Organizational health and safety

Introduction

The goal of the health and safety acts and practices are there to safeguard employees from risks associated with their jobs or other connections to the company, as well as other persons who may be impacted by what the organization produces and does.

Sadly, corporate and individual managers in those businesses frequently underestimate the significance of healthy and safe rules and procedures. To reduce pain and loss, management and managers have an undeniable responsibility to avoid accidents and eliminate health and safety dangers.

 

Health and safety policies

To show that senior management is concerned about protecting the organization's employees from workplace hazards and to outline how this protection will be supplied, documented health and safety policies are necessary. They are, therefore, first and foremost a declaration of purpose, followed by a definition of the mechanisms by which that motivation will be achieved, and last, a statement of the rules that should be adhered to by all parties involved, which includes all employees, in carrying out the policy.

There are following three parts included in a health and safety policy statement,

1. The general policy statement

This describes the real intention of the employer to safeguard the employee’s health and safety. Below basic points must be interpreted,

·         Employee and public safety have the topmost priority.

·         Safety is more crucial than demand.

·         Health and safety procedures must be implemented with the active involvement of all personnel within the organization whenever possible.

·         Both health and safety regulations will adhere to the written law and practical utilization.

2. Organization

The health and safety structure of the organization that enables individuals at all organizational levels to create and meet high standards should be described in this area of the policy statement. This statement should highlight that senior management is ultimately responsible for the organization's performance in terms of health and safety.

 

3. Details for implementing the policy

It is important to define the roles of safety representatives and safety committees as well as to specify the responsibilities of experts like the safety adviser and the medical officer. Details must be provided on how these policies would manipulate accordingly.

 

Risk assessments

Risk assessments are performed to take initiative-taking measures. They make it possible to develop control measures based on a knowledge of the relative significance of hazards. In cases where there are five or more employees, risk assessments must be documented.

There are two types of risk assessments,

•         Quantitative risk assessment, which generates an accurate probability estimate based on risk data that is instantly applicable to the conditions under which the risk arises.

 

•         Qualitative, which is more arbitrary and is founded on judgement supported by general facts. If specific facts are available, qualitative risk assessment is preferred. As long as the evaluation is completed methodically based on a study of working circumstances and dangers and an informed judgement of the possibility of harm actually being done, qualitative risk assessment may be appropriate even in the absence of much or any specific data.

Risk assessments will identify general hazards which cause accidents.

Some hazards include,

•  Handling heavy raw materials
• Processing of materials
•  Maintenance work
• Using electricity
• Operating machinery
• Fail to use protective appliances
•  Ergonomic issues

Risk evaluators must take into account what causes accidents to happen and who would be harmed.

Then hazards must be categorized into the following categories.

•  Catastrophic- causes death or severe illnesses
• Critical- make damage to property, injury and cause illnesses
•  Marginal-cause damages same as critical but would not be expected to be serious
•  Negligible-cause minor injuries and could be handled with first-aid

Then hazards are lined up according to their impact. Answering three main questions will be used to refine them.

1.     What is the worst result?
2.    How likely will it happen?
3.    Amount of people that would be injured if it happens?

A system for probability rating could also be used,

1.       Probable – likely to occur shortly.

2.       Reasonably probable – probably will occur eventually.

3.       Remote – may occur at some time.

4.       Extremely remote – will not happen at all.

 

Taking actions

•         Eliminating hazards via the use of solutions, design upgrades, and process changes.

•         Substitution, such as switching a chemical out for a less dangerous one.

•         The use of barriers, either to shield the worker from danger or to shield the worker from danger.

•         Use of protocols, including exposure control, dilution of exposure, and safe work procedures (these depend on human behaviour).

•         Using warning devices like labels, instructions, and signs (which also rely on responses from people).

•         Putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) is dependent on human reaction and is only applied after all other choices have been tried.

 

Evaluation and monitoring

It is critical to monitor hazards and evaluate the progress of action plans. Measuring health and safety performance is crucial for spotting where remedial action is required early on. Not just recent and current figures should be considered, but also tendencies.

 

Health and safety audits

Safety advisors and/or HR experts can perform safety audits, but it is best if managers, staff members, and union representatives are engaged. A health and safety committee will often oversee audits, and its members will actively participate in performing them. Under three fields a health and safety audit is conducted.

1.       Policies- a commitment of senior management and legal acceptance of policies.

2.       Procedures- check the effectiveness of the existing procedures.

3.       Safety practices- evidence about how managers and supervisors consider workplace safety.

 

 

Health and safety inspections

Authorized personnel must be allocated to conduct routine inspections regarding health and safety measures. Especially with a checklist that regulates the inspection process. There must be a verification method and formal reporting mechanism that held the inspector responsibly.

 

Training about health and safety

A vital component of the preventative approach is health and safety training. It should debut as a component of the orientation program. It needs to happen after a promotion or shift in working styles, as well. Safety instruction lays out the guidelines and details potential risks and how to prevent them. Additional refresher training should be offered, and specialized courses dealing with new health and safety issues or places where safety issues have surfaced should be scheduled.

 

References

Hseni.gov.uk, https://www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/health-and-safety-policy

 

Health and Safety Executive (2008) Annual Report, HSE, London

 

U.S. Department of labour, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/safety-health

 

Holt, A and Andrews, H (1993) Principles of Health and Safety at Work, IOSH Publishing, London

 

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (2008) Annual Report, RoSPA, London

 

Saunders, R (1992) The Safety Audit, Pitman, London

 

    

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