Introduction
The occupational health, safety and environment (OHSE) is the most vital aspect of any industry. Now the OSHE plays a crucial role in the developing OSHE standards where organisations are willing to take proactive measure to protect workers physical and mental well-being as well as protecting environment to compliance with the regulatory requirements. The OSHE development program consists of several essential key factors to build robust safe and sustainable working environment and enhance the employee’s moral.
The OSHE sets out the certain obligation on the employees and employers which they have to comply; failure of their obligations could lead to adverse consequences. OSHE belief on the proactive approaches and initiatives to prevent any unexpected event. Fundamental principle include hazards identification and risk assessment, communication, coordination, consultation, participation and continuous improvement strategies etc.
Prevention:
The OSHE is designed and built to reduce and controlled the workplace accident and incident. The OHSE program consist of proactive approach to seek the possible ways to eliminate or control workplace hazards before its turn into the serious accident. Prevention is not only one time action its the continuous improvement process where its requires constant efforts in a form of effective monitoring, evaluation, and enhancement. Preventive measures can be implemented successfully through the informed team about the existing and new hazards, adaptation of new technologies, and update mandatory regulatory requirement. Proactive initiatives will create a massive impact safe and health workplace.
The Hierarchy of Controls for Hazard Management
- Elimination: at this stage where hazards and removed completely from the process.
- Substitution: This process is to replace hazardous products or process with the less hazardous product or substances.
- Engineering Control: Creating barrier with hazards
- Administrative Control: Placing polices and procedure or adopting the good practices
- PPE: Last but not a least to protect individual from the residual risk
Risk Assessment is the pillar of Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment
Risk assessment is the vital aspect of OSHE management where its assist to identify the potential associated hazards and risk. This is consist of identifying, evaluation of severity and likelihood of the hazards. As evaluation of possible adverse consequences, organisation can easily set the appropriate safety control measure to minimise the consequences as low as reasonably practicable.
- Hazards Identification
- Risk evaluation
- Risk Prioritization
- Appropriate risk control measure
- Risk monitoring and Review Regularly
Consultation and Participation: Creating safer workplace for workers
Consultation and participation are crucial elements for the effectively managing workplace OSHE. It’s quiet easiest ways to get involves workers in decision making process. This is robust process to develop the strong safety culture, improve employee’s morale and boost entire OHSE program.
The Advantages and benefits of Consultation and Participation
- Improved Safety Performance: The workers engagement in the decision making process can assist origination to their proactive approach towards maintaining effective OSHE atmosphere. This will reduce the workplace OSHE issues, incident and accidents.
- Increased Employee Morale: Employees decision and feedback play valuable role to increase their morale which directly improve the productivity and performance.
- Enhanced Safety Culture: Its promote the positive safety culture where employees are actively reporting and raising the safe concerns which contribute to further improvement.
- Compliance with local Regulations: Consolation and participation will support to maintain all applicable OSHE regulatory requirement which will prevent from disciplinary action from the authorities.
Challenges and Best Practices
- Resistance from Management: Some senior managers and group leader are reluctant to engage workers in OHSE decision-making processes or any further improvement.
- Language Barriers: it difficult to communicate effectively with workers as some companies has multiple nationalities employees. Organizing training session in different or their native languages can assist to address critical workplace issues.
- Time Constraints: Time management is the key factor for any organisation. Planner or Key personals should plan their regular task or activities where they can easily manage their work life balance.
- Provide Training: Its mandatory to key personnel’s to identify the needs of training and they should deliver that by the competent person to increase their competency.
- Effective Communication Channels: Create effective communication protocols ensure and monitor that all workers can easily report their safety concerns, provide feedback, actively engage in OSHE activities, Present in all safety training and awareness etc.
Continuous improvement is a key to achieve aim and objectives of OHSE. Its endless process that requires constant efforts for the evaluation, and adaptation of good practices. Its organized approach to identify the opportunity for improvement, Implementation of necessary changes and appropriate effectiveness. Its require to have top management commitment for continuous learning from past experiences and relevant industry learning’s in all aspects of OSHE.
Key Factors of Continuous Improvement:
- Safety Culture.
- Regular Reviews and Audits:
- Incident Investigation and Analysis:
- Employee Involvement:
- Data Analysis:
- Performance Measurement:
- Training and Education:
- Benchmarking:
- Innovation:
- Benefits of Continuous Improvement:
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