health and safety dissertation1

7/24/2019 Health and Safety Dissertation1

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TABLE OF CONTENT


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List of abbreviatios

CSO Cen!"# S"$%$&% O'&e

HR H()"n Re%*(!&e%

HRM H()"n Re%*(!&e M"n"+e)en

HSE He"#, "n- S"e E0e&($e

ILO Ine!n"$*n"# L"*(! O!+"n$%"$*n

KPI Ke Pe!*!)"n&e In-$&"*!

OSHA 2334 O&&(5"$*n"# S"e "n- He"#, A& 2334


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!" INTRODUCTION

!" Overvie#The Occupational Safety and Health Act in Mauritius provide a framework of health and safety

for organisations in order to prevent accidents, injuries as well as diseases at the workplace. t

also highlights the conse!uences an organisation has to "ear in case of non#compliance of the

regulations set "y the Occupational Safety and Health Act $%%& 'OSHA $%%&(. Organisations

may even phase out if they do not a"ide "y health and safety regulation which makes it "ecomes

primordial for organisations to protect the health and safety of their employees at the workplace.

Apart from legal issues, it is "ecoming increasingly important for organisations to provide a

healthy and safe environment.

!"! Des$ri%tio of t&e or'aisatio

)A* +td )everley -rusher +td, Arjuna Mi +td and *ash -onstruction +td are the three

integrated companies in the -onstruction ndustry owned and controlled "y /OO011A2

)everley, -3TTA211 Arjuna, S114A3+ Moonesh, involved in the production and selling of

different types of aggregates, rock sand, crusher run, hardcore, soil and "locks, ready#mi

concrete and "uilding and civil engineering works.

The three companies have eperienced a rapid epansion of activities within the 5% years of

eistence. The three companies altogether employ $%% people. This has necessitated a Human

2esource 6epartment to deal with H2 issues pertaining to the three companies which has "een

implemented since $%5% which has otherwise controlled "y one of the 6irector, Mr. 7ayash2ooney.

!"(" I)%orta$e of Hea*t& a+ Safet, at #or-. A b/siess $ase %ers%e$tive


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1ssentially, 1llyard '$%%8(, in his article 9mportance of Health and Safety: highlights that an

organisation enjoys certain "enefits when complying with health and safety provisions. These

can "e in financial terms, for eample, rise in production levels as accidents do not disrupt

production line as well as low compensation "enefits that need to "e paid to employees in case of

accidents.

+iaudanskien; '$%5%( highlighted "y reducing health and safety "udgets, organisations fail to

implement occupational risk assessment and employee training measures as well as purchase of

collective and personal protective e!uipment. However, the company


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(" STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

("!" Prob*e) State)et

-entral Statistics Office '-SO( reveals that the highest rate of accidents at the workplace is in the

Stone#crushing, )lock#making and -onstruction ndustry5. n $%%=, more than one#!uarter of the

accidents caused at work in Mauritius was in the -onstruction ndustry. This fact is very

alarming and necessitates immediate actions to "e taken. -oleman '$%%>( highlighted that

construction activity constantly involves change "y comparison with other industries. Sites

develop with progress of work hence the working environment is altering hour "y hour. -hange

is known to "e one of the prime conditions which induces unsafe "ehaviour and can preclude

straightforward defensive measures.

("(" Ratioa*e of st/+,

The highest num"ers of accidents caused are in the -onstruction ndustry, which is why, )A*

+td "eing in the -onstruction ndustry suit "est the purpose of this research.

("0" Resear$& ai)

The aim of this research is to implement health and safety issues at )A* +td and the role of H2

in ensuring a healthy and safe working environment.

("1" Resear$& Ob2e$tives

5. To determine the etent to which )A* +td complies with OSHA $%%&.

$. To highlight the importance of Human 2esource Management in ensuring health and safety at

the workplace.

?. To introduce a Health and Safety management system and @ey 4erformance ndicator '@4(

format that will help )A* +td to monitor health and safety issues.


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("3" Resear$& 4/estios

5. To what etent OSHA $%%& are enforced at )A* +td

$. To what etent Human 2esource Manager is responsi"le in Health and Safety

?. To what etent employees are eposed to risks at the workplace


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0"LITERATURE RE5IE6

0"!" Hea*t& a+ Safet, at 6or-. a overvie#

There has been progress on many fronts in the world of work. But work-related

deaths, accidents and diseases, are still major causes for concern. Decent work

must also be safe work.

Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General (2005)

0"!"!" Defiitio of &ea*t& a+ safet,n simple terms, Health and Safety is a"out preventing people from "eing harmed or "ecoming ill

"y taking the right precautions and providing a satisfactory working environment.

A more comprehensive definition of Health and Safety has "een given "y Heery 1. and Boon, M.

'$%%5(, who asserted that ealth and !afety is that aspect of human resource management

concerned with identifying ha"ards and risks tohealth within work processes and taking steps to

minimi"e or remo#e those risks.

0"(" O$$/%atioa* Hea*t&

A wide range of factors in our work such as incorrect working methods, environmental haCards,toic su"stances or haCardous e!uipment can all have negative effects on the human "ody. An

unhealthy "ody can affect work and productivity. Therefore occupational health eamines the

correlation "etween work and health.


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"Occupational health shoul aim at the promotion an maintenance o! the hihest eree o!

ph#sical, mental an social $ell-%ein o! $or&ers in all occupations' the prevention amon

$or&ers o! epartures !rom health cause %# their $or&in conitions' the protection o!

$or&ers in their emplo#ment !rom ris&s resultin !rom !actors averse to health' an the

placin an maintenance o! the $or&er in an occupational environment aapte to his

ph#sioloical an ps#choloical a%ilit#

Drom the literature review of A"dallah et al '$%%8(, occupational healthcan "e descri"ed as Ea

sound state of the "ody and mind of people from illness resulting from the materials, processes

or procedures used in the workplace


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"etter task performance and ameliorated "ehaviour which will result in increase in productivity.

The use of OHS management systems in each department can offer employees with a clear

accepted code system of rules and procedures a"out the safe operations of machinery and

appropriate "ehaviours to adopt. Again with +im '$%5$(, in his views he says that when workers

understand the health and safety rules and procedures of their jo" and the tools use for working,

it helps them to work effectively and efficiently which results in "etter performance of

employees. Hudson '$%5$( also sees that occupational health and safety management practices

would help to "uild a positive workplace culture and enhance performance of everyone. To him,

it also gives room for high employee performance that encourages creativity and innovation. A

research provided "y /ard et al. '$%%=(, supports all views that consider that organisation is

enjoying direct "enefit in promoting occupational health and safety. To then in an organisation

where employees within feel that management cares for them, there is an indication of positive

management of occupational health and safety system and as such results in safer working

practices as well as positive impact on employee outcomes like for eample, jo" motivation, jo"

involvement, safety climate, organisational commitment, jo" satisfaction, mental health and

well#"eing.

0"("(" OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMS

$. %nticipating and identifying health ha"ards

-onsideration should "e given to work processes, tools and e!uipment at the design stageso as to make every effort to avoid haCards and ensure the health of employees. Dor workalready underway, we must identify and evaluate haCards. Methods used can include

conducting workplace inspections, referring to occupational safety and health

pu"lications, interviewing with employees.

&. '#aluating health risk

After identifying the health haCards, the net step is to evaluate the level of risk. 6ifferentevaluation methods should "e used to analyse the degree of risk of different health

haCards, for eample, measuring air contaminant levels, measuring work fre!uencies and

physical demands, analysing survey results and evaluating eisting control measures, etc.

2esults should "e compared with the relevant standards.

(. De#eloping control measures

/hen the assessment reveals unaccepta"le occupational health risk levels, controlmeasures should "e adopted.

0"0" EFFECTI5E MANAGEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH


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An approach which can "e considered to effective management of occupational health to

help to reduce sickness a"sences will "eG

1cellent leadership from managers at the top level.

/ithout leadership an organisation will not "e motivated to take action. nstitutions

where it is clear that managing occupational health, safety and sickness a"sence is a keypriority will "e the institutions that really get things done.

A good occupational health service.

nvesting in improved and more proactive occupational health arrangements can deliver

efficiency savings in a relatively short timescale. A proactive occupational health service

and a healthy and supportive working environment play an important part in preventing"oth work#related ill health and in proactively managing common health pro"lems in

order to help employees remain in work.

Training and support for line managers

)ecause line managers relationships they have with their teams are what can make a realdifference.

2egular, supportive contact with those a"sent due to sickness.

This can have a major impact on an individual


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n Mauritius, the evolution of the world of work due to the rapid industrialiCation process has

"rought a"out changes in the Occupational safety and health as well which "ecame inade!uate

and inconsistent. There were various laws that were enacted which "ecame o"solete very

!uickly.

n Octo"er $%%&, the OSHA $%%& was introduced to meet the dynamic nature of the world of

work which aims at 9consolidating and widening the scope of legislation onsafety, health and

welfare of employees at work:. This Act encompasses "oth the private and pu"lic sector.

0"1"(" T&e O$$/%atioa* Safet, a+ Hea*t& A$t (773 8OSHA (7739

OSHA $%%& provides a legal framework for "oth the employer and the employees to guide their

action.

D/ties of e)%*o,er a$$or+i' to OSHA (773

The most effective OHS 'Occupational Health and Safety( programs are developed jointly "ymanagement and staff. The purpose is to help everyone understand their own roles and the roles

of others so they can work toward common health and safety goals.

1mployers have "oth general and specific responsi"ilities related to haCard control and workerhealth and safety. n carrying out these duties, management can demonstrate their commitment to

health and safety in the workplace.

OSHA $%%& emphasiCed the role of employers to do all the necessary arrangements to ensure

safety, health and welfare of all his employees. Moreover,every employer employing &% or more

employees need to have a written safety andhealth policy statement and take appropriate actions

to enforce it.

1ssentially, a health and safety policy statement has found to "e very important to show that the

organiCation is very caring. The policy should state the managementIs commitment to ensure a

safe and healthy workplace and should clearly define the roles and responsi"ilities of people

responsi"le for health and safety and eplain how they are accounta"le 'Safe /ork SA, $%%J(.

OSHA $%%& makes it mandatory for the employer to make provisions for the safety of employees

such as providing them the necessary resources. There need to "e appropriate procedures to "e

followed in case of a fire, eplosion or accidental release of su"stances haCardous to health or a

dangerous occurrence.


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Hon. Shakeel Mohamed, 1 Minister of +a"our, ndustrial 2elations and 1mployment '$%%J(,

ela"orated further on risk assessment to ensure that risks at work are eliminated or minimiCed

through tightening of control measures.

HS1 '$%55( affirmed that providing health and safety information and training an organiCation to

ensure the safety of the employees and promote health and safety culture, as well as meet its

legal duty to protect the health and safety of its employees.

D/ties of e)%*o,ees a$$or+i' to OSHA (773

The responsi"ility of health and safety at work does not rest only on the shoulder of the

employer. OSHA $%%& "inds the employees as well to contri"ute to health and safety and stated

that every employee need to take reasona"le care for the safety and health of himself and of other

persons who may "e affected "y his acts or omissions at work. The employee needs to a"ide "y

the rules and regulations in place concerning health and safety, for eample, wearing or using

protective clothing and e!uipments.

1mployee contri"ution is very crucial in "uilding a safety culture at the workplace. An H2

manager can help in coordinating safety programs, making employees aware a"out the health

and safety policy of the company, conduct formal safety training, etc. The supervisors and

departmental heads are responsi"le for maintaining safe working conditions 'Anon, $%%J(.

0"3" HR Safet, Pra$ti$es

Safety has "een one of the major concerns of Human 2esource Management. +auver '$%%>(

research "ased on the link "etween organiCational H2 practices and organiCational safety

outcomes has, in a way, highlighted the importance of Human 2esource Management in

esta"lishing safety at work. +auver has eamined some of the key H2 practices and how these

impact on safety outcomes.

0"3"!" Se*e$tio

According to +auver


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candidates and their physical a"ilities impact on safety and highlights the importance of physical

eaminations in the selection process.

1ssentially, the 1uropean Agency for Health and Safety at /ork '$%%=( emphasiCed that young

and ineperienced people are more likely to "e harmed at work since they are unawareness of

risks, and lack skills. Therefore, person#to#jo" fit is very important and the latter have to "e

placed in safe and suita"le jo"s that are matched to their skills and mental and physical a"ilities

and given ade!uate training and supervision.

0"3"(" Traii'

+auver claimed that training is one of the H2 practices used to improve employee safety.

Training impacts employees "y improving their skills and a"ilities, as well as "y communicating

what is important to the organiCation. +auver cited 4feffer?(.

Armstrong '$%%F( highlights that health and safety training is very important to prevent accidents

at work which should "e a part of induction training as well as if an employee is transferred to anew working environment.

0"3"0" Perfor)a$e )aa'e)et

+auver asserted that safety is an important criterion in performance appraisals and it should "e

communicated to employees. +auver highlighted some previous research that eamined the

effectiveness of positive reinforcement and feed"ack finding that "oth written and oral feed"ack

to employees on safety was important to employees, especially fre!uent feed"ack and that the

criteria emphasiCed "y performance evaluations influence what safety "ehaviors employees will

follow.

HS1 '$%%=( highlights the importance of systematic review of performance "ased on data from

health and safety audits.


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0"3"1" Co)%esatio

+auver highlighted that linking compensation or rewards to safety would encourage safety

"ehaviours. t should however not discourage employees not reporting injury rather thanpromoting safe "ehavior. Bevertheless, +auver concluded that incentives or rewards actually

improved safety performance where"y employees were prone to use safety e!uipments and

lower num"ers of injuries were reported.

4sycha+ogica '$%%F( further added that organiCations that aim to attain high safety performance

levels need to integrate reward and recognition together. This has also "een supported "y the

2einforcement Theory where the underlying hypothesis is that positive conse!uences make

"ehaviour more likely, negative conse!uences make "ehaviour less likely.

0":" Ca/ses of a$$i+ets at t&e #or-%*a$e

The most likely causes of accidents are due to "ad work organiCation, lack of supervision and

control, as well as failure to assess operational risks. n addition, a high level of work#related

injuries were also caused to due failure of organiCation to comply with health and safety

re!uirements as well as a poor state of safety culture where"y employees themselves are

irresponsi"le concerning their safety at the workplace.'+iaudanskien; et al. $%5%(.

Hunter '$%55( highlights top si construction site haCards listed "y OSHA which included

electrical, ecavation and trenching, falls, stairways and ladder, scaffolding and heavy

e!uipment.

HS1 '$%%?( claimed that 9the biggest single cause of construction accidents is simply getting to

the *workface ,

that is, employees often hurt themselves on site while moving around andhandling materials and e!uipments. t has "een further added that lack of supervision and

communication as well as training were major causes ofaccidents.

0";" I)%*e)etatio of &ea*t& a+ safet, /it


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Appointment of an Occupational Safety and Health OfficerManager on either a part#time or full

time "asis as re!uired "y +aw. A clear and realistic definition of the Occupational Safety and

Health 4olicy should lead and command the role and function of a Safety and Health -ommittee

in which employerIs and employeeIs representatives participate to achieve and meet legal

o"ligations for safety, health and welfare of everyone in a work environment.

1" RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Shuttleworth '$%%=(, defined research as includes any gathering of data, information

and facts for the ad#ancement of knowledge.

The methodology for this research has "een adapted from the following steps developed

"y @otler ' $%%?(G

6efinition of research pro"lem and o"jectives

6eveloping the research plan for collecting information

mplementing the research plan, which is, collecting and analyCing the data

nterpreting and reporting the findings

1"!" Resear$& Cote


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There are two types of data used for this research which are primary sources and secondary

sources. Dorshaw M '$%%%( descri"es primary data as data collected at first hand to solve the

current pro"lem and secondary data as data that already eist and which has "een collected for

another purpose.

Pri)ar, Data

Specific primary data was gained from the employees and management of )A*

-ompany

Se$o+ar, Data

Secondary data that was used was in terms of a literature search. 7ournal articles, "ooks,

magaCines and 3niversite 6es Mascareignes dissertations were consulted. Some

secondary data was also availa"le from )A* -ompany.

1"0" Data Co**e$tio Met&o+

Survey research approaches have "een used for this project. Trochim '$%%F( highlighted that

survey involves gathering primary data from people a"out their attitudes, "ehaviour, knowledge

preferences and perceptions a"out a particular issue or pro"lem.

1"0"!" Resear$& Istr/)ets

Q/estioaires

Saunders et al. '$%%8( defines !uestionnaire as a general term including all data collection

techni)ues in which each person is asked to respond to the same set of )uestions in a

predetermined order.

*vantaes o! +uestionnaire

The advantages of using !uestionnaires as research instruments are that !uestionnaires are

relatively more o"jective, !uicker and cheaper than interview 'Milne, 588F(.

Itervie#s

Mc Bammra '588J( argues that interview can "e specifically used for gaining in#depth

information a"out a su"ject matter.


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1"1" Data Co**e$tio For)s +esi'

1"1"!" Q/estioaire +esi'

So as not to "reach any ethical considerations, the !uestionnaire will "e accompanied "y a

covering letter, which eplains the purpose of the survey, so that respondents could make a

decision of participation or non#participation.

The design of the !uestionnaire was mainly "ased on the different varia"les identified in the

literature review and aimed at answering the research o"jectives.

The !uestions were framed using simple and straight#word terms to the !uestions

comprehensi"le as possi"le to all respondents. Mostly close#ended !uestions were used which

includes dichotomous !uestions, list !uestions and scaled !uestions. The !uestionnaire will

consist of 5J !uestions.

A pilot test was done with 5% employees of )A* -ompany which revealed some important

changes to "e made in the !uestionnaire.

1"3" Tar'et Po%/*atio

The target population is the &% employees of )A* -ompany Time and resources constraints does

not allow for administering !uestionnaire to all the employees. A sampling plan has "een

designed to overcome this pro"lem.

1": Sa)%*i' Uit

The population for this research will "e the all the employees of )A* -ompany, the Health and

Safety Officer and the Human 2esource Manager.

1":"!" Sa)%*e Si=e

Dor this research, !uestionnaire will "e administered to ?% employees from various sections since

it is a more reasona"le and managea"le siCe as well as representative of the whole )A*

-ompany.


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1";" Data Co**e$tio a+ Aa*,sis

6ata will "e collected from the designated sample elements over ?% days. will use

spreadsheets 'Ms 1cel $%%J( to "etter graphically represent the information .

1">" Li)itatios of st/+,

Overall, the research work on Health and Safety at )A* -ompany will have to cope with some

limitations such as

-hasing the employees to return the !uestionnaire "ack.

A small sample of the population was chosen due to time constraints and the cost of

!uestionnaires else a larger population could have "een targeted for a more relia"le result.

t was noticed that some employees tended to give the same answer as their colleagues.

This may lead to "ias information.

1"? Aa*,si' t&e +ata a+ #riti' /%

After all the steps mentioned a"ove completed and after distri"uting the !uestionnaires and

collecting them, the Microsoft Office ecel has "een used to eplore data. The writing up was

done "y using the Microsoft office /ord and the use of 1nglish language.

Co$*/sio

This chapter defines the research process with the research design, sampling techni!ue,

!uestionnaire construction and the limitations of the study. The net chapter sheds light on the

findings in graphic forms and data analysis.


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A" E)%*o,ee Profi*e

Cross tab/*atio

!" @ob tit*e

(" Ge+er

3" Le't& of servi$e i ,ears

The data collection was mainly focused on jo" posts involving high risks and ranges from

mason, helper, Lolvo operator, Nuantity surveyor, Doreman, supervisor, painter, carpenter, la"

technician, plant operator, storekeeper, "ar "ender, driver, lorry helper, site agent, T technician,

welder, diesel controller, electrician and other operators.


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The respondents were all men which was not a surprise though. The age group and eperience of

the employees has "een depicted in the diagram "elow. At )A* -ompany +T6, we can see =?

of the workforce interviewed was aged "etween 5=#?% years which indicates a young workforce

and FF of them had "een working there for less than a year. This may have a direct relationship

with accidents occurred at work as it has "een found that that young and ineperienced people

are more likely to "e harmed at work since they are unaware of risks, and lack skills.

B" Geera* Co))ets re'ar+i' t&e 2ob

:" 6&at are t&e ris-s ,o/ are e


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The chart a"ove depicts the risks employees are eposed to, which however is not ehaustive and

respondents revealed some important jo"#oriented risks such as risk of fire, risk of haCardous

acids and e!uipments, violence at sites and pu"lic harassment.

C" T&e $o$e%t of Hea*t& a+ Safet,

?" To #&at e


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The concept of Health and safety is known to everyone at )A* -ompany +T6. They had their

own definitions of health and safety. Health AB6 Safety though two different terms, were

inetrica"ly linked together and were considered as "eing Esecurity, protections, precautions or

avoiding accidents< for layman. Many employees also linked this concept with working

conditions. t was clear that employees were very much aware of health and safety and its

importance at the workplace which can "e illustrated as a"ove.

D"T&e La# a+ Hea*t& a+ Safet, re'/*atios

!7" Do ,o/ )a-e /se of safet, e4/i%)ets %rovi+e+ to ,o/

The OSHA $%%& re!uires employer to provide employees with safety e!uipments and at the

same time employees should "e e!ually responsi"le for their health and safety. t"ecomes

mandatory for them to wear appropriate safety e!uipments wherever re!uired.

Drom the ta"le "elow, it can "e deduced that the employees of )A* -ompany +T6 are taking up

their part of responsi"ility in ensuring their safety at the workplace "y making proper of the

safety e!uipments at their disposal.

!!" Are ,o/ satisfie+ #it& t&e e4/i%)ets at ,o/r +is%osa*


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The employee satisfaction levels regarding the safety e!uipments at their disposal and in the use

of those e!uipments at )A* -ompany +T6 of -ompanies. t has "een noticed that, the more

employees are satisfied with the e!uipments that has "een provided, the more they use them.

!!8b9 S/%ervisio at #or-

The employees of )A* -ompany +T6 seemed to "e rather satisfied with the supervision they

get at work as clearly illustrated "y -hart a"ove. Supervision is very crucial in enforcing a safety

culture since it helps to minimiCe risks of accidents and injuries. This implies that )A*

-ompany +T6 complies with the OSHA $%%& which re!uires organiCations to provide


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information, instruction, and supervision as is necessary to ensure the safety and health at work

of his employees.

!(" a9 Do ,o/ -o# #&at ,o/ &ave to +o i $ase of fire

Another important factor highlighted in OSHA $%%& is to ensure organiCations make provision

for safety training which should include educate employees of the appropriate procedures to "e

followed in case of a fire, eplosion or accidental release of su"stances haCardous to health or a

dangerous occurrence. The ta"le "elow shows the response of employees in event of a fire

"reakout at )A* -ompany +td.

The majority of respondents affirmed that they know what they need to do in case of fire which

has "een enlisted in the ta"le "elow. However, ?% of employees did not know what they ought

to do in case of fire. This is !uite a high percentage and represents a threat to the health and

safety of employees.

b9 If ,es %*ease s%e$if,

Pro$e+/re i $ase of

fire

e, #or+s )etioe+ b,

e)%*o,ees 8I or+er

of )ost*, sai+9

*es

::

5. Dire etinguisher

$. Assem"ly point


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?. Dire alarm

>. Securing Dire eit

&. Sprinkling /ater

F. Dire "rigade

J. Am"ulance if case of

serious "urn cases

Bo

01

E" HR Safet, Pra$ti$es

H2 contri"ution in health and safety "egins at the recruitment and selection stage. n the

construction industry, the physical fitness of a person is very crucial. This is one of the major


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criteria of that the jo" demands. The physical fitness of employees is very much satisfactory at

)A* -ompany +T6 of -ompanies.

Bevertheless, as the -hart a"ove shows some small percentage of employees who do not

consider themselves physically fit for the jo" should not have eisted since safety issues must

never "e compromised.

Cross tab/*atio

!3" a9 Have ,o/ fo**o#e+ a, traii' $o/rses o &ea*t& a+ safet, si$e ,o/ 2oie+ #or-

b9 If ,es to #&at e


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Moreover, to comply with the legal o"ligations of the OSHA $%%&, safety training must "e given

to employees. However, more than &% of the employees said they have not followed any

training course at )A* -ompany +T6. Human 2esource practices must make provision for

training and conduct a training needs analysis to ensure that safety training given are relevant to

the jo" done "y the employees. The charts a"ove illustrate the findings.

3" RECOMMENDATION

)ased on the survey results, there are many improvements that need to "e done at )A* -ompany

+td. There need to "e a safety framework to ensure effective health and safety management.

)A* -ompany +td need to take a proactive approach to health and safety unlike any other

companies who act upon after the damage has "een done. The underlying concepts )A* can

make use is adopting SO 8%%% Nuality Systems Standards 4lan#6o#-heck#Act and apply it to

health and safety which can "e illustrated as "elow 'Adapted from Successful Health and Safety

Management # HS1, $%%=(G

+igure &


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plan# 1sta"lish standards for health and safety "ased on risk assessments and legal

re!uirements

6o # mplement plan to achieve o"jectives 'SMA2T( and standards

-heck # 2eview against o"jectives and take appropriate action

Act # Measure progress with plans and compliance with standards

)ased on the a"ove, there need to "e clear o"jectives and standards "esides having just a Health

and Safety 4olicy. There is a need to identify varia"les that will act as parameters as the

maimum 9what gets measured, get managed: applies. There must "e some "asis of

measurement to "etter assess how )A* roup is controlling threats to employees< safety and

"uilding a safety culture. 1ssentially, there is a need to identify @ey 4erformance ndicators

'@4( regarding safety issues which "ased on the findings can "e summed up in the three main

@4 as followsG

+igure (


30/34

)A* roup need to regularly monitor these @4s, and therefore a Health and Safety officer on a

full#time "asis rather than part#time is pivotal. This will allow risks assessments should "e done

on a continuous "asis. 1ventually, rather than investigating causes of accidents, )A* roup of

-ompanies need to focus more on how to eliminate risks.

The Human 2esource Management has a cardinal role to play in "uilding and enforcing a safety

culture in an organisation. At )A*, it is highly recommended that H2 policies and practices are

integrative to the health and safety policy. As such, there is a need to "e more specific in

choosing new recruits "y adopting the jo" characteristic model designed "y Hackman and

Oldham rather than just matching jo" description to person


31/34

regulations at work. n addition, there is a need to include safety "ehaviour in the performance

appraisal of employees which should definitely "e linked with positive rewards as well as

negative sanctions. Begative sanctions may very well have a greater impact of safety "ehaviour

until the safety culture is enforced.

n the nutshell, the implementation of a comprehensive health and safety management system is

highly recommended at )A* roup of -ompanies.

:" CONCLUSION

As a concluding note, it can "e put forward that "eside legal o"ligations, organiCations derive

many other "enefits to promote health and safety at the workplace. There is urgency in the

-onstruction ndustry to take remedial action following the high rate of workplace accidents in

Mauritius.

At )A* roup of -ompanies the working environment is very dynamic and constant evolution

of the work contets represent a threat to the health and safety of employees which necessitate


32/34

considerations. 6espite some efforts made at )A* roup resulting into the num"er of accidents

reduced over the past few years, there is still a long way to go.

Bevertheless, OSHA $%%& does not only "ind the employer "ut the employees at well. /ith

regards to this, there is a need to "uild a safety culture at )A* roup which should "e enforced

and sustained throughout. Safety roles and responsi"ilities should "e known to all employees and

safety "ehaviours must "e promoted through H2 policies and practices.

More systematically, )A* roup re!uires a safety management system. However, with relatively

simple actions, some investments and strong convictions of the employer and all the employees

that safety should "e part of their routine activities, )A* roup of -ompanies will develop a

sustaina"le safety culture.

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