Health and Safety Foundations Flashcards

What is the role of a health and safety committee in a workplace?

Answer: To consult workers and management on safety matters, review incidents, monitor controls, and recommend improvements

H&S committees are a formal consultation mechanism providing a joint employer-worker forum to cooperate on safety. They review incident data, inspection findings, risk assessments, and safety performance; recommend improvements; and promote a positive safety culture. Many Gulf states require formal worker consultation.

What does 'reasonably practicable' mean in health and safety law?

Answer: The risk must be weighed against the time, cost, and effort required to control it — if control costs are grossly disproportionate to the risk, it may not be required

'Reasonably practicable' (from English common law, adopted in many countries' safety legislation) requires balancing the degree of risk against the sacrifice required to eliminate or reduce it. If the risk is trivial and the cost very high, it may not be reasonably practicable. Significant risks must be controlled even at high cost.

What is the principal difference between criminal and civil liability in health and safety?

Answer: Criminal liability results in prosecution and possible imprisonment/fines by the state; civil liability results in compensation claims by injured parties

H&S breaches can trigger both: criminal prosecution by the state regulator (resulting in fines, improvement/prohibition notices, and imprisonment of directors/managers) and civil claims by injured workers (resulting in compensation payments). Both can occur from the same incident.

What is the purpose of a 'permit to work' system?

Answer: To formally authorize hazardous non-routine work after confirming that all safety controls are in place

Permits to work are formal authorization documents for high-risk non-routine activities (hot work, confined space entry, work on live electrical systems, work at height). They confirm hazard identification, precautions are in place, the work is authorized by a responsible person, and that the area is safe before work starts.

What is 'occupational ill health' and how does it differ from workplace injury?

Answer: Occupational ill health is disease or health condition caused or worsened by work (e.g., occupational asthma, dermatitis, hearing loss); injury results from a sudden event

Occupational ill health develops over time from sustained exposure to workplace hazards (chemicals, dust, noise, physical and psychological stressors). Injury typically results from a sudden event. Both are work-related harm but require different prevention approaches; ill health is often insidious and under-reported.

Who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace under Gulf regional legislation?

Answer: The employer has primary responsibility, but every worker, contractor, and visitor also has duties

Gulf labour laws (UAE Federal Law, Saudi Labour Law, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain) place primary duty on employers but also impose duties on workers (to cooperate, follow safe systems, use PPE, report hazards) and contractors. Shared responsibility and cooperation between all parties is fundamental.