Auditing Isn't New
The workplace today is varied and diverse. Varied in its populace, and diverse in its demands. An associate may cross over from a set of rules in one work station, to a second work station with a different set of compliance rules. Encompassing everything that an individual might encounter on a daily basis requires multiple sets of audits, walks, and evaluations. These concerns for safety are not new to the workplace.
The Code of Hammurabi, circa 2,000 B.C., illustrated concern in handling injuries and gave instructions for caring for infected people. Ramses II circa 1,500 B.C., created a medical service and required daily bathing for his laborers, in the hope of efficiently construct the pyramid that bears his name.
As civilization advanced, so did governments’ concerns for the well-being of its workers, and the impact on its people. In Roman times, safety and health concerns were engineered into projects such as sewage and ventilation. In 1567 Philippus Aureolus’s treatise on Miners' Sickness and other Miners' Diseases covered the effects of metallurgy and the exposure in the handling of substances such as mercury. Finally in the early 1700’s, Bernardino Ramazzini in his Discourse on the Diseases of Workers, concluded that there are parallels between worker’s diseases and their occupation.
Each step, every record of facts, and method of improvement has been made with good intentions to be of benefit to the worker and ensure the welfare of the organization. The intentions of these progressions in worker safety have been to ensure that best practices are in place to send workers home in the same condition they came to work in.
How Much Is Enough
With so many safety organizations out there, and so much demand for documentation, it’s easy to believe that, ‘maybe we have too many audits’. The auditor is responsible for the evaluation of the entire organization. This includes everyone, and everything within it.
A proper audit from a third party independent professional will include meeting and working with management, reviewing documentation, reviewing training, processes, services, offices, floor production and the ergonomic engineering of equipment and products. They then summarize overall performance in a snapshot.
Internal audits, safety walks, or self-assessments can identify deficiencies prior to an audit, with the intention of strengthening the safety of the job site. You can never really have too many walks or audits, as long as the ultimate outcome prevents an injury in the workplace. To that point, a lot of companies have associates report “near misses” as a separate category to track the potential of accidents and injuries, without waiting for a recordable accident to document and identify deficiencies, thereby validating the need of the initial walks and audits.
Living And Breathing
In the end, the best case scenario is having an audit program, administered by a health and safety professional that operates with a system that is in all ways, living and breathing. In that, each associate must be able to access it, and be comfortable to contribute. You can audit your facility daily, but, if there is no buy-in from the team, if no one feels that they can give back in a preventative manner, then all the walks in the world will not be effective. Communication both ways, allowing associates to give feedback at any time and relaying all pertinent information back to the team, adds to the living and breathing effect.
Find out how to manage your business' health and safety better
RIDDOR and COVID-19
Many employers are concerned about their reporting obligations for COVID-19/Coronavirus/SARS-CoV-2 under RIDDOR in the ongoing pandemic. You may be pleased to know that you do not have to report everything to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We'll provide more info about when, what, and how to report.
The most common concern we've seen recently from employers is whether they need to report all COVID-19 and coronavirus testing results to the HSE. The short answer is no. According to the HSE: “There is no requirement under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) to report incidents of disease or deaths of members of the public, patients, care home residents or service users from COVID-19. The reporting requirements relating to cases of, or deaths from, COVID-19 under RIDDOR apply only to occupational exposure, that is, as a result of a person's work.”
Generally speaking, the ordinary RIDDOR rules already cover COVID-19. You should only make a report under RIDDOR when one of the following circumstances applies:
• an accident or incident at work has or could have caused the release of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). (Report as Dangerous occurrence)
• a worker is diagnosed with COVID-19 due to occupational exposure. (Report as Disease)
• a worker dies because of occupational coronavirus exposure. (Report as Work-related death due to exposure to a biological agent)
The bottom line is that existing rules cover most COVID-19 measures, and most of the COVID-19 guidance comes from public health authorities rather than the HSE. The environment remains chaotic, but you can minimize your legal exposure by continuing your existing compliance steps. This will include communicating with your insurer about risks, following public health guidance, and communicating regularly with your workers or unions on any of their concerns.
© Gavin Coyle, 2021