Lecture # 3

Prepared by:
Ms. Sadia Tariq
 Background
▪ Occupational health and safety, a global issue, is now taking a new
turn.

▪ Reasons : rapid industrial and agricultural development that are taking

place in the developing countries.

▪ Many of these countries are moving from manual labour to service

mechanization in the main productive sectors.

▪ Health problems also changed. Eg . Ergonomics Ergonomics is the study of designing and
arranging things people use so that they can
interact with them most efficiently and safely.
This field, also known as human factors
engineering, focuses on improving the design
of workplaces, tools, and systems to enhance
comfort, productivity, and reduce the risk of
injury
 Benefits of OHS
▪ The benefit of occupational health service in developing countries is
seen locally as well as on a national level.

▪ The positive impact of occupational health service locally may be

observed in reducing morbidity and work-related injuries.

▪ This also means fewer losses to employer and worker as there will be
a reduction of wage losses and decreased compensation costs.

▪ The reduction of absenteeism is of great importance concerning

skilled labour, especially so in countries where there is a shortage of
skilled labour.
Reference link : https://sl.bing.net/VjJThUsVzg
 OHS Definition
• OHS is concerned with preserving and protecting human life and resources.

• According to WHO (1995), occupational safety and health can be defined as a

multidisciplinary activity aiming at:

i. Protection and promotion of the health of workers by eliminating occupational factors and
conditions hazardous to health and safety at work
ii. Enhancement of physical, mental and social well-being of workers and support for the
development and maintenance of their working capacity, as well as professional and social
development at work
iii. Development and promotion of sustainable work environments and work organizations.

The ILO/WHO definition of occupational health is

“The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental social well-
being of workers in all occupation”
Occupational Safety
and Health Act
 History
• In early 20th century U.S. federal and state agencies began
investigating health conditions in industry.

• In 1908, public awareness of occupationally related diseases stimulated the passage of

compensation acts for certain civil employees.

• States passed the first workers' compensation laws in 1911.

• All states enacted such legislation by 1948.

• The U.S. Congress has passed three landmark pieces of legislation related to safeguarding
workers' health:

i. the Metal and Nonmetallic Mines Safety Act of 1966,

ii. the Federal Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, and
iii. the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act).

Today, nearly every employer is required to implement the elements of an industrial hygiene and
safety, occupational health, or hazard communication program and to be responsive to the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its regulations.
 OHS Management System
An OSH management system is:

“A set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish OSH policy and objectives, and
to achieve those objectives.”
Planning: This involves identifying potential hazards, assessing risks, and
setting objectives for health and safety improvements. It includes
Key elements of OHS management systems are:developing policies and procedures to manage these risks effectively.
Implementation and Operation: This step focuses on putting the planned
measures into action. It includes training employees, establishing
i. Planning communication channels, and ensuring that safety procedures are
followed.
ii. Implementation and operation Measuring Performance: Regular monitoring and measurement of safety
iii. Measuring performance performance are crucial. This involves tracking incidents, conducting
inspections, and using performance indicators to assess the effectiveness
iv. Auditing of the OHS management system.
v. Reviewing performance Auditing: Periodic audits are conducted to ensure compliance with OHS
policies and procedures. Audits help identify areas for improvement and
verify that the system is functioning as intended.
Reviewing Performance: This involves evaluating the overall performance
of the OHS management system. It includes reviewing audit results,
incident reports, and feedback from employees to make necessary
adjustments and improvements.
https://sl.bing.net/k2hvHbw2qM8
 OSHA
• OSHA stands for "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration" and is a federal agency
that establishes on-the-job safety protections for workers.

Objective of OSHA:
• The main objective of OSHA 1994 is to secure the safety, health & welfare of employees at work
against any workplace hazard & risk-activities involved.

• It is the requirement of the employer to ensure that there is an effective system in-place,
employee's participation & continual improvement in the management of OSH.

Importance of OSHA:
• Occupational health and safety plays such a pivotal role in the workplace; it ensures that relevant
safety and health standards as well as procedures are carefully observed to guard against
potential occupational hazards.
OSHAS 18001
• OHSAS 18001 focuses on controlling hazards.
• It provides a framework for the effective
management of occupational health and
safety including all aspects of risk management
and legal compliance.
• It addresses occupational health and safety rather
than any specific product safety matters.
• Organizations already certified to OHSAS 18001
have until March 2021 to comply with the new
ISO 45001 standard if they want to maintain
recognition (certification of conformity to ISO
45001 is not a requirement of the standard).
 ISO 45001
• ISO 45001 is a global standard for
Occupational Health and Safety Management
Systems that provides a practical solution to
improve the safety and health of both
employees and other personnel.

• This ISO 45001 standard has been designed

to apply to any company regardless of its size,
type and nature.