Director of the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Marlon Mahon, says every organization should have an effective OSH Management System in place.
The OSH Policy outlines the key principles and objectives that an organisation has committed to in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. This policy should be governed by the national laws and the OSH programmes and collective agreements.
Recently, World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed globally under the theme ‘Anticipate, Prepare and Respond to crises: Invest now in Resilient OSH management systems.
According to Mahon, “It brings into focus safety and health issues in the workplace that are of global significance, and also to promote and create a culture of safety to address these issues.”
He then added that, Occupational Safety and Health should not be seen as a response to hazards in the workplace or when a crisis happens; it should be a proactive approach to managing safety and health in the workplace.
He points out that the significance of this year’s theme is to highlight the importance of OSH Management Systems in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in workplaces.
Invariably, these new work arrangements have created increased occupational safety and health risks; therefore, Mahon is encouraging organisations to contact the Ministry for assistance in developing their OSH Management Systems.
The six elements of the OSH Management System roadmap establish pro-activeness, which ensures that organisations have a system in place where tasks, roles and responsibilities are clearly identified and communicated to both workers and employers. One of the most critical elements is Management Leadership and Employee Participation, which is critical for the success of any system in place.
According to Mahon, before workers are engaged in any task, these tasks should be assessed to determine the level of risk and the appropriate measures to be put in place to prevent the worker from being injured. The system should also allow workers to report hazards to management without any fear of reprisal.
The third element speaks to hazard prevention and control. After the workplace analysis is completed, a risk assessment is done to determine the extent of hazards in relation to the probability of causing serious or fatal injuries in the workplace. Measures must then be put in place to prevent or control hazards. Accident record and data analysis is also an important element of the system.
Another important feature of the OSH Management System roadmap is Safety and Health Training. Mahon says, workers must be oriented in the general safety and health requirements of the workplace before they are engaged. He adds that it should not be on the job that persons are learning what safety practices must be adopted. Rather, they should be trained before they are engaged.
Finally, an Emergency Response mechanism must be part of the system. First Aid or emergency care should be readily available to minimize harm if injury or illness occurs.
