Organizing

Responsibility and accountability

The employer should have overall responsibility for the protection of workers’ safety and health, and provide leadership for OSH activities in the organization.

The employer and senior management should allocate responsibility, accountability and authority for the development, implementation and performance of the OSH management system and the achievement of the relevant OSH objectives.

Structures and processes should be established which:

• ensure that OSH is a line-management responsibility which is known and accepted at all levels;
• define and communicate to the members of the organization the responsibility, accountability and authority of persons who identify, evaluate or control OSH hazards and risks;
• provide effective supervision, as necessary, to ensure the protection of workers’ safety and health;
• promote cooperation and communication among members of the organization, including workers and their representatives, to implement the elements of the organization’s OSH management system;
• fulfil the principles of OSH management systems contained in relevant national guidelines, tailored guidelines or voluntary programmes, as appropriate, to which the organization subscribes;
• establish and implement a clear OSH policy and measurable objectives;
• establish effective arrangements to identify and eliminate or control work-related hazards and risks, and promote health at work;
• establish prevention and health promotion programmes;
• ensure effective arrangements for the full participation of workers and their representatives in the fulfilment of the OSH policy;
• provide an appropriate level of financial, technical and human resources to ensure that persons responsible for OSH, including the safety and health committee, can perform their functions effectively; and
• ensure effective arrangements for the full participation of workers and their representatives in safety and health committees, where they exist.

A person or persons at the senior management level should be appointed, where appropriate, with responsibility, accountability and authority for:

• the development, implementation, periodic review and evaluation of the OSH management system;
• periodic reporting to the senior management on the performance of the OSH management system; and
• promoting the participation of all members of the organization.

Competence and training

The necessary OSH competence (includes education, work experience and training, or a combination of these) requirements should be defined by the employer, and arrangements established and maintained to ensure that all persons, in particular new and young workers have been trained and are competent to carry out the safety and health aspects of their duties and responsibilities.

The employer should have, or should have access to, sufficient OSH competence to identify and eliminate or control work-related hazards and risks, and to implement the OSH management system.

Under the arrangements referred to in the first paragraph above, training programmes should:

• cover all members of the organization, as appropriate;
• be conducted by competent persons;
• provide effective and timely initial and refresher training at appropriate intervals;
• include participants’ evaluation of their comprehension and retention of the training;
• be reviewed periodically. The review should include the safety and health committee, where it exists, and the training programmes, modified as necessary to ensure their relevance and effectiveness; and
• be documented, as appropriate and according to the size and nature of activity of the organization.

Training should be provided to all participants at no cost and should take place during working hours, if possible.

Occupational safety and health management system documentation

According to the size and nature of activity of the organization, the OSH management system documentation should be established and provided to all members of the organization so that management and workers fully comprehend their respective duties and responsibilities and how OSH is managed in the organization.

The documentation may cover:

• the OSH policy and objectives of the organization;
• the allocated key OSH management roles and responsibilities for the implementation of the OSH management system;
• the significant OSH hazards/risks arising from the organization’s activities, and the arrangements for their prevention and control; and
• arrangements, procedures, instructions or other internal documents used within the framework of the OSH management system.

The OSH management system documentation should be:

• clearly written and presented in a way that is understood by those who have to use it; and
• periodically reviewed, revised as necessary, communicated and readily accessible to all appropriate or affected members of the organization.

OSH records should be established, managed and maintained locally and according to the needs of the organization. They should be identifiable and traceable, and their retention times should be specified.

Workers should have the right to access records relevant to their working environment and health, while respecting the need for confidentiality.

OSH records may include:

• records arising from the implementation of the OSH management system;
• records of work-related injuries, ill health, diseases and incidents;
• records arising from national laws or regulations dealing with OSH;
• records of workers’ exposures, surveillance of the working environment and workers’ health; and
• the results of both active and reactive monitoring.

Communication

Arrangements and procedures should be established and maintained for:

• receiving, documenting and responding appropriately to internal and external communications related to OSH;
• ensuring the internal communication of OSH information between relevant levels and functions of the organization; and
• ensuring that the concerns, ideas and inputs of workers and their representatives on OSH matters are received, considered and responded to.