History of Occupational Health and Safety Laws - Assignment Example

The History of Occupational Health and Safety Laws: United Kingdom Timeline Factory Act 1802-1831 Act intended to protect workers welfare. The introduction of Bill in 1802 by Robert Peel which was passed the same year. Legislation expected to fortify the 1802 Act. Factories Act 1833 Increase of injuries in factories as well as overworking children in textile industry. 1840: Establishment of Royal Commission Increase in accidents, occupational diseases and brutality in in workplace that was a norm. 1842: Coal Mines Act The need for prohibition of underground work for women and children 1844: Factory Act The welfare concerns of workers including mealtime and holidays. 1847: Factory Act The overworking of children and women between the age of 13 and 18 years. 1850: Coal Mines Act The criminal breach leading to injuries. 1856: Factories Act The overworking of children and women that leads to the definition of the average working times. 1872: Mines Act The ineffectiveness of the of the subsequent mines laws on penalizing the offenders. The penal action enforcement. 1875: Explosive Act The need for the production of gunpowder as well as other explosives. 1878: Factory and Workshop Act An increasing number of under 10 years children working. The need for establishing compulsory education of the children between 10 and 14 years. 1880: Employers liability Act Employees were neglected by foremen, managers and superintendents in case of an accident 1891: Factory act Employing young children below the age of eleven years 1893:appointment of women inspectors First women inspectors were appointed to enforce and investigate women employment 1895: inspectorate of quarry Accidents notifications, special rules and prosecution 1897 Cutting machine act Statutory protection to employees 1901:Workshop act Rationalization of factory legislation 1917-1922: mines act Increasing drivers age licence and campaign on pedestrian rule. Workforce safety at a national scale Prioritisation on children and drivers education compulsory road signals reduction of motor headlights and improving street lighting Link:www.rospa.com/about/history 1919: ILO formation of ILO after world war 1 1923-1925: explosives act reduction of railway deaths by formation of safety first association Commencement of safety first operations. Reduction of accidents by introducing essential principles. Code of roads conducts published support withdrawal my insurance industry 1926-1929:lead paint act issuing of safe driving leaflets new patron duke of York publishing safe abrasive wheels pamphlet essay competition by school children Third safety engineer employed. 1937: factories act Replacement and repeal of factory and workshop act. 1940: safety first movement the movement is taken by the ministry of labor 1947: Shop’s closing hours The poisonous substances affecting the agriculture workers. Link: www.worldcat.org/oclc/558981410 1948: WHO The World Health Organization ('WHO') is established. (World Health Organization, 2007) 1952: Agriculture Act The poisonous substances that were used in Agriculture subjected employees to risks. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6and1Eliz2/15-16/60 1954: Mines & Quarries Act Lack of extended supervisory powers by the managers to check on critical issues like use of protection equipment. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/2-3/70/introduction 1956: Welfare provision (Agriculture) The increase of contact between women/children with machines in agricultural farms. Increase in diseases among workers in agricultural farms. 1957 The pressure from United Kingdom government on licensing and insuring nuclear sites. 1959: Nuclear installation The importance of nuclear safety to people around the sites and workers. 1960: Offices Act The concern of the largely unprotected workers in various offices Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/34/introduction 1963: Railways Act The need for the protection of the neglected workers in different occupations 1969: Workers Liability Act The increasing number of workers losing lives due to inability to boot health care bills. The need for insurance coverage. 1970: OSHA The Act provided for the authorisation of the OSH Administration (OSHA) along with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (Occupational Safety and Health Association, 2013). 1971: Fire Protection Act Deals with provision protection of workers at different premises such as office, factory and railways 1972: EMAS Act Deals with medical arrangements for workers as well as provision of medical advisory 1974: Health and Safety Intended to establish Health Safety Commission to propose new regulations regarding workplace conditions for workers. Concerned with the following hazards: asbestos, radiations, noise and vinyl chloride Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37 1975 Deals with the re-organization of the workplace to protect workers from dangerous substances. Supported by couple of advisory committee such as Medical advisory committee. 1977 Deals with the appointment of safety groups among the employees to investigate hazards and potential risks in workplace. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1977/500 1979: Pneumoconiosis Act The death of ten people and several others injured lead to the formation of this act. 1980: Accidents and dangerous incidences act. Deals with a list of dangerous occurrence which are reputable in mines and quarries. 1981: First Aid Ensuring that the employees are facilitated and equipped with appropriate first aid kits. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1981/917/introduction/made 1983: Factory Inspectorate Based on the field operations and how every premise is equipped with appropriate Health and Safety components. 1984 The effects of asbestos gas and dangerous substances lead to the need of licensing of industries operating on these health risks. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1984/1244/contents/made 1985: Reporting injuries The fire at Branford and Putney gas explosion. Working with the Health and Safety Commissions in reporting the injuries. 1986 Increase in the insecurity of food and travelling. The food insecurity came as a result of pesticide contamination. 1987 The need for medical surveillance and provision of washing facilities in response to the asbestos chemical substances. 1988 The death of 169 people due to the Piper Alpha platform and several injured. The appointment of the Health and Safety Committee to inspect on the health issue. 1989: Fire and Noise Precautions The increase in fire incidences and loss of hearing by workers at their respective workplaces. Increase exposure to noise. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1790/made 1990: Increase in injuries in railways and nuclear sites. The HSC enforces rails and nuclear safety in 1st April 1990 to address these issues. 1991-1992 The change of approval strategy of HSE where the approval is to be obtained from offshore company. Also, in 1992, the simplification of 340 regulations concerning Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) (OSHA, 2013). 1993 The recognition of the Mines inspectorate act that had changed the safety measures tremendously. 1994 Deals with the major industry accidents resulting from inappropriate or lack of training of employees. The act also reinforces the protection of people during the transportation of dangerous goods. 1995: Quarry inspectorate The formation of the national Health and Safety Labs. This later became an agency of HSE in promoting research in occupational settings. The opening of Occupational Medical Lab in London by HSE. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/3163/made 1996: Road Risks Occupations Intended to raise awareness, make employees to understand their roles and work with the government to promote road safety. 1998: RoSPA Intended to support the regulations concerning electrical equipment, gas safety, chemicals, lead and asbestos in occupational settings. Impose the duty on employees as well as protecting them againist harm from the working environment. 2000: Marking the 10 years campaign of the health and safety commission strategy. Its aim was to continue protecting workers from injury and improving quality of life. 2002: Road Safety Coalition Created from the meeting of 40 organizations with the objective of promoting safety at roads through membership strategy. Increase in road mortality rates. 2003: This act was established under the existing health and safety work law to ensure that workers adhere to their responsibilities at work station. Very essential to the companies wishing to manage road risks effectively. 2004: The anniversary of HSC The fatalities of 23 cockles pickers leads to the improvement of the health safety through safe working regulation act 2004. Focuses mainly on improving adherence to OSH guides and regulations 2005 The explosion in Buncefield in 2005 left 50 people died. The act intended to focus on occupational equipment, work at height, hazards, machines and chemicals in the working environment. Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) established (Lin-jun& Dong, 2013, p. 166) July 2008 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in OHS (IGA) (Lo, 2012, p. 175) 2006: Railway safety Deals with the railway responsibility safety from HSE to railway regulator. 2007 Aiming at ensuring that health of human and environment is protected at the same time from hazardous substances (Govindaradjalou & Dyson, 2003). 2008 The matching of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and HSC in terms of their powers and functions to give make an imprisonment an option. Link: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/20/contents 2009: A renewed momentum to improve occupational health and safety performance. The main drivers were occupational illnesses and injuries in United Kingdom. Safe Work Australia established (Lin-jun & Dong, 2013, p. 166). As an OHS matter, Australian Government increased English language proficiency requirements for migrant workers (Bahn, 2013, p. 134). 2010 The revision of HSE on its safety bulletin. 2011 The identification of the consultants to provide advice on occupational health and safety to help United Kingdom manage workplace risks (Hse.gov.uk, 2013). 2012: Intervention Fee The updating of the asbestos regulations and The Commonwealth Government and Territories, New South Wales, and Queensland pass the Work Health and Safety Act. This act provides a positive duty on “officers” (Corporations Act s 9) take particular measures concerning OHS (Lo, 2012, p. 175). 2013: Health and Safety The regulation on occupational health and safety came in effect. Western Australia and Victoria appear to be late in implementing the WHS regime (Department of Commerce, 2014c) Reference Bahn, S. (2013). Workplace hazard identification and management: The case of an underground mining operation. Safety Science. 57, 129 - 137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.01.010 Department of Commerce (2014a).http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe Govindaradjalou, R., & Dyson, G. (2003). Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) regulations in Great Britain. Chemical Health And Safety, 10(3), 5-7. doi:10.1016/s1074-9098(03)00026-1 Hse.gov.uk,. (2013). A guide to health and safety regulation in Great Britain. Retrieved 17 August 2015, from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse49.htm Legislation.gov.uk,. (1981). The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Retrieved 17 August 2015, from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1981/917/introduction/made Legislation.gov.uk,. (1984). The Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances Regulations 1984. Retrieved 17 August 2015, from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1984/1244/contents/made Legislation.gov.uk,. (1989). The Noise at Work Regulations 1989. Retrieved 17 August 2015, from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1790/made Legislation.gov.uk,. (2013). The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977. Retrieved 17 August 2015, from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1977/500 Lo, D. (2012). OHS Stewardship - Integration of OHS in Corporate Governance International Symposium on Safety Science and Technology. Procedia Engineering 45, 174 – 179. doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2012.08.139 Occupational Safety and Health Association. (2013). All about OSHA. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/all_about_OSHA.pdf World Health Organisation (2007). Welcome to the world of the World Health Organisation. http://www.who.int/about/brochure_en.pdf Read More