An Integrated Approach to Health and Safety Management

A well-structured health and safety management system can improve profits, growth and customer satisfaction.

The business world of today is an aggressive, competitive and challenging environment in which organisations have to do everything in their power to gain competitive advantage and stay in control of the market.  An effective method adopted by many successful organisations is to use a health and safety management system (HSMS).  This helps businesses to improve quality and productivity by improving safety and provides a systematic, integrated and adaptable approach to risk management.  Risks are addressed explicitly, increasing stakeholders’ confidence in their ability to achieve their goals.  Specific benefits include:

• preventing people from getting injured, ill or killed by their work
• maximising the well being and productivity of all their employees
• preventing damage to the company's reputation in the eyes of customers, competitors, suppliers, other stakeholders and the wider community
• avoiding damaging effects on turnover and profitability
• encouraging better relationships with their contractors, and more effective contracted activities
• minimising the risk of prosecution and consequent penalties
• winning more tenders as potential customers want to use suppliers with a sound approach to risk management.

A good HSMS should be part of the overall risk management strategy and should take into account all aspects of the business; manufacturing, human resources, finance, marketing, shop-floor staff, transportation, and contractor management.  The safety enforcement bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities view this system as a crucial mechanism in the delivery of safety.

The key elements of a good Health and Safety Management System are:

• A clear and concise policy, with evidence of commitment from the top
• Effective organisational arrangements
• Planning and implementation
• Measuring performance
• Auditing and reviewing performance.

A well-structured health and safety management system can improve profits, growth and customer satisfaction.

System Concepts offers a wide range of health and safety services and a proven track record in helping organisations: 

• setting up and implementing health and safety management systems
• improving existing health and safety management systems to bring tangible benefits
• helping clients achieve accreditation of your management systems with external auditors to a recognised standard such as OHSAS 18001 or BS8800:2004.

To discuss how we can help your organisation improve its performance by improving its health and safety management, please contact us.