Causes, Consequences and Prevention of Industrial Accidents - Term Paper Example

CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY Insert name: Insert course code: Instructor’s name: 15 February, 2011 Introduction Industrial accidents are very common. Chemical calamities in industrial premises entail fire, detonation, gas leaks, spills of dangerous substances, accidents in the process of hauling dangerous chemicals as well as exposure to ionizing radiations. The impact of such calamities, especially health related ones, may be long term and even extend to the next generation. Technological risks of greater magnitude and impact can be referred to as disaster like the Bhopal tragedy. Chemical risks are gradually becoming common with progressive development. Clear management principles and practices for dealing with such emergencies arising due to chemical risks are indispensable. The basic principles of dealing with all technological risks, together with chemical ones, are Avoidance, Prevention and Mitigation. Avoidance refers to the way of reducing the potential of the hazard. This can be achieved through various methods such as use of safer chemicals, having small inventories, operation at lower temperatures and pressures, among many others. These options are subject to availability of technology and economic viability. Avoidance as well needs suitable location and layout of a factory and also the control of all developments nearby after the establishment. Prevention is the process of minimizing the probability of accidents (hazards) in a given situation. This calls for steps for preventing failures, improving detection (like leaks), laying down shut-down procedures and methods, having proper relief site layout, smooth operation and maintenance. The aim of improvement is to reduce effect when an accident occurs. Emergency action plans, both on-site, are prepared and rehearsed to achieve this goal (Das & Behera 262). Literature review Program management All industries must have an industrial hygiene program. All levels of administration in a corporation ought to be devoted to the institution and upholding of a safe and healthful place of work for an industrial hygiene program to operate and accomplish its objectives. For the plan to be successful, it has got to contain both organizational and financial backing. Both top and middle levels administrators ought to establish the program strategy and make sure that the company functions in the best interest of the employees’ health. They must commit resources, manpower, time as well as money to the full implementation of the program. They must as well offer the authority and demand answerability for the health protection of the workers. Commitment throughout an organization to the program begins with the manager of the industrial hygiene program (Williams, James and Roberts 530). The most significant requirement in the development, management and maintenance of a successful industrial hygiene program is top management support. Without top-level support such a program is not possible. Industrial hygienist ought to develop this support by teaching the production managers the merits of good sound industrial hygiene principles from both the moral and economic point of view. It is significant for the industrial hygienist to convince these young production managers and executives of the need for industrial hygiene programs since their paths will cross again and again in handling upper management. The subsequently significant matter in the expansion and retention of a quality industrial hygiene plan is the acquisition of qualified subordinates. This is a continuous process in the larger programs and is a far from simple issue. It is important for a quality industrial hygiene program to seek employees from institutions that train them well. Since most industrial hygiene programs are chronically shorthanded and can ill afford laggards on their staffs, it is extremely important to interview any prospective new employee very carefully. The other factor of a quality industrial hygiene program is the importance of the industrial hygiene analytical program. If one harnesses the field industrial hygienist to the industrial hygiene chemist, a synergism is developed that is rare in any staff function and is particularly rare in the occupational health field where turf differences are common (Garrett, Cralley & Cralley 3). Industrial hygiene According to Sivarethinamohma, industrial hygiene is the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating as well as controlling workplace conditions that may result to injuries or illness to employees (Sivarethinamohma 329). Hygiene is the science of heath and it embraces all factors which contribute to healthy living. The aim of maintaining the industrial hygiene is to keep employees, their families, and the community healthy and safe, and ensuring that centralized, nation, as well as local regulations and rules are adhered to in the job setting. Industrial hygiene and cleanliness are important to secure high quality production. They make the place of work a better environment, thus enhancing productivity and wellness, and offering strong and precious motivations at work in the most excellent probable circumstances. Health-related risks can be reduced by investigating and examining the workplace for hazards and potential dangers, making recommendations on improving the safety of workers and the surrounding community, conducting scientific research to offer data on possible harmful conditions at the place of work, developing techniques to anticipate and control potentially dangerous situations at the place of work and the community, training and educating the community concerning job-related risks and advising government officials and participating in the development of regulations to ensure the heath and safety of workers and their families (Sivarethinamohma 329). Importance of hygiene Hygiene allows workers to work in healthy environment, and aims at maintaining good health among the workers. It includes both personal hygiene and the material environment. Personal hygiene Maintaining a good standard of cleanliness assists in averting the expansion and increase of infections, illness and bad odors. Maintaining a personal hygiene is significant for various reasons, like personal, health, social, psychological or the way of life. a) Personal reasons: self-worth self-belief along with enthusiasm can all be distorted by our body image as well as keeping high-quality cleanliness practices. b) Social reasons: numerous individuals do not like being talked about, particularly in a negative manner. By making sure that our body is clean and well presented, there is probability to project a positive body image that reflects good personality. c) Health reasons: the notion of being susceptible and showing to foreigners can cause the individual to turn out to be extremely stern on his or her cleanliness requirements. d) Psychological issues: Psychological issues can influence our levels of confidence and self-esteem which may influence several aspects of our lives. Material environment A healthy working environment ought to be maintained in every factory. It is very significant to keep the air fresh and free from germs by ventilating properly. Fresh air and daylight are healthier than the most careful air conditioning and artificial lighting. Extremes of temperature and overcrowding weaken the natural resistance of the body to infection. Risk of direct infection can be minimized by spacing the workers so that they do not have to inhale each other’s breath (Sivarethinamohma 331). Work of hazards: exposure and consequences Workplace hazards may be grouped into ergonomic hazards, chemical hazards, physical and safety hazards, infectious disease (biological hazards), workplace violence, and psychological factors. Ergonomic hazards: These are shift work, manual handling and occupational stress. They occur as a result of poor equipment and job design that do not fit the human body. These create unnecessary wear and tear on the body and may result in pain and damage to hands, arms, neck, back, feet, or legs. Risk factors that may lead to ergonomic injuries include performing the same motion repetitively; using excessive force to push, pull, or lift; awkward posture that puts strain on the body, like reaching overhead, stooping, bending, or stretching; direct pressure from prolonged contact with a hard surface or edge; and vibration from tools or equipment. This may result to pain and work-related muscular-skeletal disorder (Trinh-Shevrin, Islam and Rey 408). Chemical hazards: Chemical agents may be in the form of aerosols, dusts, fibers, fume, gas, mists, smoke or vapors. These can cause damage where they first contact the body (like skin, eyes, nose, or throat). They can as well enter the body through breathing, ingestion, or penetration through the skin and eyes. Once in the body, they can result to cancer or other damage to internal organs like the liver, kidney, heart, nervous system, brain, and reproductive organs (Tranter 2). Safety hazards: They include a broad variety of hazards linked with the physical space of a job: hot surfaces, slippery floors, working at heights, electrical hazards, and sharp objects, among many others. Traumatic injuries like those from slips, trips and fire are a major problem for employees. Physical hazards: they include radiation, extreme temperatures and noise. They can cause illnesses that include serious radiation poisoning, cancer, heat stress, hypothermia, and hearing loss. On the other hand, bacteria, fungi, protozoan, and viruses are good examples of biological agents (Schwaller 35). Occupational health and safety To overcome these hazards, there must be strategies that incorporate the collection of reliable and accurate data concerning workers, in addition to prioritizing partnerships and collaborations between government and community-based organization and social service agencies. There are certain recommendations for improving occupational health related to information gathering, analysis, and program delivery: Promote healthy jobs. Prevention ought to be stressed in occupational health and safety through the endorsement of safe and healthy work conditions, decent wages and benefits, dignity on the work, and family-friendly policies. Ensure strong and effective enforcement and consultation: through OSHA consultation and hazard communication, employers and workers ought to be supplied with information and training using suitable language, educational methods, and materials. OSHA enforces organizations to hire even more bilingual and bicultural inspectors to conduct enforcement. Also policymakers should be educated and encouraged to develop legislation that protects all workers, including the most vulnerable (Trinh-Shevrin, Islam and Rey 428). Alternative approaches In conclusion, alternative approach is based on the main values that entail public participation, environmental justice, and pollution prevention. Environmental goals ought to include other community and social needs such access to health care, jobs, and safe and quality schools, without which the community’s right to safe future can be compromised. Public participation should be fostered by offering mechanisms and provisions for full and meaningful public participation in environmental agency activities. Current environmental health risks should be addressed while preventing future ones by revisiting current policies and craft new policies to address bearing disproportionate environmental risks, also known as hot spots. Safe, healthy and sustainable communities should be promoted to meet community needs. The use of community-based land use planning and economic development can facilitate safe, healthy and sustainable communities. There should be improvement on the environmental education and the right to know. State and home ecological and community wellbeing policy should provide funding for community ecological and occupational health education. Finally, safety testing of all consumer products should be conducted before they are released to enter the marketplace (Trinh-Shevrin, Islam and Rey 431). Works cited: Das & Behera. Environmental Science: Principles and Practice. New Delhi, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd, 2008. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=rkLWjkvtqL8C&pg=PA262&dq=avoiding+chemical+hazards+in+workplace&hl=en&ei=uRxaTZDtGYWAOuS7pNML&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false Garrett Jack T., Cralley Lewis J. & Cralley Lester V. Industrial hygiene management. Edition2, NY, John Wiley and Sons, 1988. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=f0a_zfxmSbEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+industrial+hygiene+factors+important+to+the+maintenance+of+a+safe+and+healthful+workplace&hl=en&ei=ZhlaTbrwGMi6hAfDmfjMDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Schwaller Anthony E. Total Automotive Technology. London, Cengage Learning, 2004. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=tpzOoC_G4HAC&pg=RA1PA35&dq=chemical,+physical,+biological,+and+ergonomic+hazards+common+in+the+workplace;&hl=en&ei=1cJaTZuYA4ODOqapheQL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=chemical%2C%20physical%2C%20biological%2C%20and%20ergonomic%20hazards%20common%20in%20the%20workplace%3B&f=false Sivarethinamohma. Industrial Relations and Labour Welfare: Text And Cases. New Delhi, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd, 2010. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=33wDxWNcKQsC&pg=PA329&dq=the+industrial+hygiene+factors&hl=en&ei=lS5aTd3BO8yeOpfwgJ0L&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGAQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=the%20industrial%20hygiene%20factors&f=false Tranter Megan. Occupational Hygiene and Risk Management. Edition2, NSW, Allen & Unwin, 2004. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=iKRt6J7vp8AC&pg=PA2&dq=chemical,+physical,+biological,+and+ergonomic+hazards+common+in+the+workplace;&hl=en&ei=1cJaTZuYA4ODOqapheQL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false Trinh-Shevrin Chau, Islam Nadia Shilpi, Rey Mariano Jose. Asian American communities and health: context, research, policy, and action. NY, John Wiley and Sons, 2009. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=sVnA_zej82QC&pg=PA408&dq=chemical,+physical,+biological,+and+ergonomic+hazards+common+in+the+workplace;&hl=en&ei=1cJaTZuYA4ODOqapheQL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=chemical%2C%20physical%2C%20biological%2C%20and%20ergonomic%20hazards%20common%20in%20the%20workplace%3B&f=false Williams Phillip L., James Robert C., Roberts Stephen M. Principles of toxicology: environmental and industrial applications. Edition2, NY, John Wiley and Sons, 2000. February 15, 2011 http://books.google.com/books?id=i3sbNufNMh8C&pg=PA530&dq=the+industrial+hygiene+factors+important+to+the+maintenance+of+a+safe+and+healthful+workplace&hl=en&ei=ZhlaTbrwGMi6hAfDmfjMDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20industrial%20hygiene%20factors%20important%20to%20the%20maintenance%20of%20a%20safe%20and%20healthful%20workplace&f=false Read More