IMPORTANCE OF WORK PLACE SAFETY

BASIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OHS)

OHS MANAGING HEALTH & SAFETY PROGRAM
SAMPLE OF COMPANY OSH POLICY
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISORS & WORKERS
SAFETY SIGN AND SYMBOLS
IDENTIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES
IDENTIFY PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PPE
WORKPLACE HAZARD & UNDERSTANDING SIX MAJOR TYPES OF WORKPLACE HAZARDS
HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL
HAZARD TIRUNS INTO RISK
RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS
BENEFITS OF RISK MANAGEMENT
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
GOLDEN RULES IN GIVING EMERGENCY CARE
EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES RIGHT AND DUTIES
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN BANGLADESH
OHS IMPROVING PROCESS
TIPS FOR WORKERS
Safe work is one of the fundamental rights of the workers.
These days, workplace health and safety procedures are important for the well-
being of both employees and employers because human loss is immeasurable and
intolerable. As, such loss or injuries can employ major loss to the families.
 Well-maintained occupational safety saves money
 Occupational safety creates new opportunities
 Occupational safety affects company reputation and productivity
 Employees are more productive.
 Use tools appropriately and mechanical assistance
 Keep crisis exits which are easily accessible
 Reduce Workplace Environment Stress
 Wear the right safety equipment’s
 Sit in a proper posture which increase work power
 A clean and healthy working environment reduces absenteeism.
 It’s safer, cleaner and looks more professional.
 There is a decrease in insurance claims caused by workplace accidents.
 The organization will be able to retain more customers.
In 1970 President Richard Nixon signing into law the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)reflected the
recognition that safety in the workplace is a basic expectation for all employees. Originally addressing concerns in
industry and hazards associated with mechanical injury, the field of occupational health and safety has expanded to
almost every workplace environment.
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)
“occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong
focus on primary prevention of hazards.”
Occupational Health And Safety (OHS) also commonly referred to a Occupational safety and health (OSH) or
workplace health and safety (WHS) is an area concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work
or employment.

The goals of occupational safety and health programs include to foster a safe and healthy work environment.
In common-law Jurisdictions, employers have a common law duty to take reasonable care of the safety of their
employees
An OSH programmed will protect the organization’s employees. After all, they are the most valuable assets to the company
In general, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management systems are composed of the following elements:

1. Appointing one or more management members in charge of the operational and technical aspects of health and safety
2. Communicating to ensure everyone plays his/her part in protecting health and safety
3. Establishing a procedure to receive feedback on OSH
4. Establishing a Safety Committee
5. Adopting health and safety policy and procedures
6. Clarifying supervisors responsibilities to ensure health and safety
7. Identifying hazards regularly, assessing them and taking actions tocontrol the risks
8. Accidents and diseases: investigating them and taking corresponding preventive actions
9. Providing regular information and training
10. Management of licenses, certificates, tests and other OSH records • Building: structural safety must be certified
11. Setting up an emergency response system in case things go wrong • Fire License
12. Reviewing the performance of the system by top management • Certificate for the electrical system
• Drinking water certificate
• Health check for workers who perform dangerous operations
• Lifting machinery, pressure plant
The OSH Guideline required according to Schedule IV (2) BLR is composed of: The company OSH Policy
The sample of an OSH Policy are -
- Used is a factory, which has a Safety Officer.
- The Safety Committee needs to discuss the health and safety of all persons employed within the facility and those visiting the facility are
considered to be of utmost importance.
- The top management of <Name of the Company> is committed to:
• Improve continuously to establish a healthy and safe workplace
• Prevent injuries and illnesses
Respect legal requirements as stated in the Bangladesh Labour Act and Rules. Must follow such sample of an OSH Policy
1. Responsibilities
 Responsibilities of top management
 Responsibilities of Safety Officer(OSH+Fire)
 Responsibilities of welfare officer related to OSH
 Responsibilities of supervisors
 Responsibilities of workers
2. Safety Committee
3. First aid team
4. Evacuation/rescue team
5. Fire fighting team
6. Annual Work plan
7. Procedures
8. Information and training
10. Review of OSH policy implementation
9. Monitoring of implementation
 Give instructions to workers about safe working procedures before they are allowed to start work
 Facilitate regular safety meetings at workplace level
 Ensure that machinery and equipment required for use by each worker under their supervision are
safe; conduct regular inspections for unsafe practices and conditions and ensure prompt corrective
action
 Identify OSH problems and fix them
 Report unresolved problems to fire/safety officer or Safety Committee members
 Remind workers about safe work instructions, enforce their observance, and ensure that they
 use the protective equipment provided
 Report all accidents immediately
 Participate in accident investigations
 Provide an example for others by always directing and performing work in a safe manner
The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 require employers to provide and
maintain safety signs where there is significant risk to health and safety that has not been avoided or controlled
by other means (e.g. safe systems of work) provided that the use of a sign can help reduce the risk. .

WHAT IS A SAFETY SIGN?

A safety and/or health signs and symbols is defined as ‘information or instruction about health and safety at
work on a signboard, a Colour, an illuminated sign or acoustic signal, a verbal communication or hand signal.’

Why safety singe and symbols used?

May show and help to explain the hazards quickly.
Can be understood by both readers and non-readers
May be multilingual and usually translate directly into all languages.

And remember that safety signs only work if everyone understands

them. Conduct regular refresher training to ensure that every worker is
familiar with the symbols and their meanings
A signboard is a combination of shape, Colour and symbol or pictogram made visible by adequate lighting and which may
have supplementary text. See the table below to understand the purpose of different safety signs and their properties:
 Preventing Injury When Working at a Computer using a Safe Works Station
 Regular Exercise Reduce The Effect Of Repetitive Work
 Identify Personal Protective Equipment
A user’s workstation furniture should minimize the risk of injuries. Posture also plays a vital
role in preventing upper limb disorders.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety
helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes
respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

TYPES OF PPE CAN USE

1. SAFETY FOR THE HEAD wearing a helmet

2. PROTECT YOUR EYES with proper goggles
3. HEARING PROTECTION need ear muffs and ear plugs
4. MAINTAIN A GOOD RESPIRATION for lung protection
5. PROTECT YOUR HANDS with the right gloves .
6. PROTECTION FOR THE FEET use safety shoes
7. WEAR THE CORRECT WORK CLOTHING like leather apron
When selecting and using PPE:

 Choose products which are CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 – suppliers can advise
 Choose equipment that suits the user – consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE
 If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together, eg wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a
respirator, causing air leaks
 Instruct and train people how to use it
 Never allow exemptions from wearing PPE for those jobs that ‘only take a few minutes'
 Check with supplier on what PPE is appropriate – explain the job to them If in doubt, seek further advice from a specialist adviser

Maintenance
PPE must be properly looked after and stored when not in use, eg in a dry, clean cupboard. If it is reusable it must be cleaned and kept in good
condition.

Monitor and review

Check regularly that PPE is used. If it isn’t, find out why not
Safety signs can be a useful reminder that PPE should be worn
Take note of any changes in equipment, materials and methods – you may need to update what you provide
A workplace hazard refers to a situation within the workplace that has the potential to
cause injury or adverse health effects for people and damage to the plant and/or equipment.
Hazards are present at every workplace and come from a wide number of sources.
Identifying and eliminating them is a major component of maintaining a safe workplace.
Hazard Prevention and Control
Effective controls protect workers from workplace hazards; help avoid injuries, illnesses, and incidents; minimize or
eliminate safety and health risks; and help employers provide workers with safe and healthful working conditions.
The processes described in this section will help employers prevent and control hazards identified in the previous
section.
To effectively control and prevent hazards, employers should:
1: Identify control options
2: Select controls
3: Develop and update a hazard control plan
4: Select controls to protect workers during nonroutine operations and emergencies
5: Implement selected controls in the workplace
6: Follow up to confirm that controls are effective
Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if
exposed to a hazard. It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss, or harmful effects on the
environment.

The CSA Z1002 Standard "Occupational health and safety - Hazard identification and elimination and risk
assessment and control" uses the following terms:

Risk – the combination of the likelihood of the occurrence of a harm and the severity of that harm.

Likelihood – the chance of something happening.

Benefits of risk management
• Enables quantification of risk
• Helps identify extremely risky situations
• Improves risk awareness
• Enables performance measurement on risk-adjusted basis
• Reduces earnings volatility
• Maximizes shareholders’ value
• Promotes job and financial security
Mental Health Awareness
More the half of employees say they don’t know if their company offers mental well-being programs or that no
support is available

11%

No idea what employer offers

47%
No support or programs available
42%
Support and programs available
Employers must:
• Adopt administrative policies on safety in accordance with the provisions of the standards.
• Report to the Regional Director or his/her duly authorized representative the policies adopted and the safety organization
established.
• Submit a report to the Regional Director or his/her duly authorized representative once every three months on the safety
performance, safety committee meetings and its recommendations and measures taken to implement the
recommendation.
• Act on recommended safety measures and provide access to appropriate authorities.
Employees must:
• Follow safety policies
• Report unsafe conditions and practices to the supervisor
• Serve as member of the Health and Safety Committee, when called upon to do so.
• Cooperate with the Health and Safety Committee
• Assist government agencies in the conduct of safety and health inspection
1. What to Do:
 Do obtain consent when possible.
 Do think the worst. It’s best to administer first aid for the gravest possibility.
 Do remember to identify yourself to the victim.
 Do provide comfort and emotional support.
 Do respect the victim’s modesty and physical privacy.
 Do be as calm and as direct as possible.
 Do care for the most serious injuries first.
 Do assist the victim with his or her prescription medication.
 Do keep onlookers away from the injured person.
 Do handle the victim to a minimum.
 Do loosen tight clothing.

2. What Not to Do:

Do not let the victim see his/her injury.
Do not leave the victim alone except to get help.
Do not assume that the victim’s obvious injuries are the only ones.
Do not make any unrealistic promises.
Do not trust the judgment of a confused victim and require them to make decision.
In Bangladesh It is estimated that over 11,000 workers suffer fatal accidents and a further 24,500 die from
work related diseases across all sectors each year in Bangladesh. It is also estimated that a further 8 million workers
suffer injuries at work – many of which result in permanent disability. Although little research has taken place in
Bangladesh, it is internationally recognized that most occupational deaths and injuries are entirely preventable, and
could be avoided if employers and workers took simple initiatives to reduce hazards and risks at the workplace.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) is a specialized labor Foundation.
OSHE established in December 2003 by workers institutive as specialized development organization to work on issues
affect employment, income, economy, environment and livelihood of the working people. The foundation serves as
‘think-tank’ at the national level on labor, OSH, sustainable development and other cross-cutting issues.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) is the overall training objective is to
updated knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Soft skills for the trainers responsible for
conducting training at different TTC both public and private. Sharing practical knowledge & experience on OHS for
specific Ship-building sector. Develop awareness on the essential health issues in dealing with workforce in the
industrial scenario.
The key provisions of the occupational accidents, hazards and diseases relate to
accident prevention regulations, prevention from workplace hazards, disease
prevention and safeguards, record keeping and planning, rehabilitation and
awareness building.