Occupation Safety Health Management System and Plan-Do-Check-Act - Essay Example

Assessment Introduction When a worker or an employee goes out to search for a job, they do this with some objectives in mind. These objectives include their safety at work, which they view as paramount. Therefore, the employers need a mechanism that would ensure the employees’ safety at work gains enhancement. Thus, the Occupation Safety Health Management System is suitable for this. The essay will provide the information that businesses need to adapt the OSHMS system. The essay will take the format of an explanation from the introduction, what is the OSHMS system to the conclusion of the findings on the system (Travaglia & Jeffrey, 2009, 46). The purpose of an OSHMS Occupation and health system deals with the prevention of injuries and diseases that arise while at work. The workers can be prone to exposure of contagious diseases that will result to deteriorating health. That is, for example, exposure to mine fumes. This may because the miners of the company do not have protective gear like gas masks. The system compensates for this by providing adequate and essential tools. That will ensure employees are well and not intentionally in harm’s way. The injuries may result in a case of poor quality tools. That is they have not been able to gain improvement by the company because of the cost. They do not see the risk of losing live that result from this. The occupational and health system helps the company to see the importance of this improvement (World Day for Safety and Health Work, 2011, 45). Improving the workplace environment is a competence of the occupational safety and health system. The environment in this case is the area where the workers and the employers interact. The environment is essential to a business success. This is because if the environment is suitable the workers will gain motivation. They will be able to work efficiently and effectively (World Day for Safety and Health Work, 2011, 56). The OSHMS system gains formation in the principle of learning about risk. They realize that it is by understanding what risk is that remedies can be evident. There are various risks that are found in business units. These are energy sources, nuclear sources among others. The system ensures that if the sources cause accidents the employers and workers will be prepared (Friend & James, 2007, 89). They will not be exposed to the dangers as much as when they did not know how to protect themselves. Thus, the injuries if any will be minimal in comparison to lack of a risk management tools. The occupational safety and hazard system is a stepwise method. It follows a certain methodology that ensures the right thing is done, "in the right way at the right time." It is a form of a guideline that the management follows to be able to deal with incidents and accidents (Stahl, 2004, 64). The system ensures that the management and the workers are able to learn about the outline. This helps in the case where a risk occurs; the statistics of people who know what to do are many. Thus, the risk occurrence will not be fatal to the company at large. The system is able to adapt to changes in the organization. This ensures that the methodology can gain improvement. It can also be suited for the organization structure, as well. The organization(s) do not have to restructure in order to assimilate the system in their company. The system also changes according to the laws of the land. This prevents the system implementation in the organization to be unlawful (DiNardi, 2003, 56). The whole concept of the OSHMS system is evident in the form of a cycle of ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’. This is a Deming cycle that was formed in the 1950 which ensures the continuity of the business unit. This is as the cycle moves from one point to the next and ultimately returns to the starting point. The planning part involves the formation of the policies, objectives, provision of resources and the identification of risk. The Do process is where the entire system gains implementation in the company. This is after they see that the Plan part has no lose ends that will lead to the systems failure. The Check part is part of evaluating the whole system seeing if the occurrence of a risk will be suited for a planned course of action. This is because if the evaluation process is not done the risk may be too overwhelming even for the system. This is because the risk dynamics did not gain investigation; thus, the remedy was not suitable. The Act part is the part that allows the improvement of the system. It sees if the cycle is most effective as it is or it can gain development to suit the most effective system. This is the part the organization uses to react in terms of an accident occurring (Donatelle, 2009, 35). The OSHMS system is a toolbox. That is it is used by the organization as best as it sees fit. The toolbox is able to suit the size and nature of the organizations work. This is convenient for the various, diverse organizations. This is because not all businesses are the same in any way. Its dimensions can be evident for a small business as to an international business (DiNardi, 2003, 67). The system does not discriminate. It identifies that all businesses are essential no matter how small they are part of the bigger picture. They have customers, workers just like the big firms. They corporate with the big businesses, thus there is no need to exclude them. OSHMS system ensures that through its approaches their commitments made. This is by the employers signing and, thus, agreeing to the conditions of the system. This is, for example, learning on risk management trough out the business unit. The measures in terms of the prevention and protective should gain implementation in a cohesive way. This is how the activities of the business will not gain disruption. The employees should not also be reprimanded in terms of the systems advantages to them. This is because the employer may start bullying and acting cruel towards his/ her employees (Friend & James, 2007, 99). This is not a conducive environment for the employee to work. There should be partnership type of policy formation. The employers should be able to get views from the employees and the stakeholders. This will help in commitment as well as the whole organization feeling part of the system. They will also be able to perform in a more accountable way. This is because they know what is in expectation and they will thus not deviate from it. Advantages and disadvantages of an OSHMS The occupational safety and health system also comes with a number of advantages that are evident to the companies that use the system. They include; the integration properties of the system. This allows the organization to be able to have the same objectives, goals and purpose as the system. This helps in the costs that would otherwise accrue for an incompatible system. The skills that the system requires for implementation will not be hard to access. This is because the system is not complex (Baird, 2005, 87). The OSHMS system ensures harmony between the system and the standards. These are quality and quantity of the products or/ and services that a company produces will not be affected (Donatelle, 2009, 22). This is because the OSHMS is a tool that also stands for quality. It does not promote below standards services and goods. The businesses also cannot afford to be producing second grade goods. This will make the customers run away, and the competitors to excel. The system is a booster for the business unit in ensuring it maintains the standards set. The provision of a framework on the best ways to run and implement the system is evident. This ensures the systems formation is well done, and no faults are present that may be detrimental. The success of the system is thus halfway in the provision of the guidelines. This is because if the system gains implementation correctly it is bound to be a success. The guidelines are beneficial in terms of the process being less tedious. This is the methodology to follow is present (Kelly & Mcdermid, 2001, 9). The OSHMS system is also able to improve various areas of the organization. This is, for example, the communication process. The communication levels of the organization will have to be up to date (Holtz, 2008, 67). This is as a requirement for effective utilization of the system. The policies, rights and goals of the organization will also be comprehensive. They will include all parties of the business unit. This is as the system will apply a set of universal rules. This will also help in the corporation of the business with other businesses. That is those with the same OSHMS system as they will have almost the same communication and policies among other things. The system is able to enhance social dialogue within and without the organization. The organization will be able to talk to its employees, stakeholders, shareholders among other people that will provide views (James, 2005, 67). These are views on ways to improve the system, areas of fault of the system among other. This will help employers, and the other parties to get along well. This will help in corporation, harmony and understanding. The organization will also gain encouragement to be socially responsible. The OSHMS system also comes with some limitations. These are the things that limit the effective operating of the system. They include; the system limitation in terms of paperwork (Travaglia & Jeffrey, 2009, 50). The organization may defeat the system by indulging it in a lot of paperwork. This is better left for the manpower to handle that is the workers. In the process of adapting the OSHMS system, it should gain evaluation. This is because the implementation of the system is a change and employees may not embrace the change well. Thus, the system would be bound to fail(Holtz, 2008, 56). The resources that the systems require in implementation may limit the systems implementation. This is as smaller firms do not have the funds that a large firm would have. Hence, implementing the system would be tedious and not so much a success. Conclusion The purpose of the paper is to exhibit how the OSHMS system is a viable tool for business units. The main points of the essay show that the OSHMS is a system that is like no other in the introduction. The purpose of the system shows the areas that it best gains placement. In deciding whether to use the system or not, the advantages and disadvantages help in this. It is evident that the occupational safety and health system is vital to organizations. It is a tool that ensures that the workers health and safety is taken care of by the organization. It also helps the organization to gain better placement in its activities. Thus, it is a vital mechanism for the organization to have (World Day for Safety and Health Work, 2011, 99). References Baird, D. (2005). The implementation of a health and safety management system and its interaction with organizational/safety culture: an industrial case study. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 3(1), pp.32-89. DiNardi, S. (2003). The occupational environment: its evaluation, control, and management. USA: AIHA Press (American Industrial Hygiene Association). Donatelle, J. (2009). Health: the basics. USA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings. Friend, A., & James P. (2007). Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. USA: Government Institutes. Gran, V. (2002). European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. Belgium: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. Holtz, C. (2008). Global health care: issues and policies. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. James, P. (2005). Understanding health and safety outcomes: causes, methods and concepts. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 7(1), pp.50-87. Kelly, T., & Mcdermid, A. (2001). A systematic approach to safety case maintenance. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 71(3), pp.1-20. Stahl, M. (2004). Encyclopedia of health care management. Newyork: Sage Publications. Travaglia, J., & Jeffrey, B. (2009). Implementation of a patient safety incident management system as viewed by doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Health, 13 (3), pp.1-56. World Day for Safety and Health Work. (2011). OSH Management System: A tool for continual improvement. Spain: International Labor Organization. Read More