Health, Safety and Welfare at Work
Health and safety in the workplace is not only the responsibility of
the designated Health and Safety Officer, it is the duty of all
members of staff to be responsible for the safety of everyone they may
have to deal with during the working day; both their colleagues and
members of the public.
The Health and Safety Executive are a body whose role is to promote
safety in the workplace; both by providing information to employers
and their employees, and also by ensuring that rules and guidelines
are adhered to in everyday practice.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (or H&SE), the employer
has a responsibility under law to ensure, as far as is reasonably
practicable, the employee's health, safety and welfare at work. The
employer's duties include:
- Making the workplace safe and without risks to health
- Ensuring that plant and machinery are safe and that safe systems of
work are set and are followed
- Ensuring articles and substances are moved, stored and used safely
- Providing adequate welfare facilities
- Giving the information, instruction, training and supervision
necessary for health and safety
It is the duty of the employer to assess the risks to the health and
safety of his/her staff. This will often necessitate a vigorous and
thorough inspection of the workplace, paying particular attention to
any piece of equipment or plant and any working practice that may be
hazardous to the safety of staff. If there are 5 or more employees,
any findings of the risk assessment must be recorded.
Plant and machinery must be regularly inspected to ensure that it is...
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...struction-phase health and safety plan. This must be done before
any construction work begins.
- The client must be reasonably satisfied that all those who are
appointed are competent to carry out all their health and safety
responsibilities.
- The client must ensure that the health and safety file that was
compiled during the construction process is kept readily available for
inspection by anyone who may want to conduct any further construction
work on the site in the future.
The client may choose to appoint an agent to act on their behalf. In
these circumstances the client must ensure that any person appointed
in this capacity is fully competent and qualified to carry out their
health and safety responsibilities. The Health and Safety Executive
must be informed of any such appointment before work commences.
should do in an even of an emergency, such as a fire, bomb scare etc.
If someone was/is exposed to Asbestos, employer should monitor the employee for health issues (breathing issues, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, bleeding, etc.).
It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.
Within the Care Industry the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2010) stated that “nursing aides, orderlies and attendants had the highest rate of musculoskeletal disorders of all occupations in 2010”.
It is important for business management to develop and promote sound health and safety policies and to consider, not only the legal requirements and the possibility of prosecution, but also the possibility of an employee personal injury claim.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASWA) is the most important Act of parliament relating to health and safety. The law requires both employers and employees to comply with health and safety legalizations. The Act sets out the general duties and responsibilities that employers have to their employees and to members of the public, and those that employees have to themselves and each other. The Health and Safety at Work Act is an ‘umbrella’ Act which includes various Regulations that can be revised to ensure the law is kept up to date. Details of the responsibility of an employer under the HASWA are given in The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Workplace screening for predisposition to illness was championed during the 1930’s, as it became clear that some workers exposed to toxins on the job became ill while others did not. Such screening is an increasingly frequent though highly controversial practice in industry today. Screening prior to employment can help individuals avoid jobs that could be hazardous to their health. But testing workers for genetic susceptibility after they become ill could be a way for employers to avoid responsibility for workers’ safety and compensation claims, shifting the blame to “genetically predisposed” workers while ignoring workplace hazards.
There are many reasons for the employees to get involved in a wellness program. Whether they like it or not overall wellness will affect their everyday life, at home as well as at work. The fact of the matter is that people that are in good health are usually more coherent and are able to enjoy more out of life. With more incentive going towards corporations paying subsidies to encourage employee participation there is increasing demand by employees to have a wellness program implemented.
The class discussed host settings, which are organizations that social workers work in controlled or led by others who are not social workers. When working in host settings social workers have to collaborate with the host organization, expound on the purpose, value, and significance of social work and the role the social worker plays, and maintain an awareness and understanding that social work goals and values may conflict with the host organizations goals and values. Lastly, social workers will need to interact and connect with those that are not social workers, keep an open mind about working in other service work areas, and maintain a positive image within the host organization
As the seriousness of the harm increases, so does the need to take action to avoid it (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, Langvardt, 2013). Quite simply, the facts that the employer has impacts what kind of and to what extent their corrective or preventative action they will take. If the employer knows, or has reason to know, that an employee poses a danger, the employer has the ethical and social responsibility to protect its employees. As an employer, or manager, your job is to be a leader and an employee’s safety and welfare have to be the most important factor. Richard Stevenson believes a reasonable person, or employer, of ordinary prudence would take corrective or preventative action if they knew that an employee posed a danger to others. If a reasonable person of ordinary prudence would take action, he believes an employer has an absolute ethical obligation to protect
If the health of employees can help or hinder a company, then why do companies still have sick days? With the “on the go” lifestyles, how can we not question the health of employees and their families. Today we have high stress jobs, rush hour traffic, and demanding schedules. Being healthy and fit is the way to conquer tomorrow.
Just imagine working in an environment where there are very few safety regulations, and little safety equipment. Think of how it was for employees of a steel manufacturing plant to work where there are almost no safety regulations and safety hazards all around you. This is how the work environment was before 1970; there were only few laws or regulations that required employers to maintain certain safety standards or working conditions for employees. However in 1970 President Richard Nixon sought to change all of this by signing into law the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
The Persons Responsible for Health and Safety in the Workplace Identify the persons responsible for health and safety in the workplace. Roles are Responsibilities of Employers. Every employer should ensure, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. Bellow are the areas the employer should protect the employees from, without prejudice: * To provide and maintain areas of work that are, safe and without risks to health; * To ensure, minimal risk when, handling and transporting objects; * To provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure, the health and safety of their employees at work; * And to insure the place of work is maintained in a condition that is safe. Every employer needs to prepare and keep an up-to-date written
Introduction Canadian health and safety legislation requires companies and organizations to make a commitment towards occupational health and safety. Maintaining a safe workplace environment has numerous benefits. A safe work environment can boost employee morale, increase productivity, and improve job satisfaction. For companies and organizations, these benefits can lead to less turnover and increased employee retention. They can also reduce absenteeism while improving the culture and image of a company or organization.
A candidly of risk occurs in every organisation. Governance principals and the occupational health and safety urge that the organisations take reasonable measures to hinder loss, charge or rage to the organisational and all stakeholders/management. Injury and accidents can even happen ultimately with stringent OHS and the fact that an accident when occurs, does not mean that someone is liable if all responsible steps for prevention or minimisation has been taken.