Concept of Industrial Safety

 

Safety is a state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical, psychological or material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community. It is an essential resource for everyday life, needed by individuals and communities to realize their aspirations.

Attaining an optimum level of safety requires individuals, communities, governments and others to create and maintain the following conditions, whichever setting is considered:

·       a climate of social cohesion and peace as well as of equity protecting human rights and freedoms, at the family, local, national or international level;

·       the prevention and control of injuries and other consequences or harm caused by accidents;

·       the respect of the values and the physical, material and psychological integrity of individuals; and

·       the provision of effective preventive, control and rehabilitation measures to ensure the presence of the three previous conditions.

These conditions can be assured by initiatives that focus on the environment (physical, social, technological, political, economic and organizational) and on behaviour.

Basic Principles of OSH

Occupational safety and health is an extensive multidisciplinary field, invariably touching on issues related to scientific areas such as medicine – including physiology and toxicology – ergonomics, physics and chemistry, as well as technology, economics, law and other areas specific to various industries and activities. Despite this variety of concerns and interests, certain basic principles can be identified, including the following:

·       All workers have rights. Workers, as well as employers and governments, must ensure that these rights are protected and must strive to establish and maintain decent working conditions and a decent working environment. More specifically:

Ø  Work should take place in a safe and healthy working environment;

Ø  Conditions of work should be consistent with workers’ well-being and human dignity;

Ø  Work should offer real possibilities for personal achievement, self-fulfilment and service to society (ILO, 1984).

·       Occupational safety and health policies must be established. Such policies must be implemented at both the national (governmental) and enterprise levels. They must be effectively communicated to all parties concerned.

·       A national system for occupational safety and health must be established. Such a system must include all the mechanisms and elements necessary to build and maintain a preventive safety and health culture. The national system must be maintained, progressively developed and periodically reviewed.

·       A national programme on occupational safety and health must be formulated. Once formulated, it must be implemented, monitored, evaluated and periodically reviewed.

·       Social partners (that is, employers and workers) and other stakeholders must be consulted. This should be done during formulation, implementation and review of all policies, systems and programmes.

·       Occupational safety and health programmes and policies must aim at both prevention and protection. Efforts must be focused above all on primary prevention at the workplace level. Workplaces and working environments should be planned and designed to be safe and healthy.

·       Continuous improvement of occupational safety and health must be promoted. This is necessary to ensure that national laws, regulations and technical standards to prevent occupational injuries, diseases and deaths are adapted periodically to social, technical and scientific progress and other changes in the world of work. It is best done by the development and implementation of a national policy, national system and national programme.

·       Information is vital for the development and implementation of effective programmes and policies. The collection and dissemination of accurate information on hazards and hazardous materials, surveillance of workplaces, monitoring of compliance with policies and good practice, and other related activities are central to the establishment and enforcement of effective policies.

·       Health promotion is a central element of occupational health practice. Efforts must be made to enhance workers’ physical, mental and social well-being.

·       Occupational health services covering all workers should be established. Ideally, all workers in all categories of economic activity should have access to such services, which aim to protect and promote workers’ health and improve working conditions.

·       Compensation, rehabilitation and curative services must be made available to workers who suffer occupational injuries, accidents and work-related diseases. Action must be taken to minimize the consequences of occupational hazards.

·       Education and training are vital components of safe, healthy working environments. Workers and employers must be made aware of the importance of establishing safe working procedures and of how to do so. Trainers must be trained in areas of special relevance to particular industries, so that they can address the specific occupational safety and health concerns.

·       Workers, employers and competent authorities have certain responsibilities, duties and obligations. For example, workers must follow established safety procedures; employers must provide safe workplaces and ensure access to first aid; and the competent authorities must devise, communicate and periodically review and update occupational safety and health policies.

·       Policies must be enforced. A system of inspection must be in place to secure compliance with occupational safety and health measures and other labour legislation.