Occupational Health & Safety (General Definition)

GENERAL DEFINITION

Safety

Safety means absence from Harm.

OR

Safety means to protect peoples from personal injury, fatality and death & to protect plant and machinery from loss and damages.

Health: Health is the state of Physical, mental & social well-being.

Environment: It is defined as Totality of the Surroundings.

Hazard:

Anything or something that potential to cause Harm.

OR

‘A Hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons’.

Examples:

1)      Physical Hazard

2)      Chemical Hazard

3)      Mechanical Hazard

4)      Biological Hazard

5)      Electrical Hazard

6)      Ergonomic Hazard

7) Psychological Hazard

If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimized.

Risk:

It is likelihood of hazard actually causing harm and also is the combination of likelihood and hazardous events.

OR

Risk is the likelihood that a person may be harmed or suffers adverse health effects if exposed to a hazard.

    Risk = Likelihood x Consequences

Risk Assessment Steps:

5 Steps to Risk Assessment.

a)      Look for the hazard.

b)      Decide who might be harmed.

c)      Evaluate the risk arising from the hazard and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or more should be done.

d)      Record your findings.

e)      Review your assessment from to time and if necessary.

Accident:

It is an unplanned or uncontrolled event that has led or could have led to an injury to person, damage to plant or some other losses.

Incident: Is an unplanned event that has not led to any injury, harm or losses.

Near Miss: Is an incident that results inside no apparent loss.

These are any form of accident which could result in injury or loss but do not.

 Types of safety signs:

a.      Safety Condition

b.      Warning Signs

c.       Mandatory Signs

d.      Prohibited Signs

e.      Fire Fighting Equipment

  

Categorizing Risk

The level of risk is often categorized upon the potential harm or adverse health effect that the hazard may cause the number of times persons are exposed and the number of persons exposed.

For example exposure to airborne asbestos fibers will always be classified as high because a single exposure may cause potentially fatal lung disease, whereas the risk associated with using a display screen for a short period could be considered to be very low as the potential harm or adverse health effects are minimal.

Unsafe act

Practices which human beings perform which are hazardous

i.e. rushing, shortcuts,horseplay,drink or drugs abuse within the work place.

Unsafe condition

Physical condition of the work place which renders it unsafe, i.e. unguarded machines, spills.

Practicable

In light of current knowledge and invention, if it is foreseeable to comply, than you must comply, regardless of time, money and effort.

Reasonably Practicable

Balance the cost of taking action (in terms of time and effort as well as money) against the risk being considered. The degree of risk against the sacrifice involved.

Attitudes

An attitude is a person’s point of view or way of looking at something and gives him or her tendency, readiness or predisposition to act or react in a particular way in a given situation.

Aptitude

Aptitude refers to an individual’s ability in respect of something-their knowledge and skills, and general ease of learning and understanding about it.

Motivation

Motivation is what induces an individual to act the way he or she does. It is a tendency of an individual to take action to achieve a particular goal.

Display screen equipment-DSE

All equipment use in the workplace to display information with which the user interact in some way.

Ergonomics

The study of the way people interact with equipment in their working environment with the objective of improving their comfort, safety and productivity.

Stress

The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand place on them.

Safety culture

The product of individual and group values,attitudes,perceptions, competencies and pattern of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization health and safety management.

Health and safety culture

The health and safety culture of an organization comprises “the characteristics shared attitudes, values, beliefs and practices of people at work concerning not only the magnitude of risks that they encounter but also the necessity, practically, and effectiveness of prevention measures.”

Maximum exposure limit

Maximum concentration of an airborne substance averaged over a reference period to which employees may be exposed by inhalation under any circumstances.

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