Occupational Health Safety - Essay Example

Occupational Health Safety Name Institution Date Introduction For effectiveness and economical production of value from workers it is important that work places and environments are safe, healthy and conducive. Work place related injuries and health issues impact both the employee and employer adversely with reference to reduced productivity, quality of production and the life of an employee. There are millions of injuries, illnesses and deaths arising from work-related hazards. This also has implications on national economic development. As such, it is in the interests of employees, employers, related bodies and governments to make improvements in occupational safety. At the international policy development and enforcement level, this is demonstrated by the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) engagement in promoting healthy and safe working environments for all. While marking the 2012 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the underlying issue was developing green jobs. According to ILO a “true green job must integrate safety and health into the life cycle analysis of all green jobs” (International Labor Organization 2012). Essentially, this is the main intention if the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. This thesis explores the occupational healthy and safety standards of New Power Store. It presents the ergonomical assessement for the store and recommend appropriate rehabilitation plan to the management. This shall apply OHS principles and guidelines, both in theory and practice. Literature review Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) has been defined as a multi-discipline human resource issue that is concerned with ensuring the welfare of workers in terms of health and safety issues. The focus is in protecting the workers engaged in employment, their co-workers, employers, suppliers, customers and any other stakeholder whose organizational activities have effect (Barnett-Schuster 2008). Further on, Barnett-Schuster (2008) cite the World Health Organization/ ILO definition as including the promotion of the highest standards of workers’ well-being- physical, emotional and social, by preventing risks that are related to adverse factors and the working conditions. Additionally, there is the essence of ensuring that the occupational environment has been adapted to suit the workers psychological and physiological abilities as well as suiting employees to appropriate jobs (Barnett-Schuster 2008; Benjamin 2001). This underlines three key objectives: promoting worker’s health and capacity, enhancing the working environment to be healthy and safety conducive as well as development of organizations and cultures capable of promoting productivity. Since the 1970s, ILO has registered heightened activity in the are of OHS and ensuring sustainability of the worker at the work place. However, there are indications that thought there have been improvements in the area, the related losses are still unacceptable. For instance, there are an estimated more than 250 million occupational accidents per annum, with an almost equal number of illnesses, leading to over a million deaths. Further, this has been cited as having implications on enterprise competitiveness as well as national economic costs in the range of 4 percent of GNP (Benjamin 2001). Given such implications, literature has indicated a need for developing organizations and cultures whose value systems entrench the value of ensuring the safety of employees. The values may be demonstrated in managerial systems, policies, training, quality assurance and supervision. These are implied by the objectives of the OHS Act (2004) which aims at securing workers’ health and safety welfare, eliminate risks for both employees, employers and the outside public, and to provide for the involvement of all employment relations stakeholders in formulating standards for health, safety and welfare (The Parliament of Victoria 2004). In pursuit of the standards, the Act has proposed underlying principles which have been corroborated by ILO. These are principles definining the rights and responsibilities of both employers and employees as well as the care of duty extent. Essentially, all people have a right to the highest reasonable possible level of protection from all forms of risk. As such, this principle provides for the second which places care of duty on employers, managers and owners of work places to establish and implement any reasonable and practical measures to protect the employee. Thirdly, there is a care of duty placed on employers and those in self employment to ensure there is reduction and/or elimination of risks. The employees are also entitle to representation in and encouragement for participation in health and safety issues. This places a requirement on both employers and employees to share all necessary information that would at best prevent the event of a risk from happening. In addition to this, Benjamin (2001) adds to include the importance of an emphasis on consultations, and prevention of risk. Health is also cited as being central in the practice of OHS. This creates a need for adequate training, establishment of security covers as well as adequate, commensurate and timely compensation, and rehabilitative initiatives (Benjamin 2001). The aforementioned principles are not exhaustive: they are only basic guidelines. As aforementioned, there have been heightened activity in the area of OHS. Barnett-Schuster (2008) cites three reasons that have caused the activity at organizational, national and international levels: moral, economic and legal. Morally, there are implications that employees should be protected from risk. From the economical aspet, the cost and losses incurred by organizations as a result of the loss of workers’ employability and other costs such as fines, legal fees, compensation, and rehabilitation. Legally, the Act imposes care of duty on employees. As such, OHS standards are enforceable by law. As such, employers have employed various ways of ensuring high standards. One such means is by ensuring that there are high standards of ergonomics. As applied to OHS, this is an area which is involved enhancing the interactions if workers with physical elements whilst aiming at achieving the most appropriate match between the two work elements (Guidotti 2011). Its benefits include establishing a work place in which there is minimal risk, greater efficiency, high health standards, and satisfied science. It is founded on fundamental principles in human biology, psychology, social sciences as well as technological advances. Guidotti (2011) further indicates that ergonomics main goal is ensuring that the work place or the macro-level is comprehensively capable of promoting the well-being of worker so that they are able to efficiently and safely work. Ergonomical Assessment The News Power Store on 67 Ashley Street of Central West Shopping Centre was assessed. The assessment was done unofficially whilst purchasing a magazine from the shop. The entrance presents one with interiors that are brightly colored and well lit spaces. In addition, one is also met with a few workers who are passing a recent stock delivered by a van. There are several men doing the loading into the shop. With the new incoming stock of magazines, the space of operation is relatively small as another set of employees are unpacking and lifting the stock of the floor into shelves and under-space. Additionally, there are others who are moving to a fro the shelves to the counter to serve customer requests. This creates the picture of a busy business. However, for the 20 or so employees in colored overcoats, there are collisions as each does his or her role. At one point, an oncoming lady intending to serve customer request collides with another one unpacking from small cartons onto the shelves. There are ladders by which high metallic and brightly colored shelves are accessed. The stores busy-picture is also demonstrated by the observation that there are no seats in the service are, or any where in the room apart from the cashiers’s desks. It is apparent that the only people who ever sit are the cashiers whereas every other persons works standing. This has implications on health and safety of the workers,especially with respect to the stress on the backbone. This is also presumed for those loading into the shop from the loading lobby who have to do with their hands. Bulky cartons have to be lifted more than one person. The majority of activities are manual. Literature links this to musculoskeletal disorders such as lower-back pain especially when there is an imbalance amongst the interacting factors: the task, individual doing the task, the load of the task and the environment or general design (Thomboy 2008). With reference to the cashiers, they are enclosed in a meshed space which is also relatively well lit. however, their working space is also relatively squeezed especially on the desk. The choice of workstation chair shows consideration to the support of the lumbar and adjustability to different heights. In my view, the computer work station is set up for an individual of average height with the fitting mainly being assisted by the chair’s adjustability. The cashier serving me is seen to be comfortable with a direct eye-contact with the screen of the computer and her arms are parallel to the desk while she is typing. Poor ergonomic at computer work stations have been linked to back pain problems as well as work-related upper limb disorders (Thomboy 2008). Rehabilitation Plan In order to develop the Store into a place the has minimum standard for health and safety, the management need to approach possible health risks from two views: work place design and physical exercise. These may be established by developing a proactive occupational health strategy whose focus is in prevention , as opposed to rehabilitation and compensations. This recommendation takes into account some aspects of the nature of the work, more so for those who deal directly with the stock or clients. Firstly, the paper proposes redevelopment of the work place. This is with regard to the space factor. It is necessary that the service lobby be increased or redesigned in order to ease collisions and risk of injury. The OHS Act- Section 21 provides that management have a duty of care to maintain risk-free work place as well as provide adequate facilities. It is important the there is creation of extra space or rooms from which stock is managed after delivery. This is the place to do unpacking, sorting and labelling so that there is reduced commotion at the service lobby. Apart from the space, the handling of bulky luggage also must be considered so that there is reduced risk of back pains and neuromuscular disorders arising from the lifting. The management should procure machines for the task. This makes the work easier and the experience less risky. The OHS strategy may also incorporate the development and implementation of an exercise and fitness program for the workers. These may be enshrined in the general policy so that there is not one when it is overlooked. The program should be run by qualified and certified professionals and at times that are convinient to other needs of the employees. In addition, it is vital that all the workers are encouraged to attend to the exercise and physical fitness programs. This program should be complemented by having assistive equipment such as seats and rest places for the workers. Whereas the service lobby is an open place, having several seats that are ergonomically standardized in the place will enhance fatigue management. With this respect also, this report cites the need to improve cashiers’ workstations by enhancing the chairs as well as computer and cash till arrangement. They need adequate leg space for free movement as well as chairs which are adjustable and have adjustable backrest, armrest as well as the footrest. Discussion The working conditions of the store present a profile that has both health and safety risks for the employees. There is risk for injury arising from the collisions and falling objects. Health-wise, there are risks for neuromuscular and skeletal disorders. To deal with these it is vital that a management is proactive. This calls for policies and strategies that are both innovative and responsive (Burke et al. 2011). The above suggested plan should begin with ample and informed risk assessment in which the management delineates the available hazards, likely target to be harmed and the risks involved. This becomes the basis for policy development and implementation in which the aforementioned strategies are contained. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 make provisions for this in hazard identification after which it provides for risk control. The redesigning of the work place is for the sole purpose of controlling risk. In addition, the occurrence of an emergency like fire or other accidents is easier to deal with in a spacious working area. With regard to the role of physical activity, the aim of the programs is to ensure there adequate relaxation and to prevent possible related neuromuscular and skeletal problems. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) cites the integration of health programs into the work place as having a growing importance. This may be done at the organization’s health and wellness center or may be covered for by the organization. It has the benefit of revitalizing critical energies of the employees- both physical and psychological. On the other hand of the business bargain, the employer has an opportunity to incur low health care costs, reduce absenteeism and labor loss and thus increase productivity and the job satisfaction (Pronk & ACSM 2009). This is corroborated by the World Health Organization which underlines the value of the workplace for health promotion (Rose et al 2011). As such, the underlying physical and policy infrastructure are a priority to achieve the goal. Industrial safety and hygiene initiatives, as physical activity is, are risk mitigative. Conclusions The maintenance of high standards of occupational health and safety is a responsibility of all parties to a employment relationship. However, the OHS Act place more duty of care on the employer to ensure that the rights of an employees for health and safety are addressed. The assessed store showed lack in areas of working space adequacy, facilities inadequacy and the lack of essential equipments. As such, the workers were reported to essentially manual posing health risks on them. The report has suggested a redesigning of the work place to incorporate more space, procurement of necessary equipment and creation of additional facilities. It has also suggested the role of physical exercises. This is central given the manual nature of the work and the need to prevent neuromuscular and skeletal complications. Overall, it has emphasised the importance of risk assessment and policy formulation. References Barnett-Schuster, P. 2008. Fundamentals of international occupational health & safety law. Aberdeen University press: Aberdeen. Benjamin, A. 2001. Fundamental principles of occupational health and safety. Geneva : International Labor Organization . Burke, R., Cooper, C., & Clarke, S. 2011. Occupational health and safety. Burlingtong: Gower . Guidotti, T. 2011. Global occupational health. New York: Oxford University press . International Labor Organization . 2012, April 28. World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2012: Promoting safety and health in a green economy. Retrieved May 3, 2012, from International Labor Organization : http://www.ilo.org/safework/events/meetings/WCMS_173690/lang--en/index.htm Pronk, N., & ACSM. 2009. ACSM's worksite health handbook : a guide to building healthy and productive companies. Champaign: Human Kinetics . Rose, V., Cohrssen, B., & Patty, F. 2011. Patty's Industrial hygiene. Hoboken: Wiley . The Parliament of Victoria .2004. Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The Parliament of Victoria The Parliament of Victoria. 2007. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007. The Parliament of Victoria. Thomboy, G. 2008. Occupational Health 2008: making the business case- special report. Cambridge: Workplace Law Publishing . Read More