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QHSE with Al Nosa, B.Sc. NEBOSH IGC,Exemplar Global Lead Auditor ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001.
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Last week concluded our look at Clause 4. This week, we will focus on Clause 5: Leadership and Worker Participation.
Clause 5.1: Leadership and Commitment
Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the OH&S management system by:
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Taking overall responsibility and accountability for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health, as well as the provision of safe and healthy workplaces and activities.
Top management simply refers to owners, shareholders, the board of directors, general managers, and project managers. Even though they can delegate certain responsibilities to others, they remain ultimately accountable. This is why the most senior personnel are required to sign the OH&S policy.
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Ensuring the OH&S policy and related OH&S objectives are established and are compatible with the strategic direction of the organisation.
The OH&S policy requirements are stated in Clause 5.2, and the OH&S objective requirements are in Clause 6.2. Once again, we can see the interrelationship between various clauses. Just make sure that top management is involved in the establishment of the policy and objectives, ensuring they are aligned with the business's strategic direction.
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Ensuring the integration of the OH&S management system requirements into the organisation's business processes.
The OH&S management system is not a system built outside the business; it is integrated into the day-to-day processes of the organisation so that it simply becomes the way you do business.
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Ensuring that the resources needed to establish, implement, maintain, and improve the OH&S management system are available.
Top management must provide all the necessary resources, such as personnel, equipment, hardware, and software.
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Communicating the importance of effective OH&S management and of conforming to the OH&S management system requirements.
It is top management's responsibility to communicate information about the OH&S management system to all employees, explaining what it means to the business and what is expected of workers regarding compliance.
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Ensuring that the OH&S management system achieves its intended results.
Top management must monitor what they plan to achieve by tracking objectives, investigating incidents, and reviewing non-conformances and corrective actions. Clause 9 provides further information on this.
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Directing and supporting persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the OH&S management system.
Top management must lead by example while actively getting workers involved in the process.
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Ensuring and promoting continual improvement.
Top management must encourage workers to report identified problems and advise on solutions so that issues can be addressed without fear. This shifts the focus from just fixing past mistakes to preventing future accidents. It values the insights of front-line workers who often see hazards first. Removing fear creates an open, honest workplace culture.
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Supporting other relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership as it applies to their area of responsibility.
This is another way to build a positive culture-by assigning OH&S roles to other managerial staff and encouraging them to promote safety within their teams. This allows OH&S responsibility to flow from the top down through all levels of the business.
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Developing, leading, and promoting a culture in the organisation that supports the intended outcomes of the OH&S management system.
Again, top management must lead by example with respect to the OH&S system. They are a reflection of the organisation's safety culture. If top management does not take health and safety seriously, they cannot expect other workers to do so.
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Protecting workers from reprisals when reporting incidents, hazards, risks, and opportunities.
Top management must establish an OH&S culture that encourages workers to report incidents, near-misses, hazards, and opportunities for improvement without fear of retaliation.
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Ensuring the organisation establishes and implements a process(es) for consultation and participation of workers.
This links directly to Clause 5.4 (Worker Consultation and Participation). It is top management's responsibility to ensure that workers are consulted and involved in the OH&S management system. We will go into more detail when we reach Clause 5.4.
We will focus on Clause 5.2 next week. Thank you! I appreciate your warm wishes and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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Nosakhare Aisagbonhi Irabor
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