Establishing an OSH management system (adapted from the ILO Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems, ILO/OSH 2001)

• Author: International Labour Organization
• Pages: 92-100

92

MEISI05-R-2005-02-0159-1-En.doc

Annex IV

Establishing an OSH management system

(adapted from the ILO Guidelines on occupational safety

and health management systems, ILO/OSH 2001)

1. Introduction

1.1. The positive impact of introducing occupational safety and health (OSH) management

systems at the enterprise level, both on the reduction of hazards and risks and on productivity, is

now recognized internationally by governments, employers and workers. The mutual benefits that

accrue from the introduction of such systems should not be ignored if progress on improving safety

and health and productivity in the iron and steel industry is to be achieved.

While systems need to be specific to an iron or steel-making facility and appropriate to the

size and nature of activities, many elements of the ILO-OSH 2001 guidelines are generic and

assistance from other industry sectors should not be difficult to obtain when implementing such a

system. The design and application of OSH management systems at national and facility levels for

iron- and steel-making should be guided by the ILO Guidelines on occupational safety and health

management systems, ILO-OSH 2001.

1.2. The competent authority should:

(a) promote the implementation and integration of OSH management systems as an integral part

of the overall management of iron- and steel-making facilities;

(b) elaborate national guidelines on the voluntary application and systematic implementation of

OSH management systems based on the ILO Guidelines on occupational safety and health

management systems, ILO-OSH 2001, or other internationally recognized safety and health

management systems compatible with ILO-OSH 2001, taking into consideration national

conditions and practice;

(c) encourage the elaboration by authorized institutions of specific (tailored) guidelines on OSH

management systems in iron- and steel-making facilities;

(d) provide support and technical guidance to labour inspectorates, OSH services and other public

or private services, agencies and institutions dealing with OSH, including health-care

providers;

(e) ensure that guidance is provided to employers and workers to assist them to comply with their

legal obligations under the policy;

(f) ensure cooperation between employers whenever two or more facilities engage in activities on

the same project;

(g) recognize the need, so long as the safety and health of workers are not compromised, to

protect confidential information that could potentially cause harm to an employer’s business.

1.3. With a view to developing, implementing and operating OSH management systems,

employers should:

(a) set out in writing their respective OSH policy, programmes and safety and health protection

arrangements as part of the general facility management poli cy;

(b) define the various safety and health responsibilities, accountability and authority levels and

communicate these clearly to their workers, visitors or any other persons working in the

facility, as appropriate;

(c) ensure effective arrangements for the full participation of workers and their representatives in

the fulfilment of the OSH policy;

(d) define both the necessary OSH competence requirements for all persons and the consequent

individual training needs;