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Safe System of Work 3.6

Introduction to Safe system of Work

A safe system of work is a formal procedure which results from a systematic examination of a
task in order to identify all the hazards and assess the risks, and which identifies safe working
methods to ensure that all hazards are eliminated, or the residual risks are minimised.

A safe system of work is a step by step procedure to carry out the tasks safely considering the
hazards, control measures, the equipment, the environment in the task is carried out and the
competence of the worker.

Employer’s Responsibility to Provide Safe System of Work

The employer is ultimately responsible to ensure that safe system of work is available for all
activities where hazards cannot be physically eliminated.

Most of the hazards are clearly recognisable and can be controlled by separating people from
them physically, e.g. using a guard on machinery. There will be often circumstances where
hazards cannot be eliminated, and risk remain associated with the task. Where risk assessment
indicated this is the case, a safe system of work will be required.

Safe system of work becomes more significant when residual risks remain even after introducing
all the possible control measures into the processes.

Requirements for a safe system of work

The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention C155 sets out requirements at the level of
the undertaking to establish health and safety. Article 16 requires:

“1. Employers shall be required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the
workplaces, machinery, equipment and processes under their control are safe and without risk
to health.

2. Employers shall be required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the chemical,
physical and biological substances and agents under their control are without risk to health
when the appropriate measures of protection are taken.

ILO Recommendation R164 recommendation 10 directs employer to consider the work methods
employed:

“10. The obligations placed upon employers with a view to achieving the objective set forth in
Article 16 of the Convention might include, as appropriate for different branches of economic
activity and different types of work, the following:

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 47