Work Place
and
Fire Safety
INTRODUCTION
Safety encompasses all the measures and activities aimed at protecting people’s lives, health, and physical well-being. In the workplace, safety is assessed through various metrics, including rates of incidents, injuries, fatalities, and illnesses (Afa Michael, 2018). To improve these metrics, it’s crucial for both staff and managers to be vigilant about any incidents and regularly review workplace safety protocols. Ensuring compliance with safety measures and updating them as needed is essential.
This assignment focuses on a forklift truck accident at a manufacturing company, where the record shows mostly minor injuries. The situation has drawn media attention, suggesting potential management issues. The report will analyze the accident’s causes, propose an improvement plan for future safety practices, and ensure compliance with RIDDOR requirements. Additionally, it will recommend appropriate safety measures to minimize compensation claims and outline an action plan to enhance workplace safety.
MAIN BODY
1. Immediate and underlying causes of the accident within the improvement plan
There are defined different reasons that become reason of accident like slips and trips, falls, being caught in machinery, being struck by an object, lift goods through truck in warehouse and most other accidents type are preventable. There are discussed different reason of the fork lift accidents in the manufacturing company such as:
- Speeding: Many times driver become irresponsible during drive and do not comfortable with the vehicle so that time travelling too fast on a fork lift shortens a driver's reaction time.
- Housekeeping issues: If work place housekeeping mess so it become unsafe working atmosphere for the driver. Such as, a lack of clear driving approach can easily lead for the sedate accidents. To developing fork lifts only arise when putting up different barriers that take long way regarding to safer work atmosphere (Guntrip, 2017).
- Poorly trained driver: A poorly trained driver responsible for the changing work place so carry of new inventory goods, barriers and staff members or changes in floor gradient that problems are become reason of inexperienced operator.
For these accidents prepare as improvement plan where defined all the safety that taken by the organisation to aware for these accidents and does not happen in the future such as:
- Slow Down: Post speed limit indicate around the facility and assure about the forklift drivers to follow all the rules and regulations regarding to speed such as it keeps about 5.
- Provide training: OSHA requires that each driver of forklift have training that how to operate in the warehouse other wise it become reason of big accidents. So it is required to analysis the efficiency that based on the provisions of 1910.178(1)(3) every three years.
- Slow down for turns: Due to turning time require to take slow turn otherwise too fast can become reason of the forklift to tilt. To ignore these tipping take slow down before the turn and arrange all the gradual speed by the overall all rotation (Jinnett and et. Al, 2017).
There are defined different mechanism that apply by the organisation at the work place to improve future safety practice and safety culture.
- Provide proper training to all the employees regarding to safety and in any accident cases how to take effective decisions.
- Use all the equipments in good manner for improve future safety and safety culture.
- Time to time examine all the equipments and change if find out any damages.
- Follow all the rules and regulations regarding to safety that set by the government for different work place and according to that take effective decision.
2. Prevention of further injuries to staff members
In present time manufacturing business could not conduct functions without any forklifts because it impact on the power and mobility as these helpful, ubiquitous tools can present all the related hazards. This infographic show the dangerous of forklift, and provide different preventions that can utilise for accidents and assure about the facility stays safe.
- Educate staff members and management staff: To continuous cultivate a safety standard among staff members and staff management. For this purpose necessary to train workers regarding to work and how to keep safe from the accident possibilities. Supplemental training in body mechanics can deduct strain injuries and keep staff members safe due to lifting and moving (Muchiri, McMurray and Pham, 2018).
- Provide protection equipment: Personal protection equipment require at the work place because it helps to create safety criteria. It should be helping to recruiting, meetings and with spontaneous monitoring. So take sufficient time to guide staff members regarding to protection and organise different safety events.
- Don't take shortcuts: Many time forklift to save time lift heavy goods so as a result it become reason of the accidents so it is required to follow all the rules of the forklift like reduce speed, take slow turn, don't put over weight on lift etc.
- Monitor safety measure: After the training examine all the safety tools that provide by the organisation to employees regarding to safety and if any damage find so replace it.
3. Meeting the requirements of RIDDOR
RIDDOR is the law that require to follow by all the staff members and other people that work on higher position and track all the records. So work related accidents become reason of deaths. Due to work related accidents occur some serious injuries and some dig nosed cases of certain industrial diseases. As an employer, it is legal requirement to keep report all the accidents no matter how big or small and impact on the health of work. For the legally compliant keep all the records regarding to accidents. So there is following the requirements such s:
- Tracking all the reportable accidents, injuries, work related deaths and specific injuries lasting more then seven days.
- Keeping all records in a file, accident book in written or on a computer.
- RIDDOR reporting done by the online reporting system where use HSE website.
- Understand all the patterns which is related to injuries and focused when undertaking risk evaluation.
- A company have more than 10 accidents so must carry a book where mention all the detail about the accidents (Tulashie, Addai and Annan, 2016) .
- It is suggested that RIDDOR keep all the records for 5-6 years in respect to enable time for any civil litigation to be made.
4. Compliance with health and safety act 1974, information, training, instruction and supervision for employees
Employment legislation are the most essential part that need to be followed by the company effectively. It's basically prepared by the local authorities to safeguard the interest of employee and offer them the safe condition to work. So the policies need to be drafted in such a manner it maintain the employer employee relation and offer healthy working conditions to the staff. As per the 'Four lift truck accident' case study experienced the major accident because they were constantly changing the working practice due to which the employee became the sufferer. So there are certain legislation like Health and Safety act 1974 that configure the wide range of duties that employer need to follow. For instance, the employer are bound to offer the healthy working conditions to the employee so that as per respective manufacturing company the chances of minor or major accidents can be mitigated (Wadud and Huda, 2017). The manufacturing company is the conglomerate of production, storage as well as transportation where the safety adviser need to concentrate on each function. As it involve the use of tool and technique that need to handled suitably otherwise it may cause the chances of accident.
Along with that training is the essential practice that enhances the skill and capability of the personnel to safely handle the equipment. Fork lift trick was used for the convenience of people so that they can easily reach from one place to another that save the time and energy to perform the activities. Along with that it help to carry small loads from one place to the other. But before giving the truck the personnel manager need to train the staff effectively so that they lead hoe to operate the vehicle which substantially reduces the chances of accidence. Although the employee have been a part of either small or major accident that depict the ineffective management system of the manufacturing company. Thus, the close supervision and instruction can assist the manufacturing company to eradicate the chances of accidents and any injury by adopting the safety measures effectively. This is the safety precaution that enrich the loyalty of personnel and even the manufacturing firm need not to face any media because these accidents are affect someone's life life and can shut down the company. Therefore, the manager need to opt special precaution to safeguard the lives of people (Wanjeri, Kinoti and Olewe, 2018).
5. Minimising potential for compensation claims
Compensation claims are usually taken during the time of severe injury as well as accidents taken place at the workplace. At this circumstances the manager are liable to pay the amount to the employee to recover its injury and get back to the normal situation. These payments are carried out on the basis of legal laws so the company must not take the actions to escape or give excuses while issuing these claims. As the representatives of the company cannot compensate the situation of the employee but these claims can come in the sue of employees. This include the medical benefit or care that make sure it upgrade the situation of person. Although at the initial state it is the responsibility of the manager that they need to make the close supervision and take sufficient time to train the staff because the constant practice can assist the employee to carry out the routine task effectively. Such process can eradicate chances of injury. According to the case study it is the responsibility of the manger of manufacturing company to compensate the employee for their injury due to the Fork lift truck accidents as the help or funds is the useful way to recover the situation. Along with that as the media are interest to telecast whole situation then offering desirable compensation can help to retain the image of company. Further, the manufacturing company need to educate the team that how efficiency they can operate the forklift without being part of an accidents (Wiman, Lydell and Nyholm, 2016). This leads to better handling of the equipment along with that they employer can facilitate the information to the employee that where they can address during the time of injuries. This maintain the clarity in terms of report the confined department that deeply analyse the whole incident and guide the actions of employee by giving them the compensation claim. This further generate the better understanding where everyone understand the actions and leads to cooperation. So it is the responsibility of the personnel manger to console the injured staff by compensating all the medical bills and claims which act as an action to enhance their situation desirably.
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6. Action plan designed to minimise similar accident occurring in the future
Fork lift truck accident that took place in the manufacturing firm is the undesirable condition that can affect the life of employee and goodwill of an organisation. So the chances of both minor and major injuries are the dangerous situation for the firm because it signifies that it is not able to carry out the storage, production and transportation function effectively (Wong and Lee, 2016). Therefore, there are certain actions plans which need to be prepared by the manufacturing company in order to eradicate the chances of accidents that can take place in the future. Explanation of the procedure are stated below:
Safety policies: At this stage the manager of company needs to assemble together and makes discussion about the past scenario and decide the way by which these dangerous situation can be avoided in the future. This gives deep insight where focus is given to the area that can mitigate the chances of accidents. Under this either the company can make decision either to discard the use Forklift truck or use other mechanise to overcome the workplace hazard.
Safety Incentives: To promote the safe working conditions the personnel manager can direct the employees that how they have to function and operate the tool. Along with that they can reward the employee if they find them suitable enough to use the mechanise. This is the motivating factor that pushes the effort of employee in right direction and function under the commitments and guidelines measure.
Safety training: This is the most essential procedure under which the manager of manufacturing company needs to provide them the theoretical as well as practical training programme. This enriches the ability of an individual to coordinate with the efforts of trainer and learning the desirable practices for the better functioning of firm. Along with that the new employee needs to be the part of advance safety training practice that undergo the safety measure to operate the truck and other mechanise without harming themselves (Woodfield, 2016).
Safety audit: Audit refers to the monitoring practice under which the manager of manufacturing firm analyse the functioning and the regular changes. This does not leaves the scope for accident as whatever the incidents which can occur in future are determine and proper actions are used to avoid them. Manufacturing firm need carry out the audit on weekly or monthly basis to determine the application of potential metrics.
CONCLUSION
Based on the report, it’s clear that a safe working environment is essential, regardless of the size or type of business. Ensuring workplace safety involves adhering to established procedures and using high-quality equipment. The case study highlights the need for thorough training for drivers and staff on workplace safety practices. Compliance with RIDDOR requirements, specifically related to workplace accidents, is crucial. Implementing various health and safety regulations and providing appropriate compensation for accidents are necessary steps.
To effectively address these issues, consider seeking programming assignment help for any technical aspects and using a grammar checker tool to ensure clear and precise documentation. Finally, develop a comprehensive action plan to implement all necessary measures and reduce the risk of future accidents.
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