Importance of effective safety programmes to industries

Introduction

Accidents and injuries are supposed be prevented rather than detection in other to bring express sympathy. It can be merely achieved through the safety measures which prepare workers against every problem or hazardous thing that arise from their working places. Safety services are those services in the industry geared towards the maintenance, prevention and improvement of health of the entire workers in industry (Unuraye & Olojoba 2003).

An effective safety programme plays a very great role in the prevention of occupational hazards to workers. The word safety measures refer to measures put in place to prevent injuries and accidents that may occur in working places. The aim of this article is to create awareness of safety in industries as a means of prevention of injuries and accidents as they affect workers. When there are injuries and accidents, improper safety measures noticed, and this study will help to reduce the ineffective safety in industries. One of the biggest problems of safety is that industries owner’s managers pretend not to be aware of the laws industrial activities. It is the role of the management to ensure in every unit of work in industries. Some industries safety programmes have not been allowed by some managers (Achalu, 2000).

Safety means preventing injuries and accidents. It was argued strongly that accidents can be controlled and it was ignorance of safety precautions, inefficiency and carelessness that prevent people from safety. The outcry against these sorrowful conditions of workers in the working place is to bring changes among the workers and the general public on how to save this poor working situation of workers in industries (Aibor & Olorunda, 2006). Industrial safety could be defined as a counter measure crucial in any hazardous plant such as oil and gas plants and nuclear plants. They are used to protect human, plant and environment in case the process goes beyond the control margins (Nwachukwu 2002).

History of industrial safety, as we know it today, did not begin take shape until the early 20^th century. Before that many risked their lives daily going to work in industrial settings that include construction, mills and manufacturing. In today’s world, work safety statistics are usually measured by the number of injuries or death take place yearly. Prior to 1900 these type of statistics are bard come by, in part because it appeared that no one care enough to make tracking on the job injuries and death a priority.

There are different types of industrial safety which include; Process Safety System or Process Shut-down System (PSS), Safety Shut-down System (SSS) and Fire and Gas System (FGS). The Process Safety System; this can only be activated from main control room in the process industrial plants. The Safety Shutdown System (SSS) is a type of industrial safety that shutdown the facilities to a safe state in case of an emergency situation, thus protecting the personnel, the environment and the asset.

Benefit of industrial safety embedded systems with high safety requirements contribute more and more to the total costs and value creation in a large variety of equipment serving application areas such as transport applications (automotive, aerospace, rail), industrial applications process control and automation),medical and energy generation applications (Acriven & Orme, 2004). Many prominent stakeholders of these domains are represented in the project. The main effects of poor industrial safety are resulting inefficiency and labour unrest in mental laziness on the part of both management and labour.

Management is not sufficiently concerned to ascertain the causes of inefficiency and unrest following faire policy, until it is faced with strikes and more serious unrest. Method of working management does not bother device best method but leave it mainly to the subordinate to work it out for themselves. However the following are briefly the effects of poor industrial safety;

• An intolerant attitude of contempt towards the workers on the part of management.
• Inadequate fixation of wage or wage structure.
• Indiscipline
• Unhealthy working conditions.
• Inadequate welfare facilities.
• Lack of human relations skill on the part of supervisors and other managers

(Oseghe & Odejerho, 2009).

Conceptual framework

WAHEB (1991) stated that, the appalling weight of ill health among workers has really been due to rude exploitation of the workers and his family without the thought of his health. Other factors have been as a result of the endemic and epidemic disease which the workers liable to have due to his poor safety conduction. No prosperity can be attained in the face of wide spread of disease among the working population of any industry or firms. Realizing the truth that health safety and welfare of the workers are importance to economic development, government should realize the importance of occupational health services. Olojoba (2009) went further to say that occupational accident is a major cause of personal and economic loss to workers, their families, employees and the nation. Accident, have many serious direct and indirect effects on the workers. Some of these costs include suffering due to injury, loss of income, possible loss of jobs and health care expenditure.

The indirect costs to workers are equally numerous it have been estimated to be four to ten times greater than the direct costs. These costs are often difficult to measure one of the most obvious cost is the human suffering which cannot be compensated with money. The indirect costs include slow down loses because the injured workers has to be replaced and a new worker has to be trained. This takes time for the new workers to produce at the rate of the original workers. In addition, accidents often arouse the concern of fellow workers and influence labour relations in a negative way, resulting in loss of goodwill and business patronage in some cases.

The level of awareness of safety programmes in industries

In the same view, Emerharole, (1984) stated that due to the lack f the awareness and level of understanding about the effect of safety conduction in the industries maintenance of both internal and external environment of factory is not done and it is an essential weapon against accident and occupational hazards.

Park (2005) stated that the general practitioners are made available for those industries. They are usually based on the urban areas and are employed on part-time bases. However, most of the practitioners have little or no knowledge of industrial accident and their inherent risk. Therefore little attention is usually paid to the working environment and the effects of poor safety conditions involved in production of goods. He also find out that the effort made to protect the workers from poor safety condition came about 500 years later, when a Roman scholar recognized the danger inherent in the production of glass. This moves him to design a productive mask which was to be used by workers exposed to large amount of disease and health problems.

Accident among workers in industries as a result of poor safety programme

World Health Organization (WHO) described health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being of an individual and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. By this reasonable definition given one would asked whether million of workers are clearly enjoying the good health or not. They cannot enjoy the good health until a massive and concrete attack Is made on the poor safety conditions in the Nigeria working environment that causes not only disease but also increase mental stress and disruption to social and family life to due preventable industrial accident.

Unuraye and Olojoba (2005) stated that hazards are any state of unsafe condition in both properties and equipment or personnel. Emerharole, (1982) also pointed out that hazard is sometimes synonymous with accident but this cannot be, since accident could only occur as a result of exposure to hazardous situations and it represents hypothetical situations where workers works, with any unguarded machine in poorly industrial working environment. He further says that a person exposed to such hazardous condition is likely to be involved in an accident.

Causes of accidents

It is said that accident do not happen, there are factors that causes accidents in work environment which are related to unsafe act and unsafe condition. Olojoba (2009) observed that human individual factors can result to accident, because they are related to individual different or factors such as age, lack of knowledge experience or skills, ill health and physical disability of the workers due to health condition such as visual or hearing defects, epilepsy, psychological factors with c co-workers, presence of emotional problems such as worry, fear, tension, lack of concentration, inability to follow instruction etc. she further explicated that environmental factors could be lead to individual accident. Nwachukwu (2002) pointed out that accident in industry could be caused by the failure of management to guard or project or fence off all dangerous part of machines. Machinery movement usually occurs by way of rotation whichever way the movement take place, all parts machinery in motion such as sprockets and chains, fly-wheels and convey or belts, revolving shafts of reciprocating spindle must be securely guarded so as to make it difficult for people to make contact with them. Accidents is rarely occurs from single cause rather they occur as a result of a combination of causes and other contributory of factors relating to the workers.

Oseghe and Odejerho (2009) accident are caused, they are not due to “home trouble” consequently, knowing the likely accident caused factors in your place of work, will enable you to avoid them, all accidents, whether due to minor machine/material can be broadly group under causes.

Effect of safety negligence

The effect of safety negligence according to Oseghe and Odejerho (2009) are as follows;

• Money loss: The Company incurs losses through money paid for medical treatment of accident victims.
  1. Burial expenses in case of death.
  2. Salary while workers are still ill/sick (for zero production).
  3. Compensation for disability.
• Time loss: As a very popular musical record put it, “time na mom” yes time is money and so the production time lost due to an accident is money lost.
• By fellow workers helping the victim and leaving their jobs.
• Follow workers group around discussing the accident.
• Attending burial ceremonies.

3) Reputation: A company with a record of many serious accidents some of which are fatal has bad reputation in the eyes of every body. Such a company’s name stinks. Its client withdraws their contracts. Many skilled and experienced workers may quit. Government may withdraw it operation license.

4) Accident: Accidents are caused due to some factors which are not taken into consideration. They are;

1. Improper use of equipment, use materials, tools and equipment in a manner for which it is not intended such as using a spanner as hammer kicking instead of carrying taking unsafe posture.
2. Unsafe work place, overcrowded work place, inadequate entrance and space for moving object, poor illumination and ventilation and excessive noise.
3. Unsafe clothing, improper and inadequate clothing.

The effects of poor industrial safety in Nigeria

The main effects of poor industrial safety is resulting from inefficiency and labour unrest in a mental laziness on the both management and labour management is not sufficiently concerned to ascertain the causes of inefficiency and unrest following faire policy, until it is faced with strikes and more serious unrest. Even method of working management does not bother devise best method but leave it mainly to the subordinate to work it out for themselves.

However the followings are briefly the effects of poor industrial safety:

• Inadequate fixation of wage structure.
• An intolerant attitude of contempt of part of management.
• Indiscipline
• Unhealthy working conditions.
• Lack of human relations skill on the part of supervisors and other managers.
• Unduly heavy workloads.
• Inadequate welfare facilities.
• Unfair labour practices, like victimization and undue dismissal.
• Inter union rivalries

(Ayodele, 1999).

References

Achalu, E. I. (2000). Occupational Health and Safety. Lagos: Simarch Nig. Ltd

Acriven, A. & Orme, J. (2004). A Textbook on Health Promotion. Professional Perspective (2^nd ed.).

Adetokunbo, L. O. & Herbert (2003). Short Textbook of Public Health Medicine for the Tropics

Aibor, M. S & Olorunda, J. O. (2006). Technical Handbook of Environmental Health in the 21 Century for Professionals and Students. Akure: Divine Favour Publishing Company.

Ayodele, B. A. (1999). Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene. National Safety Council Journal. Vol. 6 No. 5, Pg 22,

Nwachukwu A. E. (2002). Industrial and Occupational Health and Safety (2^nd ed.) Owerri: Totan Publishers Ltd.

Olojoba, A. O. & Unuraye, L. O. (2005). Fundamentals of Industrial and Environmental Health Management (1^st ed.). Ughelli; Ama-Ohoror Printing Press Coy.

Olojoba, A. O. (2009). Millennium Technology in Waste Management and Environmental Pollution Mitigation. Ughelli: Ama-Ohoror Printing Press Coy.

Oseghe, E. E. & Odejerho, E. E. (2009). Basic Occupational Health and Safety Education (1^st ed.). Ughelli: Emoghene Press.

Park, K. (2005) Preventive and Social Medicine. (17^th ed). India: M/s Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers.

Unuraye, L. O. and Olojoba, A. O. (2003). A Functional Book on Occupational Safety and Environmental Health Management. (1^st ed.), Ughelli: Ama-Ohoror Printing Press Coy.