Institute of Business Management

of Southern Africa

Established 1973

Represent the Needs of Employees with regard to

Occupational Health and Safety Matters

Study Guide

Practical Module 1

©Institute of Business Management of SA – IBM of SA

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 Represent the Needs of Employees with regard to
Occupational Health and Safety Matters

Published by

The Institute of Business Management

of Southern Africa.

© COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronically,
mechanically, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the owner. No patent liability is assumed with respect to
the use of the information contained in this manual. The owner and programme designer assumes no responsibility for losses of any kind resulting
from the direct or indirect use of the information contained herein.

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Table of Contents
1. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE __________________________________________________________ 3
2. PROGRAMME OVERVIEW __________________________________________________________ 3
3. LEARNING ASSUMPTIONS _________________________________________________________ 3
CHAPTER 1: Conduct a workplace health and safety meeting with team members, make inputs
at meetings and record the results of meetings _______________________________________ 4
1. Develop a meeting terms of reference, agenda, meeting schedule, attendance register, meeting
minute keeping template and meeting notification letters ________________________________ 5
2. Analyse the given information and prepare for making presentations at the meeting __________ 19
3. Conduct/ chair the safety meeting __________________________________________________ 39
4. Take minutes of a safety meeting ___________________________________________________ 41
5. Make presentations to safety meetings ______________________________________________ 43
Online Quiz
CHAPTER 2: Remove Employees From Unsafe Or Unhealthy Workplaces __________________ 64
1. Identify the hazards and the risks ___________________________________________________ 64
2. Communicate the situation to the appropriate levels of management ______________________ 67
3. Instruct employees to safely shut down machines and equipment _________________________ 69
4. Remove employees to a safe place __________________________________________________ 72
Online Quiz

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1. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This workbook belongs to you. It is designed to serve as a guide for the duration of your training
programme. It contains readings, activities, and application aids that will assist you in developing the
knowledge and skills stipulated in the specific outcomes and assessment criteria.

2. PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The focus of the learning in this module is on providing the learner an opportunity to represent the needs
of employees with regard to Occupational Health and Safety matters

3. LEARNING ASSUMPTIONS

The learning will enable learners to demonstrate an understanding of:

 226302001-PM-01, Represent the needs of employees with regard to Occupational Health and
Safety matters

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CHAPTER 1: Conduct a workplace health and safety meeting
with team members, make inputs at meetings and record the
results of meetings

Outcomes
On completion of this chapter, you will be able to conduct a workplace health and safety
meeting with team members, make inputs at meetings and record the results of meetings

1. Develop a meeting terms of reference, agenda, meeting schedule, attendance register,

meeting minute keeping template and meeting notification letters.
2. Analyse the given information and prepare for making presentations at the meeting.
3. Conduct/ chair the safety meeting
4. Take minutes of a safety meeting
5. Make presentations to safety meetings

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1. Develop a meeting terms of reference, agenda, meeting schedule,
attendance register, meeting minute keeping template and meeting
notification letters

Over recent years the health service has placed an emphasis on quality, staff and service user safety by
developing an infrastructure for integrated quality, safety and risk management. The aim is to achieve
excellence in governance for quality and safety (HSE, 2016). Under priority 2 (Staff Engagement) of the
People Strategy, the HSE has committed to prioritising “effective two-way communication as a core
enabler of meaningful staff engagement”.

In line with this commitment, the HSE actively promotes and supports employee engagement when
establishing arrangements for securing co-operation in the workplace on all matters pertaining to safety,
health and welfare. Consultation will be made in advance and in a timely manner to allow employees to
consider, discuss and provide opinion on matters before managerial decisions are implemented (HSE,
Corporate Safety Statement)

In accordance with Section 26, of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and the HSE’s
governance arrangements a Safety Committee is established at local level to include balanced
representation between management, employees and Safety Representatives. In smaller facilities the role
and function of the Safety Committee are incorporated into and clearly defined in the Terms of Reference
of Team Meetings.

Guidance for the establishment of Local Health and Safety Committees

Purpose - Local Health and Safety Committee
The main purpose of the local Health and Safety Committee is to provide a forum that facilitates employee
participation on the steps taken to safeguard their safety, health and welfare within the workplace.

Objectives - Local Health and Safety Committee Identify a set of goals that the Committee plans to
achieve. To be most effective objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-
bound (SMART), within the scope / remit of the committee.

Examples include:

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Monitoring
• The quality and safety of the local service measured through proactive risk management
processes including risk assessments, risk registers, incident analysis and investigation
reports, HSA Correspondence, etc.
• Representations made to the employer
• Staff Training
• Implementation of Quality Improvement Plans (QIP’s) arising from: o Level 2, National audit
reports o Level 1, ward / department level audit reports o Claims / costs

Assurance
• Legislative requirements are complied with
• Risk assessments are completed in consultation with employees and actions escalated where
necessary
• Policies, procedures and guidelines are available to staff and being adhered to

Key Performance Indicators

• Revision of Site-Specific Safety Statement
• Reduction in incident numbers
• Reduction in reportable occurrences
• Increase in % staff receiving statutory health and safety training
• Increase in resources expended on health and safety
• Increase in number of self-assessments (level 1 audit)
• Reduction in the number of non-compliances
• Reduction in cases of occupational injury
• Reduction in claims and costs

Identifying Trends
• Accident / incident statistics
• Areas of excellence

Role of the Safety Committee: The committee should operate in accordance with its terms of reference,
and set a specific agenda which could include items such as the following:

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 • Any representations made to the employer, to include representation from the Safety
Representative(s) on any matters relating to safety, health and welfare
• The implementation of Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) arising from audits
• Information relating to incidents, dangerous occurrences and instances of occupational ill health at
the place of work
• Progress reports on the implementation of risk assessments and the Site-Specific Safety Statement
• Implementation of the health and safety training programme and review health and safety training
reports
• The promotion of activities on safety and health at work and wellbeing programmes
• Compliance and recommended actions that will improve the effectiveness of the local safety
management programme
• The integration of safety, health and welfare into each respective service
• Local Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in line with HSE objectives to measure compliance with
legislation and best practice
• The effectiveness of consultation arrangements

Please note where integrated committees exist ensure that staff safety, health and welfare is afforded
appropriate time to address all relevant issues at each meeting and receives appropriate action.

Membership of the Local Health and Safety Committee

In accordance with Section 19, sub-section 2 a health and safety committee shall consist of such number of
members as the employer may from time to time determine: Provided that –
a) if one health and safety committee has been established in respect of a workplace, all the health
and safety representatives for that workplace shall be members of the committee;
b) if two or more health and safety committees have been established in respect of a workplace,
each health and safety representative for that workplace shall be a member of at least one of
those committees; and
c) the number of persons nominated by an employer on any health and safety committee
established in terms of this section shall not exceed the number of health and safety
representatives on that committee.

Suggested membership of the Safety Committee: (non-exhaustive list)

• Service Manager / Operations Manager or equivalent (Chair)
• Department Heads

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 • Employee representatives
• Safety Representatives
• Appropriate support service representation e.g. Occupational Health, Health and Safety,
Quality/Safety/Risk (as required)
• Administrative support

Accountability of the Safety Committee

It is important to establish who the Safety Committee Chair reports to within the service. The Chair of the
Safety Committee should be accountable to the Executive Quality and Safety Committee or equivalent and
where this committee does not exist, to the most senior person within the Service.

Meetings
Safety meetings are gatherings held with one goal: to discuss the necessary steps that a team should
take to ensure the security in the concerned sector. Of course, safety standards vary from
department to department, which means that the agenda and meeting minutes for one meeting will
be different from another.
Safety Committee Meeting
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the safety and security matters. The focus of the meeting
depends on the kind of security concerns in question.
Safety meeting
Safety is as important as life itself. Of course, insecurity is a life killer. Holding a health and safety
meeting can help you and the team to discuss and record the significant concerns for health and
safety.
Construction safety meeting
The purpose of a construction safety meeting is to highlight the steps that a construction team must
take to ensure health and safety during a construction project.
Food safety meeting
A food safety meeting is an important one, especially in the time and age where food consumption is
a trigger for many illnesses.
The safety committees to write the minutes of the meeting can use the safety minute templates. The
content of a safety minute, however, vary from group to group, as there are always variations in
safety precautions and methods. For example, a food safety minute will read differently from a
construction safety minute because, of course, although the preliminary focus is safety, the areas
under analysis and discussion are completely different.

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Safety meeting minutes give an overview of matters discussed at a previous gathering. They remind
everyone in the room about the important issues taken up at the meeting, including the most critical
matters concerning safety. A safety meeting minutes also records the most significant items
discussed at the current meeting. At the end of the day, a secretary often has the responsibility to
present an outline of the matters discussed in the meeting, and then introduce the document to the
chair of the meeting for reviews and filing. This document will be necessary for future reference.

Meeting minutes are critical, and they are necessary. If you must hold a meeting, you must have
someone in the gathering to write down the details of the meeting. Meeting minutes always help to
ensure that the people in attendance in the next meeting know the matters discussed in the last
meeting.

See templates of safety meeting minutes under the Materials tab in your student portal.

Frequency and Duration of Meetings

The frequency, duration and times of meetings shall be agreed by members of the Safety Committee and
be identified during the development of the Terms of Reference. There is a provision in the legislation that
safety committees should not meet more frequently than once every three months and the duration
should not exceed one hour.

Setting the Agenda

The agenda should be set in consultation with safety committee members and circulated in advance of
each meeting accompanied by any supporting documentation. To improve efficiency, topics should be
arranged in line with objectives. Please refer to Appendix 1 for a sample agenda.

Reports: Local Safety Committee

In line with the objectives of the Safety Committee, the content and frequency of reports to be submitted
to the Executive Quality and Safety Committee or equivalent should be agreed by members.

Performance
The Safety Committee should clearly identify the quality indicators and outcomes that will be measured to
ensure that the committee is performing effectively. Performance measures could include:
• Review the progress of the group – how well are they operating? How do they feel they are performing?
How do others feel they are performing?

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Approval and Review Date
The Terms of Reference are prepared in consultation with the Executive Quality and Safety Committee or
equivalent, communicated and agreed by members of the local Health and Safety Committee. The terms of
reference should be reviewed annually. Please refer to Appendix 2 for Sample terms of reference.

Appendix 1 Health and Safety Meetings

Health and safety committees are made up of persons nominated by an employers and at least one health
and safety representative. A health and safety committee is a requirement as soon as the number of health
and safety representatives exceeds one. However, the persons nominated by the employer to join the
committee must not exceed the number of health and safety representatives.

Certain regulations govern health and safety committee meetings. Companies can add more policies to
govern their meetings. However, to be compliant they must comply with the below mentioned health and
safety meetings procedures that are stipulated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993

• Health and safety committees may hold meeting as often as may be necessary
• They should at least hold a meeting once every three months
• The place and time of the meeting is to be solely determined by the committee
• Inspectors Department of Labour have the power to designate, by notice in writing, a place and
time where health and safety committee meetings must be held.
• The above can only be done if more than 10 per cent of the employees at a specific workplace have
handed a written request to the employer.
• The procedure at meeting of a health and safety committee shall be determined by the committee.
• During meetings, the committee may choose one or more persons to act as their advisory based on
their knowledge and experience in health and safety matters.
• Decisions in meetings are accomplished by voting and the designated advisory is not allowed to
vote in the meetings

Health and safety committee meetings must be guided by an agenda. The following are one of the most
common items in agendas of health and safety committee meetings:

• Statistics for near-misses, accident records, ill health, sickness absence

• emergency procedures and their effectiveness
• accident investigations and control measures
• risk assessments
• any changes in the workplace affecting health, safety and welfare of employees.
• Workplace inspections
• health and safety training e.g. fire drills

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Appendix 2 Sample Terms of Reference
1. Purpose - Aim - Objective
2. Roles and Responsibilities
3. Membership
4. Accountability and Reporting Relationships
5. Frequency of Meetings
6. Reports
7. Performance
8. Administrative Support
9. Approval and Review Date

Appendix 3
Sample Report template for committees reporting to the Quality and Safety Executive Committee
Report prepared by: _______________________
Sub-committee name: _______________________
Date: _______________________
Report Prepared for Quality and Safety Executive Report
Prepared By: ____________________________
Identify Specialty/Committee: ____________________________
Date: _______________________
• Please attach the changes to the Terms of Reference /Committee’s most
recent Terms of Reference
Situation • Committee’s key priorities for the last 12 months / Progress made on
achieving priorities
• Please list local PPPGs developed and updated by the committee
• Progress made on achieving priorities
Background • Risks Identified by the committee recorded on a local risk register
Assessment • Internal and external reports monitored by the Health and Safety
Committee
• Quality Improvement Initiatives currently in progress
• Key Quality Indicators developed and monitored by the committee
• Risks Identified by the committee recorded on a local risk register
Recommendations • Please include risks identified for escalation to the Executive Quality and
to the EQSC Safety Committee

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Sample Safety Meeting Agenda
(Date, time and location of meeting)
1. Accidents, injuries, near-misses, discuss
• incidents that have occurred in your company since the last meeting,
• any follow-up that has been done as a result of investigations into incidents,
• Incidents that have happened in other companies.
• Updates to the company’s Accident Prevention Plan from “lessons learned.”
2. Results of safety inspections.
• Discuss the results of recent safety inspections.
• Follow up on assignments for eliminating or controlling identified hazards.
• Encourage employees to identify any unsafe conditions or tasks, and
• discuss ways to eliminate or control the hazards.
• When appropriate, assign responsibilities for eliminating or controlling identified hazards.

3. Training.
• Discuss any new safe work procedures or other policies and procedures that need to be
implemented.
• Safety Topic of the Month: a presentation and discussion on the chosen topic.
4. Open forum.
• Anyone who has a concern about safety and health should bring it up for discussion.
5. Next meeting.
• Set the time, date and place for the next meeting.
• Select a Safety Topic and designate the presenter/discussion leader.

Persons attending this meeting:

You should keep a list with names of all attendees. The list must have the meeting date and venue, names
and signatures.

Schedule
Safety demands cooperation on everyone's part. Thus, it is important that communication be kept open at
all times between the management and employees. Workers who notice hazards or other safety problems,
or feel that they need additional training, must notify their supervisor. Supervisors and management at all
levels must address these concerns and take corrective action when warranted.
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Everyone is obligated to know the safety standards for their area or job, and just as important, to abide by
them. Supervisors must instil a positive attitude and safety awareness in their workers through personal
adherence, personal contact, training, and regularly scheduled safety meetings. It is the duty of all
employees to perform their work with maximum regard for the safety of themselves and co-workers.

Steps to take in preparing schedule:

1. Review, edit, and print the statement of Occupational Health and Safety Policy on company
letterhead, date, and sign.
2. Carefully review the entire schedule. Delete those items or topics which do not apply to your
company.
3. Treat this as your core program. Be advised, there are other individual specialized programs, such as a
hazard communication program, a confined space program, or a respiratory protection program, that
may be required for your particular company. These are listed in the Individual Safety and Health
Programs Listing along with a brief synopsis of the program. You may incorporate these other
programs right into this core program document, add them as appendixes to this document, or treat
them as separate individual programs.
4. Add those items not listed that you know are required or needed, or those policies, programs, or
items that as a company you wish to include, in the appropriate section. For example, if you require
safety shoes or safety glasses in your shop areas, so state.
5. Edit, then print, your program.
6. You may submit a final copy to Wyoming Workers' Safety Consultation Program for review

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Safety meeting attendance sheet
Company Name: _______________________________________________________________
City: __________________________________________
State: _______________________
Date: _______________________
Time Started: __________
Time Finished: ___________
Instructed By: ______________________________________
Number Attending: _____
Subject Covered and Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

By my signature below, I certify that I attended and participated in this Safety Meeting and I understand
the material presented.
Employee Name Employee *License Expires **Endorsements ***Physical Exam
(Please print) Signature
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
*Driver licenses may be for multiple years and require HazMat testing between license renewal periods.
List expiration date.
**Check licenses for proper endorsements and re-testing. (HazMat) List endorsements in this column.
***Physical Examinations are good for 2 years from the original date of the exam or sooner by Physician’s
request. List original exam date in this column.

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By my signature below, I hereby certify that the employees listed above have been trained in accordance
with the applicable regulations and curriculum for this monthly safety meeting.

Instructor’s Signature: __________________________________

Date: _____________

MEETING MINUTES RECORDING FORM (SAMPLE)

MINUTES OF MEETING
DATE: TIME: PLACE:
MEMBERS: (*indicates a certified member) PRESENT ABSENT
WORKER CO-CHAIR:
MANAGEMENT CO-CHAIR:

SECRETARY: Huma Khaled

WORKER MEMBERS PRESENT: Mark Holtz, Katie Rowena

WORKER MEMBERS ABSENT: Clara Campbell
MANAGEMENT MEMBERS PRESENT:
MANAGEMENT MEMBERS ABSENT:
GUESTS: None
AGENDA ITEM
NO. DISCUSSION ACTION BY
1 .
NEXT MEETING DATE: TIME: PLACE:
SIGNED:
WORKER CO-CHAIR MANAGEMENT CO-CHAIR

Meeting notification letters;

Private and confidential

[addressee]
[address line 1]
[address line 2]
[postcode]

[date]
Dear [employee's name],
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Example: Proposal to put in place a Performance Improvement Plan
I would like to arrange a meeting with you on [date] at [time] in [place] to discuss your performance at
work and my proposal for us to put in place a Performance Improvement Plan. Also present at the meeting
will be [name and job title]. You are entitled to bring a representative or other support person (such as a
family member, union representative or a friend) to our meeting and I strongly encourage you to do so.

Please confirm that you are able to attend the meeting at the organised time by [time and date] or suggest
an alternative date or time.

[Until now/ over the last [period]] we have taken an informal approach to improving your performance,
providing guidance and support to assist you. I do not think that your performance has improved to a
satisfactory level, and I am proposing to take a more structured formal approach to working with you on
your performance issues.
[As we have been discussing, your performance is based on both what you do (your work) and how you do
it (behaviours and attitude). These are both important aspects of your role as a [job title]. It is an important
term of your employment that you are able to do the whole of your job well and do it in the right way.]
My issues of concern relate to your ability to:

• Issue – example - be specific about the issues and specific instances where the performance
standard is not being met.
• Issue – example

[If applicable: Attach or refer specifically to any supporting documentation in relation to the performance
concerns. Provide all details you are relying on. Where possible note specific and relevant expectations
that have not been met and why the underperformance or behaviour is not satisfactory]

I propose to put in place a Performance Improvement Plan with you. The purpose of the plan is to help you
achieve a satisfactory level of performance. We will support you to reach this level, but it is important that
you understand that if a Performance Improvement Plan is put in place:

Preparing for meetings in general

Part of developing a strong presence is developing a strong meeting style. Meetings are a central part of
communication and cooperation within any organisation and serve as opportunities to develop your
presentation skills and develop your reputation, as well as a chance to stay on top of essential
organisational information.
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Anticipate
If you receive an agenda ahead of time, take a few minutes to look it over. If you see areas where you may
have an opportunity to take the lead or to provide information to others, use that opportunity.
Prepare
Do your homework. If you plan to speak on an issue, know what you are talking about. Make notes to
yourself. Keep your comments positive and speak with enthusiasm. The direct, relaxed approach works
best. Get quickly to your point and stay with it. Busy people have little patience with more than they want
to know. However, clarity and conciseness take preparation.
Participate
When should you speak up?
• When you know you can clarify a point?
• When you can supplement pertinent information or convincing statistics.
• When you can correct an error.
• When you wish to ask a question.
• When you can give credit that’s due.
• When you have a good idea or an original suggestion.
• When someone else has taken your idea and presents it as his/her own.

Suggestions of ways to conduct a successful meeting:

• Know everybody’s name.
• Know what everybody does so you won’t step on anybody’s toes.
• Be careful about personal comments.
• Don’t create subconscious barriers to communication. Be especially careful if you are in the
habit of folding your arms across your chest.
• Sit erect and square your shoulders. Look alert and lean forward slightly.
• Discuss but don’t argue.
• The head of the table is the power perch. The three other important positions are those to the
right or left of the power perch, and, unless it is too far away, the position directly opposite.
• Another good position is a corner position, because you can make eye contact with more
people.
• If you are seated and an important person enters the room, stand up to shake hands. A woman
should rise to her feet as readily as a man.
• If you are holding the meeting, reserve the most impressive, appropriately appointed
conference room, when the meeting warrants it. This will add status to your meeting.
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 • If it is your meeting, lead it!
• If it is your meeting, have an agenda and let people know why they are attending the meeting.
• Start and end on time. See if you can meet with each person in the room before time is up.
• If it is someone else’s meeting, take responsibility and participate.
• Demonstrate high energy and involvement. A high energy level is contagious, and a valued
quality in a team player.

Conclusion
To summarise, when conducting a meeting, be sure to follow these guidelines:
Develop the meeting in terms of reference – state the purpose of the meeting, i.e. why we are meeting.
State Objectives: What are the things you are going to get done?
Agenda: What discussion points are you covering? In what order are you covering it? And how many
minutes are you spending on each agenda item?
Minutes: Meeting minutes are notes that are recorded during a meeting. They highlight the key issues that
are discussed, motions proposed or voted on, and activities to be undertaken. The minutes of
a meeting are usually taken by a designated member of the group.
Attendance register.
Notification of meeting – state purpose and discussion points, time, venue, duration, attendees.
List of attendees.

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2. Analyse the given information and prepare for making presentations at
the meeting

The primary purpose of measuring health and safety performance is to provide information on the
progress and current status of the strategies, processes and activities used by an organisation to control
risks to health and safety.

Measurement information sustains the operation and development of the health and safety management
system, and so the control of risk, by:
• providing information on how the system operates in practice;
• identifying areas where remedial action is required;
• providing a basis for continual improvement; and
• providing feedback and motivation.
Effective performance measurement provides information on both the level of performance and why the
performance level is as it is. ‘Only when you know why you have hit the target can you truly say you have
learnt archery’- Chinese proverb

If the information derived from measurement cannot be used as a means to understand the basis of
performance, then it is of little use.

Answering questions Health and safety performance measurement should seek to answer such questions
as:
• Where are we now relative to our overall health and safety aims and objectives? · Where are we
now in controlling hazards and risks?
• How do we compare with others?
• Why are we where we are?
• Are we getting better or worse over time?
• Is our management of health and safety effective (doing the right things)?
• Is our management of health and safety reliable (doing things right consistently)?
• Is our management of health and safety proportionate to our hazards and risks?
• Is our management of health and safety efficient?
• Is an effective health and safety management system in place across all parts of the organisation
(deployment)?

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 • Is our culture supportive of health and safety, particularly in the face of competing demands?

These questions should be asked not only at the highest level but also at the various management levels
and across the organisation. The aim should be to provide a complete picture of the organisation’s health
and safety performance.

Decision making
The measurement information helps in deciding:
• where you are relative to where you want to be;
• what progress is necessary and reasonable in the circumstances;
• how that progress might be achieved against particular restraints (e.g. resources or time);
• the way progress might be achieved; and
• priorities and effective use of resources

Addressing different information needs

Information from health and safety performance measurement is needed by the people in the
organisation who have particular responsibilities within the health and safety management system. These
will include directors, senior managers, line managers, supervisors, health and safety professionals and
employees/safety representatives. They each need information appropriate to their position and
responsibilities within the health and safety management system.

For example, what the CEO of a multinational organisation needs to know from the performance
measurement system will differ in detail and nature from the manager of a particular location. And this
may differ in detail from a departmental manager in that location. There needs to be overall coherence in
approach so that individual measuring activities are aligned within the overall performance measurement
framework. In effect this results in a hierarchical set of linked measures which reflect the organisation’s
structure.

Because performance measures should be derived principally to meet an internal need, there will be a limit
to the number which can be used meaningfully from organisation to organisation (i.e. for external
benchmarking purposes) rather than within the context of a particular organisation

‘Each organisation must create and communicate performance measures that reflect its unique strategy’ –
Kaplan

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Although the primary focus for performance measurement is to meet the internal needs of the
organisation, there is an increasing need to demonstrate to external stakeholders (regulators, insurance
companies, shareholders, suppliers, contractors, members of the public etc) that arrangements to control
health and safety risks are in place, operating correctly and effective.

While the higher hazard industries may have recognised that they have in effect been granted ‘license to
operate’ by their local community and society, pressure for accountability is reaching other sectors through
routes such as corporate social responsibility. The challenge for organisations is to communicate their
performance in ways which are meaningful to their various stakeholders.

WHAT TO MEASURE
In order to achieve an outcome of no injuries or work-related ill health, and satisfy stakeholders, health
and safety risks need to be controlled. Effective risk control is founded on an effective health and safety
management system. This is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Effective risk control - The health and safety management system comprise three levels of
control:
Level 3 - effective workplace precautions provided and maintained to prevent harm to people at the point
of risk.
Level 2 - risk control systems (RCSs): the basis for ensuring that adequate workplace precautions are
provided and maintained.
Level 1 - the key elements of the health and safety management system: the management arrangements
(including plans and objectives) necessary to organise, plan, control and monitor the design and
implementation of RCSs.

In addition, a positive health and safety culture supports each level. A detailed description of this three-
level system is given in the planning and implementing.

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To effectively answer the question ‘What is our health and safety performance?’, performance
measurement should cover all elements of Figure 2. It should be based on a balanced approach which
combines:
Input: Monitoring the scale, nature and distribution of hazards created by the organisation’s activities -
measures of the hazard burden;
Process: Active monitoring of the adequacy, development, implementation and deployment of the health
and safety management system and the activities to promote a positive health and safety culture -
measures of success; and
Outcomes: Reactive monitoring of adverse outcomes resulting in injuries, ill health, loss and accidents with
the potential to cause injuries, ill health or loss - measures of failures.

The following sections describe this approach to performance measurement based on Figure 2.
Measuring the hazard burden
The range of activities undertaken by an organisation will create hazards, which will vary in nature and
significance. The range, nature, distribution and significance of the hazards (the hazard burden) will
determine the risks which need to be controlled. Ideally the hazard should be eliminated altogether, either
by the introduction of inherently safer processes or by no longer carrying out a particular activity, but this
is not always practical.

If the hazard burden is reduced and if other things (variables) remain constant, including consistent
operation of the health and safety management system, this will result in lower overall risk and a
consequent reduction in injuries and ill health. For example, the inventory of hazardous materials might be
reduced so that the associated risks are reduced.

Of course, the hazard burden may increase as the organisation takes on new activities or makes changes to
existing ones. For example, increasing the throughput on a chemical plant might involve larger inventories
and larger pipe diameters resulting in potentially larger releases.
Measuring the hazard burden answers the questions:
• What are the hazards associated with our activities?
• What is the significance of the hazards (high/low)?
• How does the nature and significance of the hazards vary across the different parts of our
organisation?
• How does the nature and significance of the hazards vary over time? · Are we succeeding in
eliminating or reducing hazards?
• What impact are changes in our business having on the nature and significance of hazards?

22
This information provides an important input into planning and review processes to ensure that
proportionate effort, prioritisation and emphasis are given to the control of risks.

Measuring the health and safety management system

Overview: The health and safety management system is the process which turns uncontrolled hazards to
controlled risks. The key elements of:
• policy;
• organising;
• planning and implementation;
• measuring performance; and
• audit review
Illustrated in Figure 1 all need to be in place to control risks effectively. The performance measurement
system must cover each element of the health and safety management system.

Policy
The measuring process should establish that a written health and safety policy statement:
• exists;
• meets legal requirements and best practice;
• is up to date; and
• is being implemented effectively.
The information to demonstrate that the policy is being implemented effectively will be collected through
the overall process of measuring health and safety performance and from the auditing process.

Organising
The measurement process should gauge the existence, adequacy and implementation of arrangements to:
• establish and maintain management control of health and safety in the organisation;
• promote effective co-operation and participation of individuals, safety representatives and
relevant groups so that health and safety is a collaborative effort;
• ensure the effective communication of necessary information throughout the organisation; and ·
• secure the competence of the organisation’s employees.
Planning and implementation
The measurement process should gauge the existence, adequacy and implementation of the planning
system. The planning system should be able to:

23
 • deliver plans with objectives for developing maintaining and improving the health and safety
management system;
• design, develop, install and implement suitable management arrangements, risk control systems
and workplace precautions proportionate to the needs, hazards and risks of the organisation.
• provide effective prioritisation of activities based on risk assessment;
• ensure the correct balance of resources and effort is being targeted proportionately according to
the hazard/risk profile across the organisation (for example, is disproportionate effort being
expended on slips/trips relative to control of major accident hazards or fire safety?);
• operate, maintain and improve the system to suit changing needs and process hazards/risks; and
• promote a positive health and safety culture

Over a period of time the information from the various measuring activities and from other sources
(notably audit) will demonstrate how well the planning system delivers suitable management
arrangements and risk control systems. These should be:
• Effective, i.e. they are doing the right thing and in the right place at the right time?
• Reliable, i.e. they are consistently applied? and
• Efficient, i.e. they are doing the right things right?

Measuring performance
The measuring process itself is an essential element of the health and safety management system, so
its operation of will also need to be monitored.

Audit and review

Audit and review form the final steps in the health and safety management control loop, so their
existence, adequacy and implementation need to be included within the measuring process.

Measuring failure - reactive monitoring

So far, we have dealt with measuring activities designed to prevent the occurrence of injuries and
work-related ill health (active monitoring). Failures in risk control also need to be measured (reactive
monitoring), to provide opportunities for organisations to check performance, learn from failures and
improve the health and safety management system.

• Reactive monitoring arrangements include systems to identify and report: · injuries and work-
related ill health;

24
 • other losses such as damage to property;
• incidents, including those with the potential to cause injury, ill health or loss; · hazards and faults;
and
• weaknesses or omissions in performance standards and systems.

Guidance on investigating these events is outside the scope of this guidance but investigations
should:
• establish what happened;
• identify the reasons for substandard performance;
• identify the underlying failures in the health and safety management system; · learn from
events;
• prevent recurrences; and
• satisfy legal and reporting requirements.

The reactive monitoring system should answer the following questions:

• Are failures occurring (injuries/ill health/loss/incidents)?
• Where are they occurring?
• What is the nature of the failures?
• How serious are they?
• What were the potential consequences?
• What are the reasons for the failures?
• What are the costs?
• What improvements in the health and safety management system are required?
• How do all the above points vary with time?
• Are we getting better/worse?

Measuring the health and safety culture

The health and safety culture of an organisation is an important factor in ensuring the effectiveness of risk
control. The health and safety management system is an important influence on the safety culture, which
in turn impacts on the effectiveness of the health and safety management system. Measuring aspects of
the safety culture therefore forms part of the overall process of measuring health and safety performance.

Many of the activities which support the development of a positive safety culture need to be measured.
They are included under the headings (the ‘four Cs’: see Organising):
25
 • control;
• communication;
• co-operation; and
• competence.

The term ‘health and safety climate’ has been used to describe the tangible outputs of an organisation’s
health and safety culture as perceived by individuals or work groups at a point in time. Health and safety
climate is amenable to measurement, and HSE has developed a Health and safety climate survey tool5 to
allow organisations to canvass the views of their employees on some key aspects of health and safety
within their organisation.

The health and safety related behaviour of individuals at all levels of the organisation is influenced by the
health and safety culture, and the behaviours in turn shape the culture. Behaviours which support and
promote a positive health and safety culture and an effective health and safety management system need
to be included within the measurement process (an HSE Contract Research Report6 on behavioural safety
is currently in preparation).

Planning and implementing - a more detailed look

The following sections provide more detail on performance measurement in relation to plans and
objectives, management arrangements, risk control systems and workplace precautions (the levels 1,2 and
3 in Figure 2).

Measuring progress with plans and objectives

One of the key outputs of the planning process is plans and objectives to develop, maintain and improve
the health and safety management system. The various plans across the different parts of an organisation
need to be aligned to meet the organisation’s overall aims and to provide a coherent approach to effective
risk control. The overall goals set at the highest level in the organisation need to be put into effect by a
series of linked plans and objectives. These should cascade down the various levels within the organisation.

A prerequisite of effective health and safety plans and objectives is that they should be SMART, i.e.:
• Specific;
• Measurable;
• Attainable;
• Realistic/Relevant; and

26
 • Timebound.

So, the first check in the measurement process is whether plans and objectives meet this test.

Measuring progress with plans and objectives is facilitated by defining who does what, when and with
what result. This means that regular checks on progress can be made at appropriate intervals against a
defined performance standard. These checks need to take place at successive levels within the
organisation at corporate, site, local and individual level, reflecting the appropriate hierarchical structure of
the organisation. At individual level, the information gathering may form part of a performance appraisal
system, which holds people accountable for their health and safety responsibilities and rewards.

them appropriately. Measuring progress with plans and objectives provides a useful input to reporting
health and safety performance at various levels within the organisation. An important part of the
measurement process is to monitor compliance with remedial actions where areas for improvement have
been identified. These actions can arise from audits as well as active and reactive monitoring.

Measuring management arrangements and risk control systems

Measuring management arrangements and risk control systems (the levels 1 and 2 of Figure 2) should
cover three aspects:
• capability;
• Compliance (implementation); and
• deployment.

Capability
In many organisations, their health and safety management system has evolved over time rather than
being designed from first principles. This contrasts with the organisation’s physical processes or production
processes, where careful and systematic consideration will have been given to ensure they are designed to
deliver the desired outcomes.

The same discipline needs to be applied to management arrangements and risk control systems. The
performance measurement system must include checks on whether the particular management
arrangement (e.g. the accident investigation system), or risk control system (e.g. the system to control
contractors) has the capability to deliver the required outcome and is fit for purpose.

27
In practice, this information might be collected by audit or a review of arrangements and systems which
are already in place. Unless the performance measurement system includes these checks, there will be a
natural limit on the performance of the health and safety management system. Because of the limitations
in its original design there will be no guarantee that the desired outcomes will be achieved. There are
essentially two aspects to consider:
i. is there a system in place? and
ii. Is the system ‘technically adequate’ for the required application?

(a) To establish that a system is in place means checking that there is a plando-check-act process so that:
• clear scope and objectives are defined for the outcome, ie what the system is intended to deliver;
• clear responsibilities are assigned to individuals within the system, which they are held
accountable for;
• the competencies of people operating the system are defined;
• people who are expected to implement the system have had the opportunity to provide input to
its design;
• there are procedures which define how the system is to be implemented and the performance
standards expected;
• the methods of monitoring compliance and effectiveness of the system are defined;
• there are arrangements for reviewing the design and operation of the system and taking
appropriate action to correct deficiencies and for continual improvement; and
• adequate resources are provided to operate the system effectively

(b) The presence of the plan-do-check-act elements alone is not sufficient. The system needs to be
‘technically adequate’ or fit for purpose relative to the application. For example, arrangements for
investigating accidents will be of limited value if the investigation system does not identify root causes of
the accident.

Similarly, a system aimed at controlling the risks associated with managing change on a chemical plant will
be of limited value if the only changes included are engineering or material changes, but changes such as
personnel, organisational structure, instrumentation or recipe are not included.

The yardsticks for checking ‘technical adequacy’ are relevant legal requirements and best practice including
the consideration of human factors issues (see HSE guidance Reducing error and influencing behaviour)

28
Information on best practice might be obtained through published guidance or through benchmarking with
others (see HSE leaflet Health and safety benchmarking)

The procedures for implementing the system should be realistic and achievable in terms of the demands
placed upon the people who have to carry them out. For example, can people actually do what is required
of them to the standard required in the time available? Procedures should also be compatible with other
procedures the organisation has in place to manage other aspects of the business.

Compliance
No matter how well the management arrangements and risk control systems are designed, they can never
deliver the desired outcome if they are not implemented or complied with. Performance measurement
must provide information to determine the level of compliance with the management arrangements and
risk control systems.

It is vitally important that employees understand how the particular management arrangement or risk
control system is expected to operate. It is useful to be able to capture the implementation process as
designed in a process flowchart. This can be used to decide what aspects of the process need to be
measured to check that the process is being implemented as intended (see Deriving performance
measures).

The basis for the active monitoring of compliance are performance standards (which define who does
what, when and with what result.

Deployment
In larger organisations senior management will need information to determine that the health and safety
management system elements are in place and operating effectively across the organisation rather than in
isolated parts. So, a measurement of deployment will be required. This should include information on the
levels of compliance with the particular management arrangement or risk control system across various
parts of the organisation. Taken together, measuring capability, compliance and deployment effectively
provides information on three dimensions of the management arrangements and risk control systems.

29
This is illustrated in Figure 3

Figure 3: Three dimensions of measurement

The aim would be to be in the dark shaded area of Figure 3, i.e. high capability and high compliance
effectively deployed across the organisation.

This approach provides management with a way to gauge performance which they can apply at different
levels. For example, looking at a specific management arrangement (e.g. competence) or risk control
system (e.g. entry into confined spaces), or looking at a range of management arrangements and risk
control systems at a particular site or across the organisation.

Measuring workplace precautions

The output of risk control system design is having suitable workplace precautions (level 3 in Figure 2) in
place at the point of risk for the hazards and risks associated with work activity. The risk assessment
process is at the core, because when done correctly it will define the precautions needed to control
particular risks which must be included in the risk control system.
The compliance measurement should provide information to determine whether the workplace
precautions are:
• in place;
• operating; and
• effective.

Measurement means comparing the ’as is’ against a defined standard or yardstick. The definition of the
workplace precautions to control a particular risk forms the basis of measuring performance in controlling
that risk.

30
It is useful to consider workplace precautions under the following issues (the ‘four Ps’):
• premises,
• plant and materials,
• procedures,
• people.

This is illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Workplace precautions

The following example uses the risks associated with workplace transport, but the principles can be applied
to other risks. For workplace transport, the workplace precautions under each of the headings might
include:

Premises
• Defined roadways/one-way system.
• Need for reversing eliminated/minimised.
• Roadways in good condition.
• Speed bumps.

Plant
• Reversing aids provided

Procedures
• Speed limits set for vehicles.
• Vehicles chocked appropriately.
• Reversing controlled.
31
 • Authorised drivers.
• Drivers in safe position during loading.

People
• Competent drivers.
• Drivers following the speed limit.
• Pedestrians using designated walkways.

Each of the precautions defined will then fall within the scope of what to measure. (See also How to
measure performance). Monitoring compliance with defined workplace precautions is the major element
in day-to-day measurement activity.

WHEN TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE

Measuring health and safety performance is an ongoing activity, so in one sense the measurement process
is continuous. But like any other activity measurement should be both efficient and effective, so the
frequency with which it takes place needs to be planned appropriately. You should consider the following
factors:

Suitable intervals to ensure that specific planned milestones are achieved

• If health and safety plans and objectives are SMART, they will include specific times when specific
milestones will be achieved. Monitoring the progress with the plans should be aligned with the
particular timescales for achievement.

• The potential for change from one state to another over time. For example, the design of a particular
management arrangement or risk control system does not change from day to day so that the checks
on the design might be appropriate at:
o the initial design phase;
o whenever changes are made which could impact on the operation of the systems;
o when information is obtained which indicates that the system as designed has failed in some
way (e.g. when there has been an injury); or
o when data from the monitoring of the operation of the system indicates the design is flawed.

32
 Similarly, the state of a particular workplace precaution, for example the integrity of a fixed
machine guard, might not be expected to vary significantly from day to day once it has been put in
place. A check at greater intervals might be more appropriate.

Suppliers of plant and equipment will often prescribe inspection and maintenance intervals to
ensure optimum performance.

• The relative importance of the activity or particular precaution relative to the overall control of risk
Some precautions needed to control a particular risk may need to be monitored on an almost continuous
basis, e.g. the flow of cooling water, the presence (or absence) of oxygen, air flow, flammable gas levels,
and require effective instrumentation. Systems to control risks associated with high hazards will need to be
monitored at more frequent intervals than those for low hazards

• Where intervals for monitoring are prescribed by legislation

Some legislation requires monitoring to take place at specific intervals, for example, inspection of lifting
equipment.

• Where there is evidence of compliance

Where monitoring has provided evidence that there is regular compliance with a particular requirement, it
may be appropriate to consider reducing the frequency of that monitoring and targeting resources
elsewhere.

• The relative frequency and time at which a particular activity takes place
Some work activities only occur at particular times of the day or night or periods of the year. It is
important that the measurement process covers these activities effectively and is not just confined to
frequent ‘9 to 5’ activities.

WHO SHOULD MEASURE PERFORMANCE?

Health and safety performance needs to be measured at each management level in an organisation,
starting with the most senior management. Senior managers must guard against a culture of management,
or measurement of health and safety, by exception.

This means that unless a problem or deficiency is brought to their attention, they presume that everything
is working as intended and do not inquire any further. The dangers of this approach have been highlighted

33
in several reports of official inquiries into major incidents in the UK and abroad. Senior managers must
satisfy themselves that appropriate arrangements to control health and safety risks are:
• in place;
• complied with; and
• effective.

Organisations need to decide how to allocate responsibilities for both active and reactive monitoring of
performance at different levels in the management chain. They should also decide what level of detail is
appropriate. The decisions will reflect the organisation’s structure. Managers should be given responsibility
for monitoring the achievement of plans and objectives and compliance with standards for which they and
their subordinates are responsible. Managers and supervisors responsible for direct implementation of
standards should monitor compliance in detail and be competent to do so.

Above this immediate level of control, monitoring needs to be more selective but provide assurance that
adequate first line monitoring is taking place. This should reflect not only the quantity but also the quality
of subordinates’ monitoring.

There needs to be performance standards (who does what when, to what effect) for managers to indicate
how they will monitor.

HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE

The foundation of effective performance measurement is an effective planning system which produces
specifications and performance standards for the management arrangements and risk control systems.
These provide the yardsticks for the measurement process.
• The measurement process can gather information through:
• direct observation of conditions and of peoples’ behaviour;
• talking to people to elicit facts and their experiences as well as gauging their views and
opinions; and · examining written reports, documents and records.

These information sources can be used independently or in combination. Direct observation includes
inspection activities and the monitoring of the work environment (e.g. temperature, dust levels, solvent
levels, noise levels) and people’s health and safety related behaviour.

Each risk control system will have a built-in monitoring element if it has been designed correctly to define
the frequency of monitoring (see Capability). Rather than monitoring particular risk control systems and
34
associated workplace precautions in isolation, it may be more efficient to combine the individual
monitoring activities where it makes sense to do so. This may be achieved by developing a checklist or
inspection form which covers the key issues to be monitored in a particular department or area of the
organisation within a particular time period. It might be useful to structure this checklist using the ‘four Ps’
(note that the examples are not a definitive list: you should be able to think of others to fit your
circumstances):

• Premises, including:
i. Access/escape.
ii. Housekeeping.
iii. Working environment.

• Plant and substances, including:

i. Machinery guarding.
ii. Local exhaust ventilation.
iii. Use/storage/separation of materials/chemicals.

• Procedures, including:
i. Permits to work.
ii. Use of personal protective equipment.
iii. Procedures followed.

• People, including:
iv. Health surveillance.
v. People’s behaviour.
vi. Appropriate authorised person.

In order to get maximum value from inspection checklists, they should be designed so that they require
objective rather than subjective judgements of conditions. For example, asking the people undertaking a
general inspection of the workplace to rate housekeeping as good or bad begs questions as to what does
good and bad mean, and what criteria should be used to judge this

The checklist or inspection form should facilitate:

• the planning and initiation of remedial action, by requiring those doing the inspection to rank
deficiencies in order of importance;

35
• taking remedial actions, with names and timescales to track progress to implement improvements;
• periodic analysis to identify common features or trends which might reveal underlying weaknesses in
the system; and
• information to aid judgements about changes in the frequency or nature of the monitoring
arrangements.

Deriving performance measures

There is online source material available for deriving performance measures, introducing a performance
measurement process and interpreting and displaying performance data

Organisations need to guard against the danger of having a performance measurement process where
there is measurement for measurement’s sake. Just because something is amenable to measurement does
not mean that it has to be measured. Like any activity, measurement has associated costs and so needs to
be undertaken efficiently and to best effect.

‘The single biggest mistake organisations make is to have too few performance measures. The second
biggest is to have too many’ - Mark Graham Brown

There is general agreement on the key steps in developing a performance measurement system. It is
important that all those who are involved in the processes or activities have the opportunity to contribute
to the following steps:

1. Identify the key processes.

In the case of health and safety, these will be the management arrangements, risk control systems and
workplace precautions.

2. Analyse the key management arrangements and risk control systems to produce a process map or
flow chart. If the management arrangements and risk control systems have been designed correctly, it
should be relatively easy to produce a flowchart. It is vitally important to understand how the process
actually operates on the ground, so it is important to involve those responsible for implementing the
process in this activity.

3. Identify the critical measures for each management arrangement and risk control system.
This can be done by considering:
• What outcome do we want?

36
 • When do we want it?
• How would we know if we achieved the desired outcome?
• What are people expected to do?
• What do they need to be able to do it?
• When should they do it? ·
• What result should it produce? ·
• How would we know that people are doing what they should be doing?

Again, it is important to include the people involved in implementing the arrangements and systems in
deciding what the critical measures might be.
The measures which are derived should be:
• accepted by and meaningful to those involved in the activities being measured and those who
need to use the measures;
• simple/understandable/repeatable/objective;
• capable of showing trends;
• unambiguously defined;
• cost-effective in terms of data collection;
• timely;
• sensitive; and should
• drive appropriate behaviour.

4. This last point is particularly important because the choice of measures can sometimes promote
behaviours which are in conflict with the desired outcomes. For example, rewarding low accident rates (in
the absence of other measures of performance) can lead to under-reporting. Or merely counting the
number of safety meetings held by a supervisor can lead to the target for the number of safety meetings
being achieved but the quality being very poor.

5. Establish baselines for each measure Once the individual measures have been established then baseline
data needs to be established.

6. Establish goals or targets for each measure. Again, this should be done by involving the people who are
expected to operate the particular activity rather than imposing goals or targets on them arbitrarily.

7. Assign responsibility for collecting and analysing the data It is important to assign responsibility for
collecting and analysing the data, and to hold people accountable for this activity.

37
8. Compare actual performance against target The emphasis should be on achievements rather than
failures, but it is important to analyse the reasons for substandard performance if improvements are to be
made.

9. Decide on corrective action The measurement data should provide information to enable decisions to be
made about what corrective action is required and where and when it is necessary.

10. Review the measures The measures derived need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that they remain
appropriate, useful and cost-effective. There should not be frequent changes of measures because this can
lead to confusion.

Improving your performance measurement arrangements

In seeking to improve your organisation’s approach to measuring health and safety performance, a useful
starting point is to review what measuring activity is currently taking place against this guidance. You
should include consideration of:
• range,
• nature and deployment;
• gaps in the coverage;
• balance and emphasis;
• design basis;
• frequency - too little/too much;
• responsibility for collecting, analysing and reporting measurement information.
• corrective action arrangements; and
• effectiveness in driving improvement.

This might best be done using a team approach involving managers, supervisors, employees and safety
representatives. The References also provide useful information. The first aim should be to develop a
measurement system which provides information to enable you to comply with relevant legal
requirements as a minimum

38
3. Conduct/ chair the safety meeting

Safety meetings contain important information on equipment safety, general workplace safety, dealing
with violence and harassment in the workplace, and how every employee can contribute to company
safety. An efficient safety meeting is the best way to get information to all employees. There are steps a
manager needs to follow to conduct a safety meeting that will encourage employees to take responsibility
for workplace conduct and safety.

1. Circulate the agenda to the upcoming safety meeting at least two weeks before the meeting.
Encourage meeting attendees to review the material in the agenda and come prepared with
questions.

2. Ensure that the materials for the meeting are in place and that the meeting starts on time. It can
be frustrating to busy employees and managers to have to wait for a safety meeting to start.
Include in the memo announcing the meeting that it will start on time

3. Outline the safety topic to be covered at the beginning of the meeting and include any visual
presentation material in the meeting package when the meeting starts. It can be easier for
attendees to comprehend the material if it is accompanied by a companion presentation of
graphics and pertinent information.

4. Use the equipment being discussed in a hands-on demonstration of the safety techniques. Allow
each attendee to use the equipment and become familiar with the techniques being taught. If the
safety topic is about a large piece of equipment or a particular part of the manufacturing facility,
then have the meeting onsite so that attendees can see the topic being discussed. Safety topics are
easier for people to understand when they can see and interact with the topics.

5. Do create the ideal atmosphere: A successful meeting may require more than just chairs and a
speaker. Think about the equipment you will need. Depending on the size of the room, you may
need a pa system rental.

6. If participation is expected (and it should be), seating is important: The use of round tables works
best. If only chairs are involved, arranging them in a U-shape allows all to interact without anyone
being able to slink into the back row to avoid interaction.

7. Comfort: Be sure the meeting room is a comfortable temperature and the lighting is proper. These
factors have been proven to help learning and retention.

8. Taking notes: Assign someone to take notes or minutes during the meeting. Use a tape or digital
recorder to ensure accuracy.

39
9. Add some spice: Games, activities, and contests that promote interactive participation can make a
dull subject come to life. Audio-visual aids, such as DVDs, Power Point presentations, or slides can
add a level of interest that will cause more of the information to be committed to memory. Don’t
use outdated slides or training materials that are obviously from another time period. Upbeat,
current videos and presentations will hold the interest of all involved.

10. Rent equipment in advance: Be sure to have your equipment, such as a notebook computer rental,
video player, overhead projector, or rental speakers at least a day in advance so that you can
properly test and review the materials to be covered. During the meeting is not the time to deal
with technical difficulties.

11. Vary training techniques: Different individuals learn in different ways. Using a variety of
techniques will ensure that the information will be understood by all. Using videos is a smart
option. When videos are used in combination with discussions, retention levels can increase by up
to more than 50 percent.

12. Literacy levels and language concerns: If some employees have lower literacy levels, or if English is
not the native language, consider including handouts and visual text (such as PowerPoint
presentations on a rental digital projector) written in several languages to accommodate all
attendees.

13. Hands-on examples: Along with any other methods of training, hands on demonstrations are an
excellent way to drive your point home.

14. Introduce each attendee with the company's official safety policy at the end of the meeting, along
with any state or federal guidelines that need to be included. Allow for questions at the end of the
presentation.

40
4. Take minutes of a safety meeting

SAFETY MEETING MINUTES

COMPANY:_____________________ BRANCH:_________________________
DATE:_________________________ TIME:____________________________
INSTRUCTOR(S): ________________________________
EMPLOYEES PRESENT:
________________________________ ______________________________
________________________________ ______________________________
________________________________ ______________________________
________________________________ ______________________________
________________________________ ______________________________

SUPERVISOR’S NOTES:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

_____________________ _____________________ __________________

Meeting Date Location Chairperson

Employee Members Present Management Members Members Absent

Present

41
 (Use additional pages if necessary to describe events fully.)
I. Read/approve/correct minutes from previous meeting.
II. Old business (progress report on items and/or hazards from previous meetings). III. New business
(assign someone to research, follow-up, etc., on each hazard and/or item listed).
III. Review new incident reports (list action or recommendations discussed).
IV. Other business (describe).
V. Review committee inspection reports (list action taken or recommendations discussed).
VI. Referred to Safety & Health Coordinator or Central Safety Council (list items and recommended
action).

______________ _________________ _________________ _____________________

Date next meeting Time Copy to Loss Control Chairperson(signature)

Secretary_____________________________________________
Place ______________________________________________

RECORD OF HAZARD OBSERVED

Date ______________________________
Reported By ________________________ __________________________________
1. Nature and Location __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
2. Action Taken __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
By Whom __________________________
Signature

42
5. Make presentations to safety meetings

Developing a strong safety culture is important for maintaining an accident-free workplace. Presenting
safety topics in all-hands meeting formats is an effective way to instill a strong safety culture. It sends a
message that every day starts with safety. Developing a varied and engaging safety agenda will ensure
topic effectiveness.

How to present safety meetings

STEP 1
Keep it Short and Snappy The average adult has an attention span of 20 minutes. Try to keep meetings to
20 mins or less when able and appropriate, so you can keep employees fully alert and engaged when
important material is presented.

STEP 2
Get to the Point Don’t try to fit five different safety topics into one safety meeting just because everyone is
in one room. It is best to keep employees focused on one important pertinent topic and to stay on that
topic.

STEP 3
Engage People Presenters or speakers should never just 'read' a presentation to people. Instead,
presentations should be engaging and feature real life photos and/or videos along with other interactive
forms of technology. The presenter should utilize unique and interesting methods and tools to keep the
momentum of the meeting flowing.

STEP 4
Socialize By human nature people like to socialize with one another. Even if a meeting is short, build an
opportunity into the meeting for people to share stories or experiences pertaining to the safety topic. Story
sharing and socializing about the topic humanizes it.

STEP 5
Make it Pertinent Don't waste time holding meetings about unimportant and insignificant things. Choose
safety topics that affect employees on a regular basis or that are the most helpful based upon their job
positions.

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STEP 6
Don’t Invite Everyone. Safety meetings are often best and make the most impact when attendance is
limited. When too many people are present, people tend to shy away from asking questions or being truly
engaged.

STEP 7
Make it Educational Gathering everyone together just to review something that everyone already knows
doesn't really make much sense. It is important to present valuable information that is of some educational
value. The goal is to educate the employees on safety and not remind them about something they already
know and do

STEP 8
Change the Name Just the name "safety meeting" sounds somewhat drab. Instead, call them something
like "safety conversations" or "health hints." Just a little bit of name variety goes a long way and people will
lose some of the negative stigma associated with same old boring term "safety meeting."

STEP 9
Entertain to Engage The speaker should use a variety of different vocal tones to present material and also
move about the room. Speak with energy A speaker who simply stands in one spot with a monotone voice
will just put employees to sleep.

STEP 10
Feedback is Critical Whether you like it or not, opinions do matter and when employees feel that their time
is being wasted often on unnecessary meetings, they will begin to dread such gatherings. Ask for feedback
at the end of each meeting and be open to suggestions for improvement.

Safety Meeting Resources Posters DVDs Use visual supports for your meetings Banners

Oral presentations
Oral presentations are generally more persuasive than written ones. Researchers who have tested the way
the brain responds to such stimuli as language, visual images, and music have found that the spoken word
engages both the right (creative, intuitive) and left (analytical, logical) sides of the brain.
Written material appeals more specifically to the left side. Since most managers seem to make decisions
based on both rational and intuitive criteria, you are more likely to gain acceptance for your proposal

44
through an oral presentation. This method appeals to both sides of the brain, as opposed to a report,
which appeals to only one side.

In addition, an oral presentation gives you more possibilities for building a relationship with your audience
(your boss, your department, or your friends) than an e-mail, memo, or report.

Spoken language has an immediate, magical quality that written language usually lacks. Rarely can the
enthusiasm communicated in a phone call, or a meeting be duplicated in a letter or memo. Although
writers can reflect on their choice of words and use a far larger vocabulary than speakers, speakers can use
tone of voice and gestures to give their ideas emphasis. High technology always brings with it a
counterbalance of low human response.

When your communication is intended to stimulate direct action, you must be able to evaluate the depth
of the audience's understanding and degree of acceptance as you go along. While this checking is relatively
easy when you are speaking with someone in person, it is not possible in written communication where the
response is delayed and perhaps edited before it gets back to you. You have a better chance of knowing
whether you are getting close to your ultimate goal when you see your audience's reactions than when you
have to wait for written response.

It is also obvious that, as a speaker, you can get valuable feedback during the presentation itself. As a
writer, you are far more limited. If a statement in a report or memo raises a question in the reader's mind
that is not answered immediately, the reader may never understand the main point. If a member of the
audience seems confused, however, a speaker can clarify a point either in the course of the presentation or
during the question-and-answer period.

If a writer misjudges the reader's need for information and produces a long-winded report, the writer has
no control over the reader, who can simply ignore the report or throw it away. In contrast, a speaker can
adjust to the audience. If listeners are restless, for example, you can adjust the timing; if they are bored,
you can eliminate material; and if they do not understand, you can give them more information.

When dealing with a controversial subject, it is usually better to bring participants together in one room to
discuss the matter rather than to circulate a written report or memo. When there is serious disagreement,
pencilled-in comments that tend to fuel conflict may accumulate as the memo ricochets from one desk to
another.

45
Confronting issues directly, and in person, is generally preferable to circulating paper, even though your
writing skills may be better developed than your ability to deal with opposition in person.

Planning the Presentation

A useful planning guide comes from the acronym PAFEO. This word will help you focus on the essential
ingredients for a successful presentation.

P=Purpose
What am I trying to accomplish? What is my objective in making this presentation? What will be the end
result?

A=Audience
For whom am I presenting?
For most internal presentations, you'll know the members of your audience. Occasionally, you'll be talking
to some people you've never met. Make sure you're informed in advance of everyone who may be coming
to the presentation and do a little preliminary checking. Nothing is more unnerving than a walk-in
appearance by the executive vice-president when you had planned an informal session with a few
colleagues.

Once you know who the members of your audience are, start to construct a picture of them, either by
asking yourself a few pertinent questions about them (if you know most of them and the subject is
relatively simple) or by filling out an audience profile (if the group includes many people, you don't know
and the subject is relatively complex).

Filling out such a profile form forces you to take the needs of your audience into account when you're
developing your presentation. It may also alert you to a recycling point. That is, as you think about your
audience and its attitudes, you may realize that your preliminary attempts to build consensus have been
inadequate. If you discover that members of your projected audience are locked in apparently
irreconcilable conflict, you may decide to defer your presentation until you have a better chance for
success. There is a sample in the workbook that we will look at tomorrow.

F=Format
How will I do it? In deciding which points to talk about first, keep in mind that:

46
 • People tend to trust those who agree with them.
• People are more often persuaded by reasons important to them, rather than by reasons important
to the presenter.
• People stop listening and start developing counter arguments when their deeply rooted
convictions are challenged or threatened.

Your task is to first address those points most important to the people you most want to persuade. If you
win their confidence, they will more likely hear and remember your argument. This is especially important
if you believe some of your supporting points could be questioned – for example, in a crisis situation when
you have not had time to build consensus or to do all the research you would have liked.

E =Evidence
What will convince my group?

Although years of reading mystery stories sometimes lead people to save the main point for last, that tactic
is disastrous for a management presentation.
• First, management audiences are not interested in second-guessing you; they want answers
quickly.
• Second, people will understand your argument better if they know the direction in which you are
leading them.
• Third, you should take advantage of the fact that people remember best what they hear first and
last. Tell them what you want them to know twice: once when you start and once when you finish.

The only time you should consider saving the recommendation or conclusion for the last is if the audience
will not give your point of view a fair hearing. In that case, you may need to build your case argument by
argument until the group has no choice but to accept your conclusion. In such a situation, first discuss the
arguments that provoke the least controversy. If your presentation focuses on an evaluation of various
alternatives, the best order is either from most to least advantageous or from least to most controversial.

O=Organisation

The last part of PAFEO is organisation. Think about the short presentation you are going to do tomorrow.
Based on your knowledge and analysis of your audience, and your objective for presenting to this
audience, choose an organizational plan that best meets your needs. Some material or presentations will

47
work in several organizational patterns so you might want to consider more than one pattern before you
make your final decision.

Here are some options, most of which you will recognize:

• Chronological order for simple, ordered instructions or reports.
• Problem (three parts) and solution (one part) for audiences with low knowledge of the issues.
• Problem (one part) and solution (three parts) for audiences with high knowledge of the issues.
• Current situation and proposed situations for many persuasive presentations.
• Inductive (general to specific) or deductive (specific to general) reasoning for explanations.
• Pros and cons (or compare and contrast) for simple analyses or evaluations.
• Decision-making pattern for complex issues.
• Bad-news pattern for information the audience doesn’t want to hear.

Problem-Solution Pattern

For most persuasive presentations, the problem-solution format works the best. If your audience is low on
the persuasive continuum (if they have little knowledge about the issue) you will want to spend some time
explaining the specifics of the problem. If your audience knows all about the problem, you can spend the
majority of your time considering a choice of solutions.

Decision-Making Pattern

This strategy reminds you to explain the criteria you used when determining how to solve your problem. If
you establish criteria first and then show how potential solutions measure up against those criteria, your
decision develops its own support as you move through your presentation.

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Here is the format for this pattern:
• Define and limit problem
• Establish checklist of criteria
• Identify possible solutions
• Evaluate solutions based on criteria
• Select best solution
• Discuss implementation

Bad News Pattern

When giving people information that they would rather not have, select the bad news pattern. This
organizational strategy allows you to buffer the bad news with a neutral or mildly positive statement first.
Be careful that the material you choose is appropriate for the message that is coming; you don’t want to
compliment them on being perfect employees and then fire them.

Here is the format for this pattern:

• Cushion audience
• Bridge with transition
• Deliver bad news
• Explain reasons
• Suggest alternatives
• Rebuild good will

The “deliver the bad news” and “explain reasons” steps are interchangeable. Some speakers would rather
get the bad news over with and then explain while others would rather explain first. Whichever way you
choose, it is most important that you offer good reasons. The phrase, “It’s company policy,” is not enough.

The bad news pattern includes alternatives: specific replacements for whatever it is they want but you
cannot give. For example, an important client may have requested that certain products be delivered by
specific dates. If you are unable to meet the request, your alternatives might be to deliver a slightly
different product on the date requested, or to discount the price to offset late delivery. Offering
alternatives almost always reduces the sting of bad news.

Complete the bad news pattern by rebuilding good will with your audience, thus sandwiching the negative
information between audience-focused messages.

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Managing the Question-and-Answer Period
Just as you sometimes encourage questions during your presentation, be sure to invite participation when
you are finished. Say something simple like, "I'll be glad to answer any questions you have." In some cases,
you may want to ask people you know to pose one or two questions just to get the discussion going.
Regard this portion of the presentation as a chance to:
• Gather new information
• Stress your main point
• Get commitment to your plan of action

No matter how well you've prepared, someone in this group may have information you don't have or may
contribute something you haven't thought of. Your ultimate goal is to contribute to the success of your
organization. Questions, comments, and discussion serve that goal very well. The more people who
participate and the more questions they ask, the more effective you're likely to be.

The first step in responding to questions is to listen very carefully. Nod to show that you are paying
attention. Don't be surprised if the question has to do with a point you're sure you covered in your
presentation. You may not have put your point across as clearly as you thought. Remember that the other
members of the audience invariably identify with the questioner, not the speaker. To say, "Well, I thought I
covered that in my remarks," or to sigh resignedly and roll your eyes, cuts off discussion and damages your
credibility with the audience.

The following guidelines should help.

• Establish ground rules
• Let people finish
• Respond to everything, even statements
• Restate the question
• Stay on track
• Admit you don’t know the answer
• Control the discussion
• Move toward action
Sometimes you will be presenting evidence to your audience. Perhaps you want to convince your audience
that cats should be on leashes if they are outside their own backyard, or you want to convince your boss
that you deserve a promotion. Whatever you are trying to prove or whoever you are trying to persuade,

50
you can help your case if you have solid evidence that will impress your audience, and if you have arranged
those arguments in the most logical order.

We’ve talked about order yesterday and again this morning because it is so important. This doesn’t mean
there is only one way to present your information, but it does mean taking some time to gather your
evidence and then taking a few extra minutes to organize it into the most effective argument you possibly
can.

Remember the last two parts of the PAFEO acronym:

• E = Evidence: What will convince my audience? Convince them of your credibility, gather
testimonials and statistics, and finally, if you can, appeal to their emotion.
• O = Organization: What can I do to make my presentation smooth and successful?

Bring along any evidence that will support the claim you are making. Graphs, charts, photos, reports, and
even models will all give your presentation that added punch.

Introductions
Your introduction should:
• Grab their attention
• State your purpose
• Explain your agenda
• Show personal and specific benefits

Other ways to begin your presentations include:

• A question asking about the audience's concerns. This can be an effective beginning in a small
group. The drawback to this approach is that it commits you to considering all the topics your
listeners may bring up. In other words, use this technique only when you know the issues the
audience will raise and are prepared to discuss them all.
• A rhetorical question, such as: “Can you teach people to be creative?” A rhetorical question is
meant to be thought-provoking. It must be carefully crafted for this purpose. In doing this, ensure
you don't inadvertently make a snide suggestion that you know something the audience doesn't –
not a good way to build rapport.
• A statement of your qualifications. If no one has presented your qualifications, and especially if the
group is hostile, this approach can help you establish rapport.
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Have you decided how you will open your presentation?

Following the Opening Statement

If, in your opening statement, you haven't told the audience what the presentation is about and why it's
important, do so next. Keep in mind that an audience will remember best what you say first and what you
say last. Don't waste the first few moments.

Beginnings and endings are critical because audiences are most alert during the first minutes and final
minutes of a presentation.

Your beginning must tell:

• WHAT the presentation is about.
• WHY the subject is important.
• HOW you will develop the argument.

If you have chosen not to share criteria important to the audience in the body of the presentation, you
must deal with them in the beginning.

Let’s say you are doing a Success Strategies seminar. How would you answer these questions?
• WHAT the presentation is about.
• WHY the subject is important.
• HOW you will develop the argument or introduction.

Give everybody some time to prepare, and then go around the room and get at least three to four people
to suggest what their introduction might sound like.

Transitioning to the Body

If you are concerned about your rapport with members of the audience, work to build their confidence by
stating your criteria or responding to theirs.

You can make a natural transition into the body of the presentation by concluding the beginning with
guidelines for how you will proceed. These are called signposts. They make your thoughts an easy trail to
follow.

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For example: Is there anyone in this room who wouldn’t like to earn more money? (This is my attention
grabber!)

Tonight, I am going to bring you three easy, sure-fire strategies for being more successful at your job. None
of them are difficult. I have used all of them and I can tell you from personal experience that they work. In
fact, I went from working as a $14 an hour call-centre operator to a six-figure salary in just two years using
the techniques I will describe to you tonight.

Furthermore, I will give you specific, step-by-step instructions for using each strategy. You can take your
own notes if you wish, but some of us aren’t that great at notetaking, so I have included every word in this
CD that you can buy at the end of the program for just $7.98. (This is your beginning.)

My first strategy is to get very comfortable speaking in public. (I’ve given you a signpost. This is my first
point. Now I am ready to launch into the body of my speech.)

Endings
An effective ending repeats the recommendation or in this case the strategies that were presented and
reinforces the need for action.

Continuing with the above example, my ending would summarize these points:
• Become more comfortable speaking in public. Take a course, join Toastmasters International, or
just gird your loins and offer to speak at every service club in your area, free of charge. I don’t care
what you have to do. Get out there and make yourself known.
• Spend some money on a fashion consultant so you look good. That will not mean spending tons of
money on clothes but it will mean spending your money on clothes that flatter you, not clothes
that are necessarily trendy.
• Create a Web site that establishes you as a speaker. Use your own name and choose a small list of
topics you consider yourself knowledgeable about.

Then, you want to end on a strong point, something that will keep them thinking and propel them to act.

Closer for this example: Get out there and earn YOUR money!

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Speaker: Topic:

Speaker’s Target Audience:

Good! Needs Work

Content

Relevant material for audience’s knowledge level

Sufficient depth in support material

Interesting examples for audience and situation

Organization

Grabs audience’s attention

States clear agenda

Includes benefit in introduction

Summarizes essence of main points

Asks for clear action in conclusion

Closes with strong final statement

Would you hire this person/buy this product/support this proposal? Yes No

As you consider material that will develop your arguments, stay focused on your original objective. Restrict
your agenda to one specific situation or problem. Avoid wandering off to discuss other items that may be
on your personal agenda but are not relevant to your stated purpose.

54
Cognitive psychologists tell us that people can remember between three and seven items. Busy
businesspeople are likely to remember only three.

If you give your audience too many reasons to buy your product or implement your idea, they may only
remember a few of them, and not necessarily your most important or persuasive points. Therefore, if you
have a lot of points to cover, group them. For example, a new marketing process may actually have eleven
or twelve steps, but if you group them into categories such as design steps, packaging steps, and sales
steps, they will be easier to follow.

Similarly, in a problem-solving pattern, there may be seven individual problems. If you group them into
personnel problems and logistics problems, your presentation has been simplified, and the problems will
be easier to remember.

Enhance with Stories, Numbers, Examples

No matter how brilliantly you speak, your audience will remember your points better when they are
supported with appropriate pictures and stories.

However, while most people agree that stories and examples are one of the most effective devices in a
memorable presentation, they can also be the most difficult for speakers who struggle with spontaneity. If
you’ve done a bit of preparation and you have some examples, it will help you add this punch without
worrying about being creative on the spot. This is another place where you audience analysis will really pay
off.

Audience Profile

Ask everyone to think of the next presentation you will have to make. It might be for the boss, or it might
be to convince your spouse to take the kind of vacation you would like. It might even to be to suggest to
your next-door neighbour that building a fence between your properties will enhance the appearance of
both properties. Work through your audience profile.
• Who is the decision maker or decision makers?
• How much does the decision maker(s) know about the situation?
• How does the decision maker(s) view the situation?
• How will the decision maker(s) react to the proposal?
• Who else will attend the presentation?
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 • What are their views of the presentation or proposal?
• Who else will be affected by this presentation?
• What's the next step?
• What is my revised objective or fallback position?

Then, take the time to debrief a couple of audience profiles.

Your Speaking Voice

Parts of Your Message

Intonation
Your intonation (the rise and fall of your voice) tells your audience or your listener that you are thinking.
Good intonation lets others see your attitude and your enthusiasm for your subject.
Pitch
In most cases a low-pitched voice is considered an asset. Men and women who have lower voices are
considered more exciting, more credible, more sociable, and more relaxed. If you have a high-pitched
voice, you can do exercises to lower it. However, if you try to speak below your normal pitch, you can
damage your vocal cords.
Pacing
This refers not just to the speed at which you speak but also the length of the pauses in your speech. The
ability to pace your speech and use your voice to create impact is the single most important skill you need.
For example, which pace is more effective?
• Bad management costs jobs.
• Bad…management…costs…jobs.
Emphasis
You can dramatically change the significance of what you say in a presentation by stressing words which
would normally be unstressed or contracted. As an example, change the meaning of the simple question
“Who am I?” by stressing a different word each time you say it.
Which is more dramatic?
• “It isn’t cost-effective.”
• “It’s NOT cost-effective.”

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You can also make your statement more persuasive by using simple intensifiers (such as “just”) to
emphasize your points. As an example, “I’m afraid it just isn’t good enough. We need the entire system
overhauled.”
Facial Expressions
Our face is the most expressive part of our body. The facial expressions you use when you talk are
important because they create a distinct first impression about you. If you have too much tension in your
facial muscles, you may appear to be angry or uptight. Keep your eyes open, your brow unfurrowed, and
an alert and animated look on your face if you want others to perceive you positively.
Eye Contact
Most people don’t realize what a negative and alienating effect poor eye contact can have on their total
image. Good eye contact doesn’t mean staring into another person’s eyes and not breaking contact. This
can make people feel as uncomfortable as not looking at them at all. Good eye contact is looking in the
general vicinity of the person’s eyes, the whole face, and occasionally making direct eye contact. It’s about
making that person feel like he is the only person in the room. When you are making a presentation, don’t
look over people’s heads to the back of the room. Rather, look at individuals around the room, spending
perhaps five to ten seconds with each of them.
Stance
Your posture is one of the first things people look at, and they do make judgments. Your posture is the key
to communicating your image. You don’t want to come across as neither too stiff nor too sloppy. Stand
straight as though you are an important person. Hold your head high.
Body Language
Body language is a broad subject. What advice would you give someone about body language when they
are making a presentation, based on what you have heard and seen today?

Vocal Variety
Below are some well-known sayings. Go around the room so everyone has an opportunity to try saying one
of the phrases with as much vocal variety as possible.
• Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
• The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.
• Teamwork gives you twice the results for half the effort.
• Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can.
• Humor is always the shortest distance between two people.
• Anyone can make a mistake, but to really mess things up requires a computer.
• People always have two reasons for doing things: a good reason and the real reason.
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 • People who think they know it all are a pain in the neck to those of us who really do.
• An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until he knows everything
about nothing.
• The human brain starts working the moment you are born and doesn't stop until you stand up to
speak in public.

Intonation is a good indicator of how you feel about what you are saying. Look at the following contrasts.
Notice how your voice tends to rise when you make a positive point and fall when you make a negative
one.
• We're doing well in Europe, but not in the Middle East.
• Turnover is down, but productivity is up, and for the second year running.
• In Mexico we're number one, in Argentina we're number one, in Chile we're number one, but in
Brazil we're nowhere.

Some things to do on your own:

• Keep a list of the 10 longest or most difficult words you use in your line of work or field of interest.
Mark the stress for each work so you know exactly how to say it.
• Get used to editing your presentations to eliminate filler words, non-words, jargon, acronyms,
sexist language, and hidden messages.
• Rehearse!

Mastering Your Material

Rehearsals allow you to feel comfortable with your presentation material. If you're rehearsing by yourself,
play the devil's advocate and ask yourself hard questions. Imagine what you would say if you were in the
audience. If you can find a guinea pig, ask them to role play what the decision maker might ask. If you find
yourself stumbling at any point in the presentation, it may be that you don't truly believe your argument or
that you missed some flaw in the logic when you organized the presentation. Go back to your presentation
plan and check.

Your choice of words also reveals your mastery of the material. Rehearsals will give you the confidence to
choose the strongest appropriate words. You won't be afraid to express yourself, for example, in clear,
direct terms such as, "Continuing on this course will be destructive," rather than, "This course of action
may present problems."

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Your delivery will have much more meaning and power if you use precise, strong language. Once you've
used a good, powerful word, though, don't get stuck on it. Calling three concepts "pivotal" in the same
presentation dissipates the force of the word, and thus your argument. Along the same lines, don't
exaggerate. Even one exaggerated statement makes a group suspicious, and a stream of overdone claims
will undermine your whole argument.

Add Punch to Your Presentation (2:00-2:15)

Visual Aids
Think about using some visual aids in your presentations and think beyond PowerPoint.

Visuals help you give a lot of information in a very short space of time. They are quick snapshots of
situations, developments, events, and processes that would take a long time to explain fully in words.

Good visuals speak for themselves and require little or no description, but you often need to draw your
audience’s attention to one or two key points.

The effect of good visuals can be ruined by reading them word for word. Instead, refer to the highlights
(the most significant part), explain why they are important, and help the audience draw conclusions.

Here are some more tips:

• Be generous with white space.
• Use clear headings and sub-headings.
• Highlight, but don’t overdo it.
• Types of highlighting:
o Bullets
o Italic print
o Underlining
o Colour
• Use graphics with caution. Make sure they mean the same thing to the audience that they do to
you.
• Don’t ask technology to do your job. It is a tool that supports the presentation you deliver.
• Always have a backup plan.

About type styles and size:

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 • Choose a solid, plain typeface that is easy to read.
• Don’t combine a lot of typefaces on one page. If you do use different typefaces, use them
consistently.
• Make sure the type size is big enough for your audience to read.
• Don’t use all capital letters, except in headings or brief statements.
• Headings should be noticeably larger than text.
• Serif typefaces, with hooks on each letter, make text easier to read.

Examples

What's Right?
• Title font is larger than body copy font (Title font is Arial 44 pt.; body copy is Times New Roman 32
pt.).
• Clip art is appropriate size, focuses the audience's attention toward body copy, and enhances the
message.
• Body copy is parallel with stronger words (such as "strategic" instead of "right place").
• More space appears between the bullets than within the bullets; i.e., there is more space between
"products" and "safe and attractive" than there is between "strategically" and "products."

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What's Right?
• This slide summarizes and offers a strong final statement.
• The picture is a dramatic enhancement.
• Title font and footer font are the same (Perpetua 58 pt. and 32 pt.).
• Italics suggest movement.
• Sans serif body copy (Calibri 28 pt.) is strong and modern.
• The simple black line around slide frames the message.

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Here is a chart detailing the various methods of adding some punch to your presentation. Remember, you
should ALWAYS have a backup plan!

Type Advantage Disadvantage Notes

35mm Slides  Quality images  Cost more  Focus

 Efficient  Take time to prepare  Make sure they are
 Reusable  Projector not always properly set in slide
available tray

Chalkboard  Inexpensive  Not impressive  Write neatly

 Flexible  Allergy concerns  Have eraser
 Chalk squeaks
 Dirties clothes

Films/VCR/DVD  Stimulating to  Audiences drift  May want to cue to

audience  Tricky to run several instances,
 Often supplied free of rather than whole
charge by public film
libraries

Flip Charts  Pre-writing makes  Too small for more  Use top 2/3 of page
them easy to use than 40 people only
 Available everywhere  5X5 rule
 Practice writing

Handouts  Inexpensive  Take time to prepare  Must look

 Flexible professional
 Easy to prepare  Proofread

Models  Effective if notes  May get lost if passed  Must be visible

attached around
 Difficult to find
appropriate ones
 Expensive to buy

Overhead  Good for groups of  Looks clumsy if you  Watch lighting

Transparency five or more use too many  6X6 rule
 Inexpensive

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Your Presentation (45 minutes)
Give students this time to prepare. Let them know they can take a break during this time.

Participants will want to make sure they have included these elements in their presentation.
Introduction
• Attention grabber
• Purpose
• Agenda
• Benefit for target audience
Body
• Point 1 (with statistics or examples)
• Point 2 (with statistics or examples)
• Point 3 (with statistics or examples)
Conclusion
• Summary
• Specific action
• Strong final statement

Presentations (60 minutes)

During this time, participants present. Their presentation should be three minutes each with time for each
participant to write a little evaluation for each speaker. Pass out lots of post-its for this purpose. You may
also want to use the evaluation form we looked at earlier.

If there are too many participants to hear everyone’s presentation individually, divide the group into two
or three groups so that participants can present and give evaluations for people in their own group.

Debrief (15 minutes)

Leave this time for comments you want to make or that participants want to make about the talks.

Workshop Wrap-Up (4:15-4:30)

Use the last fifteen minutes of the workshop to answer any remaining questions and to pass out
certificates.

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CHAPTER 2: Remove Employees from Unsafe or Unhealthy
Workplaces

On completion of this chapter, you will be able to remove employees from unsafe or unhealthy
workplaces
1. Identify the hazards and the risks
2. Communicate the situation to the appropriate levels of management
3. Instruct employees to safely shut down machines and equipment
4. Remove employees to a safe place

1. Identify the hazards and the risks

Every workplace has hazards. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility to look after your employees’
safety and protect them against health and safety hazards at work.

To manage workplace health and safety and help prevent accidents and sickness absence, it’s important to
identify, monitor and reduce the risk associated with workplace hazards.

A hazard is a situation in the workplace that has the potential to harm the health and safety of people or to
damage plant and equipment. The situation could involve a task, chemical or equipment used. Hazard
management is a continuous process that is used to improve the health and safety of all workplaces

What are workplace hazards?

Simply put, workplace hazards are any aspect of work that cause health and safety risks and have the
potential to harm.

Some hazards are more likely to be present in some workplaces than others, and depending on the work
that you do, there will be hazards that are more or less relevant to your business.

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What are the most common workplace hazards?
There are many types of workplace hazards, which tend to come under four main categories:
o physical hazards – the most common workplace hazards, including vibration, noise and slips, trips
and falls.
o ergonomic hazards – physical factors that harm the musculoskeletal system, such as repetitive
movement, manual handling and poor body positioning.
o chemical hazards – any hazardous substance that can cause harm to your employees.
o biological hazards – bacteria and viruses that can cause health effects, such as hepatitis, HIV/AIDS
and Legionnaire’s disease.

Common health risks

Some of the most common health risks associated with workplace hazards include:
o breathing problem
o skin irritation
o damage to muscles, bones and joint
o hearing damage
o reduced wellbeing.

Step 1: identifying hazards,

The first step in the risk management process is to identify any hazards in the workplace. To identify
hazards, you may:
• walk around your workplace and look at what could cause harm
• ask your workers or their health and safety representatives what they think – they may have noticed
things that are not immediately obvious to you
• check manufacturers’ instructions or safety data sheets for chemicals or equipment
• be aware of any workplace incidents or ‘near misses’. Examples of hazards include unsafe manual
handling tasks, unsafe use of chemicals and the use of electrical plant in wet areas. Remember to
think about long-term hazards, such as high noise levels or prolonged exposure to a harmful
substance, as well as immediate safety hazards.

Step 2: assessing the risks

The second step is to assess the level of risk associated with each hazard. This includes considering:

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 • the severity of any injury or illness that could occur – for example, establish whether it is a small,
isolated hazard that could result in a very minor injury, or if it is a significant hazard that could have
wide ranging and severe effects
• the likelihood or chance that someone will suffer an illness or injury – for example, consider the
number of people who could be exposed to the hazard. A risk assessment will assist in determining
the control measure that should be implemented by:
• identifying which workers are at risk of exposure to a hazard
• determining what sources and processes are causing that risk
• identifying if and what kind of control measures should be implemented
• checking the effectiveness of existing control measures.

Step 3: controlling the risks

The third step is to control any hazards. Some control measures are more effective than others. Control
measures can be ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest. This ranking is
known as the hierarchy of control

You must work through the hierarchy of control in the following order. Implementing risk controls that are
as high in the order as possible is best
1. Eliminate – remove the hazard completely from the workplace. This is the most effective control
measure and must always be considered before anything else.
2. Substitute – if the hazard cannot be eliminated, substitute or replace the hazard with a less
hazardous work practice.
3. Isolate – as much as possible, isolate the hazard or hazardous work practice from people.
4. Engineering controls – these are physical control measures i.e. adapt tools or equipment to
minimise the risk.
5. Administrative controls – these should only be considered when other higher order control
measures are not practicable. These are work methods or procedures that are designed to minimise
the exposure to a hazard e.g. implementing a training program, using permit systems.
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – this should be the last option. PPE relies on the proper fit
and use of the PPE and does nothing to change the hazard itself. It therefore requires thorough
training and effective supervision to ensure compliance and effectiveness

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 2. Communicate the situation to the appropriate levels of management

Communication builds relationships, including the working relationships that let people within a company
coordinate their efforts for the common good. To avoid overlaps or holes in work that would undermine
coordination, growing small businesses eventually have to construct an organizational structure. Not only
does the structure establish everyone’s place, but it also establishes a communication hierarchy.

That hierarchy rests on the connections established in the structure. These connections dictate formal
communication channels. The authors of “Management: Meeting and Exceeding Expectations” call these
formal channels “designated pipelines for messages,” stressing the open flow of communication that keeps
a small business operating smoothly.

To achieve success in health and safety management, there needs to be effective communication up, down
and across the organisation.

Organizations need to communicate information to their workers on the risk to their health and safety
identified in their risk assessments, and the preventive and protective measures necessary to control risk

The information provided should be communicated appropriately, taking into account:

• workers’ levels of competence

• the size and structure of the organisation

How size and structure affect communication

A high-risk workplace, with a large, unionised workforce spread over multiple sites, may have trade union
representatives from different sites as members of a formal health and safety committee that meets
regularly, and feeds into a corporate health and safety committee.

A non-unionised, smaller workplace, located on one small, low-risk site, is more likely to consult directly
with employees on a day-to-day basis (e.g. through toolbox talks, or short safety briefings).

Communication and consultation at work is integral to achieving a safe work environment by giving and
receiving information about hazards and risk controls, influencing attitudes and behaviours, and building
commitment and ownership. Table 1 gives a summary of the communication elements that provide the
practical strategies to achieve a positive safety culture In a system of open and two-way communication,

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management provides employees with relevant information on hazards and risks associated with the
organisation’s operations to build understanding on how to work safely.

They listen and act on the concerns of employees. People will contribute more effectively in an
environment that provides a framework for consultation and communication that creates the conditions
where individuals are encouraged and prepared to report hazards, incidents and near-misses. Involving
employees in decisions about changes and responding to their concerns helps to establish common goals
between management and employees and motivates them to work safely. Staff involvement in the HSE
decision-making process is a characteristic of a positive safety culture and has also been recognised as
being fundamental to the successful implementation and sustainability

Types of Communication
There are many examples of technical strategies for safety communication. The most commonly used
methods for internal communication include presentations to senior management, staff and HSE
Committees, team meetings, emails, videos, noticeboards, newsletters, poster displays and signage.

Methods of external communication include annual reports, publications, telephone enquiries, and
submissions to government on changes to legislation. It is important that information is presented in a
manner that recipients can understand. We also need to acknowledge that different approaches are
required for different organisations and situations (e.g., access to computers, non-English speaking
background).

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3. Instruct employees to safely shut down machines and equipment

Machinery and equipment have moving parts. The action of moving parts may have sufficient force in
motion to cause injury to people. When assessing machinery and equipment for possible mechanical
hazards, consider:
• machinery and equipment with moving parts that can be reached by people
• machinery and equipment that can eject objects (parts, components, products or waste items) that
may strike a person with sufficient force to cause harm
• machinery and equipment with moving parts that can reach people, such as booms or mechanical
appendages (arms)
• mobile machinery and equipment, such as forklifts, pallet jacks, earthmoving equipment, operated
in areas where people may gain access.

Lockout tagout: Removing and controlling energy sources during access

People performing tasks, such as maintenance, repair, installation, service and cleaning, are highly
vulnerable, and have a higher risk of being killed or maimed through inadvertent operation of machinery
and equipment they are working in, on or around.

Accidental start-up, or movement of a machine mechanism, can occur:

• if control levers or buttons are bumped or knocked
• if a short circuit of the control system occurs
• when hydraulic or air pressure is released
• when undoing retaining bolts

It is essential that people who work in, on or around machinery and equipment are not exposed to hazards
due to accidental start-up or movement of the machine mechanism.

The following is an overview of the lockout tagout process:

• shutdown the machinery and equipment

• identify all energy sources and other hazards
• identify all isolation points
• isolate all energy sources
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 • de-energise all stored energies
• lockout all isolation points
• tag machinery controls, energy sources and other hazards
• test by ‘trying’ to reactivate the plant without exposing the tester or others to risk (failure to
reactivate ensures that isolation procedures are effective, and all stored energies have been
dissipated).

Identifying energy sources

All energy sources likely to activate the machinery and equipment and expose people to hazards should be
identified prior to work beginning.

Such energy sources include:

• electricity (mains)
• battery or capacitor banks
• fuels
• heat
• steam
• fluids or gases under pressure (water, air steam or hydraulic oil)
• stored energy
• gravity
• radiation.

If original designer and installer ‘as built’ diagrams of machinery and equipment installations are not
available, new diagrams and photographs showing location and details of various isolation points of
machinery and equipment should be developed as part of the isolation procedures.

Isolation points may include switches, valves, energy lines, pipes and power sources. These diagrams
and photographs can then be used, along with written procedures, for information and training.

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De-energise stored energies
 Any or all of the following steps need to be taken to guard against energy left in the machinery
and equipment after it has been isolated from its energy sources: • inspect the machinery and
equipment to make sure all parts have stopped moving
 install ground wires
 release the tension on springs or block the movement of spring-loaded parts
 block or brace parts that could fall
 block parts in hydraulic and pneumatic systems that could move from pressure loss
 bleed the lines and leave vent valves open
 drain process piping systems and close valves to prevent the flow of hazardous material
 if a line must be blocked where there is no valve, use a blank flange
 purge reactor tanks and process lines
 dissipate extreme cold or heat, or provide protective clothing
 if stored energy can accumulate, it must be monitored to ensure it stays below hazardous
levels.

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4. Remove employees to a safe place

On hearing Fire Alarm Bell (continuous ringing) or on being instructed to evacuate,

or if it becomes necessary to evacuate the area, floor or building:

In applicable areas, subject to staff availability and providing it is safe to do so, designate staff to take up
positions outside the entrances to the building (or area if local emergency) and prevent persons from
entering.

 Progressively move through your area advising persons to evacuate ‐ indicate their nearest safe
exit and where they should assemble after the evacuation.
 If your area is large in size or complex in its layout, where possible, obtain assistance from other
staff and designate particular areas for them to check and then report back to you.
 If your area includes rooftop access, then check this area as well (providing it is accessible and safe
to do so).
 Providing it is safe to do so, retrace your steps checking each room/area to ensure that no one is
left behind.
 If any rooms are locked, knock firmly, loudly announce the emergency, wait momentarily for any
response and then move on, noting the room number or location.
 Where applicable, check with staff assisting that they have checked their designated areas and all
persons have evacuated.
 Leave the area and report to the appointed Emergency Controller at the designated Assembly
Area.

Confirm with Supervisor:

I. That persons have been deployed to prevent access to the building ‐
II. That their designated areas have been thoroughly checked and no persons have been left behind.
III. The location/identification of any locked rooms which could not be physically checked
• Report the results of the building evacuation (including any rooms not checked and location
and identity of staff positioned outside entrances.
• Continue to check on well‐being of staff outside entrances until they are no longer required.
• Providing it is safe to do so, remain at the designated Assembly Area.
• Emergency Controllers can initiate an evacuation if their local or specialist knowledge is
appropriate to the situation.
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