Occupational Risk Evaluation and Administration

Safety in the workplace is of paramount importance. Identifying potential industrial risks and setting up of risk assessment and management strategy is one of the company’s many obligations to its employees. Employers who fail to do so are subject to more industrial risks, employee’s compensations and claims, unlawful and unfair employment termination, as well as bad publicity.

Risk is defined as the “combination of the probability that a particular outcome will occur and the severity of the harm involved” whereas hazard refers to something that has the potential to cause harm if not eliminated or regulated.

Industrial risks should be identified and evaluated so that proper Prevención de riesgos laborales can be formulated. Potential workplace risks are often categorized into ten general classifications:

Biological hazards – refers to pathogenic microorganisms such as virus, bacteria, and fungi;

2. Chemical agents – refers to heavy metals, toxic substances, acids and bases, solvents, particulates, and fumes; 3. Environmental agents – refers to environmental stressors like extreme heat and cold; 4. Environmental hazards – refers to conditions such as asphyxiation and dehydration; 5. Fire – refers to fire and explosion hazards; 6. Mechanical hazards – refers to equipment-related injuries, friction and abrasion, moving parts, and entanglement; 7. Physical agents – refers to noise, vibration, and radiation; 8. Physical hazards – refers to collisions, confined spaces, electricity, falls from height, and slips and trips; 9. Psychosocial issues – refers to work-related stress, violence, sexual harassment, and workplace practices and systems; and 10. Reproduction hazards – refers to issues concerning issues related to sterility and reproductive capacity relative to workplace systems.

It is important to identify these risks because a sound workplace health and safety plan can save the company a lot of time, effort, and money in the long run.

Initial set up of an industrial risk assessment and management costs the company a reasonable financial investment when compared to not setting any strategy plan at all. However, this initial set up cost will be a very good investment indeed.

Identification of potential industrial hazards and their management will reduce or eliminate the following scenarios in a workplace with a health and safety plan:

Cost of clean-up and incident investigation,

2. Claims of employee’s compensation insurance and payments, 3. Employer prosecution and fines, 4. Poor worker morale and industrial unrest in the workplace, 5. Unpopular publicity, and 6. Downtime incidents.

Risk management involves identification of all potential and immediate industrial hazards and the evaluation of the hazard levels. Determination of plausible methods to prevent and correct of these risks is also an integral part of the whole process. The company is also responsible for providing first aids and protective gears to its workers.

A better risk assessment and management plan can be achieved when there is workplace consultation and the employees are actively involved in the whole process. Employers and managers should consult their workers on workplace health, safety, and welfare. Employees should be given access to occupational health and safety training as well as relevant information.

Empowering the workforce with specific training standards is essential in maintaining a safe and highly productive workplace. A good safety and health plan boosts employee confidence in the company. It also improves the company’s safety records, minimize insurance premiums, and raise revenues and productivity.

When a company put forth a good safety and health framework, it has not only fulfilled a corporate obligation but also a moral and social duty to its employees. The employees also have the obligation of assisting the company in devising the occupational safety and health plan; it is for their own good. It is a two-way process which benefits both parties and their interests.