Occupational Health and Safety Consultancy Services
It is very crucial to assist the labours to figure out the exact source of their health complaints. On that ground, the studies especially on occupational diseases become especially important. Informing the labourers about the early symptoms of occupational diseases is both a legal obligation and an opportunity to achieve early diagnosis. Similarly, taking precautions against occupational accidents-which generally give a signal before the occurrence- is also among the considerable duties of occupational health and safety consultancy services.
On the other side, the topics such as job absenteeism, low efficiency and interruptions in production are in the area of interests of occupational health and safety, since they are in a way related to them.
Training in Occupational Health and Safety
Health and safety training provided by employers for workers are obliged by law, and it designates the special conditions of that workplace. Therefore, it is important to determine the accident risks and the factors that threaten workers? health before all else. It is legally required that workers should comply with the precautions taken by the employers. Thus, why these precautions have been taken and the necessity of complying with them should be clarified in detail and reminded over and over again.
All these training and reminding efforts should be realised by fellow workers, if not any, by the foreman. Furthermore, if some workers are trained in first aid and rescue in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and then, if these workers are charged with a duty of monitoring occupational safety at that workplace, successful results could be obtained. Yet meanwhile, it is necessary to achieve well training and regular monitoring of these workers. For more information and a detailed content, click to our web page on ?Training in Occupational Health and Safety?.
Hearing Protection Program
Occupational noise exposure is a health problem that is frequently encountered at workplaces. Effecting the hearing faculties of workers, it may be the cause of permanent deafness. Additionally, it is known that it also causes to nervous disorders, insomnia and fatigue. For workplaces at which workers are exposed to occupational noise, every employer shouldmeasure the level of noise periodically; examine the workers frequently in terms of their level of hearing; train the workers about the detriments of noise and about the protective methods; take pre-exposure precautions, and employers need to benefit from the consultancy services in order to re-organise and monitor the working environment.These efforts are also the first steps regarding the legal appeals of workers in the case of their moral and physical losses owing to their hearing loss. Respiratory Protection Program At workplaces, workers are exposed to various hazardous substances badly affecting their respiratory system, such as dusts and smokes par excellence. Still, the hazards of cigarette and its smoke ?as a common problem for all people- are the cause of major damages over the respiratory system.
- For the dusty and smoky workplaces, employers are required to ensure that their workers have their pulmonary x-rays taken; additionally, one of the most efficacious methods examining the hazards of these substances is pulmonary function tests (PFTs, spirometry or spirogram);
- Measurement of the level of dusts and smokes at workplaces;
- Training workers on the respiratory hazards and protective methods;
- Protective measures against the impingement of dusts and smokes upon people and taking advantage of the consultation services for redesigning and monitoring the workplace are significantly important in order to sustain production continuously and increasingly.
Fire and Earthquake Protection Program
Having faced with man-caused disasters like fire and the natural ones like earthquake, people have things to do. Besides, fire is the result of carelessness and negligence; therefore, if the neglect is revealed, the fire could be prevented also.What a pity that there is no such a chance for the natural disasters like earthquakes. Still, for both of them, the objective is to save people from these disasters urgently and consciously. On that ground, it is necessary to assemble a team against these disasters and to train it continuously under a persistent educational program.
Firsthand “First-Aid and Rescue” Training and its Organisation
It seems impossible to be successful in these issues, unless occupational medicine approach is complemented by two other important aspects of it, that are ?occupational health nurse? and ?a worker trained in first-aid and rescue?. It is because of the fact that any occupational physician ?unlike workers- is not nearby enough to provide ?firsthand? first-aid and rescue services at the moment of an accident, even if s/he is a full-time employee at that workplace. Similarly, a health official working together with workers is considered necessary in order to monitor the measures taken and to inform occupational physicians or health nurses immediately about the health problems. The worker(s) taking a course on ?First Aid and Rescue? should be trained on the basis of successive relations established with physicians and nurses, and of continuous training.
The Programme on Avoiding “Stress”
Living conditions also increase the burden of stress on individuals. Avoiding stress is worthwhile both for providing occupational health and safety services and for reducing individual problems.
Regular implementation of researches and tests regarding the burden of stress over individuals is essential in terms of monitoring their health problems.
The Measurement Programme at Workplace
Biological and environmental measurements at workplace is essential in both determining the hazards and taking preventive measures. In so far as the services that we provide are concerned, there are also blood tests, lead and toxic substance analysis, all kinds of biological tests (such as blood and urine tests) and environmental tests (such as noise pollution, hazardous dust, gas and smoke test).
Human Engineering and Ergonomics Laboratory
Productivity and effectiveness are important concepts in today?s world. Productive use of resources, especially of human resources, is of vital importance for our country. Moreover, transformation of the nature of work from labour-intensive to information-intensive state has increased the concern given to the quality of human resources. For this reason, in order to make our working and living standards got better, it is necessary to review our conception of working and living in a scientific way and to examine all micro and macro factors in our country affecting human productivity.
It is only through ergonomic approaches that we can fill the scientific gap and achieve the integration of science with work; therefore, we can make productivity and quality got better. By ODAK units constituted at workplaces by ?Human Engineering and Ergonomics Laboratory? under FISEK INSTITUTE, it will be possible for industrialists -with their support and free initiatives- to transfer science into working areas.
Human Engineering and Implementation Areas of Ergonomics:
- Safety, accident prevention;
- Efficient use of the resources;
- Designing of the workplace and office;
- Work study / analysis;
- Effects of environmental conditions on workplaces;
- Problems arising from computer-based working conditions;
- Ergonomic analysis and design of the workplace.
Counselling and Supporting Services for Workplace Physicians
Workplace-based medical services are obligatory for the workplaces employing 50 and more workers. For the ones employing less than 50, it is provided voluntarily, jointly or individually. However, physicians seem to remain stuck on the medical treatment services only. It is because of the nature of medicine education in Turkey; also workplace-based medical services have not taken root in our country as an occupation. Our programme aims to make these physicians productive in their main jobs, that is protective health services, and to ensure that they work harmoniously with people from different professions, yet working in the same field.
For this reason, we take advantage of the workplace visits, communication meetings, training seminars, publications and computer network services.
Establishment of Occupational Safety-Supportive Service System
Healthy and safe working conditions can only be provided through systematic team studies. For this reason, the following stages are essential:
- Risk analysis;
- Biological and Environmental Tests;
- Supportive Service System, Manpower Profile and Assignment;
- Training;
- Computer Network based Monitoring Programme, Consultancy, and Update Training.
Organisation of Occupational Health & Safety Council and Monitoring its Performance
Occupational health and safety council is another essential occupational health and safety issue to which employers should pay a special attention. The Relevant Regulation both determines the working principles and required participants of this council. Among the authorities from different professions, it aims to ensure auto-control and exchange of the experiences at a workplace.
In order to activate these councils, an Interior Bylaw should be issued as mentioned by and in conformity with the relevant regulation. Even the preparatory studies for issuing the bylaw have a great significance by their own, insofar as training is concerned.