Case Study of Dealing with Health and Safety Issues

Introduction

This instance survey is discoursing the scenario of an applied scientist who covering with the occupational jeopardy which she found in the workplace while working on procedure re-layout design. The jeopardy identified was a fiberglass dust and it has been existed for the past 10 old ages. No current step has been taken to get the better of the jeopardy, every bit good as no safer workplace has been introduced by the employer.

THE ISSUES

Safety Awareness

In this instance, it seems that there is no safety consciousness among employee neither employer exist. They do n't hold a cognition neither being develop how to work with risky stuff and how the stuff could impact their wellness. The company has a legal duty to supply information, instructions, preparation and supervisings to the employees on jeopardies to which they are exposed. Employees besides need to be trained to utilize safety equipments and cogwheels. ( Stranks, 2008 )As an employee at work, they are lawfully obligated to moderately care for ego wellness and safety every bit good as for other individual they are working with. ( Stranks, 2008 )

Hazardous Material

The other concern in this instance is the stuff which classified as a risky stuff does non treated harmonizing to the wellness and safety ordinances.

Inhalation of glass fibers can do preexistent conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Skin contact to fibre glass can do a impermanent dermatitis. Precautions should be taken even though there is no grounds that the fiber spectacless used in the composite industry are carcinogenic in worlds. ( Composites Association of New Zealand,1998 )

Employee Illness

It is clear that the employee had been exposed to the jeopardy stuffs for a long period of clip. It has to halt instantly as it would do more injury to the employees. The employee could describe the jeopardies in the workplace to the section of labor and the company could confront serious charges from the authorization.

A departmental medical practician may suspend an employee from any work that is doing them to be harmed by exposure to a important jeopardy ( subdivision 37 ) . ( Department of Labour, n.d. , para 57 )

Safe workplace

It appears that in this instance the room which is used to transport out the procedure was non decently built as regulated in the edifice codification. Hazardous stuff workrooms are supposed to follow with the demands of the Dangerous Goods Regulations.

( CANZ,1998 ) . In this instance, the proper airing system should be built since the risky stuffs are presently being procedure in a confined infinite.Again it is a legal duty for the employer to supply the save and healthy workplace for the employee. Harmonizing to New Zealand Department of Labour ( n.d. , p.

4 ) `` All employers have responsibilities under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 to take all operable stairss to guarantee the safety of employees at work, and other people in the workplace. ''

Health and Safety Policy

It appears that presently there is no wellness and safety policy implemented in this company. '' Even thought the act does non necessitate an employer to fix a formal written statement of wellness and safety policies. However, in some workplaces it may be good pattern to obtain written verification of agreed safety and wellness policies and the manner they are to be implemented as a footing on which to be proceed. Normally, the larger the endeavor and the Numberss of people involved, the more utile it will be to fix a formal statement of wellness and safety policies and processs.

'' ( Department of Labour, n.d. , para 45 )

Dealing WITH THE ISSUES

The issue could be resolved in several ways of attack. It is wholly depends to the company determinations. As a company there are several factors to see. Cost, ordinances and employee public assistance are the factors to see.

Whatever it is, the immediate action should be taken. Mention to calculate 1, the hazard direction procedure diagram as recommended by New Zealand Department of Labour shows the procedure flow on how to cover with the jeopardies at workplace. It is the least the company could make and to get down with. This basic procedure program in pull offing jeopardy is a sensible procedure for all company to follow.Although the hazard direction procedure supposes to be implemented in the wellness and safety policy which is evidently has non been introduced by this company, but in this instance survey we are looking at actions in the procedure flow as a position to cover with the issues.

Get rid of the job.

First option, the company could merely acquire rid of the jeopardy extinguish it. This could be achieved by subleasing the procedure to another contractor. Sing from difference position this option will impact the fabrication cost every bit good as the procedure control. By subleasing the procedure the company will non hold a control on the procedure and quality of the merchandise.This option will besides make doomed of employment, which will non convey any benefit to the employee and company. The lone advantage of this attack is for short term footing as the company do n't hold to put in reconstructing a proper new workplace and work systems.

Figure1. ( New Zealand Department of Labour, n.d. )

Keep people off from the jeopardy

The other manner of deciding the issue is by maintaining the employee off from the jeopardy. It could be accomplish by seting the machine-controlled procedure in topographic point. The company will necessitate to put with new equipment which will transport out the procedure automatically.

The workroom will be isolated from peoples. This option will be the most dearly-won option for the company. Besides reconstructing the new substructure of the fabrication procedure, some of the employee will lost the occupation excessively. For long term this attack could convey a benefit to the company as the procedure acquire automated more end product could be generated.

Supply a rescuer workplace and minimise the jeopardy.

The last option will be to cover with the state of affairs by presenting a safe workplace and safety cogwheels to the employee.

By making this, the company have to follow with the wellness and safety demand in workplaces. This attack will besides necessitate the company to present the wellness and safety policy.Regardless of any determinations made by the company, the company are still obliged to hold the policy implemented it in the workplace. In fact, every employer shall take all operable stairss to guarantee the safety of employees while at work.

The demand is set out in the subdivision 6 of the act. The general responsibility of employer is describe with the following peculiar responsibilities:Provide and keep a safe working environment ;Provide and maintain installations for the safety and wellness of employees at work ;Ensure that works machinery and equipment in the topographic point of work is designed, made, put up, and maintained to be safe for employees ;Ensure that systems of work do non take to employees being exposed to jeopardies in or around their topographic point of work ; andDevelop processs for covering with exigencies that may originate while employees are at work.( Department of Labour NZ, n.d. )

Decision

It is evident that in this scenario, the company have been runing without conformity with the wellness and safety employment act ( 1992 ) , as all the employers are obliged to supply the safe and healthy workplace for employees.

Apparently, the important jeopardies has non been identified and managed consequently.It seems that the employees are non cognizant with the jeopardies and has non been trained and acknowledge by the employer, with respect to the risky stuff they are working with. It is clear that there is no wellness and safety policy been introduce to the company.In this state of affairs the applied scientist must inform the company about the bing jeopardies in the workplace and take a firm stand the company to take a serious and immediate action against the jeopardies. Further, if the company failed or loath to make so, the applied scientist must register a study against the company to the several authorization such as Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department of Labour ( OSH ) .

Serious action should be taken to the irresponsible employer like this.

Action Plan

First, the state of affairs must be reported to the higher direction of the company. If the company hold to follow and implement the wellness and safety employment policy as in the Acts of the Apostless, the policies have to be set up instantly, the safety and wellness commission have to be formed and the jeopardy direction procedures have to be carried out by accessing all the jeopardies in the workplace.Then, the laminating imperativeness room have to halt the operation instantly.

Those employees who have been exposing to the jeopardies should instantly undergo the medical cheque up.Once the policy and the commission are in topographic point, the execution of the policy will take topographic point and the laminating imperativeness room have to be renovated and installed with the proper ventilating system. Since the original undertaking of the applied scientist to re-layout the laminating imperativeness room, those allocated cost should be used to carry through it. While be aftering the re-layout design all the wellness and safety demand for the laminating imperativeness room should be considered. The employees who work with in the risky country to be equipped with all the safety cogwheels such as, safety goggles, boots and face masks.Following measure is to supply all the employees the preparation on wellness and safety consciousness at workplace, every bit good as the exigency program and processs.

The employees need to be informed of their responsibility and duties of the wellness and safety employment act ( 1992 ) .Finally those implemented policy have to be monitored and yearly audited in order to guarantee all the action program have been carried out and implemented harmonizing to the program. The policy besides needs to be reviewed sporadically to entree the current state of affairs and keep the wellness and safety of the employees.There is no uncertainty in this instance the best option for the company every bit good as for the employee is to implement a proper wellness and safety policy in the workplace. By implementing the wellness and safety direction systems, all the safety related issue will be assess.

It will non merely decide the issue in the lamination imperativeness room, but all other safety related issues will be surfaced.Besides deciding the bing issues by implementing the wellness and safety policy, the company may be able to derive other benefits through it. At same clip, the duty as an employer has been fulfilled. A healthy employee will make a healthy company, and a healthy company may increase employees ' committedness and productiveness.