Benefits of Safety Training - Assignment Example

Question 3 Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) is an agency under the Department of Labor in the United States which was started by the president in 1970 but became effective in 1971 and it stands for the Occupational Safety and health Administration. Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) standards refer to the standards that were set so that the safety and good health of employees could be maintained in the work places. It also require s that employers should provide an environment that is free from any hazards that employees are likely to be exposed to while working. The Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Act was established in 1970 and its sole purpose was to ensure that employees were provided for good working conditions by authorizing the enactment of all the laws under the act, assisting the states to provide a good working environment, provision of information, education, research and training. The standards require that the employers must inform employees about the potential dangers they are exposed to and train them on how to respond in case any injury or fatality occurs. Under the Occupational health and Safety Administration act, it gives certain rights and responsibilities to the employer and employees that are essential in preventing hazards and illnesses in the working place. The Act also requires that an employer adopts certain practices and policies that are necessary and appropriate to protect the workers .The Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Act does not cover self employed people, immediate family members who work in family farms, workers of the states and local government who have their own rules and other federal agencies under the Federal laws. The employers must understand that multiple standards will apply to one particular situation because a situation may have different requirements and each requirement is governed by different standards. For the standards to become part of Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA), it involves a process of drafting the proposed standard then publishing it in the federal register and finally gathering information of those who may have interest in it. After this, the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) office may then pass a law in the register. The Act originated from the United States congress due to the many work related injuries and fatalities experienced then. The congress authorized the office of Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) to put together portions of standards that were in force by then so that they could come up with the minimum required standards and therefore, the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) standards were as result of a combination of many laws that previously existed. Information about Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) can easily be obtained from various sources that are available to the public such as the federal register where all the information is published .It is usually a good source as it is a final document including new insertions, deletions, any corrections or amendments. Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) also has a webpage on the website that has a compliance assistance section to help people understand the standards and how they are applicable, those states that have the approved safety and health programs have copies available in the individual states where people can have access. The states also have websites where the information can be derived from. The Government has also established various field offices whereby lectures, publications and training are done so as to assist anybody in need. General inquiries can also be done in the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) office of communication. Question 4 The employers are required under the Act to allow employees have access to medical records that they keep on behalf of their employees and any other record that shows that employees are exposed to hazardous products. The employers must also provide protective garments to the employees at no cost to the employee. These protective items range from helmets to protect them from head injuries, goggles to protect their eyes, hearing protection items to protect them from very loud noise and gauntlets for the workers working in the iron industry. The personal protective equipments must be well fitting to the workers and the protective equipments must also take into account the health of the workers and the ergonomic minimum requirements. In addition to the above requirements under the Hazards communication Act, the employer has the responsibility of disclosing information to the employee about the hazards that one is exposed to while handling a particular product. A material Safety Data Sheet is prepared and it contains information such as the identification of a product, ingredients of a product, the physical and chemical nature of a product ,whether a product is stable or not ,information on how the product can affect the body and the procedures for handling the products safely. Under the general clause, the act requires that each employer shall furnish the employee with a working environment and working place that is not hazardous or a place that is not likely to cause any illnesses or death. The employer is required under the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) act to keep proper records of job related illnesses. The employer must keep the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Form 200 and Form 101.Form 200 contains all the illnesses and injuries that only require fist aid and no further medical attention, loss of consciousness, restriction of motion or transfer from one job to another .Form 101 is a more detailed form that shows all the details of the injured worker. Normally, this form can be substituted for by the Insurance Workers Compensation Form. Within a period of 8hours, the employer must report to the office of Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) that an injury or fatality has occurred in the workplace. Any hospitalization of more than three employees must also be reported to their offices so that investigations can be started to find out what caused the accident and whether the violations of the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) standards occurred. The major objective of a safety program is to prevent and control hazards from occurring in the workplace. Under the OSHA Act, each employer must provide a working environment that is free and easily accessible means of egress, a place where there are no debris, safe floors that are not slippery and specific requirements for machines, materials, equipments and power supply. The employer is also required to fix systems for fire protection, clean and hygienic dining rooms and proper environmental conditions together with good sanitation services. Employees have to be trained on how to escape so as to minimize on the fatalities in case an emergency occurs while they are working. Exit points must be properly designated so that people are able to exit easily. The fire doors must not be closed from inside while employees are still in their working places and neither should they be blocked from either the inside or the outside to allow easier exit. Question 5 Workplace inspections are essential because inspectors are able to discover health and safety hazards and get them corrected before injuries or illnesses occur. Inspections should also take place because workers who are educated about the hazards that they face at work. Inspections at workplace should be conducted without prior notice. However, inspectors from Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) may give notice during special circumstances and this normally done in a span of 24 hours. The special circumstance includes the following; where there are accident investigations involving a catastrophe or fatality, imminent danger situations that require urgent correction amongst others. In case an employer receives advance notice, he or she must inform the employees’ representative .On arrival by an Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Officer, he or she should display the official credentials and asks to meet with the employees’ representative. There are instances when an employer may refuse to admit an Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Officer or interferes with the inspection. The Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) Act permits that appropriate legal action be taken such as obtaining a warrant to inspect. The OSHA inspection process. Step 1 Opening Conference ↓ Step 2 Walkthrough ↓ Step 3 Closing Conference Opening conference This is the first step of the inspection. It involves a meeting between the Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) inspector, the employee representative and the employer. In this meeting, the compliance officer is given an opportunity to explain why the organization was selected and how wide the inspection will take place. He further explains to the employer on how to get a copy of safety and health standards .They also discuss the existing programs and policies and look at different records such as injury and illness data and prepare to walk around. The inspector may also inquire any other information that is used to determine the effectiveness of the health and safety program. Walkthrough This is the time when the actual inspection begins. The inspection should be performed during normal working hours as employees undertake their duties. The compliance officer and the accompanying representatives proceed with the inspection in the establishment at the different work areas. The compliance officer determines the route and the duration of the inspection, he or she consults the workers and ensures minimal interruptions as they inspect, keeps all trade secrets confidential and inspects all records. Several observations are made and noted down, photographs’ are taken, samples are taken for example air samples, noise levels are measured, there is video taking and instrument reading, surveys existing engineering controls and lastly, monitors employee exposure to toxic gases, fumes and dusts. A checklist may be necessary in conducting worksite inspection. It assists in answering questions about certain areas that may not be inspected and forgotten or give information about hazards that may not be found by the inspector (Rom and Markowitz 14-379). Closing conference This is the last step in the inspection process. A conference is held again between the employer, Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) inspector and employee representative. The compliance officer then hands over a copy of Employers Rights and Responsibilities to be used for review and discussion. For all the violations in the findings that are recorded, a recommendation and citation may be given. Proposed penalties may not be indicated specifically but the compliance officer informs the employer about appeal rights. The new and revised standards, the status of proposed standards, public hearings are also discussed and the possible abatement dates. Sometimes, a Compliance Officer may conduct more than one closing conference. Question 6 Introduction Presentation -benefits of an effective safety and health program -employer -managers -the workforce -the business as a whole -experience modifier rate Conclusion Introduction A safety plan is a kind of plan that is required especially in areas that involve use of hazardous materials, processes and their storage. Hazardous materials include; biological materials, chemicals, physical hazards radioactive materials, office chemicals for example glue and hazardous processes such as high pressure. Safety plans serve several purposes. They are used to train and educate staff on awareness of hazardous materials. They are also used as an emergency response when communicating about major hazards. Safety plans determine the frequency inspections that will take place in an organization. Benefits of an effective safety program An employer benefits from an effective workplace and health management program. He or she is able to protect his workers from injury and possible illnesses got at the workplace. The employer also helps in the prevention of loss of life at the worksite. Finally, he or she is able to recognize and remove any hazards from the workplace (Miller 350). Managers also benefit from an effective safety and healthy program. They usually have a wide understanding of workplace hazards and remedies. This knowledge is essential to them because they are able to become more efficient in their job, comply with the federal and state safety and health requirements and also increase productivity rates which ensure product quality. Employee morale is improved by an effective safety and health program. This is because they feel safe while working. The workers are also well informed and alert. They take responsibility of their own and their co-workers safety. The business as a whole also benefits in several ways. There is a decline in workers compensation costs .These costs may be direct or indirect. There is also a limit in the equipment damage and product loss. There is a reduction in the in lost workdays and a lower injury and illness rates reported by workers. The entrepreneur is able to understand that accident prevention is less costly. Experience Modifier Rate (EMR) It is a kind of computation whereby comparison is done of annual losses in insurance claims with its policy premiums in a company are over a 3year period which excludes the most current year. This is a statistical tool which is used by the insurance industry to accomplish two major goals. The first goal is to tailor the price that is paid by employers for workers compensation to the insurance carriers cost of providing the insurance. The other goal is to give employers financial incentives so as to improve the safety of their workplace. The modifier often applies to policies of employers whose premiums are above $5000 for two or more years of coverage or $10000 in one year (Rom and Markowitz 14-379). When calculating the Experience Modifier Rate (EMR), the following inputs should be reviewed. Payrolls by classification which are premium audits from the past years and these are not the payrolls that are indicated on the policy when it was first issued. Losses are also reviewed and they are the total of paid reserved claims. This means that all the claims are valued at a date in time that is at least three months before the modifiers effective date. In the modifier, losses do not include loss adjustment expenses (Levy 307). Conclusion Workplace safety should be the concern of every employer in every company. He or she should strive to offer a comprehensive training program to all employees. Question 7. Chronic noise is defined as the unwanted sound that occurs continuously .Noise affects peoples work performance, behavior, ability to communicate and it may cause a permanent or damaging effect on hearing ability. I would use engineering controls as a primary abatement mechanism for controlling noise. It includes a number of control measures such as enclosure, isolation and ventilation. Enclosure is a method whereby a hazardous work process or substance is enclosed to avoid exposing it to workers when it cannot be eliminated or substituted. Enclosure helps to minimize the exposures but it does not eliminate hazards. Another form of enclosure is the use of machine guarding. This method enables workers to avoid being in contact with parts of machines that can injure. Efficient training should be done on how to use guarded machines. The following are examples of protective guards; enclosure guards, interlocking guards, automatic guards and remote control, feeding, placement or ejecting guards (Rom and Markowitz 14-379). Isolation is a method whereby, a hazardous job is shifted to a location where fewer people are exposed. Another way in which workers are isolated from a hazardous job is by working in an air-conditioned control booth. In isolation, the worker or the job has limited access to the hazardous area to reduce exposures. The length of time and the amount of substance that a worker is exposed to a hazard should also be limited. Ventilation is the third method of engineering controls. At the workplace, it is used for two reasons. The first one is to prevent the work environment from being too cold dry, hot or humid. The second reason is to prevent contamination that is in the air as workers breathe. Ventilation can be categorized into two; Local exhaust ventilation, which uses suction to remove pollutants which are in the air and general ventilation which is normally used for keeping the workplace comfortable. In this system, hazardous agents are not removed from the air. For this method to be effective it depends on how quickly fresh air is coming in, how quickly the hazardous agent is being released into the air and how much the contaminated air is being removed (Miller 350). If one cannot use the primary mechanism, administrative controls should be the next alternative. These are controls that limit the amount of time that employees spend at a hazardous jobsite. With administrative controls, it only aims at reducing the amount of time that one is exposed to hazards. The following are some examples of administrative controls; where workers are given longer rest periods or where they have shorter workshifts.This greatly reduces the exposure time. Another control is by changing the work schedules for employees. For instance, Instead of one worker doing a job for eight hours, two workers can do the same job or each four hours. An administrative control can also involve the moving of a hazardous process to a location where fewer people can be exposed. Finally, a work process can be changed to a shift where less people are working. Personal protective Equipment (PPE) control method is the least desirable method of controlling occupational hazards. It is only used when all other methods have been tried and have proved insufficient. The method is uncomfortable and can reduce the work performance rate and it can also create new health and safety hazards like for instance, ear protectors can hinder a person from hearing warning signals .Some examples of Personal protective Equipment (PPE) are: dust masks, ear protectors, and safety glasses. This method is only acceptable when a given employer cannot control hazards with engineering controls. However, Personal protective Equipment (PPE) can be used if there are no possible risks to the health of workers. PPE only puts a barrier between a hazard and a worker. It may also keep heat and water vapor in the protective clothing making one to feel hot and uncomfortable. High amounts of heat and humidity decrease the effectiveness of some protective equipment for example, if one’s face is wet with water or perspiration, a respirator mask may not have a tight seal (Yassi 154). Question 8 The Occupational safety Health Administration act has three separate entities that operate under it and they are the :National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health which is a research agency that focuses on occupational health for the United states Federal states. This institute was constituted under the department of health and human services and is to be headed by a director. It is authorized to develop and establish the Occupational safety Health Administration (OSHA) standards and to perform all the duties of the secretary of health and human services. Its purpose is to promote good health and working conditions through being a centre for development and knowledge. Under the institute, they train professionals in occupational health, provide a wide range of support services and also conduct research surveillance for various occupational diseases. It also carries out hazard evaluation by applying their occupational hygiene expertise to assess the various hazards that people are usually exposed to. The professionals in this Institute also carry out Laboratory investigations in various fields such as toxicology, Immunology and other Occupational health areas. The Food and Drug Agency is another independent entity that administers the Federal Food, Drugs and cosmetic act. It ensures that food for human consumption is safe from any hazardous effects, pure for consumption and that food is manufactured under conditions that are safe and hygienic conditions. Under this act, all goods produced must be properly labeled and packaged with the right and appropriate information. This agency has to authorize and approve the use of additives on food, the packaging materials and any colorings that may be used in the manufacture of foods. The National commission on state workers compensation is also another independent entity that was set up to evaluate the compensation of workers. This is done once an injury or illness has occurred to a worker in the course of their employment. The commission consists of members who represent the rights of the injured workers, members from the insurance providers and at least one representative from the members of the public. Their mandate includes evaluating whether the workers compensation schemes are effective in terms of the benefits to be given, delays in filing the documents for compensation and also delays in the waiting periods for the workers to be compensated. Other issues that the commission looks at include the relationship that exist s between the workers compensation and the insurance companies and the rights of the affected workers under the law .The commission must present its findings to the president and the congress for approval. As part of the recommendations, they must include what has to be done to improve the benefits of the injured worker, the insurance practices and how they are being applied and how to reduce the waiting days for the injured worker to get their compensation benefits. The Occupational safety health act has been very successful in its implementation of its standards across the board .According to one senator on the floor of the house during their debating sessions, he said that `the act would stand out as on the greatest landmark of an achievement passed on in the history of the United States on a social legislation’. There is clear evidence that the act has been very successful in sharply reducing the workplace injuries and fatalities. Occupational diseases such as the brown lung and asbestosis have also declined and the levels at which employee’s haven exposed to hazardous products such as lead, arsenic and Vinyl chloride have also fallen significantly. Question 9. Workplace violence is a situation whereby workers are threatened with violence. This type of violence can occur either within the organization where an individual is working or outside the organization. The violence varies from organization to organization. This includes threats of dismissal, verbal or written abuse and physical attacks such as shoving, kicking or pushing. The issue of workplace violence is of growing concern and should be addressed (Miller 350). Anyone working in an organization is a potential victim of workplace violence. It can also affect contractors, visitors’ employees or even employers. However, there are those workers who are at a higher risk than others. These people include those working in premises where alcohol is served, those who exchange money in the public, work alone, those who work in high crime areas or community settings and homes where they have extensive contacts with the public for instance, healthcare and social services workers, people who deliver passenger goods and services, taxi drivers, community workers and also retail workers. Employers who are concerned in protecting their employees should establish a zero tolerance policy toward workplace violence. The employer does this by establishing a workplace violence protection program or by incorporating the existing information into an employee handbook or manual of standard operating procedures. When this is done, the employers should ensure that all the employees are aware about the policy and understand it and ensure that all the complaints made are investigated and given remedies on time. Employers can offer extra protection to employees in various ways. Firstly, they can provide safety education to all employees .This is important so that they are aware of which conduct is not acceptable, what to be done if they are subjected to workplace violence and how to protect themselves then and in the future. Employers must also ensure that the workplace is secure. In a business for instance, video surveillance should be installed, alarm systems, extra lighting and ensure minimal access to the business by outsiders through use of identification budges, guards and also electronic keys to access buildings. Drop safes should be introduced by employers in an organization. This helps to limit the amount of cash that an employee handles at any one time. A minimum amount of money should also be kept in registers and time should be varied when emptying them (Miller 350). For staff members who are working in the field, cellular phones should be provided together with hand-held alarms. These are important because the workers keep in contact with the organization as they give reports of their whereabouts as they perform their daily duties. The employer should ensure that all the company vehicles are properly maintained because they can be used just in case of an emergency involving any one of their employees. Employers should instruct their workers to avoid areas that are of potential risk to them. Sales people for instance should be instructed not to go to places that have high crime rates. For employees who work during late hours in the night, they ought to be provided with escort service or police assistance in their course of duty. Lastly, just as a company has policies or rules and regulations, it should also develop policies and procedures that cover visits by home healthcare providers. In this policy, issues about the conduct of home visits , the presence of other members of the family during the visits of the workers and the right to refuse to provide services in a clearly hazardous situation should be addressed. Work Cited Buchanan, Angela. Benefits of Safety Training, 2006. Website accessed on March 6 2006. Levy, Sidney M .Project Management in Construction. Edition: 5, illustrated, United States of America: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006. Miller, Jack, E.Supervision in the Hospitality Industry: Leading Hospitality Human Resources Edition: 6, United States of America: John Wiley and Sons, 2009 Reaney, Patricia. Chronic noise linked to heart attack risk .2005. Website accessed on March 6 2006 Rom, William N. and Markowitz Steven B.Environmental and Occupational Medicine Edition: 4, Illustrated, United States of America: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. Yassi, Annalee, et.al. Basic Environmental Health. Edition: illustrated, United States of America: Oxford University Press US, 2001. Read More