Importance of a Health and Safety Issues - Essay Example

A Report Which Outlines the Importance of a Safety Manager’s Compliance with Health and Safety Issues A Report Which Outlines the Importance of a Safety Manager’s Compliance with Health and Safety Issues Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The Safety Manager 4 A Safety Manager’s responsibilities and liabilities under health and safety legislation 5 The resources required for the provision of health and safety information 6 Health and safety regulation’s planning and decision making 7 Communicating the written health and safety policy statement to people who work in an own area of responsibility 8 Developing a Safety Culture 8 Risk assessment records 9 Example of a Risk Assessment Plan for Back Stage Management 10 Conclusion 13 References 15 Asfahl, C. R., & Rieske, D. W. (2009). Industrial safety and health management. New York: Prentice Hall. 15 Barnett-Schuster, P. (2008). Fundamentals of international occupational health and safety law. New York: Lulu.com 15 Bluff, E., Gunningham, N., & Johnstone, R. (2004). OHS regulation for a changing world of work. New York: Federation Press. 15 Hughes, P., & Ferret, E. (2008). Introduction to health and safety in construction. London: Routledge. 15 Walters, D., & Nichols, T. (2009). Workplace health and safety: International perspectives on worker representation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 16 Abstract Seeking to ensure that an organization’s clients and workers are protected from major hazards that may be encountered in the workplace is a concern of most organizations. Stage managers, in particular have to reconcile themselves to the fact that their crew as well as audiences tend to be situated, during performances of any kind, in areas that have technical systems and installations that could prove to be hazardous. When safety managers are able to connect safety management with risk analysis, they can easily incorporate safety procedures into their operative plans, thereby sufficiently protecting their stakeholders. A Report Which Outlines the Importance of a Safety Manager’s Compliance with Health and Safety Issues Introduction There are different reasons why a safety manager who is charged with ensuring the implementation of safety practices should seek to comply with the regulations that are created to oversee progress in this area in different states. One of the main reasons why a safety manager should remain in charge of any policies that seek to implement safety practices is because it is quite easy for such programs to stop being implemented at lower levels. In many large-scale organizations, every level, from the junior to the senior ranks, is tasked with implementing corporate policies by itself. This is very likely to result in less stringent compliance with the recommended safety rules. In addition, without adequate supervision, even a small measure of implementation of the organization’s safety regulations is likely to be viewed by the workers as being “good enough”. This means that the regulations might not be fully implemented by workers who do not really comprehend their importance. Another reason for the strict compliance in implementing regulations is because the habit of preserving safety practices is not strictly observed by most organizations. There are many firms that will wait for an accident to take place or for an establishment that is charged with discovering problems to find something that goes against policy before they make the decision to take proactive safety measures. The Safety Manager A safety manager’s compliance will also ensure that he or she is adequately empowered to change the organizational structure if the safety measures are not being well implemented. In many mainly large scale organizations, the hierarchical structure decreases the responsibility for implementing safety in different ranks. This means that even when the safety program is not working and the workers are castigated for this, they may not be able to make direct changes as this authority lies with the management. A safety manager would be in a better position to implement changes to the system’s flaws instead of chastising the workers who are helpless to change it (Barnett-Schuster, 2008). A safety manager will also have the authority to negotiate for the basic safety goals in companies that are reluctant to implement potentially costly safety policies. Many times when employees wish for more safety equipment, subordinate or junior managers may be reluctant to relay this message to higher ranking executives for fear of being perceived as being problematic. A safety manager who is perceived as being a senior ranking official will not have the same concerns. A Safety Manager’s responsibilities and liabilities under health and safety legislation Both employers and employees have a responsibility in ensuring that health and safety regulations are correctly implemented. For employers and managers, the responsibility is to make sure that the employees are equipped with the correct protective equipment and are well advised about potential hazards in the workplace. Employers have the responsibility of implementing national safety regulations in their own organizations. Workers, on the other hand, have three main rights (Vecchio-Sadus and Griffiths, 2004). They can refuse to operate in unsafe conditions. In addition, they have the right to take part in safety programs and activities in the workplace. Workers also have the right to information about the dangers that they face when carrying out their daily duties. The resources required for the provision of health and safety information For the efficient implementation of health and safety regulations, business organizations have to use support mechanisms as well as the necessary capabilities required for the achievement of policies that have to do with health and safety. Such efforts can only be sustained by efficient practices of communication. Essentially, a practical health and safety system is reliant on the sincerity of the management’s involvement with the plan. It is also dependent on the commitment of the workforce in realizing it (Bluff, Gunningham and Johnstone, 2004). Where health and safety measures are concerned, time is needed for an organization’s stakeholders to understand the importance of their implementation. It is important for organizational supervisors to be proactive in matters concerning safety so that they are not reduced to merely seeking for assistance when an accident happens. Safety issues in the workplace often cannot be resolved easily (Biggs, Sheahan and dan Dingsdag, 2005). This means that there is need for the workers as well as executive body to have time to understand the safety threat, as well as for them to be allowed to research on the issue and provide informed responses about how they feel that this issue can be solved. In regards to workplace safety, it is best for consultations to be carried out on a regular basis rather than as issues emerge on a case-by-case basis as this will make it possible for both the employees and employers to be able to identify potential problems before they become unmanageable (Bakri, Mohd Zin, Saidin-Misnan and Mohammed, 2006). Consultations can also take different spans of time that depend on the seriousness of the issue in question. If the safety issue is not serious, the safety manager does not have to consult many people. In addition, the problem may not need to be solved immediately and so can be solved through the standard consultation channels (Hopkins, 2005). If the matter of concern could potentially affect a large percentage of the workforce, a longer period of consultation may be necessary. For unplanned and unexpected issues, there will have been no plans made for consultations to solve the problem. This means that immediate meetings may be required to solve such problems. Health and safety regulation’s planning and decision making Employers are responsible for basing their organizational regulations on the health and safety of their employees on those of their nations. However, for these regulations to be accepted by the workforce, they have to generate their endorsement as well as commitment. This is why it is so important when planning for the creation of safety programs to seek and include the input of the workforce. In addition, the employees’ should be allowed to have a safety representative in the company-appointed committee which is tasked with creating the regulations. Organizations need safety programs in order to comply with national safety regulations while also demonstrating that business performance and productivity is viewed as being as important as safety performance. Organizations also create safety policies in order to protect their workers and reduce the chances of workplace-related accidents from occurring. Some of the government associated safety branches whose policies are accepted and implemented in different business organizations include Workers Health, Safety and Compensation Boards and local Occupational Health and Safety Branches. Communicating the written health and safety policy statement to people who work in an own area of responsibility There are different ways in which people can seek to communicate about health and safety policies (Asfahl and Rieske, 2009). Safety communication can be done through methods such as performance data, policies and procedures, workplace inductions, hazard and incident reports, training, and risk assessments. For organizational supervisors to convince their workforce of the importance of safety procedures, it is vital for them to use effective methods of communication in gaining their employees’ support and cooperation. It is even more important for employers as well as managers to be convinced of the importance of safety practices if their organizations are to embrace them. This can be accomplished by enrolling them in courses that aim to improve their leadership skills by impressing upon them the importance of implementing safety measures. Developing a Safety Culture In any organization, a safety culture will be developed as the product of workers values, patterns of behavior, and competencies. The organizations that are most likely to develop a safety culture are those whose workers have effective ways of communicating due to the existence of mutual trust as well as shared perceptions on the significance of having a safe working environment. In business organizations, good communication is vital for the development of a safety culture (Hughes and Ferret, 2008). This is because the existence of good communication channels allows for employees to be able to give and absorb information concerning risk controls, and how to deal with work-related hazards. In addition, when there is open communication in an organization, the senior executives are able to supply their workers with practical information on dealing with potential hazards. The relationship between the employer and the employees is also improved when there is such communication on important work-related issues (Walters and Nichols, 2009). Workers tend to contribute different opinions more easily in an environment that facilitates a framework in which workers are encouraged to address the issues concerning hazards or accidents. Involving workers in discussions about alterations or implementations of corporate policy is something that helps to generate common goals between workers and the management. Risk assessment records Risk assessment records usually contain information about potential risks, hazards, and control measures. They may also contain diagrams, and photographs. Risk assessment records could be used for the generation of safety procedures, team briefings, or even induction training. Risk assessment records also contain information on elements that could increase as well as affect risk. The control measures included in risk assessment would address reasons for the existence of the measures as well as details on their proper use. Risk assessment methods also carry information on the significance of personal protective equipment in a workplace scenario. There are five steps involved in conducting a risk assessment test. These include: Recognizing the hazards Making the decision on which employees could be harmed in various ways Assessing the existing risks and determining the control measures Detailing the findings and finding ways of implementing them Reviewing the report and making updates where possible Example of a Risk Assessment Plan for Back Stage Management Backstage managers are usually tasked with overseeing different operations in a rented space. They may be expected to bring or rent different types of furniture such as tables, chairs, or even musical instruments depending on their clients’ needs. They also have to have a props table. For many stage managers, the point of employing a risk assessment program or plan is not to do away with all the existing risk, but to ensure that the possibility of problems emerging is greatly reduced. For instance, if a lot of the props are made of wood, one of the risk assessment requirements may to ensure that there are numerous fire extinguishers in the event that a fire should break out. Almost all stage managers try to ensure that they have practical risk assessment plans. Creating a risk assessment plan for a stage manager merely means creating measures that remove potential hazards or lessen the potential risk of problems emerging. When stage managers create risk assessment plans, they improve the safety of their clients. When forming risk assessment plans, stage managers need to ensure that they are aligned with the events that they happen to be overseeing. For instance, a theatre group that uses a stage to rehearse will require a different risk assessment plan from a group of musicians who conduct regular rehearsals on the stage because they use different instruments and require different props. There are five risk assessment steps for stage managers to consider. These are: Identifying the hazards For a stage manager, this might entail walking round the selected stage venue and closely assessing the set as well as the lighting plan. The stage manager also has to take into consideration the different pieces of equipment that will be transported to the set and make decisions on how they will be transported, if they are particularly heavy, so as to ensure that they do not cause any harm. It is not just the potential of heavy equipment causing injuries that has to be considered. There are other factors such as the possibility of flying or dropping objects causing injury- particularly in cases where here is a musical show or theatre being rehearsed. This means that stage managers have to ensure that they have first-aid kits nearby. They also have to ensure that all participants are provided with safety equipment. Stage managers also have to ensure that they are working in an environmentally clean environment which does not have fumes flowing into the area where his clients are working. The stage manager is also tasked with ensuring that his clients as well as workers are supplied with safety clothing that prevents them from getting injured by hot light-bulbs or strobes. Determine the people who could potentially be injured as well as the severity of the injury In the performance of chores backstage, the people who are usually most vulnerable to being injured are the performers, the workers who maintain the stage, and the audience. Any of these groups of people could be exposed to different types of injuries. For instance, they could suffer from minor injuries which consist of small scratches, or bruises. Alternatively, they could suffer from major injuries such as broken bones caused by falling scaffolding or other objects or burns and deep cuts caused by carelessly handling sharp instruments as well as strobes. Even though they rarely happen, fatalities could also occur as a result of falling objects. At other times, workers or performers could fall down over long distances. Assessing Potential Risks Where stage-managing is concerned, the decision about the possibility of small, major, or even fatal injuries occurring is usually dependent on the competence of the personnel who have been tasked with looking after all the props. This, in turn, is dependent on the proficiency of the back stage manager and his experience in this particular field. An experienced stage manager is more likely to be well acquainted with the respected and seasoned props operators; which means that he or she will hire workers who are likely to cause fewer accidents than inexperienced workers would. Evaluating the existing Precautions and Determining if more can be accomplished A stage manager can make the decision to make an evaluation of the rented theatre and decide on how to lessen the possibilities of accidents taking place. The stage manager could also look into ways in which the effects of misfortunes could be reduced. There are different options that can be used by stage managers to achieve these aims. For instance, a stage manager can make the decision to use options that have less risk. For instance, the decision can be made to prevent performers from standing on stage while the rigging is being structured. Stage managers could also make the decision to ensure that workers are issued with safety equipment such as gloves, and safety hats before embarking on their responsibilities. Another point has to do with ensuring that there are readily available first-aid boxes nearby; or even medical facilities. Reviewing the Report and updating it In this case, the stage manager can prepare the risk assessment plan in the form of a graph or table and then post it publicly so that all people have an opportunity to scrutinize it. Part of a risk assessment example Potential Hazard Personnel involved Consequences Risk Level Control Measures  Falling Objects, or Scaffolding Individual, Small, Large, Crew, Performers, Public Major/ Fatality Low  -Using gantries instead of ladders -Ensuring that all workers and performers wear protective hats -Barring performers from the stage while personnel work on scaffolding Burns from touching strobes or hot lights Performers, WorkingCrew Minor-Major Medium -Ensuring that the workers and performers don gloves when handling the lights -Creating a system where there are fans that provide drafts to cool the lights. -Ensuring that First Aid kits are readily available Potential electric shock Performers, Crew Major-Fatality Low -Conducting an inspection of the equipment prior to its use - Teaching workers and performers about emergency procedures for electrical shock -Ensuring that the crew as well as performers are aware of the location of the cut switches -Ensuring that first aid kits are readily available Conclusion In many industries today, there are constant developments being made in the area of ensuring the worker’s safety as well as in preserving their health. In addition, governments as well as workers’ associations often include new and more improved rules on the correct treatment of workers. Going against any of these laws, even if unintentionally, could result in litigation. This is why it is important to keep up to date in matters regarding the safety and health concerns of workers in different industries. Organizations which are concerned with the health of their employees will also invest in keeping up-to-date with their workers’ health requirements in order to be able to provide them with the right training. If any of the workers experience health complications in the workplace, the records of their health symptoms will also be helpful in determining the correct action to take. In any organization, the observation of health and safety regulations is critical. In the past, there was not much emphasis on ensuring that workers were protected as they conducted their tasks. However, in today’s society which is more concerned with the ethical values espoused by organizations, safety issues are one aspect that attracts the most accomplished workers to different organizations. References Asfahl, C. R., & Rieske, D. W. (2009). Industrial safety and health management. New York: Prentice Hall. Bakri, A., Mohd Zin, R., Saidin-Misnan, M., & Mohammed, A. H. (2006). Occupational safety and health (OSH) management systems: towards development of safety and health culture. Asia-Pacific Structural Engineering and Construction Conference. Retrieved from http://eprints.utm.my/520/1/AhmadonBakri2006_OccupationalSafetyAndHealth%28OSH%29Management.pdf Barnett-Schuster, P. (2008). Fundamentals of international occupational health and safety law. New York: Lulu.com Biggs, H. C., Sheahan, V. L., & dan Dingsdag, D. P. (2005). A Study of Construction Site Safety Culture and Implications for Safe and Responsive Workplaces, The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling, 11(1), 1-8. Bluff, E., Gunningham, N., & Johnstone, R. (2004). OHS regulation for a changing world of work. New York: Federation Press. Hopkins, A. (2005). Safety, Culture and risk: The organizational causes of disasters. Australia: CCH Limited. Hughes, P., & Ferret, E. (2008). Introduction to health and safety in construction. London: Routledge. Vecchio-Sadus, A. M., & Griffiths, S. (2004). Successful marketing strategies for enhancing safety culture. Safety Science, 42, 601-619. Walters, D., & Nichols, T. (2009). Workplace health and safety: International perspectives on worker representation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More