Practicing Occupational

Safety and Health Policies

and Procedures
UC7
By: Romally Antonette B.Tagnipez
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the session, you will be able to

• Identify OSH compliance requirements;

• Prepare OSH requirements for compliance;
and
• Perform tasks in accordance with relevant
OSH policies and procedures.
International Labour Organization
Report
270 Million accidents reported
350,000 of which are fatal
160 Million work-related illnesses /
diseases reported
2,000,000 workers DIE every year
More than 100,000 work fatalities occur
every month
more than 5,000 everyday
4 every minute
Each year, 22,000 children are killed by
work accidents!
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the

safety, health, and welfare of people at work.

The goals of occupational safety and health

programs include to foster a safe and healthy
work environment.
Health
"a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity.“
Occupational Health
is a multidisciplinary field of healthcare
concerned with enabling an individual to
undertake their occupation, in the way that
causes least harm to their health.
As defined by the World Health Organization
(WHO)

"occupational health deals with all aspects of

health and safety in the workplace and has a
strong focus on primary prevention of
hazards”
The main focus in occupational health is on
three different objectives:

i. the maintenance and promotion of workers’

health and working capacity;

ii. the improvement of working environment

and work to become conducive to safety
and health; and
 The main focus in occupational health is on three
different objectives:

iii. development of work organizations and working

cultures in a direction which supports health and
safety at work and in doing so also promotes a
positive social climate and smooth operation and
may enhance productivity of the undertakings.
 FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS
OF A HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM

✔ Management Commitment and

Employee Involvement
✔ Worksite Analysis
✔ Hazard Prevention and Control
✔ Training for Employees, Supervisors,
and Managers
HAZARDS AND RISKS
Hazard
is anything that may cause harm to an
individual, such as chemicals, electricity,
open drawers, and inadequate ventilation.
Risk
is the possibility that somebody could be
harmed by these and other hazards and the
indication of how serious the harm can be.
Types of Hazards
 Physical Biological

Ergonomic

Psychological Mechanical
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
❖ are the most normal occurrences in
workplace
❖ they are usually easy to detect, however,
very often are neglected because people are
too accustomed to them
❖ another reason may be due to lack of
knowledge or people do not see situations as
hazards
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Electrical hazards: In construction sites, improper
wiring and frayed cords may go unnoticed. Misuse
of electrical equipment may happen in any type of
work environment.
Endless loud noise: Loud noise from equipment
and machines in a work site is definitely a hazard.
Spills on floors or tripping hazards: There are times
when workers themselves do not mind spills on
floors. This, definitely, poses hazard to everyone.
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Electrical hazards: In construction sites, improper
wiring and frayed cords may go unnoticed. Misuse
of electrical equipment may happen in any type of
work environment.
Endless loud noise: Loud noise from equipment
and machines in a work site is definitely a hazard.
Spills on floors or tripping hazards: There are times
when workers themselves do not mind spills on
floors. This, definitely, poses hazard to everyone.
 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

❖come from working with animals,

people or infectious materials

❖one of the most common hazards

in a caregiving institution but less
likely in construction sectors
 ERGONOMIC HAZARDS

❖hazards occur when a caregiver’s

nature of work, body position and
working conditions put pressure on
his/her body
❖it is difficult to spot this type of
hazard
 ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
Examples of ergonomic hazards anybody
may be exposed to:
❖ performing tasks that require lifting heavy loads
❖ too much bending and reaching
❖ standing for long periods of time
❖ holding body parts for long period of time
❖ awkward movements, especially if they are
repetitive
❖ repeating the same movements over and over
 CHEMICAL HAZARDS
❖ are present when a worker is exposed
to any chemical preparation in the
workplace in any form (solid, liquid or
gas)
❖ there may be chemicals which are safe,
but some who are sensitive to solutions
may cause skin irritation, illness or
breathing problems
 PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
❖ take place when work environment
becomes stressful or demanding
❖ the psychological hazard has recently
been acknowledged in legislation as a
workplace hazard
❖ this type of hazard relates to mental
health and behavioral disorders
 PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Examples of psychological hazards that a
worker may be exposed to:
❖ Burn out, fatigue and on call duty
❖ Unreasonable expectations from
patients or clients
❖ Verbal abuse form dissatisfied clients
❖ Unreasonable expectations from
supervisors and management.
 MECHANICAL HAZARDS
A mechanical hazard is any hazard
involving a machine or process.
Motor vehicles, aircraft, and air bags pose
mechanical hazards.
Compressed gases or liquids can also be
considered a mechanical hazard.
 SOME WAYS TO DETERMINE
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROBLEMS
1. Observe the workplace.
2. Examine complaints from his/her co-workers.
3. Check accident records.
4. Examine chart on results of inspections done by
the employers or private organizations.
5. Use checklists and inspect the workplace.
6. Study reports or any other vital information about
the work environment.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK

As you go home, identify and

take a picture of any hazard you
may encounter along the way.
 ACCIDENT
• An occurrence or event that is
- unexpected
- unforeseen
- unplanned, and
- unwanted
damage,
injury, loss
or death
 Types of Accidents
• Struck against rigid structure, sharp or rough objects
• Struck by falling or flying objects, sliding or moving
parts
• Caught in, on, or between objects
• Slips, Trips and Falls
• Electrocution
• Fire
Indirect Cost of Accidents
1. Injured Workers
Lesser productivity due to interruption on day of
injury
Loss in efficiency
Loss of income
2. Other Employees
loss productivity due to:
▪ work stoppage out of curiosity
▪ when assisting injured worker
▪ due to inspection
Loss in efficiency out of sympathy to the injured
Additional cost due to completion of added work
Indirect Cost of Accidents
3. Supervisors
lost productivity :
▪ when assisting the injured
▪ due to accident investigation
▪ in preparing reports
▪ during inspection

4. Replacement worker
hiring or training

5. Equipment
downtime
 COMMON REASONS FOR
ACCIDENTS
• Layman’s version:
– ‘Oras na niya’
– ‘Malas niya lang’
– ‘Tanga kasi’
– ‘Kasama sa trabaho’

NOT REAL CAUSES --- ONLY EXCUSES!

 Accidents are Caused
They don’t
just happen!
IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF WORK
ACCIDENTS / ILLNESSES

• Unsafe/Unhealthy Act

• Unsafe/Unhealthy Condition
UNSAFE/UNHEALTHY ACT

• A human action that departs from

a standard or written job procedure or
common practice, safety rules,
regulations, or instructions.

• A violation of a commonly-accepted safe

procedures and or processes.
Factors Contributing to
Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts
• Improper Attitude
• Physical Limitations
• Lack of Knowledge or
Skills
 UNSAFE/UNHEALTHY ACTS
• Operating Equipment without Authority
• Disregard of SOP or instructions
• Removing Safety Devices
• Using Defective Equipment
• Improperly/non-use of PPE
• Horseplay
• Willful intent to injure
• Working while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs
 UNSAFE/UNHEALTHY
CONDITION
The physical or chemical
property of a material,
machine or the environment
which could result in injury to a
person, damage or destruction to
property or other forms of
losses.

- could have been guarded or prevented

• Inadequate guards/protection
• Defective tools, equipment
• Congestion
• Inadequate warning systems
• Fire and explosion hazards
• Absence of warning devices
• Slippery floors
• Hazardous atmospheric condition
• Excessive noise
• Radiation exposure
• Inadequate illumination/
ventilation
 GENERALLY . . .

• 98% - preventable
• 2% - non-preventable

■ 88% - unsafe/unhealthy
acts
■ 10% - unsafe/unhealthy
W. Heinrich
conditions
 ACCIDENTS / ILLNESSES

HAZARDOUS HAZARDOUS
ACTS CONDITIONS

•UNAWARE
•UNNOTICED
•UNABLE
•UNCORRECTED
•UNMOTIVATED
 CONTROL MEASURES

1. Engineering Control
2. Administrative Control
3. Personal Protective Equipment
WHAT ARE THE OHS
POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES?
The purpose of the Health and Safety
policies and procedures is to guide and
direct all employees to work safely and
prevent injury, to themselves and others.

All employees are encouraged to participate

in developing, implementing, and enforcing
Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Occupational health and safety
(OHS) laws require employers and all other
workplace parties to consult and cooperate
in the management of workplace risks, in
order to protect the health and safety of
workers and others who might be at risk
from the work.
OHS Guidelines to help with the
application and interpretation of
sections of the Occupational Health
and Safety Regulation ("OHSR") and
with divisions of the Workers
Compensation Act (the "Act") that
relate to health and safety.
OSH LAWS & ISSUANCES
 SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM
CRITERIA
• Workplace specific;
• Must have commitment from the employer and
senior management;
• Must have inputs from the workers;
• Must assign clear responsibilities and
accountabilities;
• Each of the program’s elements must be in writing;
• Must address the safety and health of contractors;
• Be available and effectively communicated; and,
• Must have an evaluation mechanism.