Student Name: Hamza Farooq

MIS ID: 24868

Teacher Name: Dr. Mumtaz Ali

Subject Name: TQM

Assignment Title: EOHS

Assignment No: 04

Federal Urdu University of Arts,

Sciences & Technology Islamabad
 ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
Many people are interested in an organization's approach to laboratory environmental health
and safety (EHS) management including laboratory personnel; customers, clients, and students
(if applicable); suppliers; the community; shareholders; contractors; insurers; and regulatory
agencies. More and more organizations attach the same importance to high standards in EHS
management as they do to other key aspects of their activities. High standards demand a
structured approach to the identification of hazards and the evaluation and control of work-
related risks.
A comprehensive legal framework already exists for laboratory EHS management. This
framework requires organizations to manage their activities in order to anticipate and prevent
circumstances that might result in occupational injury, ill health, or adverse environmental
impact. This chapter seeks to improve the EHS performance of organizations by providing
guidance on EHS to integrate EHS management with other aspects of the organization.
Many features of effective EHS management are identical to management practices advocated
by proponents of quality assurance and business excellence. The guidelines presented here are
based on general principles of good management and are designed to integrate EHS
management within an overall management system. 1 By establishing an EHS management
system, EHS risks are controlled in a systematic proactive manner.
Within many organizations, some elements of EHS management are already in place, such as
policy and risk assessment records, but other aspects need to be developed. It is important that
all the elements described here are incorporated into the EHS management system. The
manner and extent to which individual elements are applied, however, depend on factors such
as the size of the organization, the nature of its activities, the hazards, and the conditions in
which it operates. An initial status review should be carried out in all organizations that do not
have an established EHS management system. This initial status review will provide information
on the scope, adequacy, and implementation of the current management system. Where no
formal management system exists, or if the organization is newly established, the initial status
review should indicate where the organization stands with respect to managing risks.
Environmental Health and Safety Policy
Top management should set in place procedures to define, document, and endorse a formal EHS
policy for an organization. The policy should clearly outline the roles and expectations for the
organization, faculty, EHS personnel, and individual employees or students. It should be
developed in communication with laboratory personnel to ensure that all major concerns are
adequately addressed.
The EHS policy should state intent to
 prevent or mitigate both human and economic losses arising from accidents, adverse
occupational exposures, and environmental events;
 build EHS considerations into all phases of the operations, including laboratory discovery
and development environments;
 achieve and maintain compliance with laws and regulations; and
  continually improve EHS performance.
The EHS policy and policy statement should be reviewed, revalidated, and where necessary,
revised by top management as often as necessary. It should be communicated and made readily
accessible to all employees and made available to relevant interested parties, as appropriate.
Management Commitment
Management commitment to EHS performance is widely recognized as one of the elements most critical
to EHS program success and to the development of a strong culture of safety within an organization.
Therefore, the management system document establishes management commitment with a formal
statement of intent, which defines examples of how performance goals are supported. Examples of how
this commitment is supported include the following:
 Establish methods to use energy more efficiently, reduce waste, and prevent accidents.
 Comply with laws, regulations, and organizational requirements applicable to their operations.
 Improve EHS performance continually.
 Conduct periodic assessments to verify and validate EHS performance.
Planning
Planning is an integral part of all elements of the management system and to be effective
involves the design and development of suitable processes and organizational structure to
manage EHS aspects and their associated risk control systems proportionately to the needs,
hazards, and risks of the organization. Planning is equally important to deal with health risks
that might only become apparent after a long latency period. It also establishes objectives that
define the criteria for judging success or failure of the management system. Objectives are
identified on the basis of either the results of the initial status review, subsequent periodic
reviews, or other available data.
Various sources of information are used to identify applicable EHS aspects and to assess the risk
associated with each. Examples include, but are not limited to, information obtained from the
following:
 hazard/exposure assessment,
 risk assessment,
 inspections,
 permits,
 event investigations (injury and illness investigations, environmental incident
investigations, root-cause analysis, trend analysis),
 internal audits and/or external agency audits,
 fire and building codes,
 employee feedback concerning unsafe work conditions or situations,
 emerging issues,
 corporate/institution goals, and
 emergency management.

Once applicable EHS aspects are identified, a risk-based evaluation is performed to determine
the potential impact and adequacy of existing control measures. If additional controls or
corrective actions are needed to reduce risks to acceptable levels, they are integrated into
business planning. Categorizing each item in this manner allows gaps that are identified to be
prioritized and incorporated, based on level of importance and available resources.
Care should be taken when developing and disseminating new controls and corrective actions.
If requirements are perceived by laboratory personnel as unnecessarily onerous, there is
potential for lower compliance within the organization and a loss of credibility on the part of
EHS personnel. While understanding that some individuals will never be convinced of the need
for new controls, it is important to provide clear, supported justifications for changes to existing
protocols to encourage adoption of the new policies and procedures.

Implementation
The design of management arrangements should reflect the organization's business needs and
the nature of their risks. However, there should be appropriate activity across all elements of
the model (policy; planning; implementation; performance measurement, audits, and change
management; and management review).
Specifically the organization should make arrangements to cover the following key areas:
 overall plans and objectives, including employees and resources, for the organization to
implement its policy;
 operational plans to implement arrangements to control the risks identified;
 contingency plans for foreseeable emergencies and to mitigate their effects (e.g.,
prevention, preparedness, and response procedures);
 plans covering the management of change of either a permanent or a temporary nature
(e.g., associated with new processes or plant working procedures, production
fluctuations, legal requirements, and organizational and staffing changes);
 plans covering interactions with other interested parties (e.g., control, selection, and
management of contractors; liaison with emergency services; visitor control);
 performance measures, audits, and status reviews;
 corrective action implementation;
 plans for assisting recovery and return to work of any staff member who is injured or
becomes ill through work activities;
 communication networks to management, employees, and the public;
 clear performance and measurement criteria defining what is to be done, who is
responsible, when it is to be done, and the desired outcome;
 education and training requirements associated with EHS;
 document control system; and
 contractors should have written safety plans and qualified staff whose qualifications are
thoroughly reviewed before a contract is awarded. All contractor personnel should be
required to comply with the sponsoring organization's safety policies and plans.
Though it is the responsibility of each individual researcher to ensure that work is performed in
a prudent and safe manner, achieving a safe laboratory environment is a cooperative endeavor
between management, EHS personnel, and laboratory personnel. Regulations, policies, and
plans will never cover every contingency, and it is important for these different groups to
communicate with each other to ensure that new situations can be handled appropriately. One
way to ensure that the needs of all groups are being met is by creating safety committees
consisting of representatives from each part of an organization. In this forum, safety concerns
can be raised, information can be distributed to affected parties, and a rough sense of the
efficacy of policies and programs can be gained.
Performance Measurement and Change Management
The primary purpose of measuring EHS performance is to judge the implementation and
effectiveness of the processes established for controlling risk. Performance measurement
provides information on the progress and current status of the arrangements (strategies,
processes, and activities) used by an organization to control risks to EHS. Measurement
information includes data to judge the management system by
 gathering information on how the system operates in practice,
 identifying areas where corrective action is necessary, and
 providing a basis for continual improvement.
All of the components of the EHS management system should be adequately inspected,
evaluated, maintained, and monitored to ensure continued effective operation. Risk
assessment and risk control should be reviewed in the light of modifications or technological
developments. Results of evaluation activities are used as part of the planning process and
management review, to improve performance and correct deficiencies over time.
Periodic audits that enable a deeper and more critical appraisal of all of the elements of the EHS
management system should be scheduled and should reflect the nature of the organization's
hazards and risks. To maximize benefits, competent persons independent of the area or activity
should conduct the audits. The use of external, impartial auditors should be considered to assist
in evaluation of the EHS management system. When performing these reviews, it is important
that the organization have a plan for following up on the results of the audit to ensure that
problems are addressed and that recognition is given where it is deserved.
The concept of change management in the laboratory environment varies markedly from
methods typically prescribed, for example, in manufacturing operations. By its very nature, the
business of conducting experiments is constantly changing. Therefore, it is a part of everyday
activities to evaluate modifications and/or technological developments in experimental and
scale-up processes. As such, a number of standard practices are used to identify appropriate
handling practices, containment methods, and required procedures for conducting laboratory
work in a safe manner. Several examples of these practices include.
Management Review of EHS Management System
Top management should review the organization's EHS management system at regular intervals
to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness. This review includes assessing
opportunities for improvement and the need for changes in the management system, including
the EHS policy and objectives. The results of the management review should be documented.
Among other information, a management review should include the following:
 results of EHS management system audits,
 results from any external audits,
 communications from interested parties,
 extent to which objectives have been met,
 status of corrective and preventive actions,
 follow-up actions from previous management reviews, and
 Recommendations for improvement based on changing circumstances.
The outputs from management review should include any decisions and actions related to
possible change to EHS policy, objectives, and other elements of the management system,
consistent with the commitment to continual improvement.
The management system review ensures a regular process that evaluates the EHS management
system in order to identify deficiencies and modify them. Systemic gaps, evidence that targets
are not being met, or compliance issues that are discovered during compliance or risk
assessments indicate a possible need for revision to the management system or its
implementation.

Principles:
 Line management responsibility for safety. Line management is directly
responsible for the protection of the public, the workers, and the environment. As a
complement to line management, the Department's Office of Environment, Safety, and
Health provides safety policy, enforcement, and independent oversight functions.
 Clear roles and responsibilities. Clear and unambiguous lines of authority and
responsibility for ensuring safety shall be established and maintained at all
organizational levels within the Department and its contractors.
 Competence commensurate with responsibilities. Personnel shall possess
the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are necessary to discharge their
responsibilities.
 Balanced priorities. Resources shall be effectively allocated to address safety,
programmatic, and operational considerations. Protecting the public, the workers, and
the environment shall be a priority whenever activities are planned and performed.
 Identification of safety standards and requirements . Before work is
performed, the associated hazards shall be evaluated and an agreed-upon set of safety
standards and requirements shall be established which, if properly implemented, will
provide adequate assurance that the public, the workers, and the environment are
protected from adverse consequences.
 Hazard controls tailored to work being performed. Administrative and
engineering controls to prevent and mitigate hazards shall be tailored to the work being
performed and associated hazards.
 Operations authorization. The conditions and requirements to be satisfied for
operations to be initiated and conducted shall be clearly established and agreed upon.
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
A management system is a proactive process in which an organized set of components enable
an organization to accomplish a set of goals. An OHSMS is a framework that allows an
organization to consistently identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the potential
for incidents, help achieve compliance with health and safety legislation and continually
improve its performance.
Benefits:
 will help them manage their OH&S risks and improve their OH&S performance by
developing and implementing effective policies and objectives. Key potential benefits from
use of the standard include:
 Reduction of workplace incidents
 Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, leading to increased productivity
 Reduced cost of insurance premiums
 Creation of a health and safety culture, whereby employees are encouraged to take an
active role in their own OH&S
 Reinforced leadership commitment to proactively improve OH&S performance • Ability to
meet legal and regulatory requirements
 Enhanced reputation
 Improved staff morale
IMPLEMENTATION AND CHALLENGES FACING OCCUPATIONAL Health:
The upcoming Fourth National Occupational Health Conference in 2014 is the inspiration for
this thematic issue. It was conceived with the aim of contributing to the debate that has been
developing in preparation for the Conference, the central theme of which is the
implementation of the National Occupational Health Policy (PNST), established in 2012. This
policy responds to the proposal that entities representing civil society and health professionals
had been calling for since the First National Occupational Health Conference. The conceptual
heritage and accumulated practice acquired over the past decades is expressed in a decidedly
coherent and detailed manner in the PNST document. It also sets out the principles, guidelines,
and strategies to be followed by the three levels of the Unified Health System (SUS)
management for the development of comprehensive health care for workers, with a view to
promoting and protecting their health and reducing morbidity and mortality resulting from
illness and injuries in occupational activities. It encompasses all workers, namely both men and
women, irrespective of their urban or rural location, their formal or informal inclusion in the
labor market, and their form of employment. This includes public or private contract, salaried,
self-employed, part-time, temporary, cooperative, apprentice, trainee, domestic, retired or
unemployed people. In recent decades, the country has produced an impressive amount of
scientific literature on issues relating to the health of workers, mostly from some graduate
programs on Public Health and from other areas of knowledge. The increase in professional
intellectual production of services that implement actions in this area is also worthy of note.
Despite the advances in knowledge, the benchmark of work as a fundamental dimension of
living conditions is still not a matter sufficiently addressed in day-to-day public health practice
and health promotion and prevention policies. The legal framework of PNST proposes an
ambitious model of actions to be undertaken by Occupational Health Surveillance (VISAT), the
implementation of which is the major current challenge. This thematic issue focuses primarily
on the priority defined by the PNST to bolster VISAT and its integration with the other
components of health surveillance, aimed at promoting health and healthy work environments
and processes. In the first article, the vast body of existing legislation on VISAT and the
challenges to make it effective are examined. Among other considerations, it is suggested that
by virtue of the pressing need for the exercise of social control - as this is the Fourth Conference
- the participation of this aspect in VISAT be evaluated, as a prerequisite to ensure the
effectiveness of the actions. In the following articles, experiences of health surveillance of
workers' priority sectors are reported, such as sugarcane harvesters, gas station attendants and
cold storage employees. Other articles address a series of relevant issues at this juncture, and
also provide relevant operational input for strengthening actions of VISAT in the territories
covered by the Occupational Health Reference Centers (CEREST). Taken together, these recent
studies offer studies and proposals on: (1) analysis of work-related accidents, according to the
model adopted in interventions for surveillance and prevention of occupational accidents; (2)
inclusion of mental health in VISAT; (3) implementation of surveillance actions together with
subsistence fishermen; and (4) monitoring of exposure to pesticides in Brazilian municipalities.
Articles on various health hazards faced by workers in various categories, including the health
of workers in the health services, are also included in this issue.
WORKPLACE HAZARDS:
Although work provides many economic and other benefits, a wide array of workplace hazards
(also known as unsafe working conditions) also present risks to the health and safety of people
at work. These include but are not limited to, "chemicals, biological agents, physical factors,
adverse ergonomic conditions, allergens, a complex network of safety risks," and a broad range
of psychosocial risk factors. Personal protective equipment can help protect against many of
these hazards.
Physical hazards affect many people in the workplace. Occupational hearing loss is the most
common work-related injury in the United States, with 22 million workers exposed to
hazardous noise levels at work and an estimated $242 million spent annually on worker's
compensation for hearing loss disability. Falls are also a common cause of occupational injuries
and fatalities, especially in construction, extraction, transportation, healthcare, and building
cleaning and maintenance. Machines have moving parts, sharp edges, hot surfaces and other
hazards with the potential to crush, burn, cut, shear, stab or otherwise strike or wound workers
if used unsafely.
Biological hazards (biohazards) include infectious microorganisms such as viruses and toxins
produced by those organisms such as anthrax. Biohazards affect workers in many
industries; influenza, for example, affects a broad population of workers. Outdoor workers,
including farmers, landscapers, and construction workers, risk exposure to numerous
biohazards, including animal bites and stings and diseases transmitted through animals such as
the West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Health care workers, including veterinary health workers,
risk exposure to blood-borne pathogens and various infectious diseases, especially those that
are emerging.
Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace. There are many
classifications of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic
agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, and sensitizers. Authorities such as
regulatory agencies set occupational exposure limits to mitigate the risk of chemical
hazards. An international effort is investigating the health effects of mixtures of chemicals.
There is some evidence that certain chemicals are harmful at lower levels when mixed with one
or more other chemicals. This may be particularly important in causing cancer.
Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being of workers, such as
feelings of job insecurity, long work hours, and poor work-life balance. A recent Cochrane
review - using moderate quality evidence - related that the addition of work-directed
interventions for depressed workers receiving clinical interventions reduces the number of lost
work days as compared to clinical interventions alone. This review also demonstrated that the
addition of cognitive behavioral therapy to primary or occupational care and the addition of a
"structured telephone outreach and care management program" to usual care are both
effective at reducing sick leave days.

WHERE THE FIELDS OVER LAP:

Occupational and environmental health experts are uniformly committed to protecting human
societies from natural and anthropogenic hazards. Both subfields are focused on improving the
lives of citizens around the world through scientific research, public outreach, and regulatory
action, even if it means standing up to entrenched institutions and economic systems. Some of
the pressing health hazards we face today can be traced to the unsustainable practices of the
past from the reckless extraction of natural resources to the climate impact of unchecked
industrial manufacturing and urbanization and others are an inherent part of the human
condition, such as disease and natural disasters. Public health experts from every subfield work
to mitigate these hazards through careful observation, study, and communication, though the
support of government policies and regulations certainly help
How to improve the implementation record in MS?
The scope and effectiveness of OSH management remains a challenge for micro and SMEs. They
still show lower levels of compliance with rules.
Effective protection of workers’ health and safety has to be insured in all workplaces regardless
of size. Simpler, more efficient solutions need to be put in place to take into account the
situation of micro and small enterprises. This requires:
Simplifying legislation where appropriate, and
Providing tailored guidance and support to micro and small enterprises to facilitate risk
assessment.
How to improve prevention of work-related diseases?
Troubles with bones, joints and muscles as well as stress, anxiety and depression are by far the
most often mentioned health problems caused or worsened by work.
Industrial application of new technologies and new work organization, despite their obvious
benefits, can entail risks that need to be tested and checked (e.g. nanotechnologies,
biotechnologies and green technologies).
Special attention should be paid to psychosocial and mental health disorders, occupational
cancers, lung diseases, skin diseases, asthma and other chronic conditions, ergonomics and
musculoskeletal disorders; and diseases caused by asbestos
How to tackle demographic change
The EU population is becoming older and the working population is also ageing, as the
proportion of older workers in employment increases relative to that of younger workers.
In order to ensure sustainable social security, an extension of working life is necessary. This will
require appropriate working conditions throughout the entire working life.
Successfully prolonging working careers depends on appropriate adaptation of workplaces and
work organisation, including working time, workplace accessibility and workplace interventions
targeted at older workers. Innovative ICT products and services can help.
Reintegration and rehabilitation measures allowing for early return to work after an accident or
disease are needed to avoid early exclusion from the labour market.