The document discusses the historical development of occupational safety and health (OSH) management. It describes how industrial accidents increased during the industrial revolution, leading countries to pass early safety laws in the 1800s. Over time, safety guidelines evolved from focusing on compensation to also emphasizing prevention and management responsibilities. Major accidents in the 1970s-1980s then drove the modern approach of mandatory OSH management systems to systematically address hazards.

1. Historical Perspective
Safety And Health Officer Certificate
Course
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2. Learning Objectives
• To describe the historical development
of OSH management over the centuries
• To recall the background to the
development of OSHA 1994 and its
underlying philosophy
• To recall the development of
occupational safety and health
management system
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3. Scope
• OSH before and during the industrial
revolution
• Development in OSH management
between the 1930’s and 1970’s
• Development of self-regulation legislation
• Modern OSH management
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4. Early Recognition Of
Occupational Diseases
• In 1473 a German physician, Ellenborg,
published the first known pamphlets on
occupational disease from gold miners.
• In 1556 the German scholar, Agricola,
described the diseases of miners.
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5. Early Recognition Of
Occupational Diseases
• In 1713 Ramazzini, who is regarded as the
father of occupational medicine,
suggested that in diagnosis doctors should
ask patients about their occupations.
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6. Emergence Of
Industrial Accident
• Industrial accidents arose out of the
Factory System during the Industrial
Revolution in Britain in 18th Century
(1700s).
• Women and children worked as heavy
labourers under unsafe and unhealthy
workplaces.
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7. Emergence Of
Industrial Safety Legislation
• In 1833 English Factory Act was the first
effective industrial safety law.
• It provide compensation for accidents
rather than to control their causes.
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8. Emergence Of
Industrial Safety Legislation
• Insurance companies inspected work
places and suggested prevention methods
• Problem: Safety became injury and
insurance oriented
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9. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• Role of Herbert W. Heinrich (1930’s),
– Developed Domino Theory and promoted
control of workers behaviour.
• Problem:
• Focused on worker behaviour and not
management
• Caused people to think that safety is about
policing worker
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10. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• Frank Bird (1970) developed Loss Control
Theory.
• Suggested that underlying cause of
accidents are lack of management
controls and poor management
decisions.
• Problem:
– Not so popular: blames management
(responsibility and control).
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11. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• In 1980’s, Behavioural Based Safety
(BBS) was introduced;
• Based on Heinrich’s findings.
• Work by recognizing safe work habits and
offering rewards and punishment.
• Problem:
– Focuses on workers and not on hazard or
management
– Reward and punishment system have
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12. Emergence Of Safety
Management System
• Current development of Occupational
Safety And Health management system
was driven by two parallel forces:
A. Self-regulatory legislation in the United
Kingdom (1974),
B. Quality management movement
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13. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Lord Robens, Chairman of a Royal Safety
Commission Report noted that:
– there was too many OSH legislation,
– was fragmented,
– limited in coverage (specific hazards &
workplace),
– out of date and difficult to update,
– inflexible (prescriptive),
– people thought that safety was what
government inspectors enforced.
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14. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Lord Robens recommended
– Self regulation
• Report resulted in the Health and Safety of
Workers At Work Act in the UK in 1974
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15. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Similar legislation was enacted in Australia
in 1984
• Enacted in Malaysia in 1994 after the 1992
Bright Sparkler accident in Sungai Buloh
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16. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Features of “Robens style” legislation:
– General duties of care by:
• Employer, employee, manufacturer, designer,
supplier
• Duty of employer to make the workplace safe
– Consultation with employees through Safety
and Health Committees
– Safety and Health Officer as advisor and
coordinator
– Improvement and prohibition notices
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17. A Self-Regulation Legislation
Legislation follow major accidents and
reinforce need for management system
ACCIDENT REGULATION/PROGRAMME
Flixborough (1974) CIMAH regulations 1996
Bhopal (1984) “Responsible Care” /
Process safety
Piper Alpha (1988) Risk Assessment /
Management system
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18. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
• There are similar issues in safety
management as in quality management
• Example:
– Productivity
– Worker involvement
– Proactive approach
– Scientific approach
– Customer and human rights
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19. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
• Management system standards:
– ISO 9000 QMS was proven successful and
ISO 14000 EMS was introduced in 1996
– UK published BS 8800 and Australia AS8401
OSH management systems in 1996
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20. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
– International and auditable OHSAS 18001
OSH Management System published in 1999
– ILO approved an OSH management system
for governments to adopt during 2000
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21. Summary
– The industrial revolution cause of industrial
accidents.
– Laws were enacted to compensate and
protect workers in 1833.
– Safety management guidelines began with
Heinrich and followed by Frank Bird and
others.
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22. Summary
– Lord Robens in 1972 recommended self-
regulatory legislation. Adopted by Malaysia in
1994.
– Outcome of accidents in the 1970s and 1980s
resulted in OSH management system today.
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23. Summary
- Health problems due to occupation has been
known from ancient times
- Industrial accidents became rampant after the
industrial revolution
- Accidents in the 70’s & 80’s resulted in OSH-MS
today
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