TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES OF AN EQUIPMENT OPERATOR

BY CYRIL BOATENG

Module 1 Health and Safety at Work

A. INTRODUCTION
Relevant to all branches of industry, business, commerce. It affects all aspects of work. In a low hazard organization, one competent supervisor can handle all aspects. In a high hazard organization (manufacturing plant) many different specialists e.g engineers, doctors, lawyers, may assist the professional health and safety practitioner.

INTRODUCTION (contd)
Obstacles to achieving good standards: pressure of production/production targets, financial constraints, complexity of the organization. Incentives for good standards: moral, legal and economic reasons.

DEFINITIONS
Health: Protection of the bodies and minds of people from illness resulting from the materials processes or procedures used in the workplace. Safety: The protection of people from physical injury. Welfare: The provision of facilities to maintain the health and well-being of individuals at the workplace e.g. washing and sanitation arrangements, drinking of water, heating, lighting, seating for rest, eating and rest rooms, first aid.

DEFINITIONS (contd)
Occupational or work-related ill-health: This is concerned with those illnesses or physical or mental disorders that are either caused or triggered by workplace activities. Environmental protection: These are arrangements to cover those activities in the workplace which affect the environment (in the form of flora, fauna, water, air, and soil)

DEFINITION (contd)
Accident: This is defined by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as any unplanned event that results in injury or ill-health of people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the environment or a loss of business opportunity. Near miss: This is any incident that could have resulted in an accident. Dangerous occurrence: This is a near miss which could have led to serious injury or loss of life.

DEFINITIONS (contd)
Hazard: A hazard is the potential of a substance, person, activity or process to cause harm e.g. electricity, chemicals, working on a ladder. Risk: The likelihood of a substance, activity or process to cause harm and its resulting severity. A risk can be reduced and the hazard eleminated or controlled by good management.

VIDEO

B. REASONS FOR MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING GOOD STANDARDS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLCE

REASONS
Moral Social/Legal Economic

MORAL REASONS
These reasons are supported by the occupational accident and disease rates. ILO: 2.2 million people have work related accidents or contract related diseases every year. 270 million occupational accidents. 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.

MORAL REASONS (contd)

3.9% of all deaths are work-related. 15% of the worlds population suffers a minor or major occupational accident or work related disease in any one year. 30% of the unemployed report that they suffer from an injury or disease dating from the time at which they were employed.

MORAL REASONS (contd)

An employee should not have to risk injury or death at work. A major accident is a serious accident typically involving a fracture of a limb or a 24 hr stay in a hospital. An over 3 day accident is an accident which leads to more than 3 days absence from the workplace. Statistics are collected on all people who are injured at places of work (not just workers).

MORAL REASONS (contd)

Work related ill-health and occupational disease can lead to absence from work and in some cases to death. Diseases related to work cause the most deaths among workers. 1.7 m out of 2.2 m work related deaths are due to disease. Hazardous substances kill about 438,000. Asbestos alone kills 100, 000.Most of the other deaths are due to cancer.

SOCIAL REASONS
In all countries, employers owe a duty of care to each of their employees and others that might be affected by their undertaking. This duty is subdivided into five groups.

Duty of Care
Provide a safe place of work, including access and egress. Provide safe plant equipment. Provide a safe system of work. Provide safe and competent fellow employees. Provide adequate levels of supervision, information, instruction and training.

ECONOMIC REASONS
Poor health and safety performance results in additional costs to both public and private sectors of a country. Any accident or incidence of ill-health will cause both direct and indirect costs and incur an insured and uninsured costs. Studies have shown that indirect costs could be 36 times greater than direct costs of an accident. In 2000, EU estimated that work related accidents costed member states 55 billion Euros.

Direct Costs
Claims on employers and public liability insurance. Damage to buildings, equipment or vehicles. Absence of employees. Fines resulting from prosecution or by enforcement authorities. Sick pay. Legal representation following compensation claim.

Indirect Costs
Recruitment of replacement staff. Loss of goodwill and poor corporate image. Production delays. First aid provision and training. Loss time for other employees, such as first aid staff. Lower employee morale possibly leading to reduced productivity.