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Ventilation systems should be used to extract airborne hazardous substances to prevent
inhalation, for example an extraction hood placed directly over an employee welding.

Reduced time exposure is used to limit the amount of time a worker is exposed to the hazard,
however, the hazard still remains. This control may be used for controlling health hazards such
as extreme temperatures, vibration, hazardous substances and noise. Hazardous substances
may have workplace exposure limit; information is available from is available from the HSE –
EH40. In many workplace job rotation can assist with exposure limits.

Administrative Controls

These are all about identifying and implementing the procedures you need to work safely. For
example: reducing the time workers are exposed to hazards (eg by job rotation); prohibiting use
of mobile phones in hazardous areas; increasing safety signage, and performing risk
assessments.

• Safe System of Work (SSow)

A safe system of work (also referred to as standard operating procedure or method statement)
describes how the job or task should be completed taking into account procedures to follow,
technical controls to use and the behaviours which must be followed. Safe systems of work are
usually formal and documented, but in some low risk workplaces they may be informal in that
only verbal instructions are given and followed.

• Permit to Work

A Permit to Work is a formally documented safe system of work used when high residual risk
remains after controls have been put in place. The Permit to Work will give very specific
instructions on how to complete the job safely stating:

- The work to be carried out; and
- The controls to be in place at each stage of the work

Permit to Work must be used with a high degree of supervision and issued by a responsible
person, who will sign it in at the beginning to allow the task to take place and sign it off at the
completion of the task and cancel the permit.

Common situations when a Permit to Work is issued are when working on High-voltage electrical
equipment and entry into confined spaces.

• Information, instruction, training, and supervision

In most current health and safety legislation training is a requirement. In the MHSWR there are
additional requirements to make the employee aware of the risks to their health and safety
identified by the assessment. Training will reduce the likelihood of an accident occurring because
the employee is aware of the hazards and controls required to prevent the hazard causing harm.

POSHE V2| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 34