Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

International organizations
– The United Nations, 
the ILO, the International Monetary Fund, the World 
Bank and the World Health Organization are all 
examples of international bodies which have shown 
a direct or indirect interest in the management of 
occupational health and safety. In particular, the ILO 
is keen to see minimum standards of health and 
safety established around the world. The ILO works 
to ensure for everyone the right to work in freedom, 
dignity and security – which includes the right to a 
safe and healthy working environment. More than 
70 ILO Conventions and recommendations relate 
to questions of safety and health. In addition the 
ILO has issued more than 30 Codes of Practice on 
Occupational Health and Safety. For more informa-
tion see their web site www.ilo.org/safework.
There is a concern of many these international 
organizations that as production costs are reduced 
by relocating operations from one country to another, 
there is also a lowering in occupational health and 
safety standards. The introduction of internationally 
recognized occupational health and safety manage-
ment systems will help to alleviate such fears.
18.4.3 An effective audit
An effective audit is the fi nal step in the occupational 
health and safety management system control cycle. The 
‘feedback loop’ produced by audit enables the reduction 
of risk levels and the effectiveness of the occupational 
health and safety management system to be improved. 
Audit is a business discipline which is frequently used 
in fi nance, environmental matters and quality and can 
equally well be applied to health and safety. It will check 
on the implementation of occupational health and safety 
management systems and the adequacy and effective-
ness of the management arrangements and risk control 
systems. Audit is critical to a health and safety manage-
ment system but is not a substitute for the essential day-
to-day management of health and safety.
The audit aims to establish that the three major 
components of any occupational health and safety 
management system are in place and operating 
effectively. It should show that:
➤
appropriate management arrangements are in place
➤
adequate risk control systems exist, are imple-
mented, and consistent with the hazard profi le of 
the organization
➤
appropriate workplace precautions are in place.
Figure 18.9
Construction site – Sienna.

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