LO2. Prepare OSH Requirements for Compliance

Information Sheet 2.1: Work Standards and Procedures

Work Standards and Procedures

With or without pandemic, below are the important principles of occupational health and safety that need to be guide organizations in setting up their own health and safety programs:

Conduct health and safety hazards risk assessment
Create guidelines and policies, as well as procedures that work
Active participation of all employees in establishing a culture of safety is needed
A committed leadership that’s dedicated to uphold the standards
A well-trained staff
Constant review and improvement of health and safety protocols

Applying the abovementioned principles, here are some of the ways that businesses and organizations can enhance health and safety in the workplace:

Improving Health Safety in the Workplace

According to the Occupational Safety and Hazards Authority (OSHA), one out of five work-related deaths are attributed to the construction sector. Because of the nature of their jobs, workers in the construction industry are highly susceptible to what the OSHA calls the “Fatal Four Hazards”. These include accidents such as falls, electrocution, getting struck by an object, and being caught in between objects.

Workplace accidents are by no means exclusive to the construction settings. Even in office, employees may fall victim to occupational risks. For instance, overexertion, slip and fall, and other injurious accidents can happen to workers, wherever they may be.

Ideally, occupational hazards and any form of personal injuries should be handled internally. In cases where an in-house medical specialist may not be available, you can seek help online.

Fostering a Culture of Safety

Every organization is responsible for maintaining and promoting workers’ health and safety, companies should show commitment and exert all efforts to ensure staff safety and well-being.

The executive and management levels need to be committed to safety, conducting visits to facilities and interviews with everyone, especially those who play key roles in implementing safety rules. Executives must be able to assess and monitor the proper implementation of these standards and make the necessary changes.

Promoting a safe culture isn’t a one-way street. While organizations hold the primary responsibility, the staff plays a key role in enforcing it. Hence, employees should have adequate practical knowledge and training to achieve health and safety objectives, and in preventing workplace injuries.

Forging a culture of safety at all levels in the organization is easier said than done. It takes a lot of time, and sometimes, one accident to identify the hazards and vulnerabilities.

Conducting Risk Assessment(s)

Risk assessment is an important component in creating, developing, and enhancing a company’s health and safety program. An assessment is essential for the following reasons:

It creates or improves risk and threat awareness
It clearly identifies who is at risk and why
It determines whether the current measures are effective
It helps suggest the steps needed to improve your measures
It can help prevent injuries and health problems
It helps you prioritize the type of hazards that need to be addressed ASAP
It ensures compliance with state and federal rules on health and safety

Assessments should be done regularly, and most especially if the company is planning to introduce new rules or processes and when risks are identified.

Information Sheet 2.2: Safe Handling Procedures of Tools, Equipment and Materials

Working Safely With Tools & Equipment

It turns out that there are various methods and tips that we all need to keep in mind when working with the gear that helps us do our jobs properly. To avoid hazards and work effectively and efficiently using certain items, some safety tips are in order.

Essential Safety Tips for Working with Tools & Equipment

First of all, we’re going to enlighten you on work methods and tools.

You need to ensure that you are using the correct tools for the job. Using the wrong tools is a safety risk.
You need to ensure that you protect your eyes when working with a wide range of tools and equipment. Not using safety glasses is a hazard as well.
You need to use and store sharp objects very carefully. Ensure that you sheath them before you store them away (if you don’t or if you aren’t very careful with them, you are going to put your safety at risk as well as the safety of others on your team).
You need to report any injuries or accidents that you or anyone else may have incurred. That way, it will be less likely for accident or injury to happen again.

Following these steps will help reduce risk in your workplace, and help you and your teammates work more safely.

Further Ways to Work Safely

Next up, we’d like to share with you some general safety tips to ensure the safe use of equipment and tools.

Ensure that your tools are properly maintained and that you use them correctly in order to avoid hazards
Ensure that you keep your eyes open for any signs of problems with electrical equipment in the work environment (this may include signs such as faulty connections, smoke, sparks, loose wires, etc.)
Ensure that you don’t tamper with any electrical equipment that you suspect needs repair (consult with qualified personnel to do the necessary repairs)
Ensure that you switch off computers, printers and other electrical equipment at the socket
Ensure that you never overload the socket outlet
Ensure that you use the right adapters for items of equipment that have two-pin plugs

By keeping these safety tips in mind, you’re helping yourself, your coworkers and your organization maintain and enhance a safe and productive workplace.

How to Maintain a Safe Working Environment

It’s one thing to safely and properly use tools, it’s another thing to create a safe working environment.

Temperature – It’s important to maintain a temperature that does not impede the concentration of workers or limits the capacity of the equipment to function properly.
Noise Level – The equipment should not distract the user or others in the workplace. If the equipment volume can’t be adjustment, consider moving your tools to soundproofed area.
Lighting – Make sure that surrounding windows have blinds to block unwanted glare. Similarly, it’s important that there is adequate lighting where the work is being done to ensure proper visibility.
Ventilation – When working with power tools you should maintain proper ventilation in the work area. This will help control humidity and ventilate any fine particles that might be dangerous or hazardous to breathe in.

Material Handling Safety

Materials handling is a form of logistics movement that includes any process that involves the movement between vehicles, conveyors, store rooms, other forms of logistics support where employees are involved to some extent.

The extent of employee involvement will vary by operation and may include manual, automated, and semi-automated material handling events. The safety keys outlined below offer general guidance that would require tailoring for specific materials and logistics support scenarios.

An Effective Material Handling Safety Policy

A comprehensive health and safety policy would include the appropriate level of guidelines on material handling and the associated employee training program.

A key portion of the policy would be the safety compliance activity that is essential for the business to operate. Most importantly, the policy would inform on the shared responsibilities of each employee in keeping the workplace safe.

These policies need to follow both the federal guidelines for occupational health and safety, as well as all provincial guidelines. Health and safety policies with respect to material handling need to address specific hazards including, but not limited to:

Poorly maintained lifting devices
Exceeding load limits on lifting devices
Damaged racking and storage units
Repetitive or overly heavy manual lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying loads
Handling materials while on a ladder or step stool
Being stuck between materials
Falling materials that are improperly stored
Incorrectly using securing devices on materials
Collisions with moving equipment

Since the materials that are handled in the workplace on a daily basis can vary widely in size, shape, weight, and quantity, a safety policy for material handling will look very different from business to business. Each one needs to have a custom tailored policy to properly protect their employees who handle materials for their job.

Here’s a list for safely lifting and moving materials:

Maintain the correct posture: avoid bending over and keep lifts close to the body
Lift in a careful, deliberate manner and avoid any sudden lift movements
Never lift materials from a sitting position, or twist to pick up a heavy object
Use the correct grip on objects; lifts should be shoulder high and with full grasp of the hands
Get assistance from co-workers to avoid successive lifts of heavy objects
Always make use of conveyors, slides or other devices, to avoid unnecessary lifting or pushing of objects
Always go around a blocked pathway, never step over an obstacle while carrying material
Maintain a clear line of site; objects should not block vision; lift only where there is sufficient lighting
Whenever possible; reduce load sizes, adjust bulky objects to ease movement
Regularly stretch back and leg muscles during the day and keep in good physical shape

Safety for material handling gear means the proper fit and use of personal protection, to include, eye-protection, steel toed boots, other personal safety equipment.

Material handling safety equipment included the proper tools should be used in moving material. This would include the proper use of loaders, conveyers, forklifts and other aids to safely move material.

A safe workplace is crucial for the continued success of your organization. Ensuring that you have the right safety procedures and policies for things such as working at heights, first aid CPR, confined space entry, can create a great work environment that is safe and productive.

Information Sheet 2.3: Different OSH Control Measures

The level of risk is often categorized upon the potential harm or adverse health effect that the hazard may cause the number of times persons are exposed and the number of persons exposed. For example exposure to airborne asbestos fibers will always be classified as high because a single exposure may cause potentially fatal lung disease, whereas the risk associated with using a display screen for a short period could be considered to be very low as the potential harm or adverse health effects are minimal.

What are Control Measures?

Control measures include actions that can be taken to reduce the potential of exposure to the hazard, or the control measure could be to remove the hazard or to reduce the likelihood of the risk of the exposure to that hazard being realized. A simple control measure would be the secure guarding of moving parts of machinery eliminating the potential for contact. When we look at control measures we often refer to the hierarchy of control measures.

1. Eliminate the hazard	Elimination of the hazard is not always achievable though it does totally remove the hazard and thereby eliminates the risk of exposure. An example of this would be that petrol station attendants in Ireland are no longer exposed to the risk of chronic lead poisoning following the removal of lead from petrol products sold at forecourts.
2. Substitute the hazard with a lesser risk	Substituting the hazard may not remove all of the hazards associated with the process or activity and may introduce different hazards but the overall harm or health effects will be lessened. In laboratory research, toluene is now often used as a substitute for benzene. The solvent-properties of the two are similar but toluene is less toxic and is not categorized as a carcinogen although toluene can cause severe neurological harm.
3. Isolate the hazard	Isolating the hazard is achieved by restricting access to plant and equipment or in the case of substances locking them away under strict controls. When using certain chemicals then a fume cupboard can isolate the hazard from the person, similarly placing noisy equipment in a non-accessible enclosure or room isolates the hazard from the person(s).
4. Use engineering controls	Engineering Controls involve redesigning a process to place a barrier between the person and the hazard or remove the hazard from the person, such as machinery guarding, proximity guarding, extraction systems or removing the operator to a remote location away from the hazard.
5. Use administrative controls	Administrative controls include adopting standard operating procedures or safe work practices or providing appropriate training, instruction or information to reduce the potential for harm and/or adverse health effects to person(s). Isolation and permit to work procedures are examples of administrative controls.
6. Use personal protective equipment	Personal protective equipment (PPE) include gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear, dust masks which are designed to reduce exposure to the hazard. PPE is usually seen as the last line of defense and is usually used in conjunction with one or more of the other control measures. An example of the weakness of this control measure is that it is widely recognized that single-use dust masks cannot consistently achieve and maintain an effective face piece-to-face seal, and cannot be adequately fit-tested and do not offer much, if any real protection against small particulates and may lead to a false sense of security and increase risk. In such instances an extraction system with fitted respirators may be preferable where the hazard may have significant health effects from low levels of exposure such as using isocyante containing chemicals.

What is Risk Assessment?

Risk Assessment is where the severity of the Hazard and its potential outcomes are considered in conjunction with other factors including the level of exposure and the numbers of persons exposed and the risk of that hazard being realized. There are a number of different formulae used to calculate the overall risk from basic calculations using high, medium and low categories to complicated algorithms to calculate risks at Nuclear power stations and other high risk work locations.