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The scope and nature of occupational health and safety

The study of health and safety involves the study of many subjects including sciences (chemistry,
physicsand biology) engineering, psychology, sociology and the law.

Define health, safety, welfare, hazard. . . . . . . . . . .

Definitions are:

1.

Health

The absence of disease, for example asbestos creates a health risk because if you inhale asbestosdust
you may contract lung cancer.

2.

Safety

The absence of risk of serious personal injury for example walking under a load suspended from acrane
during a lifting operation is not safe because if load falls serious personnel injuries or deathcould result.
Staying out of danger area results safety.

3.
Welfare

Access to basic facilities, Such as toilet facility, hand was station, changing rooms, rest places andwhere
food can be prepared and eaten in hygienic conditions, drinking water and first aidprovision.

4.

Accident

An unplanned, unwanted event which leads to injury or loss, for example a worker on the ground
isstruck on head and killed by a brick dropped by another worker 5 meter high from scaffold or alorry
driver misjudge and hit his lorry with road side barriers. In both examples the act are notcarried out
deliberately. Any deliberately attempt to cause injury or loss will not call accident.

5.

Near miss

an unplanned, unwanted event that had the potential to lead to injury(but did not in fact do so)
forexample a worker drops a brick form 5 meter high scaffold and it narrowly misses another
workerstanding on the ground. No injury result and brick not even broken. The only thing that
separatesaccident and near misses is OUTCOME of the event. Accident causes loss and near miss does
not.

6.

Hazard

Something with the potential to cause harm. For example a lorry moving around a site road is ahazard
because it might run over a worker. Hazard can be classified as:1.

Physical

–
things which cause harm because of their physical characteristics e.g. electricity,work at height,
radiation, vibration, noise, heat, trip hazards.2.

Chemical

things which can cause harm because of their chemical characteristics e.g lead,mercury, sulphuric acid,
cement dust etc.3.

Biological

living micro organism that cause disease and ill health e.g. hepatitis B virus,legionella bacteria.4.

Ergonomic

stress and strain put on the body through posture and movement e.g. frequentrepetitive handling of
small boxes.

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5.

Psychological

things that have the potential to cause injury to the mind rather than thebody e.g. exposure to highly
traumatic event.

7.

Risk

The likelihood that hazards will cause harm in combination with the severity of Injury, damage or
lossthat might occur for example an electrical flex trailing across a busy corridor in a hospital creates a
risk.For example an electrical flex trailing across a busy corridor in a hospital creates a risk. The degree
of riskcan be described as high or medium depending on how likely person might trip over that trailing
flexand how badly they might be injured.

8.

Dangerous occurrence-

A specified event that has to be reported to relevant authority by statute law, even if the event did
notlead to fatality or major injury of a worker. For example the failure of the load bearing parts of a
crane isa dangerous occurrence even no person hat be injured. This is reportable event.
9.

Environmental Protection

:T

he prevention for damage to the air, land and water

10.

Work related ill health

Diseases

or medical conditions caused by a person’s work. For example dermatitis is a d

isease of theskin often caused by work activities especially when the handling of solvents
detergents involved.

11.

Commuting accident

An accident to a worker that occurs when they are travelling to or from:1. Their work place 2. The place
where they take a meal during working hours3. Place where they collect their pay.

In order to understand health and safety issue you need to familiar with following things,

The technical background to the issue and have relevant knowledge.

The standards that may apply to the workplace

The possible strengths and weaknesses of the various options that are available to solvethe problem.

Why might the management of an organization not consider health and safetyto be a priority?

The barriers to good standards of health and safety in work place are:1.

Complexity

2.

Conflicting demands

3.

Behavioral issues

Complexity

workplace can be complicated. Many people involve in many different workactivities need coordination.

Conflicting demands:

a common conflict of interest is that between the need to supply aproduct or a service at an appropriate
speed so as to make a profit, and need to do so safely andwithout risk of people.

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Behavioral issues
:

good health and safety practice often relies on the perfect behavior of peoples but sometime they do
not behave in ideal way. For example a worker on constructionsite should wear hard hats to protect
form falling object but people sometime deliberately donot wear hard hats.

Moral Social and Economic Reason for Health and Safety

Outline the Reasons why an organization should manage health and safety?

There are following main 3 reasons why an organization has to manage health and safety

Moral, Social & Economic1.

Moral

This about moral duty that one person has to another. Many people killed, injured by other peoplework
which is morally unacceptable.

2.

Social (legal)

Reason related to framework of law that governs the conduct of business and organization. Thelegal
responsibility for health and safety at work rests on primarily on the employer. The employerhas duty to
provide the following.

Safe Place of Work.

Safe Plant and Equipment.

Safe System of Work.

Training, Supervision and Competency of Staff.

3.

Economic

Accident and ill health cost money. When an accident occurs there will be direct and indirect
costsassociated the event. Some of these losses can be Insured against many of them will be
uninsured.When an accident occurs there are two types of losses that the organization may face Direct
Costs &Indirect Costs

Outline the direct & indirect costs that might arise from a workplace accident?

The business case for health and safety

The business case of health and safety Is simply that accident and ill health cost money. When
anaccident occurs there will be direct and indirect cost associated with event.

Direct Costs:

The measureable costs arising directly from the accident, for example first aid treatment,worker sick
pay, repairs to or replacement of damaged equipment, fines in the criminal courts

Indirect Costs:

Those costs which are indirectly as a consequences, for example loss of staff from productiveduties in
order to investigate the incident, prepare reports, deal with relatives attend court

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proceeding, loss of staff morale, loss of goodwill of customers and damage to public andindustrial
image.

Uninsured Costs:

It has been estimated that uninsured losses are between eight and 36 times greater than insured
losses.Some examples of uninsured losses

Loss of raw materials due to accident.

Sick pay for injured workers.

Overtime to make up for lost production

Repair to damaged equipment.

The roles of national governments and international bodies:

The international labor organization (ILO) has set out convention C155 and Recommendation R164which
apply to workplace health and safety standards.
Most countries and regions have established legal standards that meet or exceed the
minimumstandards set out in C155 and R164.

Most countries and regions have established legal standards that meet the minimum standardsset out in
C155 & R164.

The international framework:

In 1981 the ILO adopted the occupational safety and health convention C155. This describes basic
policyfor health and safety at national and individual undertaking level.The occupational safety and
health recommendation 1981 R-164 supplements C155 and provided moredetails that how to comply
with policies of C155.

Outline the legal duties that an employer has to comply with?

Employer’s Responsibilities

1.

To ensure that the workplace, machinery, equipment and processes under their control are safeand
without risk to health.2.

To ensure that the chemical, physical and biological substances and agents under their controlare
without risk to health.3.

To provide adequate protective clothing and protective equipment to prevent risk of accident oradverse
affects on health.4.

to provide appropriate instruction and training5.

to provide necessary supervision6.

to ensure that the hours of work doo not adversely affect employees health7.

to remove any physical and mental fatigue

Outline the legal duties that a worker has to comply with?

Workers Responsibilities and rights

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Article 19 of c155 states that all worker and their representatives have to cooperate with
theiremployers so that he can fulfill his safety obligations

R164 says that worker should:

1.

Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of other people who might be affected by thethings
that they do and the things that they fail to do.2.

Comply with safety instructions and procedures.3.

Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with it.4.

Report any situation which they believe could be hazard and which they cannot themselvescorrect5.

Report any work related accident of ill health.

In addition to the basic right to safe workplace article 19 of c155 gives workers the followingrights.

1.

The right to be provided with adequate information on actions the employer has to taken toensure
occupational safety and health.2.

The right to the necessary training in occupational safety and health3.

The right to be consulted by the employer on all matters of occupational safety and healthrelating to
their work.4.

The right to leave a workplace which he has reason to think presents an imminent and seriousdanger to
his life of health and not be compelled to return until it is safe.

Outline the consequences for an employer of non compliance with health andsafety responsibilities?

The consequences of Non Compliance:

A breach of health and safety legislation is usually a criminal offence. Failure to meet legal
standardsmight lead employer to1.

Formal enforcement action2.

Prosecution of the organization in the criminal court3.

Prosecution of individuals such as director, managers and workers.

Formal enforcement action:

An enforcement agency might force an employer either to make improvement within the workplace
orstop carrying out high risk activities. failure to comply considered to be an offence in itself.

Prosecution of the organization in the criminal court

Successful prosecution might result in punishment in the form of a fine

Prosecution of individuals such as director, managers and workers

Successful prosecution might result in punishment in the form of a fine or imprisonment

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As well as the criminal law consequences there is also the matter of compensation forworkers and
other injured by a workplace accident.

1.

Taking legal action against their employer through the civil legal system and have prove thatemployer
had been negligent.2.

Claiming compensation from national or regional compensation schemes witho no requirementto prove
negligence or blame through the use of the legal system.

What are the organizational requirements for effective health and safetymanagement?

Health and safety management system:

ILO OSH 2001 safety and health system we can summaries the key elements of this system1.

Policy 2. Organizing 3. Planning and implementing 4. Evaluation5. Action for improvement 6. Audit 7. Co
ntinual improvement

Policy:

A clear statement has to be made to establish health and safety as a prime commitment at all level
of organization particularly at the top

Organizing:

A framework of roles and responsibilities for health and safety must be created within
the organizationfrom top management to down to the floor.

Planning and Implementing:

Detail arrangement must be made for the management of health and safety. Central to this idea is
theconcept of risk assessment and the identification and implementation of safe systems of work
andprotective measures.

Evaluation:

Methods must be developing to monitor and review the effectiveness of the arrangements put
intoplace. This might be done reactively e.g. by reviewing accident and ill health statistics reports.

Action for Improvement:

Any identified by the review process must be corrected as soon as possible by making any require action

Audit:

To ensure that all parts are working acceptably well by systematic and critical examination of the
safetymanagement system

Continual Improvement:

The intention is safety management system will develop over the time to become
increasinglyappropriate and useful for company.

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IGC-1Identify the internal and external sources of information about health andsafety?

Internal & External Information Sources:Internal information sources:

1.

Accident records2.

Medical records3.

Risk assessments4.

Maintenance reports5.

Safety representative inspections6.

Audit reports7.
Safety committee meeting minutes

External information sources:

1.

National legislation (e.g. regulations)2.

Material safety data sheet from manufacturers3.

National codes of practice and guidance notes4.

Manufacturer operating instructions5.

Trade associations6.

Safety journals and magazines