Analysis of Health and Safety Policy for Social Science Students

This report analyzes a health and safety policy designed for postgraduate social science students, focusing on various aspects of workplace safety. It begins by outlining key public health points relevant to the policy area, including hazard recognition, workplace design, motivation, training, occupational health, regulatory compliance, environmental control, and record keeping. The report then identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the drafted policy, highlighting the importance of proactive hazard identification and the need for comprehensive coverage of all potential risks. The report suggests improvements, such as the implementation of a mobile application for reporting hazards and improved training for employees handling automated machinery. The conclusion identifies key articles that informed the policy development and acknowledges the policy as a framework needing further revisions to address identified limitations. The report emphasizes the importance of a robust health and safety program in reducing injuries and illnesses, thereby contributing to sustainable employee well-being.

RUNNING HEAD: ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Academic skills for postgraduate students of social Science
Student’s Name
University Name
Author’s Note

2
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Table of Contents
1. Outlining the public health points relevant to the policy area.....................................................3
1.1 Hazard recognition, evaluation as well as control...........................................................3
1.2 Workplace design as well as engineering.........................................................................3
1.3 Motivation, behavior as well as attitudes..........................................................................4
1.4 Training.............................................................................................................................4
1.5 Occupational Health..........................................................................................................4
1.6 Regulatory Compliance.....................................................................................................5
1.7 Control and management of environmental as well as other external events...................5
1.8 Audits, record keeping as well as reporting......................................................................5
2. Identification of the strength and weaknesses of the drafted policy............................................6
3. Recommended Improvements for Change..................................................................................7
4. Conclusion and identification of 2 to 3 key articles....................................................................8
Reference List..................................................................................................................................9

3
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
1. Outlining the public health points relevant to the policy area
Organizational research shows that there should be new prevention programs undertaken
for the illnesses as well as injuries in the workplaces. Many of the leading organizations, who
have undertaken a unique preventive approach in terms of workplace safety, have recognized
very less rate of workplace injuries.
1.1 Hazard recognition, evaluation as well as control
Recognition of hazard, evaluation and control of the identified hazards are fundamental to the
success of the organizational health and safety design. It starts with identification of the
proactive hazard chances in the workplace environment, among the people who are working on
the office floor, associated with the equipment as well as the materials used.
An initial step which assists the identification of the job hazards is integral to the various
elements listed herein. For evidence, in the lab, a chemical hygiene plan is to be implemented
which requires standard procedures of operation detailing all the steps associated with the
process. After the hazards have been identified as well as prioritized, control strategies are
needed to be developed (Druley 2017). The generally implemented hierarchy of controls
comprises of elimination, personal protective equipment, administrative records as well as
engineering controls.
1.2 Workplace design as well as engineering
Designing safety in an organizational hemisphere is essential as the designing of efficiency. In
order to address certain areas of hazards, specific codes have to be developed, for evidence
electrical standards, egress requirements as well as fire suspension. However, the other aspects

4
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
require conscious reflection. The examples include the likes of ergonomics, noise control,
equipment as well as machine safeguarding, utilization of the equipment and machine
safeguarding, along with added reserve capacity (Trotto 2017).
1.3 Motivation, behavior as well as attitudes
The primary objective of a health and advisory policy should be to encourage such behavior
which promotes safer as well as healthier workforce. There should be great value associated with
strong leadership from the end of the upper management. It would be greatly appreciated if the
higher management supports the culture of change in the unsafe behaviors by recognition of the
positive alternative actions.
1.4 Training
After the phase of identification as well as evaluation of the hazards, the organizational leaders
need to ensure that adequate training is received by all the employees. Various styles ranging
from classroom style class room pattern to hands on, from general risk management to the tasks
specific ventures.
1.5 Occupational Health
The nature as well as scope of health safety plan for the workers is much influenced mission as
well as work specifics of the organization. In the settings like critical business environment, it is
very essential in the setting of the research laboratory that one should be expecting pre
employment evaluation of health, regular medical surveillance, injury protocols (for evidence
first aid, blood borne pathogens as well as needle sticks), coordination among the different
departments, maintaining medical records. For example, the coordination of the respiratory

5
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
protection as well as hearing conservation programs when both of the programs become
necessary. Correct job descriptions are required this takes in to account the job duties, especially
which triggers the necessity of pre employment evaluation as well as medical surveillance
(Safetyandhealthmagazine.com 2017).
1.6 Regulatory Compliance
Research laboratories need to undergo regulations from the OSHA, DOT as well as EPA as well
as accreditation from other standards which are agency specific. Non compliance might have
serious ramifications in the context of financial liability, reputation of the institution and on some
specific instances the capability of continuing the operations. It is quite essential to have a
detailed mechanism in order to stay informed as well as complying with the current regulations
as well as standards. As highlighted by Maguire (2017), it is also necessary to keep afloat of the
newly evolving regulations which can severely impact the operations.
1.7 Control and management of environmental as well as other external events
Environmental management can be considered as a broad as well as complex procedure,
encompassing issues from accurate permitting to preventing the potential environmental
liabilities. In addition to that, incidental or emergency plans can also be developed for conditions
like extreme weather, issues like protestors and/or activists or the incidents that stems out of
neighborhood incidents.
1.8 Audits, record keeping as well as reporting
The last but perhaps the most essential element of the clinically defined HASP should be
focusing on the monitoring as well as measuring of the health as well as safety performances. It

6
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
initiates with a good system of record keeping, which is a methodology for collection as well as
recording of the accidents, close calls, injuries as well as incidents. As highlighted by Barua,
Wiersma and Ansary ( 2018), accuracy of information as well as communication is very crucial
for making proper and dedicated decision. Along with the crucial requirements like requiring
accident as well as reporting of the injuries, along with the collection of specifics, information
needs to be analyzed. The results that are acquired up on analysis needs to be communicated
with the managers as well as the other stakeholders who have to maintain proper regulatory
compliance.
As per the ideas of Poisson and Chinniah (2016), routine as well as regular health and
safety auditing that are performed by the internal staff members or the committees or along with
the external consultants, share the great liability of collecting, analyzing, reporting as well as
feeding the system constantly for improvement. The above stated factors are the primary
components in a good health and safety program, a point of initiating a personal campaign for
health and safety in the office which can significantly reduce the rate of injuries as well as
illnesses and thus make the company enabled to pay sustainable dividends to the employees in a
long term scheme.
2. Identification of the strength and weaknesses of the drafted policy
The major strength of the health and safety program is that the program has been
launched in alignment to the safety requirements of the National Safety Council of the country.
Undertaking prompt action in case of any workplace hazard is very necessary. However, more
important that that is the development of precaution as well as measures for recognition of the
hazard conditions that can arise in the concerned workplace. However, in this context, one of the

7
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
demerits of the drafted policy can also be highlighted. As Purpura (2016), perceives, there is
almost no scope of identification as well as prioritization of the hazards that might take place
with the employees who are associated with the on-field work. There is an active plan for the
monitoring of the safety of the people who are engaged in their work in the office premises only.
On that note, these employees are getting finest of protective measures in terms of using the
equipment as well as the materials during their work. There is always a dedicated medical team
as well as preparedness in associated nursing homes in case if any sudden accidents take place in
the labs.
One of the major limitations of the drafted policy is that in terms of the engineering
requirements of the real estate facilities of the offices, very few requirements like electrical
standards, fire suppression or egress requirements. However, the majority of the instances like
ergonomics, usage and handling and the apprehended risks from handling of the automated
processes, material storage and so on are left unnoticed. In this context, it can be argued that
without taking the preventive measures for these cases, the draft is not complete. It has also been
emphasized in the plan that there should be visible leadership actions from the end of the higher
managers in terms of supporting change procedures for the unsafe behaviors, attitudes as well as
work processes. In this context, it can be argued that there should be some specific strategies for
the identification of the unsafe behaviors which have not been illustrated in the draft of the health
safety policy.
3. Recommended Improvements for Change
There should be an internally developed mobile application by means of which the
employees who are facing some kind of hazardous experience outside the premises of office

8
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
would be able to communicate the issue by sending “one press” SOS messages through the
application. In terms of handling the automated machineries, there should be a policy for proper
training of the employees who are handling those facilities. Other than that there should also be
proper vigilance and supervision from the end of the senior members. The company needs to
have a proper vigilance team for supervision of the work processes concerning automated
machinery. However, in spite of regular vigilance there can be hazards in the storage spaces. In
such cases, the only alternative is to provide sufficient compensation to the employee and his or
her family.
4. Conclusion and identification of 2 to 3 key articles
In context of writing this health and safety draft policy, ideas and inspirations have been
drawn from the articles of Druley (2017) and Trotto (2017), mainly. The first article has
provided the ideas regarding health and safety concerns in the modern day offices and the second
article provides ideas regarding how to prevent deaths out of workplace hazards. The ideas of
these articles have helped the researcher to address some of the major workplace issues that
might undertake the shape of workplace hazards under severe conditions. In this condition, it can
be articulated that this policy is a raw framework that have been created with the idea of
addressing the most important hazards that occur in the organization. However, in order to make
the policy more accurate, revision of the policy is needed, based on the limitations of the policy
that have been identified herein.

9
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Reference List
Barua, U., Wiersma, J.W.F. and Ansary, M.A., 2018. Fire evacuation safety in Bangladesh
Ready Made Garment (RMG) factories: A comparison of standards and non-compliance issues
of means of escape. Safety in The Garment Industry, Five Years After Rana Plaza Dhaka.
Chinniah, Y., 2015. Analysis and prevention of serious and fatal accidents related to moving
parts of machinery. Safety science, 75, pp.163-173.
Druley, K. 2017. 7 tips for an effective workplace safety committee.
Safetyandhealthmagazine.com. Available at:
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15308-tips-for-an-effective-workplace-
safety-committee [Accessed on: 5th May 2019]
Maguire, R., 2017. Safety cases and safety reports: meaning, motivation and management. CRC
Press.
Poisson, P. and Chinniah, Y., 2016. Managing risks linked to machinery in sawmills by
controlling hazardous energies: theory and practice in eight sawmills. Safety science, 84, pp.117-
130.
Purpura, P.P., 2016. Internal Threats and Countermeasures. Effective Physical Security, p.181.
Safetyandhealthmagazine.com, 2017. 2017 Rising Stars of Safety: 'Eliminating preventable
deaths'. Available at: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16023-rising-stars-of-
safety-2017 [Accessed: 5th May 2019]

10
ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Trotto, S. 2017. Fatigue and worker safety. Safetyandhealthmagazine.com. Available at:
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15271-fatigue-and-worker-safety [Accessed
on 5th May 2019]