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A report on PUBH6002 Health protection and environmental health,a way of collecting information about affected areas

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PUBH6002 Health protection and environmental health

 

WORK HEALTH SAFETY ASSESSMENT

Introduction:

The process of work health safety assessment is a way of collecting information about the affected areas systematically for improving current situation of those affected areas. The assessment of work, health and safety often changes in accordance with the structure of business organisation, its strategies, characteristics, number of people working under the organisation and more. With the implementation of proper risk assessment measures, degree of hazards in workplace along with health and safety of the workers increases due to which productivity of the workers increases. This study is conducted for shedding light on the concept of work health safety assessment, and six major risk assessment steps those are required to be applied by every organisation (here, Conrad Gargett) irrespective of their size and structure. For the context of recent study, a set of recommendations are formulated. The current study is also included with the discussion on the awareness of the vulnerable groups associated with a workplace and the effect of such work, health and safety assessment on them.

 

1. Knowledge, understanding and application:

The concept of work health and safety assessment was evolved due to the development of business organisations and its varied range of activities those are performed by its workers or employees (Ferson et al. 2016). The standards of work health and safety assessment of a business organisation are required to be developed as per the consultation of the employer with the workers, existing policies, framework and relevant act. This assessment is also includes responsibilities of the management personnel those who are responsible and accountable for ensuring workplace safety and security to the employees of an organisation. The implementation of work, health and safety assessment is initiated by the policies and framework drafted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This organisation has advised and published regulations and policies on securing occupational health and safety, having the overall purpose of assisting the implementation of World Health Assembly Resolution 60.26: the Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health, 2008-2017. (WHO, 2017)

 

Six steps of risk assessment required for identifying and evaluating risk elements associated with the environment

Assessment of risk is a very vital task to be done by every business organisations to ensuring health and safety of the workers working under it. This is also required for complying with existing workplace rules and laws. Risk assessment helps to focus on varied risks those are really matters for the workplace specifically that one which includes chances of causing real harm. In many cases, measuring risks of an organisation in a straightforward way helps to control risks on time. For instance, ensuring prompt cleaning up of oil spillages reduces the risk of getting slipped over, or drawers of the cupboard are kept closed for ensuring people safe from tripping over. The six major steps required for assessing risk are required to be implemented by every organisation for ensuring health and safety to its workers (Haas & Yorio, 2016). The six steps of risk assessment are,

• Step One: Identification of hazards - In this step, the occupational or work related hazards are required to be identified those are inherent with the job. Identification of hazardous substances those are responsible for affecting workers health and safety in workplace are also includes in this step.

• Step Two: Identification of risk - This step includes the process of identifying the inherent risks in the work or job. Example, Hazard such as frayed wires which creates risks for the operator of getting electrocuted.

• Step Three: Assessment of risk - This particular step is associated with evaluating the likelihood of a risk (Forbes & Watt, 2015). Risk assessment is based on two factors such as the most likely impact of risk or injury resulting from hazards and the probability of occurrence of risks.

• Step Four: Control of risk - For controlling risks the steps required to be taken includes instructions for immediate cessation of activity, process or work and isolation of all the hazardous substances (Haimes, 2015).

• Step Five: Documentation of the process - Documentation in risk assessment includes the written representation of procedures or action plan according to which risks are required to be assessed and mitigated. In this document, the information required to be included are associated with identified hazards, risks associated with those hazards and its assessment. This also includes control measures, the way such control measures are been used, evidence of reviewing and monitoring such risks and hazards and the checklist used during the process (Pheasant, 2014).

• Step Six: Monitoring as well as reviewing - The sixth and last step of risk assessment is monitoring and reviewing the hazards those are identified previously for eliminating or controlling the chances of further occurrence of such risks (Joss et al. 2017)

 

2. Analysis as well as application with the synthesis of newly emerged knowledge Development of recommendations

For the Australian organisation, named Conrad Gargett which is practicing Architectural design at global stage has employed 195 staff having age group of 17 years - 70 years. The organisation is required to practice risks assessment for ensuring health and safety for its workers. For the betterment of the organisation and its risk assessment procedure following recommendations are formulated.

• Conrad Gargett is required to implement a mechanism for measuring inherent hazards or risks associated with a task or job to make proper strategies for reducing such hazards and risks

• The organisation should establish a department which will be responsible for identifying, reviewing and monitoring risks and hazards at daily basis

• Conrad Gargett needs to involve workers, having the best knowledge and understanding about the conditions those are responsible for creating hazards and are able to insights into those conditions to control those.

• A hierarchy of control should be constructed by Conrad Gargett for identifying and evaluating options those are required for controlling occupational hazards and hazardous substances (Ergu et al. 2014)

• The organisation is required to formulate a plan for controlling hazards to implement control in accordance with the plan

• Evaluating the effectiveness associated with the existing control mechanism for determining whether these are able to provide protection continuously, or whether other controlling mechanisms might be more effective.

• The organisation is required to review new and upgraded technologies those are able to provide more protection, with reliability and less cost.

 

 

 

3. Ethico-moral reasoning:

In a workplace there are different types of people those who belong to vulnerable groups such as disability, gender, and ethnicity. All the participant of these groups is required to be provided with proper awareness to secure their health, safety and security in their respective workplaces. The awareness which is to be provided for these vulnerable groups is as follow,

• Raising awareness regarding the existing rights of the labour, risks and remedies

• Conducting awareness campaigns to let the people of vulnerable groups about the minimum level of workplace health and safety required to be provided by their employer

• Using understandable language in awareness programs

 

Due to the identification of work health and safety risks, vulnerable groups associated with a workplace become more conscious about their rights. They become aware of what exactly they needs to take as remedies to cure occupational risks those are responsible for affecting their work, health and safety (Storm et al. 2015).

 

Conclusion:

At the end of the study, it is very often to conclude that to maintain workplace safety and ensuring health and occupational safety to the employees it is very important for every business organisation to have a proper and effective risk assessment procedure. The six step of risk assessment is the best way of identifying, measuring and controlling risks associated with workplace and job. The business organisations operating in Australia are practicing work, health and safety assessment for ensuring health and safety to their workers or employees in accordance with the rules and regulations formulated by Work Health and Safety Act 2011. With such initiative the degree of workplace safety has increased in past few years.

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