Safety and health policy of the Unit operation laboratory - Research Paper Example

Safety and health policy of the Unit operation laboratory The main purpose of this policy is to prevent personal injury and loss of property. It will effectively minimize panic, lower safety and health risks, and avoid confusion in the event of an emergency. All organizations are under the mandate to adopt and implement an effective safety and health policy. As such, all organizations strive to create a safety and health policy with an aim of establishing a safer working environment. Additionally, due to the significance of safety and health in an organization, this process requires relevant research, expertise input, training of staff, and compliance to government and international safety and health standards depending on the complexity of organization’s operations. Such a policy should be clear, easy to understand, guarantee a safe and healthy environment, and should relate to job requirements and responsibilities of any party in an organization. Additionally, it reflects in the way the management prioritizes and focuses on health and safety issues (Health, Safety and Environment Office). Management commitment Safety and health policy It is the core duty of the management to ensure high value of the safety and health of its employees and other stakeholders. This entails the provision of a safe workplace with better health conditions with an aim of preventing injury and illness. Actually, the safety and health policy is an initiative that involves the management, supervisors, and employees of a given organization seeking to curb, identify, and eliminate all safety and health risks that accrue in a working environment. The basis of the safety and health policy is the declaration by the management that the health and safety of all parties is supreme in an organization. Nevertheless, although it is challenging to have a risk-free working environment, the management can establish an accident-free working environment (Texas Department of Insurance). All employees should actively participate in contributing to a safer working environment and comply with the set safety and health principles of an organization. On the other hand, the supervisors who have the duty of ensuring the safety of the employees should take necessary precautionary measures, promote and maintain safety in the workplace, and take requisite actions towards eliminating any safety and health risks. Additionally, the management bears the responsibility of formulating and providing the necessary resources for the communication and implementation of the policy. Moreover, the management establishes a safety committee, trains employees, and supervisors on the provisions of the policy, and ensures unity of purpose in its implementation. At the same time, the management establishes a system for identifying and responding to safety risks and subsequently creates a disciplinary policy to guarantee total compliance to the safety and health principles as enshrined in the policy. Indeed, OSHA states that the commitment to safety and health starts with management. Indeed, it recommends a number of actions to the management to prove commitment to the health and safety policy in an organization. It recommends that the management should clearly state and communicate the objective of the safety and health policy to all parties of a reference organization. The management should equally involve its employees in making decisions that will influence their safety and health in the organization. In addition, OSHA relevantly recommends that the management provide the requisite moral, technical, and financial support relating to the establishment and implementation of the policy. Furthermore, the management should involve, assign, communicate, and authorize respective safety and health responsibilities to all departmental heads and staff. In addition, OSHA recommends that the management should hold all employees accountable for discharging their safety and health responsibili­ties. Finally, it recommends that the management should consistently review the safety and health policy to ascertain possible challenges and inherent success and recommend revision of objectives where necessary. Notably, the safety and health policy of any organization should draw its basic principles from OSHA standards on safety and health. Indeed, in case of any inconsistencies in health and safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 remains supreme. In this context, the management refers to the managers and line supervisors (Texas Department of Insurance). Safety and Health Responsibilities Manager Responsibilities 1. Since the manager is the link between the management and the employees, he/she has the oversight responsibility of addressing safety and health issues in an organization. 2. Identifies potential hazards, responds to them, and gives authority in relation to other responsibilities. 3. Assembles the safety committee that represents all parties in safety and health issues deliberations. 4. Allocates resources for supervisor support, safety equipment, training, and ensures effective implementation of the safety and health policy (Health & Safety Authority). 5. The manager should also devise job descriptions, create appropriate organizational structures, and develop a safety and health culture in an organization. 6. The manager establishes the disciplinary policy, reviews the effectiveness of the safety and health policy, and implements necessary improvements. 7. Evaluates all supervisors and employees to rate their compliance with the safety and health policy. 8. Investigates, records, and reports all injuries and illnesses in the organization. 9. Ensures that employees have enough time to carry out the necessary safety and health procedures. 10. Chairs and attends all safety and health meetings. 11. The manager has a responsibility of leading by example, participating in and complying with the objectives of the safety and health policy (Health & Safety Authority). Supervisor Responsibilities 1. Supervisors have a duty by law to take necessary measures that guarantee safety and health of employees. 2. Supervisors must be conversant and ensure the subordinate supervisors are equally knowledgeable as regards the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the organizations safety and health policy. 3. Supervisors must have prior knowledge about potential or actual health and safety risks and subsequently inform the workers about such hazards. 4. Supervisors have the responsibility of providing relevant information, supervision, and instructions to all workers with an aim of protecting them. 5. Supervisors have the mandate to ensure that workers live up to the safety and health policy and to use protective equipment in the organization (University of Toronto). 6. Supervisors ensure the provision of materials, equipment, and protective devices to all workers and good maintenance of these materials, equipment etc. 7. Supervisors must identify, label, and keep an up-to-date inventory of all hazardous materials and substances in an organization. Such materials and hazardous substances should be prescribed by WHMIS Regulation. 8. The supervisor has a responsibility of ensuring participation and training of all workers exposed to hazardous materials. 9. Supervisors must ensure safe disposal of hazardous materials present in the workplace. Supervisors should investigate and guarantee timely medical attention where injury occurs. 10. Supervisors should document all employee evaluations and play the lead role in attending training and following the safety and health policy (University of Toronto). Employee Responsibilities 1. The employees must cooperate with the managers, supervisors, and employers to facilitate the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations and the safety and health policy. 2. The employees should participate in training programs, cooperate in assessments, and take necessary safety and health measures as stipulated in the policy. 3. For the purpose of protecting themselves, employees should specifically take immediate response or report to the authorities the health and safety hazards. 4. The employees should wear protective equipment, avoid jewelry, and cut long hair. 5. The employees should ideally make sure that their actions do not put other peoples at risk. 6. They should use the provided safety and health equipment accordingly and make sure they get the requisite training to operate them. 7. They should report any medications or safety procedures that may affect their line of duty. 8. They have the mandate of reporting any strains, injuries, or illnesses that emanate from doing their duty. 9. The employees should adhere to the OSHA safety standards and training and recommend relevant safety and health changes that may improve the effectiveness of the policy (Government of South Australia). Employee Participation The participation of employees in formulating and implementing the safety and health policy is very significant in determining its success. Health and Safety Committee The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every organization to form a health and safety committee for the purpose of ensuring compliance to the health and safety policy. The committee should have several health and safety representatives as elected by the employees of a given organization. As such, employees in every department elect a representative to the safety and health committee. Otherwise, one has to incorporate employee-elected representatives and those appointed by the union. A majority vote by the committee members elects the chairperson of the committee. The health and safety committee seeks to identify and promote a balanced understanding of safety and health hazards in the workplace. The committee equally reviews accidents, proposes possible solutions, and evaluates the effectiveness of the safety and health policy. In addition, the safety and health committee encourages safe work practices among the employees, ensures a monthly self-inspection of the working environment, and communicates safety and health issues to the stakeholders they represent. As such, the safety and health committee plays a major role in the implementation of the safety and health policy (Health and Safety Executive). Employee Safety Meetings Supervisors, managers, and the health and safety committee should hold frequent employee safety meetings depending on the size and spread of the workforce, the agenda of the meeting, the volume of business, possible risks and hazards, and complexity of the organizations’ operations. The employee safety meetings promote hazard awareness and accord safety and health education. They also ensure that the employees receive adequate training in safety and health responsibilities in the organization. The meetings equally identify safety hazards, review incidents reports, and recommend possible solutions. As such, the Employee Safety Meetings prevent diseases and injuries as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the safety and health policy. Most importantly, these meetings evaluate the effectiveness of the safety and health policy in the organization (Health and Safety Executive). Hazard Recognition In all organizations, employees are prone to chemical, physical, biological, and radioactive hazards that are injurious and sometimes fatal. However, many employees are not aware of these hazards, and this increases their vulnerability to injury and disease. As such, the employers have a mandate of ensuring the adoption of a written chemical hygiene plan that would assist the employees in identifying and handling potential hazards. The chemical hygiene plan protects employees from the health and safety hazards as detailed in the safety and health policy (United States Department of Labor). Record Keeping and Review The employees have a mandate of reporting any potential hazard, actual injuries or diseases to the supervisor for relevant recording and review, and recommend solutions. The employees should use the “Employee's Injury/Illness Report Form” to report serious injuries while the supervisor can record the minor injuries in the minor injury log. As per the safety and health policy, the supervisor has the mandate to use the "Incident Investigation" in investigating serious injuries or illness. He/she should also determine the type of injury, its impact, and possible solutions of the incident. He/she should also inform the safety and health committee about the injury reports and present investigations for review. Incident Investigation Incident Investigation Procedure The safety and health policy dictates the incident investigation procedures for specific hazards. Additionally, the incident investigation depends on the magnitude of the incident and possible impact of the incident. However, the employer’s name, the extent of injuries or illness, location and time of the incident, and number of employees involved feature in the incident report. More so, nobody should disturb the scene of the incident. The supervisor should carry out preliminary investigations of the incident before submitting the investigation report to the safety committee. The investigations involve the recording of written statements, documentation, and photographing the incident scene. The investigating team should equally reference the “Incident Investigation Report” and draw conclusions regarding the incident. The investigative team then submits the report to the safety meeting for action. Safety Inspection Procedures The safety and health policy defines the commitment of the organization to identify hazardous conditions, investigate them, review, and take considerable action with the aim of preventing recurrence. The management and safety committee will check for hazards, review injury reports, and investigations, and derive possible solutions. They will equally delegate powers to the supervisor to identify any safety issues. The health and safety committee equally examines the working environment and recommends changes in the policy to eliminate or control any hazards. In addition, the safety committee representatives use the standard safety inspection checklist to inspect the working area before any safety committee meeting. They equally use the “Job Hazard Analysis” form to analyze the employees’ tasks, the requisite preventive equipment, and analyze the safety conditions in the organization. Hazard Prevention and Control Eliminating Workplace Hazards 1. The employer will provide eye and face protection equipment to all employees working in the laboratory to prevent chemical, eye, or face injury and exposure from radiation. 2. The employer should provide chemical goggles and face shield for the employees. 3. In case of chemical exposure, employees should flush the skin or eyes with cool water for at least 15 minutes. 4. One should get medical assistance immediately following flushing. 5. Employees should know the effects of equipment with which they are working. 6. It is advisable to have maximum foot protection. 7. One should only expose the head, neck, lower arms, and hands in a laboratory. 8. One should not wear loose fitting clothing. 9. Prior to leaving the laboratory, one should remove personal protective equipment and his/her hands. 10. An instructor or lab engineer should hold the authority of letting visitors in a laboratory. 11. Children under the age of 13 should not enter the laboratory at any time. 12. Employees should learn the location and use of all emergency equipment. 13. In case of an exposure to chemicals, one should immediately wash off all amounts of chemicals. 14. Employers should provide washing facilities for removing chemicals in case of exposure. 15. Employees should post “NO SMOKING” or “OPEN FLAMES” signs where flammables or combustibles are used or stored. 16. Employees should ensure the safe removal of combustible debris, waste solvents, and waste materials from the laboratory. 17. Supervisors should conduct an exposure assessment to ensure workers’ airborne lead levels are below the Permissible Exposure Levels Basic Safety Rules The safety and health policy clearly defines the basic safety rules that guarantee safety and health to all parties at the workplace. The basic safety rules work hard in hand with specific rules governing the operations of specific jobs or equipment. The safety and health policy equally defines the disciplinary measures applied to violators. Job Related Safety Rules The safety and health policy also accommodates other safety rules that relate to operating equipment and handling personal protective equipment. Disciplinary Policy While the safety and health policy expects the employees to behave in a manner promoting the set safety rules, some employees violate its provisions. As such, the policy equally provides a disciplinary policy to define the consequences of violating the safety rules. The disciplinary policy seeks to encourage employees to adhere to the safety rules. Equipment Maintenance To guarantee effective machine operations, the management should ensure the inspection, maintenance, and service of such equipment on a routine basis. This ensures that the machines equally do not propagate safety hazards. Emergency Planning The safety and health policy defines clear measures that accommodate emergency planning. The emergency plan shows exits, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and other preventive equipment. Moreover, it defines the assembly area in case of an emergency. To achieve an effective emergency plan, all employees should receive adequate training on how to use the preventive equipment. Safety and Health Training and Education Safety Training Indeed, training plays a significant part in ensuring the success of any safety and health policy. All employees, supervisors, and managers should participate in safety training. Training involves the knowledge about the safety and health of workers, which is actually a requirement of OSHA. Health and safety information and training ensures the adoption of a positive health and safety culture. It also promotes the compliance with OSHA standards. The training equally increases the competency of the employees in health and safety. It also helps the organization to avoid financial costs and distress resulting from accidents. Works Cited Health, Safety and Environment Office. “A Guide for Implementing a Departmental Health and Safety Management System”. Ab.ust.hk. n.d. Web. 11 September 2012. http://www.ab.ust.hk/hseo/Dhsmr/sample.htm Government of South Australia. “Employer and Employee Responsibilities”. Safework. n.d. Web 11 September 2012. Health & Safety Authority. “Safety and Health Management System”. HSA. n.d. Web. 11 September 2012. Health and Safety Executive. “Health and Safety Committees”. HSE.gov.uk. n.d. Web.11 September 2012. < http://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hscommittees.htm> Health and Safety Executive. “Health and Safety Training”. HSE.gov.uk . n.d. Web. 11 September 2012. < http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg345.pdf> Texas Department of Insurance. “Management Safety Responsibilities”. Tdi.texas.gov. n.d. Web 11 September 2012. < http://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/videoresource/stpmanresp.pdf> United States Department of Labor. “Hazard Recognition and Solutions”. OSHA.gov. Web. 11 September 2012. < http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laboratories/hazard_recognition.html> University of Toronto. “Occupational Health and Safety Guide for Supervisors”. Ehs.utoronto.ca. n.d. Web. 11 September 2012. Read More