Occupational Health and Safety Management

This assignment provides an in-depth exploration of occupational health and safety management (OHSM). It covers the definition and importance of OHSM, its various aspects such as risk assessment, hazard control, and emergency planning. The assignment also discusses case studies from different industries like mining, construction, and healthcare, highlighting the need for effective OHSM to prevent accidents and ensure a safe working environment.

Running head: Occupational Health
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1Occupational Health
Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
Part 1:.........................................................................................................................................2
· Agent that present in the workplace.....................................................................2
· Duration of exposure............................................................................................3
· Inadequate control measures.................................................................................3
· Pre-existing medical condition of the worker.......................................................4
· Medical surveillance for mineral dust..................................................................4
Part 2:.....................................................................................................................................4
· Background of the company.................................................................................4
· Details work process where the affected worker is assigning..............................5
· Biodata and Occupational History of the worker.................................................6
· Medical surveillance report..................................................................................7
· Workplace risk assessment report.........................................................................7
· Corrective and Preventative measures taken......................................................15
References:...............................................................................................................................18

2Occupational Health
Introduction:
The report is based on the case study of Mr. X (name withheld), who has been
working in the quarry for the last 10 years. Over the last two weeks he reported of cough,
difficulty in breathing and poor appetite, to the company panel doctor. X ray report revealed
occupational lung disease, which means that his problem was related to the workplace. The
report will analyze and investigate the possible factors in the workplace that contributed to
the health condition reported by Mr. X and measures that can be taken to prevent such
incidents.
The symptoms presented by the patient seem to be consistent with that of Silicosis.
The symptoms of silicosis often start after few weeks to years after exposure to dust of silica,
and symptoms generally worsen due to gradual scarring of the lungs due to continued
exposure. Silicosis can be evidenced by abnormalities in X ray, and accompanied by
symptoms like cough, difficulty in breathing and symptoms of chronic bronchitis (lung.org,
2018).
Investigation of the workplace reveled the following information:
Part 1:
· Agent that present in the workplace
The hazardous agents found in the quarry included: suspended dust and particulate
matter (like limestone, coal, kaolin and silica), Methylene chloride or dichloromethane,
petroleum products (like bitumen, grease and oil), welding fumes and sensitizers like
isocyanates. These substances are common hazardous agents found in quarries, and can
increase occupation health risks (Hse.gov.uk., 2018).

3Occupational Health
The most abundant hazard however was suspended particles, especially that of silica
crystals. This silica dust is produced by the chipping, grinding and drilling of the soil in the
quarry. The silica dust was primarily dissipated from the quartz that was mined in the quarry.
Quartz is a very common mineral found in all types of rocks, clays, stones, shale and gravel,
and is miners exposed to quartz dust are highly prone to develop silicosis (Hse.gov.uk.,
2018).
The other hazardous materials were minimal and were within the safety limits.
· Duration of exposure
Mr. X was having been working in the quarry for the last 10 years, and in much of
this time he was involved in the mining of gold and quartz. During this duration Mr. X used
adequate protective gear to safeguard from the hazards, however over the last year he was
using defective gear that did not provide protection from particulate dust, due to which he
was exposed to the dust in the quarry.
· Inadequate control measures
Investigation on the operations of the quarry highlighted several lacks in the control
measures for safety and well being of the minders. These inadequacies were underlined by a
reduction in the participation in workplace health and safety activities by the miners and
management. Also, regular and thorough inspection of protective gear was not done to
identify faulty gear. Over the last few years, enough initiatives were not taken by the
management towards risk management, risk characterization and exposure assessment.
Moreover the inspections that were done mostly focused mostly on high risk substances like
abrasive chemicals and heavy machinery, but not on substances that can cause long term
problems (like silica dust). Insufficient measures were taken to ensure compliance of safety

4Occupational Health
protocols, due to which several employees were not using complete gear to protect from
particulate dust matters.
· Pre-existing medical condition of the worker
Assessment for any pre existing medical conditions, found that none of the Mr. X had
no disease when he started his job in the mine. Working as a truck driver and the regular
night shifts however made him insomniac, but he uses self managing strategies to help him
sleep. He did not complain of any serious injuries or illness before he joined this company.
This highlighted that the chronic condition reported by Mr. X is due to the exposure to the
hazards in the quarry.
· Medical surveillance for mineral dust
Medical surveillance of the quarry was done immediately for mineral dust, and found
very high amounts of suspended dust in the air (15-20mg/m3), with 70% of the dust
containing silica, and the rest comprised of coal, limestone and kaolin). The size of the dust
particles are found to vary between 5-80 microns. The smallest particles are most likely to
remain suspended for a long time and thus be inhaled more often by the miners.
Part 2:
· Background of the company
The mining company has been operational for the last 20 years, and has been involved
in the mining of Gold as well as Pure Quartz, Amethyst crystals and rock crystals in a granite
mine. The company mined expensive crystals for the production of gemstones. The company
also specialized in the making of gems from blue quartz, rose quartz, smoky quartz and
rutilated quartz and in the jewelry from the gold.

5Occupational Health
Over the last 5 years, the production of gold has decreased drastically, and the quarry
now focuses mainly on quartz extraction. The company also suffered significant losses in the
last 3 years, and had several changes in the management. The current management was new
in the organization, compared to the workers, which affected the communication between the
management and miners. The management scrapped of several important policies like the
selection of health and safety champion from the miners, and having daily huddles on health
and safety. Due to the transition in the management, several important activities like
inspection and risk management was not done properly.
Currently, the company employs 50 miners for the mining operation, and 5 employees
overseeing logistics. The company employs 2 managers who overlook the operations of the
quarry.
· Details work process where the affected worker is assigning
Mr. X works in the mine and his job included breaking the rocks and sorting and
feeding them to the crusher for the preparation of sludge. The worker monitors the mining
process of gold and quarts, and also sorts the ore manually to differentiate the gold containing
and quartz containing ores. Since gold is the most expensive, ore containing gold is given the
higher precedence, and Mr. X ensures that any rock that might contain gold is immediately
and correctly sorted.
The quarry consists of series of mine shafts that sinks into the quartz reefs
underground, where gold could also be mined. During the mining process, the hard rocks in
the quarry are broken down with heavy mining equipments and explosives. The ore is then
sorted according to their sizes and the rocks are then crushed to extract any gold within it.
Any ore that contains pure quartz is used for the extraction of quartz. The debris containing
the ore is brought to the surface of the quarry using conveyer belts and then put in collecting

6Occupational Health
trays, where Mr. X sorts them out manually. During the ore extraction and transportation
copious amounts of dust is liberated, to which all the workers are exposed to.
· Biodata and Occupational History of the worker
Mr. X dropped out of college where he was studying history, and started working as a
driver to support his ailing parents. He was able to study mining technology while working as
a truck driver, and subsequently completed certification course in mining, after which he got
the job in his present company. He is married, with two children, and currently lives with his
wife. His elder son is working as an engineer in a construction work, while his younger
daughter is married and lives abroad. Mr. X is very active physically, and does a lot of
exercise and in work he has to constantly remain mobile. He has been employed formally for
the last 20 years, and started his career as a truck driver. However, during his college days, he
also used to deliver newspapers for his daily allowances.
Mr. X has been working in the mining industry for the last 10 years. During this time,
he moved from a mine worker to a worker supervisor, and oversees the process of mining and
ore transportation. He is also responsible for the sorting of high value ores like gold, and
identifying pure quartz. He is very skilled in the process of mining, due to which his work is
mostly restricted inside the mines where the rocks are being cut. His expertise in the usage of
heavy machinery also allows him to ensure safety of other workers in the quarry.
Before working in this mining company, Mr. X used to drive heavy trucks
transporting heavy factory machinery cross country. He was employed in that work for 10
years, during which he also got promoted twice, and got several recommendations from his
past employer. His work implied driving for long hours through interstate roads usually
overnight.

7Occupational Health
Before working as a driver, Mr. X used to deliver news paper in his neighborhood,
and used to cycle avidly through the day. He was employed contractually, and worked there
for only 2 years, when he was studying in college. However, after dropping out of college, he
left the work for the driving job.
· Medical surveillance report
Medical surveillance report showed the following findings:
Out of the 50 miners, 15 miners who were regularly working in the mine extraction
site in the last 6 months have shown symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary symptoms.
None of the 15 miners had any pre existing chronic health condition before joining the mines.
Of them, 10 employees were experiencing chronic cough and shortness of breath with
occasional nausea and loss of appetite (including Mr. X), while the others have been facing
mild cough and pain in the chest for the last one month. Two of the 15 members have already
been diagnosed with acute silicosis, and is currently on medical leave for treatment. All the
15 miners x ray report shows extensive scarring of the lung tissues, and have significantly
affected their health.
Of the rest 45 miners, 5 miners had chronic health conditions like diabetes (2 miners)
and hypertension (3 miners). However, their exposure to dust is limited as they do not work
in the extraction process. The rest 40 miners were also found to be healthy to continue with
their jobs.
· Workplace risk assessment report
Occupational health and safety assessment is used to determine the potential risks to
the safety and health of the workers. In this process, any health hazards are assessed and the
physio-chemical properties of substances or agents are characterized to estimate safe

8Occupational Health
exposure levels and characterizing its risks on health and wellbeing of the workers. The
assessment is divided into exposure assessment to identify the source of occupational
exposure. Exposure is estimated based on the activities in the workplace, mode of exposure,
frequency and duration. Risk is calculated by the sum of likelihood of an accident occurring
and its severity level. Risks that has a value between 6 and8 is considered high risk, values of
4 and 5 is considered moderate risks, while values of 1 to 3 are considered low risks. This
grading allows characterization of the risks, and can make the management of risks easier, by
allowing prioritization of risks (Nicnas.gov.au, 2018). Discussed below is the risk assessment
sheet conducted for the mining quarry where Mr. X is employed, to analyze the risks and
hazards in the workplace, and strategies that can be used to correct and prevent the incidence.
Task Hazards Risks Risk Value Corrective
Measures
Preventat
ive
Measure
s
Likelih
ood L
(1-4)
Sever
ity S
(1-4)
Risk
Level
(L+S)
1. Drilling
Tunnels
and
breakin
g rocks
a. Falling
debris
and
loose
rocks
Physical
injury
3 3 6
High
Using
protective
gear,
using
proper
equipment
s for
drilling
tunnels
(McLellan
&
Havenith,
Followin
g proper
safety
protocols
, regular
inspectio
n of
tunnels,
ensuring
the
tunnel is
properly

9Occupational Health
2016) secured
before
staring
operation
(Benecke
et al.,
2016)
b. Fine
dust
particle
suspen
ded in
air
Pulmona
ry
diseases
(Lam et
al.,
2017)
4 3 7
High
Using
masks to
filter dust,
using dust
dampers
and filters
to remove
excess
dust
particles,
ensuring
proper
ventilatio
n
Reducin
g
exposure
to
suspende
d dusts,
monitori
ng the air
quality
constantl
y
(Alvarad
o et al.,
2015)
c. Heavy
mechan
ical
equipm
ents
Physical
injury,
injuries
due to
bad
posture,
fatigue
3 2 5
Moder
ate
Following
the
protocols
of using
heavy
machinery
, correct
Training
employe
e in the
proper
operation
of heavy
tools,

10Occupational Health
working
posture,
frequent
breaks
given to
workers
in high
stress
environm
ent,
wearing
proper
protective
gear
regular
risk
assessme
nt and
inspectio
n of
equipme
nts and
protectiv
e gear
(Reese,
2015)
d. Toxic
and
inflam
mable
gases
trapped
in the
tunnel
Gas
poisonin
g, tunnel
explosio
ns
1 2 3
Low
Wearing
protective
gear that
filters
toxic
gases and
flameproo
f gear
Constant
monitori
ng of the
air
quality
of the
tunnels
before
staring
of the
shift,
(Alvarad
o et al.,

11Occupational Health
2015)
e. Radiati
on
Radiatio
n
poisonin
g
1 3 4
Moder
ate
Wearing
protective
gear
Monitori
ng
tunnels
for
radiation
2. Sorting
and
Transpo
rting ore
a. Falling
debris
and
loose
rocks
while
transpo
rting
ore
Physical
injury
1 3 4
Moder
ate
Following
safety
protocols
for
transporta
tion of
heavy
objects,
using
correct
posture
Regular
inspectio
n of
workplac
e, setting
up safety
nets to
prevent
heavy
objects
landing
on the
floor,
keeping
safe
distance
at all
times.
b. Fine
dust
particle
Pulmona
ry
diseases
4 2 6
High
Using
proper
masks,
Reducin
g
exposure

12Occupational Health
suspen
ded in
air
(Lam et
al.,
2017)
using dust
dampers
and filters
to remove
excess
dust
particles
to
suspende
d dusts,
monitori
ng the air
quality
constantl
y.
c. Heavy
equipm
ent for
transpo
rtation
of ore
Physical
injury,
injuries
due to
bad
posture,
fatigue
2 2 4
Moder
ate
Following
the
protocols
of using
heavy
machinery
, correct
working
posture,
frequent
breaks
given to
workers
in high
stress
environm
ent,
wearing
proper
protective
Training
employe
e in the
proper
operation
of heavy
tools,
regular
risk
assessme
nt and
inspectio
n of
equipme
nts and
protectiv
e gear
(Parker
et al.,

13Occupational Health
gear 2017)
3. Processi
ng of
ore
a. Abrasi
ve
chemic
als
Skin
diseases
and
burns
(Bhuiya
n et al.,
2016).
1 2 3
Low
Ensuring
all
abrasive
chemicals
is
properly
stored and
thorough
monitor
the usage
of
chemicals
in
processin
g the ore.
Wearing
protectiv
e gear to
prevent
contact
with the
chemical
or
inhaling
the
fumes,
constantl
y
monitor
the
workplac
e for
toxic
fume
leakages,
using
wearable
chemical
sensors
(Bandod
kar et al.,

14Occupational Health
2016)
b. Toxic
fumes
Gas
poisonin
g,
pulmona
ry
diseases
3 4 7
High
Using
protective
masks
Ensuring
proper
monitori
ng for
fumes in
workplac
e,
emergen
cy alarm
system
in case
of any
accidents
c. Fine
dust
particle
suspen
ded in
air
Pulmona
ry
diseases
(Lam et
al.,
2017)
3 3 6
High
Using
proper
masks,
using dust
dampers
and filters
to remove
excess
dust
particles
Reducin
g
exposure
to
suspende
d dusts,
monitori
ng the air
quality
constantl
y
d. Noise Hearing
impairm
4 1 5
Moder
Using
sound
Monitori
ng for

15Occupational Health
ent
(Masters
on,
2016)
ate dampers
and ear
guards
noise
levels in
workplac
e, ensure
proper
working
processe
s that
creates
least
amount
of noise,
using
proper
equipme
nts that
emits
less
noise
· Corrective and Preventative measures taken
· The different corrective and preventative measures that were suggestible by the
risk assessment report were:
 Regular inspection of the tunnels and workplace for any toxic or inflammable fumes
before having the miners working there
 Regular inspection of all protective gear for any damage

16Occupational Health
 Regular inspection of the workplace to ensure compliance to safety protocols
 Electing a health and safety representative from the workforce
 Ensuring all the protective gear is used while working
 Educating the staff on safe work practices
 Implementing risk assessment strategies as a part of the business practice
 Using dampers and filters to reduce the amount of suspended dust particles in the air
 Ensuring training and retraining of employees in the proper usage of heavy
equipments and safety gear
 Regular health check for all employees for occupational health conditions
 Ensuring emergency medical help is always available
 Ensuring proper emergency alarm system is active and functional
 Monitoring performance of workers and providing feedbacks
 Focus on the concerns shared by the workers and using them in future policy planning
 Prompt action by management
 Leadership shown by management
Risks of underground explosions and gas poisoning can be reduced by proper mine
ventilation. This requires proper planning of the mine; supervising the ventilation process,
system and equipments; installing fans underground in the mining shafts, and special
ventilation systems to eliminate toxic gases. Also, detection of mine gas and sources of
possible ignition is necessary to prevent the incidence of underground explosion (ilo.org,
2018).
Workplace accidents can be averted by following certain suggestions as underlined by the
Mining Safety organization of South Africa, which includes: making employee safety the top
priority of the management; setting up managerial goals to prevent repetition of accidents
(this entails that all employees are made aware of the causes of accidents, and how to avoid

17Occupational Health
them); adequate training given to all staff (ensuring the development of necessary skills and
competencies to work in the mine); ensuring that safe work practice is always maintained and
training any employee who is not able to follow safe work practice protocols; ensuring the
availability of adequate support for the staff to facilitate safe work environment; ensuring
proper hazard and risk detection/identification system is in place, reporting any hazardous or
risky situations that can lead to accidents, ensuring proper and thorough investigation into
each event which are in accordance to the Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines
(Miningsafety.co.za, 2018).
The risks of silicosis can be reduced by limiting the exposure to respirable crystalline
silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, in accordance to the OSHA guidelines.
Additionally, exposure to silicate dust can also be controlled reducing exposure to silicate
dust or eliminating risk of exposure. Using engineering controls like local exhaust ventilation
and water spray can be suggested to reduce concentration of suspended particulate matters.
On the administrative levels, time spent exposed to particulate dust can be reduced or limited
through safety policy guidelines. On the personal level, safety equipments like respirants can
be used to protect the workers from dust and smoke inhalation (cdc.gov, 2018; Osha.gov,
2018). The necessity of effective surveillance programs and exposure control, as well as early
screening for employees can help in the effective detection of the disease and to plan a timely
intervention (Nicol et al., 2015).
References:
Alvarado, M., Gonzalez, F., Fletcher, A., & Doshi, A. (2015). Towards the development of a
low cost airborne sensing system to monitor dust particles after blasting at open-pit
mine sites. Sensors, 15(8), 19667-19687.