Health and Safety Management - Assignment Example

Health and Safety Culture 1. Introduction Making health and safety practice is a major part of the orientation process for new and existing employees. Health, safety and security orientation introduces all employees to the intricacies of, in this case, the travel agency business. Not only is this an opportunity to introduce to all employees to the general practices of the business it also is a great time to outline the companies health and safety policies and procedures. Implementing a clear comprehensive orientation program has a positive and rewarding affect on the employees and their well being. Research shows a positive impact on employee’s success during their tenure on the job. Providing information on health and safety procedures to new workers at the start of their work life is prudent. In comparison to long time workers, nearly twice the expectancy for new employees to experience an accident on the job likely, It is important to emphasize to employees that they can talk freely about health and safety and that they have an assessable system in place that provides an open transparent conduit by which they can voice their concerns. It is important to provide a formal, scheduled meeting, or even an ad hoc open session to receive regular feedback. Simple forms posted on bulletin board announcing discussions on health and safety issues are encouraged. 2. Reduced Costs Each day, an average of 9,000 U.S. workers sustain disabling injuries on the job, 17 workers die from an injury sustained at work, and 137 workers die from work-related diseases. The economic burden of this continuing toll is high. Data from federal studies published in 1997 showed that in 1992, direct and indirect costs of occupational injuries and illnesses totaled $171 billion. These costs are compared to costs for other major health problems in the chart at the top of the next page. 2.1 Incident Investigation The function and purpose of regulations is to give details of requirements that must be observed in the workplace. Regulations are the second tier of current legislation. While they are subordinate to the existing laws, they still represent legal requirements, and failure to comply will generally be an offence punishable by a fine. The Act (Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, is about making workplaces and work practices safer for everyone.) (The State of Queensland (Department of Employment and Industrial Relations) 2006. broadly outlines the legal obligations employers and workers have to workplace health and safety. The Regulations set out goals for meeting these legal obligations and making workplaces safe. Employers and workers can tailor safety measures to the needs of individual workplaces provided the outcomes specified in the Regulations are achieved. Accident report Work Related Injury Procedure Report it to your supervisor. Seek medical attention if needed Complete the internal Incident/Accident/Quality Improvement Report form. Complete a State Accident Report form available from your health care provider. 2.2 Health & Safety verses Commercial Performance The concept of improving safety versus maintaining commercial performance it has under discussion in most boardrooms across country. In 2000, corporate safety analyst suggested firms submit their views on the concept in writing. These comments were reviewed and compiled in a paper that was discussed at a forum for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in December 2000. The national submissions indicated that there are philosophical differences between companies about whether their financial performance has in any impact support role departments, such as safety. It has been concluded that, while the actual level of safety achieved in all participating firms is probably much the same, this is difficult to prove in a quantitative way. In practice, all safety regulations approaches require improvements to be made to correct deficiencies and when otherwise warranted. However, the various descriptions of whether safety has to be maintained or improved did not cause alarm or confusion, particularly to senior management... (a) Reduced injuries and reduced absence SAMPLE AUDIT QUESTIONS SUPERVISORS Have you seen any policy statements on health, safety and security? From whom? Does your performance evaluation have an element for health, safety and security? In what way does it measure your health, safety and security performance (i.e., reduction in injuries, training courses, etc.)? Do employees report unsafe or unhealthful conditions to you? How do you get the condition corrected? Have you received any health, safety and security training? When? From whom? What was the subject? Healthy Injury Workers – High Productivity Framework (b) Control of costs associated with health and safety losses Every five seconds a worker is injured on the job, and every ten seconds a worker is temporarily or permanently disabled. The estimated cost for injuries alone is $121 billion annually (Herington and Morse, 1995). This cost includes lost productivity and wages, administrative expenses, and health care. In reality, these costs may be much higher. It is virtually impossible to pinpoint exact costs due to the lack of accurate statistics on workplace injury and illness. There is no comprehensive, integrated national system for collecting data on occupational injury, illness, and fatalities. Another factor contributing to inconsistent data is the reluctance of many companies to report incidents for fear of being targeted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for on-site inspections. Efficacy of Ergonomics Historically, Ergonomics was another name for Human Factors. Today, Ergonomics commonly refers to designing work environments for maximizing safety and efficiency. Biometrics and Anthropometrics play a key role in this use of the word Ergonomics. Engineering Psychology often has a specialty dealing with Workplace or Occupational Ergonomics. Companies once thought that there was a bottom-line tradeoff between safety and efficiency. Now they embrace ergonomics because they have learned that designing a safe work environment can also result in greater efficiency and productivity. Recently, U.S. laws requiring a safe work environment have stimulated great interest in Ergonomics - from ergonomic furniture to ergonomic training. But it is in the design of the workplace as a whole where the greatest impact can be seen for both safety and efficiency. (c) Achieving compliance with legal requirements Legal obligations & ramifications of failure to comply DUTY OF CARE A duty of care is a legal responsibility. The duties exist under common law. The duties require all people in the workplace to take practical steps to ensure health and safety measures are met. Each person under a duty must meet it, even if others also share duty. The general duties are limited by ‘reasonable practicability’. To carry out a duty as far as is reasonably practicable means: Balancing the degree of risk in a particular activity or environment against measures taken to control it. Doing only what is possible or capable of being done safely. The ‘reasonable practicability’ test must take into account: The nature of the job or the particular aspect of the job concerned The severity of any potential injury or harm to health or safety that may be involved, and the degree of risk that exists for such potential injury or harm Regulatory Reports Protocol on Bio-safety The Protocol on Bio-safety refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology. At the same time modern biotechnology is recognized as having a great potential for the promotion of human well-being, particularly in meeting the critical needs for food, agriculture and health care. In January 2000, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted in Montreal and entered into force on 11 September 2003. 2.3 Reduced Lost Time Incidents A Safety Auditing service can greatly enable organizations to uncover and resolve potential problems before they escalate. This would in turn result in reduced lost time incidents. A Safety Audit is basically a systematic review carried out by means of a site visit and is the best tool to check whether an effective Safety Management System is in vogue or not. In consequence, wherever any shortcoming is highlighted, they are identified for the purposes of improvement keeping into account current safety legislations. The safety audit hence comes out as a starting point focusing on the safety management system. One can therefore identify the weaknesses, and help reduce the cost and time taken to deal with health and safety incidents, that are essentially inevitable. Customize measures can then be designed for uplifting of the profile of health and safety within the organization and ultimately contribution to the enhancement of a positive safety culture. 3. The Health & Safety Culture Roles and responsibilities of staff Employers and employees An employer’s principal duty is to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health and safety of their employees at the workplace. This duty requires employers to provide a healthy and safe working environment. Employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure other people (such as visitors or members of the public) at or near the workplace are not exposed to health and safety risks. Employers must establish health and safety management practices to protect these other people. The employer’s duty of care also extends to the work of contractors, subcontractors and the employees of those contractors or subcontractors who may be engaged by that employer. This duty of care does not lessen the duty of care imposed on the contractor or subcontractor who is also an employer. EMPLOYEES’ SAFETY’ REPRESENTATIVES Members of a travel agency numbering 10 or more may elect an employees’ safety representative, the legislation gives employees’ safety representatives the power to be consulted; to inspect the workplace; to obtain information; and, in consultation with the accountable person in the workplace, direct work activities to stop if a risk of serious injury or harm exists. RESPONSIBLE OFFICERS The responsible officer performs the duties of the employer set in policy, although the appointment of a responsible officer in no way diminishes the liability of an employer. Policy allows employer discretion in the appointment of a person as responsible officer. If an employer, other than one operating a designated workplace, does not appoint a responsible officer, the person responsible for the direction and management of that workplace is deemed to have been appointed as the responsible officer. Where an employer makes a formal appointment, they must tell the person in writing of their appointment. The employer must also make others at the workplace aware of the appointment. SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS EMPLOYEES 1. Have you ever seen any information about occupational safety and health at this facility? Where? What was it? 2. Do you know of anyone who has gotten into trouble for making a safety or health complaint? 3. Do you know what you can do if you see an unsafe condition? 4. Have you ever reported a safety or health hazard? Who did you report it to? Was it taken care of? How long did it take? 5. Have you received any training about your agency's occupational safety and health program, or about the hazards of your job? When? Who gave it? What subjects were covered? 6. Are there any unresolved occupational safety and health concerns that have been raised to management? Accident report Work Related Injury Procedure Report it to your supervisor. Seek medical attention if needed Complete the internal Incident/Accident/Quality Improvement Report form. Complete a State Accident Report form available from your health care provider. 4. Developing and Implementing Links health, safety and security COMMITTEE The Act requires health and safety committees to be set up in certain circumstances so the workforce can contribute to better accident and illness prevention. The aim of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 is to provide for the health and safety of people employed in, engaged in or affected by industry. Specifically, under the Act, the committee’s task is to: Secure the health, safety and welfare of employees at work Protect people at or near workplaces from risks to health and safety Promote an occupational environment for employees that support health and safety needs. Foster a co-operative, consultative relationship between employers and employees on the health, safety and welfare of employees at work. Important Health and Safety Contacts. Location Street address Postal address Fax Ayr 193 Queen Street Ayr Qld 4807 PO Box 639 Ayr Qld 4807 07 4761 2005 Brisbane 75 William Street Brisbane Qld 4000 PO Box 69 Brisbane Qld 4001 07 3225 1540 Brisbane North Level 4, Lutwyche Shopping Centre 543 Lutwyche Road Lutwyche Qld 4030 PO Box 820 Lutwyche Qld 4030 07 3247 9426 Brisbane South Level 2, Block C 643 Kessels Road Mt Gravatt Qld 4122 PO Box 6500 Upper Mt Gravatt Qld 4122 07 3216 8431 Bundaberg 16 Quay Street Bundaberg Qld 4670 Locked mail bag 3955 Bundaberg Qld 4670 07 4153 1207 Cairns 10-12 McLeod Street Cairns Qld 4870 PO Box 2465 Cairns Qld 4870 07 4048 1493 (a) Senior managers Susan Loxley, CEO - Heads up the Health and Safety Committee. As chief, she made the internal decision to establish an in-house program. I served as a committee member. With her direction, the program was implemented. Bob Fortillo, CFO - Chairs the Health and Safety Committee meeting. As chief financial officer, he provides the budget required to maintain the program. I served as a committee member. With his allocation, the program was funded. (b) Line, functional, and technical managers Mike Rosen, Sr. Agent - Manages the Health and Safety Committee. He handles day to day policies. I served as a committee member. Under his direction, the program is current (c) Members of the health and safety committee Susan Loxley, CEO, Bob Fortillo, CFO, Mike Rosen, Sr. Agent, Teresa Ross, Agent, Sharon Wilson, Agent, Debbie Gillison, Agent and Teddy Anders, Tech Support (d) External health and safety groups Occupational Health and Safety Administration, National Safety Council and Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. All in-house printed safety materials contain web links. Representatives from each have been contacted, by phone or email. (e) External consultants and advisers WSP Group plc - Safety as a core value that helps to define the culture of the company while motivating staff to maintain a high level of safety awareness. (f) Regulators Health and Safety Executives, Health and Safety Commission and Local Authorities Provided: Strategy about the health and safety system as a whole, Audit procedure and action steps Links to key people. Communications and reputation management. Support make in health and safety important overall health and safety performance From the previous Health and Safety meeting, the CEO express that strategy builds on success. Our firm has one of the best healths and safety records in the firm if not the industry and we should be justly proud of that. Read More