OHS Moule 4

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
MODULE 4
Southway Infotech Institute

Workplace and work equipment safety
• Working with some types of machinery (equipment) can be
particularly dangerous because machines with moving parts can
cause injuries in many ways.
• All machinery will have been designed with safety as a key
consideration. This will typically include measures such as guards and
safety controls, as well as instructions for safe use, inspection and
maintenance.
• Employers need to ensure that any safeguards are properly fitted and
that staff use machines as per the manufacturer’s instructions for use

The working environment
The general conditions in the workplace also have an effect on the health and safety of
users.
You need to assess:
• Noise levels- the equipment shouldn't be so noisy that it distracts the user. If you can't
use quieter equipment, consider soundproofing or moving the equipment. You could use
sound-insulating partitions between noisy equipment and the rest of the workstation as
an alternative.
• Lighting- surrounding windows must have curtains or blinds which users can adjust to
prevent reflected glare. If needed, provide users with lighting appropriate to their tasks
and particular workstation. Users should have control over their lighting to prevent
reflected glare.
• Temperature- the equipment should not give out so much heat that the user becomes
uncomfortable.
• Humidity- it's important that you maintain ventilation and humidity at a level which
keeps the user comfortable.

Work Equipment Risks
There are many hazards involved in the use of workplace equipment.
Examples of the risks involved in using work equipment include the
following:
• Puncture wounds and cuts caused by sharp equipment such as
scissors, needles, paper guillotines, knives, chisels, saws, planes and
screwdrivers are the most common risks.
• Cutting equipment or equipment with moving parts may cause
serious injuries if there are insufficient safeguards in place.
• Equipment that uses heat, such as ovens and grills in catering
businesses, could cause injuries ranging from minor scalding to
disfigurement and serious burns
Work Equipment Risks cont.’
• Equipment that transmits vibrations into the hand or arm could cause
long-term illness or disability.
• Parts of the body can be drawn into or trapped between the rollers,
belts and pulley drives of machinery
• People can be crushed by moving parts.
• Parts of a machine can be hot or cold enough to cause burns or
scalds, as can leaks of steam

Work Equipment Risks cont.’
• Electrical faults in equipment can lead to electrocution.
• People can be hit and injured by moving parts of machinery or
ejected material
Employers are required to consider how their employees use work
equipment to carry out their tasks. After consideration, employers
must take steps to reduce or eliminate the risks to their workers.

EMPLOYERS DUTIES
The general duty requires employers to ensure the health, safety and
welfare of employees, including their safety when using work
equipment.
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
introduce further requirements for assessing and controlling risks,
including risks relating to work equipment, and for providing
employees with adequate health and safety information and training.
Employers should comply with the Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and ensure the following:

Employers Duties cont.’
• Equipment is suitable for the intended process and conditions of use.
• Equipment is safe for the intended use, e.g. regular maintenance must
occur and safety inspections must be carried out as required.
• The person who is to use the equipment has received suitable health &
safety training and information about the equipment’s operation.
• Equipment is fitted with appropriate warning signs, marks, safety bars or
guards.
• Ensuring that equipment is suitable for use, and for the purpose and
conditions in which it is to be used
• Properly installing any fixed equipment or machinery, including ensuring
that any safeguards are in place

Employers Duties cont.’
• Producing a safe system of work for using and maintaining machinery
• Ensuring that, where necessary, equipment is regularly inspected by a
suitably competent person so it continues to be safe for use
• Only using equipment for its intended purposes
• Maintaining equipment in good condition
• Ensuring that people using, supervising or managing equipment are
provided with appropriate safety information and training
• Taking account of working conditions and health and safety risks
when selecting work equipment (e.g. flooring conditions, stairs and
space)

EMPLOYEES DUTIES
• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of other
people who may be affected by their work.
• Co-operate with their employers on health & safety matters.
• Follow health and safety instructions and report any hazards or faults.
• Attend any required training or instruction.
• Always operate machinery or equipment properly in accordance with
the manufacturer's instructions for the safe use of equipment.
• Perform a user safety check before use.
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment
Risk control of machinery and equipment hazards
Risk control of general hazards
Where exposure to machinery and equipment hazards cannot be
eliminated or substituted for machinery and equipment of improved
design, risk controls must be applied to the hazards to prevent or
reduce the risk (chance) of injury or harm. Workplace health and safety
laws require the highest order control be applied.
• Highest order machinery and equipment risk controls are
preventative by nature, are effective and durable for the environment
it is used in, and deal directly with the hazard at its source

Risk control of machinery and equipment
hazards cont.’
• Lower order machinery and equipment risk controls, such as personal
protective equipment (PPE), can prevent injuries, but are generally
not as effective as higher order controls, as they rely more on worker
behavior, maintenance programs and supervision.
• Administrative controls use systems of work to reduce risk by
providing a framework of expected behaviors. Examples are rotation
of staff to reduce exposure to a hazard, or a documented safe system
of work, such as ‘lockout tagout’. These types of controls rely on
extensive instruction, information, training and supervision. In terms
of time and ongoing administration by managers and employers to
ensure the desired behavior occurs, administrative controls can be
the most expensive and least effective form of hazard control.
International Labor Standards on Occupational Safety
and Health
The ILO Constitution sets forth the principle that workers must be
protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their
employment. Yet for millions of workers the reality is very different.
According to the most recent ILO global estimates, 2.78 million work-
related deaths are recorded every year, of which 2.4 million are related
to occupational diseases.
The promotion of decent, safe, and healthy working conditions and
environments has been a continuous objective of the ILO since it was
founded in 1919.

Key instruments on occupational safety and
health
1. Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health
Convention, 2006
• As an instrument setting out a promotional framework, this
Convention is designed to provide for coherent and systematic
treatment of occupational safety and health issues and to promote
recognition of existing Conventions on occupational safety and health
.

health cont.’
Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
• The convention provides for the adoption of a coherent national
occupational safety and health policy, as well as action to be taken by
governments and within enterprises to promote occupational safety
and health and to improve working conditions.
• This policy shall be developed by taking into consideration national
conditions and practice. The Protocol calls for the establishment and
the periodic review of requirements and procedures for the recording
and notification of occupational accidents and diseases, and for the
publication of related annual statistics

health cont.’
Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161)
• This convention provides for the establishment of enterprise-level
occupational health services which are entrusted with essentially
preventive functions and which are responsible for advising the
employer, the workers and their representatives in the enterprise on
maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.

Health and safety in particular branches of economic
activity
Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120)
• This instrument has the objective of preserving the health and
welfare of workers employed in trading establishments, and
establishments, institutions and administrative services in which
workers are mainly engaged in office work and other related services
through elementary hygiene measures responding to the
requirements of welfare at the workplace.

health cont.’
Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167)
• The convention provides for detailed technical preventive and
protective measures having due regard for the specific requirements
of this sector. These measures relate to safety of workplaces,
machines and equipment used, work at heights and work executed in
compressed air.

health cont.’
Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995
• This instrument regulates the various aspects of safety and health
characteristic for work in mines, including inspection, special working
devices, and special protective equipment of workers. It also
prescribes requirements relating to mine rescue.

health cont.’
Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001
• The convention has the objective of preventing accidents and injury
to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of
agricultural and forestry work. To this end, the Convention includes
measures relating to machinery safety and ergonomics, handling and
transport of materials, sound management of chemicals, animal
handling, protection against biological risks, and welfare and
accommodation facilities.

Protection against specific risks
Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115)
• The objective of the Convention is to set out basic requirements with
a view to protect workers against the risks associated with exposure
to ionizing radiations. Protective measures to be taken include the
limitation of workers' exposure to ionizing radiations to the lowest
practicable level following the technical knowledge available at the
time, avoiding any unnecessary exposure, as well as the monitoring of
the workplace and of the workers' health. The Convention further
refers to requirements with regard to emergency situations that may
arise.

Protection against specific risks cont.’
Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139)
• This instrument aims at the establishment of a mechanism for the
creation of a policy to prevent the risks of occupational cancer caused
by exposure, generally over a prolonged period, to chemical and
physical agents of various types present in the workplace.
• For this purpose, states are obliged to determine periodically
carcinogenic substances and agents to which occupational exposure
shall be prohibited or regulated, to make every effort to replace these
substances and agents by non- or less carcinogenic ones, to prescribe
protective and supervisory measures as well as to prescribe the
necessary medical examinations of workers exposed.

Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention,
1977 (No. 148)
• The convention provides that, as far as possible, the working
environment shall be kept free from any hazards due to air pollution,
noise or vibration. To achieve this, technical measures shall be applied
to enterprises or processes, and where this is not possible,
supplementary measures regarding the organization of work shall be
taken instead.

Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162)
• Aims at preventing the harmful effects of exposure to asbestos on the
health of workers by indicating reasonable and practicable methods
and techniques of reducing occupational exposure to asbestos to a
minimum. With a view to achieving this objective, the convention
enumerates various detailed measures, which are based essentially
on the prevention and control of health hazards due to occupational
exposure to asbestos, and the protection of workers against these
hazards.

Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170)
• The Convention provides for the adoption and implementation of a
coherent policy on safety in the use of chemicals at work, which
includes the production, the handling, the storage, and the transport
of chemicals as well as the disposal and treatment of waste
chemicals, the release of chemicals resulting from work activities, and
the maintenance, repair and cleaning of equipment and containers of
chemicals. In addition, it allocates specific responsibilities to suppliers
and exporting states.

Accident
• Accident - an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and
unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury
• Accidents happen all the time, and there are many different types.
Certain jobs, careers, and lifestyles lend themselves to greater risks of
certain accident types. Optimally, measures should be taken to
minimize the risks of accidents, and if an accident results because the
right measures aren’t taken, the responsible parties may be held
liable.

• Occupational Accidents, these are accidents which occur in the
course of work" leading to physical or mental occupational injury.
• The definition of work accident includes accidents occurring while
engaged in an economic activity, or at work, or carrying on the
business of the employer" according to the ILO
• Injury a bodily lesion due to acute exposure to energy beyond the
physiological tolerance.
• In some cases, injury is due to insufficiency of a vital element

Accidents at Work
• You may be at risk of serious personal injury depending on the type of job
you have. All employers are required by law to create a work environment
that is safe for their employees and does not carry unnecessary risks.
• Failing to provide a safe environment can lead to frequent injuries and
substantial fines, so it is definitely in the company’s best interest to make
your job as safe and risk-free as possible
• According to International Labor Office statistics, 120 million occupational
accidents occur annually at workplaces worldwide. Of these, 210,000 are
fatal accidents. Every day, more than 500 men or women do not come
home because they were killed by accidents at work. These are dramatic
numbers which draw fairly little public attention.
Causes of Accidents

Causes of Accidents cont.’
A. Unsafe Conditions
• These, of one sort or another, are the biggest cause of accidents. Such
causes are associated with defective plants, equipment, tools,
materials, buildings etc. These can be termed ‘technical causes. They
arise when there are improper or inadequate safety guards on
machines; when machines break down; when improper personal
protection equipment is installed; when mechanical or construction
designs are defective and unsafe; and when control devices, which
have been installed to make the operation of machines safe and
accident free are lacking or defective; or when there is an absence of
proper maintenance and supervision of these devices.

• Thus, unsafe conditions include:
• Improperly guarded equipment.
• Defective equipment.
• Hazardous arrangement or procedure in and or around, machines or
equipment
• Unsafe storage; congestion, overloading.
• Inadequate safety devices.

• Wrong and faulty lay-out, and bad location.
• Improper illumination — glare, insufficient light.
• Improper ventilation — insufficient air charge, impure air source.
• Poor house-keeping
The other work-related causes of accidents are:
• The job itself- Some jobs are inherently more dangerous than others,
• Work schedules, accidents increase late in the day. They do not
usually occur during the early hours of the work day. They are more
frequent during the night shift. This is due partly to fatigue and partly
to the fact that night is the period when one requires rest

B. Unsafe Acts
Results in lack of knowledge or skills on the part of employees these
include:
• Operating without Authority
• Failing to secure the equipment
• Carelessness Sped processing Unsafe procedures
• Unsafe equipment’s
• Improper lifting

C. Neglecting Safety Procedures
This is probably the worst thing that any employee at any level in the
organization can do. Deliberately neglecting set safety procedures in
the workplace doesn’t just endanger yourself, but it endangers the
workers around you as well as the company as a whole.
Casually following safety procedures doesn’t work either. You are paid
to follow workplace safety procedures, not your own

D. Personal Factors:
These factors relate to an individual’s proneness to accident. There are
a few individuals who get involved in more accidents than others.
An individual’s proneness to accidents may be due to the following
personal factors:
• Poor eye-sight, Poor physique, Nervousness, Fear complex, Suffering
from diseases such as high blood pressure, fits, epilepsy, Immaturity,
irresponsibility, Addiction to drugs, liquor, Day-dreaming, Absent-
mindedness, and Frustration

Classification of Accidents

Classification of Accidents cont.’
1. Fatalities
• These are the most severe workplace incidents that can happen in the
premises of a workplace for example:
machine-related incidents
motor vehicle accidents, electrocution
falling objects

2. Lost time injury
A lost time injury (LTI) is something that results in a fatality, permanent
disability, or time lost from work. It could be as little as one day or a
shift off work being lost, or months of rehabilitation.
Injuries that cause the employee a permanent or non-permanent injury
that keeps the employee out of work for some time. These types of
injuries vary from sprained ankles to broken bones or even
amputations.

Lost time injury cont.’
Although the injuries that your employees most commonly sustain are
dependent on the industry as well as the kind of work they do, the 5
most frequent causes of lost time include:
• Back strain
• Neck strain
• Upper arm or shoulder sprain

3. Minor injuries
Minor injuries refer to non-severe injuries with any instance of medical leave
or light duties or event where somebody gets hurt, but the person doesn’t
need to take time off from work e.g. football players
4. Near misses
A near miss, near hit or close call is an unplanned event that has the
potential to cause, but does not actually result in human injury,
environmental or equipment damage, or an interruption to normal
operation This also refers to events where nobody gets hurt, but it’s close. A
good example is imagining a pile of wood panels falling off a shelf when a
worker is standing nearby. He or she doesn’t get hit, but a possible injury
isn’t far.
OSHA defines a near miss as an incident in which no property was
damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a
slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have
occurred.
5. Unsafe acts
This refers to behavior and circumstances that don’t necessarily
produce direct danger to anyone but are seen as matters to be fixed. A
good example of an unsafe act is not wearing a helmet at a
construction site.

EXAMPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS IN
ZAMBIA AND THE WORLD
• 1970 an underground breach of a tailings dam occurred at the
Mufulira Mine in Zambia. As the night shift crew were on duty the
tailings dam above them collapsed
• The Sinking of the Titanic on the night of the 14th of April, 1912 the
RMS Titanic, otherwise known as the unsinkable ship, hit an iceberg
and sunk on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic Ocean. In total
1,503 people died

Accident Prevention in the Workplace
Prevention is better than cure, occupational health is essentially
preventive medicine.
Industrial therapy is a term chosen to refer to the full range of worker-
oriented endeavors designed to keep them healthy and productive, and
if injured to restore them to maximum job functions as quickly and as
cost effectively as possible

Accident Prevention in the Workplace cont.’
WHO committee on occupational health gave the following definition:
“Occupational health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of
the highest degree of physical , mental and social wellbeing of workers
in all occupations ; the prevention among workers of departures from
health caused by their working conditions ; the protection of workers in
their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health ;
the placing and maintenance of the workers in an occupational
environment adapted to his psychological equipment and to summarize
the adaptation of work to man and each man to his job.

1. Know the Hazards
• Be aware of surroundings. Look around and identify workplace hazards that could
cause harm. Look for ways to reduce or eliminate hazards, and implement them.
Report unsafe areas or practices.
2. Create a Safe Work Area
Keep an orderly workplace. Poor housekeeping can cause serious health and safety
hazards. The layout of the workplace should have adequate egress routes and be
free of debris.
Inspect vehicles before and after use. DRIVE SAFELY.
Take breaks and move around regularly throughout the day. Small breaks (standing
up and moving around) can make a big difference in combating the dangers of
staying in a static position all day long.
Pay attention to workstation ergonomics.

3. Personal Protective Equipment
• The proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can
dramatically reduce the risk of injury.
• Examples of PPE include gear such as earplugs, hard hats, safety
goggles, gloves, air-purifying respirators and safety shoes.
4. Regular Communication
• Notify supervisors about safety hazards.
• Speak up and be involved in safety planning.

5. Education and Training
• Ensure everyone has the proper safety training relating to the hazards
of the job.
• It is each employee's responsibility to take an active role in
maintaining safety.
6. Don’t take shortcuts.
Accidents happen when employees skip steps to complete a job ahead
of schedule. Make sure all instructions are clear and organized to
prevent undue mishaps in the workplace.

7. Safety Engineering:
• To minimize workplace accidents, proper engineering procedure could be
followed. Fencing of machinery, adequate space between machines parts and
equipment, use of material handling equipment, safety devices, proper
maintenance of machines etc., are undertaken to prevent accidents from
occurring.
8. Safety Committee:
• A safety committee should be constituted is every plant and factory. It should
consist of the representative of both the management and the workers. The
committee should educate and impress upon the line manger about the safety
measures required in the establishment.
• The safety programs & policies should be formulated and implemented through
the safety committee. The committee should also hold safety campaigns and
safety contests from time to time.

9. Regular Inspection:
There should be regular inspection of machines and equipment to
check any defect.
The inspection should also check that the machines are well-
maintained and safety devices are properly plugged in or properly
placed.
Organizations should also monitor and evaluate the workers at regular
intervals so as to check whether they are following warnings,
instructions and precautions while handling any machine or
equipment.
Reasons to investigate accidents and
investigation
• To know and understand what happened.
• To gather information and data for present and future use.
• To deter cause and effect.
• To provide answers for the effectiveness of intervention and
prevention approaches.
• To document the circumstances for legal and workers’ compensation
issues.
• To become a vital component of your Safety and health program

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

Southway Infotech Institute

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