EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH

THINK ABOUT THIS…

 Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-
related disease or accident
 Every 15 seconds, 160 workers have work
related accidents
 More than 2.3 million deaths and 317 million
accidents occur on the job annually
 Cost of poor occupation safety and health
practice is estimated at 4% of global GDP each
year
Source: ILO Website
WORKPLACE SAFETY

 Workplace safety is about preventing injury and

illness to employees and volunteers in the
workplace

 Thus, its about protecting the most valuable

asset i.e. its workers
 ILO launches media competition and Youth4OSH project
in the Philippines
 To build a safety and health culture among young
Filipino workers, the ILO launches the Youth4OSH
Project and invites young people to join the
SafeYouth@Work Media Competition. Winning entries
for photo, film, song, story, poster/drawing and the
unique Surprise Us category will get the chance to travel
to Singapore in September 2017 and to present their
winning piece due on 30 June 2017.
 Press release | Manila, Philippines | 05 June 2017
 Positive Impact: SCORE Training contributes to
cleaner production and increased productivity in
SMEs
 5th June 2017 is World Environment Day,
providing us with the opportunity to reflect on the
current challenges that face our environment, as
well as the important gains that have been made
in workplaces around the world through SCORE
Training. By reducing the environmental footprint
we are contributing to a more sustainable
economy and a better working environment for all.
 Article | 31 May 2017
WHY EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH ARE
IMPORTANT
WHY EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH?

• To prevent accidents
• To prevent expenses (direct and indirect costs)
• To enhance organization image
• To abide by law of the state
• To instill safety feeling in employees
CONCEPT OF OSH
 Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) is the
science of:
 anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of
hazards arising in or from the workplace
 These hazards could harm the well being of
workers, impact communities and general
environment

 OSH concepts are new in Nepal and has not

yet become a priority agenda of trade unions
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 In USA:
 Act: Occupation Health and Safety Act (1970)
 Agency to carry out the work: Occupation Health
and Safety Administration (OSHA)
 In Nepal:
 Enactment of Labor Act (1992) and its regulation in
1993
 Limited to establishment employing 10 or more
workers
PROVISION OF LABOR ACT 1992
 Prescribes arrangement for garbage
management
 Provision of modern toilets
 Supply of adequate safe drinking water
 Provision of appropriate volume of ventilation,
conditions of light, temperature and sound
 Protection from dust, smoke fumes and other
impurities
PROVISIONS OF LABOR ACT 1992
 Avoidance of overcrowding in any room
 Provisions of extinguishing fire
 Provision of medical checkup of workers at
least once a year in the hazard prone
organization
 Specifies the duty to compulsory send notice to
concerned labor office
 Given powers to labor office and inspection
duty to factory inspectors
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK CONTINUED

 Three Year Interim Plans( 2007-2010) and

(2010-2013) aimed at making workplace safe,
healthy and productive
 Government has endorsed Occupation Safety
and Health Project and allocated budget for it
 The project handles training and raises awareness
in OSH matters
PRESENT SITUATION OF OSH IN NEPAL (2011
RESEARCH)
 At present it is estimated that nearly 12 million workers
are engaged in employment in Nepal.
 Based on the classification of industry 73.9% are engaged
in agriculture sector and only 26.1%are engaged in non-
agriculture sector.

Source: Occupational safety and health situation in industrial sector in

Nepal by Er. Khumraj Pun (Industrial Engineer)IOE, TU, Nepal, 2011)

It is estimated that each year approximately 20,000

workers suffers from accidents at workplace which lead to
about 200 lives lost in Nepal.
TRENDS OF INDUSTRIAL INJURIES

Source: Department of Labor (Extracted from Occupational safety and

health situation in industrial sector in Nepal by Er. Khumraj Pun, 2011)
 The causes of accidents are
 unsafe working environment
 congested workplace
 lack of supervision, monitoring and training
 negligence in the government inspection, monitoring and
supervision system
 ignorance as well as carelessness of the workers and employers
 use of old or out-dated machine or equipment
 lack of regular repair and maintenance of tools, machine and
equipments
 bad house-keeping practices
 lack of safety equipments of standard quality
 violation of safety rules and unsuitable conditions
WHAT CAUSES ACCIDENTS?

16–16
CHANCE OCCURENCES

 Accidents more or less beyond management’s

control
 Example:
Walking past a window ,someone throws a rock
UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS

Unsafe
Conditions
HOW TO PREVENT

 Identify and eliminate the unsafe conditions

 Comply by the law (OSHA) which addresses
these mechanical and physical accident
causing conditions
 Identifying the danger zones
IDENTIFYING DANGER ZONES
 About one third of industrial accidents occur
around forklift trucks, wheelbarrows, and other
handling and lifting areas.
 The most serious accidents usually occur by metal
and woodworking machines saws, or around
transmission machinery like gears, pulleys.
 Falls on stairs, ladders, walkways and scaffolds
 Hand tools (like chisels and screwdrivers) and
electrical equipment (extension cords, electric
droplights and so on) are other major causes of
accidents.
ACCIDENT CAUSES CONTINUED…

 Work related factors:  Temporary stress factors

 Work Schedule - high workplace
 Psychological climate at temperature
workplace:
- Poor illumination
 Strong Pressure to
complete the work - Congested workplace
 Stress

 Poor Safety climate

 Hostility among
workers
UNSAFE ACTS

 Throwing materials
 Operating or working at unsafe speeds – either
too fast or too slow
 Making safety devices inoperative by removing,
adjusting or disconnecting them
 Lifting improperly
HOW TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS:

REDUCE UNSAFE CONDITIONS

• Prevention is better than cure
 Cleanliness of slippery floor

 Enclose noisy equipment

 Provide Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)

REDUCING UNSAFE ACTS THROUGH SCREENING

 Screening out individuals who might be

prone to accidents (for a particular job)
 The basic technique in screening is to
identify a human trait, the performance of
which is directly related to the accident.
 Screen and train employees
USING POSTERS AND OTHER PROPAGANDA

• Safety posters can influence people to be

more aware than other times in the past and
such posters also help to influence crucial
decisions.
PROVIDE SAFETY TRAINING

• Training should be provided especially to

new fresher's, the organization should
focus on:
 Inform the employees about safe
practices and procedures
 Warn them of potential hazards
 Work on developing their tendency
toward safety.
USING INCENTIVES AND
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

• The type of incentive provided differs from

organization to organization.

• Some firms award incentives (such as

bonuses) for meeting safety goals.

• While other firms provide nontraditional

reinforcement ( recognition awards) for
attending safety programs or for identifying
hazards
• Such safety programs are not substitutes for
but just parts of comprehensive safety
programs

• Such programs should not simply produce

false accident reporting

• Such programs can have unforeseen

consequences
TOP MANAGEMENT’S COMMITMENT
AND SUPERVISOR’S ROLE

• Safety programs require a strong and

observable management commitment to
safety.

• Every supervisor should make , a daily

(safety) walk-through their workplace;
wherever their work poses safety challenges
as an essential part of their work.
FOSTER A CULTURE OF SAFETY

• There are 5 characteristics of a culture of safety:

 Teamwork , employee involvement in safety

 Safety communications is highly visible

 Shared vision of safety excellence ( injuries are

preventable)
 Assignment of critical safety function

 A continuous efforts towards quality

improvement
ESTABLISH A SAFETY POLICY

• The firm’s safety policy should

emphasize:
 Do everything practical to reduce
accident & injuries
 That accident and injury prevention is
supreme
SET SPECIFIC LOSS CONTROL GOALS

• Analyze the number of accidents & safety

incidents
• Then set specific safety goals to achieve
CONDUCT SAFETY & HEALTH
INSPECTIONS REGULARLY
• Safety-conscious employees routinely
inspect their premises for possible safety
& health problem
• Safety Audits – statistics on injury-
accidents, workers compensation costs
PROTECTING VULNERABLE WORKERS
 Workers could be unprepared to deal with
hazards
 due to lack of education, ill fitting PPE,
physical limitations etc
 Aging workers might be more prone to
accidents
 Employers need to make special provisions like
Mechanical assistance or insulate old workers
if they work longer hours in the cold
BEYOND ZERO ACCIDENTS

• Zero means “zero injuries”

• These are steps to reduce workplace accidents

EMPLOYEE HEALTH: PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES

Chemicals and Alcoholism and

Job Stress and
Industrial Substance
Burnout
Hygiene Abuse

Computer
Infectious Workplace
Related Health
Diseases Smoking
Problems

Violence at
Work
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Alcoholism- Drug free program includes
• Symptoms- tardiness and • Drug free workplace policy
absenteeism • Supervisor training
• Remedy- employee • Employee education
assistance program- • Employee assistance
counseling
• Drug testing

 Supervisor should be
trained to monitor
employee performance
DEALING WITH WORKPLACE DRUG ABUSE
 If an employee appears to be under the influence
of drugs or alcohol:
 Ask how the employee feels and look for signs of
impairment such as unclear speech.
 Send an employee judged unfit for duty home.
 Make a written record of your observations and follow
up each incident.
 Inform workers of the number of warnings the company
will tolerate before requiring termination.
 Refer troubled employees to the company’s employee
assistance program.
DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE

16–39
JOB STRESS

 Variety of environmental factors cause stress

 Work place schedule, pace of work, job
security, noise, nature of clients etc
 No two people react the same way

 Stress leads to anxiety, depression, anger,

various diseases
 Increased absenteeism, turnover, grievance
REDUCING JOB STRESS: PERSONAL
 Build rewarding, pleasant, cooperative relationships
 Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
 Build an effective and supportive relationship with your boss.
 Negotiate with your boss for realistic deadlines on projects.
 Learn as much as you can about upcoming events and get as much lead
time as you can to prepare for them.
 Find time every day for detachment and relaxation.
 Take a walk to keep your body refreshed and alert.
 Find ways to reduce unnecessary noise.
 Delegate routine work.
 Limit interruptions
 Make a “worry list” that includes solutions for each problem.
 MEDITATION
REDUCING JOB STRESS: ORGANIZATIONAL
 Provide supportive supervisors
 Ensure fair treatment for all employees
 Reduce personal conflicts on the job.
 Have open communication between management and
employees.
 Support employees’ efforts, for instance, by regularly asking
how they are doing.
 Ensure effective job–person fit, since a mistake can trigger
stress.
 Give employees more control over their jobs.
 Provide employee assistance programs including professional
counseling.
BURNOUT
 Burnout
 The total depletion of physical and mental resources
caused by excessive striving to reach an unrealistic work-
related goal. Irritability, discouragement, anger
 Recovering from burnout:
 Break the usual patterns to achieve a more well-rounded
life.
 Get away from it all periodically to think alone.
 Reassess goals in terms of their intrinsic worth and
attainability.
 Think about work: could the job be done without being
so intense.
WORKPLACE HEALTH HAZARDS

Problems and remedies:

Depression-
Symptoms- persistent sad moods, sleeping too
little, reduced appetite, difficulty in
concentrating, loss of interest in activities once
enjoyed
Solutions- train employees, supervisors,
employee assistance programs
WORKPLACE HEALTH HAZARDS

Problems and remedies:

Infectious diseases-
• Traveling precautions- vaccination, medication
WORKPLACE HEALTH HAZARDS

Problems and remedies:

Workplace smoking-
• Barring smoking in workplace

• Smoking cessation programs

• Hiring no-smokers
WORKPLACE HEALTH HAZARDS

Problems

Computer monitor health problems-

- Backache and neck ache

- Eye burning, itching, tearing

- Wrist support
 Recommendations

 Give employees rest breaks

 Flexibility in the workstation
 Reduce brightness with devices
 Height of table and chair
 Wrist rest
 Footrest
VIOLENCE AT WORK

 Steps to Reduce Workplace Violence:

 Instituteheightened security measures
 Improve employee screening

 Provide workplace violence training

 Take care when dismissing violent employees

 Deal promptly with angry employees