Safety management system structure

If a safety management system structure is not used, decisions on valid hazards and associated risk assessments controls may not be given the correct priority that is needed to ensure that the organization and all employees are protected. 

What are the six basic core safety process elements that can be used to design and implement a safety management system structure to support a safety culture ... 

As a business grows in complexity and the number of employees increases, being responsible for all of the details of an effective safety management system may become less feasible. The assignment of responsibilities throughout the leadership team is more efficient if a safety management system structure has been adopted (Managing worker safety and health, n.d.). 

Fourth, you provide the safety management system structure for the organization. This structure must be complementary to the organization. 

A safety management system for implementing the prevention policy has been put into effect. The policy should include the organizational structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources for determining and implementing the policy. 

Figure 1. General structure of coal mine production safety management system.

In some industries, the safety control structure is called the safety management system (SMS). In civil aviation, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority) has created standards and recommended practices for safety management systems and individual countries have strongly recommended or required certified air carriers to establish such systems in order to control organizational factors that contribute to accidents. 

The list is meant only to be a starting point for those estabUshing a comprehensive safety control structure and a checklist for those who already have sophisticated safety management systems. It should be supplemented using other sources and experiences. 

This commitment, however, involves more than a cursory statement to promote safety at all costs. It involves committing the organization, its board of directors, managers, and employees to a long-term, ongoing, structured process aligned to the constant identification and elimination of workplace risks, which can only be achieved by the implementation and maintenance of a world s best-practice safety management system (SMS). 

The second link in the accident sequence is lack of control. This lack of safety management control could be a weak safety systan in place, no safety system standards, noncompliance to the standards, or a total lack of a structured safety management system (SMS). This is often indicated by a negative or nonexistent safety culture. This triggers off the basic causes of accidents. If no formal SMS is in place, this would be classified as an inadequate control system. 

The leading document in the safety system is the official safety and health policy issued by the executive management. This policy forms the commitment to implement a structured safety management system, which in turn will bring about a change in the safety culture. The policy should be prominently displayed in the office foyer, on the company website, in the employees safety handbook, and on safety notice boards. 

The introduction of a structured safety management system will normally be met with resistance and skepticism by the workforce. Changing existing embedded safety habits, rituals, and perceptions will be met with reaction and resistance to change. 

Health and safety standards are targets or objectives that the company wants to achieve. They are measurable management performances. A structured safety management system (SMS) consists of a number of health and safety standards. Each element should have at least one standard, and some elements will require more than one standard. 

An audit objectively, and in detail, evaluates an organization s occupational health and safety management system, identifying areas of strength and weakness, and supports a structured continuous improvement approach going forward. (McKinnon, 2012a, p. 89)... 

FIGURE 9.2 An overview of a structured safety management system. 

Risks are controlled and mitigated by a systems approach using a structured safety management system. A safe work environment and positive employee attitudes are a result of a good safety management system. Control is perhaps the most important management function, as this is what drives the safety system. 

Based on this risk assessment, managanent lists and schedules the work needed to be done to create a safe and healthy work environment and eliminate high-risk acts of people. This would mean the introduction of a suitable structured SMS based on world s best practice. All safety management systems should be based on the nature of the business and be risk based, management led, and audit driven. This could include having to guard machinery, demarcate walkways and work areas, purchase correct tools and equipment, and set up maintenance systems for equipment, etc. 

Duties and Functions of Health and Safety Representatives Health and safety representatives are a vital component of a structure safety management system. Since they operate on the shop floor, they have the opportunity to identify and eliminate risks before any loss occurs. Their duties and functions could include ... 

The Systemic Safety Management System (SSMS) model is intended to maintain risk within an acceptable range in any organization s operations. The model is proposed as a structure for an effective safety management system. It may be argued that if all the sub-systems and connections are present and working effectively, the probability of a failure should be less than otherwise. Table 1 lists the fundamental characteristics of the SSMS model. 

The Scope section (1.1) states that the standard defines the minimum requirements [emphasis added] for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS). The emphasis in the advisory data is on a generic and systems approach for continual improvement in safety and health management, and the avoidance of specifications. Further, the writers of the standard recognized the uniqueness of the culture and organizational structures of individual organizations and the need for each entity to define its own specific measures of performance. ... 

Chang II, Liang CL (2009) Performance evaluation of process safety management systems of paint manufacturing facilities. J Loss Prev Process Ind 22(4) 398-402 Chinda T, Mohamed S (2007) Structural equation model of construction safety culture. Eng Constr... 

A written job description describes the structure of the organization, including the safety management system and other associated elements— for example, production and quality. An individual job description describes the most important characteristics and responsibilities of a position [1]. 

Moreover, the event revealed structural flaws in the safety management systems of offshore facilities. 

In order to reduce the number and severity of major events companies need to develop and implement a Safety Management System, or SMS. The details of an SMS vary from company to company and agency to agency, but they all tend to have broadly the same structure and content. In the United States, the agency responsible for offshore safety, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), issued its Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS) rule. The management elements of SEMS are shown in Table 1.2. 

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