Occupational Health & Safety Management System - Term Paper Example

NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY CONTROL OF OHS RISKS STUDENT NAME: ADM. NO: HEALTH AND SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE CODE: LECTURER NAME 10/13/2012 Questions: 1. What would be Identified individual and Team Training options2. What might be some recommended communication strategies to address stakeholders concerns about any changes? 3. The effectiveness of risk controls and has any new hazards introduced as a result of controls4. Tell me how effective options focus on the ways people interact with their work teams and their supervisors , work tasks , and the equipment they use , work environment and work systems .5. Based on the action Plan developed the strategies we would used to get people involved in this Change / Innovation process to: A. Encourage innovation. Evaluate our performance as a team. (Use acronym S.M.A.R.T.) Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) management system designed to make sure that organisation have a planned and synchronised move toward managing health and safety risks in the place of work. It comprises policy and course of actions for preventing injuries or illness which may include individual trainings, effective communication to stakeholders on measures to be undertaken to curtail work related hazards and strategies incorporated in the whole process. 1.0. Individual and team training options The provision of trainings and induction are encouraged as it ensures staffs have the knowledge and skills to meet OHS responsibilities. It also helps in supporting new roles of OHS management. Incorporating different training options will improve the staff’s coping mechanisms of OHS and wellbeing initiatives (Ann, 2004). This ensures that staffs are aware of, and know how to access, the support services available through people and culture. The training options may comprise of procedures of accessing store, how to escape in case of emergency, procedures of handling chemicals, assertiveness time management, program planning &management, conflict resolution, coping with change, recognising stress, communication and team leading. 2.0. Communication strategies to address stakeholders concern about change Organisations will embrace a number of communication strategies to address stakeholders concerns about changes, which may encompass formal and informal communication. OHS communication is effective when people actually do work safely. Appelbaum et al (2000) stress that communication is very vital in undertaking OHS measures than the distribution of policies and procedures at the workplace. It enhances effectiveness of controls implemented in the risk treatment plan, extent of change as a consequence of new controls and compliance with new procedures. It requires discussions and debates about the particular health and safety risks facing individuals and groups. This could either be through regular formal or informal discussions among managers, supervisors and employees concerning workplace safety and the management of injured staff. To enhance effectiveness on new controls and compliance, the agency should make sure that all parties, managers, supervisors, staff, casuals, contractors, suppliers and visitors are aware of the risks in the workplace and their role in preventing injuries. Blewitt and Shaw (1995) recommend that the agency need to embrace other informal OHS communication processes for employees to ensure health, safety and welfare issues are maintained at the workplace. Informal communication comprise of face-to-face conversations, demonstration, field observation, structure interviews communicated genuinely to employees during informal walk. This allows parties involved in OHS to effectively share information and address any misunderstandings. Face-to-face discussions in the institution are supported by graphics and audio materials in appropriate languages as well as written documentation. Some of the issues to be raised in such communication comprise asking the employees to do the task, identify the equipment used, and explain the meaning of safety signs or sometimes asking questions related to the content of the conversation at hand. 3.0. The effectiveness of risk controls The effectiveness of risk controls will entail proper planning for the effective management of OHS which encompasses four fundamental activities that could spot any new hazards introduced as a result of controls. The activities include a review of operational activities for the organisation and identify exact OHS risks for control; compliance with specific legislative requirements; proper consultation with work teams and other stakeholders who may be affected by the hazards; and the last, effective planning to deal with OHS risks (Gallagher, 2000). Basically, developing OHS plans may be made either at operational or branch level for larger organisation. However, a detail for OHS plans will vary on basis of the organisation size and nature of risks it faces in day-to-day activities. 4.0. The effective options for interaction at work environment and work systems The effective options for OHS management system at workplace focus on the ways people interact with their work teams and their supervisors, work tasks, and the equipment they use, work environment and work systems. To continuously improve OHS performance, the work teams and their supervisors interact freely as they meet frequently to make decisions concerning OHS issues and set the right OHS direction for the organisation. This means that the management has to communicate their commitment, vision, goals and improvement strategies. Effective communication means that organisation has adopted a consultative approach involving employees in the process of finding solutions to OHS issues. It also means that organization recognize and reward both initiative and achievement in health and safety. The senior management incorporates the work teams and supervisors in consultation, an intervention that encourages interaction process at place of work. It is very important in promoting, maintaining and improving the management of OHS programs and procedures in the workplace. Work teams should be involved in review of existing OHS programs to perfect them and enhance their execution. Promotion and evaluation of programs is essential for ongoing effectiveness of OHS policy and programs (Aronsson, 2005). Review times should also be set to assess the work tasks and equipments used when initiating the implementation plan. Results from the reviews should be measured based on information collected during the monitoring phase. All changes made within the monitoring period should be well documented as the information may be helpful for future hazard control measures or in the initiation of other new implementation plans. The management team need to enforce appropriate forms of communication with emphasise to direct face-to-face communication and demonstration. Important information should be expressed in plain language which is very clear as possible. Written materials requiring translations need to be identified in consultation with employees and the management where translations are obtained in relevant languages. Safety measures and signs in the workplace are displayed in appropriate forms and employees are trained on the meaning of all signs. The organisation should carry out provisional checks either semi-annually or annually to evaluate whether employees still understand the instruction and information obtained during the training. 5.0. Strategies to be used to involve people in change and innovation process There are several strategies that an organisation will embrace to involve people in change and innovation process. The strategies to be used include planning, consultation and effective communication. 5.1. Planning Strategy Planning for Occupational Health and Safety is a best strategy at an organisational level as it entails the creation of clearly defined broad OHS objectives and measurable targets. The objectives and targets set are in line with the key OHS priorities spotted for perfection through the risk evaluation process and basic legislative requirements that organisation need to comply with. To enhance efficiency in the risk management process at workplace, OHS objectives and targets should be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic, and time bound (SMART). For instance, a broad objective for a company may be the reduction in the number of workplace injuries and illness. To illustrate this objective in a SMART way, a measurable target and timeframe should be stated. The target should be realistic in the context of the available staff resources and budget (Barbour and Shematek, 2007). A proper structure of planning will bring different people on board and this will help in attaining the intended change within the agency in relation to OHS issues. 5.2. Consultation Strategy Consultation must be a central strategy that management should use to actively engage people to intended change. It’s a best strategy to consider in the development and review of the planning process of OHS measures. This implies that OHS issues is part of the strategic management cycle of any organisation and consultation will bring parties involved together for a common goal (Chew, 2008). Different consultation arrangements may be necessary in some workplaces of KDC due to the diverse working arrangements that exist across the organisation. This could be the best strategy of involving people to change or innovation process that is being employed with the organisation. For example, employers of small work groups geographically distant from the main site may plan to consult directly with their employees on a one basis and through OHS meetings. The participants in consultation meeting identify and implement solutions that will improve the agency’s system for managing health and safety, for example through use of hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. And keep under review the actions taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of those at work. 5.3. Communication Strategy The promotion of consultative arrangements in the workplace by communicating, influencing and consulting is part of a systematic approach to managing OHS. It entails both the informal and formal processes of ensuring people in the organization are informed about OHS and have opportunities to effectively participate in the OHS process. It also ensures that employers comply with duties of communicating health and safety (OHS) across languages and culture. There are many workplaces in Australia where a variety of languages are spoken. Information must be availed to all employees in appropriate languages. An up-to-date language profile will help readily identify the range of languages spoken in the workplace and the number of employees who speak such languages. This will ensure the best use of resources. By so doing, it will encourage innovation and involvement of people in the change. References Ann, P. (2004). Keeping Patients Safe – Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses, Institute of Medicine: The National Academies Press. Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. (2000) Manufacturing Advantage: Why High-Performance Work Systems Pay Off, Ethica: Cornell University Press. Aronsson, G. (2005) Contingent Workers and Health and Safety, Work, Employment and Society, 13 (3), 439-459. Barbour, J & Shematek, G.M. (2007). OHS Performance Measures: Data Collection, Analysis And Reporting Guidelines, GMS & Associates. Berger, Y. (1999) Why Hasn't it changed on the Shop floor. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Blewitt, V., & Shaw, A. (1995) Integrating OHS through self-managed work teams, Journal of Occupational Health & Safety - Australia and New Zealand, 11 (1), 15-19. Chew, D. (2008) Effective Occupational Safety Activities: Findings in Three Asian Developing Countries, International Labour Review, 127, 111-125. Gallagher, C. (2000). Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems: System Types and Effectiveness, Unpublished Ph.D., Deakin University, Melbourne. Health and Safety Executive (2001) Successful Health and Safety Management, HMSO, London: Wiley. Mayhew, C. (2000) Occupational Health and Safety Issues for Young Workers in the Fast-food Industry, Sydney: AusInfo. Shermatek, G., Lineen, P. & MacLean, P. (2006). Health, Safety and Environmental Management Systems Auditing, Ontario: LexisNexis. Read More