Amitabh Sharma
Features Coordinator

Workplace safety is regarded as a primary concern throughout the world, people are exposed to safety and health hazards. International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 2.2 million people die every year from work-related accidents and diseases. In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, it is estimated that 36 occupational accidents occur every minute resulting in 300 deaths per day.


"The human, social and economic costs of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases and major industrial disasters have long been cause for concern at all levels," says Dr. Benjamin Alli, Technical Cooperation and Advisory Services Coordinator for the ILO HIV/AIDS Global Programme.

Alli, who was speaking at a symposium on Managing Risk in the Work Environment: my life, my work, my safe work at the University of the West Indies, Mona, last week expressed concerns that despite improvements occupational accidents and diseases are still frequent.

"Their cost in terms of human suffering and economic burden continues to be significant," Alli says.

But these issues can be addressed, "this worrying trend can be reversed through proper risk management in the workplace," he says.

Employers have responsibility to ensure that the working environment is safe and healthy, hence must prevent and protect workers from occupational risks.

Knowledge is the key, says Alli.

"The employers must have knowledge of occupational hazards and a commitment to ensure that management processes promote safety and health at work," he said. "This should guide decisions on the choice of technology and on how work is organised."

The next step is training the stakeholders, within enterprises.

"Managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that workers are adequately trained for the work that they are expected to undertake," Alli says.

Improving the workplace
He adds that training regime should include information on the safety and health aspects of the work, and on ways to prevent or minimise exposure to hazards.

• It is imperative to eliminate the risk before they enter the workplace through innovative approaches by manufacturers and suppliers of work equipment.
  "This can be done by substituting hazardous substance with less hazardous ones which achieve same purpose," Alli says.



• Install safety measures. "This involves eliminating risk at source through engineering controls or other physical safe guards," he notes.
  
  These include installation of guard rails to prevent falls from scaffolding, improved ventilation system against risk from harmful substances and installation of rubber stopper to reduce noise and vibration.



• Include the design of safe work systems, Alli recommends that organisations periodic maintenance work and clear blockages in machines. " This would require safe isolation procedures to prevent accidental start-up and warning signs and signals," Alli says. "If the risk remains,adequate personal protective equipment should be used."

Alli implores workers should know their rights; " they should have adequate knowledge and training regarding their work environment and to enable them carry out their tasks safely and report any situation that present imminent danger to safety or health," he said.

He also says that the workers should be provided with proper information which could help them to understand occupational risks and dangers in order to take appropriate measures.

"Workers and their representatives have to cooperate with the employers by participating in elaborating and implementing preventive programmes," Alli adds.

The issue of safety is not restricted to assembly lines, "while the management of the organisation expects its employees to keep the welfare of the organisation in mind and work accordingly, the reverse is also imperative," Ashish Jhingran, a senior management professional says.

Hazard can be mental also, Jhingran points out that there should be a stress management system to avoid employees going through work related stress like overwork.

Jhingran's workplace gems

• Well laid out floors


• Adequate movement space during normal routines and emergency situations


• Ideal room temperature, humidity and efficient air circulation


• Adequate seating in terms of appropriate height, flexibility and general user comfort


• Available sources of drinking water


• Proper toilet facilities


• Availability of a First-Aid kit and emergency situation personnel


• Frequent monitoring and occupational policy and standards

"There should be continuous feedback from employees with respect to the comfort levels," Jhingran says. " or discomfort levels, if any should be immediately followed up and action taken."

A safe work place is the responsibility of all the stakeholders, felt Alli, "the responsibilities of governments, employers and workers should been seen as complimentary and mutually reinforcing in the common task of managing risks at work."

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com