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how an organization deals with employees heath and safty
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Employee Health and Safety Aim – to protect and promote the health
and safety of people working at or visiting member company work sites.
Safety – Protection of employees from injuries caused by work related accidents.
Health – Employees freedom from physical or emotional illnesses.
Management to FocusUnsafe employee
action Train new
employees on safety esp in early months of service.
Work injuries decrease with length of service
unsafe working environment
Design and maintain a safe physical working environment to prevent accidents e.g. for the machine operator
Why management is concerned It is a moral as well as a legal responsibility. Personal loss – pain and anguish for the injured worker. Can
lead to disability or death Financial loss to the injured employee – the injury may not
be covered by insurance Loss of productivity – and hidden costs e.g. replacement
worker pay He may not be at par Higher insurance premiums – compensation premiums
usually based on history of insurance claims Fines and imprisonment – for the employer by government
for violating OSHA Social responsibility – many organizations feel responsible
for H and S of employees. Even before OSHA
Benefits of workplace H and S
No man hours lost through absenteeism A lot of savings on medical costs e.g.
insurance
HEALTH and SAFETY at work
1.DEVELOP HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIESWritten policies are required to demonstrate top mgt concern about the protection of workers from hazards at work
2. CONDUCT A RISK ASSESSMENT
Is the identification of hazards and the analysis of risks attached to them i.e. the level of risk associated with them. Purpose – to initiate preventive action
Hazard = anything that can harm eg working on rooftops, electricity, chemicals and toxic substances, heavy objects, machines, etc
ranking hazards Catastrophic – hazard capable of
causing death Critical – can result in serious
illness/severe injury, equipment damage Marginal – can cause the above but not
with serious results Negligible – remote possibility of
damage beyond minor 1st aid
Possible safety actions
Hazard elimination – use of alternatives/change of design
Substitution e.g. of one chemical for another Use of barriers – removing the hazard from the
worker or vice versa Use of procedures – e.g. limitation or dilution of
exposure Use of warning systems e.g. signs, instructions,
labels Use of personal protective clothing
3. HEALTH AND SAFETY AUDITS
examine the entire org to see if it is meeting its safety aims and objectives. Done by safety advisors (H/S committee) or external audit agencies.
Managers should take charge of safety audits in their departments and individual members of the department can be trained to audit a particular area. A checklist should be used.
4.OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES
Millions of people suffer from illnesses believed to be caused by their work. Eg are muscular disorders, back pain, repetitive strain injury (RSI), stress.
RSI also called cumulative trauma disorders CTD’s e.g. data entry, or assembly line work
Key concerns Physical Work Settings – light, temp, space
etc Sick Building Syndrome SBS: acute health
problems and discomfort due to the time spent in a building (poor air quality, low ventilation, improper cleanliness, rodents, stench of adhesives and glues
Ergonomics: the study of human interaction with tasks equipments and tools. Aim - fit the machine and work environment to the person. Eg computer workstations
Engineering of Work Equipments and Materials: safety guards and covers on equipments, emergency stop buttons
Individual actions – more accidents by self than employer actions