Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS)

Occupational wellness and precaution commission Systems (OHSMS)An Occupational wellness and Safety Management System (OHSMS) may be defined as a series of processes which provide a framework, for managing occupational health and precaution device (OHS) responsibilities so that they become more efficient and more integrated into overall business operations, around which good surgery can be established and maintained and which go out support the unfoldment of a condom close. (International Labour Organisation (ILO)-British Standards Institution (BSI) Joint-Definition)The main aim of the OHSM is to design measures to control and eliminate the likelihood of hazards in the employment and promote a safe work environment.1. Management commitmentAn in effect(p) management addresses all work-related hazards and employees welf be facilities and non only those stipulated by laws. There is a need for management to make the health and safety of workers a priority. It is essential t hat there be strong management commitment and strong worker fraternity in the effort to create and maintain a safe and healthy oeuvre. In each workplace, the lines of responsibility from top to bottom need to be clear, and workers should be intimate who is responsible for different health and safety issues. Management is responsible that the organisation has the appropriate policies, programmes in place to ensure a healthy and safe workplace.Management commitment and employee involvementCharles reese (accident) Management commitment and employee ar complementary. Management commitment provides the motivating force and the resources for organizing and controlling activities within an organization. Employee involvement provides the means through which workers develop and/or express their own commitment to safety and health protection, for themselves and for their fellow workers.Safety and health goals and objectives are also included to assist you in establishing workplace goals a nd objectives that demonstrate your companys commitment to safety.2. Health and Safety policyIt is the responsibility of management to cater for the health and safety of its workforce. Clearly developed and concise policies set the cathexis for the organisation by communicating managements goals and objectives.A good health and safety policy need to be1. Specific to the organisation and appropriate to its size and disposition of works2. Clearly written so as to educate workers, clients, suppliers and general public nigh the health and safety policy of the organisation3. Specific about the responsibility and accountability of managers and supervisors at all levels4. Effectively communicated to all employees and5. Reviewed on a regular basis to ensure continuing sustainability.The best health and safety policies align health and safety with human resources management as employees are the key resource of an organization.(HSE Successful Health and Safety Management HS(G) HMSO 1997)Th e OSH policy should include, as a minimum, the following key principles and objectives to which the organization is committed1. protecting the safety and health of all members of the organization by preventing work-related injuries, ill health, diseases and incidents2. complying with relevant OSH national laws and regulations, instinctive programmes, collective agreements on OSH and other requirements to which the organization subscribes3. ensuring that workers and their representatives are consulted and encouraged to participate actively in all elements of the OSH management system and4. continually improving the performance of the OSH management system.(ILO Guidelines on the Occupational Health and Safety Management System 2001)Health promotion in the workplaceThis complements occupational health and safety measures to purify the well being of workers at the workplace.Workplace wellbeingAccording to ILO, it relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of t he physical environment, to how workers feel about their work, their working environment, the mood at work and work organisation.Workers well being is directly related to the productivity of the organisation. The higher the workers well being, the higher will be the productivity of the organistion.Safety tasks and responsibilitiesHealth and Safety audit and Performance reviewHealth and Safety audit and performance review are the final steps in the health and safety management.Health and Safety cultureIn order to develop good health and safety practices, a good health and safety culture is needed at work. Employers need to incorporate health and safety practices in their day to day running of the business. Successful occupational health and safety practices necessitates the quislingism and participation of both employers/owners or management and employees in health and safety programmes, and it involves the consideration of issues relating to occupational medicine, industrial hygien e, toxicology, education, engineering safety, ergonomics, psychology, etc. Both workers and employers have a legal responsibility to look after health and safety at work together. Workers who contribute to health and safety at work, are safer and healthier than those who do not.Building and maintain a health and safety culture involve the use of all available means to increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of the concepts of hazards and risks and how they may be prevented or controlled.The safety culture of an organization is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisations health and safety management. Successful Health and Safety Management by HSE (2nd edition), pg 22Training for health and safetyTraining means educating people on what should be do and not, how it should be done and when it should be done.Based on a survey carrie d out by ILO, workers often experience work-related health problems but do not realize that the problems are related to their work, particularly when an occupational disease, for example, is in the early stages. Hence, there is a need to train workers on safe way to do the job, hazards associated with the work and how to eliminate or control them.It is also important to train workers how to react in case of emergencies, like a fire outbreak. Training on first aid is also important.Training can be conducted at different levelsDuring induction course for new employees where they can be educated on how to work safely and also about the hazards and risks associated with the jobs, how to eliminate or control them.Training can be organized for management and Supervisors so that they know what are the hazards present in the workplace and this enable them to develop policies to combat these hazardsRegular training to existing employees, to update them on new equipment and technologies being used.Health controlHealth surveillance at work is very important. It is performed to look for early signs of ill health caused by substances and other hazards at work. It includes keeping health records for individuals and may include medical examinations and testing of blood or urine samples, so that corrective action can be taken.Health and Safety CommitteeHealth and safety programsFor all of the reasons given above, it is crucial that employers, workers and unions are committed to health and safety and thatworkplace hazards are controlled at the source whenever possiblerecords of any movie are maintained for many yearsboth workers and employers are informed about health and safety risks in the workplacethere is an active and effective health and safety committee that includes both workers and managementworker health and safety efforts are ongoing.Charles D. Reese (2001) Accident/Incident Prevention Techniques In order to effectively manage safety and health, a company must pay attention to some critical factorspolicy of management regarding health and safety of workershealth and safety goals of the companywho is responsible for occupational safety and healthhow are supervisors and employees held accountable for job safety and health?what are the consequences of not following the safety rulesare there set procedures for addressing safety and health at the workplace?A written safety and health program is of primary importance in addressing these items.