Describe the features of modern OHS laws and explain how each has been aimed at rectifying a specific fault in the “old style” law. In your view has it been successful or could more be done.
Occupational and Health Safety laws aims to secure and ensure that the worker’s
health is not at risk. This law states that it is an employer’s responsibility to secure the
health, safety and welfare of persons in the workplace. In the middle of the twentieth
century, there was no all-encompassing provisions made for the safety of the workers,
and emerging hazards remained unregulated until such time as they were recognized
and a new Act or set of regulations targeting the hazard was passed. Certain groups of
workers or hazardous processes were not covered by the OHS legislation that time.
Enforcement of the early OHS legislation was also inadequate. It is in 1970 that the
British government set up a committee, headed by Lord Robens to study the situation.
Report from Robens was published in June 1972. His findings was “There are severe
practical limits on the extent to which progressively better standards of safety and health
at work can be brought about through negative regulation by external agencies. We
need a more effectively self-regulating system. It calls for better systems of safety
organization, for more management initiative and for more involvement of work people
themselves”. The Robens report identified apathy on the part of industry as being the
cause of poor OHS performance, claiming that industry had come to regard OHS as
something to be regulated by external agencies rather than something that should be
proactively managed alongside other business objectives. Early OHS law was not
subject to systematic review and was updated infrequently. Thus the highly specific and
detailed content of the legislation failed to keep pace with rapid technological change
occurring in the workplace. It is in 1974 that the Health & Safety at work etc were then
formed. OHS laws in every organizations in different parts of the world has been
established and revised:
OHS Management System: A National Priority
An ideal OHS management system should provide a structured process to minimize
potentials of work-related injuries and illnesses, increase productivity by reducing the
direct and indirect costs associated with accidents, and increase the quality of
manufactured products or rendered services. The industrial managements have been
advised to implement OHSMS for the systematic identification, evaluation, and
prevention or control of general workplace hazards, specific job hazards, and potential
hazards. As the size of a worksite or the complexity of a hazardous operation
increases, the need for written guidance increases to ensure clear communication of
policies and priorities as well as a consistent and fair application of guidelines and
instructions. This requires every management system the need to have a documented
policy statement that gives an overall sense of direction and sets the principles of action
for an organization.
National Implementing Legislation
Different states take different approaches to legislation, regulation and enforcement.
In many EU countries, there is strong cooperation between employer and worker
organizations (e.g. Unions) to ensure good OSH performance as it is recognized that
this has benefits for both the worker (through maintenance of health) and the enterprise
(through improved productivity and quality). It is then that the European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work was founded in 1996.
In Canada, workers are covered by provincial or federal labour codes depending on the
sector in which they work. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
which was created in 1978 by an Act of Parliament believes that all Canadians had “…a
fundamental right to a healthy and safe working environment”.
The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) in Malaysia is responsible
to ensure that the safety, health and welfare of workers in both the public and private
sector is upheld.
In the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Health is responsible for occupational
disease prevention and the State Administration of Work Safety for safety issues at
work.
South Australian workers are protected by the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare
legislation where main sections are:
· Protect the health, safety and welfare of people at work.
· Eliminate risks to health and safety at their source.
· Protect the public against risks to health and safety caused by people at work.
The 2010 Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations focus on identifying
hazards at work, assessing the risk of injury and implementing controls to prevent
people being injured. These apply to all workplaces in South Australia.
Increased awareness on workplace safety is the result of modifying the occupational,
health and safety law. Employers are more challenged to promote protection of their
workers in the work sites. A more detailed program was established and implemented
such as the case of a scrap metal recycling company. Simple OHS solutions
conducted a site hazard inspection, developed a tailored site inspection program, safe
operating procedures for plant and reviewed the proposed traffic management system.
In addition, policies and procedures were developed and rolled out through an
interactive training session with all staff. Attention to safety and employee welfare
issues can yield valuable returns in improving employee morale, reducing absenteeism
and maintaining productivity, while cutting costs arising from accidents and
compensations thereof. Accidents happen because they have not been prevented.
Strict compliance to the OHS program will guarantee safety in every workplace.
Reference List:
1. Anon., Textile Clothing & Footwear of Australia (Online) Available at http://tcfua.org.au/health-and-safety/ohs (Accessed 23 April 2011)
2. Anon., Safework SA (Online) Available at http://www.safeworksa.gov.au (Accessed 24 April 2011)
3. Anon., Basingtoke and Deane (Online) Available at http://www.basingtoke.gov.uk/browse/business/health-and-safety/hsinfo/Health+and+safety+at+Work+act.htm (Accessed 24 April 2011)
4. Helen Lingard, Stephen M. Rowlinson, Occupational health and safety in construction project management (Online) Available at http://www.books.google.com (Accessed 24 April 2011)
5. Anon., A National Priority on Occupational Health and Safety Management System (Online) Available at http://icmr.nic.in/ BUNOV_DEC03_pdf (Accessed 24 April 2011)
6. Wikipedia, Occupational safety and health (Online) Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_safety_and-health
7. Anon., Simple OHS Solutions (Online) Available at http://www.simple ohs solutions.com.au
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment