LABOUR LAWS AND Unit 4, section
THE ROLE3: They
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various parties in occupational
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IN OCCUPATIONAL
UNIT 4 SECTION
INDUSTRIAL 3
RELATIONS safety HEALTH AND SAFETY
Welcome to section 2 of unit 4. We entreat you not to worry about anything
but to concentrate on this section. We suppose the previous session helped
you to place Occupational Health and Safety within the context of industrial
relations. In this session, you would be helped to learn about the different
roles that have to be played by the three main actors in industrial relation.
By the end of the section, you should be able to:
identify the three main parties that have roles to play in Occupational
Health and Safety
explain the roles of the government in OHS
outline the role of the employer in OHS
list the role of the employee in OHS.
Now read on……………
The Role of the government
The role of the government is to create an enabling environment for the
health and safety of all the citizens of a country. This duty is directed and
monitored by institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) and
the International Labour Organization (ILO). As part of the global strategy
for ensuring occupational health and safety, national governments are
encouraged to take certain actions. These include:
Formulating and enforcing legislations and standards to ensure
occupational health and safety. – The government is also able to do this
through its wings such as Parliament that formulates the laws and the
Judiciary that rules over cases.
Providing safety education and training for experts, employers and
employees – This would be a part of a national programme for actions
on occupational health and safety.
Data networking – this will require the development of registration
system of occupational accidents, disease and if possible exposures.
Each country is encouraged to join the WHO/ILO Project for a CD-
ROM data bank.
Commissionary research – It is recommended that at least one national
centre with the responsibility of carrying out research, advisory,
analytical and measurement services in support of occupational health
and safety practices should be operational by the year 2000.
The Role of the Employer
Employers are required to comply with their legal obligations to ensure
employee health and safety. Employers must develop policies, programmes
and services to maintain the good health and safety of workers. Doing so
will help them satisfy both legal and social responsibility. Their
commitment to the human element must be paramount in their health and
commitment to the human elements must be paramount in health and safety
programmes. The four (4) main responsibilities of employers include:
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Developing a written health and safety policy – This when done, will
demonstrate management’s commitment to the protection of the
organisaton’s employees.
Conducting a risk analysis – This is a four-step process to assess the
risk. Identifying the hazard, assessing the risk associated with the
hazard, taking action and monitoring and evaluating. The purpose is to
be aware of possible risks and thus take preventive action.
Taking action – After the risk has been assessed action must be taken.
The action must be taken in a ranked or ordered potential effectiveness
that is referred to as ‘safety precedence sequence’.
Monitoring and evaluation – here, the hazard is monitored to ascertain
the effectiveness or otherwise of the control measures put in place. The
effectiveness of a control measure is evaluated on the basis of how it is
able to eliminate or at least reduce the risk to an appreciable level.
Provision of relevant information
The information that is relevant and must be made available to employees
includes:
The health and safety risks associated with the various hazards.
Appropriate steps to take in the event of any serious or imminent danger
The identity of persons in charge of health and safety issues at the
workplace.
− Provision of health and safety training.
This training must be offered at all cost to new employees, transferred
employees and even be offered as refresher programmes for existing
employees.
The Role of the Employee
The co-operation of the worker is essential for the success of any
occupational health and safety programme. The workers may thus do the
following:
Comply with all rules and regulations concerning health and safety.
Notify the employer about any lapse in health and safety measures even
when an immediate danger exists so the employer can take action to
correct the situation.
Ensure that their actions or inactions do not pose health and safety
danger for themselves or to other workers.
Avail themselves for training on health and safety to enable them learn
appropriate health and safety practice.
Be vigilant and observant enough to notice hazards and their associated
risks
Endeavour to put to good use, the health and safety clothing and
equipments provided by the employer.
Refuse unsafe work. This may be used sparingly so as not to portray
insubordination. The employee’s fear must be objectively reasonable.
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Also, in our kind of economy where it is difficult to get formal sector
employment, the fear of losing one’s job has pushed many to accept
unsafe work.
The provision of a comprehensive health and safety programme calls for the
combined efforts and co-operation of all parties in the employment
relationship. Comprehensive health and safety programme calls for the
combined efforts and co-operation of all parties in the employment
relationship namely, employees, employers and the government. Each of
these parties has a set of roles they are required to play by law. It is only
when all the parties play their respective roles that health and safety at work
can be achieved.
Self-Assessment Question
1) List the three main parties in a successful Occupational Health and
Safety
2) What fundamental roles does the government perform in OHS?
3) For any OHS programme to be successful, what is required of the
employee?
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