Promote and maintain the highest degree of physical , social and mental well being of workers.

Improve productivity and quality of work. Reduce accidents, injuries, absenteeism and labor turnover. Protect workers against any health hazard arising out of work or conditions in which it is carried out.

Background
 Safety hazards can cause immediate, violent

harm or even death

  

Poorly maintained equipment Unsafe machinery Exposure to hazardous chemicals Loss of hearing Loss of eyesight or body parts Cuts, sprains, burns, bruises, broken bones Electric shock

 Potential injuries:
   

Background
 Health hazards slowly and cumulatively lead to

deterioration of health
  

Physical and biological hazards Toxic and carcinogenic dusts and chemicals Stressful working conditions Cancer Heavy-metal or other poisoning Respiratory disease Psychological disorders, such as depression

 These can cause:

   

Background
 Safety and health hazards can harm non-

employees


Poisonous gas leaked from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing 3,000 people and injuring 300,000 Thousands have contracted respiratory diseases after contact with asbestos

Causes of Accidents and Illnesses

 Major causes of occupational accidents:
  

Tasks Working conditions Nature of the employees

 Causes related to the task and working

conditions:
  

Poorly designed or repaired machines Lack of protective equipment Dangerous chemicals or gases

Causes of Accidents and Illnesses

 Other conditions that contribute to accidents:
    

Fatigue Noise Lack of proper lighting Boredom Horseplay and fighting

Causes of Accidents and Illnesses

 Employees who have more accidents than the

average (accident repeaters)

   

Under 30 years of age Poor psychomotor and perceptual skills Impulsive Easily bored

 Few experts believe that attitudinal causes of

accidents significantly influence accident rates



We must know more about accident-proneness before attempting to screen out accident-prone persons

Organizational Responses to Issues

 Approaches to improving the safety of

working conditions:
  

Prevention and design Inspection and research Training and motivation

Safety Design/Preventative Approaches

 Design more safety into the workplace though

safety engineering


  

Make jobs more comfortable, less confusing, and less fatiguing Slow down the speed of an assembly line Add protective guards to machinery Use color coding in dangerous areas

Inspection, Reporting, Accident Research

 Inspecting the workplace can reduce

accidents and illnesses:

  

Are safety rules being observed? How many near misses have occurred? Are safety guards, protective equipment, and so on being used? Are there potential hazards in the workplace that safety redesign can improve? Are there potential health hazards?

Safety Training and Motivation Programs

 Safety training is often part of orientation


It also occurs throughout the employees career

 Studies of the effectiveness are mixed

 

Some methods are more effective than others Others contend that success is due to the perception that management really believes in safety training Some studies find that the programs make employees more aware of safety, but not safer in their behavior

 One

way of defining health is to say that it is the absence of disease

Employees can be put at risk because of: x Physical and biological hazards x Toxic and cancer-causing dusts and chemicals x Stressful work conditions

more informative definition of health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being
An employees health can be harmed through

disease, accident, or stress

 The

Factories Act The Indian Electricity Act The Pesticides Act The Boiler Act The Environment Protection Act etc.

Legal provisions regarding health( section 11 to 20, Factories Act, 1948) Cleanliness Wastes Ventilation and temperature Dust and fumes Artificial humidification Overcrowding Lighting Drinking water Latrines and urinals Spittoons

 Establishing a safety policy

Ensuring top management support Creating safety committees Promoting safety discipline Instituting safety engineering procedures Offering safety training Investigating reasons for accidents Evaluating safety efforts

Fencing Of Machinery Working On Or Near Machinery In Motion Employment Of Young Persons Striking Gear And Devices For Cutting Off Power Self Acting Machines Casing Of New Machinery Employment Of Women, Children Near Cotton Openers Hoists And Lifts Lifting Machines, Chains And Ropes Revolving Machinery Pressure Plant

Floors, Stairs And Means of Access Pits, Sumps, Openings In Floors Excessive Weights Protection of Eyes Dangerous Fumes And Gases Precautions With Regard To Portable Electrical Light Explosive or Inflammable Gas or Dust Precautions In Case of Fire Safety of Building And Machinery Safety Officers

TCS established a gym and meditation center for helping employees to combat stress. It also initiated health campaign for its employees for spreading awareness about correct sitting postures. Further, the company also initiated research about radiation impact due to increased usage of computers on its employees. The company organized workshops on stress management for group leaders to create awareness about the impact of employee stress. HCL Infosystems organizes lectures on the stress management and importance of positive and healthy living. IT&T re-designed office furniture according to Ergonomics and also introduced 'break out method' - allowing employees to take two - three breaks before lunch hour.

Many companies provide assistance to their employees to balance their work and home. For example, companies like - HP, IBM, Cisco etc. help employees by providing emergency baby sitters, take out food, and laundry services. Companies have recognized the need to take preventive care about employee stress. For instance - Indian Airlines, State Bank of India, Onida, Tata Group and BSES (Reliance Energy) etc., focus on the executive health management. These companies conduct regular workshops on the stress management, diabetics, hypertension and cardiac care during office hours. Many companies, in association with healthcare majors such as - Apollo Hospitals, Wockhardt and Hinduja, provide complete medical checkup for their employees. HSBC employees enjoy salsa dance in their Mumbai office every evening as a means of combating stress.