HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTE

SAFE SYSTEMS
OF WORK
 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTE – SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK

INTRODUCTION HOW DO I DEVELOP A SAFE

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
SYSTEM OF WORK?
[Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Safe systems of work should be developed by a
Order 1978], employers have a duty “to provide competent person, i.e. a person with sufficient
systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably training, experience or knowledge and other
practicable, safe and without risks to health”. qualities to assist with key aspects of safety
management and compliance.
Safe systems of work should be developed for tasks
with significant hazards, e.g. confined space entry, When developing a safe system of work you should
working at height, some manual handling tasks, follow these 5 steps:
unblocking machinery etc. Whilst every business is 1. Conduct a risk assessment;
required to provide safe systems of work, this does 2. Carry out research and consult employees on the
not always need to be in writing. Your safe system best way to do the work;
of work may be defined orally, by a simple written 3. Document the safe system of work;
procedure or, in exceptional cases, by a formal 4. Communicate the safe system of work to
permit to work system. Specific information on employees;
permit to work systems is provided in a separate 5. Review and monitor the effectiveness of the safe
Guidance Note. system of work.

Although there is no legal requirement for safe

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systems of work to be recorded, as a reference Conducting a risk assessment
document it will help to ensure that all your Although not impossible, producing a safe
employees know how to carry out a particular task system of work without first undertaking a
in a standardised, ‘safe’ way. The document can risk assessment may be difficult.
form part of your training programme and it will
also provide you with evidence that you have given The risk assessment should consider three types of
due consideration to, and shared information on, the control measures:
hazards associated with a particular task in the event • Technical – e.g. engineering controls such as
of an incident. machinery guards;
• Behavioural – e.g. how individuals or groups
should act in relation to the hazard;
• Procedural – e.g. specifying the exact nature of
WHAT IS A SAFE SYSTEM the task, including the sequence, checks and key
OF WORK? safety actions.

A safe system of work is a formal procedure Specific guidance on how to conduct risk
which will allow a specific task (usually one with assessments is provided in a separate Guidance
significant hazards) to be undertaken in a ‘safe’ Note.
and pre-defined way. Before the task is started, it

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should be systematically examined, which includes
the identification and elimination of any hazards Research and consultation
associated with the task, or reducing the risks to an Sources of information that may need to be
acceptable level. consulted include reference to legislation,
guidance notes (many HSE guidance notes
are freely available on the internet), manufacturers’
information/instruction manuals or information
from trade associations etc. where available.

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 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTE – SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK

Employees who are actively involved in carrying A template for a simple safe system of work is
out the work also have a valuable role to play in provided at the end of this guidance note.
the development of the safe system of work and

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will help to ensure it is practical and that it will Communicate the safe system of work
consequently be applied diligently. Effective communication is essential to
the success of any safe system of work. All
Some or all of the following points should be relevant people must be informed of the safe
considered when defining your safe methods of system of work and what their respective duties and
work: responsibilities are.
• Consider the preparation and authorisation
needed at the start of the job; Training will be required in the skills that are needed
• Ensure clear planning of job sequences; and also to make workers aware of the hazards
• Specify safe work methods; which the system of work aims to control. The
• Identify the correct tools and equipment for the training should also cover emergency procedures, in
job; particular the requirement to stop work in the event
• Include the correct isolation methods for all power of problems arising that are not covered by the safe
sources; system of work. The need to avoid short cuts must
• Identify what personal protective equipment be stressed.
should be used;
• Specify the need for carrying out pre-use safety It is important that workers are appropriately
checks (e.g. guarding); supervised. Effective supervision can help you
• Include means of access and egress, including monitor the effectiveness of the training that people
emergency escapes, for the people involved; have received, and whether employees have the
• Include arrangements to deal with emergencies necessary competence to do the job.
(e.g. fire, explosion, spillage, etc.);

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• Consider tasks such as dismantling, disposal, etc. Review and monitor the effectiveness of
at the end of the job. the safe system of work

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Review the safe system of work periodically
Document the safe system of work to ensure it remains appropriate and in
Documenting safe systems of work provides line with ‘best practice’. Seek the opinion of those
a standard reference point for all concerned. who will be doing the work to ensure it reflects the
They may also prove essential if there is an practical aspects of doing the task.
inspection by any enforcement agencies, or if any
legal proceedings arise from an accident. Monitoring should ensure the safe system of work
continues to be workable, effective, and safe and
You should now have all the information you that it achieves its intended aims. It should also
need to document, in a clear and logical order, identify any changes to the tasks which can then
the steps necessary to carry out the work. A safe be addressed accordingly. In addition, effective
system of work should neither be too simple nor too supervision will ensure that tasks are being carried
complicated. Try not to unnecessarily replicate the out in accordance with the safe system of work.
whole risk assessment when you document the safe
system of work. It should be aimed at the person(s)
who will be required to use it.

When writing a safe system of work, the following FURTHER GUIDANCE

tips may be helpful:
• Be clear and concise – bear in mind the level of • HSE website
detail required/competence of employees; www.hse.gov.uk/managing/index.htm
• Use photos, charts, diagrams, etc. if this will clarify • Various trade associations have developed
the procedure; standard safe systems of work for their industry
• Use familiar language – avoid the use of ‘slang’ or
abbreviations;
• Use terminology consistently (e.g. valve ‘A’ is
always called valve ‘A’).

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 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTE – SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK

Business name

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK

Provide a brief
description of the
job undertaken

Briefly describe in
order, how the job
should be undertaken

Describe the main

hazards that maybe
encountered whilst
doing this job

Briefly describe the

key control measures
that should prevent
any harm occurring

Further information

Version

Date created

Review date

Signature

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This document does not constitute nor should it be construed as constituting legal advice.
It has been prepared for information purposes only based on health and safety guidance
current at the time of its creation. This document is prepared on the strict understanding
that the Client accepts, without limitation, that (a) it retains sole responsibility for
compliance with all/any relevant health and safety legislation and/or regulations and/
or guidance which is in force/has been provided at the date that this document was
produced and (b) the provision of this document by RMS does not in any way amount to/
evidence compliance of any such legislation and/or regulations and/or guidance.

This guidance note contains public sector information published by the Health and
Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.

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VERSION: 1.2 – 2017