Importance Of Occupational Health And Safety Program For Burj Oman LLC And Other Companies

Objectives of Occupational Health and Safety Program

In Oman, Companies are not allowed to operate if they do not have a health and safety program, the objectives of this program is to ensure that workers get protected during their time at the workplace. Although the regulations contained in the health and Safety program may not be applicable to every work place, there should be a safety and risk assessment conducted by every company to determine hazards that are present in the workplace (Blanpain, Pochet and Bamber, 2010). This paper seeks to show the importance of having   an occupational health and safety program for Burj Oman LLC as well as other companies. The report covers all areas of occupational health and safety including the role of these policies in a company.

The overall objective of the study is to show the importance of setting out programs of occupational health and safety and policies that are used in different companies in Oman.  The study also looks at the impact in the company after the implementation of occupational health and safety programs in the company (Fundamental rights at work and international labour standards, 2003).  Also, to look at the current situation regarding problems associated with health and safety of this construction firm.  

Burj Oman is a construction company that was established in 1992 to deliver quality service in the construction industry.  The company consists of various professional that have been picked from the best institutions in the country to carry out the projects.  The company has undertaken several major constructions projects which have been categorized as among the best in the country.

Burj Oman LLC provides safe conditions for the work of its employees. For each new project and the technology used, the latest developments in the field of employee health and safety as well as fire safety are used. For each employee and each new technology, we estimate the risk of an accident and possible harm to health (Office, 2011). We conduct periodic risk assessments and take the necessary actions to reduce it to an acceptable level in order to ensure the improvement of working conditions for a long time. Heads of individual units, doctors and health and safety specialists, as well as the security service are involved in processes related to the health of employees (Hunt, 2008).

For Burj Oman LLC, there is a team to protect the health and safety of employees at the company level, which prepares the main tasks and creates programs proposed for approval by the Board of Directors. 

Impact of Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Program in Companies

Literature review

Long before the terms psychological factors and stress at work were common, the chief physician of the United States department of human services presented a report on national health protection of the then eighty million workers (Howard, 2010). The report noted that when a worker is increasingly subjected to psychological stress at work place they are prone to threats of mental health, cardiovascular diseases and somatic disorders which is why health and safety policy is vital for companies to protect such workers.

In 2001, a study by National council for compensation insurance found that psychological disability was caused by constant psychological stress in the work place and this accounted for over 10% of all claims for occupational diseases. A European Union Study conducted in 2010, suggested that the number of workers who suffered and complained about organizational difficulties that cause stress is way higher than those suffering from physical exertion.   A study conducted by (Blanpain, Pochet and Bamber, 2010) shows that those organizations that had occupational health and safety programs and policies were at a much better position to deal with any stress that may be work related and therefore  this leads to increase in productivity.  The study also found out that personal and emotional problems in the workplace were associate with health complaints among them stress more than family and financial troubles (Burke, Clarke and Cooper, 2016).

Health and safety of employees in the company provides for:

Preventing a possible risk of injury or damage to the health of the company’s personnel or customers.Assessment of necessary security measures to eliminate hazardous sources of radiation, reduce risk, implement technical and organizational measures and use personal protective equipment.Continuous use of safety measures to ensure that the risk of injury and harm to health is reduced. Ensuring safe and favorable working conditions for employees in accordance with the nature of their activities, using appropriate, ergonomic equipment to provide opportunities for work. Conducting preventive medical examinations and accepting employees on the basis of their state of health.

Periodic monitoring, assessment and reporting of staff health and safety in the work system, including goals and improvement programs.Carrying out hazardous work in strict accordance with the instructions and under the supervision of responsible employees.Permanent updating of the security declaration in accordance with changes in legislation and changes in work processes.Continuous training in this area, raising awareness of all employees and external customers about the importance of health and safety at work (Stowell, Adams and Burnside, 2010). 

Role of Occupational Health and Safety Policies in a Company

Control of legal aspects, technical guidelines and other requirements in all areas related to health and safety in the workplace, as well as monitoring the timely and proper implementation of these requirements in practice.Collaborate with and inform employees, suppliers, consumers, institutions and other people and institutions in the field of health and safety.

A significant part of our activities are carried out at industrial facilities, and therefore security issues at the workplace are of high priority for the stable functioning of all business components of the Burj Oman LLC Group. One of the main assets of any company is its employees. The value of human life and its health is above economic results and production achievements. Therefore, the plans for sustainable development and further expansion of production cannot be realized without organized control over potentially dangerous objects and technological processes (The personal protective technology program at NIOSH, 2008). Creation of safe and comfortable working conditions for employees, reducing industrial injuries, healthy living conditions for future generations are important components of Burj Oman LLC’s strategy.

Ensuring an integrated approach to all aspects of occupational safety is the main goal of the process of building a system for managing occupational safety and health at all levels. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to provide the Burj Oman LLC Group with a leading position in the field of safety and labor protection among mining and metallurgical companies (Friend and Kohn, 2007). The plans for the implementation of this goal are to improve working conditions and improve the effectiveness of employees’ actions.

The main components of continuous improvement of measures to ensure labor protection and industrial safety for the company are:

• Organization of effective training and advanced training of workers in the field of labor protection and industrial safety.
• Knowledge, understanding and strict compliance with the safety requirements of each employee.
• Involvement of all employees in activities to ensure safe working conditions using the staff motivation mechanism.
• Prevention and minimization of economic losses related to accidents, accidents at work and occupational diseases.
• Informing employees about working conditions in the workplace, about existing production risks and measures to reduce them.
• Distribution of functions and responsibilities, exchange of experience between different levels of management, orientation to safe production and technology.
• Obligatory application of the provided means of individual and collective protection, devices and special clothes.
• Formation of psychology of unacceptability of violations of safety rules and labor protection requirements.
• Declaration of industrial safety, assessment of risks associated with the operation of hazardous production facilities, as well as measures that Burj Oman LLC is undertaking to reduce such risks.
• Unified security requirements for both their own employees and specialists rendering services to enterprises that are members of Burj Oman LLC. 

Burj Oman LLC seeks to systematically approach various aspects of ensuring safety at work, attracting all possible resources. One of the most important priorities is the work to strengthen the human resources of specialists working in the field of labor protection and safety (Promotional framework for occupational safety and health, 2006). The most experienced employees are involved in the work, due to their empowerment and responsibility, their status is increased. A centralized record of accidents and accidents is made, allowing to determine the dynamics of changes, as well as timely make appropriate management decisions, including the development and implementation of preventive measures.

At the enterprises of the Burj Oman LLC Group, programs are implemented to protect employees’ health. In addition to compulsory medical examinations, employees are provided with additional medical services for the prevention of occupational diseases, rehabilitation of health in sanatoriums and dispensaries and treatment in specialized clinics. High indicators of labor protection and industrial safety are the prestige of any company (Promotional framework for occupational safety and health, 2006). Traumatism undermines the image of the enterprise and adversely affects the moral situation in the workforce. Therefore, one of the most urgent tasks of Burj Oman LLC is a steady decrease in accidents and industrial injuries. Today, labor protection and industrial safety are becoming key elements of the business management system.

Health and Safety Measures Taken by Burj Oman LLC

TASK 3

The state regulation of Oman in matters of health and safety at work has a strong influence of the International Labor regulations, so there are many parallels between them. However, and in general terms, the Oman legislation on occupational safety and health is characterized by an excessive generalist content, giving a high degree of flexibility as regards the means used to comply with legal obligations (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2013).

The main regulation in Oman on labor and occupational risk prevention is as follows:

• General Labor Law 2/2000: It is the main normative source of the Oman labor legislation. It applies to all workers who provide services for others in an organization and under the supervision and direction of the employer. It contains, among others, general provisions, modalities of contract and their conditions, optional field of the employer and considerations in matters of safety and health.
• Executive Decree no. 06/06, by which the General Regulation of the Safety and Hygiene Services of the Work in the Companies is approved.
• Decree no. 53/05, by which the Legal Regime of Work-related Accidents and Occupational Diseases is issued.
• Decree no. 31, which establishes the principles that point to the promotion of Safety, Hygiene and Health at Work. Revokes all legal and regulatory provisions that contravene the provisions of this decree.

Parallel to this normative reference, there are specific legal texts for the protection of the health of workers in certain sectors of activity, especially in the Oil & Gas sector, one of the economic engines of the country.

The General Labor Law applies to workers who provide remunerated services on behalf of an employer. Public officials, members of cooperatives or non-governmental organizations, family work and occasional work, the activities of personnel involved in commercial operations, consultants and members of administrative bodies or other bodies are excluded from the scope of this law (Harzing and Pinnington, 2015). 

Among other aspects, the Law establishes equality of opportunities and non-discrimination in the workplace, freedom of association and the consequent right to exercise trade union activity, the right to collective bargaining, the right to strike and the right to assemble and participate in the activities of the company.

The employment contract is mandatory and, generally, indefinite. Temporary contracts for the execution of a work or service will have a maximum duration established in the Law depending on their characteristics and can be renewed (Ivancevich and Konopaske, 2013).According to International Labor Organization, workers should be protected from injury, sickness and disease arising from their workplace.  However, in reality this is very different in many countries. ILO standards on occupational health and safety provide tools for governments such as Omani, employers and also employees to establish a framework and practices that provide maximum safety at work (Foot, Hook and Jenkins, 2016). One of the standards that has been adopted by the Oman government from ILO is the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981(no.155) which provides for adoption of a national occupational safety and health policy to improve working conditions and promote occupational safety and health (Lewer et al., 2006).  

The company has a very good occupational health and safety policy with the management willing to adhere to the company’s stipulated guidelines. On the other hand, on weakness is that very few employees are aware of what is contained in the company’s policy and therefore the major recommendation will be that there is need for educating employees on what the company’s policy say about occupational health and safety (Shaw, McPhail and Ressia, 2018).

Conclusion

For one reason or another, the level of health safety and awareness is not yet at the place it ought to be. Mainly it is because as a cost burden, health and safety is still considered a big hiccup.  Workers have marginal awareness on issues health and safety however, the firm has taken upon itself to ensure that health and safety program is followed to the letter. A conclusion can reasonably be drawn that Burj Oman LLC is faring well on this matters of occupational health and safety. 

References

Blanpain, R., Pochet, P. and Bamber, G. (2010). Regulating employment relations, work and labour laws. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer law international.

Burke, R., Clarke, S. and Cooper, C. (2016). Occupational health and safety. London: Routledge.

DeCenzo, D., Robbins, S. and Verhulst, S. (2013). Human resource management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Foot, M., Hook, C. and Jenkins, A. (2016). Introducing human resource management. Harlow: Pearson.

Friend, M. and Kohn, J. (2007). Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. Lanham: Scarecrow.

Fundamental rights at work and international labour standards. (2003). Geneva: ILO

Harzing, A. and Pinnington, A. (2015). International human resource management. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Howard, G. (2010). Employee sickness and fitness for work. London: Thorogood.

Hunt, L. (2008). Compliance at work. Saarbru?cken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Mu?ller.

Ivancevich, J. and Konopaske, R. (2013). Human resource management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Lewer, J., Compton, R., Baird, M., Alexander, R. and Nankervis, A. (2006). Employment relations. South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson Learning Custom Publishing Australia.

Office, I. (2011). The Committee on the Application of Standards of the International Labour Conference. Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Promotional framework for occupational safety and health. (2006). Geneva: International Labour Office.

Shaw, A., McPhail, R. and Ressia, S. (2018). Employment Relations. Melbourne: Cengage Australia.

Stowell, F., Adams, B. and Burnside, E. (2010). Occupational safety, health, and wellness. Stillwater, OK.: Fire Protection Publications, Oklahoma State University.

The personal protective technology program at NIOSH. (2008). Washington, DC: National Academies Press.