Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School

Training materials for students

I. THE SUBSTANCE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

There are a lot of definitions of OHS, depending on the aspect that we deal with.
Occupational health and safety constitutes the state of conditions and organization of work
and employees’ behaviours ensuring the required level of health and life protection against
the dangers present in a work environment – in the aspect of risk and dangers in a work
environment. OHS is also a set of activities and means preventing accidents at work and
occupational diseases. Occupational health and safety have become a separate discipline
shaping appropriate working conditions. The field of occupational health and safety
encompasses issues related to ergonomics, labour law, occupational medicine, labour
economics, psychology of work.

Basic legislative acts on OHS

 Act of 26 June 1974 The Labour Code (Journal of Laws 1998 No 21, item 94);
 Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 26 September 1997 on
General Provisions of Occupational Safety and Health (Journal of Laws 2003 No 169
item 1650, as amended);
 Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on Health and
Safety Training (Journal of Laws No 180 item 1860);
 Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education dated October 30, 2018 on
how to provide safe and hygienic conditions of work and education at higher schools
(Journal of laws, item 2090);

Supervision over observance of OHS provisions

In Poland, the National Labour Inspectorate is a main institution responsible for controlling
the level of safety and conditions in the workplace.
A rector is responsible for safe and hygienic conditions of work and education at a higher
school.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS OF A RECTOR IN THE SCOPE OF

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN A HIGHER SCHOOL

A rector ensures safe and hygienic conditions of work and education in particular by
providing adequate infrastructure and training. This is regulated by the Regulation of the
Minister of Science and Higher Education dated October 30, 2018 on how to provide safe
and hygienic conditions of work and education at higher schools (Journal of laws, item
2090).

1
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

Within ensuring safe and hygienic conditions of work and education at a higher school, a
rector:
 analyses and identifies threats to health and life, assesses and documents risks
related to work and education at a higher school, resulting from tasks implemented
by the higher school, and takes preventive measures to reduce such risks;
 cooperates with competent authorities in matters of occupational health and safety;
 analyses circumstances and causes of accidents related to work or education at a
higher school;
 defines the main directions of activities in the field of occupational health and safety
and education at a higher school;
 defines the manner of sharing and using higher school infrastructure, including
technical equipment;
 defines the manner of organizing sports, cultural or entertainment events taking
place at a higher school that are not mass events within the meaning of art. 3 item 1
of the act dated March 20, 2009 on the safety of mass events (Journal of laws of
2018, item 1870).

III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN

HIGHER SCHOOLS

1. General principles regarding buildings, premises, machinery and equipment

Buildings and rooms of a higher school and belonging premises and facilities, according to
their function and purpose, should meet the expectations stated in the Regulation of the
Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April 2002 on Technical Conditions which should correspond
to the Building and their Location (Journal of Laws No 690, as amended) and the provisions
of the Act of 26 June 1974 The Labour Code (Journal of Laws 1998 No 21, item 94) and the
implementing provisions issued on the basis thereof.

Within the implementation of obligations in terms of ensuring safe and hygienic conditions of work
and education, a rector ensures that:
 information on how to use the premises and technical equipment safely and hygienically and
how to proceed in the event of an accident or breakdown, evacuation plans for people from
higher school buildings and escape routes are displayed in prominent places in the buildings
and on the higher school website;
 information on how to proceed in cases of imminent threat to health or life, including in
particular an emergency phone number at a higher school and an e-mail address to which
information about such threats should be reported, is provided on the higher school website;

Objects and buildings should be equipped with the appropriate hand fire extinguishing
equipment, depending on the risk of explosion, the category of a danger to people, fire
loading, in compliance with the effective provisions concerning fire protection. The
2
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

equipment should be maintained at full working capacity. In the higher school building, fire
extinguishers are installed in the halls on each floor with the distance between them of a
few metres. The location of each fire extinguisher is permanent and clearly marked.
Premises in which didactic classes are conducted must be equipped with first aid kits
equipped with the necessary means to provide first aid along with instructions on the first
aid principles.

In the objects and buildings of a higher school, where classes are conducted, there should be
necessary sanitary facilities, properly furnished, hygienic and maintained in full working
capacity.

The condition of the rooms, especially furniture, equipment and installations cannot cause
danger to the people using them.

A rector ensures:
 maintenance of technical devices and equipment in a condition that ensures full
efficiency of their operation and safety of work and education;
 protection against activation of inefficient or damaged technical devices and
equipment and their clear and visible marking;
 providing users with instructions on the safe use of technical devices and equipment;
 placing instructions defining health and safety principles of using premises where
classes with the use of technical devices and equipment are conducted, in those
premises, in a visible place;
 equipping the participants of classes conducted in the workshop, laboratory and
studio, with the necessary personal protection measures to protect them against
hazardous or harmful factors occurring during classes;
 practical introduction concerning principles and methods of work ensuring safety
during the performance of activities in the classroom to classes participants by the
person conducting the classes with the use of technical devices and equipment.

Machines and devices should take into account the principles of ergonomics.

In case of threat to health or life when using the premises of a higher school or technical
equipment, a rector prohibits their use and orders removal of the identified threat. The
premises or technical equipment may be re-authorized for use after the removal of the
hazard. If a state of threat to health or life arises or becomes apparent during the course of
classes, the classes are immediately interrupted, and if necessary, the place at risk is left in
accordance with the evacuation plan.

3
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

The condition of installation and equipment in student dormitories cannot pose a danger to
the people living and working there. Residential rooms in student dormitories should be at
least 5 m2 in size per one person.

Escape routes should allow quick escape from a building into the open space. Escape routes
and other routes and passages and access routes should be maintained in diligent condition,
which does not pose a threat to the users.

2. Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important factors influencing work efficiency, mood and health of
people staying in the rooms. Improper lighting conditions may lead to decreased
concentration and tiredness.

In the place of work or study where a person spends more than 4 hours daylight should be
available unless it is impossible or unadvisable for technological reasons or the appropriate
permit of a sanitary inspector in cooperation with the regional labour inspectorate has been
given.
Daylighting should be adjusted to the type of performed activities. Windows and skylights
should be kept clean so that they can provide sufficient amount of light. Windows and
skylights should also be equipped with appropriate devices eliminating excessive exposure to
the sun. Windows and skylights used to ventilate rooms should be equipped with devices
allowing for an easy and safe opening from the level of a floor.

Regardless of daylight in the rooms of work/study, there should also be provided artificial
light. According to the way the light fittings are placed in the rooms, three basic types of
lighting can be distinguished:
 General lighting – general illumination of a certain area, excluding special
requirements concerning lighting of a particular part of an area;
 Local lighting – additional illumination of an object of visual work, used in order to
increase illuminance, highlight details etc. which is used regardless of general
lighting;
 Combined lighting – a combination of general and local lighting.

Minimum permissible illuminance in lecture rooms, specialist rooms and laboratories is

300 lx in the whole room, on the boards and tables, and 500 lx on the demonstration areas.

3. Heating and ventilation

4
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

The temperature in the workplace should be adjusted to the type of work and should not be
lower than 14 °C, unless it is impossible for technological reasons. In the work premises
where light physical work is performed and in office premises (lecture rooms) the
temperature cannot be lower than 18°C. A rector may temporarily suspend classes at a
higher school if the room temperature is below 18ºC.
In work/study premises there should be air exchange as a result of user’s needs and function
of with the use and function of these premises as well as balance of heat and humidity and
also pollution.
The air provided to work/study premises from the outside using air conditioning or
mechanical ventilation should be cleaned from dust and harmful to health substances.
Air conditioning or ventilation cannot cause draughts and overcooling or overheating of
work rooms. It does not apply to emergency ventilation.
A stream of air from intake ventilation should not be directed at the workstation.
In the case when air conditioning or mechanical ventilation systems are used, the following
should be provided:
 Appropriate maintenance of air conditioning and ventilation devices and installations
in order to avoid breakdowns;
 Means reducing the level and spread of noise and vibrations caused by air
conditioning and ventilation devices .

IV. RISK OF ACCIDENT

In accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education dated
October 30, 2018 on how to provide safe and hygienic conditions of work and education at
higher schools (Journal of laws, item 2090) a rector keeps record of student accidents that
happened during the classes organized by a higher school. While determining circumstances
and causes of accidents, the provisions on determining circumstances and causes of
accidents at work are applied (the Council of Ministers the Regulation of 1 July 2009 on
Establishing the Circumstances and Causes of Work Accidents – Journal of Laws No 105, item
870).

An accident at work is defined as a sudden event caused by an external factor leading to

injury or death which occurred in connection with work.
The causes of accidents include any deficiencies and irregularities which indirectly led to an
accident. According to the risk factors, the causes of accidents can be divided into three
main groups:
 Technical causes such as construction defects of machinery and equipment, excessive
noise, defective lighting;

5
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

 Organizational causes such as the lack of appropriate training in matters of OHS,

improper division of work, the lack of supervision, tolerance to departures from OHS
principles;
 Human causes such as tiredness, rush, misconduct caused by ignoring or being
unaware of the risk, misconduct resulting from having fun and making jokes.

V. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FIRE PROTECTION

Basic legislative acts on fire protection:

 The Act of 24 August 1991 on Fire Protection (Journal of Laws 2009 No 178, item
1380, as amended);
 The Regulation of the Minister of Administration and Internal Affairs of 7 June 2010
on the Fire Protection of Buildings, Other Buildings and Areas (Journal of Laws No
109, item 719).

In the light of the above-mentioned statute, fire protection consist in performing actions
aimed at protecting life, property or environment against fire, natural disaster or other local
risk by:
 Preventing the outbreak and spread of fire, natural disaster or other local risk;
 Providing forces and means to combat fire, natural disaster or other local risk;
 Performing rescue activities.

1. Preventing the risks of fire

In the objects and on the belonging premises it is forbidden to perform activities which can
cause fire and its spreading or obstract rescue actions and evacuation, and particularly:
 Using open fire and smoking in the areas which are not designated to smoking;
 Using installation, machinery or devices which are out of order or using such
equipment improperly;
 Storing flammable materials in places which are not intended for this purpose;
 Blocking general communication routes used for evacuation;
 Closing evacuation doors in a way that makes it impossible to immediately use them
in case of fire or other danger resulting in the necessity of evacuation.

2. Risks occurring during fire

 Lack of oxygen, high temperature;
 Dense smoke limiting the view;
 Toxic gases and steams.

3. Principles of conduct in case of fire

Any person discovering a fire should immediately:

6
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

 Warn people in the risk zone, inform a person conducting classes or another
employee;
 Call for fire brigade (emergency number – 112 or fire service – 998);
 Simultaneously to sounding alarm, undertake extinguishing action with the use of
hand fire extinguishing equipment available in a building: fire extinguishers and
indoor fire hydrant;
 Immediately leave a place of danger using evacuation routes if it is impossible to
perform extinguishing action with the use of hand equipment; if the smoke level is
high, while moving, one should keep his head on the height of approx. 1 m;
 Do not use lifts.

4. Principles of using fire extinguishing equipment

Hand fire extinguishing equipment can be used to extinguish incipient fire: fire in its first
phase.

Fire blanket is a sheet of fully non-flammable material (fiberglass), the area of 2 m2. It is kept
in a special case. It is used to smother incipient fire by blocking access of air to the burning
object and to help burning people.

Fire extinguisher is a device weighting 20 kg with an extinguishing agent weighing up to 12

kg, which is used by enabling manually the release of gas. Extinguishers are clearly marked
on their cases for what kind of fire they are designated.

Types of fires and application of extinguishers

GROUPS OF TYPE OF BURNING MATERIAL TYPE OF USED EXTINGUISHING

FIRES AGENT
A Solid objects, with which while burned result Water, firefighting foam, dry powder
in incandescent burning, such as: wood, (phosphate), carbon dioxide
paper, fabrics
B Flammable liquids and solid melting firefighting foam, dry powder,
substances, such as: petrol, fats, paints, carbon dioxide
solvents, alcohols
C Flammable gases, such as: propane, dry powder, carbon dioxide
acetylene, natural gas
D Metals, such us: sodium, potassium, dry powder designed to
magnesium extinguishing metals
E Live electrical equipment dry powder, carbon dioxide

Water/foam extinguisher is a cylindrical container with a solution of a foaming agent and a

container with an expellant gas equipped with a striker knob and hose tipped with a closing
nozzle. Upon taking a fire extinguisher to the place of fire, remove a safety seal, push a

7
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

striker knob (expellant gas is filling the container of an extinguisher), direct a stream of foam
to the seat of fire.

Dry powder extinguisher is a cylindrical container equipped with a lever enabling the valve
or a striker knob of a cartridge with an expellant gas. The extinguishing agent (powder) is
ejected through nose or hose with a nozzle thanks to the inert gas (nitrogen or carbon
dioxide). Upon taking a fire extinguisher to the place of fire, remove a safety seal and safety
pin, enable a lever or a striker knob and direct a stream of powder to the seat of fire. The
operation of an extinguisher could be stopped any time by releasing an activating lever or a
lever of a nozzle.

Snow extinguisher is a cylindrical container equipped with a valve and hose with a discharge
nozzle. Inside there is a liquefied carbon dioxide, which activated under its own pressure
gets outside, cooling to the temperature of approx. - 80 0C. Upon taking a fire extinguisher to
the place of fire, remove a safety seal and direct a stream of carbon dioxide to the seat of
fire. The operation of an extinguisher could be stopped any time by closing a valve.

While extinguishing fires, one needs to remember the following rules:

 You should hold only handles of a fire extinguisher while operating it;
 Because of their siphon-like construction, fire extinguishers work properly only in a
vertical position;
 A stream of extinguishing agent should be directed at the burning objects from the
outside to the inside;
 If the objects are placed vertically, you should extinguish them from the top to the
bottom;
 It is forbidden to use the above extinguishers to extinguish burning clothes on
people;
 Water and foam extinguisher cannot be used for live electrical devices, metals and
carbide;
 You must not extinguish fats, fuels, oils etc. with water

Indoor hydrant is a valve installed on a special water-pipe network inclosed in a cabinet and
equipped with a fire hose and a nozzle. It can have a diameter of 25 or 52 mm. It is used for
incipient fires where water is used as an extinguishing agent.

5. Evacuation
Every place in the object which is designated for people’s use should provide appropriate
conditions for evacuation in order to quickly and safely leave a risk zone.

8
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

Relevant evacuation signs

Direction to evacuation route

Direction to escape route

Emergency exit Fire exit

Direction to the exit of evacuation route Direction to the exit of evacuation route
downstairs upstairs

Slide   Break to open

Push to open Pull to open

9
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

6. Safety signs in fire protection

Emergency Phone Fire Extinguisher

Fire Hose Fire escape ladder

Fire danger Fire danger

– inflammable materials – Oxidizing materials

Explosives Do not extinguish with water

No smoking No fire

VI. TREATMENT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AND FIRST PRE-MEDICAL AID

10
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

Duty to come to the rescue of an injured person is a duty of each person (duty to rescue
comes from Article 162 of the Penal Code:
㤠1. A person who does not provide help, although he can provide it without posing a
danger to himself or another person of loss of life or grievous bodily injury, to the person in a
direct danger of loss of life, grievous bodily injury or grievous health disorder is liable to
imprisonment for a term up to 3 years.
§ 2. A person who does not provide help is not liable to punishment if this help requires
undergoing medical procedure or if it is possible that the help will be provided immediately
by a more appropriate institution or person.”

Fast and efficient action aiming at providing first aid is decisive for further effects of
treatment by qualified medical professionals and often is crucial for the life of an injured
person. During a rescue action one should:
 Quickly and realistically assess a danger;
 Remove a present danger and isolate an injured person from the source of a danger;
 Assess an injured person’s condition (checking consciousness, pulse, type of injuries);
 Call for a specialist rescue unit (emergency number 112 or 999 – emergency medical
services, 997 – police, 998 – fire service);
 Provide first aid to an injured person;
 Secure accident site and stay with an injured person till the arrival of rescue service.

Calling emergency medical services, one should give the appropriate information in the
following order:
Where – precise place of accident;
How many people were injured – so an appropriate number of rescue teams will be
sent;
What happened – to determine what kind of specialist units should be sent (e.g. fire
brigade).

1. Basic resuscitation procedures

Resuscitation consists in restoration of functions of cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous
systems.
1) A rescue action starts from the assessment of safety – it should be checked whether
both a rescuing person and an injured person are safe from dangers such as
electricity, gases etc.
2) Check whether an injured person is conscious, ask whether everything is alright, in
case of necessity call for help (phone number 112 or 999); till the arrival of help
regularly check the condition of an injured person.

11
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

3) If an injured person does not react, put him on his back and then open his airways by
tilting his head back and lifting his chin forward. Keeping his airways open, find
proper breathing by assessing movements of chest and listening to his breath sounds
with your ear next to his lips. It is not advisable to check pulse over carotid arteries.
Checking breath should not take longer than 10 seconds.
4) If breathing is not proper, put an injured person in a safe airway position and call for
help (phone number 112 or 999) and regularly check his condition till the arrival of
help. A lateral position allows for opening the upper airways in a natural way and
prevents possible choking on the content of one’s stomach while vomiting.

Fig. 1. Putting an injured person in a lateral position (order of activities)

5) If an injured person does not react and does not breath properly, call for help (phone
number 112 or 999) start a heart massage and rescue breathing. Performing heart
massage, after every 30 compressions of the chest give two rescue breaths.
Resuscitation should be performed until proper breathing is restored or until the
arrival of qualified medical service.

12
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

2. Fixing wounds
A bleeding area, a wound (after uncovering) should be pressed through a clean lint. The
dressing should be fixed using bandage or triangular bandage. Cotton wool or cellulose
wadding should not be used as their fragments may stay in a wound. Pouring disinfectants
into a wound should also be avoided as they denature proteins in tissues, hinder surgical
procedures, sometimes obstract healing of a wound and may cause a pain shock. During
dressing procedure an injured person should be lying or at least seating. It is not advisable to
remove foreign bodies from a wound as they prevent bleeding. In such case, the object
should be stabilized by putting a sterile lint, bandage roll and fixing a dressing with a
bandage or a triangular bandage.
A wounded limb should be placed over the body level. It reduces blood pressure in a limb
and bleeding from a wound.
Head wounds and injuries. Those who are wounded should be placed in a supported half
sitting position, and a wound should be gently (without compressing) covered with a
dressing. Having their wound dressed, wounded and unconscious persons should lie in the
safe airway position.
Chest wounds. In addition to placing a compression bandage, a wound should be also fixed
with foil and sticking plaster. This prevents occurring and increasing of a pneumothorax.

3. Fractures and dislocations

In case of fractures, first aid consists in immobilising two neighbouring joints. The upper limb
could be easily fixed to the chest (bent at the elbow) using a triangular bandage. The lower
limb can be immobilized by tying it to the other leg, avoiding the injured area.
Open fracture, where a broken bone pierced the skin, should be very gently immobilised,
and the wound should be covered loosely with a lint. You must not set a broken bone.
In case of dislocations, the most important thing is to immobilise and reduce load on a joint
and prevent quickly progressing swelling (by loosening shoes and clothes, lifting an injured
limb).

4. Burns
Burns result from high temperature (thermal), chemical agents (chemical), electricity
(electrical), radiation. The level of burn depends on the value of a factor causing a burn (e.g.
temperature height, concentration of a chemical agent) and the time of its operation.
There are three levels based on the severity of damage:
 First-degree burns – superficial – symptoms: redness in the burned area, minor
swelling;
 Second-degree burns – partial thickness – symptoms: clear redness and blisters;
 Third-degree burns – full thickness – charred tissues in the burned area, wounds can
be waxy, white or greyish.
Burns are accompanied by severe pain. In case of burns, the first thing to do is to remove a
cause e.g. put out a fire, pull an injured person away from a source of heat to a safe place.
13
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

To extinguish burning clothes on a person, a fire blanket or water should be used (you must
never use fire extinguisher!). Subsequently, a burned area should be cooled with cold water
(a watch and rings should be taken off). A wound should be gently covered with a sterile
dressing. Burn wounds should be neither smeared with a cream or an ointment nor
disinfected.

5. Electric shocks
In case of electric shocks, one needs to remember that while rescuing electricity shocked
person, avoid injuring themselves. As fast as possible, the source of electricity should be
turned off (do not pull an injured person directly away from an electrical device!). After
turning off the electricity and securing the site against another shock, an initial assessment
of a shocked person’s injuries should be carried out. If the shock stopped the blood
circulation and breathing, indirect heart massage and rescue breathing should be conducted.
Unconscious persons with the inefficient blood circulation and respiratory functions should
be place on their side in a safe airway position. Damages and burns should be secured with
sterile bandage.

6. Poisoning
Most of poisonous substances cause symptoms common in different types of poisoning and
other diseases such as: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach aches, headaches, cough,
sweating, disorders of consciousness, breathing disorders, changes in pulse. Poisoning is
suspected when there are traces of poison such as smell of gas, empty drug packages etc.,
when the relevant information is given by an injured person or other people around and in
case of sudden loss of consciousness without any known reason or past diseases.
There are three basic routes of poisoning: inhalation (respiratory), dermal (by skin) and
ingestion (oral). In some situations a poisonous substance can access the organism via two
or three routes (e.g. poisoning with pesticides)
Poisoning by inhalation is connected with an extraordinary risk also for the rescuing person.
If air has been poisoned with a gas or chemical substance, rescued activities should not be
carried out at the scene of accident, but firstly all the persons in the risk zone should be
evacuated. Only having done that, rescue activities can be undertaken. Help consists in
providing a poisoned person with the access to the fresh air till the arrival of medical
emergency service.
Dermal poisoning is an absorption by the skin of a poisonous substance. First aid consists in
removing the substance and soiled clothing and rinse contamination with a dissolvent
(usually cold or lukewarm water). An injured person should be provided with help till the
arrival of a doctor.
Poisoning by ingestion. If an injured person is conscious, it is advisable to induce vomiting by
giving 1-2 glasses of warm well-salted water and rubbing the back of his throat. Inducing
vomiting is not recommended in case of poisoning with cleaning agents, solvents, acids and
lye as well as in case of unconscious persons.
14
 Occupational Health and Safety in a Higher School
Training materials for students

An injured person with disorders of consciousness should be placed on his side in a safe
airway position and provided with help till the arrival of a doctor.

15