Nebosh course in chennai
                     HOW TO IMPROVE THE H&S CULTURE
 Going commitment of management
 Promoting H&S standards by leadership, examine and disciplinary procedures
 Giving priority to the H&S
 Allocation of necessary resources for the Health & safety
 Ensuring good communication within the organisation
 Provision of effective training
 Ensuring co-operation and consultation with workforce and contractors
 Regular monitoring systems
DEFINITIONS
CONSULTING
 The two-way exchange of information and opinion between the employer and workers so 
that the best course of action can be agreed. This implies that the employer listens to the 
concerns of their workers and changes their plans as necessary.
INFORMING
 Providing information to workers in a form that they can understand and then checking 
that the information has been understood. The information flow is one-way and the 
employer does not have to take any notice of feedback.
WHAT THE MEANING OF CONSULTING IS AND HOW IT IS DIFFERENT 
FROM INFORMING
INFORMING
 Informing is a one-way process and generally decision are taken by the management and it is informed to the 
workers and checked for understanding. 
 Most workers would resist this type of communication because they look at the decision of the management 
as sometimes that is imposed on them and the management been autocratic in imposing their decision. 
 This creates a negative culture
CONSULTING
 Consulting is a two-way process, where the management and the workers discuss on matters affecting their 
work and come to a joint decision. 
 The workers are given an opportunity to speak out and ask for clarifications. 
 This seen as a democratic way of management and the decision taken by the consultation process is 
supported whole heartedly by the workers and the management can look at getting co-operation from the 
workers. 
 This creates a positive culture.
TYPES OF CONSULTATION
 There are two methods that employers can use for consulting with workers
DIRECT CONSULTATION
 It is the method in which managers speaks to individual workers during the 
regular rounds and try to resolve the issues of individual workers. This types of 
system would be effective in small organisations.
INDIRECT CONSULTATION
 In this method, workers safety representatives bring forth their issues in the 
regular meetings, discuss with the management and resolve the issues and then 
take back the resolutions to individual workers they are representing.
FORMAL CONSULTATION
 An Health & Safety Representative (HSR) must be nominated and elected by their own work group, and workers must be 
involved in determining their work groups. 
 HSRs facilitate the flow of information about health and safety between the business and the workers in their work group. 
 They monitor the health and safety actions taken by the business (or other duty holder), investigate workers' complaints 
and look into anything that might be a risk to the health and safety of the workers they represent.
 Health & Safety committee meeting is one of the type of formal consultation 
INFORMAL CONSULTATION
 Work Health & Safety (WHS) consultation with workers is integrated into day-to-day activities in the workplace. It takes 
place in: 
 Daily communication between managers and workers 
 Development and review of risk assessments (see WHS risk management)
 SWMS development and review (see Safe work method statements)
 Response to occurrences logged in the reporting system (see Occurrence management)
 Toolbox meetings
 Team briefings
 Face-to-face meetings
 Site inductions 
 Training and information sessions
 SAFE (safety awareness for everyone) and Green SAFE engagements 
 Safe LEADAR engagements
 Other planned and unplanned safety interactions.
BENEFITS OF CONSULTATION
Workers who are involved in health and safety consultation have a positive effect in the workplace on:
1. Management decisions as there is a wider source of ideas gathered about the issues in the workplace
2. Greater worker commitment to health & safety through a better understanding of decisions
3. Worker "ownership" of the outcomes to be achieved and actions identified to achieve them.
4. Openness, respect and trust between management and workers as an understanding of each other’s point 
of view is established
5. Higher worker morale and job satisfaction as the employer demonstrates that worker's views are listed to 
and valued
6. Healthier working environments and increased productivity
7. Opportunities for learning through sharing of information, concepts and ideas
8. Reduced injury and disease for employees
9. Less risk of increased workers compensation as less accidents occur.
You are required to consult with workers regularly to comply with the Work Health & Safety Act 
Division 2 Clauses 47-49 Consultation with workers. 
Health and safety issues where consultation would be appropriate 
include:
 The introduction of measures affecting the health and safety of the workers.
 The appointment of safety advisers and specialists.
 Health and safety training plans.
 The introduction of new technology into the workplace that will affect health and safety.
 Introduction of new PPE
 Introduction of new legal requirements and standards
 The results of accident investigations, audits and other active monitoring
 Introduction of new procedures or revision of already existing ones
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
 Article 20 of ILO-C155 and Article 12 of ILO-R164 give specific standards on 
consultation
Article 20 of ILO-C-155
Article 20 (convention)
 Co-operation between management and workers and/or their representatives within 
the undertaking shall be an essential element of organizational and other measures 
taken in pursuance of Articles 16 to 19 of this Convention.
Article 12 of ILO-R164 (Recommendation)
 The measures taken to facilitate the co-operation referred to in Article 20 of the 
Convention should include, where appropriate and necessary, the appointment, in 
accordance with national practice, of workers' safety delegates, of workers' safety 
and health committees, and/or of joint safety and health committees; in joint safety 
and health committees workers should have at least equal representation with 
employers' representatives.
Continue Article 12 of ILO-R164 (Recommendation)
 Workers' safety delegates, workers' safety and health committees, and joint safety and health committees or, as 
appropriate, other workers' representatives should
 (a) be given adequate information on safety and health matters, enabled to examine factors affecting safety and health, and 
encouraged to propose measures on the subject;
 (b) be consulted when major new safety and health measures are envisaged and before they are carried out, and seek to obtain 
the support of the workers for such measures;
 (c) be consulted in planning alterations of work processes, work content or organisation of work, which may have safety or 
health implications for the workers;
 (d) be given protection from dismissal and other measures prejudicial to them while exercising their functions in the field of 
occupational safety and health as workers' representatives or as members of safety and health committees;
 (e) be able to contribute to the decision-making process at the level of the undertaking regarding matters of safety and health;
 (f) have access to all parts of the workplace and be able to communicate with the workers on safety and health matters during 
working hours at the workplace;
 (g) be free to contact labour inspectors;
 (h) be able to contribute to negotiations in the undertaking on occupational safety and health matters;
 (i) have reasonable time during paid working hours to exercise their safety and health functions and to receive training related to 
these functions;
 (j) have recourse to specialists to advise on particular safety and health problems
Consulting employees on health and safety(hse.gov.uk)
 Employers have a duty to consult with their employees, or their representatives, on 
health and safety matters. This leaflet is for employers and discusses what they need 
to do to ensure they are complying with the law.
 The law sets out how employees must be consulted in different situations and the 
different choices employers have to make. There are two different regulations that 
require employers to consult their workforce about health and safety:
 The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (as amended).
 The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996(as 
amended).
LEGAL REQUIREMENT IN INDIA
 Section 41G of the Indian factories Act 1948 states that
 The occupier shall, in every factory where a hazardous process takes place, or where 
hazardous substances are used or handled, set up a Safety Committee consisting of equal 
number of representatives of workers and management to promote co-operation between 
the workers and the management in maintaining proper safety and health at work and to 
review periodical the measures taken in that behalf: Provided that the State Government 
may, by order in writing and for reasons to be recorded exempt the occupier of any factory 
or class of factories from setting up such Committee.
 The composition of the Safety Committee, the tenure of office of its members and their 
rights and duties shall be such as may be prescribed.
Thank  
you
Fire and safety course in Chennai
Nebosh Course in Chennai