Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems - Research Paper Example

Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Students Name Institution Supervisors Name Date Introduction The health and safety policy is a well written statement that should outline the aims of the employer, the supervisor and workers. In essence the health policy will be able to state the commitment of the employer to protect the health and safety of its workers, occupational health and safety programme and priorities of this program will also be looked at. Literature review and research for Egnatta Motorway and Design This essay looks at the Occupational Health and Safety management systems for a Greece based by the name Egnatia Odos which is reputable for constructing Egnatia Motorway project that is 680 Kilometres long dual carriage way that meets international standards with a central reserve. The motorway has a width of 24.50 (Egnatia, 2015). There are also many long twin-deck bridges that are under construction throughout the motorway covering a total length of 40KM. Other features include 50 interchanges, 350 crossings and service roads which are vertical axes under the responsibility of Engatia Odos AE. The management of the project is solely done by Engatia Odos AE according to the Greek public works legislation; this means that it awards the preparation of designs to design offices, awards the maintenance to maintainers and lastly awards the construction of projects to construction companies (Angle, 2015). The company supervises the work of more than 36 joint ventures and over 5,000 employees. As part of the company’s practices, it ensures that it effectively updates all of its partners and worker on the issue of Occupational Health and safety (Angle, 2004).The company’s staff have enough experience with regard to building and construction issues, they also have knowledge with regard to the implementation of Occupational Health and safety legislative requirements which has been seen as being very limited with regard to their hands on experience. The company understood that it is important to take all measures to protect the health and safety of people and also safeguard material goods from getting damaged. In order to do this, the company implemented occupational health and safety in a systematic manner. One of the ways that the company was able to do this was through providing an Occupational Health and safety training for all its contractors, drafting a health and safety plan and also filing for all work, drafting a checklist for inspection, teaching their workers on common health hazards and conducting health and safety inspections with safety engineers, it was also important that they continue to retain engineers they have trained for consistence purpose (Brauer & Brauer, 2005). The company’s Occupational Health and Safety policy statement and management systems It was discovered by the company that the main health and safety hazards for the company would occur during boring front collapse, when using of explosives, risks from falls, passing vehicles, exposure to high level noises at workplace, dust that included vibration dust, silica and asphalt fumes. For this reason, the management team of the company devoted to implemented Occupational Health and safety management in three areas as discussed hereunder in relation to technical works (Erickson, 2011). This was guided by the companies corporate health and safety statement that said: ‘The intent of the company is to protect all persons affected by our project activities regardless of whether they are employed by the company or involved in the project or not, and to protect the environment from any possible damage that may be caused by works and actions required for the execution of this project (Goetsch., 2010). For the purpose of implementing this intent, the company has drafted its safety management system specifying all administrative, organizational and operational measures and safety precautions that it requires to be taken at each aspect of its work.’ The company ensured that great emphasis was placed health and safety plan and file. One of the main goals for the plan was to accept studies from contractors who had satisfactory health and safety file plan (Badgett & Herman, 2011). The other main goal was to ensure that that serious accidents were avoided during construction incidents. OHSAS 18001 and legislation requirements that affects the company The OHSAS 18001 is a standard for occupational health and safety (Occupational Health and Safety) management system jointly developed a number of international third party certification bodies, national standards bodies and other interested parties. It enables enterprises to manage risk, improve operational performance (Janicak, 2007). With regard to Egnatia Odos Construction Company, this will provide guidance on how to manage the health and safety aspects of the business activities more effective, taking careful consideration accident prevention, risk reduction and well-being of employees (Janicak, 2007). As we also look at the safety management system that consists of 14 elements, the occupational health and safety undertakings are always called upon under the safety management system consisting of 14 elements, employer in health and safety undertakings are required to develop, implement and maintain in safety management system (Churchill & Iacobucci, 2004). In this direction, the company in question is called upon to the system regularly audited or reviewed. This system should also be enshrined in the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation with regard to the country’s legislative requirements. There are so many advantages that the company can get from implementing OHSAS 18001, one of it being that the occupational health and management systems of the company will be able to improve its efficiency in relation to its internal operations so as to reduce danger, accidents and downtime (Reese, 2008). This is because, safety and quality of staff are actively improving the work environment; the goals and responsibilities more clearly, all employees of the company are prepared to effectively deal with any future hazards. OHSAS18001: 2007 to ensure compliance with current laws and regulations reduce the risk of penalties or possible litigation coming from workers and contractors as well (Brauer & Brauer, 2005). A proper occupational health and safety management system will be able to demonstrate that the company observes a very high level of occupational health and safety bid for its national and international contracts, the expansion of the local, to adapt to new business, or negotiating insurance. It is thus important that the company continues to use monitor and improve its health and safety management systems and related processes (Finucane, 2006). This improves the reliability of its internal operations to meet customer requirements, and overall performance. The company will also be able to get a significant improvement in staff motivation, commitment and understanding of their responsibilities; help ensure the safety of the workplace (Goetsch., 2010). Review of the company’s initial status on the management of health and safety requirement of the company One of the ways to achieve management of health and safety requirements was to implement safety management practice at the stage of design. The company’s occupational health and safety management systems was designed from the start on the infrastructure that the organisation required through relevant legislations on different worksites. The situation began from the main core of the organisation. It was thus clear from then active worksites to the appointed construction manager and the company staff who initiated the occupational health and safety division. The company currently has three CM JVs that are established at the capitals of prefectures by the Egnatia motorway (Egnatia, 2015). The JVs are also staffed with engineers coming from all the disciplines, to ensure the aspect of diversity, these engineers are also from different countries. The full time occupational health and safety management team drafted the occupational health and safety management system which dictated where they company was and where they wanted to go. The other step was to add missing details to the special condtions of contract (HSC) and occupational physician (OP) health and safety design measures especially for people working in danger areas like tunnels e.t.c. the team also ensured that new contract were always completed with regard to the data and requirements of health and safety legislation of the country. In order to do this, the management team drafted procedures that will govern relationship between managers and contractors and procedures to which worker and supervisors would report accident incidents (Badgett & Herman, 2011). There were 18 different checklists for supervisors and contractors that included checklist for work in tunnels, explosives and bridges e.t.c there was were also different controls for different worksites. It was also important that the company implements an occupational health and safety training program that educated all workers on legislations and safety policy of the organisation (Reese, 2008). Other divisions involved management of the health and safety system for the company’s staff. Coordinating actions between contracting managers and other staff, attending to special situations, exchanging knowledge and experience on frequently occurring incidents, recording incidents for accident analysis (Benn & Bolton, 2011). Current Company’s Health and Safety policy statement The current health and safety policy statement of Egnatia Odos Construction company states that ;‘The intent of the company is to protect all persons affected by our project activities regardless of whether they are employed by the company or involved in the project or not, and to protect the environment from any possible damage that may be caused by works and actions required for the execution of this project. For the purpose of implementing this intent, the company has drafted its safety management system specifying all administrative, organizational and operational measures and safety precautions that it requires to be taken at each aspect of its work.’ (Erickson, 2011). Looking at the above policy statement, it can be agreed that it undertakes almost all sectors of occupational health and safety areas. However the company needs to show commitment from the top managers with regard to safety and health at work. There should be strict adherence to a written policy. A structure needs to be there to ensure that implementation of the policy is realised and that people in the company are committed to health and safety. The organisation should also be able to provide a safe and clear logical way to promote health and safety culture, safety and sustainable development of the implementation of safety management system. This means that they should be committed to training and equipping personnel with knowledge to work safely and without risk to health. The company also needs to devise and refine training policy system and feedback loop to improve training process. They thus need to act on feedback loop that will set up the objectives for training, this will also be a great basis for measuring of training and determining worker who have level of proficiency.Apart from this, the company should provide for internal safety rules to provide instruction for achieving safety management objectives. The safety rules will be able to cover general rules, specialized work rules, specialized work permits and procedures to finally objective in the workplace is no people injury and ill health is undertaking health and safety management policy (Angle, 2010). There should be a proper management system will be used for inspecting, identifying hazardous conditions and rectification of such conditions at several intervals or as deemed appropriate. The proper management system must also be able to find out risks and hazards and take action before further accidents and losses occur. Such a management system should also be able to expose dangers that might occur to workers and provide suitable equipment as a last resort where engineering controls may be lacking or not needed. Project Plan for the company to address certification of OHSAS1 18001 Occupational health and safety programme is a legal requirement according to the Occupational health and safety regulation programs. This plan will be able to deal with incidents as they occur. In essence the health policy will be able to state the commitment of the employer to protect the health and safety of its workers, occupational health and safety programme and priorities of this program will also be looked at. The program will also look at the duties and responsibilities of supervisor, the employer and his workers. The contracting department should make it as brief as possible so as to be able to make each employee understand. An outline of one page will be necessary (Benn & Bolton, 2011). The Employer should also ensure that the policy is dated signed in order to insist on the policy. It should also be reviewed and updated by the owner every year. Each review should also be posted in the workplace and distributed in new workers in order to ensure that these workers are aware of it. Managers and employees should have different responsibilities as described under the safety and health regulations act of the country. These responsibilities should be fulfilled as a sign of due diligence (Rothstein, 2014). It is very important that the company also consider the health and safe workplace as a major factor in retaining employees. If the business is able to practice safety and health work procedures, like through keeping fit and preventing accidents, they will be able to improve the morale, suffering and reduce pain also build their pride in the workplace (Friend & Kohn, 2014). Employees should in the same spirit adopt the following; an Employee should never put oneself and others at risk due to ignorance, all employees must participate in the investigations and safety where it is applicable, all employees must at all times work with extra care and attention to what they do. With this regard, employees must ensure that they have their protective equipment put on needed attires, an employee should not open or operate machinery without proper instructions or whenever one is intoxicated from alcohol and other forms of substance. In case of an injury, employees should ensure that this is reported to the manager or the area supervisors immediately, this will enable the supervisor to work towards prevention of the same in future. An employee must maintain all equipment in a good and safe working order; this can be done if he or she adheres to safety and regulation rules. If by mistake an employee gets hurt, the employee must make sure that he or she works with the doctor and the management team so as to speed up the recovery of that employee. With this regard an employee must also ensure that he belongs to a health insurance company if not provided by the place of work. All employees should meet the safety requirements of their job description. This includes having concern about their fellow employees. For example, when one employee shows long absence, the fellow employee should take the place and ensure that he too observes safety regulations (Bradley & Ewing, 2003). Employee should thus take the most necessary steps to improve one’s health and attendance. Training For there to be a successful health and safety program in the workplace, it is important that each employee including the manager is trained. According to the laws on health and safety, the business must ensure that all employees are informed and trained on potential health and safety dangers related to their workplace and on safety practices which they can adopt in order to minimize the risk. This means that training and education must be undertaken during employee orientation (Brauer & Brauer, 2005). In addition safety culture needs to be developed in the construction industry, The risks incurred by the employees must not be accepted as just part of the job. In fact, on the construction site for Egnatia, one of thebiggest problems was to have the various enterprises employ thesafety measures imposed. While the young engineers were more receptive tothe principles of occupational health and safety, the older ones found it harderto accept these measures and apply them as required.In order to develop this safety culture, both employers and employees must betrained and informed of occupational risks in the construction sector, and oftheir obligations(Egnatia, 2015). To add on this, the clients are not always aware of the risks run by the workers whenworking on their projects. This was the case in particular during the demolitionof buildings constructed in the former German Democratic Republic. Thebuildings to be demolished contained asbestos creating major health risks forthe workers. The client doubted that the buildings contained asbestos andclaimed he did not know that asbestos fibres were carcinogenic. The labourinspectorate had a very strong presence on this site, in particular performinglaboratory analyses and highlighting the real risks involved. They then ensureda very strict control of working conditions (asbestos removal being a costlyoperation, some firms could have been tempted to ‘skip over’ this phase of theoperations). Also common ground rules should be agreed on the site. These are clear-cut guidelineson working methods and procedures; by complying with them, the site will bekept safe and in good order. The aim of the ground rules is for everyone toknow what is expected of him or her. Good ground rules must be accepted byeveryone. Long sets of rules will not stay fresh in people’s minds, so themaximum number of guidelines should remain at 10. They must be easilyunderstood. Instead of prohibitions, written guidelines and correct actions arepreferred. It must be possible to comply with the rules. There must be agreed and markedstorage locations for tools, if returning them to their place is a guideline.Someone must be allocated responsibility for emptying waste receptacles ifthere is a rule on putting waste in these.Good ground rules are important not only for safety but also for orderliness andquality issues for the site. The examples shown here may be used as a basis foragreeing on the ground rules for a site(Churchill & Iacobucci, 2004). When the ground rules have been prepared and the performance ofmeasurements is up and running, a consultative meeting is held for all staff onthe site. This deals with the ground rules and approves them jointly(Angle, 2004). Themeeting also includes a presentation of the manner in which measurements arecarried out and how feedback is to be given. Finally the results of completed measurements are reported and a possible common goal is discussed, such asraising the level by 15–20 percentage points during the first two months. Asmall reward for achieving the goal may also be announced. One easilyremembered reward might be coffee and buns for everyone. Safety training Policy It is important that the business maintains ad safety training policy for all its new employees. This will enhance employee safety and also meet the regulatory training requirements. Good businesses are those that practice health and safety requirements and also ensure that each employee is able to receive safety training during the initial orientation at the hotel. In the same spirit, new orientation should also be undertaken whenever an employee receives a change in job task. For example, where they are introduced to a new Job task, work procedure, equipment handling, and when a new work hazard is identified. Health and Safety Orientation Programs This should be the task of the manager and the supervisor. All employees especially the new ones have the right to be taken through an orientation program, for those employees who are being promoted and taken to new site, health and safety orientation will also assist in ensuring that they are able to embrace the new duties and responsibilities (Goetsch, 2007). The business should also discuss the organization’s health and safety philosophy and other responsibilities for employees. This should be related to employee work setting. Procedure to follow during orientation program There several procedures that one can follow, however, in a hotel business, the manager can begin by explaining and issuing materials that are related to work, health and safety policies. At this the manager and the supervisor will also review reporting procedures for the work related injuries and accidents (Benn & Bolton, 2011). The manager and the supervisor will then take employees to procedures for work related accidents or injuries. They will then together discuss emergency procedures on how to report accidents and also get necessary medical treatment. Documentation and Training It is important that employees as well as managers or supervisors learn to document any incident of work related accidents. They should also communicate health hazard or other operation risks out of the physical demands of the job (Brauer & Brauer, 2005). Evacuation procedures in times of work-related accidents There are so many risks that are associated with the strain and sprain of job requirements. This means that there should be a proper evacuation procedure that will prevent the sprain and strain so as to make sure all employees meet the work expectations (Goetsch, 2007). With this regard, if an employee is injured or a machine defaults to cause an alarm, the employee, the doctor or the emergency team should work together in order to make sure everyone is safe and that things are back to normal. Conclusion Occupational health and safety issues are responsibilities for the company, the manager, the supervisor and the employees. All these said, construction managers of the company must at all times not to allow an employee to undertake a job before they have received instruction on ways that they can be able to perform it properly. If the contractor doubts anything, they should be given an opportunity to ask and be answered. Safety measure such us evacuation plan, fire extinguishers, first aid kit, organization medical wing should always be established in order to prevent further harm in case of work-related incident. Lastly, safety rules and regulations must be displayed in every section of the construction work station. References Angle, J. S., 2004. Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services. s.l.:Cengage Learning; 2 edition. Angle, J. S., 2010. Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services. s.l.:Delmar Cengage Learning; 3 edition. Angle, J. 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