Safe Systems of Work - Monitoring and Implementing Safety and Health Status of Workers - Literature review Example

Health and Safety Student Name: Student Number: Course Code: Instructor: 20th May, 2013 Scenario A 1. Simple SSOW for cutting a piece of timber on a circular saw. This Safe Systems of Work is designed to cover the cutting of pieces of wood. It does not include specific tasks. Risk assessments should be carried out as appropriate. Before starting the use of machinery, see the pre-work safety checks. Pre-Work Safety checks i. Check working condition of equipment and if it has valid certification. ii. Faulty equipment should not be used and instead must be reported to the right authorities like supervisor. iii. Plan the work properly, including placing the required tools at ready and checking time required to cover work. iv. Check the environmental conditions in the surrounding areas v. Vehicular movement like that of forklifts should be stopped. vi. Exclusion zones should be created and marked with enough warning devices like hazard tapes, cones and barriers. vii. Everyone should be briefed after ensuring that they know how the equipment functions. When working from a high point, the following should be considered: i. Check environment ii. If the checks change, assess situation. iii. Work with co-workers, not alone. iv. Use appropriate clothing that does not restrict movement, neither does it sticks out so that it may trap a person to a revolving machine like the saw. v. Use the right equipment for the right job vi. No one should be positioned above or below the other during work. vii. When exhausted, cease operations until fit to work again. After having followed the above-mentioned steps, the machine may be used using the following instructions: i. Ensure machine is off. ii. Select the wood or timber to be cut iii. Choose appropriate settings or set the machine to correct size. iv. Select PPE including safety goggles, visor, push sticks and dust mask. v. Switch machine on and press emergency stop button to check emergency break. vi. If break fails to operate, stop work and report fault. vii. If it is okay, switch the machine on. viii. Place the wood on machine and use push stick accordingly. ix. Continue until job is finished x. Switch machine off and clean it. In addition to the above-mentioned procedures, Occupational Safety and Health Service (1999) mentions that it is appropriate to use PPE that would stop the noise coming from the machine from harming one’s ears. 2. How to monitor and implement such a system A circular saw requires lots of care when in use so that while no one gets injured during its use, the equipment is equally protected. In accordance with this observation, workers will be required to learn all the step-by-step procedures to follow when using the machine. Secondly, a frequent reminder on how personal safety is important would be insisted upon by the management. A great way to ensure this happens is by passing around booklets that contain all the safety procedures. In addition to this, all the offices and workshops will have the safety procedures posted on their walls. Further, all machines may have the regulations glued on their surfaces. Network Rail (2011) points out that such steps will keep a constant warning of harmful effects of not following the laid-down procedures. 3. Selecting appropriate PPE to ensure full protection of person using electric saw Electric saws come in different sizes and designs for different intensity of work as noted by Rural Solutions SA (2013). In this regard, there are extents to which one should go in keeping safe. For a start, from the head to legs, various PPE will be required. First, a safety goggle is good when keeping flying chips of wood from entering one’s eye. Secondly, a dust mask will be sure to keep saw dust from entering one’s nose and causing respiratory discomfort or even diseases. Thirdly, one needs equipment like a headset that would keep the loud noise that comes from the saw from harming their ear drums. An overcoat is also necessary for anyone who enters into a workshop. This is a standard requirement even for those not operating machinery but are within a workshop. In addition to these PPE, shoes are mandatory in the workshop. This is also a standard requirement for everyone as falling objects may drop on one’s leg, injuring them in the process. However, when operating machinery, specifically-designed shoes should be put to use. In this respect, shoes with reinforced toes like the ones which have steel toes should be used. 4. a. Heat stress is the rise of bodily temperatures resulting in one’s discomfort, and in extreme cases, illness. The effects of heat stress include dehydration, dizziness, fatigue, sweating and irritability. United States Department of Labour (1999) recognizes heat stress as responsible for illnesses like heat cramps, heat rash, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. These may become fatal if the right steps to reduce the effects are not taken. In light of this, a monthly surveillance plan will be used with the aim of taking stock of the effects of heat stress in the workshop. A questionnaire will be administered to respective workers to ensure that their health and safety is monitored. The following questionnaire is an example of how to track the safety and health of workers: Questionnaire for finding out safety and health status of workers Have you recently experienced any of the following skin problem 1 2 3 4 5 1 initial symptoms my include 2 Dizziness 3 Lack of concentration 4 Fatigue 5 Extreme tiredness 6 Clammy skin 7 Nausea 8 Fainting Name: Date: Score1= not sure; 2=yes; 3=Occasionally; 4=No; 5= Never b. The use of a WBGT as opposed to a dry bulb one is due to the fact that it gives more readings as opposed to the dry one. In addition, it also has a dry bulb within its set up, thus ensuring that more readings are confirmed before use. Bernard and Barrow (2012) confirm that the WGBT indeed gives more readings by showing that the WBGT index gives a better calculation of heat stress conditions. The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 addresses conditions under which companies should provide the suggested temperatures at which workers can engage in productive activities at the workplace. Scenario B 5. The World Health Organization (2013) recognizes the need to have a comprehensive security routine that will keep all workers from harm while at the work place. In light of this, it has issued several guidelines on what these companies should use when offering safe environments for their employees. In this regard, the company in scenario B will need a new health and safety policy. First off, an interview through frequent appraisals and questionnaires will be the best way of soliciting for information from the workers. Effectively, the new workers will be the first lot that needs such surveys as they are the most affected. With this in mind, the size of staff shall be taken into consideration so that if need arises; they may all be trained afresh to increase their competencies in handling of equipment. For a start, the organization needs to implement two strategies: i. Identify the factors that cause risks ii. Find ways to reduce their effects: Through teaching Through training iii. Deploy more measures to stop further injuries. i. Identifying the factors that cause risks Due to the nature of accidents at the organization, there is a trend of increasing accidents, which are minor in nature. This predisposes the company to a heavy risk of finally experiencing major accidents, because the smaller ones are often times an indication of something being wrong. In this regard, the company should take extra measures in ensuring that the new workers are interviewed to find out what machines they know how to operate, and which ones they don’t. This is bound to create a situation where the disaster areas can be located and checked for faults. The fact that health and safety measures have been allowed to drop means that this is also a big cause for worry. In trying to stop such negligence, the company will have to take stock of all the available safety equipment, then look into the acquisition of the missing ones. This is one way of ensuring that the accidents result from other causes and not negligence on the part of company management. PPE necessary for the safety of workers should be up to date and not even one worker should be allowed to engage in work near machinery without having worn all of the required PPE. In this way, not only will the company be minimising the risk areas, but it will also be closing in on the points at which accidents occur. In the event that faulty machinery may be responsible for injuries in case of accidents, the company needs to service all its machinery frequently enough. Those that are beyond repair should be disposed of. Kelbitsch & Kenny (2003) recognize the fact that such negligence as displayed by the company as concerns safety measures may lead to very high insurance claims as it puts the company at fault in case of arising accidents. ii. Finding ways to reduce their effects After finding out the areas where risks may arise from, it is the duty of the company to try and do away with them. As mentioned before, these risks may cause severe injuries to employees, and may be the cause of expensive lawsuits. Having identified the lack of training for new employees and ill-repaired equipment safety measures, it is time to find out how to reduce their effects. First off, the employees who are not sufficiently aware of how workshop equipment function should be taken for short training courses immediately on employment. These will include learning and development and training and development activities, where line managers at the workshop will be required to work besides investors on people so that the special knowledge on machinery operation is imparted on them. During the training and development procedures, double loop learning methods should be employed to ensure that the workers learn properly. This will be precise for cases of new employees who have not had any knowledge on machine operation. Simha (2006) declares that accidents cause more financial losses to companies than anyone dares to admit. More often than not, the companies involved have to part with more money in compensation for victims, in case workers are injured, and more money to buy new machinery, in case it is machines that are damaged during accidents. Human resource is the most expensive to compensate of the two. In essence, learning and development and training and development are very critical procedures that must be imparted on new employees to reduce cases of accidents among them. In addition, a tighter regimen of instructions needs to be implemented to ensure no injuries are reported, because injuries are likely to create unnecessary insurance costs for a company with less than fifty workers as it may not have the capacity to insure each of its workers comprehensively. Therefore, machinery should be located in properly lit and spacious locations in a factory, as well as only being cleaned when off, according to Rajput (2005). Lastly, if a company cannot be fully responsible for its employees and machinery within, then health insurance covers should be taken out for all the employees. Seeing as the company runs only on twenty workers, we can tell that it may not really have the capacity to fund all those insurance policies. In such cases, the company should have a small health unit where cases of minor injuries can be treated within. Major accident cases should receive first aid from the unit before being transferred to bigger facilities for better medical care. 6. Report on findings at Area of Work This report is meant to speak out on findings at the workshop on the status of health and safety. It will record the state of machinery and workers employed to use them. i. State of machinery -The machines were found to be in a fairly good condition, aside from the wear and tear that is wont for every machine that is often used. -The machines need a little more care as concerns the moveable parts. -Replacement of worn out parts is mandatory ii. State of workers -Workers reported difficulties in using machines in first attempt due to state of machinery. -Fatigue due to heat may have been responsible for accidents and injuries to workers who had not been acclimatised to the environment at work. -Long working hours. Conclusion and Recommendations i. Machines should be serviced frequently enough and according to the conditions stated in machine manual. ii. Moveable parts of machines need frequent cleaning, aside from the usual care. iii. Worn out parts need immediate replacement even before the date of service is due. iv. Workers need training on machine use. v. Working hours should be scheduled for recommended periods. References Bernard, TE & Barrow, CA 2012, “Empirical Approach to Outdoor WBGT from Meteorological Data and Performance of Two Different Instrumental Designs”, Industrial Health Journal, Number 51, pp 79 – 85, National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety: USA. Kelbitsch, N & Kenny, P (ed.s) 2003, “Developing an Occupational Health and Safety Plan for Small Businesses and Organizations”, Omega. Network Rail 2011, Safe System of Work Planner, Wilsons Group Services. Occupational Safety and Health Service 1999, Noise Abatement for Circular Saws, Department of Labour, Te Tari Mahi, New Zealand. Rajput, RK 2005, Comprehensive Workshop Practise, FireWall Media. Rural Solutions SA 2013, Small Scale Log Processing – Milling and Drying, Government of South Australia. Simha, R 2006, Introduction to Basic Manufacturing Process and Workshop Technology, New Age International. United States Department of Labour 1999, OSHA Technical Manual (OTM), viewed 20th May, 2013, World Health Organization 2013, Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All: The Way to Health at Work, viewed 20th May, 2013, Work Safe Victoria 2006, “Office-Wise – A Guide to Health and Safety in the Office: A Handbook for Workplaces” (5th Edition), Omega. Read More