Health and Safety System in Delight Limited - Essay Example

Health and Safety System in Delight Limited Abstract Delight Limited is a medium sized company dealing with manufacturing of plastic items. The company manufactures a wide range of products. This includes plastic utensils, plastic buckets, plastic paper bags, dust bins and other plastic wares used domestically. The company also manufactures plastic cans for other companies which packs their products in plastic cans. Delight is located in Cologne Germany. Currently the company has a workforce of 200 employees in its different departments. The different departments include; the manufacturing, packaging and warehouse, sales and marketing and administration. The company also provides meals and beverages to its employees and therefore has a canteen in its compound. The manufacturing department has the highest number of employees since the plant operates for 24 hours. There are normally 40 employees per shift which runs for eight hours per shift. The Packaging and warehouse department has the second highest number of employees. The department has 40 employees under different shifts. Sales and marketing have 20 employees. The kitchen and the canteen have the lowest number of employees with 5. The rest make up the administration and management. Delight is a growing company and in its quest for growth and development the company has to hire a health and safety officer in order to conform to the required regulations. The work of the health officer is to guarantee that the operational environment in the company is safe for the employees. The officer will also ensure that the likelihood of an accident to occur in the company is minimal. In this regard the officer after applying for the job, I have been given the job and am now the company’s health and safety officer. My first assignment as the health and safety officer is to design a health and safety system for the company. After doing a thorough survey, I realized that the company has no health and safety system. Health and safety system A healthy and safety management system engrosses the introduction of measures to help decrease incidences of injuries, accidents and illness occurring in the place of work. The extent and complexity of health and safety management system varies from one organization to the other depending on the size and the nature of the workplace. (Comeau, 2008) A health and safety management system should show the top management commitment, hazard discovery, and hazard management. It should have guidelines on how to conduct an inspection in the workplace. The system should ensure that the employees are well trained to avoid injuries and accidents that may emanate from lack of competency. The system should a mechanism on the reporting and investigation of the case. The system should also ensure that the company has an emergency response team. Benefits of health and safety management system to an organization A health and safety management helps an organization in avoiding production delays that emanates from the breakdown of the plant and machinery. Delight has in the recent past experienced a reduction in production due to machine breakdown. This would have been rectified if the company has a clear health and safety system. (DiBerardinis, 1999) It helps an organization to avoid costly legal litigations from injured employees and other occupants of the company. Delight limited was recently taken to court by an injured employee. The company was ordered to pay the employee which is a costly undertaking to a medium company like Delight. The system will enable the company to retain and attract skilled and experienced employees. The employees will be willing to work with Delight as they feel save in the workplace. This will also attract qualified employees from other companies. Health and safety is a requirement from the authorities. This therefore will help the company to conform to the law and avoid the risks that are likely to come with non conformity. Accidents and injuries are costly to employees. Injuries and accidents are also a blow to the company as the company has to incur costs in paying for personal injuries. The company may also incur more losses from damage of properties. A health and safety system will help in minimizing accidents and injuries in the company. Health and safety management system for delight Using the guidelines given by HSE document HSG65, successful health and safety management and using the POPIMAR framework. Here is what should be included in a health and safety management system for delight. Policy setting This will involve coming up with an effective health and safety policy with a clear way for the organization to pursue. The policy should be written, clear and concise. It should be well communicated to the concerned stakeholders. The policy should have the capabilities to provide guidelines on protection of people and improve the quality of products in the company. The health and safety policy should control all the company’s actions including recruitment and selection of employees, the type of tools and raw materials used in the company. The policy should also stipulate how work is done in the organization and the delivery of goods and services. Availability of a written policy in the organization should be done after the hazards have been recognized and the risks have been assessed eradicated and controlled. It should be noted that a hazard is anything that is likely to cause harm. (DiNardi, 2003) The policy should meet the legal requirements and adopt the best practices in the market. It should be up to date and it should be implemented with the support of the top management. The policy should have clear goals and objectives of the overall health and safety program. It should have clear roles and responsibilities for all the stakeholders concerned i.e. employees and management. The policy should conform to the government legislation such as the health and safety act Employees should be involved in crafting of the policy, health and safety committee in the company, the managing director should indicate the commitment of the top management through signing the file. All workers should be made conscious of the policy by posting it at the workplace. Organizing staff In order for the safety and health policy to be more effective it is important to involve the employees to ensure their commitment. Employee participation is necessary to ensure ownership of the policy. Employees’ participation in health and safety management system is critical to ensure a better fit with the culture of the organization. (Friend, 1997) Enhancing the level of competence is high in the organization is one way of employees involvement. All employees should be assessed to establish whether they have the skills required to carry out the tasks safely. The employees, including other managers should be trained on health and safety. The people in the manufacturing department should always have the required experience to do their work safely. The health and safety manager should be the head of a health and safety committee. The committee should involve employees from all the departments in Delight and employer representatives. The aim of the committee should be to address the health and safety concerns that cannot be solved in the daily work activities. The committee will also give recommendations on the improvement of the workplace health and safety. The committee should not have the power to make changes but should instead be a communication between the workers and the top management. The workers in the company should be encouraged to report any case about their safety and security to the committee. It is the responsibility of health and safety manager to make sure that a copy of up to date occupational health and safety act, regulations and other acts and laws that are of concern to the safety of the employees, are readily available to the employees at all times. This will give the workers access to information concerning their rights and responsibilities at work. Hazard identification and assessment Identification of the workplace hazards is the next stage in improvement of a safety and health management system. The role of health and safety manager is to asses all jobs in order to identify the hazards. Key personnel should be trained in the process of evaluation. The manager should involve all employees for him to be able to identify all the hazards at the workplace. The health and safety manager should use the guidelines in the occupational safety and health act to conduct a hazard assessment and identification. (Reese, 2003) A hazard can either be health or safety hazard. A health hazard may lead to a serious and acute health complication and may cause health problems in the future. This may comprise loss of hearing due to strident noises in the factory. Safety hazards on the other hand, include anything that has the prospective to jeopardize the safety of employee immediately. For example, burn in the factory. Delight Limited has the following categories of hazards, physical hazards which include the noise in the factory, high temperatures in the factory and the hazards involved in the operation of machinery. Chemical hazards due to the exposure of employees to the chemicals used in the factory as well as the fumes from the factory. Biological hazards, due to poor sewerage system in the company. Lastly psychological hazards from fatigue and stress associated with the work. The sources of hazards include: Employees; this is because of poor training and poor communication in the company. Equipment and materials: Equipment and tools used in the factory may be hazardous if over used and due to poor maintenance. Workplace environment: Factors such as ventilation, lighting and temperatures are sources of hazards in the company. Conducting a hazard assessment All jobs in the company should be listed and record the number of workers performing each job. All hazards and associated risks to the jobs should then be identified involve the employees in identification of the hazards. From the assessment prioritize the tasks according to the level hazards involved. This will help to identify tasks with high risks that need to be addressed immediately. Determining control, coming up with methods to prevent the occurrence of the hazards. The manager should consider the legal requirements, company rules and industry’s best practices. A follow-up should be instilled to ensure that the control measures are working effectively. There should a review of hazards to prevent the hazards from occurring again. The reviews should take place annually. (HSE, 1994) Prevention and control After the completion of hazard assessments implementation of control measures is the subsequently step in the formulation of a health and safety management system. It is the work of health and safety manager to implement control measures to help in the elimination of factors that are a threat to the employees’ health and safety. The manager should always check on the laws to determine the control measures to take. The manager should first have the engineering method to control hazards which involves substitution of hazards e.g. replacement of a portable ladder with a permanent staircase. Administrative controls can also be used which may include implementation of practices, procedures and rules to reduce the possibility of a danger occurring at the work place. This may include job rotation and posting of signs to caution of elevated noise areas. Personal protective equipment can also be used to prevent dangers posed by the hazards this includes protective gears such as helmets, safety glasses, gloves and boots to the factory workers. To prevent hazards occurring due to machine breakdown, the health and safety manager should have a preventive and maintenance procedure for maintenance of the machinery in the company. Ongoing inspection is also a preventive measure where the manager inspects the working of the system. The company should have an emergency response plan. The system should incorporate a plan of how to deal with a disaster that may occur in the workplace like a fire. The emergency plan is a requirement of the law and the company should comply with the law. The system should as well have an incident investigation process. The system should be audited both internally and externally. The audit will enable the manager to clarify whether the system is working or not. The audit should be conducted annually to establish whether the system is as per the laid down standards. Delight health and safety policy Delight is fully committed to the health and safety management system in order to protect our employees and the public. Employees at all levels are in charge and accountable for the company’s health and safety and health. Participation of every employee is crucial in ensuring the health and safety of the company. Management will give good example and also give leadership in health and safety, the management is committed to the health and safety of every employee and will set the required policies and procedures and provide the necessary requirements to ensure the safety and health of everyone in the company. Workers are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations and cooperate with the management in improving the health and safety at the work place. Workers and management of all departments are required to be familiar with the occupational safety and health act as well as other regulations concerning workplace safety. Our goal is to ensure a healthy and injury free workplace for all employees and this is only achievable if we work together. ………………………………………………… ………………….. Health and safety manager Date. Riddor form The following is a riddor form for an accident that occurred in Delight. Your full name …………………………………………………………… Simon Peter Your contact number…………………………………………………. +3377352910 Your email address…………………………………………………….. simonpeter@delight.com Which department did the incident occur……………………………………….. Manufacturing department Date of the occurrence ………………………………………………... 25th April 2010 Time of the occurrence ………………………………………………… 12:30 Pm Where did the incident occur……………………………………….. The incident occurred when operating the Manufacturing machine. Your age ………………………………………………………………………. 36 Sex ……………………………………………………………………………….. Male Your job title…………………………………………………………………. Machine operator What was the injury……………………………………………………… Fracture What of the body was injured………………………………………. Arm What kind of an injury, fatality or a major injury……………………A major injury What kind of an injury……………………………………………………. Contact with machinery Health and safety manager employee Signature……………………. Signature………………………….. From the above accidents Delight Ltd can take into account the following steps in order to avoid similar accidents in the future. Delight should come up with a repair and maintenance policy to guide in the repair and maintenance of the manufacturing machines and equipment. From the above assessment it was discovered that the accident occurred due to neglect of the management in repairing and maintenance of the machines. The policy should have clear guidelines on when the repair should be done and the lifespan of the machine. The policy should also indicate the one in charge to oversee that the machines and equipment are in good order. After the investigation of the accident, it was identified that the employees who work in the manufacturing department are not provided with the recent modern protective gears. This was identified as one of the probable causes of the disaster. It’s therefore my recommendation that all employees in the manufacturing department be provided with the necessary protective gears like factory boots, helmets arm gloves and protective eye glasses. The employees at the manufacturing department are not well trained on the operations of the machines in the department. I therefore strongly recommend that all employees at the manufacturing department be trained a fresh on the operations of the machines. The employees should also be trained on precaution measures in order to prevent future accidents in the manufacturing department. There should be a hazard assessment exercise in the manufacturing department. This will help in the crafting the training topics in the department. The employees in the factory should be made conscious of the hazards and risks in the factory and be trained on effective methods of prevention of accidents in the workplace. (Rossol, 1994) Kings Cross Station Fire In November, 18th, 1987 a fatal fire occurred in Kings cross underground station. The fire led to the death of thirty one people. Immediate causes The fire was caused by a discarded burning match by a traveler, the burning match fell on a running track which then led to the escalator catching fire. This led to the burning of the whole station. Underlying causes We are told that the running track had not been cleaned since 1940 and it contained grease and other combustible elements. The escalator had never been washed since it was constructed. There was also a fluid flow in the rail station which was unknown to the station until the occurrence of the fire. The fluid helped in the spread of the fire. Elements of POPIMAR not implemented fully Monitoring. Although there was a rule which banned smoking in the station two years before the accident occurred, the fire actually occurred due to smoking. The management of the rail station was not keen on ascertaining whether the policy they had crafted was really working. Monitoring was poor as during the investigations it was discovered that people usually smoke as usual even after the order was enacted two years ago. Audit. The company did not conduct any audit of their safety system. Audit would have identified the previous smaller fires that had occurred and were not identified. The company should have involved external audits to ensure that their safety measures were capable of reducing fatal accidents like this one. Organize. The company ought to have involved each stakeholder in coming up with the safety system. The travelers should have been educated on the importance of adhering to the non-smoking order. This would have been done through the use of mass media like the TV. The travelers should have been told that conforming to the order or policy was for their own safety. Recommendations Communication is vital to ensure that any change to the existing laws and orders are adhered to. The rail station management should have communicated the order of non-smoking law to the travelers. The management should make sure that the correct information is conveyed to the right people affected by the order. The managers tasked with implementation of the order, should be trained on implementation of the order. Communication is also important during an emergency like this. The company should communicate to the travelers and its employees effectively using fire alarms to reduce the fatality of the accident. (Bezold, 1986) Emergency equipment should always be available in the company, railway station; this will enable good operating operations in the station. The rail station should conform to the health and safety of the land. This will make sure that the rail station has the minimum requirements for first aid kits, fire extinguishers, stretchers and emergency communication equipment. The emergency equipment should be located in easily accessible locations like the waiting areas. The emergency equipment should be serviced regularly to ensure that they are working. References Bezold, Clement, Rick J. Carlson, and Jonathan C. Peck. The future of work and health. Dover, Mass.: Auburn House Pub. Co., 1986. Comeau, Louis R.. The report of the Independent Review Panel on New Brunswick's Workplace Health, Safety, and Compensation System. Fredericton, N.B.: New Brunswick Workplace Health, Safety, and Compensation System Independent Review Panel, 2008. Print DiBerardinis, Louis J.. Handbook of occupational safety and health. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1999. Print. DiNardi, S. R.. The occupational environment: its evaluation, control, and management. 2nd ed. Fairfax, Va.: AIHA Press (American Industrial Hygiene Association), 2003. Print. Friend, Mark A., and James P. Kohn. Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. 4th ed. Lanham, Md.: Government Institutes, 2007. Print. Reese, Charles D. Occupational health and safety management: a practical approach. Boca Raton, Fla.: Lewis Pub., 2003. The Health and Safety Executive HSE: working with employers. London: Health and Safety Executive, 1994. Print. Rossol, Monona. The artist's complete health & safety guide. 2nd ed. New York: Allworth Press, 1994. Print. Read More