Occupational risk prevention management systems
Contenido
Se ha demostrado que la prevención de la siniestralidad y la mejora en las condiciones de trabajo a la par que la búsqueda de la rentabilidad económica y la optimización de la producción, otorgan a las empresas un valor añadido. Por este motivo, los sistemas de gestión de calidad también han alcanzado la seguridad y salud ocupacional, desarrollando protocolos y normas que ayudan a las organizaciones a mejorar su gestión de recursos humanos.
Occupational Risk Prevention Law
Until the entry into force of the Spanish Constitution, the National Insurance Institute integrated the functions of Social Affairs, including those related to work accidents and their prevention. This institution became extinct with the publication of Royal Decree Law 36/1978, thus beginning a process that was finalized with the publication of Law 31/1995, of November 8, on the Prevention of Occupational Risks"), in force since February 10, 1996. As applicable legislation, add the Directive from which it comes, basically 89/391/EEC, the R.D. 39/1997, which approves the Regulation of Prevention Services, as well as the reform of its regulatory framework according to Law 54/2003, of December 12, reforming the regulatory framework for the prevention of occupational risks.
In Peru, there is Law No. 29783 – Occupational Health and Safety Law, enacted on 08/20/2011, a law that regulates management in the prevention of occupational risks, based on the OHSAS Standard 18001 version 2007.
Safety and health
The evaluation of the general and specific risks of the activity carried out by workers allows them to be classified according to their severity. Once the category of occupational risks is known, preventive activity planning will be carried out in order to avoid said risks, or, where appropriate, minimize the consequences if said risk materializes against the safety and health of the worker.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science that is responsible for the design of workplaces, tools and tasks that match the physiological, anatomical, psychological characteristics and capabilities of the worker. It seeks the optimization of the three elements of the system (human-machine-environment), for which it develops study methods of the person, the technique and the organization.
Applied Psychosociology
In the spiral of psychological study that leads to the analysis of working conditions, the specialty called psychosociology at work has been developed, whose objectives are to eliminate the effects, and above all the causes, of what in the contemporary Western world we call stress and 'mobbing'.
Prevention plan
The prevention plan") is the tool through which the company's preventive activity is integrated into its general management system and its occupational risk prevention policy is established, with objectives and goals. In short, it constitutes the description of the organizational structure and responsibilities, which develops a management system through procedures, instructions and records, to carry out the risk prevention action in the company, in the terms that are established by regulation.
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
It is the mapping that is carried out in order to detect the dangers contained in the activities to be carried out, and find the degree of damage produced by the risk inherent to said danger. It is commonly carried out under 2 criteria: probability and severity, although currently there are more sophisticated methods to carry out said evaluation.
The initial evaluation of occupational risks is the first part of the implementation of the prevention management system. When the result of the evaluation makes it necessary, the employer will carry out periodic controls of the working conditions and the activity of the workers in the provision of their services, to detect potentially dangerous situations. This is reflected in the writing of Hygiene Reports (Luxometry, Noise and Thermal Stress), Ergonomics, Load Management, etc.
Preventive activity planning
Following the risk assessment process and in the event that the need to control the risk is observed, the joint prevention service will clearly highlight the situations in which it is necessary to adopt preventive or protective measures and their type, as well as the periodic control that must be applied.
For all those cases in which the initial risk assessment revealed risk situations, preventive activities will be planned by the joint prevention service, in collaboration with the person responsible for prevention and the prevention delegates, including for each preventive activity the deadline for carrying it out, the designation of those responsible and the human and material resources necessary for its execution.
The employer ensures the effective execution of the preventive activities included in the planning, carrying out continuous monitoring thereof. This monitoring takes place in the meetings of the Management Committee, the Health and Safety Committee, and in the day-to-day tasks of the person responsible for prevention.
Information, consultation and participation of workers
When workers exercise their right to representation, they can choose from among themselves a representative, who must be informed and consulted, and participate in those decisions made by the company on issues related to risk prevention management. In this way, monitoring is guaranteed along with the improvement of the conditions of economic management, quality and maintenance of the machinery, together with the monitoring of the planning of preventive activity, information and training for workers in preventive matters, and consultation, participation and motivation of workers.
Emergency plan and self-protection manual
The self-protection manual describes the possible emergency situations in the company, as well as the possible alternatives to achieve their resolution and minimize their damage. This manual consists of a risk assessment, the enumeration of the means of protection, the description of the emergency plan and the implementation of the established measures.
The occupational risk in this case will be evaluated to offer exhaustive information to the Public Fire Extinction Services and the Civil Protection Services.
The means of protection will be identified, both human resources and material means available for self-protection tasks. From a simple fire extinguisher to a dry column, through hydrants and equipped fire hydrants, we find a wide range of means of protection.
When emergency situations are detected, the emergency manager evaluates the situation and decides whether or not to activate the emergency plan. If so, activate the emergency and evacuation alarm and the rest of the intervention, evacuation and first aid team participate in managing the emergency.
The emergency plan studies the different emergency hypotheses and the action plans for each of them, as well as the system for total or partial evacuation of the farm.
A drill plan is carried out annually to identify opportunities for improvement in emergency management, such as: unusually dangerous places or work equipment, evacuation times, bottlenecks in partial or complete evacuation, etc.
Health monitoring
Over the years it has been proven that working conditions can consistently affect the worker's abilities, such as visual acuity, musculoskeletal functionality, and any other aspect related to occupational health.
The health surveillance service will carry out monitoring of the health of workers through medical examinations of new hires, periodic health examinations of all staff and specific health examinations. If as a result of these examinations, the worker is not suitable or shows restrictions, the Prevention Service together with the worker and the Prevention Manager analyze the situation, re-evaluating, changing or adapting the position, carrying out a specific examination, etc.