Employee Health and Safety

Learning objectives
Define health and appreciate the importance of health Discuss various occupational hazards and diseases Suggest measures on how to protect health Justify the need for industrial safety Enumerate the various types of accidents and their causes

 List the statutory provisions for maintaining safety Closely related to the factors so far discussed in this topic are health and safety provisions to make various workers stay and work in the organisations

Health
The term health is a positive and dynamic concept. In common parlance, health implies absence of disease. However, that industrial health implies much more than mere absence of disease is clear from the following definitions of health:

 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defined health as: a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease or illness or infirmity. As regards the industrial health, it refers to a system of public health and preventive medicine which is applicable to industrial concerns.

Here the definitions given by I.L.O and W.H.O. committee on Organisational Health is worth quoting: The prevention and maintenance of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all organisations Prevention among the workers of ill-health caused by working conditions.

 Protection of workers in their employment from risk resulting from factors adverse to health; and Placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physical and psychological equipment

Thus, the modern concept of health emphasises on the whole man concept. In other words, health refers to the outcome of the interaction between the individual and his environment. So is to say, he/she is healthy who is well adjusted with environment

There are two types of employee health: physical health and mental health. Physical Health: refers to infirmity in the employees health. Employees physical health and hi/her work are intimately related. While unhealthy employee works less both quantitatively and qualitatively, commits accidents, and remain absent from work, a healthy employee produces results opposite to these.

 Mental Health: this refers to mental soundness of the employees. As is physical health important for good performance, so is mental health also. Experience suggests that three factors namely, mental breakdowns, mental disturbances, and mental illness impair the mental health of employees

Importance of Health
By saying that health is wealth explains the importance of health. Ill health results in high rate of absenteeism and turnover, industrial discontent and indiscipline, poor performance and low productivity and more accidents. On the contrary, the natural consequences of good health are reduction in the rate of absenteeism and turnover, accidents and occupational diseases

Besides, employee health also provides benefits such as reduced spoilage, improve morale of employee, increased productivity of employee and also longer working period of an employee which, of course, cannot be easily measured.

In long and short, employee health is important because it helps: Maintain and improve the employee performance both quantitatively and qualitatively. Reduce employee absenteeism and turnover. Minimize industrial unrest and indiscipline. Improve employee morale and motivation.

Occupational Hazards and Diseases

Employees in certain industry are exposed to certain occupational hazards and diseases. The following are hazards: Chemical Hazards Biological hazards Environmental hazards Psychological hazards

Chemical Hazards
The common chemical substances, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, sulphuric acid, tannic acid, acetic acid will cause injury to employees when they are absorbed through skin and inhaling or ingesting. Workers may suffer from respiratory diseases, skin diseases, allergy, heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders.

Biological Hazards
These hazards are manifested by diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, insects, dietary deficiencies, excessive drinking, allergies, brain fever, imbalances, tetanus, stresses and strain. All these tell upon employees health.

Environmental Hazards
These may include noise pollution, vibration and shocks, illumination, radiation, heat, ventilation, air and water pollution. These hazards cause redness of eyes, genetic disorders, cancer, sterility, hearing loss, nerve injury etc. to workers

Psychological Hazards
Industrial/jobs stress caused by various stressors, such as task and role demands, organisational leadership, lack of group cohesion, intergroup and interpersonal conflicts, life and career changes etc. lead to emotional disturbances which, in turn, lead to fatigue and exhaustion. All these affect health of employees.

Occupational Diseases
Occupational diseases are caused by working conditions prevalent in industries. Examples; Workers working on lead e.g. cable-markers, lead pipe markers, compositors, painters and plumbers, fall prey to painters colic or wrist drop disease. This disease causes vomiting, stomach pains, joint pains and loss of appetite. It may even lead to workers to collapse.

 Workers working in handling wool, hoofs, hides, hair bristles, animal carcasses etc., become victim of anthrax Like occupational hazards, occupational diseases also develop with workers frequent exposure to unhealthy working conditions. They develop slowly with accumulated effects over an extended period of time

Protection against Hazards

Industrial establishments can take two types of measures to protect workers health against occupational hazards Preventive measures: these are based on the philosophy that prevention is better than cure. This may include:

 Pre-employment medical examination Periodic post-employment medical examination Removal of hazardous conditions to the extent possible Emergency treatment in case of accident Education of workers in health hygiene

Training in first aid to workers Proper factory layout illumination Proper effluent Disposal Treatment Plants Proper redesign of job to remove monotony and fatigue Proper scheduling of work with adequate rest

Curative Measures: The curative measures begin once a worker actually suffers from illhealth or sickness or disease. This includes: Adequate and timely medical treatment Allowing employees adequate period of convalescing and recuperating Adequate compensation Allowing the needed best medical treatment.

Statutory Provisions Concerning Health

The factory Act, 1948 insists that the following must be made in industrial establishment for safeguarding employee health: Cleanliness Disposal of wastes and Effluents: effective measures should be taken in every factory for disposal wastes an effluents arising out of manufacturing process

 Ventilation and Temperature: Proper provisions should be made in every factory for ensuring circulation of fresh air Dust and Fumes: Effective and suitable measures should be taken to prevent or at any rate reduce the inhalation and accumulation of dust and fumes

 Lighting: sufficient lighting, natural or artificial or both, should be made available in every place of factory where workers are working Overcrowding: Effective arrangements should be made to avoid overcrowding of workers at a room.

 Drinking water: Effective and adequate arrangement should be made to provide drinking water throughout the year at suitable points conveniently situated for all workers. But no such points shall be situated within six meters of any washing place, urinal, latrines, spittoon or any other sources of contamination

 Privy: in every factory, adequately latrines and urinal should separately provided for men and females employees. These should be adequately lighted and ventilated Spittoons: Sufficient number of spittoons should be provided in the factory premises at the appropriate places.

 First-Aid Appliances: Arrangements should be made for adequate number of first aid boxes. There should also be adequate number of personnel to administer first-aid. There should be an ambulance readily available in the factory as when required.

Accidents: Their Types and Cause

The ever increasing mechanisation, electrification, chemicalisation and and sophistication have made industrial jobs more and more complex and intricate. What does industrial accident actually means?

 Industrial accident: according to the Factories Act, 1948: it is an occurrence in an industrial establishment causing bodily injury to a person which makes him unfit to resume his duties in the next 48 hours. In other words, accidents is an unexpected event in the course of employment which is neither anticipated nor designed to occur.

 An industry injury: is defined as a personal injury to an employee which has been caused by an accident or an occupational disease and which arises out of or in the course of employment and which could entitle such employee to compensation under workers compensation Act, 1923.

Types of Accidents
Accidents may be of different types depending upon the severity, durability and degree of the injury. An accident causing death or permanent or prolonged disability to the injured employee is called a major accident. A cut that does not render the employee disabled is termed as minor accident.

Internal accidents
Major Fatal temporary partial or Total

External Accidents
Minor Minor Disability Permanent total or partial No accident occurs automatically. Instead, certain factors cause accidents.

Causes of Accidents
Unsafe conditions (work related): these are associated with defective plants, tools, equipments, machines, and materials. Unsafe Acts: industrial accidents occurs due to certain acts on the part of workers. These acts may be the result of lack of knowledge or skill on the part of worker, certain bodily defects and wrong attitudes. Examples of these are:

 Operating without authority Failure to use safe attire or personal protective equipment Careless throwing of material at the work place Working at unsafe speed i.e. too fast or too slow

 Using unsafe equipment, or using equipments unsafely Removing safety devices Taking unsafe position under suspended loads Ones own accident prone personality and behaviour Distracting, teasing, abusing, quarreling, daydreaming, horseplay

 Other caurses: These causes arise out of unsafe situational and climatic conditions and variations. These may include excessive noise, very high temperature, humid conditions, bad working conditions, unhealthy environment, slippery floors, excessive glare, dust and fume, arrogant behaviour of domineering supervisors

Significance of Industrial Safety

Safety i.e., accident-free industry enjoys certain benefits. The following are the major ones: It saves costs: occurrence of an accident involves two types of costs: direct costs and indirect costs. The direct cost is in the form of compensation payable to the dependants of the victim employee, and the medical expenses incurred in treating the patient employee if the accident is not fatal.

The indirect costs, also called the the hidden costs, include loss on account of down-time of operators, slowed-up production rate of other workers, materials spoiled, and damages to equipment. Added to these the injured employees work performance less than his normal efficient.

 It improves productivity: As a safe conditions at the work place keep employees free from worrying about their safety, they devote more time to improving the quantity and quality of their output. It develops moral: An industrial employee is a worker in the factory and at the same time bread earner for his/her family

 Safety is a legal requirement: The maintenance of safety in the factory premises is a legal requirements for the industry. There are laws and acts for ensuring safety measures in the factory, and imposing penalties or nocompliance of the same has become quite severe.

Safety Measures/Programmes
Reduction in unsafe condition Safety committee Safety Education and Training Inspection Role of the government