Introduction
The welfare and safety of employees should be taken seriously as they are key contributors towards an organization’s achievement of its goals. Occupational health and safety is a discipline concerned with ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees (International Labour Organization 2011).
It not only protects the safety of employees but also that of employers, family members, co-workers, suppliers, customers, and the members of the public likely to be affected by the organization’s work environment (Barnett-Schuster 2008).
Background Information
Swinburne University of Technology is an educational institution founded in 1908 by Honourable George Swinburne. It is one of the dual sector institutions.
The university offers higher education and Training and Further Education qualifications. It is located in Melbourne, Australia and has over 14.000 students enrolled in Training and Further Education and over 16,000 in higher education. The university has five campuses in Australia and one in Malaysia.
Interview Questions
- The following questions were posed during the workplace observation in order to determine the institutions compliance with occupational health and safety procedures.
- Does Swinburne University of Technology have any policies and procedures to safeguard the employees’ health and safety?
- Are the policies and procedures readily accessible by all the employees?
- What hazards are the Swinburne University of Technology employees and students exposed to in the daily conduct of their duties?
- What preventive measures has the institution put in place to eliminate or reduce the risks that the employees and students are exposed to?
- Are there occupational health and safety training programs at Swinburne University of Technology?
- Are there occupational health and safety representatives at Swinburne University of Technology? If there are, do they effectively perform their functions?
- What practices do the employees follow in order to ensure their safety while working at the institution?
- What laws should the University’s employers, supervisors and employees adhere to in the daily conduct of their business?
Potential Hazards
Swinburne University of Technology hires several contractors to do tasks like maintenance and repair on both long term and short term basis. These contractors and students are exposed to various heath hazards while performing their duties.
Firstly, the contractors face the risk of back injury while lifting heavy loads. They lift construction and repair materials. Workers can also get injuries from machines used in performing various tasks.
These machines can injure a person by cutting off body parts because they move very fast. The students can also get accidents if they walk near construction sites in the institution, for instance, building blocks can fall on them.
Employees and students also face the risk of slipping and falling because of wet floors. Some falls can cause very serious injuries to the employees. Others can even be fatal.
During repair and maintenance, a lot of noise is produced. Therefore the employees are exposed to high levels of noise everyday as they work. This is not healthy as it can negatively affect their hearing ability.
Fork lifts that are mainly used in lifting loads can cause health hazards to employees if not properly driven. They can injure the employees working nearby or students walking around the compound if the people using them are not cautious.
Students face the risk of getting injuries or inhaling poisonous substances when performing various experiments in the laboratory.
Recommended solutions to the hazards
The contractors should undergo proper training before performing any tasks to ensure both their safety and that of the students. (Swinburne University of Technology 2011).
The equipment used should be properly licensed and in good working condition to avoid causing accidents. Construction sites should be out of bounds for students and other people who are not involved in the construction process. This is to prevent hazards like objects falling on them and injuring them.
The problem of back injuries can be minimized through training the employees on safe working procedures, for instance having the correct posture when lifting heavy loads.
Enhancements can also be applied. This involves using equipment like cranes to lift heavy loads. Job rotation can also help to reduce the length of time that the employees are exposed to the risk of back injuries. (Gilles 2003).
Employee contact with the machines can be prevented through machine guarding. This means that the machines must have covers to prevent them from injuring the workers. (Hughes and Ferret 2010).
To mitigate the hazard of falling because of wet floors, the working sites should have proper drainage to avoid having any liquid on the floor. The contractors should also wear shoes with slip-resistant soles to prevent them from slipping and falling. In addition, moist areas should be dried before any work begins to reduce the risks of falling and getting injured in the process. (Dalton 1998).
The students should not carry out any experiments in the absence of a trained lecturer to guide them. This will prevent unnecessary accidents from occurring in the laboratories. They should also be trained on the action to take in case of a leakage of poisonous gases.
Respirators should be made available for use in case of a leakage. Laboratories should be properly ventilated to avoid cases of accumulation of poisonous gases which can endanger the lives of students. (Parlar and Greim 2009).
The company should make hearing protection devices available to the employees and strict rules should be put in place to ensure that those devices are worn by all the employees working in areas with high noise levels. In addition, the employees should undergo medical checkups regularly to test their hearing.
The institution should also come up with ways to reduce the noise levels in working areas. Furthermore, employees should be educated on the effects of exposure to high levels of noise and how to protect themselves. (Erickson 1996).
Forklift operators should have proper driving skills and knowledge about the principles of safety while driving them. Unqualified fork lift drivers can injure students and other employees walking in the compound by running them down.
Besides, the forklifts should be checked before use to ensure that they are in a good working condition and that the safety equipment is operational. Faulty forklifts should be reported so that the condition can be corrected before use.
On the other hand, forklifts that produce carbon monoxide should have their engines toned according to the instructions of the manufacturer to reduce production of the gas (United States Bureau of Labour Statistics and United States Veterans Administration 1982).
Occupational Health and Safety Policies and Procedures
At Swinburne university employees are a valuable resource in contributing to the success of the institution. Therefore the institution is committed to providing a safe working environment for them.
Both the students and the employees need to be protected from any occupational risks. The university has a comprehensive and formalized occupational health and safety policy and procedures to ensure the safety of the employees and students.
The institution conforms to occupational health and safety principles.Swinburne University has an occupational health and safety policy that ensures the fulfilment of legislative requirements of the institution.
The policy also ensures the protection of employees and students from environmental pollution caused by noise, air pollution and improper storage and disposal of dangerous substances.
The policy also defines the responsibilities of every member of the institution in ensuring the adoption of proper occupational health and safety procedures.
Swinburne University has put in place several procedures to ensure the safety and health of employees and students. The institution promotes safe work practices and closely monitors the health and safety performance to ensure positive progress.
Furthermore, the institution undertakes procedures of detecting hazards and takes steps to eradicate them. The students, staff and management are expected to conduct their respective health and safety responsibilities. The institution assesses the safety and risks of each job opportunity and this directs the institution in mitigating the risks that come with each role. Therefore the safety and health of all the members of the institution is safeguarded.
All newly hired contractors receive rigorous safety training relevant to their roles so that they can carry out their duties safely. They are also informed about the safety and health policies of the institution.
Students are also trained in order to go about their studies in a safe environment. The occupational health and safety policy and procedures are accessible to every employee at the Policy and Procedures Directory of the institution.
Health and safety performance is reviewed and monitored regularly to ensure conformity with the heath and safety regulations by all the employees and students. The effectiveness of the Occupational Health and Safety system is also monitored.
Occupational Health and Safety Representative
Swinburne University has six campuses and each of them has a health and safety employee representative. These represent all employees in formal committee meetings.
They meet every week to discuss various health and safety concerns and then notify the management of any arising matters. They assist in the process of monitoring and advising on occupational health and safety procedures to the employees.
Employee Specialized Practices
The employees are supposed to avoid causing any hazards by seeking advice before undertaking any unfamiliar task or experiments. In addition, all accidents must be promptly reported to the seniors.
They should also make sure that they use the available safety and protective equipment when carrying out tasks that require this. They should also ensure that they know the proper procedures to follow in case of an accident in order to ensure their safety.
Legal Responsibilities of Employers, Supervisors and Employees
The legal responsibilities of employers at Swinburne University include, ensuring a safe working environment for the employees, ensuring that employees are not exposed to any risks during the work processes, providing training and the information necessary to do the job and providing enough facilities for the welfare of employees.
Employers should also meet minimum requirements of employees’ leave. On top of that, they should conduct proper hiring practices by avoiding malpractices like racial and gender discrimination. (The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2010).
The legal responsibilities of supervisors include training employees, encouraging positive behaviour, investigating accidents, and avoiding employee harassment and discrimination of any kind at the work place. Employees should feel safe and healthy to ensure that they are productive and meet their targets.
The legal responsibilities of employees include taking care of their safety and health, avoiding putting other employees or members of the public at risk during work operations, cooperation with the employer and following safety and health policies.
The Company’s Occupational Health and Safety System Features
Swinburne University‘s occupational health and safety system has unique features as it integrates quality, environment, loss prevention and occupational health and safety. It ensures the management of risks in the institution’s activities by setting operational controls which are in line with international standards.
In addition the system outlines the occupational health and safety responsibilities of the management, staff and students. Each member of the institution is expected to take a personal initiative to ensure the safety of every member of the university in conducting their duties.
Conclusion
Swinburne University is committed to ensuring the safety and good working conditions for their employees and students. From the workplace observation, it is evident that there are comprehensive occupational health and safety policies and procedures to safeguard the health of the employees and students in the institution.
The institution therefore adheres to the legal, ethical and moral obligations by ensuring the employees work in a safe and healthy environment. The employees and students therefore enjoy a safe and healthy environment that is convenient and conducive for productive learning to take place.
Reference List
Barnett-Schuster, P., 2008. Fundamentals of International Occupational Health and Safety Law. New York, Aberdeen University Press.
Dalton, A. J. P., 1998. Safety, Health and Environmental Hazards At The Workplace. Great Britain, Cengage Learning EMEA.
Erickson, P.A., 1996. Practical Guide to Occupational Health and Safety. USA, Elsevier.
Gilles, T. 2003. Automotive service: Inspection, Maintenance, Repair. Great Britain, Cengage Learning.
Hughes, P., and Ferrett, E. 2010. Introduction to International Health and Safety at Work: The Handbook for the NEBOSH International General Certificate. Great Britain: Routledge.
International Labour Organization. 2011. Your health and safety at work. Introduction to occupational health and safety Web.
Parlar, H. and Greim, H., 2009. The MAK-Collection for Occupational Health and Safety: Part III: Air Monitoring Methods. Germany, Wiley-VCH.
Swinburne University of Technology. 2011. Information for Contractors. Web.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology. 2010. Legal Responsibilities and Penalties Web.
United States Bureau of Labour Statistics and United States Veterans Administration. 1982. Occupational Outlook Handbook. USA, The Bureau.