10. Understanding your responsibilities
• common knowledge
• industry knowledge
There are three simple tests to determine
whether a risk is reasonably foreseeable:
11. Understanding your responsibilities
• common knowledge
• industry knowledge
• expert knowledge
There are three simple tests to determine
whether a risk is reasonably foreseeable:
12. Understanding your responsibilities
As a manager, you’re required to assess
reasonably foreseeable risks, and reduce
risks so far as is reasonably practicable
13. Understanding your responsibilities
As a manager, you’re required to assess
reasonably foreseeable risks, and reduce
risks so far as is reasonably practicable
14. Understanding your responsibilities
As a manager, you’re required to assess
reasonably foreseeable risks, and reduce
risks so far as is reasonably practicable
33. Understanding your responsibilities
• the defendant owed the
claimant a duty of care
To be successful, the claimant must show that:
• the duty of care was
breached
• the injury was caused by
the breach of the duty of
care
38. Understanding your responsibilities
A decision made by a judge is a precedent,
which means that the verdict of this case will
apply to similar future cases
51. Understanding your responsibilities
6. Who is responsible for proving the case
(burden of proof)?
The State
The claimant
(subject to health and
safety law)
55. Understanding your responsibilities
8. Normally, how soon must legal action
start?
Six months for
summary offences
Three years from
discovery of harm
(but can be extended)
(but courts have
discretion to extend)
57. Understanding your responsibilities
9. What are the main parts of the law that
apply to health and safety?
Health and Safety at
Work etc Act
1974 and associated
regulations
Duty of care,
negligence,
and breach of
statutory duty
58. Understanding your responsibilities
Help with interpreting and applying the law
can be found in the form of:
• approved codes of practice
• guidance documents
• industry specific
guidance
59. Understanding your responsibilities
Now that you’ve seen what could happen
after a serious accident, what kind of system
do you need to put in place to prevent one?
61. Understanding your responsibilities
Most health and safety management
systems are based around the principle:
Policy
Planning and organising
Implementing and operating
Measuring performance
Review and continual
improvement
62. Understanding your responsibilities
The key benefits of introducing a health and
safety management system are to:
• comply with legislative requirements
• help deliver the policy
• improve management of risks
• provide competitive edge
• provide synergy with good
business management
73. Understanding your responsibilities
When it comes to responsibility, you need to:
• appreciate the key procedures so you
understand when to act, and when not to
• reduce reasonably foreseeable risks so
far as is reasonably practicable
• adapt your HSMS to the specific needs of
your organisation to support sustainability
• get everyone involved!
74. Understanding your responsibilities
• What does the law require you to do?
• How does the law work?
• What are the key parts
of a health and safety
management system?
Key learning points: