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INTRODUCTION
Ricardo Steel is an establish well-known company in Sabah and has been producing quality
steels for constructions At Ricardo Steel, we are well known for our key values of safety, quality
and productivity are the foundation of our business – while character and integrity are the pillars
of our success. The company strives to hold itself to the highest ethical standards in order to
serve the long-term best interests of all of our stakeholders. As a world leader in the production
of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, RICADO Steel operates the most
flexible facilities in the steel industry – and that places us among the very best at adapting to
ever-changing market conditions and customer needs. However, on a tour made by our
Occupational Health Management Department, we found out that it is not as reported by the
Management.
Accidents in the workplace happen for a number of reasons. The results of a workplace accident
can be minimal or tragic, causing minor injury, damage to equipment or even in some cases,
major injury or death. Employees need to stay alert and aware at all times to avoid accidents,
while managers need to know the most common causes for workplace accidents and be able to
spot the risk factors early to prevent one. One of the challenges every employer faces is
maintaining a safe workplace. Besides fines for failing to comply with federal and state
workplace safety regulations, employers are in danger of injuring valuable employees or even
lawsuits from employees who are inured on the job due to negligence or a failure to follow
procedures. But employee actions also are key to keeping their environment safe. Employee
safety is implemented in workplaces to keep workers safe from harm and danger. While safety
measures are most often practiced in environments where heavy equipment and hazardous
substances are used, safety procedures should also be established in office environments where
other types of potential dangers can be found. Employee safety is not only about keeping
employees safe as they work, but also about giving the company a credible reputation in
employee safety standards and regulations.
On the 13 and 15 of October, a tour made by the Occupational Health Manager team lead by me ,
in order to make sure the safety in the factory is in a good standard. The tour was made at 11.00
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am with the assistance of the factory manager. It was found during plant visits that employees
were not carrying portable carbon monoxide (CO) meters to detect gas leakage in the blast
furnace area, which is a serious safety violation. The number of fixed online CO alarm monitors
in the plant is also not clear. More attention needs to be paid on CO tracking and the accessibility
of CO monitors for the steel plant .The plant also does not under the Ricado special health tests
for coke oven battery workers. Existing safety monitoring and coordinating structures lack
expertise or enforcement capacity to regulate safety measures in these steel plants.
Workplace safety is the employer's and management's responsibility. It involves the formation
and implementation of safety programs. Employee insurance schemes and employee safety
policies help cover the risk an employee might suffer at work. Jobs, which require the employees
to travel or stay out of their city or country, should cover the risks involved in the journey and
the on-site stay. Certain jobs require the employees to engage in life-risking work; they require
the employees to be part of dangerous industrial processes. Jobs, which put the safety of their
employees at stake, should also provide the employees with the safety costs. No one can argue
with the fact that workplace safety is important, yet it’s often unintentionally overlooked, leaving
workers and others on the job site exposed to risk. Safety Management Group’s trained safety
advisors can identify unsafe acts and conditions and provide practical solutions for minimizing
those risks. Additionally, Safety Management Group’s safety professionals can help clients to
develop a culture of safety on their job sites. The on- or off-site training that Safety Management
Group provides can equip all the members of a construction team with the tools they need to
perform their job safely, whether they need basic safety training or project-specific safety
training
THE REPORT
Referring to three accidents involving the workers in a span of three days in May and June 2012,
the report had noted that 'it shows that occupational safety needs to be overhauled and improved
particularly for the contractual staffs. As a number of contractual and daily wage laborers are
employed in hazardous working areas, their health and safety aspects also need to be given equal
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importance, the manager and workers in the factory were not aware of safety precautions or
chose to ignore them. These factors should be handled in order to prevent accidents in the
workplace to happen and to maintain the company’s image on safety of workers in the workplace
area.
After a meeting with the Material and Handling board, safety in our factory has been the major
agenda discussed and we had come out to a few conclusion on steps for solving and handling the
safety of our workers. The present situation were identified and these are the major problems and
careless situation that occurs in the factory :
Workers are lack of training especially in handling dangerous materials and how to
behave in the factory. They are found smoking in the area and handling the materials
without proper safety clothing such as gloves, safety boots and helmets. They are also
found eating and drinking in the area and behave carelessly. The worker sat on the
chemical cans and some are using cell phones while working. These careless actions may
lead to accidents in the workplace and should be prevented.
Knowledge of the worker on safety management was also found to be poor. Before the
result of the rating was announced earlier this month, the technical advisory panel of
Health Manager found that these comments and recommendations were totally ignored.
The panel also included senior steel industry and pollution control experts. During the
visits we were concerns of poor safety conditions were conveyed to highest management
of the company, including the chairman, because we found that the management had not
made any remedial measures on the lapses we had pointed out in July 2012.
Safety rules were not displayed accordingly. The posters of rules and regulations in the
factory were found in a poor condition. It was blocked from the factory workers by
shelves and other furniture. The posters and pictures displaying safety rules were not
displayed properly and some has been displayed in hidden areas.
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During the visits, it was also found that employees were not carrying portable carbon
monoxide (CO) meters. These meters are very important for detecting gas leakage in the
blast furnace area. This is identified as a major problem that will lead to safety violation.
We also found that some of the existing fixed online CO alarm monitors in the plant is
also not clear. More attention needs to be paid on CO leakage tracking and the
accessibility of CO monitors for the steel plant .
SUGGESTION ON ACTIONS
Valuing your employees’ safety should be the number one priority of every business. The
reasons behind valuing employee safety range from the mundane concerns about lawsuits,
productivity and insurance premiums to the more humanitarian idea that employees are people
and as such deserve the respect and treatment that does a soul good. Empathy is a great quality to
practice even when it negatively affects the bottom line. Because of the very nature of
manufacturing, managers of this type of business are always looking for ways to improve safety.
Safety in the workplace should always be a high priority. The bottom line is that having
accidents on the job, can lead to a loss in productivity, and can cost the company a lot of money.
It can also have a huge effect on how your employees perform their work. This is because if they
do not feel as if they are in a safe environment, they will not perform to their best potential.
Below are some suggestion on how the company could help to manage the safety of the workers
and prevent accidents from happening in the workplace.
Visual reminders to improve safety can include everything from posters and count boards
to videos and books. These visual reminders are important for those times in between
when safety can be covered in a formal meeting and for during a formal meeting. The
only thing is that management must use visual reminders in a smart way that does not
make employees feel like they are being talked down to or like the company is wasting
money on unneeded things.
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Posters are the most commonly used visual reminders. One overlooked safety poster is in the
bathroom that reminds people to wash their hands. Even with this reminder, men and women
walk out of the bathroom with even so much looking at the sink. Someone else may even be at
the sink washing his or her hands when the offender leaves without having done the same – so
much for peer pressure. Still all health is a matter of safety and that includes illness. Whether an
employee is out because of an injury or an illness, the result is still loss productivity for the
business and several unpleasant moments for the employee. Another popular safety poster
involves the steps for first aid and safety. Of course, these procedures are applied after there has
been one failure of safety protocol, so the posters may not be the best for keeping people from
getting hurt. They are, however, useful in allowing people to remember how to deal with an
emergency when it occurs. The visuals are handy and usually well-presented depending on
where they were bought and how old they are. CPR and First Aid generally change every five
years coinciding with the recommendations from the Emergency Cardiovascular Conference that
takes place on the fives, i.e. 2005, 2010, 2015, etc.
All employees should have workplace safety training before they begin a new job. Lifting
injuries can happen to any employee, so proper instruction on the safe lifting of heavy
materials should be part of basic safety training. Basic training should include how to
report medical and fire emergencies. This includes the proper forms necessary to report
accidents. Training in fire extinguisher usage should be mandatory. Employers should
also hold periodic drills for evacuation of the building in case of emergency as well as
where to shelter in the building in case of severe weather.
Depending on the type of work, specialized safety training should be available. For
example, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires all
lift truck operators to have specialized safety training. If employees work with hazardous
materials, they should have training in how to handle them and how to react in case of an
emergency around them. The safe use of an eye wash station or chemical shower is vital
training for someone working around chemicals and other hazardous materials.
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In order for the workplace to be safe for everyone, managers must enforce safety rules.
Once employers set safety guidelines, they expect every employee to follow them with
absolutely no exceptions. Instructions must be clear and readable:
i. Supply new employees with reading material. The most critical part of
employee training and development is retention of the training information. A
new staff member has a great deal to absorb. The ability to refer back to
printed information can help the process. Even if you don't have a company
manual, custom-made worksheets outlining procedures and expectations can
be a useful addition to your training program.
ii. Walk through procedures several times. Explain each step thoroughly and
encourage questions. When the new recruit is ready, have him or her perform
the tasks as you watch. Correct mistakes kindly; it takes time to learn a new
set of procedures.
iii. Assign a mentor. The "sink or swim" approach rarely works among employee
training techniques. Assigning a guide to ease the transition to independent
working helps the new employee acclimate to the position while freeing your
time for other duties.
iv. Give credit where it's due. As your new employee masters job skills, praise his
or her efforts. A feeling of appreciation can go a long way in employee
training and development.
It's impossible to hold workers accountable for workplace safety unless they
understand what makes for a safe workplace and how to make changes to reduce
the risks associated with their own workplace. This means that an accountability
policy can only come once employees receive safety training. This training should
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focus on specific common tasks, equipment and dangers in the workplace. For
example, safety training for office workers should include information about
ergonomics and repetitive stress injuries, while factory workers need training in
electrical, chemical and fire hazards. Retraining employees as new risks arise, or
to refresh their understanding of safety, will help prevent lax behavior and
enhance accountability.
Employees are the experts on their own work spaces, which means they also are
best able to report safety issues or violations that they observe. To encourage this
type of accountability, provide incentives for workers who report safety hazards
that result in a policy change or correction. Rewards may include bonus cash, gift
cards, vacation time or company merchandise. This will help get employees in the
habit of being on the lookout for dangers and reporting them to supervisors.
Under certain circumstances, maintenance workers may need to work on live
electrical systems for the purpose of diagnostic testing or troubleshooting. If this
is the case, workers must be qualified, trained in safe working practices and
equipped with personal protective equipment. Electrical systems must be
grounded to prevent the risk of hazardous voltage, which can result in shock or
arc flash, leading to personal injury or possibly death. Maintenance workers may
need to establish a temporary ground to work safely on a particular task.
The levels of dust and harmful gases in the factory should be closely monitored,
but the workers in our factory may still be at risk of respiratory diseases, such as
pneumoconiosis or silicosis, caused by metal and zink dust. The workers Safety
and Health Administration stipulates that factory operators must provide
protection, in the form of protective clothing and respirators, against any such
hazards; workers also have the right to have their lungs X-rayed periodically at
company expense.
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Every employee should be made educated of the necessary steps to be adopted in
case there is an emergency. As we know, most of the offices are located in high
rise towers and the incidents like fire, elevator emergency, power cut have
manifold impact at these places. Especially in incidents like fire, it is necessary
for the employee to take some basic steps so as to arrest the magnitude of the
casualty. In case of high-rise towers, it becomes difficult for fire-fighters to carry
100pund gears at the top of the buildings. In that case fire fighting devices like
fire extinguishers should be kept within the reach of everyone.
CLOSURE
Hazards are considered to be potentially dangerous substances or behaviors that can cause harm
or injury to an employee. There are several hazards employees can be exposed to in the
workplace. Health hazards can range from infectious diseases spread from one worker to another
to poisonous chemicals that are not properly stored and maintained. For example, some
industries are exposed to dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide. These industries must
follow specific safety procedures in the event of an emergency situation involving the substance.
Workplace health and safety practices are important because they help prevent inter-office
violence and raise employee awareness of the potential dangers they face. Violent acts and
behaviors of employees and other individuals within the workplace are cause for concern
because they threaten a company’s overall well-being. Companies must take an active approach
in educating workers on the importance of practicing safe habits in order to maintain a healthy
and safe working environment. We are committed to our goal of ensuring zero harm to our
employees, our contractors and the communities in which we operate. This is integral to our
business process and is laid down in our company’s wide health and safety policy that was
implemented since it was operated. Our policy principles include amongst other that all injuries
and work-related illness can and must be prevented and that excellence in health and safety
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drives excellence in business results. Health and safety are integrated into all our business
management systems and processes.
Health and safety is a key performance indicator and one of the prime drivers of our corporate
vision. On our journey towards an accident-free workplace, it is our goal to achieve a lost time
injury frequency rate of less than 0.7 by the end of the reporting year 2012/13. Creating safe and
healthy environment in the workplace benefits everybody. When people feel safe and are
healthy their productivity at work increases. This in turn benefits the company. The number of
work hours lost due to illness and injuries is also decreased in a safe and healthy workplace.
Everyone will be more productive. Ensuring the safety at workplace does not require huge
investment of time or money or other resources. All you need is to establish the basic framework
and pathways to achieve the desired targets. Everyone working in the company should be made
aware of their responsibility to follow the local policies, provided training with regular updates
then the whole environment will become safe and healthy. When individuals practice the safety
at workplace on daily basis it becomes a second nature. Workers should be encouraged to report
near misses which are critical in developing new strategies and safeguards against possible
mishaps. Safe and healthy workplace leads to confident and productive workers.
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REFFERENCES
http://www.safetymanagementgroup.com/why-safety.aspx
http://safetyandworkplace.com/safety-and-workplace.html
http://www.utem.edu.my/fkp/images/format%20penulisan%20psm.pdf
http://www.linkedin.com/skills/skill/Report_Writing
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRaccidents.htm
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