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Due Diligence - Directors & Executive Managers - Are You Doing Enough?
All directors and senior managers of organisations have a range of legal obligations with which they are required to comply. Responsibility for and involvement in the management and overview of their organisation's Safety and Health activities is an important part of a director or senior manager's demonstration of due diligence.
The following is a non-exhaustive checklist which you can use to identify if you are doing enough to demonstrate compliance with your obligations and responsibilities.
| 1 | Insist that OSH is a standard agenda item at every board or management meeting |
| 2 | Ask questions & speak your mind (silence indicates consent) |
| 3 | Avoid being a "rubber stamp" |
| 4 | Insist on receiving all relevant information in advance of the meeting |
| 5 | Insist on circulated material being meaningful, comprehensive & succinct |
| 6 | Read circulated material carefully |
| 7 | Review all minutes, recording any dissent as a director or senior manager |
| 8 | Stay abreast of industry standards and safety benchmarks. Ensure the organisation is meeting these standards |
| 9 | Identify the relevant legal statutes & regulations which impose specific OSH duties & responsibilities on the organisation & executive management |
| 10 | Document a clear OSH policy & ensure its compliance; ensure the organisation follows the policy |
| 11 | Document and implement a comprehensive Safety Management System covering all aspects of the organisation's responsibilities for safety |
| 12 | Appoint a senior management representative to be responsible for implementing the safety policy and Safety Management System |
| 13 | Prepare an annual OSH improvement plan & allocate sufficient funds so it can be carried out |
| 14 | Establish a safety committee or communication system so employees and management can consult on OSH issues |
| 15 | Formally identify the hazards associated with the organisation's processes & activities, assess the risks of these hazards and implement suitable controls |
| 16 | Set up reporting systems to maintain the flow of information about OSH matters, accidents, investigations, audits, non-compliance, communications from regulatory authorities, prosecutions etc |
| 17 | Implement emergency response plans designed to deal with likely risks arising from the organisation's processes & activities |
| 18 | Establish proper safety training for all employees so they can work safely |
| 19 | Insist on a full audit of the organisation's Safety Management System at least once a year |
So that's quite a list and I'm sure there are a few more items which could be added. But do you get my drift? As a director or senior manager you need to be able to demonstrate and prove that you are managing your OSH obligations. I know you are all busy running the business and making a profit, but part of your job description includes safety, and this is not negotiable.
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