The Importance of Health and Safety Environment - Coursework Example

The Importance of Health and Safety Environment (HSE) in an Organisation Number Department IntroductionAccording to Asbury and Ashwell (2007, 97-100) Health and Safety Environment (HSE) in an organisation basically involves putting in place measures and mechanisms that guarantee continued safety of the organisation’s employees, employers, consumers, suppliers, the environment and the surrounding community. Health and Safety Environment interacts with various field areas including occupational medicine, occupational hygiene, public health, safety engineering, industrial engineering, microbiology, chemistry, health physics, industrial and organisational psychology, ergonomics and occupational health psychology. Literature Review A brief History of Environment Health and Safety Health and Safety Environment is a relatively recent idea arising in the wake of industrial revolution in response to worker health and safety concerns as a labour-related issue. In 1833, HM Factory Inspectorate came into being in the United Kingdom. It was tasked with factory and industry inspection in order to ensure avoidance of harm to child textile workers and in 1840, a Royal Commission revealed its findings on the highly dangerous and accident prone working conditions in the mining industry, consequently sparking outrage from the general public leading to the Mines Act of 1842. This act saw to prosecutions and safety improvements and by 1850, work premises were open to inspection at inspectors’ discretion (Asbury & Ashwell, 2007, 109). Otto Von Bismarck in 1883 and 1884 signed into force the first social insurance legislation and the workers’ compensation laws respectively. Other Western nations equally followed suit, partly in response to labour unrest, in the successive years leading to the first formal Environmental Health and Safety Management approach I 1985 by chemical industries as a result of accidents like the Seveso disaster and the Bhopal disaster and is presently in place in several world countries (Asbury & Ashwell, 2007, 110-118). The IFC Regulation Guidelines According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) areas of environmental health and safety management in an organisation include the environmental aspect which further entails air emissions and ambient air quality, energy conservation, waste water and ambient water quality, water conservation, hazardous materials management, waste management, noise, contaminated land and remediation, releases to water, releases to land, use of raw materials and natural sources, energy emitted, heat/ radiation/ vibration and waste and by-products. Another aspect of health and safety environment management is community health and safety. Community health and safety includes such finer aspects as water quality and availability, structural safety of project infrastructure, life and fire safety (L&FS), traffic safety, transport of hazardous material, disease prevention and emergency preparedness and response. The occupational health and safety part of the guidelines of the IFC include factors of general facility design and operation, communication and training, physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, radiological hazards, personal protective equipment (PPE), special hazard environments and monitoring. The fourth aspect of construction and decommissioning entails environment, occupational health and safety and community health and safety (Bishop, 1997, 333 and McKercher, 1983, 56). Importance of Health and Safety Environment in an Organisation Health and safety environment (HSE) in an organisation is aimed at two goals, that is, avoidance of accidents or incidents that may occur due to abnormal operation conditions and secondly, the reduction of the injurious/ lethal/ harmful effects that result from normal operating conditions. It focuses on the maintenance and improvement of the highest standards of physical, mental and social welfare of the workers, consumers and surrounding communities and prevention of departures from good health of all working in an organisation and living around it or associated to it in some way, for instance through its products. These measures include ensuring or securing protective clothing for the workforce, protective measures for fires and explosions, reducing carbon/ toxic gases and liquid emissions into the environment (pollutes environment, causes plant and animal diseases and leads to the much discussed and need-to-be-checked global warming), measures to avoid or prevent catching and spread of diseases amongst workers and so on (Clarke & Cooper, 2004, 78-83). During the course of this research, the importance of environment health and safety was unearthed. This essay attempts to discuss but a few of the most relevant points. Environmental health and safety awareness in an organisation helps the company to adhere to its legal and social responsibility of environmental conservation and protection. This they do while conducting sustainable development without depletion or total damage of environmental resources. The companies/ firms are prevented from making profits and gains at the expense of environmental conservation (Fischbeck & Farrow, 2001, 55). Environment health and safety measures in an organisation go a long way in helping reduce the phenomenon of global warming and eradicate the habit of emission of such harmful gases and toxic liquids into the environment either into the aquatic systems, the land and the air by such organisations. This reduces pollution, related disease incidences and ensures sustainability in addition to helping conserve the source of raw materials from such organisations that obtain their raw materials either directly or indirectly form the environment (I would add that almost all world organisations fall in this category). The effect of fewer or no raw materials as a result of the pollution effects, and the consequent need to import these scanty raw materials from other nations, continents and regions, leads to higher production costs and decreased profitability. This may also mean sale of produce at exorbitant prices which may not auger well with the consumer (Fischbeck & Farrow, 2001, 70-76). Companies that neglect environment health and safety often suffer reduced source of manpower. This can happen in a plethora of ways. For example, a mining company that blatantly releases their untreated wastes into the environment is responsible for the many harmful effects of their actions. Such releases, for example of biohazards and carcinogens such as mercury, is responsible for the resultant high ill-health levels (like cancers) in the area both in the short-term and long-term. This causes considerable depletion of able potential source of labour for the firm as opposed to those that observe environmental health and safety. In addition to this reduced labour source, there is reputational risk involved with such negligence. Observance and prioritisation of environment health and safety boosts the company’s reputation. This in turn helps attract more customers, investors and general good will from the public. Brand and reputation mean everything in the modern-day organisation where it is often those who have interacted positively with the firm that tend to sell their products to the outside world (Grube, 1995, 43-78). Also, the general good health of consumers and neighbouring communities due to high standards of an organisation’s environmental safety and workplace measures mean higher purchasing power – very vital to organisation’s growth and long-term objectives. Healthy consumers equal high purchasing power, unlike when they have to cover medical bills, for instance. Moreover, environmental degradation from renegade companies in one way or another affects the flow of income for the surrounding communities. Communities that practice agriculture for example, due to the high pollution levels would see their livestock and crop health and production plummet. This has negative impacts on their purchasing power and is damaging to the company brand and reputation. Moreover, Environment health and safety measures serve to minimise loss of family members who work in the companies or reside in the vicinity. These may be the breadwinners in their respective homes and (even if not), the social, emotional and financial effects of the negligence of organisations regarding these safety principles may be far-reaching and long lasting than can be imagined resulting in suicides, robberies, rapes, murder, extortion just to highlight a few (McKenzie, Pinger & Kotecki, 1999, 97-100). Environment health and safety regulations help minimise time wastage in the organisation due to absent workers and sick leaves. To an organisation, time is money and this loss is reduced by encouraging and putting in effect means to enhance worker health and safety. Lack of environment health and safety also leads to loss of skill and irreplaceable talent/ workforce with experience due to illness or death. This loss only serves to minimise gains and weaken company’s competitive advantage in the market. In addition, just as healthy consumers mean high purchasing power, healthy worker mean high levels of productivity. A healthy and well looked after employee offers the best of their skill, talent and dedication to the organisation in return. This favourable work atmosphere, resultant good reputation of the company and peace with the community also serves to boost worker morale as their concerns and wellbeing are also catered for. The least they could is pay back with some more dedication and enthusiasm (Friend, Mark, and James, 2007, 12). Presence of an Environment Health and Safety (EHS) department or general awareness in an organisation encourages prompt reporting of health and safety concerns without fear of reprisal unlike when such a department/ knowledge was non-existent. Therefore, such awareness and departments generally helps to improve good communication and openness within the organisation. This communication and good will of the management regarding worker health and safety also improves employer-employee relations to a point where we end up with very loyal and motivated workforce and an understanding and concerned employer. This is a thriving company (McKercher, 1983, 50-60). Environmental health and safety departments in conjunction with the Personnel departments help improve the working cultures of the organisation with clear and strategic working procedures in various areas aimed at reducing risks and turmoil while also maximising on productivity and profit. A culture of adherence to environment health and safety helps attract more skilled and competent workforce from its good reputation. With time, the company gets more job applications from potential employees who would love to work with them because of what they have heard (Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2004, 34). Environment health and safety help reduce worker unrests due to unsuitable and dangerous working conditions and also cuts on the cost and stress of fresh recruitments as a result of resignations, deaths and the general reluctance and lack of desire and drive to apply for working opportunities in such deplorable conditions. In addition, Environment Health and Safety (EHS) practices help reduce operational costs of covering for medical care for workers. It helps the company evade the rising health care costs and disability benefits costs due to employee injury and disease (Orti, 1996, 89-93). Popularity gained from adherence to government and international laws regarding Environment Health and Safety earn government trust and support, reducing friction with the law and opening up avenues for certain favours from the government, investors and the general public, for example, in securing tenders and jobs orders simply from a good reputation. It also helps avoid legal problems and lawsuits from a disgruntled society, injured worker and so on which are damaging to a firm’s financial position due to compensations for perceived negligence leading to the cause for complaint/ legal drama (Smoley, 1992, 90). Selected Case Studies The importance of environment health and safety could not be stressed more. Lives are at stake. For example in hospitals and clinics, work related diseases and injuries arising maybe from fatigue, faulty equipment or lapses in infection control affect families and patients causing even more deadly nosocomial/ hospital acquired infections than the original ailment. This damages the reputation of the health care center and causes consequent collapse and shunning of such. A safer environment for patients is safer for the workers (and the community at large) and vice-versa (Sims, 2002, 32-38, 90-95). Caterpillar, the world’s leading construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel electric locomotive, in 2003 defined a rampant vision for Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) with belief that all work related accidents and injuries are avoidable and an end goal of zero such cases. Since then, documented injury has dropped by more than 80% as profits soar even higher. The notoriously successful and globally respected Boeing Company’s management has embarked on a strategy guided by the EHS Policy Council led by Boeing chairman himself and has since seen further increase of fortune (Sims, 2002, 32-38, 90-95). Conclusion According to Tatiya (2011, 63-67), organisations that view environmental conservation, occupational health and safety at work as vital as providing quality produce have personnel and departments (with heads) in charge of these issues of health and safety in the organisation. These departments are often called Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)/ SHE/ HSE departments. However, it also the workers’, governments’ and society’s duty to ensure an organisation is compliant with the safety regulations and measures. Since the 1990s, general approaches to EHS management applicable to any type of organisation are found in the international standards like ISO 14001 for environmental management and OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management or the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and in 1998, EHS guidelines were formulated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) (Bishop, 1997, 312). As stipulated in the ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, the general approach of the EHS management founded on the W. Edwards Deming PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) was adopted, where ‘plan’ involves stating organisation’s EHS aims and objectives, identifying risks and impact of risks relating to the organisation environment and their control measures; ‘do’ entails the implementation of identified control measure strategies, ‘check’ is the measurement of observed results against the desired outcome/ original objectives and finally, ‘act’ involves undertaking steps to ensure continuous improvement and higher performance of EHS departments/ management system (Friend, Mark, and James, 2007, 15-16). Environmental health and safety stresses on the maintenance and improvement of employee capacity and health, improvement of working conditions, environmental conservation and development of work cultures which favour health and safety in organisations. Health and safety environment promotes a positive social climate and smooth operations enhancing productivity and development of the organisation while keeping the organisations’ personnel, the community, the government and prospective customers at peace with the organisation (Tatiya, 2011, 63-67). THE PROGRESS REPORT TO: FROM: ………………………………………………………….ID No………….............. DATE: SUBJECT: Progress Report on ‘The Importance of Health and Safety Environment (HSE) in an Organisation’ (From 19th December 2013 to 31st December 2013) INTRODUCTION The aim of this project is to evaluate and deeply examine the importance of health and safety in an organisation. This is because health and safety in an organisation: are a sacrosanct ethical value [by the virtue of being promotional to human health and safety]; help the organisation to steer clear of legal suits from employees; help an organisation to ward off high employee turnover; assists in maintaining an effective employee exit and entrance; and facilitate the retention of desired organisational skills and talents. This progress report therefore, attempts to discuss the progress made and the findings obtained during the above mentioned period of research (Thursday 19th December to Tuesday 31st December 2013). WORK COMPLETED (From 19th December to 31st December 2013) During this period, the research involved ascertaining the effects that lack of or availability of environment health and safety measures (and their implications) has on the organisation itself, its employers, employees, environment, neighbouring communities and its customers or any such associated peoples. The project also attempts to delve slightly into the history of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) while also discussing the areas in an organisation that need to be looked into when considering the organisation’s environment health and safety as per the International Finance Corporation (IFC) guidelines. The research involved thorough and extensive library and Internet research on this topic [which is environment health and safety]. Peer reviewed journals, magazines, newspapers and such articles that contained any information with relevance to the research topic were considered in my endeavours. In addition, a careful study of a few selected case studies and examples of organisations which place considerable emphasis on Environment Health and Safety such as the Caterpillar and the Boeing Companies was conducted with findings pointing to huge and large increase in fortunes for such companies. Partly, this is because, these two companies [together with other likeminded organisations] placed measures aimed at enhancing environment health and safety in their organisations. The same can be said of these companies to the effect that paying regard to Environment Health and Safety is akin to practicing corporate social responsibility [CSR] and sustainable development. Organisations that are committed to CSR always enjoy positive publicity and resultantly find it easier to market their products or services. Paying regard to the principles of sustainable development has also benefited Caterpillar, the Boeing Companies and likeminded companies to gain official recognition in the war on environmental pollution and degradation. This in itself is a plus to these organisations since such undertakings come with marketing rights and privileges from the government. On the contrary, however, it was noted that the opposite was true for those firms that ignored their duty and obligation to environment health and safety. Their actions are seen to lead to misfortune and financial damages, coupled with legal warfare, consequently resulting to bankruptcy and even closure of such set ups. CONCLUSION My research project encountered little difficulty and it was completed by the 31st of December 2013. SIGNATURE: ……………………………… References Asbury, S., & Ashwell, P., 2007, Health and safety, environment and quality audits. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 97-118. Bishop, L. A., 1997, Environment, health, and safety: a platform for progress. New York, NY: Conference Board, 312-356. Clarke, S., & Cooper, C. L., 2004, Managing the risk of workplace stress health and safety hazards. London: Routledge, 65-124. Dictionary & thesaurus of environment, health & safety, 1992, Boca Raton, FL: C.K. Smoley, 221-271, 89-95. Environment safety & occupational health, 1998, Washington, D.C.: [Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health)], 24-32. Environment, safety & health management plan, 1996, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Energy, 12-56. Fischbeck, P. S., & Farrow, R. S., 2001, Improving regulation: cases in environment, health, and safety. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future, 54-76. Friend, Mark A., and James P. Kohn, 2007, Fundamentals of occupational safety and health, 4th ed. Lanham, Md.: Government Institutes, 12-45. Grube, L. A., 1995, Corporate innovation in environment, health and safety: a conference report.. New York, NY: Conference Board, 43-78. Health and safety, premises and environment handbook 2012, 2011, London: Kogan Page, 8-14. McKenzie, J. F., Pinger, R. R., & Kotecki, J. E., 1999, An introduction to community health (3rd Ed.). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 83-120. McKercher, R. M., 1983, Potash technology: mining, processing, maintenance, transportation, occupational health and safety, environment. Toronto: Pergamon Press, 50-61. Orti, L., 1996, Corporate environment, health & safety reward programs: a research report. New York, NY: Conference Board, 89-93. SPE International Conference on Health, safety & Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production proceedings: 29-31 March, 2004, TELUS Convention Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2004, (Richardson, Tex): Society of Petroleum Engineers, 34. Sims, R. R., 2002, Organisational success through effective human resources management. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books, 32-38, 90-95. Tatiya, R. R., 2011, Elements of industrial hazards: health, safety, environment and loss prevention. Boca Raton: CRC Press/Balkema, 63-67. Read More