EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH

Employee Safety:
Safety means freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury or loss. Industrial safety or employee safety refers to the protection of workers from the danger of individual accidents. An accident is an unplanned & uncontrolled event in which an action or reaction of an object, a person, a substance results in personal injury.

Types of Accidents:
Accidents may be classified as major & minor ones, depending upon the severity of the injury. An accident which ends in a death, or which results in a prolonged disability to the injured is a major one. A scratch or a cut which does not seriously disable him/her is a minor accident. An accident may be internal or external. If a worker falls, or an object falls on him or her, it is possible he or she may show no external signs of injury, but he or she may be fractured a bone or strained a muscle or nerve-which is an internal injury. If a worker recovers from such a disability, his or her disability is temporary. If the injury is such that he or she will never recover fully, his or her disability is permanent.

Need For Safety:

Cost saving: Two types of costs are incurred by the management when an accident occurs i.e.

Direct cost- It may be in the form of compensation payable to the dependents of victim if the accident is fatal, and medical expenses incurred in treating the patient if the accident is non fatal.

Indirect cost – It includes loss on account of down time of operators , slowed up production rate of other workers, materials spoiled and labor for cleaning, and damages to equipment.

Increased Productivity:

Safety plants are more effective. Safety promotes productivity because employee in safe plants can devote more time on improving the quality and quantity of their output and spend less time worrying about their safety and well being.

•Moral:

Safety is important on human grounds too. Managers must undertake accident prevention measures to minimize the pain and suffering the injured worker and his/her family is often exposed to as a result of the accident.

•Legal:

There are legal reasons too for undertaking safety measures. There are laws covering occupational health and safety, and penalties for non compliance have become quite severe. The responsibility extends to the safety and health of surrounding community, too. The supreme court held :

“ An enterprise which is engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry which poses a potential threat to the health and safety of the persons working in the factory and industry in the surrounding areas, owes an absolute and non-degradable duty to the community to ensure that no harm results to anyone on account of the hazardous or inherently dangerous nature.”

Working Condition Affecting Health:
Cleanliness : Hygiene essential to health . Arrangements should be made for disposal of industrial waste.Lighting : A good lighting system should provide (a) the right degree of intensity of light depending upon the nature of work ,(b) Well - diffused and uniformly spread light all over the work , (c) protection from any glare .Temperature and Ventilation : In hot and humid climate ,employees feel tired and sleepy, ventilators ,fans , coolers/ heaters, help to maintain right temperature and humidity .Freedom from Noise : Too much noise inside and outside the work place cause disturbance. Proper location of factory ,sound proof walls , double doors and glass panels may be used to avoid noise.Working space and seating arrangement : adequate space should be provided for free movement of persons , machines etc. Over – crowding should be avoided as it spoils health and efficiency.

Safety Programme:

Safety programme deals with the prevention of accidents and with minimizing the resulting loss and damages to person and property. Five basic principles must govern the safety programme of an organization these are :-

1)Industrial accidents resulting from a multiplicity of factors must be traced to their root causes. ( Poor Leadership, Training, Inadequate supervision etc.)

2)The most important function of safety program is to identify potential hazards, provide effective safety facilities and equipment and to take prompt remedial action. ( Adequate accident records & statistics, Systematic procedures for carrying out safety checks, inspections & investigations).

3)The safety policies of the organization should be determined by top level management and it must be continuously involved in monitoring safety performance and in ensuring that corrective action is taken when necessary.

4)The management and supervision must be made fully accountable for safety performance in the working areas they control.

5)All employees should be given thorough training in safety methods of work and they should receive continuing education and guidance on eliminating safety hazards and prevention of accidents.

- Strategic Choices, - Development of Safety Policy, - Organization for Safety, - Analysis of Causes for Accidents, - Implementation of the Programme, - Evaluation of Effectiveness

A safety programme generally consists of six elements :-

1)Strategic Choices – Some of the strategic choices are :-

1.1 Managers must determine the level of protection the organization will provide for employees.

1.2 Managers can decide whether a safety programme will be formal or informal.

1.3 Managers can also be proactive or reactive in developing procedures or plans with respect to employee safety.

1.4 Managers can decide to use the safety of workers as a marketing tool for the organization.

2)Safety Policy – Safety policy specifies the firm’s goals and designates the responsibilities and authority for their achievement. It may also contain caveats and sanctions for failing to fulfill them.

Specifically, a safety policy must contain a declaration of the organizations intent and the means by which the intent is to be realized.

- The Safety of employees & the public;

- Every effort will be made to involve all managers, supervisors, & employees in the development & implementation of safety programmes;

- Safety Legislation will be complied with, in the spirit as well as the letter of law.

3)Organization for Safety – Companies constitute safety committees which are, composed of employees from across the organization. Typically, safety committees serve in advisory capacities and are responsible for such tasks as reviewing safety procedures, making recommendations for eliminating specific safety and health hazards, investigating accidents, fielding safety- related complaints from employees and monitoring statutory compliances. Many companies employ safety specialists to design & handle the day-to-day activities of the safety programme. Responsibility of employee safety devolves upon the HR Department whose task is to co-ordinate the activities of all those concerned with safety. Risk Management is becoming is becoming very common these days.

4) Causes, Extent and Remedies for Accidents:The Causes can be classified into 2 groups- Human Failure, & Machine Failure. Human Failure leads to an accident when the employee ignores safety precautions & commits an unsafe act. Machine Failure refers to faulty mechanical or physical conditions leading to accidents.
- Lack of Adequate inspection adds to the problem of industrial accidents;
- One of the ironies is that those who should be screaming the loudest at the woeful lack of occupational safety at workplace.
- Most workers in our country believe that getting into an accident is the result of one’s karma;

- As companies globalize, & projects, large ones involving greater complexities increase new risks emerge.

- Lack of Education & Training: Most organizations do not educate employees about the usage & maintenance of machinery & chemicals. If the workers are not careful in operating powerful machinery, it can lead to serious injuries.
- Human Errors: Some employees are careless & tend to make mistakes. This can result in injuries & can sometimes prove to be fatal.
- Technical Errors: The machinery should be thoroughly inspected regularly so that it functions safely, without any problems or breakdowns.
- Psychological Problems: In most of the present day organizations, stress at workplace causes a number of problems. Employees working under high stress conditions commit mistakes & are more prone to accidents.

- Occupational Hazards & Risk: Some industries by their very nature are harmful for the employees working there.

Remedies:-
There are certain principles which enables the management to understand the causes and consequences of accidents and to introduce suitable safety devices. The principles are-
1. The occurrence of an injury invariably results from a complete sequence of factors, the last one of these being accident itself.
2. The unsafe act of employees are responsible for a majority of accidents.
3. The occurrence of an accident that results in an injury is largely preventable.
4. The supervisor is the key person in industrial accident prevention.
5. Safety incentive programs should focus on process rather than outcomes .
6. Safety should be driven internally, not externally.- Training in Safety: Systematic training of industrial employees is necessary if they are to do their jobs effectively & safely. This is an inescapable requirement, regardless of how carefully employees are selected or how much aptitude & experience they may have for the jobs to which they are assigned. The difference in training practice are influenced strongly by the size of the company, the types of jobs performed, & the awareness of the management regarding the importance of training.

- Role of Management & Unions: The problem of safety must begin with the management. The management should believe in, & have a commitment to safety & safety rules. The management should view safety as an integral part of the management process.- Tabulating & Analyzing the causes for accidents: Tabulating & Analyzing accidents & their causes will help organizations to prevent such accidents in the future. Analysis should be done in terms of the areas where accidents frequently occur & steps should be taken to prevent such accidents.

- Physical & Mechanical Conditions: Safety measures should be kept in mind while planning a layout & constructing a building. Workers must be provided with safe tools & equipments to work with. All machinery must be fended, & mechanically & physically unsafe conditions should be eliminated. ( Goggles, Gloves, Ear Muffs, Safety belts, shoes & Helmets)

- Conduct Regular Employee Wellness Programs: Accidents often occur due to the negligence of the workers. It is important to conduct periodic programs to make employees understand the causes & reasons for accidents at the workplace.

- Safety Posters & Film Shows: Safety posters with poignant illustrations & slogans may be put up on the walls near workplaces. The National Safety Council has published a series of such slogans as “ Provide Guards- Avoid Tragedies”, “ Overconfidence leads to accidents” etc. Films on how accidents occur, on the consequences of injuries, & the need for safety may be screened for the benefit of the workers.

- Safety Week & Awards: A safety week is observed from the 1st to 7th of every March. Safety awards are presented by the National Safety Council every year to industrial establishments which show accident free operations. BHEL has been the recipient of the highest number of such awards.

- Reducing Unsafe Acts Through Selection & Placement: Proper Employee Screening & Placement can reduce unsafe acts.
- Conduct Safety & Health Audits & Inspections:

5) Implementing the Policy – For implementing the policy the programme must cover –

•Procedures for reporting accidents, hazards, fire precautions, first aid.

•Arrangements for instructing workers about safe working methods and for training employees in safety matters.

•Good Housekeeping requirements covering storage facilities, adequate space for machinery & plant, etc.

•The maintenance of equipment and the provision of proper inspection and testing arrangements.

•General rules on safe working habits.

•Special rules for internal transport drivers.

•Arrangement for checking new machinery and materials.

•Safety inspection.

•The provision of personal protective equipment, and rules as to its use.

6) Programme Evaluation – Mainly there two methods for evaluating the effectiveness of safety programme i.e. - Organic and Systematic.
- Organic Measures: This method attempts to evaluate how well the safety programme is designed and fulfilled. ( Is the programme effective in changing unsafe behaviour, Have injury producing physical conditions been corrected, etc)
The techniques used are –
a. Safety Inspection
b. Safety Audit
c. Comparison
In Safety Inspection inspectors are given specifics to follow. These may include programme elements such as formation of safety committees, how often they meet etc. After inspection a report of the findings is made to the management concerned.
Safety Audit is an in-depth analysis of facilities, management & employee, attitude towards safety, managerial effectiveness in maintaining safety & quality of the safety planning. The level of compliance is considered as an indicator of operating effectiveness. Overall Performance in controlling the operation’s safety is the audit’s quest.
Comparison is the 3rd method of evaluating the company’s safety efforts. The purpose here is to compare the experience of a plant or industry with that of another which is comparable.

- Systematic Measures: The concern in systematic measure is with the effects of the programme, i.e. outcome of the programme i.e. the achievement of the aim the programme is designed to serve. ( E.g. Reduction in the rate of Accidents, Cost Savings etc)