The article entitled “A Management System for Occupational Safety and Health in the Escambray Dairy Products Company” has been developed based on an application in the production process of Blue Cheese of Cuba, of said company. The purpose of the work is to describe the procedure to design an Occupational Health and Safety Management System in the Company.

Introduction:

Within a production or service process, Occupational Safety and Health ensures the quality of life of men, as a fundamental link in strategic analyzes. Their activity and conscious participation would achieve the effectiveness and efficiency of the processes. Accidents and occupational diseases impose high costs on workers, family members, companies and society as a whole.

Development:

This paper proposes the design of a procedure for the improvement of the Occupational Health and Safety Management process in the Escambray Dairy Products Company.

The most general idea of this procedure, which is shown in figure 2, constitutes its common thread.

Next, the stages of the procedure are developed.

The proposed procedure corresponds to the continuous process improvement cycle stated by Edwuard Deming (figure 1). In the specific case of health and safety management, this cycle includes a set of particular activities.

Fig. 1: Cycle of continuous improvement of processes.

Source: self made. Preparation phase (PLAN).

The following tasks are included in the preparation:

• Form the work team.

• Train the team.

• Identify business processes.

• Define the organizational structure on which the management system will rest.

Figure 2: Procedure for the Management of Occupational Safety and Health.

• Define the documentary structure of the management system.

• Define and prepare the tools to use.

Initial review.

When there is no formal Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SGSSO) in the organization, it is convenient to establish its current position regarding occupational health and safety through an initial review. Aimed at all aspects of the organization, it identifies internal events (strengths and weaknesses), as the basis for the introduction of an SGSSO

The initial review should be applied at the different levels of the company, that is, at the business level, at the process and operations level. At the company level, the behavior of the following aspects is verified, among others:

• Compliance with policies.

• Alignment with existing legislation.

• Leadership and participation capacity.

• Level of training and culture of workers.

As part of the diagnosis at the company level, the self-assessment survey of working conditions proposed by the Spanish Institute of Safety and Health (2000) is applied. And the modal failure analysis technique (AMFE) is developed.

The sample taken for the application of the instrument was 34 workers for a total of 52 workers calculated this sample by the following formula:

Where:

• N = Population size.

• P = Sample proportion or its estimate. P = 0.5 guarantees the maximum value of n in the previous expression.

• E = Allowable absolute error.

• z = number of z for a desired significance level (# of standard deviations).

The fundamental problems that are summarized in the questionnaire result are the following:

• Contact with toxic substances.

• Noise above allowable levels.

• Wet floor.

• Poor ergonomic design of equipment and tools.

• Absence of the rest area.

• Work accidents.

• Steam escapes.

• Insufficient lighting.

As a result of the initial review the following can be concluded:

• The governing documents of the activity exist and are considered as a legal framework in the actions that the company undertakes.

• The communication of the actions and intentions of the management are not generalized to the great mass of employees.

• Personnel training programs do not always include training actions on health and safety.

• The employment or personnel selection function requires in-depth compliance with aspects related to SSO.

• In general, deep-rooted cultural values are not observed in relation to SSO.

• To the previous aspects are added the dangers that were obtained from the application of the AMFE of the Blue Cheese process of Cuba (Annex # 1).

Policy of the Occupational Health and Safety Management system.

The company's SGSSO policy is the starting and crucial point for the implementation of the system. This aspect is shared by the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards.

The policy must follow the basic standards of quality systems:

• Be initiated, developed and actively supported by the highest level of management.

• Be appropriate to the nature and scale of the organization's SSO risks.

• Include a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Be in accordance with other policies of the organization, particularly with the environmental management policy.

• Commit the organization to comply with all preventive and legal requirements.

• Define how to meet, exceed or develop health and safety requirements, ensuring continuous improvement in their performance.

• Be documented, implemented and maintained.

• Be critically analyzed, periodically, to ensure that it remains relevant and appropriate to the organization.

• Be available to interested parties, in a format that is easy to understand, for example, through the organization's annual report, report or exhibition.

The SGSSO policy must be designed according to the impacts of the working environment and the level of safety required, based on an analysis for which the model in Figure 3 can be used:

Figure 3. Model for the analysis of an SGSSO policy. (Tor, Damaso, 2004)

Policy definition.

After reviewing the current conditions of the company in relation to SSO, the following policy statement is proposed to be taken as a guide to subsequent objectives and action plans. This policy statement must be reviewed and reformulated when the conditions that generated it are modified:

The management and all employees of the Cienfuegos Dairy Products Company have a commitment to:

• Ensure the highest possible level of occupational health and safety and that this purpose is one of the essential aspects of the current business improvement process being carried out.

• This level referred to in the previous aspect must fully correspond to the requirements of current legislation in the country and the branch's own regulations.

• The adoption and dissemination of OHS objectives and action programs among all managers and employees and the results of their fulfillment.

• Consistency with other human resources policies that guarantee well-being.

• The participation of all workers in the continuous improvement of the system.

• The periodic updating of this policy and the objectives and programs derived from it.

• Carry out a systematic control of occupational risks to achieve their evaluation and identification and thus have records that allow us to do good management in the company.

• Create in workers a broad culture of safety and health through the inclusion of OHS training activities in the company's training programs.

• Achieve full security in the work areas in relation to the equipment and work tools based on their frequent maintenance, inspection and correct exploitation, and provision of the necessary resources for it.

Occupational risk prevention program.

The prevention program proposed for the EPLE includes the following areas of action:

1. Occupational medicine:

2. Hygiene:

3. Ergonomics:

4. Safety at work:

Design of the action plan.

1. Occupational medicine:

Management indicators

• Percentage of jobs exposed to abnormal working conditions of the company's total number of jobs.

• Men days stopped from work due to work accidents or professional illnesses.

• Number of accidents and occupational diseases investigated in the year.

• Degree of non-compliance with current legislation on workplace accidents.

• Semiannual and annual preparation of a statistical report on workplace accidents, showing:

to. Incidence rate, lost days and average duration of work accidents with sick leave.

b. Key factors: form of contact, deviation, injury and part of the body injured from work accidents and occupational diseases.

c. Accidentality depending on the categories, employment relationship (fixed or contracted, age, sex, day of the week, month, etc.).

2. Hygiene:

Management indicators

• Response time for evaluations in case of emergencies due to chemical accidents.

• Number of evaluations requested or planned, carried out.

• Semiannual and annual report on the activity carried out to the company management.

3. Ergonomics:

Management indicators

• Demanded evaluations and response time.

• Semiannual and annual report to the company's management on the activities carried out.

4. Safety at work:

Management indicators

• Response time for evaluations (demanded and planned).

• Number of demanded or planned evaluations carried out.

• Semiannual and annual report on the activities carried out, to the Company's Management.

To complete the action program and begin its implementation, responsibilities and other attributes are assigned, as follows:

Action	Responsable	Periodicity	Place
Specific preventive medical examinations.	Company doctor.	At least on admission and once a year.	Medical post
Investigate the incorporation of new risks in the processes.	Company health and safety specialist and area managers.	When technological, organizational, environmental or other conditions change.	Processes under investigation.
Promptly notify the competent managers of potential or actual damage to health.	Head of area.	When damage is detected	Heads of areas
Proposal for preventive labor measures that are integrated into programs for the prevention and improvement of working conditions.	Head of area	Biannual	Work areas.
Identification and analysis of risks that may affect especially sensitive workers (personal characteristics, physical, mental or sensorial disability and especially pregnant women).	Health and safety specialist	Biannual	Work area
Intensify contacts with the patient and health institutions in order to facilitate the shortening of periods of disability.	Company doctor.	Biweekly	Man care specialist.
Identify and intervene on the factors that determine the duration of the period of temporary disability.	Company doctor.	When applicable	Area where the factor is identified.
Carry out health surveillance of all people who have suffered temporary disability within 10 days of returning to work.	Head of area, company doctor	Daily (in the first 10 days)	Work area.
Registration in a database of all jobs exposed to adverse weather conditions (due to noise, vibrations, low or high temperatures, dust, toxic gases, humidity, poor lighting, strong odors).	Safety and Health Specialist.	Biannual	In the area.
Registration in a database of all occupational accidents occurred and preliminary investigation of key factors.	Safety and Health Specialist.	Every time the accident occurs.	Personal Resources Area.
Investigation of those accidents that are relevant.	Safety and Health Specialist.	Every time the accident occurs.	Accident area.
Immediate notification of all work accidents by workers and administrative units.	Area managers, workers.	Immediate to the occurrence.	Personal Resources Area.
Medically review the injured workers, within 10 days of returning to work, to assess their proper integration.	Company doctor	Diary	Work area
Systematic evaluation of job positions and implementation of improvement proposals in all cases that could cause accidents at work and professional illnesses.	Head of area, and human resources specialists.	When technological, organizational, and other changes occur.	Work area.
Identification and study-surveillance of those positions occupied by workers especially sensitive to chemical agents: pregnant women, women of childbearing age, disabled, in coordination with the SSO specialist.	Company doctor, area manager	Monthly	Work area.
Establishment of lines of investigation in these specific cases.	Safety and Health Specialist	Where applicable.	Work area
Implementation of management procedures for personal protective equipment in laboratories.	Laboratory managers.	Biannual	Laboratories
Collaboration in the Training Plan for prevention workers.	Training Specialist.	Annual	Designated area.
Document the technical requirements related to the prevention of occupational risks for the acquisition of equipment, furniture, tools and products. in close collaboration with investors and / or buyers.	Purchasing and investor specialist in collaboration with the health and safety department.	When investments are made.	Investment areas.
Solving specific ergonomic problems that are detected or demanded.	Head of area	Righ now	Detection place
Study of positions and proposal of measures in relation to manual handling of loads.	Human Resources Specialist.	When sued.	Work areas.
Preparation of a "Guide to risks and ergonomic prevention measures for the Escambray Dairy Products Company".	Safety and Health Specialist.	It is updated annually.	Personal Resources Area.
Design of signs that support the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, such as falls to the same and different levels and handling of loads, wet floors and others.	Health and Safety Specialist and investment department.	Permanent.	All the company.
Preparation of an Action Guide for disabled workers.	Safety and Health Specialist.	With permanent update when appropriate.	Personal Resources Area.
Risk assessment of work areas, (identification of the position, the existing risk / s and the workers affected, the result of the evaluation and the corresponding preventive measures, the reference of the evaluation criteria and procedures and the methods of measurement, analysis or test used).	Personal Resources Area	Permanent	Throughout the company
Based on the analysis of possible emergency situations and serious and imminent risk, planning and adopting the necessary measures in the fight against fires, chemical risks and evacuation.	Head of area	Diary	Work areas
Assessment of reasonably foreseeable emergency and serious and imminent risk situations.	Head of area	Monthly	Work areas
Preparation of Emergency Plans.	Company address	It is constantly reviewed	For the whole company.
Application of the principles of preventive action and the provisions regarding work teams	Boss of the area	When preventive action is created.	In the object of preventive action
Elaborate Preparation of the Training Plan.	The area manager determines needs. The Human Resources area makes the plan.	Annual	Rr hh area

Conclusions:

• A summary of the criteria of different authors regarding the subject of the process approach and continuous improvement is made, appreciating that all are based on a common methodology focused on obtaining the same results.

• A diagnosis is made of the current situation of Occupational Safety and Health in the company, thus facilitating knowledge and familiarization of the subject for later work. This diagnosis shows the lack of standardized procedures for the identification, assessment and prevention of occupational risks and the absence of specific training and communication programs in this area.

• The proposed procedure follows Deming's continuous improvement cycle, which means that once each cycle is closed, there must be sufficient information for management to

• The design of a safety and health management system in the production line applicable to the entire company is achieved.

The final idea of the design is to create a procedure capable of being inserted together with the environmental system, in the quality system of the company.

Bibliography:

• Bird, Frank E. Health and Safety Congress./ Frank E. Bird. -New Orleans:, 1985.

• Cortés Díaz, José M. Occupational hygiene and prevention techniques / José M. Cortés Díaz.-Madrid: MAPFRE, 2000.-760p.

• Cuba. Ministry of Labor and Social Security: Law 13 Protection and Hygiene of Work.-Havana., 1973.-14p.

• Martí Dalmaus, Francis. Management of Safety and Health at Work. Taken From: www.prevention-world.com., May 25, 2007.

• NC 74: 2000. Prevention of occupational hazards. General rules for the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety System. Valid Since 2000.__ 18p.

• NC 75: 2000. Prevention of occupational hazards. General rules for the evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Audit processes. Effective Since September 2000.__ 16p.