Health & Safety Management Systems
A Health & Safety Management System doesn’t have to be a huge manual or a complicated corporate system. For an SME, it is essentially the framework of policies, procedures, processes and tools you use to manage Health & Safety in your business.
What is a Health & Safety Management System?
The name can make it sound more complicated than it really is.
A Health & Safety Management System is the way your business organises and manages Health & Safety. It brings together the things you need to do, the procedures you follow, the responsibilities people have, and the records that show what has been done.
The important thing is that the system works for your business — not that it looks impressive sitting in a folder.
In simple terms:
Your Health & Safety Management System is the framework of policies, procedures, processes and tools your business uses to identify and manage risks, involve workers, meet its obligations and continually improve Health & Safety.
A Health & Safety system is more than a manual
A useful system connects the different parts of Health & Safety so that people know what needs to happen and the business can check that it is actually happening.
Policies
What the business is committed to and the principles that guide its Health & Safety approach.
Procedures
Clear instructions for important Health & Safety activities and higher-risk work.
Risk Management
Identifying hazards, assessing risks, applying controls and checking that those controls remain effective.
Worker Involvement
Consultation, communication and practical involvement of workers in Health & Safety.
Training & Competency
Making sure people have the information, instruction, training and competency they need.
Incident Management
Reporting, investigating, learning from incidents and making sure corrective actions are completed.
Inspections & Monitoring
Checking workplaces, equipment, systems and critical controls to see whether they are working as intended.
Actions & Improvement
Identifying problems, assigning actions, following them through and improving the system over time.
Records & Evidence
Keeping the information needed to demonstrate that Health & Safety is being actively managed.
You don’t need a complicated H&S system
Small and medium-sized businesses don’t need a system designed for a multinational corporation. They need one that reflects the way their business actually operates.
A good system should be:
- Practical and easy to understand
- Proportionate to the risks of the business
- Clear about responsibilities
- Easy for workers to access and use
- Focused on controlling the risks that matter
It shouldn’t be:
- A mountain of paperwork
- A collection of documents nobody uses
- Copied from another business without understanding why
- Maintained simply to satisfy an auditor
- More complicated than the business needs
Build it. Use it. Improve it.
Your Health & Safety system should support the way your business operates. We focus on the risks that matter and build the processes around them.
Identify
Understand your business, identify the risks and establish what needs to be managed.
Control
Put practical controls, procedures and responsibilities in place to manage those risks.
Monitor
Check that the controls and system are working, take action where needed and improve over time.
We can build, improve or support your system
You may be starting from scratch, have a system that has grown over time, or simply know that what you have isn’t working as well as it should.
Starting from scratch?
We can develop a practical Health & Safety framework suited to your business, rather than giving you a generic set of documents.
Already have a system?
We can review what you have, identify the gaps and simplify or improve the parts that aren’t working.
Need to meet a customer or prequalification requirement?
We can help make sure your system provides the documentation and evidence you need.
Need ongoing support?
Winsland can work alongside your business to keep Health & Safety moving, rather than leaving you with a folder of documents to manage yourself.
Put your Health & Safety system into one place
Your policies and procedures are only part of the system. The working parts need to be accessible, used and kept up to date.
The Winsland App brings key parts of your Health & Safety system together so you can manage them without relying on spreadsheets, folders and disconnected documents.
- Risks and controls
- Incidents
- Inspections
- Training
- Actions
- Reporting and monitoring
The system provides the framework.
The App helps you manage it day to day.
Not sure what your business actually needs?
You don’t need to work out the terminology first. Tell us what you’re trying to achieve, what you already have and where you’re struggling. We’ll help you work out what your Health & Safety system needs to look like.
Talk to WinslandHealth & Safety Management Systems
What is a Health & Safety Management System?
It is the framework a business uses to manage Health & Safety. It typically includes policies, procedures, risk management processes, training, worker involvement, inspections, incident management, actions and records.
Is a Health & Safety Management System just a set of procedures?
Procedures are an important part of the system, but the system is broader. It also includes the way risks are identified and controlled, responsibilities, worker involvement, training, monitoring, incident management and continual improvement.
What should a small business Health & Safety system include?
It should include the policies, procedures, risk management, training, worker involvement, incident management, inspections, monitoring and records needed to manage the risks of that particular business. The system should be proportionate to the size and nature of the business.
Do we need to start our Health & Safety system from scratch?
Not necessarily. We can review what you already have, keep what works, remove unnecessary material and fill the gaps. Starting again is only necessary when the existing system cannot be made to work effectively.
Can Winsland help us build and maintain our Health & Safety system?
Yes. Winsland can develop a practical system from scratch, improve an existing system, or provide ongoing Health & Safety support to help keep it working in practice.