Safety and health protection – do all those in charge know the regulations?
Efficient safety protection is becoming increasingly challenging in the modern working world. The aim is to protect employees from hazards and damage to their health. It is not always easy for those in charge to know all the rules and regulations.
Not only do companies need to take account of all circumstances, they also need to be able to contribute to the safety and health of employees at work and take appropriate measures to ensure occupational safety and health. The Occupational Safety and Health Act defines basic employer obligations in this area. There are 122 specific laws in Germany that companies have to comply with and this responsibility lies with the Executive Board. As a rule, the respective department heads are responsible for implementing compliance in their areas and they can equally delegate tasks to shift supervisors and team leaders. This means that a large proportion of the legally required inspections – for example, the inspection of tools, machines, lifting equipment and other work equipment which requires testing – is the responsibility of the maintenance department. In some cases, maintenance and inspection intervals are outsourced.
With over a hundred legislative texts to deal with, knowing and implementing the content of these laws is a real challenge. To simplify the implementation of our legal obligations towards our employees, we have developed GHS Indicators (Global Health & Safety). This standard, which is a key future commitment for us, sets out requirements for regular inspections and strengthens our legal compliance as RONAL GROUP.
Checklists instead of legislative texts
All the laws have been transferred into one clear inspection list for the GHS Indicators. The various legal requirements have also been allocated to the relevant departments, such as maintenance, human resources, safety professionals and procurement. The requirements of ISO 45001:2018 were also taken into account, which enabled questions on internal audits and management evaluation to also be included. A total of 120 GHS Indicators have been identified.
Example – forklift operator
In the case of a forklift operator, for example, responsibility lies with Human Resources. The relevant requirements for employing a forklift operator in RONAL GROUP are specified with individual requirements in the checklist being assigned one or two points. In the case of the forklift operator example, there are two points per requirement. If all requirements were met, 10 points would be given. However, if two specifications were missing, the 10 available points would not be achieved. This enables departments to see exactly which specification resulted in points being lost and make improvements for the next management system inspection.
GHS Indicators
| No.: 49 | Appointing forklift operators: 10 points | Forklift operator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valid driver’s license and minimum age of 18 years | 2 |
| 2 | Appointment letter available | 2 |
| 3 | Annual briefing completed and documented in writing | 2 |
| 4 | Occupational medical health examination G25 Suitability for certain driving, controlling and supervisory activities | 2 |
| 5 | Risk assessment available | 2 |
| 10 |
International validity
The requirements and point system are applicable to all plants around the world. However, the overriding principle is that no country-specific law is broken or disregarded. If a country has more extensive requirements, these are included in the list and marked for the respective country. The GHS Indicators have been issued to all H&S managers for them to check and adapt to their country-specific legislation. If all specifications or legal obligations are met, up to 1260 points can be attained. 1260 points correspond to 100% of the H&S management system and therefore also to ISO 45001:2018, which was introduced.
Reliable measurability
A second point that the GHS Indicators should fulfill is the measurability of our management system according to ISO 45001:2018. All 122 laws were incorporated into the simple, easy-to-understand inspection process with the points system. If 1260 points are attained, this means the management system has been implemented in full. If, for example, a site only achieves a score of 689, this would correspond to a compliance rate of 55%. The site would also see exactly where the shortfalls lie and/or where there is room for improvement. The ISO 45001:2018 management system has an implementation rate of 55%.
What’s next?
The aim is to present and adopt the GHS Indicators at the next symposium. Implementation will then be carried out in all plants. We would like to use the GHS Indicators to conduct a new type of audit for us, as early as the 2023/24 financial year. This will supplement the existing SOS audits (safety through order and cleanliness), internal system audits, daily walkabouts and training.
