Managing Health and Safety at Work - Essay Example

College: Managing Health and Safety at work A review of my role as a community care supervisor and responsibilities in relation to health, safety welfare and environment protection at work The pieces of legislation relating to health, safety and welfare relevant to my workplace include: The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) this is the main piece of legislation which affects the management of health and safety in educational establishments across all sectors. The Act establishes a framework for ensuring the health and safety of every employee in whatever work activity. In addition it provides for the health and safety of anyone who might be affected by work activities and this includes pupils and visitors to educational institutions. The second piece of legislation ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999’ whose main requirement is that employers ought to carry out risk assessments to eliminate or reduce risks. Those who employ five or more people should record the significant findings of a risk assessment. It is however not a requirement that insignificant risks should be recorded. Section 2 of The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 places a duty on employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees. This should be done as far as is reasonably practicable. Employers are also required to consult with safety representatives from trade unions on matters to do with health and safety in the place of work. Employers who have more than five employees are required to have a written health and safety policy which should be brought to that attention of the employees. This section places a burden upon the manager not only to prepare a health and safety policy but it is clear that it is to be brought to the attention of the employees and it is trite that employees should know its contents. Consultations with trade union representatives are also mandatory. Section 4 places a duty on any person who is responsible for the place of work to make sure that the work premises, plant and machinery do not pose any danger the people who use the same. As a manager, one is required to ensure that the plant and machinery are properly maintained and thus when they are put to use, whoever is using them cannot be exposed to any harm while performing his or her responsibilities. The section could also require that the manager ensure that the employees are properly dressed and observe the laid down safety regulations at the work place (Stuhlmacher & Douglas, 2001). A competent person in the context of health and safety is one who has gone through some formal training and in addition has experience working with other people in a health and safety position. Such a person has a good grasp of safety systems of work and is able to carry out safety audits. A competent person will be able to recognize and control hazards, write risk assessments and maintain records. A competent person will be able to deal in an effective manner with the management as well as other members of staff in matters to do with safety in and out of the place of work. Such a person should be acquainted with information about the latest legislation which pertains to health and safety. A competent person would also be the one who passes such information to his employer and also to his fellow employees without any undue delays and does it in a good manner. Maintain a good knowledge of the latest legislation covering health and safety and pass that on to employees and their employer. A competent person should also have record over a period of time of successfully carrying out their Health and Safety responsibilities. This encompasses their actions in response to such situations and also expectation and discernment of potential threats and taking quick measure steps to forestall the occurrence any problem. For one to be competent they should also know what their limitations are and thus deal with those situations they can handle otherwise they should alert more competent authorities. One of the ways used to provide safety information is use of posters. These are displayed in places where anyone can see them very easily. They are also displayed in large print and bright colours. The other way to pass this information is to provide the employees each with a copy of an information booklet on Health and Safety law. In my organization there is sufficient expertise to advice on matter of health and safety and environment protection. These matters are handled by an expert in work place safety and who is also an authority on matters concerning the environment. The employees themselves also undergo regular training and safety drills. This has the effect of making everybody to be able to handle any situation at the work place concerning safety, health and environment. Environmental responsibility is vital for stemming serious environmental problems. Global warming and climate change pose a serious threat to humanity. The energy use at the work place is a key determinant whether we preserve the environment or contribute to its degradation. Emission of green house gases trap sun’s heat and this result in higher temperatures leading o bushfires, rise in ocean levels and drought. In my organization environmental responsibility is important as it helps the organization to use measures which end up cutting costs. Another key advantage is the benefits accruing by not degrading the environment. Implementing such measures in the organization also serves as a good model to both the employees and other organizations who find that it is actually a benefit to be friendly to the environment (Stuhlmacher & Douglas, 2001). Everybody has the responsibility to make sure that the environment is protected. One the major players in this are businesses. They have a big role in ensuring reduction of climate change and emissions of greenhouse gases. By assessing our current strategies on environmental management and having them implemented in the workplace, we save energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This not only helps the environment but also ensure that we enjoy the benefits of having lower cost production efficiencies and there is also a saving on costs. To assess your business' environmental responsibility you need to take an audit of the consumption of energy and green practices. These will in addition indicate the business’ potential savings money from implementing basic Environment Management strategies. Businesses could also make minor changes which include buying electrical appliances which have high star energy ratings. On average, an extra star will save 10 – 30% of the amount that you spend on energy. Old light bulbs should be replaced with energy savings ones and consideration should be made so that green power can be used. This is electricity generated from resources which are renewable. These resources include the sun, waste and wind. The initial cost of implementing a green energy policy might be high to begin with but in the long term one ends up saving money. A practical fire accident prevention and control measure that could be implemented. 1) Smoking Smoking happens to be one of the chief causes of fires in homes, offices and also in public areas. Discarded cigarettes and cigarette butts that are not extinguished could easily re-ignite. The result would be a disastrous fire accident. Smoking not only endangers your health but it is even worse that it could cause a tragedy resulting in deaths, injuries, and destruction to property. 2) Kitchen cooking: It is one of the places where a fire usually starts. The reason is that cooking involves the use of fire and inflammable materials such gas. It is vital every time to practice caution whenever you are inside the kitchen. The cooking staff should avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes. This can easily catch fire. Cooking should not be left unattended. 3) Hazardous materials: Materials considered as fire hazards include inflammable liquids such as petrol, gas, paints and chemicals. These should be stored in a place whereby they cannot come into contact with fire. Also worth noting are the types of fire extinguisher suitable for fires involving these materials (Stuhlmacher & Douglas, 2001). Works Cited Stuhlmacher, Alice. F. & Douglas,Cellar.F. Workplace Safety: Individual Differences in Behavior. London: Routledge, 2001. Read More