Lung Diseases among the Workers of Beans and Johns Construction Company - Essay Example

INTERNATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATE Candi report template specification) UNIT IGC3 – THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICAL APPLICAITON Student number Location Brooklyn,New York Date of review 27/01/2015 Introduction including overview of area inspected and activities taking place The reason for inspection was to investigate the possible cause of the increase in the number of incidences of lung diseases among the workers of Beans and Johns Construction Company. The area of inspection was a construction site for a skyscraper structure in Brooklyn, New York City. The investigation took place on 15th and 16th of January 2015.The Construction Company’s job involves building, renovation and demolition of houses and architectural facilities. The company gets contracts for building and renovation of family houses and other architectural structures. It manufactures its resources and materials needed for construction. The labourers are part of the company. The area of inspection is a construction site located in Brooklyn. The company is constructing a 100-storey building. It will hold up to five hundred offices a gymnastic and a conference room. One thousand construction labourers work on the project (Väyrynen, 2015, p. 68). Construction takes place throughout the day (for 24 hours).The management has organised the construction to occur in shifts, with some working during the day and others during the night. The construction involves the use of a variety of industrial materials. These include cement, attic and pipe insulation materials, materials used to make floor tiles, types of plaster in use, the adhesives involved and painting ingredients (Tillman, 2006, p. 105). The construction workers are involved in activities such as mixing cement while constructing and carrying and lifting the materials above from one point to another physically or by use of cranes. They also do a lot of mixings using these materials to make building solutions. The total size of the construction site is 2,768,591 sq. Ft. Executive Summary The main purpose of inspection was to determine if the high incidence of cases of lung cancers among the workers of Beans and Johns Company correlates with the construction materials they use. Beans and Johns reported an increase in the deaths of its workers during the period from 2005 to 2014 due to lung disorders. Doctors could not agree on the specific cause of the deaths and recommended an inspection of the work environment. A thorough investigation involving the materials and ingredients for use in the construction took place. The investigation concentrated mainly on the liquid and semi-liquid solutions in use for building and the materials making up some of the construction equipment. Some of the solutions investigated include the types of paints, cement and plaster solution. Also, there was a need to know the equipment used for pipe and attic insulation. Others include fireproofing materials, wall boards, pipes and construction adhesives. Tests done include test for asbestos among other toxic compounds (e.g. lead mercury, asbestos et cetera).The inspection also involved the activities of the construction workers. For instance, it was important to know the amount of exposure (to hazardous chemicals) they face in their line of work. There were critical findings after the inspection. The investigation revealed that the construction workers expose themselves to a very high degree of asbestos compound while working. Most materials contain this toxic compound that gets into the body through inhalation. For instance, most floor tiles made of asphalt and vinyl materials contain high levels of asbestos. Attic insulation contained ‘zoonolite’ which contains a high amount of asbestos. The acoustic and decorative plasters in use contain the highest amount of asbestos when compared to all the other materials listed above. Asbestos is a health hazard. It causes build-up of fibre-like tissue inside the lungs that is called asbestosis. The same results in loss of lung function of the lung that progress to disability and ultimately death. The observations imply that the construction company breached article four set by the Occupational Health and Safety Convention. The investigation also established that the workers expose themselves to this highly toxic compound in periods greater than the ones the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends. Such levels imply non-compliance with the Toxic Substance Control Act. The act authorized EPA to regulate asbestos in schools and commercial and public buildings (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act-AHERA) (Jensen, 2012, p. 90). The investigation revealed that the workers did not wear any protective gear that could protect them from the inhalation of the toxic compound. This too was a breach of Article 16 of the Occupational Health and Safety Convention. The article requires employees to ensure that the workplaces, machinery, equipment and processes under their control are without risk to their health (Goetsch, 2011, p. 88). The inspection was beneficial in many ways. Asbestos is clearly hazardous to the employees of Bean And Johns Company. Many people have already lost their lives, not mentioning the ones who are currently sick due to its toxic effects. It goes against the principle of business ethics that defines the moral obligation of an organisation to its employees. It is only morally right that the organisation takes appropriate measures to ensure there is no health hazard to its employees. Taking necessary measures to avoid further exposure of the employees to the health risks is also a necessary legal precaution (Jensen 2012, p.102). The use of asbestos is against several environmental laws in United States. It goes against most of the articles set in 1983 Occupational Health and Safety Convention by The International Labour Organisation. Some employees/workers might not be personally satisfied with the findings of this inspection and might sue the company for negligence. Such an action might make the company suffer huge financial losses if the court rules against the company. Instituting health measures, for this reason, protect the company against such occurrences in the future. Thus taking immediate action is critical for the sake of the company’s future. Conclusions The findings imply gross noncompliance with environmental laws. Much as asbestos is a cheap raw material, it is a significant health hazard. It injures the lungs of the employees predisposing them to cancer and, as a result, goes against environmental laws. More importantly, it violates ethical laws of business as it endangers human lives. It is critical that the company put in place measures to reduce these health risks. Such measures might be costly at first but are, in the long run, beneficial both financially and ethically (Dyke, 2011, p. 98). Recommendations – include as a table in the following format: Recommendation Likely resource implications Priority Target date Buying protective gear for workers $10000 Within one week 4/2/2015 Changing the supplier of the company’s construction equipment Increase in monthly supply expenditure by approximately 10% to $50000 Within one week 4/2/2015 Hiring personnel to examine building equipment for any health hazard. $50000 Within one month 1/3/2015 Enacting local rules and regulations to minimize health risks No expenditure Within one day 29/1/2015 Ensuring compliance by the workers to the rules enacted. No expenditure Within one day 29/1/2015 References Top of Form Bottom of Form Dyck, D. E. G., 2011. Occupational health & safety: Theory, strategy & industry practice. Markham, Ont: LexisNexis. Goetsch, D. L., 2011. Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Jensen, R. C., 2012. Risk Reduction Methods for Occupational Safety and Health. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Tillman, C., 2006. Principles of occupational health & hygiene: An introduction. S.l.: Allen & Unwin. Väyrynen, S., 2015. Integrated occupational safety and health management: Solutions and industrial cases; embedded in holistic excellence, sustainability and contemporary contexts, emphasizing stakeholders. Cham [u.a.: Springer. Read More