Strategies for Prevention of Workplace Accidents - Case Study Example

SWANN COMMUNICATIONS A warehouse is a good example of a work environment where men and dangerous equipmentare forced to work close to one another. When forklifts, pallet jacks and other product moving equipment are operated in the midst of warehouse workers in the warehouse environment safety must be the first consideration or serious injuries will occur. A serious accident occurred at the warehouse. A maintenance engineer was crushed to death by a faulty forklift truck while working at a distribution centre. The safety switch on the truck had been deliberately disconnected, causing it to go out of control and crush Mr Mike Gavin, aged 28, as he tried to inspect it. When the accident happened, the company nurse was unable to assist Mike as she had no previous training on forklift accidents. The accident resulted in the death of Mike. A comprehensive workplace safety investigation was then launched. The nurse was interviewed and she admitted that she was unable to render first aid. The warehouse supervisor was interviewed and he had admitted that they were not able to follow the scheduled maintenance of all the forklift trucks due to budgetary constraints. Several forklift operators admitted that there was no journal for recording injuries on the workplace. An interview with the truck operators yielded answers which point to the poor maintenance of the trucks. An interview with the company treasurer revealed that he had not released any budget for the maintenance of the trucks for the same period. The results were disconcerting. More than half of the forklifts, had the same safety switches disconnected, there was no set maintenance schedule, no procedure for reporting defects, no competent adviser on health and safety and no adequate management systems in place. Staff at the depot were encouraged to work as quickly as possible under a "work and finish" regime, which meant once they finished a set work quota, they could go home or move on to a higher rate of pay. But the court was told how the system was "not conducive to good health and safety practice" and left no time for preventive maintenance on the forklift trucks. The only employee at the site who is responsible for health and safety measures was an occupational nurse with no technical knowledge of forklift trucks. STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION OF WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS There is a need to put into place an Injury Prevention Program with the commitment of top management. The first strategy is to assign responsibilities to specific personnel. There must be a maintenance engineer who will manage the preventive maintenance of all the forklifts in the place. This engineer will schedule regular inspections and evaluation system for the forklift trucks. This is an appropriate action since an added accident report at the company warehouse will merit fines from the Australian government. The company will also spend more money paying hospital costs and insurance expenses to the affected employees. This Injury Prevention Program will only be functional if the top management gives their full support behind it. The second strategy is to have a safety communications system with employees. The company must have a form readily understandable by all affected employees on matters relating to occupational safety and health, including provisions designed to encourage employees to inform the employer of hazards at the worksite without fear of reprisal. This is an effective move since this strategy will pinpoint potential accident hazards in the workplace. The end result will be accident prevention. The third strategy is to establish a system for assuring employee compliance with safe work practices. An important part of the strategy is to outline the procedures for correcting unsafe and unhealthy conditions. This will prevent many hazards from occurring through scheduled and documented self-inspections. An effective hazard control system will result in the identification of several hazards that exist or develop in the warehouse. It will help workers correct those hazards, and help management take appropriate steps to prevent their recurrence. This strategy is effective since it will force the employees to think of safety all the time while they are on company grounds. It is essential that the company hire safety engineers who will ensure that the policy on forklift operations will be followed. The policy on operating forklifts have several guidelines. One, the company must not allow anyone younger than 18 years of age to operate a forklift. Secondly, the engineers must properly maintain haulage equipment, including tires. Another one is that before using a forklift, examine it for hazardous conditions that make it unsafe to operate. One must also drive safely, never exceeding 5 mph, and slow down in congested areas and on slippery surfaces. The supervisor must ensure that operators wear a seat belt installed by the manufacturer. The operator must never drive up to a person standing in front of a fixed object such as a wall or stacked materials. Another thing to keep in mind is that one must not handle loads that are heavier than the weight capacity of the forklift. The safety engineer must remove unsafe or defective trucks from service until defects are properly repaired. The workers must maintain sufficiently safe clearances for aisles and at loading docks or passages where forklifts are used. The workers must ensure adequate ventilation either by opened doors/windows or using a ventilation system to provide enough fresh air to keep concentrations of noxious gases from engine exhaust below acceptable limits. Finally, the workers must provide covers and/or guardrails to protect workers from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats, and ditches. The fourth strategy is to have an accident investigation team at the workplace. The accident investigation is a primary and thorough tool which the company should be using in an effort to identify and recognize the areas responsible for accidents. The reports should be in writing and adequately identify the cause(s) of the accident or near-miss occurrence. Accident investigations should be conducted by trained individuals, and with the primary focus of understanding why the accident or near miss occurred and what actions can be taken to preclude recurrence. The accident investigation team will pinpoint responsibility on erring managers and employees and thereby enhance accountability in the workplace. This tool will also enable the top management to derive insights on ways to improve the lay-out of the workplace. The fifth strategy is to have regular recordkeeping and documentation. There must be a journal to document workplace injuries. The previous interviews with the workers point to these injuries which had happened since last year: a.) slips, trips, and falls; B.) ergonomic-related pains such as lifting, reaching, pulling, and pushing; and c.) material handling incidents such as dropped boxes and forklift accidents. This tool will be effective in identifying the common sources of injury and thereby aid the safety engineers on the procedures that need to be installed to prevent worker injury. The sixth strategy is to have a training program for managers, supervisors and employees. This program is effective in improving the capabilities of the supervisors and workers with respect to injury prevention. The training program can be given during office hours and it will be spread out over six months. The company can conduct a formal examination on safety procedures in the workplace to the employees. Those who aim for promotion must have taken and passed this training program. In that way, all the workers and supervisors will take the program seriously. Specifically, the training program needs to let the supervisors know that they are key figures responsible for establishment and success of the Injury Prevention Program and that it is important to establish and maintain safe and healthful working conditions. They are responsible for being familiar with safety and health hazards to which their employees are exposed, how to recognize them, the potential effects these hazards have on the employees, and rules, procedures and work practices for controlling exposure to those hazards. They will also learn how to convey this information to employees by setting good examples, instructing them, making sure they fully understand and follow safe procedures. In addition, they will learn how to investigate accidents and take corrective and preventive action. This program will also let your employees know that the success of the company's Injury Prevention Program depends on their actions. It allows employees to learn their job properly, brings new ideas into the workplace and reinforces existing ideas and practices. They will learn safe work procedures required for their jobs and how these procedures protect them against exposure. When personal protective equipment is required or needed, they will know how to use it. The Injury Prevention Program will benefit the top management, supervisors and employees as they will have fewer work-related injuries and illnesses, and reduced stress and worry caused by exposure to hazards. Ultimately, the company benefits from reduced workplace injuries and illnesses, increased productivity, lower costs, higher profits, and a more cohesive and dependable workforce. WORKS CITED Online sources http://www.dlse.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/IIPP.html#6. (accessed 26.05.2007). www.standards.com.au (accessed 26.05.2007). www.workcover.vic.gov.au (accessed 25.05. 2007). Read More