology
• Conclusion - More to Go

Introduction

If you search, you can find many definitions for “Safety”. Merriam- Webster defines Safety as “the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss”. Wikipedia states that Safety is the condition of a “steady state” of an organization or place doing what it is supposed to do.

On the other hand, Safety Management is defined as: “Managing business activities and applying principles, framework, processes to help prevent accidents, injuries and to minimize other risk” by Aviation Australia.

In almost all labor laws and regulations around the world, employers are required to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards and comply with certain standards, rules and regulations issued by a competent authority.

Importance of Safety for Organizations

In general, Safety is being managed in organizations for three main reasons: Moral, Financial, and Legal.

• Moral Reasons

It is human nature that people would not like to see others hurt or injured. Employers, as humans, have a duty of care towards their employees, and should not let them become injured or ill due to their work.

• Financial Reasons

In the UK alone, it costs the society more than £14 billion every year to help people recover from workplace accidents. 

Any accident in the workplace will have a financial consequence as a small accident can result in lost time to the business which can inadvertently affect productivity and profits. Usually, accident costs can be incurred in direct and indirect costs, however, indirect costs can mount up to several times of the direct ones.

Direct Costs of an injury are clear and can be directly attributed to the accident or injury, including medical treatment, medicine, therapy, and employees’ compensation. Indirect Costs are unbudgeted expenses that a company has to endure unexpectedly. This includes training replacement employees, overtime, equipment loss, accident investigation, loss of productivity, absenteeism, in addition to damaging the public image of the organization and reducing its potential of winning new jobs.

• Legal Reasons 

Legal compliance to the set Acts and Regulations is one of the important factors that organizations need to fulfill in order to avoid criminal and/or civil prosecutions and convictions.

Legally, the employer is responsible to provide his employees with an acceptable level of welfare, health and safety in the workplace “as far as is reasonably practicable”. In the light of that, organizations can set their own objectives and goals to meet or exceed the required compliance, ensuring a safe workplace.

Also Read: Top 8 Safety Metrics Every Organization Should Monitor Monthly

Conventional Safety Management System

In addition to the above mentioned Employers' Responsibilities, regulations can set some detailed instructions and standards to be followed by the employers. Following are some examples of instructions: 

• Examine workplace conditions to make sure they conform to applicable standards.
• Identify workplace hazards, assess risks, and establish risk controls.
• Use color codes, posters, labels, or signs to warn employees of potential hazards.
• Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment.
• Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.
• Provide safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.
• Provide medical examinations and training when required by the applicable standards.
• Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses.

In order to manage workplace safety, the organization should provide a written and published set of policies and procedures to be implemented. To ensure implementation, the organization appoints Safety Representative/s (Safety Manager). In some countries, the organization is required to appoint a “Safety Committee”, while the Safety Representative is to be elected by the Committee. 

Also Read: Biophilic Design in Industrial Workspaces: A New Safety Tool for EHS Professionals

Modern Safety Management System

As we can see, the above mentioned methods of managing the safety and health of organizations (Conventional Method) seems to be effective when it comes to Legal Compliance. However, as stated earlier, it is up to the employer to just MEET or EXCEED the requirements set by the competent authority. 

International Standardization Organization ISO (an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 165 national standards bodies) regularly develops and issues voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. One of these challenges is “Workplace Safety & Health”.

There is no legal requirement for any organization to follow any ISO Standard, however, regulators and governments count on ISO standards to help develop better regulation, knowing they have a sound basis. On the other hand, organizations voluntarily follow these standards for many reasons, such as more reliability, improved performance, better quality, risk reduction, sustainability, and more potential for innovation. 

Nowadays, some organizations not only follow ISO standards and get certified, but also try to integrate as many standards as they can into an Integrated Management System (IMS). The most pursued ISO standards for implementation and integration are:

• ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety
• ISO 14000 – Environmental Management
• ISO 9000 – Quality Management

Also Read: Which Safety Course is Best for a Job?

Benefits of Implementing IMS

Some of the benefits of an Integrated Management System (IMS) include:

• Meeting all standards’ requirements with one set of policies and procedures.
• Increased efficiency and effectiveness.
• Reductions in costs associated with audits.
• Displays commitment to continuous improvement for the organisation.
• Presents a clear uniform image of the whole organisation.
• Reduces duplication, bureaucracy and maximizes resources.
• Increases time available to management to implement proactive measures.
• Improves internal and external communication.

How Technology is Making Workplaces Safer

Technology is playing a huge role in improving workplace safety. Businesses are using advanced tools to protect workers, reduce accidents, and create a safer environment. Some of the key technologies that are making a difference are: 

• AI-Powered Safety Monitoring:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping organizations detect risks before they lead to accidents. AI can analyze real-time video footage from security cameras to spot unsafe behavior, such as workers not wearing helmets or entering dangerous areas. It can then send alerts to supervisors, helping prevent accidents before they happen.

• Wearable Safety Devices:

Smart helmets, vests, and other wearable devices are making workplaces safer. If the device detects danger, like extreme heat or a gas leak, it sends an alert to the worker and the management team, allowing quick action. 

• Drones for Safety Inspections:

Drones are being used in industries like construction, mining, and oil & gas to inspect high-risk areas. Instead of sending workers to check tall structures or dangerous sites, organizations use drones to capture images and videos. This reduces the risk of falls and other workplace injuries while improving the accuracy of safety inspections.

Also Read:  What is the Difference Between EHS and HSE?

The Benefits of Safety Technology

Organizations that invest in these technologies see several benefits, including: 

• Less Accidents: Advanced monitoring and training reduce workplace injuries. 
   
• Lower Insurance Costs: Safer workplaces mean less insurance claims and reduced compensations. 
   
• Increased Employee Confidence: When workers feel protected, they perform better and are more satisfied with their jobs. 

Conclusion - More to Go

Whether an organization’s management implements the minimum safety requirements for legal compliance, follows a certain ISO Standard, or implements an IMS, it would not necessarily be a successful one if it doesn't set or implement the rules to resolve the “dilemma of the 2 Ps”: Production against Protection. Many organizations raise the slogan of “Safety First”, and obtain the finest management certification, while actually offering only a “Show”.

In actual situations, some organizations' management look at Safety as an accessory to decorate their organization. Such organizations seldom have the correct “safety culture”.  They do not involve their employees from all levels into the creation and implementation of Safe Workplace aspects. 

When correctly implemented, Safety can pay more than expected. In my future book, I shall demonstrate how Safety can be integrated into an organization's operations, how safety can benefit organizations in every respect, in addition to showcasing some successful ways to handle the dilemma of the 2 Ps, through switching from the concept of Safety Management to Management Safety.

References:

https://www.questcover.com/news/three-good-reasons-for-managing-health-and-safety/

https://www.free-safety-training.com/moral-reasons-managing-health-safety-workplace/

https://www.osha.gov/workers/employer-responsibilities 

https://mydatascope.com/blog/en/what-are-benefits-of-iso/