Introduction
Safety and Health (OSH) standards require employers to design programs that promote a safe working environment. The OSH standards guide organizations on how to develop injury, accident, and illness prevention programs in the workplace so as to reduce workers’ exposure to hazards and other risk factors. On the other hand, the OSH standards enable employees to understand their health and safety rights in the workplace. This paper discusses the application of the OSH standards in the workplace.
Occupational health and safety
Over the years, companies have lost millions of dollars in health and safety-related litigations. Moreover, regulatory bodies and governments have been forced to withdraw operating licenses for companies for the negligence of the OSH standards. In addition, workers have sustained injuries in the workplace without filing complaints against their employers. This is attributed to a lack of knowledge about their health and safety rights in the workplace.
The OSH standards are critical in eliminating economic costs that are incurred by organizations, as a result of workplace injuries, accidents, or employee illness (Goetsch 110). Secondly, the OSH Acts provide employees with the right to a safe workplace environment. In addition, the Acts such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) dictate the compensation that employees are entitled to when they sustain injuries or get ill in the workplace. Lastly, the OSH standards enhance employer moral responsibility in providing a safe working environment for all employees.
Respiratory protection program
This program is designed to provide a standardized operating policy for the control of respiratory illnesses, in the workplace. The OSHA standards guide managers on how to design and implement the respiratory protection programs. The workers need to be trained on workplace hazards, and how they can protect themselves against them.
The respiratory protection program shall require workers to wear Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), when working in a dangerous atmosphere. This will be in line with the Bureau of Labor Standards Respiratory Protection Standards and its subsequent amendments. The workers will only be allowed to work without SCBA, upon the determination that there exist no respiratory hazards in the workplace. This shall be communicated by the incident manager after monitoring the air condition. Appropriate ventilation measures will also be enhanced in the workplace. In addition, program surveillance measures will be instituted to evaluate its effectiveness and progress.
Construction safety program
The construction safety program will ensure that the construction company complies with the OSHA safety and health standards. This will enable the company management to address the common hazards in the general industry sites, as provided for by the OSHA. The first step of implementing health and safety program will be the provision of the first aid and medical emergency treatment in the workplace. This will be spearheaded by the site superintendent. The superintendent will ensure that first aid kits are readily available, at all times.
The program will also emphasize on employee personal safety on the job site. Every worker will be required to put on protective equipment at all times. This will reduce employee exposure to dust, smoke, and fumes in the workplace. Safety nets shall be provided to minimize the spread of hazardous material. Fire extinguishers will be located at strategic points on the job site. To reduce fire incidents, open fire will not be allowed. Lastly, the program will use appropriate safety signs to prevent accidents and exposures to other workplace hazards. These signs will be erected at strategic points on the job site, to warn workers of the potential hazards.
Hazardous material handling program
The detection of unsafe storage conditions for hazardous material is important in handling hazardous materials (Schnepp 419). Moreover, it enables organizations to design abatement actions to prevent, control, or mitigate poor handling of hazardous materials in the workplace. In the end, workers will be protected from injuries, accidents, or illness.
The Hazardous material handling program will put inspection measures in place, to facilitate the detection of the unsafe storage conditions for hazardous materials. The most important aspect of the inspection will be examining storage items that are likely to develop unhealthy conditions. The storage areas shall be inspected each time to ensure compliance with the storage standards of hazardous materials. Storage area plans, equipment inventory, chemical inventories, and hazard material checklists information will be used in detecting unsafe storage of hazardous materials.
The safe handling of hazardous materials and abatement actions will be implemented in steps, to meet the required standards. First, an abatement strategy will be conducted, based on the results of the inspection. This will help in classifying hazardous materials and making abatement prioritization. Secondly, the abatement activities such as the removal of the hazardous materials within the storage area will be conducted. The hazardous materials will be “contained” and ferried to the handling and storage areas. At this stage, disposal methods that are based on the regulatory standards will be applied. Lastly, abatement documents will be prepared and maintained for future actions.
Incident
The Bhopal Union Carbide factory disaster of 1984 is the most renowned respiratory incident in the world. The gas and chemical explosion at the plant caused thousands of deaths and injuries. However, it is worth noting that most of the deaths were as a result of respiratory damages. The survivors of the incidents later died of chronic respiratory diseases, due to gas exposure, during the explosion.
Conclusion
Organizations need to implement health and safety programs that meet the OSH standards. The respiratory protection, construction, and programs of handling hazardous materials can be used by these organizations, to enhance employee safety in the workplace. In the end, these organizations will be able to minimize fatal incidents in the workplace.
Works Cited
Goetsch, David L. Construction Safety and the OSHA Standards. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.
Schnepp, Rob. Hazardous Materials: Awareness and Operations. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009. Print.