Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example

Marvin Schneiderman’s approach to work-place safety is unrealistic and impractical because he takes a position which largely ignores the dynamics of the workplaces themselves. Teachers and office personnel very rarely, if at all, are required to handle or come into close contact with dangerous or hazardous material. Therefore the level of protection required of employers in classrooms and offices are minimal when compared to workers who are exposed to hazardous situations on an ongoing basis in the workplace.

This is not meant to suggest that once the job involves continuous risks of harm, no measures should be taken to safeguard against them. The reality is, when there are certain hazards, there is always a risk of harm, regardless of safety measures involved. The higher the risk of harm, the more likely it is that harm will occur, regardless of safety measures taken. There are two principles of safety that makes it virtually impossible to implement a safety standard across the board that will produce the same safety record for all workers, as those reported by the review from England and Wales.

These principles are “safe-persons” and “safe-place.” (34) In order to facilitate a safe-place a number of initiatives are required with respect to the workplace. This includes “engineering controls or process changes” which are necessary to “reduce exposure to noise or airborne toxic contaminants.” (34) In addition, tools and “office equipment designed with attention to basic principles of ergonomics” will have to be purchased. (34) There is an obvious difference in the level of workplace safety that can be facilitated at minimal costs in a factory or on a construction sight as opposed to an office.

Purchasing tools and safety gear for employees exposed to heights and hazardous materials can only provide limited protection, regardless of expenditure. Nose and