occupational safety

Overview Philippine Setting

Occupational Health and Safety

Ederlyn Marie Cortes Sherylle Ong

Video on Construction Safety

from the

“Habitat for Humanity”

Overview Philippine Setting

PART 1:

Overview

PART 1:

Overview

Definition Principles OSH Programs Other Issues

• It is the discipline concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of employees, organizations, and others affected by the work they undertake (such as customers, suppliers, and members of the public).

• It is the prevention of disease and injury caused by workplace influences.

• It is concerned with creating a safe environment for employees and contractors and for customers and visitors to company facilities. As well as encouraging a healthy lifestyle and promoting public health amongst the people that the company affects.


DefinitionDefinition of OSH

a. Destruction of human life is morally unjustified

b. Failure of employers or workers to take precautions against occupational injuries and illnesses makes them morally responsible for these incidents.

c. Occupational incidents limit efficiency and productivity.

d. Occupational accidents and illnesses produce far-reaching social harm.

e. Safety techniques have produce reduction of accident rates and severity rates.

f. Recent mandates (local and international) have been imposed to provide a safe and healthy workplace.


Importance of OSHImportance

PrinciplesImportant Consideration

Why is there a need to set up OSH programs?

a. All accidents and incidents are preventable

b. All levels of management are responsible for safety and health.

c. All employees have the responsibility to themselves, their coworkers, and their family to work in a safe and healthy manner.

d. In order to eliminate accidents and incidents, management must ensure that all employees are properly trained on how to perform every job task efficiently and in a safe and healthy manner.

e. Every employee must be involved in every area of the safety, health and production process

DefinitionPrinciples OSH Programs Other Issues

Principles of OSHImportance


Principles OSH Programs Other Issues Definition

Important ConsiderationsImportance


The two most important ingredients in an OSH Program:

1. Management Commitment: company must demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of employees and other stakeholders by initiating OSH programs

2. Workforce Involvement: organization must elicit the active participation pf the workers in all the processes




Why workers need to be involved: a. They are most in contact with potential safety and

health hazards. It is to their best interest in having a safe and healthy workplace.

b. Many heads are better than one: various ideas and experiences shared by the workers may help in the improvement of the program.

c. Their support and participation are likely to increase with their involvement




How to involve workers in OSH programs

• Including them in the safety committee

• Having them assist in the training of new employees

• Asking them to report on and fix (if ability permits) noted hazards in the workplace

• Authorizing them to investigate accidents in their work areas


Controls & PreventionControl & PreventionHazard and Risk Identification, Assessment and Management

The Causes of and Responses to Occupational Hazards

Definition PrinciplesOSH Programs Other Issues

Controls & PreventionControl & Prevention

Hazard and Risk Identification, Assessment and Management

•Loss Control ProgramA company must have a written safety program. Such program must have four components: a safety budget, safety records, management’s personal concern, and management’s good example.

•Safety CommitteeManagement must create a group to lead in the creation, implementation and monitoring of the organization’s OSH program.

•Safety RulesThe OHS rules in each organization must comply with the mandates of the government that regulates it, just as much it abides by the rules imposed by agencies accrediting it

OSH Programs Other Issues Definition Principles

Controls & PreventionControl & Prevention


•Employee SelectionSelect the fittest person for the job: physical attributes, behavior and attitudes

•Employee & Supervisor TrainingTraining should focus on 4 general areas: using PPE, engaging in work practices to reduce risk communicating health and safety information, exercising employee rights and responsibilities

•Feedback and IncentivesGiving rewards for, and evaluating employee safety behavior is a good motivator to encourage its practice



Control & PreventionHazard and Risk Identification, Assessment and Management

Hazards: identified or probable causes of

accidents and illnesses in the workplace

Risks: negative effects to health and well-being

resulting from the exposure to hazards




Hazard Identification

These are the processes that determine what might or could have caused accidents

List of Audit Topics




Accident InvestigationAn accident investigation is a fact-finding

process and not a fault-finding one where the aim is to affix the blame. All accidents, regardless of nature and severity must be investigated




Risk Assessment Methodology that aims at characterizing the types of health

effects expected as a result of a certain exposure to a given agent, as well as providing estimates on the probability of occurrence of these health effects at different levels of exposure

The elements of risk assessment




Risk ManagementIt is the establishment of target controls in the organization to

address the risks posed by work hazards

• Takes place at different levels: international, national, local, organizational• Organizational risk management requires knowledge on: health hazards and their magnitude - identified and rated according to risk assessment findings, legal requirements and standards, technological feasibility in terms of the available and applicable control technology; economic factors (costs of designing and implementing controls, costs vs. benefits, etc); human resource (available and required); and the socio-economic and public health context.


ErgonomicsErgonomics

Industrial/ Occupational Hygiene

Environmental Issues

OHS and Multi-National Companies

Workplace Security and Violence

• It means fitting the workplace to the worker

• Through this, management can identify and assess where and how employees’ physical capabilities have been exceeded in a given job

• It addresses the elimination and reduction of the so- called work-related MSDs or musculoskeletal disorder hazards

Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, low back pain and tension neck syndrome

Definition Principles OSH ProgramsOther Issues

Industrial / Occupational HygieneErgonomics





• It is the profession that aims specifically at the prevention and control of hazards arising from work processes

• It is the science of the anticipation, evaluation and control of hazards arising in or from the workplace, and which could impair the health and well-being of workers, also taking into account the possible impact in the surrounding communities and the general environment.

Relationship b/w functions of Industrial Hygienist and Company Physician


Environmental Issues Ergonomics





Remember: Companies have also responsibilities to the environment

• design their jobs and the work areas in such a way as to have a minimum impact on the environment. • minimal use of raw materials and energy are encouraged• strict regulations on the disposal of waste materials• companies are mandated to reduce emission of toxic substances into the air, water and soil • recycling is pushed• decrease in waste production through the use of efficient systems and processes where non-useful by-products are kept at a minimum

“Environment, Health and Safety” or Occupational Health, Safety and Environment”



Ergonomics





Fact:Some multi-national companies are abusing the “hospitable” conditions of developing countries where they have set up factories

• Poor working conditions

• Unreasonable regulations

• Low wages

• Long hours of work

• Minimal medical benefits

Solution:Pressure from international labor and consumer groups led to installation and improvement of any existing (if any) OHS programs



Ergonomics





Security is part of safety!

Aggravating circumstances:

•contact with the public, exchange of money, delivery of passenger / goods / services

•having a mobile workplace such as a taxi or police cruiser

•working with unstable or volatile persons

•working alone or in small number, working at night, guarding valuable possessions

•working in high-crime areas

Principles of Prevention: •environmental designs •administrative controls

•behavioral strategies

•study of victim and perpetrator profile

occupational safety

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