2 unit1 history1009

Class  2  dated  10  Sept.  2012  

Unit  1  History  

OSHE 123 – Introduction to OSH

Semester 1 (2012)

Course Objectives

Upon completion •  Discuss the historical development of OSH

locally and internationally •  Understand problems associated with the

job •  Be introduced to basic principles of

planning and management •  Know the resources which are available

Specific Objectives

Upon completion •  Describe roles and responsibilities of local

and international organizations •  Become familiar with problem in the

workplace •  Identify important principles of managerial

responsibilities •  Become acquainted with available

resources

Unit I Occupational Health and Safety

•  Historical Background – local and international

•  Role and functions of supporting agencies •  OSH unit – Ministry of Health •  Factory Inspectorate

– Ministry of Labour – Ministry of Energy –  Private Industry – Ministry of Agriculture

•  ILO conventions

Summary  of  video  

•  Inhumane  condi=ons  •  History  leading  up  to  workers  exercising  their  rights  to  a  safe  and  healthy  working  environment  

•  Work  related  –  explosions,  falls,  electrocu=on,  inhala=on  of  poisons  

•  19th  C.  –  produc=on  increased  worker  casualty  increased  

•  workers  had  few  rights,  no  legal  protec=on  for  unions,  workers  were  not  free  to  protest  

Summary  of  video  

•  Lewis  Hine  –  Photographer  -­‐  documented  early  twen=eth  century  exploita=on  of  child  labor  

•  The  Department  of  Labor  (DOL)  was  created  -­‐  March  4,  1913  

•  Pressure  for  change  only  became  effec7ve  a9er  a  major  tragedy  

•  The  Bureau  of  Mines  was  set  up  to  supervise  mine  safety    

•  Gradually  industry  began  to  regulate  itself  by  the  Voluntary  Safety  Movement  

Summary  of  video  

•  The  Na7onal  Safety  Council  founded  in  1913  set  voluntary  guidelines  for  safety  engineering  and  beSer  working  condi=ons.    

•  Companies  put  guards  around  machinery    

•  Set  up  first  aid  sta=ons  and  started  safety  classes      

•  Safety  educa=on  at  the  =me  stressed  that  accidents  were  the  workers  own  fault  

Summary  of  video  

•  Fire  in  a  Triangle  shirtwaste  Factory  because  the  exists  were  locked    –  resulted  in  the  death  of  many  workers  (146  people)    

•  This  tragedy  triggered  •  First  permanent  commission  to  inspect  factory  was  set  up  in  New  York  

Summary  of  video  

•  Industry  established  a  system  to  compensate  workers  for  accidents    – Workmen’s  Compensa=on  system  gave  employees  a  measure  of  financial  security  for  the  first  =me  but    it  took  away  their  right  to  sue  the  company  for  damages  

– The  amount  of  compensa=on  was  limited  and  workers  were  not  represented  on  the  boards  that  decided  claims  

Summary  of  video  

•  Growing  concern  for  workplace  safety  had  no=ceable  results  

•  Accident  and  death  rates  fell  •  First  Major  American  study  of  industrial  poisons  was  in  1910  when  Alice  Hamilton  inves=gated  the  effects  of  lead  poisoning  

•  There  were  further  government  studies  into  health  hazards  but  few  industries  applied  their  findings  and  workers  health  was  ignored  un=l  the  1960’s    

Summary  of  video  

•  Worker  with  Silicosis  -­‐  28  years  working  with  silica  dust  –  Worker  was  not  informed  of  his  medical  result  

•  Workers  were  ignorant  of  the  risks  they  were  exposed  to    

•  Desperate  for  jobs  employees  worked  with  no  protec=on  –  deaths  arising  from  silicosis    

Summary  of  video  

•  Use  of  respirators  as  protectors  as  only  protec=on  –  did  not  fit  properly,  leak  and  did  not  filter  out  enough  of  the  poisons  

•  Today  gov’t  strongly  favors  cleaning  the  air  of  factories  through  ven=la=on  and  other  devices  

 Summary  of  video  

•  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt  introduced  legisla=on  to  help  workers  during  the  depression  where  there  were  scarcity  of  jobs    –  get  jobs  for  the  unemployed,  social  security,  minimum  wage  and  40  hr  workweek    

•  Although  many  of  these  laws  did  not  directly  affect  H&S  they  raised  government  concern  about  working  condi=ons  

•  The  Na=onal  Labour  Rela=ons  Act  made  a  legal  right  to  unionize  

Summary  of  video  

•  In  the  1930’s  industrial  unions  organized  and  sought  to  represent  all  workers  in  an  industry  

•  E.g.  in  the  automobile  industry,  United  Auto  workers  won  the  right  to  collec=ve  bargaining  

•  Labour  was  emerging  as  a  powerful  force  that  would  be  beSer  prepared  to  deal  with  health  and  safety  issues    

Summary  of  video  

•  With  WAR  •  H&S  became  an  important  issue  primarily  because  preven=ng  accidents  meant  saving  work  days  for  the  war  effort  

•  Safety  supervision  was  stepped  up  and  the  need  to  keep  workers  healthy  led  to  some  advances  in  industrial  engineering  and  medicine    

Summary  of  video  

•  Public  Health  set  down  its  first  standards  •  secng  up  maximum  levels  for  dangerous  air  pollutants  at  work    

•  but  these  first  standards,  were  oden  far  too  lenient  to  clean  the  air  up  effec=vely  and  they  could  only  be  enforced  in  plants  with  federal  contracts.    

•  They  were  only  voluntary  guidelines  for  the  rest  of  the  industry  so  workers  health  and  safety  depended  on  the  goodwill  of  the  company    

Summary  of  video  

End  of  World  War  II  •  The  workplace  was  changing  as  an  explosion  of  technological  inven=ons  and  chemical  discovery  brought  a  new  slew  of  dangerous  gases,  fumes  and  dust  that  threatened  workers    

•  Workers  were  generally  unaware  of  what  they  were  handling  or  whether  these  synthe=cs  might  cause  cancer  years  later  

Summary  of  video  

•  In  the  1950’s  research  into  the  health  effects  of  these  chemicals  was  minimum  

•  In  the  1960’s  a  new  revolu=on  of  OS&H  began  supported  by  two  parallel  poli=cal  movements:  

•  The  environmental  movement  began  to  ques=on  the  long  term  effects  of  chemicals  on  health  

•  The  civil  rights  movement  made  people  aware  of  the  rights  of  each  individual  

Summary  of  video  

•  President  Lyndon  B  Johnson  (US)  “War  on  Poverty”  proposed:  

•  Workers’  safety  bill  to  protect  the  workers  •  This  was  not  passed  un=l  a  major  disaster  when  78  workers  were  killed  in  West  Virginia  in  1968  

•  The  Federal  Coal  Mine  Health  and  Safety  Act  was  passed  ader  1  year  

•     

Summary  of  video  

•  In  1970  Congress  passed  the  Occupa7onal  Health  and  Safety  Act  –  this  confirmed  in  law  the  right  to  a  healthy  and  safe  workplace  and  established  the  Occupa=onal  Safety  and  Health  Administra=on  or  OSHA  

•  This  act  says  that  employers  have  the  primary  responsibility  for  providing  a  healthy  and  safe  workplace  

Summary  of  video  

•  OSHA  is  responsible  for  making  safety  rules  and  enforcing  them    

•  Workers  have  a  right  to  talk  to  their  supervisors  or  union  or  OSHA  about  S&H  problems  

•  eg.  silver  nitrate  in  the  plant  that  affec=ng  eyesight  and  turning  the  skin  dark  –  Effec=veness  of  OSHA  (52  viola=ons  in  the  co)  

Summary  of  video  

•  Today  there  are  20,000  chemicals  that  are  suspected  of  being  toxic  

•  About  1/5  of  cancer  cases  are  associated  with  exposure  to  chemicals  on  the  job  

•  OSHA  aNempts  to  reduce  the  number  of  cases  by  secng  more  comprehensive  rules  

Summary  of  video  

•  In  addi=on  to  OSHA  the  unions  were  spending  more  =me  and  money  on  issues  of  health  and  safety  

Workers  were  demanding  their  rights  •   to  see  their  own  medical  records  •  to  know  the  names  and  chemical  proper=es  of  the  

chemicals  they  work  with  •  to  know  the  level  of  risks  they  take  on  with  the  job  •  to  protest  about  dangers  that  used  to  be  accepted  as  part  

of  the  job  •  Over  the  years  American  workers  won  the  right  to  organize  

unions  and  the  right  to  have  safe  and  healthy  workplaces  

Summary  of  video  

•  Plight  of  female  and  pregnant  workers  •  Plight  of  young  workers  •  movement  from  haphazardly  protec=ng  workers  or  compensa=ng  them  ader  the  fact  to  trying  to  prevent  hazards  from  happening  

•  Workers  began  ques=oning  their  working  condi=ons  

•  Finding  out  about  the  risks  thereof  and  claiming  their  legal  right  to  safety  and  health  

Why  prevent  accidents  and  ill-­‐health  

Accidents  and  ill  health:  •  Can  ruin  lives  •  Can  ruin  business  

– Output  lost  – Machinery  damaged  –  Produc=on  disturbed  – Need  to  replace  skilled  workers  –  Training  of  workers  lost  –  Insurance  costs  increase  –  prosecu=on  

Importance of Occupational Safety and Health •  Health and Safety is the physical and mental

well-being of the individual at the workplace. •  Work plays a central role in people's lives,

since most workers spend at least eight hours a day in the workplace.

•  Work environments should therefore be safe and healthy.

Importance of Occupational Safety and Health (cont’d)  

•  Poor working conditions of any type have the potential to affect a worker's health and safety.

•  Occupational hazards can have harmful effects on workers, their families, and other people in the community, as well as on the physical environment around the workplace.

History

•  OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor

•  On December 29, 1970, President Nixon signed the OSH Act

•  This Act created OSHA, the agency, which formally came into being on April 28, 1971

OSHA’s Mission

•  OSHA’s responsibility is worker safety and health protection

•  OSHA’s role involves: –  developing job safety and health standards and enforcing

them through worksite inspections –  maintaining a reporting and recordkeeping system to keep

track of job-related injuries and illnesses, and –  providing training programs to increase knowledge about

occupational safety and health

Historical  background  

•  Prior to 1970 (US) no national laws for safety and health hazards

•  An untrained and inexperienced workforce existed

•  They used brute strength to carry out many functions

•  Industrial accidents were commonplace and the death rate was high

Historical  background  

•  In the early 1800s, employers had little concern for the safety of workers

•  There was no incentive to improve unsafe work conditions

•  Legislation, precedent and public opinion favored management –  If workers were injured, it was due to their own

carelessness •  Organized safety programs were nonexistent

Historical development •  Accidents can be caused by an error due to:

– The designer – Manager – Maintenance – Environment – Anyone connected with the process or system

•  The OSHAct attempts to reduce the number and severity of accidents by making equipment and procedures safer by mandatory means

OSH diseases •  Inhalation of coal dust particles resulted in

lung diseases in miners – Silicosis – Black spit

•  Mercury poisoning (Mad Hatter disease) – New York City’s hat-making industry in the US in

the early 1940s –  citizens of a Japanese fishing village 1930 - 1950

associated with the dumping of methyl mercury into the bay that was the village’s primary source of food (fish and shellfish)

Catastrophic Accidents •  Bhopal, India: The chemical release in

Bhopal, India of methyl isocyanate (MIC) in 1984

•  killed thousands of people and led to an OSHA review of all chemical companies in the U.S. that had similar chemical processes.

•  Exxon Valdez: The case of the Exxon Valdez in 1989 involved the catastrophic release of many thousands of barrels of crude oil along the Alaskan coastline. – Environmental devastation

Catastrophic Accidents •  The 1987 collapse

of L’Ambiance Plaza in Bridgeport, Conn., killed 28 workers.

•  Deficient temporary connections and instabilities contributed to the

sudden collapse. • 

Customs and Excise building - Scaffolding Collapse

•  Workers fell from a ten-storey steel scaffolding which collapsed

•  20 persons were injured including an amputee •  The men were installing glass on the site at the

time of the incident (July 2006) •  Findings: rusty/ corroded scaffold equipment

was used

Historical Background – International

•  Occupational fatalities and illnesses attracted various studies on occupational hazards

•  The environment and its relation to worker health was recognized as early as the fourth century BC, by Hippocrates who noted lead toxicity in the mining industry.

Health  risks  

•  In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar, perceived health risks to those working with zinc and sulfur. – He devised a face mask made from an animal

bladder to protect workers from exposure to dust and lead fumes.

Historical Background – International

•  In the early 20th century in the U.S., Dr. Alice Hamilton observed that there was a correlation between worker illness and exposure to toxins.

•  Francis Perkins created the Bureau of Labor Standards in 1934 which evolved into the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). – This is an agency of the U.S. Department of

Labor – OSHA’s responsibility is worker safety and health

OSH diseases •  Asbestos - By the time it was determined that

asbestos was hazardous and could cause lung cancer, thousands of buildings contained asbestos

•  Asbestos fibers are released into the air as these buildings age

•  Removing asbestos from old buildings has become a highly specialized task requiring special equipment and training

•  Cancers caused by contact with various industrial chemicals

Historical Background – International

•  The first five industries targeted by OSHA for safety hazards were: marine cargo handling, roofing and sheet metal work, meat and meat products, miscellaneous transportation equipment (primarily mobile homes) and lumber and wood products.

•  The first Five health hazards targeted were: asbestos, lead, silica, carbon monoxide and cotton dust.

Historical Background – International

•  The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) became effective on April 28, 1971

•  The creation of OSHA provided workers the right to a safe and healthful workplace –  “Employers shall furnish to each of his employees

employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees”

•  All workers have rights

Workers rights under OSHA •  A safe and healthful workplace •  Know about hazardous chemicals •  Information about injuries and illnesses in your

workplace •  Complain or request hazard correction from employer •  Training •  Hazard exposure and medical records •  File a complaint with OSHA •  Participate in an OSHA inspection •  Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health

rights

OSH issues

•  Child labor in factories – Children as young as 6 years old worked long

hours, often in unhealthy and unsafe conditions

Providing a safe and healthy workplace

Improvements in safety can result due to:- •  Pressure from legislation to promote

safety and health •  Costs associated with accidents and

injuries •  Recognition that safety and health

concerns rank in importance with production

Providing a safe and healthy workplace

•  Various organizations were developed to promote safety and health in the workplace e.g. – National Safety Council (NSC) – Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) – National Institute of Occupational Safety and

Health (NIOSH)

Historical Background – Local 1.  Trinidad and Tobago’s first safety and health

legislation was the Factories Ordinance Chapter 30 No.2, 1950. –  only covered workers in factories

•  the Factories legislation became inadequate to cope with the many new hazards which arose as a result of the industrial expansion and diversification.

•  As a result, new legislation, the OSH Act was enacted.

•  The regulations which were made under the Factories Ordinance were deemed to be covered in the OSH Act.

Historical Background – Local

•  The following laws are repealed by Section 98(1) of OSHA – The Factories Ordinance – Employment of Women (Night Work) Act – The Gas Cylinders (Use, Conveyance and

Storage) Act

Historical Background – Local •  The services offered by OSHA are as follows:

Inspections; accident/complaint investigations; lectures and advisory services.

•  OSHA 2004 deals with the safety, health and welfare of persons at work and covers all workers, with the exception domestic workers.

•  The OSHA 2004 was amended by the Occupational Health & Safety (Amendment) Act, 2006 but this was largely a tidying up exercise

Historical Background – Local

1.  Occupational Safety and Health Act 2004 (amended 2006) – 6. (1) It shall be the duty of every employer to

ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees.

Role and functions of supporting agencies

•  OSH unit – Ministry of Health •  Factory Inspectorate

– Ministry of Labour – Ministry of Energy –  Private Industry – Ministry of Agriculture

•  ILO conventions

International Labour Organization (ILO)

•  The ILO is the international organization (headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland) responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labour standards.

•  It is the only 'tripartite' United Nations agency that brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes promoting Decent Work for all.

Interna=onal  Labour  Organiza=on  (ILO)  •  The  ILO  is  the  interna=onal  organiza=on  responsible  for  drawing  up  and  overseeing  interna=onal  labour  standards.    

•  It  is  the  only  'tripar=te'  United  Na=ons  agency  that  brings  together  representa=ves  of  governments,  employers  and  workers  to  jointly  shape  policies  and  programmes  promo=ng  Decent  Work  for  all.    

•  Its  headquarters  are  in  Geneva,  Switzerland  

Interna=onal  Labour  Organiza=on  (ILO)  

•  Trinidad  and  Tobago  therefore  has  a  legal  obliga=on  under  interna=onal  law  and  ILO  jurisdic=on  to  comply  with  the  ILO  Conven=ons  that  it  has  ra=fied  or  acceded  to  

•  It  should  be  noted  that  Trinidad  and  Tobago  has  not  ra=fied  (contract)  any  of  the  18  core  Occupa=onal  Safety  and  Health  (OSH)  (Pegus,  C.,  2007).    

Rela=onship  -­‐  ILO  and  T&T  

•  Errol  Mc  Leod  Minister  of  Labour  and  Small  and  Micro  Enterprise  development  stated  in  a  Feature  address    

•  “The  ILO  reminds  us  that  every  year  around  337  million  people  are  vic:ms  of  workplace  accidents  and  more  than  2.3  million  people  die  because  of  occupa:onal  injuries  or  work-­‐related  diseases.  In  fact,  more  people  are  killed  at  work  than  in  wars”.  

Rela=onship  -­‐  ILO  and  T&T  cont’d  

•  the  sta:s:cs  for  Trinidad  and  Tobago  on  industrial  accidents  and  fatali:es  are  s:ll  quite  alarming.  Our  records  at  the  Ministry  reveal  that  in  2010  there  were  eight  hundred  and  forty-­‐three  (843)  industrial  accidents  and  nine  (9)  fatali:es.  

•  These  figures  I  men:oned  are  not  just  mere  sta:s:cs  –  they  represent  real  people  with  real  dreams,  real  hopes  and  real  aspira:ons.  Hence  we  need  to  work  collec:vely,  at  all  cost,  to  reduce  these  figures  to  zero.  

Rela=onship  -­‐  ILO  and  T&T  cont’d  

•  At  the  na=onal  level  and  enterprise    there  are  basic  principles  that  must  be  implemented,  to  achieve  an  effec=ve  OSH  management  system  

•  these  principles  are  enshrined  in  ILO  standards  such  as  Conven=on  No.  155  on  Occupa:onal  Safety  and  Health  and  Conven:on  No.  187  on  the  Promo:onal  Framework  for  Occupa:onal  Safety  and  Health  

ILO functions •  One of the main functions of the ILO, from its

foundation in 1919, has been the development of international labour standards.

•  As part of its efforts to promote occupational health and safety in its member States, the ILO has compiled comprehensive information on the subject

ILO functions  

•  The principles of occupational health and safety are set out in various Conventions and Recommendations

•  A government that has ratified a Convention is expected to apply its provisions through legislation or other appropriate means, as indicated in the text of the Convention. The government is also required to report regularly on the application of ratified Conventions.

ILO International Labour conventions •  Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981

(No. 155) and its Protocol of 2002. The convention provides for the adoption of a coherent national occupational safety and health policy, as well as action to be taken by governments and within enterprises to promote occupational safety and health and to improve working conditions. –  This policy shall be developed by taking into consideration

national conditions and practice. The Protocol calls for the establishment and the periodic review of requirements and procedures for the recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases, and for the publication of related annual statistics.

•  Recommendation (164), of 1981

ILO International Labour conventions  

•  Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161). This convention provides for the establishment of enterprise-level occupational health services which are entrusted with essentially preventive functions and which are responsible for advising the employer, the workers and their representatives in the enterprise on maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.

•  Recommendation (171), of 1985  

OSH unit – Ministry of Health •  OSH Unit was DISBANDED

– Was designed to conduct surveys to assess occupational health and safety conditions and investigations of occupational health and safety issues in industrial establishments and give advice where necessary

•  Public Health Inspectors have the power to order safety improvements or close workplaces if safety standards are not met.

Factory Inspectorate

•  Under the Ministry of Labour – Safety training – Development of policies

•  Workers were absorbed as Occupational Safety and Health officers in the OSH Inspectorate

•  Function under the chief inspector and the OSH authority