Occupational Health and Safety

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Meanwhile, the existing Labor Turnover and Absenteeism level is considerably in higher level. In addition one or two, diarrheal disease instances have been mentioned amongst workers. The morale of the employees has been gone down. The top management fears that any trade union action in the area will have an impact on the other subsidiaries of the group as all the employees belong to the same union.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This case study is about Cargo and Container Handling Co. Ltd which was earlier located in Colombo, in close proximity to the Port. It was relocated for such projects out of Colombo city; the container yard along with all its technical operations was relocated in Hendala, Wattala.

In this project report I have identified Hazards, mainly safety hazards at the company yard. Machinery/ Mechanical hazards, objects falling from height, electrical hazards and confined spaces are some of the hazards I have identified.

Not only that I have mentioned factors which are likely to cause occupational diseases. Poor illumination, exposure to chemicals, unusual dampness, poor ventilation and changers in atmospheric pressure are some of the factors that cause occupational diseases.

I have come up with suggestions to improve the health and safety of both the internal and external environments of the organization. Not only that I have assessed the present benefits and service package and I have identified some of the weaknesses in it. I have plan out a suitable benefits and services package for the company as well.

Answer for question No. 01

Identify the safety hazards at Cargo and Container Handling Co. Ltd. container yard.

HAZARD

- A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work.

-Canadian centre for occupational Health and Safety-

- The absence or lack of predictability; Chance; Uncertainty.

- A source, act, situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health.

Hazard can be known as a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or environment. When a hazard becomes ‘active’ it can create an emergency. Risk is the combination of likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous situation and the severity of injury/ illness that can be caused by the exposure to a hazard.

Hazards generally arise from the following aspects of work.

- The physical work environment

- The equipment, materials and substances used at the work place

- Work tasks and how they are performed

- Work design and management

Potential hazards in a workplace can be identified by following the below methods;

- Inspecting the workplace and observing how work tasks are performed.

- Consulting your workers about any health and safety problems they have encountered in doing their work.

- Analyzing your records of workplace incidents, near misses and worker complaints.

- Reviewing any information and advice about hazards and risks relevant to your particular industry or the type of work that you do. ( Ex: information provided by industry associations, manufacturers or suppliers )

Hazards can be divided into 2 main components. They are;

- Health Hazards 02) Safety Hazards

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Health Hazards

- “Any agent or activity posing a potential hazard to health“

- “Any substance that causes measurable changes in the body; employees so exposed must be informed of the possible change in body function and its symptoms”

- “Any organism, chemical, condition or circumstance that may cause injury or illness”

Below are some of the health hazards:

- Physical – noise, heat, vibration, radiation, illumination

- Chemical – dust, mist, fumes, gases, vapor, liquids, solids

- Biological – soil, animals, infections agents, air conditioning (leganellias)

- Psychological / Social ( Psycho-social) –work organization (organization culture and structure), workers morale, interpersonal relationships between worker-worker, worker-management, inter-managerial relationships, job tasks, job targets, deadlines, overtime, shift work

- Ergonomics – working postures, lifting, repetitive motions, cumulative trauma, MSD, RSI

Safety Hazards

- “Safety Hazards involve unsafe working conditions that can cause injuries, illness or death.”

It includes:

- Fire

- Explosion

- Fall from height

- Falling objects from height

- Machinery/Mechanical hazards

- Electricity

- Work in confined places

In the area where the Cargo and Container Handling Company (Pvt) Ltd is located, the road and the yard are damaged due to the use of heavy machinery and rain. There are ruts and holes and on rainy days these get filled with muddy rain water. It is a safety hazard. For example if an employee falls into it, he/she can get injured and harmed.

Electricity is another hazard we can find in work places. If a person gets in contact with it he/she can get electrocuted. In this particular company premises, wiring is very old and wires are just hanging in most areas. As the wiring is so old, there can be power leaks and if an employee gets in contact with it, it can cause serious injury or fatality.

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