Occupational Health and Safety

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Occupational Health and Safety is an area concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of workers in the workplace (Alli,2008). The main objective of occupational health is to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries by encouraging workers to appreciate safe working practices, studying how workers carry out their duties and how they can improve their work, and keeping a close check on the health of all the employees. An occupational health department can work together with the employer to practice the laws concerning health and safety. It can also conduct health check-ups before employing workers to ensure they physically fit the working environment. An occupational health department should also offer training and guidance to the workforce to familiarize them with the workplace hazards and conduct counseling on issues not related to health. The dangers which are mostly found in a workplace and that require attention from occupational health and safety management include exposure to toxic chemicals, fires, a repetitive movement that can affect the musculoskeletal system, electricity, and fall-related injuries, maybe from slips and trips. An occupational therapist can be held in charge if the workplace is significant and it has many employees.

Safety programs are planned to assist employers, employees, health and safety committees in creating a healthy workplace. The main objective of the plan is to prevent illnesses, injuries, and deaths, which might occur in the workplace. The plan should address the types of accidents that could happen in a workplace and the health hazards the employees and employers are exposed to. The safety program should address the specific demands of a particular company following the size of the company. The points to be followed when developing a safety program in a company are four. First, the management team is formed, which formulates the laws and policies to be included in the program. Workers should also be included when putting down the rules. Second, the workplace should be thoroughly investigated to establish the health hazards which are already there. Possible dangers that might occur are also put into consideration. Third, methods for hazard prevention are formulated. Lastly, workers, supervisors, and managers are trained in ways of dealing with the hazards.

There exist many health and safety programs that can be implemented in the workplace. However, some safety plans are more preferred to others (Barton, 2019). The priority is the Emergency Action Plan. The second program which should be formulated in any company is the Hazard Communication Plan. The General Respiratory Plan should also be included and prioritized in companies. The three safety programs are considered in any company because they can be applied in organizations with both small and large numbers of workers. Another advantage of the three plans is that they cater to the general welfare of an individual. Besides, they are easy to implement and require less training to understand and practice.

In the Hazard Communication program, any workplace that deals with harmful and toxic chemicals require this program. Most chemicals and even cleaning products are toxic. Revised Hazard Communication Program involves providing some labels on the chemicals following the Global Harmonization System. All harmful chemicals which are found in the company must be recorded in an inventory by the employers. After identifying the toxic chemicals, the effects of these chemicals should be established and analyzed by the employers, and the results well-spoken. During the identification of the impact of these chemicals, workers should be involved as they are the first victims of the substances because they interact with them during manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. The chemicals should be labeled to include the product name, toxic warnings, manufacturer’s name, and address. All these labels assist the consumer in avoiding confusion and also to contact the manufacturer for more information.

An Emergency Action Program should be there in every company which is inhabited by more than ten workers. The plan should address the emergencies that are possible to occur in the workplace. Contingencies may include harmful chemical spills, floods, and fires. Fires may result from the presence of flammable substances in the workplace. The program should be in written form and should always be easily accessible by the workers in case they want to review it. An alarm system should always be maintained to alert everyone.

General respiratory should also be available for most companies. This is to shield the employers and workers from exposure to contaminated air. The respirators should be provided depending on the hazards present. Hazards may be chemicals or dust particles from mining and construction sites. A clear outline of the procedures of using the equipment should be put on paper. Medical evaluation should be conducted to ensure that the workers are fit to use the respirators. The respirators should frequently be checked and repaired to ensure that they are working efficiently.

I work in a large company which is located in the Northern part of Ontario. The company deals with the manufacture of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides. Our company has an Emergency Action plan, a General Respiratory plan, and the Hazard Communication Plan. Hazard Communication is the main program because our company’s main products are chemicals. The program has a list of all the products, labels, and training opportunities.

Hazard Communication Plan starts by putting down its main objectives and laying down its rules and regulation that must be followed. The company begins by investigating all the toxic chemicals it manufactures, and a list is generated. After the Identification, our company labels all the containers which have the hazardous. Colored symbols should be used to indicate the warnings on each chemical. A label of the company’s name and the address should also appear on the container. All tags should be well visible. In case a hazardous chemical has not been labeled, it should not be used, and it should be reported to the Hazard Communication department for action to be taken. Proper training should be offered to the workers for them to understand the labels. Besides, a Sample label should be included in the program’s inventory for reviews. The program also contains a list of substances that should not be checked for toxic content. Examples of such chemicals include Food, drug tablets, cosmetics, and wood products. Another section found on this program is to offer training to workers in identifying the harmful chemicals, their effects, and how to overcome the effects. There is also a section outlining the rights of the workers concerning the hazardous chemicals they deal with.

The Hazard Communication program in our agricultural Chemical Manufacturing Company can be improved in many ways. First, the company should regularly provide training to the workers concerning the harmful chemicals they interact with daily. Effective training strategies should be used, such as placing workers in small groups whereby they are in a position to present their opinions and air their doubts (Fagotto & Fung, 2003). The manager should ensure that everyone in the company follows the policies. Information concerning the chemicals should be passed using clear and straightforward language. Unions and workplace safety groups should take part in implementing information based rules and procedures.

In conclusion, Occupational health and safety are a discipline, which is concerned with the welfare of all individuals in the workplace. Safety programs are formulated with rulers and policies to be followed to minimize injuries, death, and illnesses that might occur in the workplace. The three best Safety programs are Emergency Action, Hazard Communication, and the General Respiratory Safety Program. The programs can be applied in all types of companies, and they cover most of the health safety management. Our company’s leading program is Hazard Communication because it manufactures chemicals. It involves listing harmful chemicals, labeling them, and training workers. Effective methods of training workers can be used to improve on the Hazard Communication Program.

References

Alli, B. O. (2008). Fundamental Principles of occupational health and safety Second edition. Geneva, International Labor Organization, 15.

Barton. R. (2019). Successful Health and Safety Program. Retrieved from www.hausmann.com/blog/successful-health-and-safety-program

Faggoto. E & Fung. A. (2003). Improving Workplace Hazard Communication. Retrieved from https://issues.org/fagotto