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SCENARIO
Waterfront Cinema is located on a busy leisure park and has eight projection screens. The Cinema’s
workforce is made up of a manager, two team leaders and 20 other workers. Many of the workers are
young people who work on a temporary contract during evenings and weekends.
Waterfront Cinema was previously independently owned and run. However, it has just been purchased
by Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) - a large nationwide cinema chain. Their corporate headquarters
has a central health and safety department; this department has:
• A group health and safety director who is responsible for developing the cinema chain’s health
and safety strategy
• three regional health and safety managers (RHSMs) who are each responsible for ensuring the
health and safety strategy is rolled out across all cinemas and managing a team of 5 health and
safety advisers;
• 15 health and safety advisers who travel around the country checking on health and safety
arrangements in all FCC’s cinemas. You are one of FCC’s health and safety advisers.
Everyone in the department has a combination of at least three years’ experience of working in health
and safety and hold qualifications at appropriate levels.
FCC are also very proud of their certification against the ISO 45001:2015 health and safety
management standard. They have also helped the management at other local cinemas to gain
certification against the same standard.
Your RHSM has asked you to go to Waterfront Cinema to carry out a thorough initial health and safety
audit that will take you approximately five days to complete. The Cinema manager has been told to
expect you.
Audit visit
You arrive at the Cinema at 11.00 as they are opening for the day. As you walk through the glass
entrance doors you notice that the doors are dirty, the entrance hall has waste bins that are overflowing,
and there are tickets from the previous week littering the floor. A worker behind the ticket purchase
counter is speaking very loudly on their mobile phone. You walk up to the counter and try to speak to
the worker. They ignore you and continue their conversation. You try to get their attention. The
worker sighs and says that they need to end the call because an annoying customer is waiting. The
worker switches their attention to you and rudely says “What do you want?”. You introduce yourself
and ask to be shown to the Cinema manager’s office. The worker points you in the direction of the
office and then makes another call on their phone.
You knock on the manager’s door and hear someone say, “Go away! I’ve told you I’m not interested
in your problems and I’ve more important things to do!”. You open the door, enter the office, and see
the manager lounging behind their desk, smoking a cigarette, and watching a movie on their laptop.
They hastily extinguish the cigarette, shut the lid of the laptop, and stand up so that they can greet you.
You outline your objectives for your visit, say that you want to start immediately, and ask for a suitable
space to work in. You are told that there is no spare office space so you will have to use a table in the
small break room used by workers.
You give the manager a list of health and safety documents that you will need to review. The manager
leaves the office muttering to themselves, with occasional audible words like ‘burden’ and
‘bureaucracy’. In the meantime, you go to the break room and find a quiet corner away from where
dirty dishes are piled on the work surface above a dishwasher.
The manager comes to see you an hour later and drops a single, thick, file of documents onto the table
you are working at. They found the file on a shelf in their office (having forgotten that it was there).
The manager tells you that this is all the health and safety information that they have and asks you to
kindly not disturb them again today as they are very busy. You ask where the health and safety policy
is displayed and the manager indicates that it is in the folder. You inform the manager that, at some
stage, you will need to interview them, as well as a few of the other workers. The manager replies that
they doubt that they will have time for this and then leaves the room.
You start to look through the file and note that the contents page shows that the health and safety
policy is dated January 2018 and that the only risk assessment was carried out in January 2020. You
notice the front page of the risk assessment has a different cinema name and address. You carry on
reviewing the documents for the next few days.
An accident
It is 16:00 on the third day of your audit. From your desk in the break room, you hear screaming coming
from the entrance hall. You go through to the entrance hall and see a small group of people standing
in a circle around something on the floor. Some of them are simply staring at the floor in silence and
some are screaming and crying. You push through the circle to find a young worker lying unconscious
on the floor. An old wooden stepladder is lying beside them. There is a banner (advertising the next
film to be shown at the Cinema) hanging down from the ceiling. You take charge of the situation and
ask for the bystanders to stand back and give you some room. You seek the assistance of the Cinema
manager or a team leader, but you are told that both the manager and team leader on duty walked out
of the Cinema just after the accident.
None of the Cinema workers have been trained to carry out first aid. However, you are a certified firstaider, so you ask one of the nearby workers to bring you a first-aid box. While you wait, you examine
the injured young worker and note that they are breathing and have an abrasion on their right arm.
You also call the emergency services. A worker appears with a first-aid box a few minutes later. You
open it but there are just two plasters and a bandage inside. You ask if there are any other first-aid
supplies, but the worker tells you that this box is all there is.
The injured worker is made as comfortable as possible, and they regain consciousness a few minutes
later. You try to keep them calm by reassuring them that an ambulance is on the way. You ask another
worker to clear the entrance hall and to close the Cinema. Members of the public are directed to exit
the building using the fire exits in each auditorium. The ambulance arrives and the paramedics provide
treatment, before taking the injured worker to the hospital. You find out later that the injured worker
had suffered concussion, a broken leg and other minor injuries such as abrasions and bruising.
You try to telephone the Cinema manager, but they do not answer. After multiple attempts you decide
to leave a voicemail message. You then speak to the workers, who are in a state of shock, allowing
them to go home if they want to. However, before they leave, you ask them to write down anything
they can remember about the accident because it will help you investigate it.
The witness
You start talking to one of the workers who directly witnessed the accident. They express their surprise
that anyone will be investigating the accident. They add that the Cinema manager never usually wants
to know when accidents happen and thinks that investigating them is a waste of time.
This witness outlines to you how the accident happened:
Shortly before the accident, they recall the team leader telling the young worker to get the stepladder
and hang the banner from the ceiling. The young worker initially told the team leader that they were
already busy doing a job for the Cinema manager. However, the team leader told the young worker
that the banner hanging task was more urgent.
The young worker had also said that they did not want to use the stepladder. They reminded the team
leader that, two months earlier, another worker had broken their arm falling from the stepladder, while
they had been trying to replace a light bulb. After the accident, everyone knew that the stepladder did
not open fully and wobbled if anyone climbed on to it. Rather than spend money to replace or repair
the stepladder, the team leader made workers use a wedge under one of the feet of the stepladder to
stabilize it and stop it wobbling when climbing onto it.
The young worker had also told the team leader that they were afraid of heights. The team leader had
laughed and told them to stop complaining and to get on with the task. The young worker then asked
the team leader if there would be someone to help them to keep the ladder steady, but were told that
everyone else was too busy to help. The team leader threatened to report the young worker to the
Cinema manager if they did not get on with the job immediately. After this comment, the young worker
anxiously assured the team leader that they would get the job done quickly and efficiently. This seemed
to please the team leader, who then left the scene.
You ask the witness why the threat of being reported to the manager would have made the young
worker change their mind about using the stepladder. The witness tells you that the Cinema manager
has a reputation for dismissing workers from their jobs for the most trivial things.
The witness goes on to say that they saw the stepladder wobble as the young worker was stretching
to attach the loops on the banner to the hooks in the ceiling. At the same time, a child bumped into
the stepladder while running towards an accompanying adult. This caused the stepladder to topple
over as the wooden wedge under the foot of the stepladder was dislodged.
As the witness starts to walk away you ask them one final question about the health and safety
training that they have received. They just say “None” and walk away.
Solutions Task 1 to Task 7
Task 1: Emergency response
Question 1
Answer According to the scenario
As per information presented in the scenario about waterfront cinema, following steps were taken by the health & safety advisor of ‘FCC’ to effectively managing the emergency related situations.
1. In order to effectively manage emergency situation, health & safety advisor instructed the workers to stand-back as workers were blocking the access of injured young worker at waterfront cinema.
2. Team-leaders & cinema-managers of waterfront cinema were reporting authorities and they leave the accident place, health & safety advisor contacted with them many times to effective manage emergency related situation of young worker, but no response come from cinema manager side.
3. As there was no availability of the trained first-aider in waterfront cinema, so health & safety advisor (as certified first-aider) was asking the working employees to bring the first-box in young worker accident location.
4. Health & Safety advisor was doing examination of the young injured worker and find-out that injured young worker was breathing and also find-out that injured worker had bruises on his right arm location.
5. Emergency service was being called from the side of health & safety advisor so that effectively management of emergency situation of young worker accident would be possible.
6. Young injured worker was comforted by the designated health & safety advisor when become consciousness and also young worker was assured by advisor that ambulance was called & on his way of coming.
7. Health & Safety Advisor was giving instructions to another worker of waterfront cinema to close the cinema on urgent basis and also clear the entrance hall location with objective that paramedic can able to reach there with ease.
8. With the help of usage of fire-exits, public was provided with facility to do escaping from the building of cinema in each of the auditorium.
9. Young injured worker was giving treatment by the paramedic and also young injured worker was taken to the hospital location for extensive treatment.
10. Health & Safety Advisor was making calls to the to the designated cinema manager many times, but no response comes from side of cinema manager, so, health & safety advisor was leaving voice-note for cinema manager of waterfront cinema.
11. Health & Safety advisor was asking to the witnessed workers to write down all the detailed of the young worker accident which they know and also advisor was giving permission to workers to go home as workers were in shocked state too.
12. Health & Safety advisor was talked to the witnessed workers to get maximum information from them about the accident of the young worker and also it assisting in investigation of the accident.
Task 2: Culture
Question 2
Answer According to the scenario
Following below given points are showing negative health & safety indicators in under consideration waterfront cinema workplace:
1. No health & safety training was received to workers of waterfront cinema, which is showing negative health & safety culture.
2. Poor housekeeping arrangements were observed at the waterfront cinema which depicted from dirty glass entrance doors, overflowing waste bins of entrance hall and last week tickets were scattering to floor area premises.
3. Lack of resources provision highlighted at the waterfront cinema which evident from fact that no suitable work-space provided to do work for health & safety advisor and even stepladder was not changed/replaced.
4. An emphasis given to the work rather than health & safety execution which depicting from the response of cinema manager as he asked health & safety advisor not to disturb him further as he is engaged in his work and even not willing to give interview.
5. Waterfront cinema health & safety policy was not displayed and only present in the folder, which is indicator of negative health & safety culture.
6. Waterfront cinema poor management system/procedures observed as health & safety policy was outdated (January 2018) and risk assessment was carried out in January 2020.
7. Risk assessment document which was using in the waterfront cinema was made for another cinema and thus, not showing real hazards, which is showing negative health & safety culture.
8. In waterfront cinema, no one was available to take charge of the situation when accident taking place with the worker while doing job of hanging the banner advertisement.
9. Unavailability of trained first-aider in waterfront cinema to carry the first-aid to the injured/affected worker, is negative indicator of health & safety.
10. Inadequate things first-aid box available in the waterfront cinema, which was only having bandages & plasters and other mandatory things were missing such as ‘disposable gloves & safety pins etc.’
11. Observing lack of commitment from the top management towards execution of health & safety as both cinema manager & team-leader walked out after occurrence of accident with the worker and even cinema manager not answering upon call of health & safety advisor.
12. Cinema manager never wants to find-out reason of accident at waterfront cinema and considering investigation of the accident to be waste of time only, which is negative indicator of health & safety.
13. Workload was observed as young worker was already engaged in his work, but he was forced by team-leader to do hanging job of banner with the ceilings.
14. Peer-group pressure being observed in waterfront cinema because young worker was not willing to make use of unstable poor condition stepladder but he was enforced by the team-leader to do job on immediate basis and even ignored young worker of phobia about working at height.
15. Team-leader threatens the young worker to complete the work of advertisement banner hanging as soon as possible, otherwise he will report to the cinema manager, which is indicator of poor health & safety culture.
16. Cinema manager is not taking any interest in the problems of working employees of waterfront cinema and he was heard that cinema manager was scolding the worker when advisor was entered to the office premises.
17. Young worker workplace was not barricaded which highlighted from fact that child was child was bumped into stepladder during his running there, which leads to topple-over of the step-ladder ultimately.
18. Safe system of work was not ensured during the work execution of young worker who was hanging the banner advertisement, which highlighted from the use of unstable poor work condition stepladder usage.
19. Health & Safety was receiving lower priority than work as cinema manager was considering health & safety audit to be a burden only, as he was observed in muttering words related to it e.g. bureaucracy & burden.
20. Observed lack of leadership in waterfront cinema location which highlighted from fact that cinema manager was not know that where health & safety documents being present and taking almost one-hour of time frame to find these documents for the health & safety advisor.
21. Safety measures related to healthy meal were not taken as dirty dishes were seen to be pile-up in the break room premises of waterfront cinema.
22. Cinema manager was not willing to give interview to the health & safety advisor and giving excuse of busy schedule, which highlighting poor health & safety culture.
23. It is considered as negative indicator of health & safety that cinema manager of waterfront cinema was having repute of dismissing the working employees over trivial things such as complaints about health & safety associated issues of the workplace.
24. Complaints/requests of the young worker was not addressed by the team-leader like fear of working at height and force to do work, which is indicator of negative health & safety culture.
25. No assistance provided to the young worker as he was asking about it, thus, he has do work alone in making use of stepladder, which highlighting poor health & safety culture.
26. Active monitoring system was not ensured during the working of young worker as he was performing duty as lone-worker in making use of ladder.
Task 3: Health and safety management systems – awareness and communication
Question 3
Below given are the evidences which indicating that waterfront cinema has failed to communicate about the outputs & about requirements of health & safety management systems to working employees of organizations:
1. Waterfront cinema workers were not provided with health & safety training session is considered as evidence for failure.
2. No communication provided to workers about faulty stepladders issues and workers know about faults of considering stepladder from the accident.
3. No verbal communication given to the young workers of the waterfront cinema from the side of team-leaders & cinema managers about risks of the daily-basis on-going activities & also including high-risk activities associated hazards in cinema.
4. By considering the poor response of the employees of waterfront cinema right after accident with the young worker, no toolbox-talks session given to the workers about health & safety awareness.
5. Written form health & safety policy of waterfront cinema was not given to the working employees as health & safety policy was only available/present in the folder section.
6. Likewise, risk assessment document was not given to the working employees and risk assessment document was only present in the folder section.
7. Work related safety procedures written manuals were not given to the working employees which evident from fact that young worker was doing his job without barricading the area and also making use of unsafe stepladder to do banner hanging job.
8. Specific work description document was not provided to the workers of waterfront cinema which highlighted from fact that young worker was not showing willingness to do working at height job.
9. No displaying of barricade signs in young worker area premises to avoid entry of unauthorized persons during young worker banner hanging task execution, as child was bumped into step-ladder which result in topple-over of this step-ladder.
10. There was no displaying of the caution signs in the vicinity banner hanging work by young worker.
11. Health & Safety Policy as well Risk Assessment document of waterfront cinema was not being displayed on notice-board of cinema organization in brief manner for awareness of workers.
12. There were seeing no displaying of the posters of health & safety in waterfront cinema e.g. no display of the posters about emergency procedure for awareness purpose, which evidence from the response of workers when accident take place with the young worker.
13. Reporting system about incidents of the waterfront cinema were not communicated to the workers.
14. Needs of housekeeping in the waterfront cinema was not communicating to the workers which depicting from presence of dirty doors, overflowing waste-bin and tickets spreading to floor.
15. First-aid provision related arrangements were not communicated to workers, which highlighting just after accident through use of communication medium.
Task 4: Top management
commitment
Question 4
(a)
Top management commitment effectiveness towards health & safety of Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) is evident from below given comments:
1. Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) corporate headquarter was containing central health & safety department which consisting of three regional health & safety managers, head & safety director’s group & fifteen health & safety advisors, all are performing their role related to health & safety there.
2. Group of health & safety directors of Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) responsible to develop cinemas chain health & safety strategy. Moreover, this strategy of health & safety cinemas chain effectiveness indicating from the presence of ISO 45001:2015 management system certificate.
3. Regional health & safety managers of Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) are responsible for implementing health & safety strategy in effective manner and also ask the health & safety advisor to do audit of considering waterfront cinema, all these steps evident commitment level of regional health & safety managers.
4. Regional health & safety managers of Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) are showing their commitment by managing health & safety advisors team in successful manner.
5. Health & Safety Advisors of Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) shown commitment of them by travelling in the country to verify presence of all required health & safety arrangements in cinemas of FCC’s chain.
6. All the working representatives in Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) were possessing at-least three years of working experience, which indicating competency of them in terms of experience.
7. In Future Cinema Corporation (FCC), all working representatives were having appropriate qualifications as per demand of their duty.
8. Health & safety commitment is shown as Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) was holding health & safety management system certification ISO 45001:2015.
9. Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) also helping other cinemas management representatives how to achieve certifications of this standard (ISO 45001:2015), which shows commitment of organization and also organization is setting as bench-mark for other local cinemas,
10. Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) management has sent health & safety advisor in considering waterfront cinemas in order to perform initial audit there, which is highlighting commitment of corporation.
11. Designated health & safety advisor in Future Cinema Corporation (FCC) was fulfilling his duties with dedication & professionally when visited waterfront cinema for audit, and even he was not welcomed during audit task, shows his commitment level.
12. Health & Safety advisor was trained/certified to handle the situations of emergencies, and he was sent in waterfront cinema to find-out flaws through conducting audit there, so that safe system of work would be ensured there by addressing these risks/hazards.
13. As accident occur with the young worker during banner hanging work, designated health & safety advisor follow all mandatory steps to ensure effective investigation such as taking interviews of witnesses & taking written statements of witnessed workers.
14. Health & Safety Advisor was seeing the documents of waterfront cinema to evaluate these and finding out that both policy & risk assessment document was outdated. Thus, improvement be made by revising these documents.
Task 4: Top management commitment
Question 4
(b)
Possible actions which labor inspector may take after accident happening with the young worker during banner hanging task, are followings:
1. Prohibition letter may be issued by the labor inspector against the cinemas organization after accident happenings with the young worker.
2. Waterfront cinema management may face prosecution upon advice of labor inspector due to non-compliance with health & safety standards.
3. Notice may be get issued against waterfront cinema due to non-compliance's which have been found at the workplace.
4. Fines may be get imposed upon management of waterfront cinema after prosecution which have been imposed by the designated labor inspector.
5. As consequence, responsible management representative of waterfront cinema may even go to imprisonment or jail after prosecution imposing by concerned labor inspector.
6. Labor inspector may ask for submission of their action-plans to get compliance with health & safety standards in considering waterfront cinema workplace.
7. In waterfront cinema, labor inspector may writing comprehensive report to the concerned authorities, which highlighting all the observed non-compliance's.
Task 5: Administrative control measures
Question 5
In order to prevent the happening of accident again, following administration controls should be applied in waterfront cinemas workplace on priority basis:
1. Update and review of waterfront cinema health & safety policy on priority basis.
2. Revise & reviewing of risk assessment document of under consideration waterfront cinema.
3. In clear manner, there should be displaying of the health & safety policy & risk assessment document in cinema workplace for the working employees and also for the public coming to cinema.
4. Preparation of specific job safety document for high-risk activities like working at height work execution in the waterfront cinema.
5. Update and prepare all the corresponding procedures for waterfront cinema in order to get safe system of work there.
6. Performing investigation of the accident which take place with the young worker while doing banner hanging activity and also doing investigation of previous accidents, so that underlying/root causes highlighted & addressed.
7. Introducing effective accidents/incidents/near-misses reporting system in under discussion waterfront cinema so that all of these unforeseeable events recorded & addressed properly.
8. Introduction of regular toolbox-talks (TBT) in waterfront cinemas workplace especially for high-risk activities (like banner hanging activity) so that risks & safety measures of these communicated to the workers.
9. Placement of safety signs as well as ensuring area barricade while performing high risks works in waterfront cinemas such as advertisement banner hanging activity.
10. Having introduction of strict supervision system in under consideration waterfront cinemas so that it can be ensured that all the working employees doing their duty in safe manner.
11. System of health & safety committee meetings in regular manner needs to be conducted in waterfront cinemas in which issues of workers highlighted and management take safety measures to resolve these issues.
12. General health & safety training should be provided to the workers of waterfront cinemas which enables them to create awareness about safety measures implementation.
13. Conducting emergency drills in workplace of waterfront cinema which enabling working employees of cinemas to do situation management in case of an emergency.
14. In waterfront cinemas, lone working should be prohibited for the high-risk activities such as working at height activity as accident take place with the young worker when he was doing duty as lone worker and even he ask for ‘buddy system’ but team-leader refused.
15. In waterfront cinemas, team-leaders, cinema manager & worker at the ticket counter should be given with empathy training session.
16. In making use of CCTV cameras, ensuring continuous manner monitoring in waterfront-cinema.
Task 6: Individual and job factors
Question 6 (a)
Below given are the individual factors which influencing the behavior of affected injured young worker in waterfront cinema:
1. Competency of Injured Worker: Consideration of following points while defining competency:
• No provision of training to affected injured young worker.
• Under consideration worker was inexperienced, as he was young and having fear to do working at height due to less experience factor.
• Affected injured young worker was found to be hesitant in performing advertisement banner hanging activity and thus demanding buddy system provision from the team-leader, which highlighting poor ability of him.
• Affected injured young worker having some knowledge about faulty unsafe step-ladder but not having knowledge related to system of work execution as he didn’t barricade the banner hanging area & even not placing safety signs.
2. Risk Perception of Injured Worker: As accident take place in the past by making use of this step-ladder, and knowing this has increased the risk perception of affected injured young worker and he was considering that same unforeseeable event will occur with him.
3. Attitude of Injured Worker: Attitude of affected injured young worker towards health & safety is considered as positive as he was constantly raising his concerns about health & safety measures & unsafe condition of stepladder.
4. Skills of Injured Worker: Considering skills of affected injured young worker, it was observed that young worker was unable to handle the situation of wobbling stepladder. Moreover, wooden wedge placing done below ladder but injured worker unable to manage it, showing less skillfulness of young-worker.
5. Personality of Injured Worker: Affected injured young worker was afraid of height work and not willing to take the risk of use of faulty ladder, showing positive aspect of his personality.
6. Motivation of Injured Worker: Under consideration affected injured young worker was negatively motivated by team-leader who threatens him, due to which he agree to take risk.
Below highlighted are job-factors which negatively influencing behaviour of affected injured young worker in waterfront cinema:
1. Task: Task was involving stretching of affected injured young worker when doing hanging of banner in ceiling with help of hooks and step-ladder was not considered to be safe option to do so as top-rugs/steps of it used for working.
2. Workload: Overall, workload on affected injured young worker was rated as ‘HIGH’ because young worker was already engaged in some other work, but team-leader force him to do banner hanging activity as soon as possible.
3. Environment: Banner hanging work-space was congested due to continuous mobility of public in cinema and also a child bump to considering step-ladder.
4. Display: There was no displaying of the safety signs like barricade-sign & on-going work-sign, during the execution of banner hang work, and considering the continuous mobility of public in step-ladder work area.
5. Controls: Usage of the wooden wedge to considering step-ladder was inadequate control to stop wobbling and not ensuring enough safety during work.
6. Working Procedures: No sharing of task-specific procedures done related to banner hanging work/activity.
7. Timing of task: Banner hanging work happening in busy work-hours of cinemas where continuous mobility of public/people observed, which negatively influencing young-worker to accomplish activity on immediate basis.
8. Ergonomics: Poor ergonomics observed as affected injured young worker was making use of top-steps of step-ladder (over-reaching) to access to ceiling area.
Task 7: Risk evaluation
Question 7 (a)
As per given matrix, risk-level between 6-9 rating wouldn’t be acceptable, so will be proving it with calculation by defining severity & likelihood during use of step-ladder:
1. Likelihood:
Rating likelihood as ‘3’ i.e. ‘Very-Likely’:
Reason:
Considering step-ladder was wobbling, not fully open in most of the cases, working area was not barricaded in proper way due to which child pump to ladder & wooden wedge was not sufficient to make ladder stable.
2. Severity:
Rating Severity as ‘3’ i.e. ‘Major-Injury’:
Reasons:
In worst case scenario, falling from height while doing banner hanging activity by affected injured young worker may even fatal i.e. may leads to permanent-disability or may be fatality in worst cases.
Risk Level:
Risk Level = Likelihood*Severity
Risk Level = Very Likely*Major Injury = 3 * 3 = 9 (HIGH RISK)
Result:
Risk level found as ‘9’ in making use of ladder for banner hanging work, which making it ‘unacceptable’ & ‘high-risk work’.
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