The Impact of Health and Safety Management on Organisations and Their Staff - Coursework Example

Health and Social Care Table of Contents Health and Social Care 1 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 Employer’s General duty of care 3 Employee’s general duty of care 4 Policies and procedures for communicating health and safety information to staff 4 Health, safety and security priorities for our Agency 5 Hazardous substances 5 Housekeeping 6 The use of alcohol and drugs 6 Personal protective clothing and equipment 6 Hazard reporting 6 Reporting of injuries and accidents 7 Warning signs 7 Office fire protection 7 References 9 Appendix 9 Acknowledgement of Employee Induction 9 Step 1: Planning of the risk assessment process 10 Step 2: Assessment and analysis of risks and hazards 10 Step 3: Set priorities for action 11 Step 4: Implement improvements 11 Step 5: Document the results and re-evaluate them   12 Occupational Safety and Health induction Booklet Introduction Smart Agency is sensitive and aware of its duties and responsibilities as concerns the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) of its employees in terms of providing safe worksites. All our workers are required to ensure that they conform to Health and Safety policies, procedures, instructions, information and requirements set in place by the Agency. It is mandatory for them to adhere to all practices, procedures and rules of safe work as well as ensuring that they perform and respect each other’s activities. The procedures and guidelines of health and measures are reviewed regularly to ensure that they fit every employee accordingly. This policy does not cover employees only; instead, every other person conducting business with our Agency within and outside the premises. It should also ensure the current administration of work safety and health matters is done efficiently (McWay, 2013, p.415) It is a requirement by the labor laws to induct all new employees, contractors, employees who have changed departments, as well as frequent visitors into the safety and health issues before they commence working. Relevant and adequate information, booklets and suitable training must be provided as well. Employer’s General duty of care Under the OSH legislation, the employer has a duty and responsibility of ensuring that employees are not exposed to hazards and risks while at work. A manager or employer is required to give workers: Safe work systems Booklets, instructions, training and supervision on health safety. Consultation and teamwork Personal protection while at work Safe plant and substance Ways of reporting fatalities, diseases and injuries while at work Employee’s general duty of care A worker is supposed to cater for their personal safety and health while at work as well as ensuring that they avoid harming the safety and health of fellow colleagues in work through any act or omission. The employee and employers work hand in hand to ensure that the OSH legislation is followed. The responsibility of the employee is to follow the policies provided whereas the employer should provide appropriate information, instructions, and training on the health and safety issues for the employees to work safely. Employees must: Follow the safety and health policies and procedures provided by the employer Make use of protective clothes, equipments and other gadgets such as boots. Make good use of working equipment in terms of usage and storage. Report injuries, possible harm to health, likely risks and hazards, and near misses while at work Policies and procedures for communicating health and safety information to staff It is up to the health and safety coordinator to communicate and disseminate information on safety and health issues within their departments. The coordinator should provide every new recruit with a policy statement that states how they can access information on health, safety, and security and fire procedures as well as information on the outcomes of risk assessments and inspections. During some designated staff meetings, the policy on health safety a daily topic of discussion to disseminate the new contents and reviews of the policy. In addition, the health and safety laws and procedures are displayed in major notice boards and other prominent positions in the work places. Through the Agency’s website, the employees can access the health and safety guidelines online. Where appropriate, any reviews and amendments on the health and safety laws are to be communicated to all staff through staff emails (McWay, 2013, p.431) Consultation and discussions with employees on health and safety is crucial for the agency to ensure that employees are safe from injuries and accidents. It helps to instill and maintain a positive safety and health culture and helps to integrate several ideas so as to come up with a vibrant health and safety policies and procedures. In our Agency, we consult employees directly and they can choose whichever method, reviews or amendments suits everyone best. Our Agency has developed a written plan of action that is aimed at implementing the employee participation in the health and safety administration. As stated in this plan, employers must consult with employees and their representatives on the manner and development the policy (McWay, 2013, p.316) Health, safety and security priorities for our Agency Hazardous substances In the workplace, many hazardous substances such as drugs, detergents, disinfectants and other cleaning products are handled and can be dangerous if used unsafely. Awareness of the possible risks involved can help prevent injuries, discomfort and in other cases death. The employee should make use of hazardous and risky substances according to the written instructions and if they need more information, they consult from the manager or the safety and health representative. The employee should make use of protective equipment provided at all times (McWay, 2013, p.326) Housekeeping Every employee has a task of ensuring that his or her work area and place is well maintained and left in a clean and safe condition during work and even when leaving the job place. Gangways and work areas must be left clear and obstruction free. In addition, use of bins is mandatory at the employee’s work area for discarding garbage and waste materials (Reason, 1997, p.54) The use of alcohol and drugs Our Agency prohibits the use, possession and sale of illicit drugs. It also prohibit influence of alcohol while at work or in the course of employment whether within or outside our premises. This includes the use of drugs, which may result to an impairment of employee to work safely. Violation of the given guidelines calls for disciplinary action and may place the affected party’s employment at risk. Personal protective clothing and equipment Personal protective equipment and clothing provided to you by the relevant manager should be worn at all times as directed by the manager. If one is doubting or lack information about clothing, you must enquire from the relevant manager. It is one’s duty or care for the clothing and equipment. The Agency will only replace equipment and clothing out of reasonable wear and tear but not out of one’s carelessness and ignorance. Hazard reporting The employee should report a hazard to the relevant manager once he or she identifies it the work place. If the manager handles the case, you are not satisfied, and that there is likelihood that you could be injured, report the issue to the manager’s supervisor. Reporting of injuries and accidents It is the duty of care for the employee to report any kind of workplace accidents and injuries to the OSH manager. In addition, accidents that do not result to damage of property commonly known as near misses should also be reported. Do not leave the place of work before reporting the accident. Warning signs These signs exist in many forms, colors, configurations and sizes and they should be placed in the work place to warn employees about hazards that may not be easily recognized. These signs are used as means of visual communication and are termed as more superior than words. Non-compliance could result to serious injury and may be considered as breach of the Agency’s safety and health policy. Office fire protection The employees should familiarize themselves with the fire extinguishers situated throughout the work place. They should familiarize themselves with the location of the extinguishers, the type of fire that they are designed to fight and how they operate. In case of fire outbreak, report the emergency immediately and look for ways of escaping through the escape route. For example, employees to be involved in regular fire drills aimed at training them on office fire protection (McWay, 2013, p.345) References McWay, D, Today’s Health Information Management: An Integrated Approach, Boston, Cengage Learning, 2013. Reason J. Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Ashgate, 1997 Appendix Acknowledgement of Employee Induction I confirm having got copy of employee Safety Induction. As an employee engaged by Smart Agency I have read the content. I fully agree to adhere to the terms provided in this booklet and any procedure by the relevant manager in relation to the health and safety of the worksite in general. Employee Name: Signature: Date: *Please go through the above form, sign and channel it back to the relevant body. TASK 2 It is necessary or vital for organizations to conduct risk assessments as concerns all staff working within the organization’s premises. Every employee has to understand the meaning of a hazard or the possibility if an accident occurring as well as the risks involved as follows. Hazard-refers to anything that may cause harm in the work stations including chemicals, electricity, open drawers, an employee working from a ladder among other situations Risk-Refers to the chance a worker could be harmed by a hazard. A risk could be high or low and also includes an indication of how serious the harm could be. The procedure followed during risk analysis and assessment within our Agency is described as follows: Step 1: Planning of the risk assessment process It is very crucial to plan for the complete risk assessment process before commencing the actual risk assessment. In this step, you decide on who should be involved in the project group. It is essential to involve all workers or workers representatives in the assessment since they know best what hazards and risks they face in the workplace. In the process of the risk assessment, the following occupational risks and hazards are co assessment processes are identified as well as the guidelines of employees’ professional relations should be followed considered: Electricity The exposure and toxicity of Chemical agents Biological agents / infection risks Accidents such as needle stick injuries Physical strains when handling patients Insufficient working conditions Work organization including work shifts, work load and time pressure Psychosocial stressors such as violence Work equipment Step 2: Assessment and analysis of risks and hazards The possible risks and hazards have been identified. They can be identified from documents on chemical hazards, the nature of work equipments and duty rosters and they provide the first impression on the potential risks and hazards. In addition, the list on the potential risks can be obtained from checklists provided by safety bodies and other liability insurance organizations. Step 3: Set priorities for action Not all of the noted possible risks and hazards written in the list will have the same importance. It is essential to prioritize on the risks and hazards and agree on the tackling first the ones which are more risky than others. For example, improving the working conditions for the employees is a continuous process and starts from dealing first with the most urgent risks and hazards before moving on to the rest (Beatson,1998). Step 4: Implement improvements In this step, all risks, which can be eliminated, are done away with. Those, which cannot be eliminated, are controlled so that they cannot compromise further the health and safety of workers. The needed improvements should be considered by identifying and taking responsibility in ensuring that all the process is complete. All parties involved in the process should be supplied with a timetable. Employees must be aware of the results of the process of assessment and the improvements planned on the same. Health safety and quality management specialists should be contracted to carry out the whole process and coordinate all activities so as to come up with a vibrant safety management system. Step 5: Document the results and re-evaluate them   The results from the improvements activities have to be evaluated again so as to determine their viability. Additional remedies should be employed, if the improvements do not give the anticipated results. The risk assessment is then documented and contains the risk analysis results, the improvements that have been implemented, and the results of the improvements. The list of the risks and hazards must be modified or changed daily and establishing a continuous improvement process (Beatson, 1998). Recommendations for dealing with risks and hazards There are several recommendations from the risk assessment results. The Agency is recommended to undertake the following procedures to continually improve the safety and health of all workers. These recommendations include (Viscusi, 1978): • Ensuring that they install and implement a complete occupational health and safety management system •Training on fire safety • Chemical and drugs management such as proper storage, appropriate labeling, and training of workers on the same platform. • Ensure that working hours comply with the requirements of the law • Supervisors of the health and safety department to be training on how to effectively administer • Ensure safety of the electrical systems and that they comply with the relevant standards • Ensure that warning systems are fitted on all heavy machinery • Restrict personnel from walking near heavy vehicles and machinery. • Efficient consultation and consultation between workers and the employer. Impact of the health and safety policy Health and safety programs and policies in the workplace is a very crucial aspect in any organization. They impact to the general objective of the organization in the following ways: Workers are strongly motivated because they feel that they are part of the Agency and this increases their commitment to achieving the organization’s goals. Health and safety procedures show employees that business goals and performances as well as safety performance are compatible. Through the procedures, the organization’s principles, objectives and strategies are clearly spelt out in the Act. Employer and employee’s responsibility and accountability for work place health and safety are clearly spelt out in the OSHA Act. Effect of non-compliance with health and safety legislation Health and safety laws provide that organizations must (Weil, 1996, v. 27). Assess the risks and possible hazards in workplaces which may affect employees, contractors, customers, partners and anybody affected by the activities of the agency. Arrange for efficient and effective planning, monitoring, review and controlling of protective measures Have in place general written health and safety policies which should be made available to all employees through emails, notice boards, during meetings Ensure that they have competent health and safety advisories Consult employees on the possible risks and hazards at work stations Failure to conform to such requirements by law can lead to serious consequences and can lead to sanctions such as imprisonments (Viscusi, 1978) References Viscusi, W. Kip (1978), The impact of occupational safety and health regulation, The Bell Journal of Economics. Weil, David (1996), If OSHA is so bad, why is compliance so good?, RAND Journal of Economics, Vol. 27 Beatson, M., Coleman, M. (1998), International comparison of the economic costs of work accidents and work related ill-health, In: Mossink JCM, Licher, F. (eds) Costs and Benefits of Occupational Safety and Health Proceedings of the European Conference on Costs and Benefits of Occupational Safety and Health, 1997, Hoofdoorp, NIA TNO TASK 3 Managing health and safety in the workplace successfully mostly relies on commitment of members as well as cooperation and consultation among the parties involved. Everyone in the agency ought to understand the need for health and safety, their roles and responsibilities in making the workplace safer, and the best ways of fulfilling their duties and responsibilities (Reason, 1993, p.327) Health and safety policies, procedures and duties must be fully monitored thus it is the responsibility of the top management to form a board that will be responsible for ensuring that strong and essential health and safety principles are embedded in the organization. The board will help to tell whether the system is effectively managing risk and hazards as well as protecting workers. In our Agency, the board reviews health and safety performance every year. The review process should: Examine and assess whether the health and safety policies and procedures reflects the Agency’s priorities, plans and targets Report any health and safety shortcoming to the relevant authority Observe whether health and safety risk management board has been effectively reporting to the review board Come up with actions aimed at addressing any shortcomings and ways of monitoring the implementation of such actions Consider immediate and pressing reviews for major shortcomings or events What health and safety management procedures does the organization have in place? To evaluate how the current health and safety procedures and processes are performing well, certain key questions are necessary and they include (Reason, 1993, p.315): i. Do you know if at the moment you are complying with the appropriate health and safety laws affecting your agency? ii. Do you have copies of health and safety legislations, regulations and codes of practice which apply in the agency or organization? iii. Are the preparations sorted for consultation between the management and workers on issues of health and are they involved in the decisions made on the same through their representatives? iv. Have you selected health and safety representatives? Are they well trained? v. Dou you have in place a health and safety committee? Does it function? vi. Dou you have a written general health and safety policy? vii. Have you put in place policies of dealing with specific health and safety issues in the work place? viii. Have you written down a procedure for identifying risks and hazards and ways of assessing them in your workplace? ix. Do new recruits and transferred employees get booklets and instructions on health and safety policies, practices and procedures? x. Do you have procedures for first aid and other emergencies? What should be done if the a strategy on health and safety is not working Sometimes, a strategy which was aimed at ensuring health and safety for all people in the workplace fails to work and this calls for a review on the same. A number of questions need to asked and they include: i. Was the main idea and objectives realistic and achievable? If not, consider revising the objectives. ii. Are the objectives relevant to the prevailing technological advancements and values? iii. Was the correct procedure used as planned when implementing the strategy? iv. Were the parties involved subjected to sufficient training and information? Did they understand the strategy? v. Did you provide enough resources for the implementation of the strategy? vi. Did you give the parties’ involved adequate time for them to work given the scope of work organization? vii. Did you allocate the responsibility of strategy implementation? viii. Were the responsibilities allocated? ix. Did you collect relevant information correctly and linked to the stipulated organizational strategy? The give data helps to revise and tune the strategies, to reset standards and to identify those areas of health and safety that heed to prioritize on and those, which need proper and regular management. Encouraging a good health and safety culture Culture refers to doing things and can be taught, shared and copied. Culture is considered to be norm since people in a specific culture tend to do things in similar ways. Therefore, our Agency has a culture which consists of shared working procedures and a norm of accepting, tolerating risk and controlling hazards and how to deal with accidents and near misses. Safety culture also entails the safety climate that can be described as the way people feel about safety as well as the safety policies and procedures of the organization (Cooper, 2000, p. 113). Smart agency should develop a safety and health culture which has three main elements which are (Smith & Wadsworth , 2009): i. Rules and working practices and procedures that can effectively and efficiently control hazards ii. A positive attitude of risk management and conformity to the control processes iii. The ability to learn from accidents and near misses as well as bringing about consistent health and safety improvements The agency can develop safe working practices that always comply with best health and safety laws and practices. It can also create a positive health and safety culture through making sure that the top management leads from the front line (Reason, 1998, P.300). For example, they can lead in terms of health and safety laws compliance. However, for these two elements to work effectively, the agency must first learn from what is happening in the workplace. Developing suitable improvements on health and safety practices becomes possible once the parties involved become aware of accidents and near misses. For managers to know the priority areas, the agency needs credible safety reports and inspections which will enable the managers to concentrate their efforts on such areas (Cooper, 2000, p. 128). Contributions of placing the needs of employees at the center in matters of health It is the work of an employee to guarantee safety of created and maintained at all times as it can help you focus on improving the general work environment, which adds to the motivating factor among the employees. You should have a plan, which is based on preventing injuries, accidents and illnesses in the work place. Since Smart agency is a big organization and much hazardous when compared with other small organizations, it must have full booklets and websites full of health and safety policies and procedures written down for all parties to access. They should also employ a full time director in charge of the health and safety department. This is aimed at ensuring that the safety needs of the employees are not taken for granted but they are taken care of (Reason, 1993, p.321) Smart agency should install a vibrant system of safety and health policies for the whole organization to be complete and successful. For it to be successful, the system must have the following in place (Cooper, 2000, p. 125): Committed managers to make the program work Employees who are diligently involved in the program A system that identifies and controls risks and hazards Compliance with OSHA rules Consistent training on safe working practices Mutual respect and openness in communication as well as a conducive safety climate. Continuous and consistent improvement Training employees on health and safety also helps to reduce the chances of accidents and hazards from occurring. They should be trained on the possible hazards and risks that may occur at the work place and how to protect themselves. New employees should be provided with general safety orientation such as OSHA regulations and other emergency procedures. Old employees should also be subjected to continued training concerning health and safety reviews and revision of the regulations (Cooper, 2000, P. 123). References Ward J, Haslam C & Haslam R. The impact of health and safety management on organisations and their staff. IOSH, 2008.www.iosh.co.uk/supervisorresearch. Cooper M D. Towards a model safety culture. Safety Science 2000; 36: 111–136 Reason J. Achieving a safe culture: theory and practice. Work and Stress 1998; 12 (3): 293–306 Smith A, P & Wadsworth E, K. Safety culture, advice and performance. IOSH, 2009. www.iosh.co.uk/supervisorresearch Read More