General Health & Safety policy:

• Organisational responsibility for Health & Safety.
• Extent to which formal strategies for H&S exist.
• Extent of board level involvement.
• Internal publication of H&S statistics. Extent to which companies are aiming at best practise rather than just compliance.
• Reference to external consultants/audit services.
• Motives for investment in H&S.
• Awareness of Risk Assessments & general policy.
• Comprehensiveness/quality of Risk Assessments undertaken.

Accidents in the factory:

• What is the perceived level of under-reporting.
• Why does under-reporting occur.
• What are the major causes of accidents? Have Risk Assessments been performed in these areas?
• Are the costs of accidents known? Can managers quantify the costs in terms of days lost, fines, impact on insurance, disruption etc.

Work related health problems:

• Awareness of the extent of absenteeism due to work related health problems.
• Impact of any litigation.
• Perception of the major health problems experienced: Noise related, WRULD, requirements for PPE etc.
• Have Risk Assessments been performed in these areas?

Environmental issues:

• Organisational responsibility for environmental issues at the factory.
• Awareness of standards and schemes (ISO 14001, EMAS etc)
• Membership of schemes/standards.
• Drivers of the need to invest in this area: PR motives? Avoidance of fines/legislative motives?