This Basic Course on Work Safety, initially conceived for specialists from the System of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, can be used by those who intend to enter the important field of health promotion and protection of workers.
It is intended to address the management or direction of Occupational Health and Safety in production and service entities, to develop basic knowledge in order to achieve:
- The integration of occupational safety and health in all activities. The identification and evaluation of occupational risks, particularly those that must be given an immediate and medium-term solution. The systematic improvement of working conditions and the quality of life and work.
The Course does not try to establish new concepts, or develop theories that serve as a legal basis, it is a modest pretense to call for reflection, speak a common language and develop a homogeneous base of knowledge.
The style that its modules follow is based on the principle of using the knowledge of national and foreign authors and institutions, suggesting in each case a proposal, which aims to temper, at the global level, the current and prospective development of the subject in the country.
We have tried to be careful in assimilating, in what is proposed, especially for when teachers carry out practical exercises, the different levels of technological complexity of the work centers. The Management of Safety and Health at Work cannot be addressed in the same way in highly complex manufacturing facilities with potential risks as in small work centers or if their activities and processes are not of a dangerous nature.
One aspect in which it is intended to reach a more logical approach to reality and to the Cuban language, refers to the homologation of concepts, such as, risks, dangers, risk assessment and others, that seem, in current literature, a new Tower of Babel, to hinder or complicate the real objective of our mission, which is to achieve a high level of health and quality of life for our workers.
Module No. 1. Integrated Security
- Risk prevention and the organization and development of Health and Safety, integrated into business management.
- Integrated systems. The company as an integrated system. Risk prevention.
1.1. The prevention of risks and the organization of the prevention of Safety and Health at Work, integrated into business management.
The man by accumulation of experiences over time has learned to know what are the situations or events that can cause damage, living with them in their social and environmental environment. As a consequence of his awareness, man has the need to feel safe and to have "securities" that clear his fears, in order to achieve vital tranquility. The human need for security is a primary, intuitive, intense, constant, and substantially psychological need.
In the search for security, man has always acted according to his cultural situation, his social environment and the levels reached by his own development. One of the paths taken has his logical thinking in the investigation and mastery of scientific truth, based on his own experiences. This analysis is based on a fundamental principle that, in a simple way, we could state it like this: "Every situation that causes damage is composed in time by a cause sufficient to cause it and a group of situations or circumstances that trigger it."
The sufficient cause represents the multitude of phenomena, of varied origin, that constitute a daily reality, with which man must live.
Currently, more and more importance is given, within the work of management, to the analysis of these situations, as well as their causes and triggering mechanisms, as preventive action.
The triggering situations or circumstances constitute a group of secondary causes that, added to the sufficient cause, are capable of triggering the appearance of the accident with its consequences. On this element, it can almost always be operated until it is eliminated or, in most cases, it can be reduced.
This analysis responds to a thought developed by specialists and scholars on the subject and that tells us that all events respond to an infinite group of causes that are related to each other in time and space.
1.1.1. Integrated Security Systems. The company as an integrated system.
Systems theory can be one of the best benchmarks for analyzing health and safety in the company. In this case, it is work systems: a set of people and technical means that, under certain environmental conditions, act on the work process to carry out a specific work activity. Technology and work organization help to understand the behavior of machines, equipment and the development of operations; while the sciences of human behavior, psychology among others, must account for individual and collective behavior; that is to say, of the people who constitute part of said systems.
As a first approach to the concept of Integrated Security Systems, we should start by analyzing the definition of integrating. That is, "form the parts into a whole. " We would be talking about forming the parts, based on traditionally independently run systems, for example, maintenance, quality, economy, insurance, production and others as a whole, which would be business management.
The Organization as a whole is a great process where the actions to be carried out require the definition of an integration policy for the different areas of intervention; of planning, implantation and development of programs and resources; improvement, general and specific analysis, in conjunction with all parties involved, and supervision by whoever runs the system.
Integrated systems have a fundamental advantage, they avoid the existence of a duplication of procedures, rules, regulations, rules, etc., for common activities, which may correspond to different aspects of the company's activity (different regulations, rules and procedures for the same area, activity or job). It also prevents activities that have a direct impact on the operation of the company from being conducted in isolated ways, avoiding the existence of areas, departments or directions, each with its managers, objectives and tasks, with little communication between them, for example, quality alien to human resource problems, medical services in relation to security, etc.
The safety and health of the workers must not be, then, a «detachable accessory» of the work, it cannot be optional, neither conceptually nor operationally. A safe procedure is one that defines what should be done correctly, while making the rest of the options impossible or difficult.
"A work procedure, which can be done with and without security, should be considered a bad work procedure"
When a company works in an integrated way in carrying out any process, a worker would not make a distinction between safety, quality, discipline, the environment, etc. Another example could be seen within the business plans, where the safety objectives for each of the activities must be taken into account.
There are many different definitions of “integrated security”, albeit with fairly homogeneous approaches. For example:
Integrated Security:
- "Where all aspects aimed at guaranteeing the safety and health of the worker and the improvement of working conditions are considered within the management system" "… is characterized by the incorporation of safety objectives and tasks into the functions of each area and members of the organization, according to their responsibility and sphere of competence. Integrated security is a form of security implementation in which the proper functions of security are associated, or integrated with people, systems, methods, the procedures, which compose the scope in which they are applied.
All these definitions tell us, more or less in the same way, that integrated security is security as a function of the company, which manifests itself in all its activities and where responsibilities and functions are distributed among all members of the company. organization, systems, procedures and working methods.
From the analysis of the previous definitions, it can be highlighted in relation to integrated security that:
- It is based on the principle of integration, that is, forming parts (subsystems, quality, finance, security and health) of a whole (business management system). Security is a function of the company. Any activity carried out includes safety. Security is inseparable from work procedures. There is distributed responsibility for all members of the organization. The maximum chief is the main person responsible. The management functions of the cadres or controls must contain the necessary measures to avoid accidents and illnesses related to work or other types of damage to health. The Directorate must also and simultaneously assume the safety in the phases of: Definition of objectives and strategic planning. Organization of structures. Execution and decision-making.Control and evaluation of the results. Project Analysis (Technologies, Investments, others).
We can conclude then that Safety and Health is integrated, when in a company safety and health is intrinsic and inherent in all work modalities, where all safety requirements are met, where everyone is responsible for their actions, where all Workers in their daily actions demonstrate "safe work habits", where the company manages by itself security in all the components of the systems that make it up.
"The person responsible for the work is also responsible for safety and health"
The application of the principle of integrating health and safety to business management over time shapes, ideas, methods and points of view, which determine the behavior of all members of the organization, their way of thinking and acting. This is nothing more than the formation of a safety culture. This culture is based on achieved values, which makes it difficult to change once established. This entails a natural and responsible acceptance of the implication of safety as an additional benefit to the quality of life of workers.
It is convenient to list some of these values and briefly analyze how they come to lead to personal attitudes.
The formation of a culture begins when we begin to believe in the need to integrate safety and health into our daily actions, this belief over time forms values (integration, capacity for change, organizational flexibility, creativity, group work, etc.), which with the passing of time derive in standards of conduct that are truly known and shared by all members of the Organization.
Once these standards have been accepted, positive attitudes towards safety and health begin to form, triggering behavior. Nothing is done without taking safety and health into account, that's when we started to obtain concrete results in the Organization. This cycle in turn is fed back through learning experiences. (See Figure 3).
Over the years, this culture develops in traditions: safe and healthy conditions, management commitment, positive indicators, a culture formed and established in all members.
"What is not felt is not improved"
«Looking is one thing, seeing what is being looked at is another, understanding what is seen is still another; Learning what is understood is something else, but getting to act based on what has been learned is all that really matters ».
Integrated Security in the Company
The direction and administration of companies is based on the correct disposition of own resources in an environment of internal and external relations. The essence of management is based on the management of uncertain elements and factors, laying, to a large extent, the key to success in the ability to prevent and anticipate those circumstances and events that may affect business activity.
The main objective of Security, looking at it from a business point of view, is then, to avoid violent failures or interruptions in production and service flows that can cause personal or economic damage and therefore alter the proper functioning of the company.
The company, conceptually, constitutes a living system, made up of subsystems, which are related to each other and to other systems in its environment through internal and external channels that allow it to meet its stated objectives.
The resources necessary to carry out business activities can be grouped into those of a personal, material, and immaterial nature (finance, technology, methods, etc.); the directive function would be the ordering of all the available resources in a related and planned way in space and time, functionally grouped into production, human resources, economy, commercial, storage, etc., considering the internal and other flows and relationships in the external scope, such as: finance, consumers, providers of resources and services, the environment, among others.
Therefore, within this complex system of relationships, there are «risks» in all spheres of action, which can be divided into «business risks» and «risks related to safety and health». The former would depend on whether the proposed objectives are met or not, due to non-violent alterations to processes and operations, for example, wrong decisions in the incorporation of technologies, investments, policies, new products, etc., which cause economic losses, but no physical damage. Mainly the causal factors of its materialization could be found in decisions of a strategic, commercial, operational, technological nature and linked to the management of finances.
Coincidentally with the "business risks" are the "risks related to safety and health", which do represent a potential threat of violent interruption of processes, with the results of personal and material damage, which also implies economic losses, always let them materialize. Due to the coexistence of all these risks (business and related to health and safety), a coordinated treatment of both is advisable, with an analysis approach and an integrative solution.
In the analysis of the risks that represent a potential threat of violent interruption of the processes, different areas of security management or direction can be distinguished:
- Risks of accidents and diseases Risks of damage to the material and immaterial resources of the company (fires and other damages of technological and nature origin, intrusion and malicious acts) Risks of contamination for the ecosystem, people and neighboring entities
Other specific risks must be considered, which are sometimes not easily identified, for example, road safety (fleet of vehicles), radioactive safety (facilities that use nuclear energy), biological and computer security, among others.
Therefore, coordinated management at the highest possible level is recommended, under a concept of integration, a concept previously mentioned. In cases where the structure and conditions of the company do not allow this unification, at least a coordination of actions and resources must be sought between all areas to achieve the greatest business effectiveness and efficiency.
Acting in safety means acting on the work system, which implies previously perceiving the relationships between technology, people and the organization and, all this, in relation to safe behavior and the environment of exogenous risks. (See figure 5).
1.1.2. Risk prevention.
Any activity, the purpose of which is to prevent the occurrence of unwanted events, constitutes prevention. Prevention includes the actions, measures and operations that should affect the activities to be carried out, seeking to minimize or eliminate situations or circumstances that may trigger undesired events, as well as their causes.
Prevention is usually thought of as the activity dedicated to preventing unwanted events from happening. The main problem lies in the fact that it is easier to act when something has happened, than to prevent what has not yet happened, which, in addition, becomes difficult to analyze (See figure 6).
It is then about working in the search for criteria that allow progress, of a protection based on compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, or simple technical-organizational measures on deficiencies, towards a "prevention" based on planning, organization and assurance, based on a forecast of the events that may occur. (See figure 7).
The mission of prevention is to ensure the transition from a culture of regrets and actions after the accident, to a culture of prevention of "events" (accidents, incidents, fires, breakdowns, etc.).
"The effort that a society dedicates to the prevention of accidents, diseases or catastrophes, could be considered as the most complete indicator of the level of quality of life."
Module No. 2. Assessment of occupational risks
2.1. Introduction and concepts.
2.2. Risk Assessment Procedure.
2.2.1. Model "Risk Identification Questionnaire".
2.2.2. Model "General Risk Identification".
2.2.3. Risk Assessment Model.
2.2.4. Model "Plan of Preventive Activities".
2.3. More complex evaluations
2.1. Introduction and concepts
To deepen the subject of risk assessment and prevention, it seems important to analyze some meanings of risk, danger or risk factors, which can be confused in their meaning in the context of prevention, legally or in language.
The risk, defined in legal, recommendations, and regulatory documents, including the Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, does not present a homogeneous approach and in some cases is contradictory.
«Occupational risk: The possibility that a worker or facility may suffer certain damage derived from work. Its magnitude is expressed as a function of the probability of occurrence of the event and the severity of the possible consequences, taking into account the exposure to risk, that is, the frequency with which the worker is exposed in time and space »
Risk:
- Combination of the frequency or probability that may arise from the materialization of a hazard The probability that the ability to cause damage is updated in the conditions of use or exposure, as well as the possible importance of the damage Outside the scope of the occupational risk prevention, risk is defined as the contingency or proximity of damage.
In other words, "risk" can be defined as an "adventure" with unknown or uncertain results.
From the analysis of the previous definitions, see Figure 8, we can reach some conclusions:
- Risk is defined as a possibility or probability of damage. It expresses the ability to update (occurrence of the event in time) of a situation to generate damage. It depends on several factors, such as exposure to a certain situation, the frequency with which exposure occurs, as well as the extent of damage that may occur.
Fig. 8. The Risk.
Analyzing these concepts in depth, we can reach slightly more enlightening conclusions. It is stated by some researchers and scholars on the subject that “risk is a difficult subject to understand. The risk is not a specific substance or something like butter, time, or gamma radiation. It cannot be measured or observed. However, it obeys well-known laws »
The concept of risk could be compared to that of reliability: "probability that a certain function will be maintained for a certain time." We could then refer to risk as unreliability. Fortunately, not all, if not most, system failures result in injury or loss.
Another important aspect to consider is the magnitude of the risk, which can be defined as the statistical expectation (expected value) of the probable losses (magnitude = probability x consequences).
If someone calls something they can see or feel risks, they are perceiving something else. What can be obtained directly from the direct observation of situations is more related to risk factors or, as other authors focus, dangers.
Let us then go on to analyze some definitions of risk factors:
- Factors that explain the existence of risk, that is, technical, human and organizational factors. They are defined as products, substances, media, processes, environment, etc., that determine the type of risk.
A clearer way to mentally represent risks and risk factors, if we follow their definitions, is to compare them with accidents and their causes, by simply checking that unanticipated risks will become future accidents, and the factors associated risk will have to be considered as its causes. Another way of looking at these concepts could be the inverted symmetry that accidents and their causes present with risks and risk factors. Accidents are observable, their causes are not, unless the descriptions of the accidents are confused with their explanations. On the other hand, the risks are not observable, their risk factors are, unless the risks are confused with the risk factors.
We can then draw some conclusions about the risk factors, see Figure 9:
- Risk factors maintain a contingent relationship with risks, they are the factors that make the occurrence or materialization of the event more or less probable. The same risk factor can generate several very different and independent risks at times.
A graphic example of daily life could be a heart attack, closely related to high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, eating habits, smoking, stress, family history (hereditary), age, etc. In our case, the risk would be the probability or possibility of having a heart attack, which would be determined by the presence of high blood pressure, lack of physical exercise, meals with excess fat or salt, etc., the frequency with which they manifest or the concentration to which s is exposed; these would become the risk factors.
No doctor can directly see the risk of heart attack. You can analyze the status of risk factors and, from there, calculate or weigh the probability that it will occur in a given time (magnitude).
We can conclude then that, “ risks are defined as a probability or possibility of damage, which measures the capacity (magnitude) of causing the materialization of events or facts, depending on variables such as exposure, frequency and the consequences of damages that occur "and" the risk factors such as elements, products, means of work or technology to which we are exposed and that determine the magnitude of the risk: machines, vehicles, substances, energies, etc., such as electricity with the risk of electrocution, lead with the risk of lead poisoning, flammable products with the risks of burns, dealing with the public or night work with the risk of stress, to name a few ”.
2.2. Risk Assessment Procedure 15
The risk assessment in the work centers, facilities and workplaces is carried out according to the particular characteristics of each place, with the participation of workers in the places that need to make an initial risk assessment or proceed to update the existing one.
The procedure that is submitted to the reader can serve to comply quickly, easily and effectively with the obligation of entities to have a diagnosis of the level of security existing in their facilities and establish a prevention policy, based on the continuous improvement of working conditions.
The evaluation must be carried out considering the information on the organization, the characteristics and complexity of the work, the materials used, the existing equipment and the health status of the workers, evaluating the risks based on objective criteria that provide confidence about the results to be achieved..
When there is a specific “regulation” that must be applied, the procedure must comply with the conditions that it establishes and may be adapted to norms or guides, when it requires measurements, analyzes, tests or when complex evaluation criteria must be used.
This procedure has been developed in such a way that other specific evaluation methods can be used to help improve it, such as the following:
Assessments established by current legislation.
On numerous occasions, the evaluation, exposure and control of some of the risks present in the facilities or stalls may be regulated by legal documents or procedures of branch organizations or of the entity itself, ensuring that the established requirements are met.
Assessments imposed by legislation on risk prevention.
Some standards that regulate aspects of occupational risk prevention and define procedures for their evaluation and control, for example, noise and vibration standards.
c) Risk assessments for which there are no specific procedures or standards.
There are risks for which there is no specific legislation in the country that limits the exposure of workers to its effects. However, there are standards or technical guides, from organizations of recognized international prestige, that establish the evaluation procedures and sometimes even the maximum recommended levels of exposure. For example, permissible limit values for chemical contaminants, published by technical associations or institutes of applied research.
c) Evaluations that require specialized methods of analysis.
Some of these laws require the use of specific qualitative and quantitative risk analysis methods, such as the HAZOP method, the fault and error tree, and others.
There are also documents that establish probabilistic and laboratory methods for determining the levels of different contaminants, such as lead in the air in the work area.
In light of what has been stated so far , a general method is the most suitable for carrying out an initial risk assessment, because it allows taking into account the risks inherent to the task performed by the worker and obtaining, if deemed appropriate, a First assessment for risks that are caused by factors for which there are specific assessment procedures.
The following procedure is based on the use of four instruments (models):
-Model "Risk Identification Questionnaire"
-Model "General Risk Identification"
-Model "Risk Assessment"
-Model "'Preventive Activities Plan"
The “Risk Identification Questionnaire” is recommended to use to begin the evaluation process and its objectives are to facilitate the identification of existing risks, as well as to achieve the participation of workers, thus knowing their subjective perception regarding to those aspects that they consider most harmful to their health.
The “General Risk Identification” complements the previous one and has the purpose of relating all the areas, facilities and jobs of the entity with the possibility of risks of accidents and professional illnesses. Aspects that may affect workers who are subject to special protection are included (physically, psychically or sensory disabled, motherhood or breastfeeding, children under 18 years of age and, in general, workers especially sensitive to any risk due to their personal characteristics or known biological state).
The "Risk Assessment" model allows evaluating all areas, facilities, or workplaces where a risk has been identified. In the established cases or at the evaluator's discretion, the qualitative assessment of the identified risks can be carried out, depending on the probability and consequences of their materialization, proposing corrective measures to eliminate and / or minimize the risk.
The "Plan of Preventive Activities" consists of translating into a model the planned actions, those responsible and dates, in which the deficiencies detected during the evaluation process must be eliminated or minimized. This document must be prepared annually and updated every time the Risk Assessment is modified.
The evaluation procedure consists of the following phases:
- Identification by areas, facilities or jobs. Assessment of the identified risks. Proposal of preventive measures aimed at eliminating or minimizing the identified risks.
The scope of the procedure should not be applied in a similar way in all work centers, given their differences in risk potential, size, economic importance and number of workers. It is beneficial, in order to achieve rationality and greater efficiency at work, to previously self-classify the workplace in which the risk assessment is to be carried out.
The authors, for this purpose, suggest that technical personnel could use the following classification of work centers.
| VARIABLES | CENTERS Group "A" | CENTERS Group "B" |
| # OF WORKERS | > FROM 50 | <FROM 50 |
| ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE | NATIONAL OR TERRITORIAL | LOCAL |
| RISK LEVEL | TALL | LOW |
| ACCIDENTALITY | FREQUENT | OCCASIONAL |
| DISEASES | HIGH ABSENTEEISM FOR DISEASE AND EXISTENCE OF PROFESSIONAL DISEASES | LOW ABSENCE FROM DISEASE, NO PROFESSIONAL DISEASES |
When classifying a center, one must be flexible, considering the behavior of these variables and the objective conditions of each work center. This means, for example, that in certain cases a center with 40 workers could be classified as "A", if it had high risks ".
In accordance with the classification assigned to the workplace, the evaluation procedure and the registration models that are attached as annexes 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be applied as follows:
| MODELS | CENTERS A | CENTERS B |
| RISK IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE | X | X |
| GENERAL IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS | X | X |
| RISKS EVALUATION | X | X * |
| SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRES (CHECKLISTS) | X | |
| PREVENTIVE ACTIVITY PLAN | X | X |
Notes: * The model will be applied but it is not necessary to use the part corresponding to risk assessment.
The specific questionnaires will be used at the discretion of the specialists who carry out the evaluation. Its application will be in correspondence with the identified risks and depending on the need or desire to deepen the information to be obtained, due to the characteristics of the tasks that are carried out.
2.2.1 Model Risk Identification Questionnaire.
- The identification of risks will be carried out in all the areas, facilities and jobs of the company. The concept of job group groups all workers who perform similar functions and are subject to the same risks. Filling the model.
The model will be filled out anonymously by the permanent workers of the places that are evaluated as follows:
- Identification data.
- Name of the company Name of the workplace or establishment Name of the area, facility or job.
- Evaluation data.
- Date of realization.
- Identified risk.
- An (X) will be written in the row corresponding to each of the risks that the worker identifies as existing and that may affect his health, in accordance with the present working conditions. In each of the cases, it will assign, subjectively, the risk level to which it considers to be subject in the range between 0 and 3, being assigned the value of zero if it is not present and it will increase to three depending on the degree of importance or severity that The worker estimates. When they consider that there are risks that are not stated in the list, they will be added in each of the rows after 26. In these cases, it is essential to name the risk in question.
2.2.2. General Risk Identification Model.
The general identification of risks will be carried out in all the areas, facilities and jobs of the company. The concept of job groups all workers who perform similar functions and are subject to the same risks.
- Filling the model
With the information obtained from the Risk Identification Questionnaire model, visits to workplaces and interviews with managers and workers, this model is completed as follows:
- Identification data.
- Name of the Company Name of the establishment or workplace.
- Evaluation data.
- Completion date Number of exposed and sensitive workers Carried out by: name of the person who carried out the evaluation.
- Area, facility or job.
The areas, facilities or work positions will be related, regardless of whether or not they have identified risks. If there is a code in the company to identify the places, if deemed necessary, it is added.
In each row, only one area, facility or evaluated job will be included and in each of the numbered columns, corresponding to the different risks, all types of identified risks that are expected to occur will be noted with a cross (X).
When there are risks that simultaneously affect different jobs, they will be considered as "general risks", recording them in the "jobs" column after the last job evaluated, indicating whether the exact location of the same is appropriate.
For example, in the case of a fire risk existing in the entire workplace, "General Risks: the entire center" will be indicated, subsequently identifying the corresponding risk or risks in accordance with the aforementioned.
2.2.3. Risk Assessment Model.
This model will be applied in all areas, facilities or jobs and will be the result of the analysis of the information obtained from the workers during the risk identification procedure and in the visits and interviews carried out at the evaluated workplaces.
The model may include risk assessment, which will be carried out in the case that the center is type "A" or when the specialist considers it necessary. Each risk is assessed separately (qualitatively), assigning each one a rating that is obtained from the result of the combination of probability and consequence, according to the methodology described below.
When we are evaluating a “B” Center, we can use the model without completing the part corresponding to the Risk Assessment.
- Filling the model.
- Identification data.
- Name of the company Name of the establishment Name of the area, facility or job.
- Evaluation data.
- Number of exposed workers and those with special sensitivities in the evaluated place. Carried out by, the name of the person who carried out the evaluation will be noted.
- Identified risks.
All the risks that have been verified in the identification will be identified, including those that may affect workers with special sensitivities. In significant cases, a brief explanation of the causes of the risk can be made.
- SD, MA, ME (special sensitivities)
The presence of workers with special sensitivities for a specific risk will be identified with a cross (X).
- Women in pregnancy or lactation (MA). Under 18 years of age (ME). Physically, psychically or sensory disabled and other workers especially sensitive due to their personal characteristics or their known biological state (SD).
- Risk assessment.
Qualitative Procedure
- Probability
The possibility that the risk factors will materialize in the damage normally expected from an accident will be estimated, according to the following scale:
| PROBABILITY | HURT |
| HIGH | IT WILL ALWAYS OCCUR |
| HALF | IT WILL OCCUR ON SOME OCCASIONS |
| LOW | IT WILL HAPPEN RARE TIMES |
When establishing the probability of damage, the following will be considered:
- If there is exposure to risks The frequency of exposure to risk If the control measures already in place are adequate (guards, PPE, etc.) If the legal requirements and recommendations of good practices are met Protection provided by the PPE and time of use of the same. If the habits of the workers are correct. If there are workers especially sensitive to certain risks. Failures in the supplies or in the components of the equipment, as well as in the protective devices. people (unintentional errors or violations of established procedures).
The materialization of a risk can generate different consequences, each with its corresponding probability. In other words, the normally expected consequences of a given risk are those that are more likely to occur, although it is conceivable that extreme damage would occur with a lower probability.
This methodology, when referring to the consequences of the identified risks, tries to assess those normally expected in the event of their materialization, according to the following levels:
| CONSEQUENCES | DAMAGE |
| LOW | Injuries without loss of the workday (examples: minor cuts and bruises, eye irritation, headache, etc.). |
| HALF | Injuries with loss of the working day without sequelae or life-threatening pathologies (examples: wounds, burns, concussions, major sprains, minor fractures, deafness, dermatitis, asthma, musculoskeletal disorders, diseases that lead to minor disability). |
| HIGH | Injuries that cause disabling sequelae or pathologies that can shorten life. (examples: amputations, major fractures, poisonings, multiple injuries, fatal injuries, cancer and other chronic diseases). |
- Risk Assessment.
It is the product of the consequence by the probability and represents the magnitude of the damage that a set of risk factors will produce per unit of risk. It is obtained from the following table:
| ESTIMATING THE RISK VALUE | CONSEQUENCES | |||
| LOW | HALF | HIGH | ||
|
PROBABILITY |
LOW | TRIVIAL | TOLERABLE | MODERATE |
| HALF | TOLERABLE | MODERATE | IMPORTANT | |
| HIGH | MODERATE | IMPORTANT | SEVERE |
OBSERVATION: In all work centers that classify as “B” or when the risk assessment requires a specific assessment, such as environmental measurements, it is not necessary to complete the assessment. In cases where a measurement is necessary, the corresponding measure will be to indicate the measurement.
- Preventive measures.
The risks identified and their evaluation, when required, form the basis for deciding whether to improve existing controls or implement new ones, as well as planning in time or updating actions.
The following table shows the criteria followed as a starting point for decision-making in the case of qualitative assessment. The actions to be carried out to control the risks and the urgency with which such measures must be adopted must be proportional to the level of risk and the number of workers affected in each case.
Qualitative Procedure
| Risk level | Action and Planning in time |
| Trivial | It is not required a specific action. |
| Tolerable | No need to improve preventive action. However, more cost-effective solutions or improvements that do not impose a significant economic burden should be considered.
Periodic checks are required to ensure that the effectiveness of control measures is maintained. |
| Moderate | Efforts must be made to reduce risk by determining the precise investments. Measures to reduce risk must be implemented within a certain period.
When moderate risk is associated with high consequences, further action will be required to more accurately establish the likelihood of harm as the basis for determining the need for control measures. |
| Important | Work should not begin until the risk has been reduced. Considerable resources may be required to control risk. When the risk corresponds to a job that is being carried out, the necessary measures must be taken to settle the operations in a short time and proceed to control the risk. |
| Severe | You should not start or continue work until the risk is reduced. If risk cannot be reduced, even with unlimited resources, work should be prohibited. |
- Proposed preventive measures
In this section the preventive measures associated with the risks valued at the top of the model will be indicated. Measures will always be proposed for risks assessed as moderate or significant, while, for tolerable or trivial risks, control measures may be proposed in significant cases.
The preventive measures established will form the basis for the preparation of the Prevention Plan, a stage after the risk assessment.
When the evaluation result reveals the existence of a risk classified as severe (consequence of a high probability and a high consequence), as indicated in the corresponding table, measures will be immediately taken to reduce the risk without wait for the planning process. Subsequently, control measures will be established to ratify the appropriateness of the measures adopted or to replace them with more convenient ones.
The priority of the actions to be carried out must be related to the order of magnitude of the risks, that is:
Significant risk: Priority I
Moderate risk: Priority II
Tolerable risk: Priority III
Trivial Risk: Priority IV
It will be indicated, when known, the estimated date on which the measure can be executed or that established as the limit for the execution of the preventive measure by the Inspection authorities.
Indicate the name of the person designated by the management for the implementation of the preventive measure or compliance with the Prevention Plan.
- Preventive Activities Plan Model
The purpose of this model is to reflect in a determined period of time all the actions aimed at complying with the company's Health and Safety policy and to facilitate the control of the strategy developed for the continuous improvement of working conditions, based on the principle of «Integrated Security», being a graphical form of expression of OSH Management in the entity, although it has other components, as reflected in Module No. 3.
The same must be prepared annually and may be subject to modifications, depending on the results of the evaluations that may be carried out, either by the company itself or by the state inspection bodies.
- Filling the model.
Identification data
- Name of the Work Center Name of the department Date it was made Made by: The name of the person and the signature of the person who made it will be noted Approved by: the name and signature of the Director will be noted
Content data
- N 0: The consecutive order of the planned action will be noted.Proposed preventive activities: The planned actions or tasks are detailed in the different activities that the Plan must consider to comply with the strategy decided to materialize the management and organization model of prevention in all the company's activities; eliminate or minimize the identified risks and guarantee the "continuous improvement of working conditions".
It is possible that a Plan does not have to include actions in all the activities described in the model, since in the period it did not plan improvements in a certain aspect. The aspects collected in preventive activities can be modified by the entities.
- The actions described in this model do not have to coincide with the measures described in the evaluation model, since at this stage of the process the economic feasibility analysis is included and it is possible that there will not be the financing to act on some of the identified risks Responsible: Manager responsible for its execution, which may be from any of the different areas of the company, depending on the type of action and does not have to be responsible for the Date: The one agreed by the Company's Management to comply with it to the planned objective Note: Any element is included that is necessary for a better understanding of the planned task
2.3. More complex evaluations.
In those cases of work centers classified as "A" or that at the discretion of the specialist there are risks that justify it, the questionnaires will be applied specific by type of risk, as well as measurements of environmental factors or others that affect the worker health and safety.
APPENDIX 1
Model RISK IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Risks evaluation.
Company___________________ Establishment or workplace _________________
Work Area, Facility or P. _________________ Date __________
| N or | IDENTIFIED RISK | 0 | one | two | 3 | |
| one | Fall of person to different level | |||||
| two | Person fall to the same level. | |||||
| 3 | Falling objects due to collapse or collapse. | |||||
| 4 | Fall of objects in handling. | |||||
| 5 | Falling of detached objects. | |||||
| 6 | Footsteps on objects. | |||||
| 7 | Crash against stationary objects. | |||||
| 8 | Knocks or contacts with moving objects. | |||||
| 9 | Knocks or cuts by objects or tools. | |||||
| 10 | Projection of fragments or particles. | |||||
| eleven | Entrapment by or between objects | |||||
| 12 | Trapping by overturning of machines or vehicles. | |||||
| 13 | Physical or mental overstrain. | |||||
| 14 | Thermal stress. | |||||
| fifteen | Thermal contacts | |||||
| 16 | Electrical contacts. | |||||
| 17 | Inhalation or ingestion of harmful substances. | |||||
| 18 | Contact with harmful substances. | |||||
| 19 | Exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. | |||||
| twenty | Explosions | |||||
| twenty-one | Fires. | |||||
| 22 | Manipulation and contact with living organisms. | |||||
| 2. 3 | Running over, hitting or colliding with or with vehicles | |||||
| 24 | Exposure to physical agents. | |||||
| 25 | Exposure to biological agents. | |||||
| 26 | Others (Enunciate). | |||||
| 27 | " | |||||
| 28 | " |
Instructions for filling:
We recommend using this model at the beginning of the Risk Assessment process and its objective is to facilitate the identification of the existing risks in each area, facility or job position, as well as to know the subjective feeling of the workers regarding the risks they consider most important. important or that may affect you the most.
It will be given to the heads of the areas and to a group of workers, it will be anonymous and the respondent will write a cross in the cell corresponding to each risk, according to the following personal criteria:
0 There is no risk 1. Small Risk 2. Medium Risk 3. High Risk
|
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ANNEX 3
RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL
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Module No. 3. Management of Safety and Health at Work
3.1. Organization and development of prevention in the company.
3.2. Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
3.3. Procedure for the elaboration of a Prevention Program
3.4. Training as a key element in prevention.
3.1. Organization and development of prevention in the company.
Once the integration of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) into the management of the company or entity has been conceptualized and the procedures for evaluating and controlling the risks to which workers are exposed are exposed, it is now a matter of justifying and proposing the “¿ how to do safety and health management? ”.
Understanding how it is the managerial process through which an organization, within its general actions, defines a policy; long, medium and short term objectives; work procedures and regulations, the search for values, such as, health, productivity, quality and well-being of workers, within a systemic concept. The basis of this process is prevention and its expression is the prevention program.
The organization and development of preventive work in the company will be defined in the entity's general policy. In practice, action plans are established on the basis of general medium and long-term strategies, which are reflected in particular short-term actions and concrete daily operations.
It is known that the production and service processes and other own and external operating factors in companies and entities vary daily, as we have already pointed out, which forces constant vigilance and feedback, and a modification of procedures and resources, which it presupposes agile perception and the adoption of new decisions to guarantee that the work is always carried out safely, thereby contributing to the development of a culture of integration. (See Figure 10).
Fig. 10. The organization and development of prevention
As there is an organization, planning and a program of actions in the company and if the guiding principles are applied to safety and health, the following stages should be identified for OSH Management:
- Risk analysis. Analysis of the diagnosis of the current or starting situation (Identification of risk factors and risk assessment). Definition of policies and objectives. General objectives of the security levels to be achieved, security policy commitments, strategies for their development (business plans, responsibilities, functions, structure, documentary support, etc.). Planning of actions. Long-term projection (based on the objectives set), medium-term (annual) and short-term plans and programs (correction measures, specific solutions to deficiencies, compliance with legal and regulatory provisions). Allocation of resources and means.Execution of budgets and planned actions. Supervision and control. Supervision and control actions of the actions and objectives set. Adjustments or modifications of planning and actions. Only if the planned corrective actions do not give positive results.
There are many models for the application of a health and safety management system, which must be adapted to the particular characteristics of companies, and therefore cannot be extrapolated literally.
The basic elements to consider in the system could be grouped, from the functional and process point of view, as follows:
- Pronouncements. Where included, policy, objectives, responsibilities and functions. Resources. Considering the organic (structures), methodological, human, technical, material and economic. Performances. Covering regulations and standards, material technical measures, supervision and control, training and information, action plans in the event of accidents and emergencies, investigation, analysis and recording of accidents and claims.
For the implementation of the system, a directive intervention is required that will guarantee its effectiveness and efficiency, for which a group of management strategies must be established, inserted in the general strategic planning of the entity, See Figure 11), for example:
- Guidelines that summarize all the work in the company universe. For example: improvements in the indicators of accidents, safety and health of workers, compliance with regulations, etc. Specific tactical actions. For example: to improve safety indicators : training programs, job analysis, etc. Timelines for execution. Supervision, control and measurement mechanisms for compliance.
Fig. 11. Management strategies as a way to put strategic projection into practice
The formulation of the strategic management is implemented and transferred to the operational management.
In daily practice, we must take into account a group of principles, which guide us on how to really implement an OSH management system with a truly preventive nature.
First. OSH issues should be integrated into productive or service activities so that they cannot be separated from them.
"OSH aspects are integrated step-by-step in all work procedures."
Second. The leadership (management) of the SST corresponds as the main responsible to the highest management of the entity, and the rest of its managers. The specialized areas are auxiliary to management.
Third. Execution, recognition, evaluation and control are functions of the command line, where specialized security areas play a supporting and advisory role.
Fourth. The specialized security areas (technicians, specialists, groups, departments, etc.) perform an advisory function, providing advice to the management of the company and its various services, under the direct orders of the management.
Fifth. Each member of the hierarchical line has the obligation to carry out prevention activities within the zone or area for which he is responsible.
Sixth. All prevention activities must be coordinated within a coherent program that allows effective monitoring and continuous adaptation.
Seventh. The participation of workers in the elaboration, execution and control is essential, both in the identification and evaluation of risks and in prevention programs.
«If what I learned from experience ……. it is not shared, it is as if it did not exist »
Eighth. Training actions at all levels of the Organization have the greatest weight in the success of the application of integrated security.
The organization and development of preventive action requires a series of organs and channels between the different parts of the entity and, fundamentally, between Management, workers and the specialized area, if it exists. These organs can be grouped into:
- Management bodies and general commands of the Organization, Union Bureau or Section, PHT Committees, Social Inspectors, etc. Work Groups, Production and Defense Brigades, Fire Brigades, Medical Services, Consultations and support. Specialized areas.
An effective operation of these bodies requires the integrated participation of all of them, with the impulse of the management and the advisory role and technical support of the specialized areas.
Exchange meetings are also important, such as meetings, seminars, workshops and the proper development of information and communication of procedures, work results and the development of messages of any kind, such as newsletters, opinion boxes, information campaigns, service assemblies, morning meetings, etc., which facilitate vertical and horizontal transmission throughout the entire Organization.
3.2. Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
The effective application of any system that intends to integrate safety and health starts from a direct participation of the Organization's management, so it must be one of the fundamental objectives of any management. This makes us think that in any Organization, management must clearly express the spirit of working towards achieving ever higher levels of quality of life for workers.
This expression of intention by the management must be based on a publicly expressed declaration, formally documented in writing and included in the Collective Labor Agreements. In it, the intentions and principles of action by the Organization on its actions in the matter will be collected, highlighting its fundamental objectives, including compliance with legal and regulatory provisions.
The policy must express specific objectives and must be consistent with all the Organization's policies, such as business, human resources, quality, and environment policies, among others.
OSH policy expresses a commitment, a goal to achieve
The security policy must guarantee that:
- It comprises all its activities, products and services. It is known, understood, developed and kept up to date by all levels of the company. It is aimed at preventing risks and their causal factors. It integrates with the other company policies to form a single business policy. Includes a commitment to continuous improvement. It is updated as required.
Its implementation involves a series of important steps, namely:
- Declaration of Principles. In it, the principles of complying with the commitments contracted and their transmission to each and every one of the components of the Organization are clearly stated. Management Commitments. The management must take the initiative in the actions aimed at the effective development of the outlined Policy, as a greater expression of the contracted commitment. Management participation. The maximum responsibility in the fulfillment of the commitments corresponds to the direction for which it must have an active participation in all the actions and programs prepared and planned. Promulgation and dissemination of the Policy. The formulation corresponds to the management, being responsible for it with its dissemination both to all company personnel and abroad.
"A Health and Safety Policy, if it really is, must be aimed at the search for well-being and the continuous improvement of the quality of life of workers."
3.3. Procedure for the elaboration of a Prevention Program
As it has already been pointed out, Security Management is a process through which an organization, within its management, formulates a policy, short, medium and long term objectives; procedures and regulations, to place the entity at a qualitatively higher level, organizing an action program and executing actions aimed at obtaining increasingly higher levels of health, productivity, quality and well-being of workers.
The integration of Security prevents isolated actions from being carried out and enables responsibilities to rest on the entity's own organization.
The level of integration is achieved, then when the organization itself, with its normal structures, is able to carry out, as an iterative process, the activity of Safety and Health at Work.
The practical way to materialize the OSH Management is achieved by integrating and uniting this activity with the General Management of the entity and developing a comprehensive Prevention Program of all its components, most of them previously stated in Modules 1 and 2 of this book.
Security Management also requires establishing a set of minimum requirements, with the aim of validating that our business organizations are acting in accordance with the principles and projections defined in the legal and regulatory provisions.
The following diagram is an illustrative guide on how to achieve the aforementioned:
STRUCTURE OF THE PREVENTION PROGRAM
As the program aims to establish the policy and principles of preventive action, from the point of view of integrating health and safety into the business management system, and to specify the preventive objectives in the long and medium and short term, contained in the strategic projection, it has the characteristic of an indefinite program in its application time. However, it will be subject to the variations and revisions that for any circumstance are deemed necessary, such as accidents, professional illnesses, major incidents and breakdowns, changes in technology or other deficiencies detected by the supervision and control mechanisms established in the entity and will be reflected in annual plans, being able to use, as a graphed expression,the Model of Preventive Activities Plan that appears in Annex 4 of Module No. 2.
For the execution of the prevention program, all the material resources, services and facilities of the company will be available.
The prevention program requires a supervision and control mechanism, and two fundamental objectives, the first, to assess the effectiveness of the measures implemented and compliance with the objectives and defined projection; the second, control of compliance with the annual action plan.
The assessment of the fulfillment of the objectives and the projection, as well as the effectiveness of the measures implemented, must be based on specific indicators. These indicators can be grouped as follows: Structure Indicators (indicate the level of organization reached), Process Indicators (indicate the level of execution of plans and measures) and Results Indicators (measure the levels of safety and health achieved).
An example of a system of indicators divided in this way could be:
Structure Indicators:
- Number of procedures that have integrated security. Number of areas or sections that have integrated security. Number of professionals and workers with integrated security functions.
Process Indicators:
- Compliance with the annual action plan. Number of jobs, areas or processes, with the risks evaluated. Number and frequency of medical examinations of workers.
Results Indicators:
Negatives:
- Number of accidents. Accident indicators. Productive and material losses caused by accidents. Absenteeism due to accidents and illnesses.
Positives:
- Improvements in the quality and productivity indexes. Time periods without accidents, with lost hours or without lost hours (days, weeks). Production time period without breakdowns or incidents (days, weeks).
Control of compliance with the plan could be carried out using the Preventive Activities Plan Model, in Annex 4, Module No. 2.
3.4. Training as a key element in prevention.
In Module No. 1 we expressed, “The safety and health of workers should not be a“ removable accessory ”of work, it cannot be optional, neither in a conceptual nor in an operational way. A safe procedure is one that defines what must be done correctly, while making the rest of the options impossible or difficult ”, this is only achieved in a permanent educational process, until the ways of doing things become habits and integrate into the culture of daily chores. Training in Health and Safety plays, then, a determining role.
The fundamental objective of the training is to equip the Organization with a workforce with the knowledge and attitudes necessary for its safe and efficient performance, maintain its qualification and develop it.
Professional training is a permanent and planned process, conceived as an investment for development that is carried out in organizations with the aim that workers acquire and perfect their job skills.
«Education is expensive, but Ignorance is more expensive»
The training of workers is of vital importance for the implementation of an integrated security system, allowing their direct participation in this process.
Organizational and human factors will provide a more adequate response the better the education and training of the people involved in the design, processes, management and operation of the systems.
With awareness of the presence of risks, knowledge of their danger and the need for protection, the belief in the need for Health and Safety begins. This awareness must emanate from the highest hierarchical level of the company and must be reflected in the management commitment endorsed in the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy.
The training and education programs must be correctly structured and must comprise the following phases:
- Identification of training needs. What is the problem? What is the activity to do? What is the safe way to do it? Establish training objectives. What is necessary to know and / or practice? Define the methods to achieve the objectives. Conferences, working groups, courses, discussions, projection of educational videos, etc. Identify the available means. Carry out the training program. Develop and run the planned program. Evaluate the program. Have the objectives been achieved? How can the program be improved?
"The training provides knowledge about the risks, gives confidence and induces the precautions to be taken by those who receive them, making them a participant in integrated safety, in addition to motivating the development of work in an environment of mutual trust."
Fundamental Principles of Training
The training of workers will be based, fundamentally, on the following principles:
- It is a continuous and permanent, flexible and dynamic process that covers all categories of workers (leaders, technical workers, workers and service workers, etc.). It is assumed as an investment that brings benefits to the extent that it is possible to stimulate the creativity and direct it towards the objectives of the company. It is not an expense. It covers the necessary actions to provide workers with the knowledge and skills that are needed immediately, as well as foresees the changes that can be carried out in the organization. Part of a determination of training needs, to guarantee the integration of the worker into the company, its adaptation to the job, the updating of its knowledge and its continuous development.
Training in Safety and Health
Training in Health and Safety is, as we have previously stated, of vital importance for prevention. This should be a continuous process that encompasses all occupational categories and allows equipping workers with knowledge and skills, in the search for values, norms, attitudes and behaviors, for the safe performance of the functions inherent to the position or position in the one that perform.
The content of the training on the subject will be directed to the specific problem of preventing occupational risks in the workplace, and in particular, how work should be carried out.
The planning and execution of prevention programs and the integration of safety and health into the entire work process depend on training in this area for managers and middle managers. It will be aimed, firstly, at raising awareness of the need to integrate security into company management, and secondly, at knowledge of its responsibilities and functions, as well as general knowledge of the risks to which face in the areas that are under his command.
In general, the training in Health and Safety will cover the following subjects:
- Policy and organization of prevention in the company. Existing regulations and legal provisions. Hazardous products and materials in the process. Process risks. Prevention and response to fire. Prevention and response to escapes or leaks of dangerous gases and vapors. Emergency plans, specific functions. Information and communication of risks, accidents and incidents. Knowledge and use of personal protective equipment. Work procedures. First aid.
“Training is a key factor in prevention. You can't talk about integrating security if you don't have a properly trained workforce. ”
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15 Method used: MUPRESPA Fraternity and INSHT “modified”, Spain.
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