Promoting Preventative Safety & Health Culture: - International - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Promoting Preventative Safety & Health Culture:

• International Instruments
• Good Practices

By Brian Kohler Health, Safety and Sustainability Officer International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions

Little to say about national strategies. I will say something about international instruments, and good practices. SO, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

What are the hazards?

• Occupational accidents (diced, sliced, crushed, burned)
• Cancer (chemicals, radiation)
• Respiratory diseases (fibres e.g. asbestos, dusts e.g. silica and coal,

corrosive chemicals, sensitizers, allergens)

• Circulatory diseases (chemicals, stress, shiftwork)
• Skin diseases (corrosive chemicals, senistizers/allergens, sunlight)
• Diseases of internal organs/systems such as liver, kidneys, nervous

system, digestive system, blood-forming (chemicals)

• Musculo-skeletal disorders (e.g. back problems, occupational
• veruse syndrome - tendons, joints)
• Chronic fatigue (shiftwork, excessive hours of work)
• Infectious diseases
• Noise and vibration
• Heat and/or ventilation problems
• Physical / psychological threats (bullying, violence, racism, sexism)

W orld Occupational Deaths: 2 .3 m illion per year

Sources: Hämäläinen P, Takala J, Saarela KL; TUT, ILO, EU-OSHA, 2008

32% cancer 23% circulatory 18% accident-violence 17% infection 8% respiratory 1% digestive 1% mental 0.4% urogenital

underestimates

These statistics, shocking as they are, are gross underestimates:

• record only nationally accepted statistics,

usually from workers' compensation

• occupational diseases under-diagnosed
• widespread suppression of accident

reporting, sometimes outright concealment

A Brief History of OHS Thought

HISTORY: Pre – 1970s

Accidents and fatalities viewed as an accepted risk, a

cost of doing business

Health and Safety viewed as strictly a management

prerogative

Regulations tended to be detailed and prescriptive Regulators saw themselves as enforcers Safety programs emphasized personal vigilance;

personal protective equipment; “domino” theory

Accidents typically blamed on (careless) workers

1970s

Accidents and fatalities increasingly viewed

as unacceptably high

Growing awareness of occupational diseases Pressure to change from unions and governments Health and Safety becomes a shared responsibility Main workplace safety program becomes the

Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC)

Accidents typically blamed on management

1980s

Disappointment that (lost time) injury rates are not falling Bhopal accident: fear of major industrial accidents Frequent response by management was to

create parallel systems and multiple lines of authority

First serious attempts to create health and safety audit

and continual improvement systems

Major growth in health and safety professions:

industrial hygienists, ergonomists, safety engineers

Accidents typically blamed on anyone not present

at the actual accident!

1990s

Fatalities and lost time accidents still high We searched for the “quick fix” or the “magic bullet” Drug testing, behaviour-based programs, ISO 9000 (1987) Management systems approach to health and safety

(including Process Safety Management) takes hold

Search for “leading” indicators (as opposed to trailing) begins Regulators talk of “performance” rather than “specification”

• standards. Unfortunately, often code for outright deregulation.

Accidents typically blamed on the “bad apples”

2000s

Lost time accidents and fatalities still high “Sustainability” and “Corporate Social Responsibility” OHS management systems mature and start to integrate Further attempts to write standards for decision – making Re – visitation of joint approaches (JHSCs) Regulators continue to try to target “poor performers”

based on faulty indicators

Accidents typically blamed on decision making processes

Summary

OHS regulations (especially Workers' Compensation) are

generally adversarial and reward those who “conceal and appeal” rather than those who “accept and correct”.

Usual quantitative indicators (lost time accidents) are trailing,

have little statistical power and are easily manipulated

Occupational health and safety is a complex problem

that requires systemic and ongoing effort

Two approaches seem successful:

• internal and external responsibility
• management “systems” approaches

Internal Responsibility: Joint Health & Safety Committees

• Right to Refuse (shut down)
• Right to Participate
• Right to Know

… BASED ON TRUST

Why Joint Committees? Those with the most knowledge of the hazards must have direct input to those with the authority to control the hazards.

External Responsibility – a clear and enforceable legislative and regulatory framework Labour inspectorate that understand their role “Due Diligence”

• a legal defence
• the argument that one has taken every

precaution reasonable (possible) in the circumstances

• must be demonstrated with hard evidence
• policies on paper, by themselves, not enough

Safety Management Systems What management systems need to be in place to prevent a failure – an accident ? How can workers and their unions work with management to make sound decisions in OHS ?

Systems vs. "Traditional" OHS

Traditional focus is on individual actions and

legal requirements.

Instead, focuses on processes and systems. Individuals and procedures are parts of

systems.

Goal: to eliminate health and safety incidents.

International Instruments: The ILO

23

International Labour Organization

UN specialised agency Unique tripartite structure

Workers Employers Governments

Seeks the promotion of social justice and

internationally recognized human and labour right - “Decent Work”

24

International Labour Standards

International Labour Standards are expressions of international tripartite agreement on a matter

25

Arguments Made Against Ratification

• Will add costs and harm competitiveness.
• Will subject compliance to international
• versight through an international treaty.
• Will subject the country to embarrassment if

not complied with.

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Should Support Ratification !

• Competition cannot be based on compromised

OHS.

• Saying no to setting minimum international

health and safety standards should not be accepted in any society.

• Refusal to ratify international conventions

inflicts reputational damage.

• Support for ratification brings governments and

employers into compliance with widely accepted international standards in the community of nations.

27

ILO Method of Ratification

• tripartite consensus
• review of existing laws and regulations
• proposals to improve existing laws and

regulations

• approval of new laws and regulations
• ratification

28

Campaign Model of Ratification

• trade unions form consensus
• reach out to government and employers
• start educational program on importance
• determine key resistance and what is

necessary to overcome it

• target employers or government figures who

resist ratification

• mobilize public opinion
• ratification

Other International Response:

• WHO, OHSAS, ISO, GRI, UNEP
• chemical safety regulations and initiatives:

including GHS, REACH, SAICM

• challenge employers through Global

Framework Agreements (GFAs)

• global campaigns e.g. ILO 176
• ICEM seminars and responses to inquiries

Some Warnings:

• Medical surveillance - rarely predictive;

privacy and other concerns.

• Labour inspection - role confusion.
• Indicators; “business case for OHS”? - not
• always. Moral case is stronger.
• Chile - ILO 176? One disaster away!
• Social dialogue - corporations aren't people.

Is safety done "with" workers, or "to" workers?

International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions Fédération internationale des syndicats de travailleurs de la chimie, de l'énergie, des mines et des industries diverses

The stronger the union, the safer the workplace!

… Thank You!

Brian Kohler Health, Safety and Sustainability Officer International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions rue Adrien-Lachenal 20 1207 Geneva, Switzerland