Revised HSG65 refers to new HSE guidance entitled Managing for safety and health, which sees POPIMAR replaced by a new PDCA mode.
The PDCA framework is cyclical and is designed to be repeated, particularly if you’re just starting out or have made any significant changes to what you do and how you do it.
Plan:
Determining your policy – Writing a health and safety policy gives you chance to set down your strategy for managing safety. You need to decide what you’re going to do, who’s going to do it and how.
Planning for implementation – Here’s where you identify and seek to control risks. You should include health risks, consider compliance with health and safety legislation and involve people, for example safety reps, from throughout the organisation. You should also consider the need to link how you manage safety to how you manage other business areas.
Key actions include – The HSE have a full list of actions, which includes making a statement of intention; setting out clear roles and responsibilities; outlining how things will be done and allocating resources accordingly; conducting the necessary health and safety training; prioritising actions; considering contractors and discussing and communicating plans.
Do:
Profiling your organisation’s health and safety risks – Yes this includes risk assessments and yes the importance of getting these right cannot be overstated.
Organising for health and safety – You need to involve workers and communicate clearly as well as provide adequate resources and competent advice.
Implementing your plan – Deciding on risk control measures and putting them in place; providing tools and equipment and maintaining them; and ensuring everyone is competent to carry out their tasks.
Check:
Measuring performance – Safety audits can be useful at this stage as you need to check that your plans are being implemented, risks are being controlled and that you’re achieving your aims. The acclaimed RoSPA Awards process is an excellent way of reviewing the progress you’ve made – and being rewarded for it too!
Investigating accidents and incidents – An essential part of the monitoring process, without which you won’t know if your risk control measures are actually working. Don’t forget that near misses also provide valuable learning opportunities and shouldn’t be overlooked. A thorough accident investigation (either carried out by your own internal accident team, or by an external consultant) will help you correct any safety omissions; demonstrate your commitment to safety to a court and provide essential information to your insurers.
Act:
Review performance – Remember, the PDCA model is cyclical and it is at this stage that you should learn from accidents, errors, experience and other organisations so that you can revisit your plans, policies and risk assessments and update where necessary.
Learn lessons and take action accordingly – Look for common factors when things go wrong, including human factors, and opportunities for organisational learning.
The PDCA framework is cyclical and is designed to be repeated, particularly if you’re just starting out or have made any significant changes to what you do and how you do it.
Plan:
Determining your policy – Writing a health and safety policy gives you chance to set down your strategy for managing safety. You need to decide what you’re going to do, who’s going to do it and how.
Planning for implementation – Here’s where you identify and seek to control risks. You should include health risks, consider compliance with health and safety legislation and involve people, for example safety reps, from throughout the organisation. You should also consider the need to link how you manage safety to how you manage other business areas.
Key actions include – The HSE have a full list of actions, which includes making a statement of intention; setting out clear roles and responsibilities; outlining how things will be done and allocating resources accordingly; conducting the necessary health and safety training; prioritising actions; considering contractors and discussing and communicating plans.
Do:
Profiling your organisation’s health and safety risks – Yes this includes risk assessments and yes the importance of getting these right cannot be overstated.
Organising for health and safety – You need to involve workers and communicate clearly as well as provide adequate resources and competent advice.
Implementing your plan – Deciding on risk control measures and putting them in place; providing tools and equipment and maintaining them; and ensuring everyone is competent to carry out their tasks.
Check:
Measuring performance – Safety audits can be useful at this stage as you need to check that your plans are being implemented, risks are being controlled and that you’re achieving your aims. The acclaimed RoSPA Awards process is an excellent way of reviewing the progress you’ve made – and being rewarded for it too!
Investigating accidents and incidents – An essential part of the monitoring process, without which you won’t know if your risk control measures are actually working. Don’t forget that near misses also provide valuable learning opportunities and shouldn’t be overlooked. A thorough accident investigation (either carried out by your own internal accident team, or by an external consultant) will help you correct any safety omissions; demonstrate your commitment to safety to a court and provide essential information to your insurers.
Act:
Review performance – Remember, the PDCA model is cyclical and it is at this stage that you should learn from accidents, errors, experience and other organisations so that you can revisit your plans, policies and risk assessments and update where necessary.
Learn lessons and take action accordingly – Look for common factors when things go wrong, including human factors, and opportunities for organisational learning.