Occupational Health and Safety
I think that the accident occurred due to the negligence and unsafe laboratory practices of the new graduate students. I believe that the Safety Director has an indirect role to play in the accident. The safety director must make sure that the students receive Laboratory Safety Training as required by OSHA Laboratory Standard. The safety director is also responsible in providing specific procedures of the handling of the chemicals in the lab.
According to the OSHA Laboratory Standard, the employer is responsible in providing employees with information and training to make sure that they are knowledgeable of the hazards of chemicals present in their work area. The safety training is intended to:
- Teach ways to avoid accident situations
- Reduce negligence in operation and handling
- Lower accident rates
- Show correct methods of operation
- Increase worker and supervisor skill levels
The training must include methods and observations that can be useful in detecting the presence or release of hazardous chemicals. It must also aim to inform the employees about the physical and health hazards of chemicals in the work area. Training is also intended to equip the employees with the safety measures employees can take to protect themselves from hazards. The employer must implement effective safety measures such as work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment to be used. The employees must be trained on the applicable details of the employer’s written Chemical Hygiene Plan.
Although the accident was caused by negligence on the part of the students, the safety director can be considered liable because it was apparent that the students were not properly trained, and that there was no effective chemical hygiene plan. I also assume that there were no clear laboratory procedures set by the safety director. The safety director who coordinates with the employees, the managers and the employer in ensuring occupational health and safety is considered indirectly responsible for the accident. As the safety manager, he must ensure that the regulations and standards set by OSHA and other regulating bodies are followed. He must also ensure that the students and personnel are trained and follow the safety procedures of the organization.
OSHA Process Safety Standard
The process safety standard set by OSHA aims to prevent accidents caused by hazardous chemicals.
Process Safety Information
Employers must complete a compilation of written process safety information before conducting any process hazard analysis. The process safety information will help the employer and the employees involved in the process to identify and understand the hazards posed by the process that involves hazardous chemicals. Process safety information must include information on the hazards of the highly hazardous chemicals used or produced by the process, and information on the equipment in the process (OSHA 2000).
Process Hazard Analysis
The process hazard analysis is a thorough, orderly, systematic approach for identifying, evaluating, and controlling the hazards of processes involving highly hazardous chemicals. The employer must perform the initial process hazard analysis on all processes (OSHA 2000).
Operating Procedures
The employer must develop and implement written operating procedures, consistent with the process safety information, that provide clear instructions for safely conducting activities involved in each process. The tasks and procedures must be appropriate, clear, consistent, and well communicated to employees (OSHA 2000).
Training
Training is one of the most important steps in ensuring occupational health and safety. The employer is responsible in ensuring that the employees are well-informed about the processes, procedures in the workplace, including ways in monitoring hazards and avoiding accidents in the workplace. The training must include emphasis on the specific safety and health hazards of the process, emergency operations, and other safe work practices that apply to the employee’s job (OSHA 2000).
The safety process standard set by OSHA clearly identifies the responsibilities of the employers in occupational health and safety. The employer is responsible in conducting process safety information and process hazard analysis, designing operating procedures and facilitating employee training. In this regard, I can say that the safety director, who acts on behalf of the employer, has a liability in the accident because he failed to comply with the standards set by the authorities.
The Responsibilities of Safety Director
1. Strategic Planning
The safety manager designs an occupational health and safety system, analyzes the processes and procedures in the workplace and make necessary changes in order to ensure the safety of the employees (Goetsch 2008).
2. Employee Training
The safety manager is responsible in ensuring that the employees receive adequate training in order for them to safely do perform their tasks. The safety manager’s responsibilities include:
- Arranging and scheduling training for new employees
- Arranging and scheduling retraining for experienced employees in need of updating
- Arranging training for employees whose jobs have changed in some way
- Identifying and assigning instructors to conduct training
- Monitoring and evaluating training that is provided
- Documenting training
Ensuring that supervisors receive the training they need in order to play their critical role in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment (Goetsch 2008)
3. Communication
The safety manager is responsible in making sure that the employers, employees, supervisors and managers are knowledgeable about safety and health policies, practices, concerns, and other information. The safety manager must constantly communicate with these people in order to ensure that everyone understands occupational health and safety processes, policies and issues in the organization (Goetsch 2008).
4. Accident Investigation and Reporting
The safety manager must be directly involved in the investigation should accidents occur. He or she must also train the employees and the managers and supervisors to participate in accident investigations (Goetsch 2008).
5. Ongoing Monitoring
The safety manager is responsible in ensuring that the standards and requirements of applicable regulatory bodies are properly monitored on a continuous basis. The safety manager is also responsible in monitoring the hazards in the workplace and other workplace hazard issues (Goetsch 2008).
References
Goetsch. L. D.(2008). Occupational Safety and Health, for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers (5th ed.) Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey.
Process Safety Management. (2000). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved June 25, 2008, from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3132.pdf.
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