Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Monitoring, review and audit
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➤
systems which are too cumbersome for the size and 
culture of the organization
➤
scoring systems may conceal problems in under-
lying detail
➤
organizations may design their management system 
to gain maximum points rather than using one which 
suits the needs and hazard profi le of the business.
HSE encourages organizations to assess their health and 
safety management systems using in-house or propri-
etary schemes but without endorsing any particular one. 
7.10.4 Performance 
review
When performance is reviewed, judgements are made 
about its adequacy and decisions are taken about how 
and when to rectify problems. The feedback loop is 
needed by organizations so that they can see whether 
the health and safety management system is working 
as intended. The information for review of performance 
comes from audits of risk control systems and workplace 
precautions, and from the measurement of activities. 
There may be other infl uences, both internal and exter-
nal, such as re-organization, new legislation or changes 
in current good practice. These may result in the neces-
sity to redesign or change parts of the health and safety 
management system or to alter its direction or objectives.
Performance standards need to be established which 
will identify the systems requiring change, responsibil 
-
ities, and completion dates. It is essential to feed back 
the information about success and failure so that employ-
ees are motivated to maintain and improve performance.
In a review, the following areas will need to be 
examined: 
➤
the operation and maintenance of the existing 
system 
➤
how the safety management system is designed, 
developed and installed to accommodate changing 
circumstances. 
Reviewing is a continuous process. It should be 
undertaken at different levels within the organization. 
Responses will be needed as follows:
➤
by 
fi rst-line supervisors or other managers to rem-
edy failures to implement workplace precautions 
which they observe in the course of routine activities
➤
to remedy sub-standard performance identifi ed by 
active and reactive monitoring
➤
to the assessment of plans at individual, departmen-
tal, site, group or organizational level
➤
to the results of audits.
The frequency of review at each level should be decided 
upon by the organization and reviewing activities should 
be devised which will suit the measuring and audit-
ing activities. The review will identify specifi c remedial 
actions which establish who is responsible for imple-
mentation and set deadlines for completion.