Workplace Safety: Risks That Can Be Very Costly...
4 January 2011
Read by 1521 persons
Lack of safety can lead to costs 20 times higher than what a company would invest in prevention. Training, management involvement, and awareness are the foundations of a reliable safety system.
Ask business leaders if they guarantee minimum safety and hygiene for their staff. Most will answer yes. However, the situation is worrying. A quick tour of many company premises confirms this. Safety instructions, when they exist, are often displayed in isolated places, the required equipment (fire extinguisher or first-aid kit) is non-existent, non-operational or expired... On construction sites, basic precautions (wearing helmets and gloves, seat belts...) are ignored, even though the risk of accidents is very high in the building and public works sectors. According to Abdellah Fakir, occupational physician, "it is not easy to raise awareness in the workplace about occupational illnesses and risks". However, the labor code devotes a large chapter to hygiene and safety and punishes companies guilty of negligence and other serious offenses more or less severely if it is established that there is a failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements in terms of hygiene and safety in the workplace.
From a civil point of view, employees who are victims of a work accident or an occupational disease can obtain full compensation for their injuries in the event of inexcusable fault. This is proven when the employer has failed in his contractual obligation of safety. Inexcusable fault may result, in particular, from a lack of precaution, a lack of protection or supervision, or a violation of safety regulations.
In addition, lack of safety has a cost. Mr. Fakir points out that "losses can generate costs 20 times higher than what safety and prevention devices would cost". A proportion that is more or less confirmed by Abderrahim Eddine, safety, hygiene and environment manager at Akzo Nobel Maroc, who points out that "it is possible to calculate the cost of safety, while estimating the cost of work accidents is not always easy". For example, a work accident (the most frequent and most expensive risk) costs on average 2,000 DH for a simple incident, or even more than 20,000 DH if the consequences are serious and result in permanent disability.
Stress, which is affecting more and more people, is rarely discussed
But with all this, zero risk does not exist. The most important thing is therefore to take the usual precautions. In this respect, training and information are essential for the acceptance and effectiveness of a safety approach once the risks have been identified, listed and prevention tools put in place. The fact is that employees do not always comply with instructions or do not measure the level of danger to which they are exposed. Financial incentives can, in this case, encourage them to change their behavior. Mohamed M., HR manager in an office, indicates that efforts made in terms of compliance with standards are taken into account in the calculation of productivity bonuses. "This encourages agents to remain vigilant on this aspect," he specifies.
Abderrahim Eddine also shares this view. "Hygiene and safety must be included as a performance criterion within the company, just like quality and productivity. We deploy all the tools for communication, information and awareness. Through this, we try to influence individual behavior to involve as many people as possible and further spread the safety mindset," he explains. It should be noted that in addition to the various physical risks (fire or explosion, electrical or chemical accident, noise, dust...) leading to more or less serious work accidents and occupational diseases, psychosocial risks such as stress, which affects one in two people, are increasingly prevalent. For the moment, no company takes this scourge into consideration, which is still poorly understood and inhibits the performance of workers.
To this effect, Mr. Fakir wishes to remind us of the good rules to put in place by respecting the ergonomic standards of workstations (seat, table, computer...) or by optimizing the physical environment (lighting, noise, temperature). The same source explains that "in terms of occupational health and safety, there are two standards, namely OHSAS 18001 and BS 8800, which provide guidelines for occupational health and safety management systems. These guidelines explain how they can be integrated into an overall management system, in order to reduce risks for employees as much as possible, to anticipate circumstances that could cause work accidents or occupational diseases, but also to help companies build a responsible image". Few companies in the industrial sector are aware of these standards. Similarly, in terms of prevention against risks related to the work environment, safety practices must be regulated by an internal system designed to encourage staff to be constantly vigilant and to reprimand anyone who neglects instructions. Sanctions can go as far as dismissal if it turns out that acts of negligence are repetitive. But before taking action, it is first necessary to raise awareness and responsibility. In this respect, the involvement of the company manager and technical staff is essential.
Published December 28, 2010
Posted online January 3, 2011
lavieeco.com
Ask business leaders if they guarantee minimum safety and hygiene for their staff. Most will answer yes. However, the situation is worrying. A quick tour of many company premises confirms this. Safety instructions, when they exist, are often displayed in isolated places, the required equipment (fire extinguisher or first-aid kit) is non-existent, non-operational or expired... On construction sites, basic precautions (wearing helmets and gloves, seat belts...) are ignored, even though the risk of accidents is very high in the building and public works sectors. According to Abdellah Fakir, occupational physician, "it is not easy to raise awareness in the workplace about occupational illnesses and risks". However, the labor code devotes a large chapter to hygiene and safety and punishes companies guilty of negligence and other serious offenses more or less severely if it is established that there is a failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements in terms of hygiene and safety in the workplace.
From a civil point of view, employees who are victims of a work accident or an occupational disease can obtain full compensation for their injuries in the event of inexcusable fault. This is proven when the employer has failed in his contractual obligation of safety. Inexcusable fault may result, in particular, from a lack of precaution, a lack of protection or supervision, or a violation of safety regulations.
In addition, lack of safety has a cost. Mr. Fakir points out that "losses can generate costs 20 times higher than what safety and prevention devices would cost". A proportion that is more or less confirmed by Abderrahim Eddine, safety, hygiene and environment manager at Akzo Nobel Maroc, who points out that "it is possible to calculate the cost of safety, while estimating the cost of work accidents is not always easy". For example, a work accident (the most frequent and most expensive risk) costs on average 2,000 DH for a simple incident, or even more than 20,000 DH if the consequences are serious and result in permanent disability.
Stress, which is affecting more and more people, is rarely discussed
But with all this, zero risk does not exist. The most important thing is therefore to take the usual precautions. In this respect, training and information are essential for the acceptance and effectiveness of a safety approach once the risks have been identified, listed and prevention tools put in place. The fact is that employees do not always comply with instructions or do not measure the level of danger to which they are exposed. Financial incentives can, in this case, encourage them to change their behavior. Mohamed M., HR manager in an office, indicates that efforts made in terms of compliance with standards are taken into account in the calculation of productivity bonuses. "This encourages agents to remain vigilant on this aspect," he specifies.
Abderrahim Eddine also shares this view. "Hygiene and safety must be included as a performance criterion within the company, just like quality and productivity. We deploy all the tools for communication, information and awareness. Through this, we try to influence individual behavior to involve as many people as possible and further spread the safety mindset," he explains. It should be noted that in addition to the various physical risks (fire or explosion, electrical or chemical accident, noise, dust...) leading to more or less serious work accidents and occupational diseases, psychosocial risks such as stress, which affects one in two people, are increasingly prevalent. For the moment, no company takes this scourge into consideration, which is still poorly understood and inhibits the performance of workers.
To this effect, Mr. Fakir wishes to remind us of the good rules to put in place by respecting the ergonomic standards of workstations (seat, table, computer...) or by optimizing the physical environment (lighting, noise, temperature). The same source explains that "in terms of occupational health and safety, there are two standards, namely OHSAS 18001 and BS 8800, which provide guidelines for occupational health and safety management systems. These guidelines explain how they can be integrated into an overall management system, in order to reduce risks for employees as much as possible, to anticipate circumstances that could cause work accidents or occupational diseases, but also to help companies build a responsible image". Few companies in the industrial sector are aware of these standards. Similarly, in terms of prevention against risks related to the work environment, safety practices must be regulated by an internal system designed to encourage staff to be constantly vigilant and to reprimand anyone who neglects instructions. Sanctions can go as far as dismissal if it turns out that acts of negligence are repetitive. But before taking action, it is first necessary to raise awareness and responsibility. In this respect, the involvement of the company manager and technical staff is essential.
Published December 28, 2010
Posted online January 3, 2011
lavieeco.com
