Factors That Influenced the Development of Occupational Safety and Health in Working Environment - Essay Example

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH INTRODUCTION The development of safety and health concept has reached to high levels in the 21st century (Kowalski, 2012). Health of the workers as well as that of the environment has become a well-respected concept at international, national and local levels (International Labour Conference, 2005). However, the recognition of safety and health in the working atmosphere has taken various phases in history. Various factors have led to the currently highly recognized workers’ rights over a few centuries ago. This study aims at discussing the role played by the various factors over time while appreciating the current conditions in the working environment. The study will use various undertakings and statistics involved in the progressive development of health and safety concerns. Practically, there have been various changes in various work environments since the mid of 18th century (Abrams, 1994). First, there have been changes in the classification of the systems covering industries. With the eruption rapid growth of technology over the 20th and 21st centuries, the working systems and technicalities have changed a great deal (Wiatrowski, 2005). Similarly, the definitions of various occupations have changed with the technology. In the years before civilization, problems of ethnicity and/or racism were literally in reign at work places (Wiatrowski, 2005). These were accompanied by equally poor humanitarian aspects leading to dangerous working environment in terms of injuries, hygiene and social isolation of workers on ethnic or racism grounds (Wiatrowski, 2005). Incidentally, people were sometimes forced to work in dangerous geographical environments especially in the rooming slavery of the mid and late 17th century and the 18th century (Abrams, 1994). During years of industrialization, there was a lot dangerous manual labour in hazardous environmental conditions as compared to the diminished medical attention amidst unappreciated worker’s rights (Department of Occupational Safety and Health [DOSH], 2012). In the 21st century, however, we often hear numerous conferences worldwide to upgrade the environment of workers, and too, frequent activism by workers’ unions and the public demonstrations against human and environmentally hazardous practices. Medical attention and approaches to workers have been forcibly integrated in the working strategic plans of various employers. It is only safe to say that health and safety concerns for workers are quite sensitive matters in the 21st century while more development is still in progress (Kowalski, 2012). CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SAFETY AND HEALTH OF WORKERS The Driving Factors Dangerous working environment is an aggregate of various abuses to human rights in the work places. These include but not limited to physically hazardous working conditions, conditions hazardous to human ‘body’ health, socially threatening working environment, economically non-motivating wages hand in hand with exceedingly long working hours and child labour among others (International Labour Conference, 2005). The awareness of how work places can be problematic has taken a progressive course. The mere awareness has been the main tool in the process of developing and/or approaching health and safety of workers at different societal levels, hand in hand with the intervention by international agencies. The resulting responses are the main factors that have led to the high level of awareness and various professional interventions especially in the 20th and 21st centuries (Abrams, 1994). These factors include; the realization and subsequent reactions to human rights; the realization and subsequent reactions towards the escalating costs of occupational as related to non-occupational health care (Kowalski, 2012); realization and subsequent reactions to lost working hours and interruption of the production processes among others. There has been successive human rights activism (workers, independent human rights activists and the public). In addition, various statutory or better, legislative requirements hand in hand with independent regulatory authorities are other important factors in the development of safety and health of workers and the public altogether. Abrams (1994), to this effect, states that among the most potent factors are the pressure from the society and the pressure from legislative policies. 19th Century and Before In the periods before early years of the 18th century, the concept of workers’ rights had not yet developed but only at individual levels (Abrams, 1994). Complaints were hardly heard of and the nature of the work was manual, hard labour since mechanization in the working environment was unknown. During this period, the tone of slavery characterized work places and the community appreciated the presence of work as it was minimal (Abrams, 1994). In United States, however, individual workers were becoming aware that sometimes humans needed only needed to work for hours within one’s comfort zone (Abrams, 1994). By 1832, there emerged the concept of workers’ rights and this awareness spread rapidly such that by 1836, almost 300,000 workers in whole of the U.S. belonged to various workers’ unions (Abrams, 1994). This set up a notion within the working fraternity in the U.S. as well as in some European countries of equal calibre, that there was a need for the workers to fight for their rights. Meanwhile, the medical conditions and allocations to the workers became a national issue of concern. However, slavery was still roaming in the southern states of the U.S. By 1960, the concept of workers’ safety and health particularly hygiene, dangerous chemicals, maximum working hours, salary and racism were issues of concern at federal level in the U.S. and its political allies (Abrams, 1994). Underpinned by the necessity of human rights, slavery was ending in totality but then racism continued, even at work places (Abrams, 1994) while child labour was uncontrollably increasing . In 1883, the first social insurance legislation was inaugurated in the Western world to improve the working and living conditions of the public and especially the workers (Abrams, 1994). By 1900, racism, child labour and wages were the mainly uncontrolled phenomena in the work environment (Abrams, 1994). Across 20th Century By the start of the 20th century, only a few underdeveloped countries had not grasped the importance of respecting workers’ rights (International Labour Conference, 2005). In Malaysia, occupational safety had first been established in the year 1878 due to realization of the poor working conditions around steam boilers (DOSH, 2012). According to DOSH (2012), inspection of machinery in the mines was intensified so as to keep miners as safe as possible. Meanwhile, in the U.S, what with the proliferation of machinery in the work places of various industries, the danger of injuries grew stronger and workers compensation policy was enacted and the first worker was compensated in 1910 (Abrams, 1994; Alton, 2012). Between 1914 and 1950, virtually almost every country in the world became industrialized. In 1946, United Nations (UN) established International Labour Organization (ILO) to set international labour recommendations; however, since ILO had no power over different governments, its interventional efforts were weak (Abrams, 1994). Only national policies would work. In 1948, human rights activism echoed from all corners of the world following the ending of World War II, during which period people had become aware of the importance of safety and health (Abrams, 1994). This was due because there was observed failure in the compensation of injured workers or those who contracted diseases in their work places. According to Abrams (1994), by 1963, only 14% of injured workers were fully compensated globally. Most of injured workers resorted to filing cases in courts or simply leaving their jobs. In 1970, Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) were established in the U.S. to cover not only injuries and other work-place-borne diseases, but also to restrict child labour (Alton, 2012). This was followed by Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976 (Abrams, 1994). Occupational safety and health issues were appreciated worldwide but only effectiveness recorded low in the developing Asian and African countries (Abrams, 1994). In 1977, Standard Occupational Classification was introduced (Wiatrowski, 2005). This made employees working under similar conditions to simultaneously react to hazardous practices at work places all over the globe. Incidentally, ILO effects began to be felt. To be loyal to the UN, member states began to appreciate workers’ rights (International Labour Conference, 2005). Human rights activism acted as the aiding force (Abrams, 1994) hand in hand with various demonstrations of employees worldwide. Between early 1980s and late 1990s, the health of employees was a major concern for many companies due to the escalating costs of occupational and non-occupational health care (Kowalski, 2012). According to Kowalski (2012), globally, occupational costs were estimated at 8.8% of production costs. Due to the resultant inflation of products which led to higher product prices or losses for the producer, various governments enforced employees’ welfare policies to reduce cases of work-related health adversities (Kowalski, 2012). However, effectiveness took a sluggish rate especially in the developing countries. 21st Century At the beginning of 21st century, many employers appreciated the vital role of the employee in the production process which guarantees safety and health provisions (Kowalski, 2012). Similarly, workers have been empowered by various occupational safety and health policies (Wiatrowski, 2005). Potential employers are required to set implications that the health of the employee is ensured failure to which one can be prosecuted. During its 93rd seating, ILO underpins that high safety for workers is more of a policy than a prescription (International Labour Conference, 2005). Medical cover for workers has been institutionalized in virtually all governments in the world while various companies and institutions are even required to have medical departments in accordance with the feasibility accounts of the respective companies or institutions. Governments all over the world have been observed to listen attentively (International Labour Conference, 2005) to various workers’ complaints. At local level, it has become a virtue for employers to stop threatening to fire their employees but rather keep the working atmosphere safe in terms of health and economical aspects (Kowalski, 2012). References Abrams, H.K. (1994). A Short History of Occupational Health. Journal of public health policy, 22(1); pp34-75. Alton, G. (2012). The History of Workplace Health & Safety. Retrieved Accessed on 14/08/2012. Department of Occupational Safety and Health. (2012). The Role and Development. Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia. Retrieved Accessed on 14/08/2012. International Labour Conference. (2005). Promotional framework for occupational safety and health. ILO Report IV (1), pp3-19. Kowalski, A.A. (2012). Health in the Workplace - ROLE OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH SERVICES, COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS. Retrieved Accessed on 14/08/2012. Wiatrowski, W.J. (2005). Occupational safety and health statistics: new data for a new century. Monthly Labour Review. pp3-9. Read More