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Managing Health & Safety. Kevin Burniston Lisa McCaulder. Legislation. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Legislation. The legal requirement How to prepare for the Act. Objectives:-. Legislation. Rooted in Law Commission proposals in 1996
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Managing Health & Safety Kevin Burniston Lisa McCaulder
Legislation The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007
Legislation • The legal requirement • How to prepare for the Act Objectives:-
Legislation Rooted in Law Commission proposals in 1996 Royal assent – 26th July 2007 Effective – 6th April 2008 Current Position
Legislation To make it easier to convict organisations for work-related deaths caused by negligence by removing onerous requirement to prove the PERSONAL and INDIVIDUAL guilt of manslaughter of one of the ‘controlling minds’ at the highest management level Objective
Legislation The Act will NOT impose any: • New obligations • New safety measures • New management processes N.B.
Legislation To alter the ‘corporate risk’ profile by re-classifying conduct that is already an offence under OHS legislation as ‘corporate manslaughter’ (‘corporate homicide’ in Scotland) The Acts main effect will be:-
Legislation The ‘old’ common law offence of manslaughter is confined to individuals and corporate bodies. Corporate manslaughter offence extends to: Partnerships Trade unions Employers bodies Police forces Government bodies
Legislation Corporate manslaughter committed if the way in which an organisation’s activities are managed or organised:- • causes a person’s death and • amounts to a gross breach of relevant duty of care Core Provision
Legislation Conduct amounts to a breach of duty that falls far below what can reasonably be expected of the organisation in the circumstances Gross breach
Legislation Prosecution must show that the way in which an organisation’s activities are managed or organised by its ‘senior management’ was a substantial element in the breach of the duty of care
Legislation People who play significant roles in making decisions about how the organisation’s activities are managed How senior? = grey area ‘Senior management’:-
Legislation • To employees or others working for the organisation • As the occupier of premises • When undertaking various activities e.g. supply of goods or services • To persons held in custody or otherwise detained Duty of care owed by organisation:-
Legislation • Due primarily to negligence of a co-worker • Occurring for reasons which cannot be laid at the door of managers with confined line management responsibilities Act not applicable to deaths
Legislation Act does not require proof of any individual being guilty of an offence – AS REQUIRED BY ‘OLD’ LAW
Legislation • The organisation failed to comply with relevant legislation • The serious nature of that failure • How much of a risk of death was posed as a result • That attitudes, policies, systems or accepted practices were likely to have encouraged such failure or tolerance of it Jury considers evidence which shows:-
Legislation • Management knew of the risks • Management sought financial gain for the organisation from the failure to comply with OHS legislation Jury considers extent to which:-
Legislation UNLIMITED FINE + PUBLICITY ORDER – publication of the offence and penalties Penalties
Legislation • New Act has no impact on individual liability • As before can still be guilty of common law manslaughter for gross negligence in conduct of their management role Individual liability
Legislation • Identify activities with potential for serious accidents • Review relevant risk assessments and safe systems of work • Identify items arising which have not been actioned e.g. from recent audits • Present to ‘board’ on new Act How to prepare for the Act
Legislation • Ensure competence of managers and supervisors i.e. training, experience and attitude • Seek measurable improvements in safety culture among senior managers • See HSE’s sample questionnaire at www.hse.gov.uk/ IOD guidance How to prepare for the Act
Health and Safety Management Systems Health & Safety Management Systems • HSG65 – Successful Health and Safety Management • BS OHSAS 18001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Specification • BS8800
HSG65 HSG65 • “Successful Health and Safety Management” • The only management system “approved” by HSE
Policy Organisation Planning and Implementation Auditing Measuring Performance Reviewing Performance HSG65 Policy Development Organisational Development Developing techniques of planning, measuring and reviewing Feedback loop to improve performance
BS OHSAS 18001 BS OHSAS 18001:2007 • Accepted internationally across industries as a demonstration of good management practice • Equivalent to ISO9001:2000 and ISO14001:1996 in structure and format
Continual Improvement Management review OH&S Policy Planning Checking and corrective action Implementation and operation BS OHSAS 18001
Legal Requirements OH&S Policy
BS OHSAS18001 HSG65 Appropriate Include continual improvement Include commitment to comply with law Implemented Communicated Reviewed Allied to business risks Include TQM (PDCA) Systematic approach Implemented Allied to HR management Reviewed HSG65 BS OHSAS 18001
Implementation and Operation Output • A comprehensive, understandable OH&S Policy that is communicated throughout the organisation OH&S Policy
Legal Requirements Planning
BS OHSAS18001 HSG65 Hazard ID and Risk assessment and control Legal requirements Objectives Management Programmes Risk Control Systems Management Arrangements Workplace precautions Performance standards – KPMs HSG65 BS OHSAS 18001
Legal Requirements A formal process to identify:- • Legal requirements (new and changing) • Best practice • Benchmarking opportunities • Information Sources Legal Requirements
Planning Output • Risk Management Strategy • Risk Control Systems • Risk Profile • Database of applicable law and guidance • OH&S objectives for each part of the business • Documented Management Programmes Planning
Legal Requirements Implementation and Operation
BS OHSAS18001 HSG65 Structure and Responsibilities Competence Consultation and Communication Documentation Document and Data Control Operational Control Emergency Planning Define responsibilities and relationships Competence Communication and Co-operation Control Management Arrangements KPIs BS OHSAS 18001 HSG65
Implementation and Operation Output • Description of roles and responsibilities • CMS • Safety communications • A written management system • Document Control Procedure • Workplace controls • An emergency plan Implementation and Operation
Legal Requirements Checking And Corrective Action
BS OHSAS18001 HSG65 Performance Monitoring Accidents, incidents and non-conformance monitoring and analysis Records and record management Audit Active Monitoring Reactive Monitoring Accident Investigation and RCA Audit (separate section) BS OHSAS 18001 HSG65
Checking and Corrective Action Output • Inspection schedules and checklists • Records of inspections etc • Maintenance plans • Accident and incident reports • Accident investigation reports • Audit reports Checking and Corrective Action
Legal Requirements Management Review
BS OHSAS18001 HSG65 Review of every part of the system by top management Reviewing Performance Audit BS OHSAS 18001 HSG65
Management Review • Policy review • Updating objectives • Adequacy of risk management procedure • Accident reporting and recording • Proactive monitoring review • Audit • Changing environment Management Review
Legal Requirements Continual Improvement
Continual Improvement • Should happen naturally • Located in the feedback loops • Information is gathered from every part of the system • That information is used to improve every part of the system • As something is improved it is checked and reviewed – and so information is generated for the next improvement Continual Improvement
Management Review Any Questions? Thank you for your kind attention Kevin Burniston and Lisa McCaulder