1. Historical Perspective
Safety And Health Officer Certificate
Course
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2. Learning Objectives
• To describe the historical development
of OSH management over the centuries
• To recall the background to the
development of OSHA 1994 and its
underlying philosophy
• To recall the development of
occupational safety and health
management system
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3. Scope
• OSH before and during the industrial
revolution
• Development in OSH management
between the 1930’s and 1970’s
• Development of self-regulation legislation
• Modern OSH management
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4. Early Recognition Of
Occupational Diseases
• In 1473 a German physician, Ellenborg,
published the first known pamphlets on
occupational disease from gold miners.
• In 1556 the German scholar, Agricola,
described the diseases of miners.
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5. Early Recognition Of
Occupational Diseases
• In 1713 Ramazzini, who is regarded as the
father of occupational medicine,
suggested that in diagnosis doctors should
ask patients about their occupations.
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6. Emergence Of
Industrial Accident
• Industrial accidents arose out of the
Factory System during the Industrial
Revolution in Britain in 18th Century
(1700s).
• Women and children worked as heavy
labourers under unsafe and unhealthy
workplaces.
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7. Emergence Of
Industrial Safety Legislation
• In 1833 English Factory Act was the first
effective industrial safety law.
• It provide compensation for accidents
rather than to control their causes.
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8. Emergence Of
Industrial Safety Legislation
• Insurance companies inspected work
places and suggested prevention methods
• Problem: Safety became injury and
insurance oriented
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9. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• Role of Herbert W. Heinrich (1930’s),
– Developed Domino Theory and promoted
control of workers behaviour.
• Problem:
• Focused on worker behaviour and not
management
• Caused people to think that safety is about
policing worker
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10. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• Frank Bird (1970) developed Loss Control
Theory.
• Suggested that underlying cause of
accidents are lack of management
controls and poor management
decisions.
• Problem:
– Not so popular: blames management
(responsibility and control).
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11. Emergence Of Safety
Management
• In 1980’s, Behavioural Based Safety
(BBS) was introduced;
• Based on Heinrich’s findings.
• Work by recognizing safe work habits and
offering rewards and punishment.
• Problem:
– Focuses on workers and not on hazard or
management
– Reward and punishment system have
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12. Emergence Of Safety
Management System
• Current development of Occupational
Safety And Health management system
was driven by two parallel forces:
A. Self-regulatory legislation in the United
Kingdom (1974),
B. Quality management movement
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13. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Lord Robens, Chairman of a Royal Safety
Commission Report noted that:
– there was too many OSH legislation,
– was fragmented,
– limited in coverage (specific hazards &
workplace),
– out of date and difficult to update,
– inflexible (prescriptive),
– people thought that safety was what
government inspectors enforced.
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14. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Lord Robens recommended
– Self regulation
• Report resulted in the Health and Safety of
Workers At Work Act in the UK in 1974
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15. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Similar legislation was enacted in Australia
in 1984
• Enacted in Malaysia in 1994 after the 1992
Bright Sparkler accident in Sungai Buloh
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16. A Self-Regulation Legislation
• Features of “Robens style” legislation:
– General duties of care by:
• Employer, employee, manufacturer, designer,
supplier
• Duty of employer to make the workplace safe
– Consultation with employees through Safety
and Health Committees
– Safety and Health Officer as advisor and
coordinator
– Improvement and prohibition notices
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17. A Self-Regulation Legislation
Legislation follow major accidents and
reinforce need for management system
ACCIDENT REGULATION/PROGRAMME
Flixborough (1974) CIMAH regulations 1996
Bhopal (1984) “Responsible Care” /
Process safety
Piper Alpha (1988) Risk Assessment /
Management system
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18. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
• There are similar issues in safety
management as in quality management
• Example:
– Productivity
– Worker involvement
– Proactive approach
– Scientific approach
– Customer and human rights
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19. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
• Management system standards:
– ISO 9000 QMS was proven successful and
ISO 14000 EMS was introduced in 1996
– UK published BS 8800 and Australia AS8401
OSH management systems in 1996
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20. Quality Management Approach
to Occupational Safety and
Health Management
– International and auditable OHSAS 18001
OSH Management System published in 1999
– ILO approved an OSH management system
for governments to adopt during 2000
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21. Summary
– The industrial revolution cause of industrial
accidents.
– Laws were enacted to compensate and
protect workers in 1833.
– Safety management guidelines began with
Heinrich and followed by Frank Bird and
others.
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22. Summary
– Lord Robens in 1972 recommended self-
regulatory legislation. Adopted by Malaysia in
1994.
– Outcome of accidents in the 1970s and 1980s
resulted in OSH management system today.
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23. Summary
- Health problems due to occupation has been
known from ancient times
- Industrial accidents became rampant after the
industrial revolution
- Accidents in the 70’s & 80’s resulted in OSH-MS
today
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