Health, safety and security at workplace
Health
Health of an employee is the state of the physical, mental and social well being. Every organisation must provide healthy and safety working environment for their employees at the workplace. Health of an employe
e must be in a good condition so that the employees of the organisation will not suffer from any diseases
Safety
The work environment of the organisation must be safe. It must be free from hazards and risk. A risk is a probability of causing harm to the people. A proper safety guidelines must be prepared by the company and it should be strictly followed.
Security
Every employee working in an organisation must feel that they are secured in the company campus. Security is a kind of freedom from any potential harm. Security ensures the safety of the people working in the organisation.
Policies and Procedures for Health, Safety and Security
1. A health, safety and security policy is a written statement by an employer stating the company’s commitment for the protection of the health, safety and security of employees and to the public.
2. A health, safety and security program /policy contains the health, safety and security elements of an organisation and objectives which make it possible for the company to achieve its goal in the protection of its workers at the workplace.
3. The government has a specific section mentioned in their company laws, which states the minimum requirements to be followed for health, safety and security programme.
Safety Guidelines
1. Store all cleaning chemicals in tightly closed containers in separate cupboards.
2. Throw garbage daily.
3. Make sure all areas have proper lighting.
4. Do not wear loose clothing or jewellery when working with machines.
5. Never distract the attention of people who are working near a fire or with some machinery, tools or equipment.
6. Where required, wear protective items, such as goggles, safety glasses, masks, gloves, and hair nets.
7. Shut down all machines before leaving for the workplace.
8. Do not play with electrical controls or switches.
9. Do not operate machines or equipment until you have been properly trained and allowed to do so by your supervisor.
10. Repair torn wires or broken plugs before using any electrical equipment.
11. Do not use equipment if it smokes, sparks or looks unsafe.
12. Cover all food with a lid, plastic wr or aluminium foil.
13. Do not smoke in ‘No Smoking’ areas.
14. Report any unsafe condition or acts to your supervisor.
A hazard is a situation or source that has the potential to cause harm, such as injury, property damage, or environmental damage. Hazards can be natural, human-caused, or a combination of both. Some types of hazards in safety: chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic:
Physical Hazards:- It is the risks arising from the physical work environment – floors, facilities, walls, and ceilings. Physical hazards could also mean working with machinery and electricity operated machines.
Chemical hazards:- These can include liquids, vapors, fumes, dust, gases, flammable materials, and pesticides. Exposure to these substances can cause severe health conditions.
Biological hazards:- These include exposure to harm or disease from working with animals, people, or infectious plant materials. Examples include blood, bodily fluids, bacteria, viruses, mildew, molds, poisonous plants, and stinging insects.
Ergonomic hazards:- Ergonomic hazards are physical conditions that may pose a risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system due to poor ergonomics. These hazards include awkward or static postures, high forces, repetitive motion, or insufficient rest breaks activities.
Electrical hazards:- It refers to the potential dangers and risks that are associated with electrical systems.
Occupational hazard
An occupational hazard is the illness one may acquire due to his occupation. Like people working in a chemical factory may get affected due to presence of certain chemicals. Some types of occupational hazards are :
Physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, , behavioural hazards, radiological hazards, ergonomic hazards etc.
air and Water Quality Monitoring
In any organisation it is necessary to maintain a good air quality to improve the working capabilities of employees. A pollution free air is an essential requirement for any organisation.
Guidelines for Clean Air and Clean Water
A proper guidelines may be followed by organisation to keep the surrounding air and water clean. Some of the points of such guidelines can be.
1. Air pollution is mostly caused by production of the dust, mixture of solid particles and gases in the surrounding air. So avoid dust production, generation of solid particles and gases in the air.
2. Extensive use of automobile vehicles in the campus can lead to the air pollution. So organisation must use limited number of vehicles to avoid air pollution. Practice a no vehicle day in every week.
3. Ozone produced in the air can pollute the air. Many times it is called as a smog. The generation of ozone gas must be kept at low level by the organisation.
4. Most of the human activities pollute the surrounding water. The sewage or the waste water can also cause the water pollution. Take care that their waste is not mixed with the surrounding water.
5. Extensive use of fertilizers and pesticide must be avoided as it can make the ground water polluted.
Ergonomics is the science concerned with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily and safely. Applying ergonomics can reduce the potential for accidents, injury to improve performance and productivity. In an office setting, the repetition of a seemingly innocuous task over a period of time can cause an injury.
Computer Health and Safety Tips
With the increase use of computer, several health and safety issues related to vision, musculoskeletal issues, body aches and pains may occur. Many of these issues are preventable and if incurred are temporary. They can be resolved by adopting simple corrective action.
This problem include different areas of your body, such as neck, back, chests, arms shoulders and feet. It occurs because of your wrong posture, uncomfortable chair for sitting that is not ergonomically correct while working on the computer.
® Occupational Overuse Syndrome
Occupational overuse syndrome, also known as repetition strain injury (RSI), is a collective term for a range of conditions, characterised by discomfort or persistent pain in muscles, tendons and other soft tissues.
Sitting to work for long time may cause strain in legs.Position your desk chair to sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your lower legs vertical. Use a footrest for more support. Make sure that there’s enough space to change position and stretch your legs out every now and then, too.
Computer’s bright light, glare and flickering images can cause eye strain and visual fatigue. When you constantly focus on screen, you forget about blinking your eyes that can cause of drying eyes.
