1. Class
2
dated
10
Sept.
2012
Unit
1
History

2. OSHE 123 –
Introduction to OSH
Semester 1 (2012)

3. Course Objectives
Upon completion
• Discuss the historical development of OSH
locally and internationally
• Understand problems associated with the
job
• Be introduced to basic principles of
planning and management
• Know the resources which are available

4. Specific Objectives
Upon completion
• Describe roles and responsibilities of local
and international organizations
• Become familiar with problem in the
workplace
• Identify important principles of managerial
responsibilities
• Become acquainted with available
resources

5. Unit I Occupational Health and
Safety
• Historical Background – local and
international
• Role and functions of supporting agencies
• OSH unit – Ministry of Health
• Factory Inspectorate
– Ministry of Labour
– Ministry of Energy
– Private Industry
– Ministry of Agriculture
• ILO conventions

6. Summary
of
video
• Inhumane
condi=ons
• History
leading
up
to
workers
exercising
their
rights
to
a
safe
and
healthy
working
environment
• Work
related
–
explosions,
falls,
electrocu=on,
inhala=on
of
poisons
• 19th
C.
–
produc=on
increased
worker
casualty
increased
• workers
had
few
rights,
no
legal
protec=on
for
unions,
workers
were
not
free
to
protest

7. Summary
of
video
• Lewis
Hine
–
Photographer
-­‐
documented
early
twen=eth
century
exploita=on
of
child
labor
• The
Department
of
Labor
(DOL)
was
created
-­‐
March
4,
1913
• Pressure
for
change
only
became
effec7ve
a9er
a
major
tragedy
• The
Bureau
of
Mines
was
set
up
to
supervise
mine
safety
• Gradually
industry
began
to
regulate
itself
by
the
Voluntary
Safety
Movement

8. Summary
of
video
• The
Na7onal
Safety
Council
founded
in
1913
set
voluntary
guidelines
for
safety
engineering
and
beSer
working
condi=ons.
• Companies
put
guards
around
machinery
• Set
up
first
aid
sta=ons
and
started
safety
classes
• Safety
educa=on
at
the
=me
stressed
that
accidents
were
the
workers
own
fault

9. Summary
of
video
• Fire
in
a
Triangle
shirtwaste
Factory
because
the
exists
were
locked
– resulted
in
the
death
of
many
workers
(146
people)
• This
tragedy
triggered
• First
permanent
commission
to
inspect
factory
was
set
up
in
New
York

10. Summary
of
video
• Industry
established
a
system
to
compensate
workers
for
accidents
– Workmen’s
Compensa=on
system
gave
employees
a
measure
of
financial
security
for
the
first
=me
but
it
took
away
their
right
to
sue
the
company
for
damages
– The
amount
of
compensa=on
was
limited
and
workers
were
not
represented
on
the
boards
that
decided
claims

11. Summary
of
video
• Growing
concern
for
workplace
safety
had
no=ceable
results
• Accident
and
death
rates
fell
• First
Major
American
study
of
industrial
poisons
was
in
1910
when
Alice
Hamilton
inves=gated
the
effects
of
lead
poisoning
• There
were
further
government
studies
into
health
hazards
but
few
industries
applied
their
findings
and
workers
health
was
ignored
un=l
the
1960’s

12. Summary
of
video
• Worker
with
Silicosis
-­‐
28
years
working
with
silica
dust
–
Worker
was
not
informed
of
his
medical
result
• Workers
were
ignorant
of
the
risks
they
were
exposed
to
• Desperate
for
jobs
employees
worked
with
no
protec=on
–
deaths
arising
from
silicosis

13. Summary
of
video
• Use
of
respirators
as
protectors
as
only
protec=on
–
did
not
fit
properly,
leak
and
did
not
filter
out
enough
of
the
poisons
• Today
gov’t
strongly
favors
cleaning
the
air
of
factories
through
ven=la=on
and
other
devices

14. Summary
of
video
• Franklin
Delano
Roosevelt
introduced
legisla=on
to
help
workers
during
the
depression
where
there
were
scarcity
of
jobs
– get
jobs
for
the
unemployed,
social
security,
minimum
wage
and
40
hr
workweek
• Although
many
of
these
laws
did
not
directly
affect
H&S
they
raised
government
concern
about
working
condi=ons
• The
Na=onal
Labour
Rela=ons
Act
made
a
legal
right
to
unionize

15. Summary
of
video
• In
the
1930’s
industrial
unions
organized
and
sought
to
represent
all
workers
in
an
industry
• E.g.
in
the
automobile
industry,
United
Auto
workers
won
the
right
to
collec=ve
bargaining
• Labour
was
emerging
as
a
powerful
force
that
would
be
beSer
prepared
to
deal
with
health
and
safety
issues

16. Summary
of
video
• With
WAR
• H&S
became
an
important
issue
primarily
because
preven=ng
accidents
meant
saving
work
days
for
the
war
effort
• Safety
supervision
was
stepped
up
and
the
need
to
keep
workers
healthy
led
to
some
advances
in
industrial
engineering
and
medicine

17. Summary
of
video
• Public
Health
set
down
its
first
standards
• secng
up
maximum
levels
for
dangerous
air
pollutants
at
work
• but
these
first
standards,
were
oden
far
too
lenient
to
clean
the
air
up
effec=vely
and
they
could
only
be
enforced
in
plants
with
federal
contracts.
• They
were
only
voluntary
guidelines
for
the
rest
of
the
industry
so
workers
health
and
safety
depended
on
the
goodwill
of
the
company

18. Summary
of
video
End
of
World
War
II
• The
workplace
was
changing
as
an
explosion
of
technological
inven=ons
and
chemical
discovery
brought
a
new
slew
of
dangerous
gases,
fumes
and
dust
that
threatened
workers
• Workers
were
generally
unaware
of
what
they
were
handling
or
whether
these
synthe=cs
might
cause
cancer
years
later

19. Summary
of
video
• In
the
1950’s
research
into
the
health
effects
of
these
chemicals
was
minimum
• In
the
1960’s
a
new
revolu=on
of
OS&H
began
supported
by
two
parallel
poli=cal
movements:
• The
environmental
movement
began
to
ques=on
the
long
term
effects
of
chemicals
on
health
• The
civil
rights
movement
made
people
aware
of
the
rights
of
each
individual

20. Summary
of
video
• President
Lyndon
B
Johnson
(US)
“War
on
Poverty”
proposed:
• Workers’
safety
bill
to
protect
the
workers
• This
was
not
passed
un=l
a
major
disaster
when
78
workers
were
killed
in
West
Virginia
in
1968
• The
Federal
Coal
Mine
Health
and
Safety
Act
was
passed
ader
1
year
•

21. Summary
of
video
• In
1970
Congress
passed
the
Occupa7onal
Health
and
Safety
Act
–
this
confirmed
in
law
the
right
to
a
healthy
and
safe
workplace
and
established
the
Occupa=onal
Safety
and
Health
Administra=on
or
OSHA
• This
act
says
that
employers
have
the
primary
responsibility
for
providing
a
healthy
and
safe
workplace

22. Summary
of
video
• OSHA
is
responsible
for
making
safety
rules
and
enforcing
them
• Workers
have
a
right
to
talk
to
their
supervisors
or
union
or
OSHA
about
S&H
problems
• eg.
silver
nitrate
in
the
plant
that
affec=ng
eyesight
and
turning
the
skin
dark
–
Effec=veness
of
OSHA
(52
viola=ons
in
the
co)

23. Summary
of
video
• Today
there
are
20,000
chemicals
that
are
suspected
of
being
toxic
• About
1/5
of
cancer
cases
are
associated
with
exposure
to
chemicals
on
the
job
• OSHA
aNempts
to
reduce
the
number
of
cases
by
secng
more
comprehensive
rules

24. Summary
of
video
• In
addi=on
to
OSHA
the
unions
were
spending
more
=me
and
money
on
issues
of
health
and
safety
Workers
were
demanding
their
rights
•
to
see
their
own
medical
records
• to
know
the
names
and
chemical
proper=es
of
the
chemicals
they
work
with
• to
know
the
level
of
risks
they
take
on
with
the
job
• to
protest
about
dangers
that
used
to
be
accepted
as
part
of
the
job
• Over
the
years
American
workers
won
the
right
to
organize
unions
and
the
right
to
have
safe
and
healthy
workplaces

25. Summary
of
video
• Plight
of
female
and
pregnant
workers
• Plight
of
young
workers
• movement
from
haphazardly
protec=ng
workers
or
compensa=ng
them
ader
the
fact
to
trying
to
prevent
hazards
from
happening
• Workers
began
ques=oning
their
working
condi=ons
• Finding
out
about
the
risks
thereof
and
claiming
their
legal
right
to
safety
and
health

26. Why
prevent
accidents
and
ill-­‐health
Accidents
and
ill
health:
• Can
ruin
lives
• Can
ruin
business
– Output
lost
– Machinery
damaged
– Produc=on
disturbed
– Need
to
replace
skilled
workers
– Training
of
workers
lost
– Insurance
costs
increase
– prosecu=on

27. Importance of Occupational Safety and Health
• Health and Safety is the physical and mental
well-being of the individual at the workplace.
• Work plays a central role in people's lives,
since most workers spend at least eight hours a
day in the workplace.
• Work environments should therefore be safe
and healthy.

28. Importance of Occupational Safety and
Health (cont’d)
• Poor working conditions of any type have the
potential to affect a worker's health and safety.
• Occupational hazards can have harmful effects
on workers, their families, and other people in
the community, as well as on the physical
environment around the workplace.

29. History
• OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, an agency of
the U.S. Department of Labor
• On December 29, 1970, President Nixon
signed the OSH Act
• This Act created OSHA, the agency, which
formally came into being on April 28, 1971

30. OSHA’s Mission
• OSHA’s responsibility is worker safety and
health protection
• OSHA’s role involves:
– developing job safety and health standards and enforcing
them through worksite inspections
– maintaining a reporting and recordkeeping system to keep
track of job-related injuries and illnesses, and
– providing training programs to increase knowledge about
occupational safety and health

31. Historical
background
• Prior to 1970 (US) no national laws for
safety and health hazards
• An untrained and inexperienced workforce
existed
• They used brute strength to carry out
many functions
• Industrial accidents were commonplace
and the death rate was high

32. Historical
background
• In the early 1800s, employers had little
concern for the safety of workers
• There was no incentive to improve unsafe
work conditions
• Legislation, precedent and public opinion
favored management
– If workers were injured, it was due to their own
carelessness
• Organized safety programs were nonexistent

33. Historical development
• Accidents can be caused by an error due to:
– The designer
– Manager
– Maintenance
– Environment
– Anyone connected with the process or system
• The OSHAct attempts to reduce the number
and severity of accidents by making
equipment and procedures safer by
mandatory means

34. OSH diseases
• Inhalation of coal dust particles resulted in
lung diseases in miners
– Silicosis
– Black spit
• Mercury poisoning (Mad Hatter disease)
– New York City’s hat-making industry in the US in
the early 1940s
– citizens of a Japanese fishing village 1930 - 1950
associated with the dumping of methyl mercury
into the bay that was the village’s primary source
of food (fish and shellfish)

35. Catastrophic Accidents
• Bhopal, India: The chemical release in
Bhopal, India of methyl isocyanate (MIC)
in 1984
• killed thousands of people and led to an
OSHA review of all chemical companies in
the U.S. that had similar chemical processes.
• Exxon Valdez: The case of the Exxon
Valdez in 1989 involved the catastrophic
release of many thousands of barrels of
crude oil along the Alaskan coastline.
– Environmental devastation

36. Catastrophic Accidents
• The 1987 collapse sudden collapse.
of L’Ambiance Plaza•
in Bridgeport,
Conn., killed 28
workers.
• Deficient temporary
connections and
instabilities
contributed to the

38. Customs and Excise building - Scaffolding
Collapse
• Workers fell from a ten-storey steel scaffolding
which collapsed
• 20 persons were injured including an amputee
• The men were installing glass on the site at the
time of the incident (July 2006)
• Findings: rusty/ corroded scaffold equipment
was used

39. Historical Background –
International
• Occupational fatalities and illnesses
attracted various studies on occupational
hazards
• The environment and its relation to worker
health was recognized as early as the
fourth century BC, by Hippocrates who
noted lead toxicity in the mining industry.

40. Health
risks
• In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder, a
Roman scholar, perceived health risks to
those working with zinc and sulfur.
– He devised a face mask made from an animal
bladder to protect workers from exposure to
dust and lead fumes.

41. Historical Background –
International
• In the early 20th century in the U.S., Dr. Alice
Hamilton observed that there was a
correlation between worker illness and
exposure to toxins.
• Francis Perkins created the Bureau of Labor
Standards in 1934 which evolved into the
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).
– This is an agency of the U.S. Department of
Labor
– OSHA’s responsibility is worker safety and health

42. OSH diseases
• Asbestos - By the time it was determined that
asbestos was hazardous and could cause
lung cancer, thousands of buildings
contained asbestos
• Asbestos fibers are released into the air as
these buildings age
• Removing asbestos from old buildings has
become a highly specialized task requiring
special equipment and training
• Cancers caused by contact with various
industrial chemicals

43. Historical Background –
International
• The first five industries targeted by OSHA
for safety hazards were: marine cargo
handling, roofing and sheet metal work,
meat and meat products, miscellaneous
transportation equipment (primarily mobile
homes) and lumber and wood products.
• The first Five health hazards targeted
were: asbestos, lead, silica, carbon
monoxide and cotton dust.

44. Historical Background –
International
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSH Act) became effective on April 28, 1971
• The creation of OSHA provided workers the
right to a safe and healthful workplace
– “Employers shall furnish to each of his employees
employment and a place of employment which
are free from recognized hazards that are causing
or are likely to cause death or serious physical
harm to his employees”
• All workers have rights

45. Workers rights under OSHA
• A safe and healthful workplace
• Know about hazardous chemicals
• Information about injuries and illnesses in your
workplace
• Complain or request hazard correction from employer
• Training
• Hazard exposure and medical records
• File a complaint with OSHA
• Participate in an OSHA inspection
• Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health
rights

46. OSH issues
• Child labor in factories
– Children as young as 6 years old worked long
hours, often in unhealthy and unsafe
conditions

47. Providing a safe and healthy
workplace
Improvements in safety can result due to:-
• Pressure from legislation to promote
safety and health
• Costs associated with accidents and
injuries
• Recognition that safety and health
concerns rank in importance with
production

48. Providing a safe and healthy
workplace
• Various organizations were developed to
promote safety and health in the
workplace e.g.
– National Safety Council (NSC)
– Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
– National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH)

49. Historical Background – Local
1. Trinidad and Tobago’s first safety and health
legislation was the Factories Ordinance Chapter
30 No.2, 1950.
– only covered workers in factories
• the Factories legislation became inadequate to
cope with the many new hazards which arose as a
result of the industrial expansion and
diversification.
• As a result, new legislation, the OSH Act was
enacted.
• The regulations which were made under the
Factories Ordinance were deemed to be covered
in the OSH Act.

50. Historical Background – Local
• The following laws are repealed by
Section 98(1) of OSHA
– The Factories Ordinance
– Employment of Women (Night Work) Act
– The Gas Cylinders (Use, Conveyance and
Storage) Act

51. Historical Background – Local
• The services offered by OSHA are as follows:
Inspections; accident/complaint
investigations; lectures and advisory
services.
• OSHA 2004 deals with the safety, health and
welfare of persons at work and covers all
workers, with the exception domestic
workers.
• The OSHA 2004 was amended by the
Occupational Health & Safety (Amendment)
Act, 2006 but this was largely a tidying up
exercise

52. Historical Background – Local
1. Occupational Safety and Health Act 2004
(amended 2006)
– 6. (1) It shall be the duty of every employer to
ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable,
the safety, health and welfare at work of all his
employees.

53. Role and functions of supporting
agencies
• OSH unit – Ministry of Health
• Factory Inspectorate
– Ministry of Labour
– Ministry of Energy
– Private Industry
– Ministry of Agriculture
• ILO conventions

54. International Labour Organization
(ILO)
• The ILO is the international organization
(headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland)
responsible for drawing up and overseeing
international labour standards.
• It is the only 'tripartite' United Nations
agency that brings together
representatives of governments,
employers and workers to jointly shape
policies and programmes promoting
Decent Work for all.

55. Interna=onal
Labour
Organiza=on
(ILO)
• The
ILO
is
the
interna=onal
organiza=on
responsible
for
drawing
up
and
overseeing
interna=onal
labour
standards.
• It
is
the
only
'tripar=te'
United
Na=ons
agency
that
brings
together
representa=ves
of
governments,
employers
and
workers
to
jointly
shape
policies
and
programmes
promo=ng
Decent
Work
for
all.
• Its
headquarters
are
in
Geneva,
Switzerland

56. Interna=onal
Labour
Organiza=on
(ILO)
• Trinidad
and
Tobago
therefore
has
a
legal
obliga=on
under
interna=onal
law
and
ILO
jurisdic=on
to
comply
with
the
ILO
Conven=ons
that
it
has
ra=fied
or
acceded
to
• It
should
be
noted
that
Trinidad
and
Tobago
has
not
ra=fied
(contract)
any
of
the
18
core
Occupa=onal
Safety
and
Health
(OSH)
(Pegus,
C.,
2007).

57. Rela=onship
-­‐
ILO
and
T&T
• Errol
Mc
Leod
Minister
of
Labour
and
Small
and
Micro
Enterprise
development
stated
in
a
Feature
address
• “The
ILO
reminds
us
that
every
year
around
337
million
people
are
vic:ms
of
workplace
accidents
and
more
than
2.3
million
people
die
because
of
occupa:onal
injuries
or
work-­‐
related
diseases.
In
fact,
more
people
are
killed
at
work
than
in
wars”.

58. Rela=onship
-­‐
ILO
and
T&T
cont’d
• the
sta:s:cs
for
Trinidad
and
Tobago
on
industrial
accidents
and
fatali:es
are
s:ll
quite
alarming.
Our
records
at
the
Ministry
reveal
that
in
2010
there
were
eight
hundred
and
forty-­‐three
(843)
industrial
accidents
and
nine
(9)
fatali:es.
• These
figures
I
men:oned
are
not
just
mere
sta:s:cs
–
they
represent
real
people
with
real
dreams,
real
hopes
and
real
aspira:ons.
Hence
we
need
to
work
collec:vely,
at
all
cost,
to
reduce
these
figures
to
zero.

59. Rela=onship
-­‐
ILO
and
T&T
cont’d
• At
the
na=onal
level
and
enterprise
there
are
basic
principles
that
must
be
implemented,
to
achieve
an
effec=ve
OSH
management
system
• these
principles
are
enshrined
in
ILO
standards
such
as
Conven=on
No.
155
on
Occupa:onal
Safety
and
Health
and
Conven:on
No.
187
on
the
Promo:onal
Framework
for
Occupa:onal
Safety
and
Health

60. ILO functions
• One of the main functions of the ILO, from its
foundation in 1919, has been the development
of international labour standards.
• As part of its efforts to promote occupational
health and safety in its member States, the ILO
has compiled comprehensive information on
the subject

61. ILO functions
• The principles of occupational health and
safety are set out in various Conventions and
Recommendations
• A government that has ratified a Convention is
expected to apply its provisions through
legislation or other appropriate means, as
indicated in the text of the Convention. The
government is also required to report regularly
on the application of ratified Conventions.

62. ILO International Labour conventions
• Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
(No. 155) and its Protocol of 2002.
The convention provides for the adoption of a coherent
national occupational safety and health policy, as well
as action to be taken by governments and within
enterprises to promote occupational safety and health
and to improve working conditions.
– This policy shall be developed by taking into consideration
national conditions and practice. The Protocol calls for the
establishment and the periodic review of requirements and
procedures for the recording and notification of
occupational accidents and diseases, and for the publication
of related annual statistics.
• Recommendation (164), of 1981

63. ILO International Labour conventions
• Occupational Health Services Convention,
1985 (No. 161).
This convention provides for the establishment of
enterprise-level occupational health services
which are entrusted with essentially preventive
functions and which are responsible for advising
the employer, the workers and their
representatives in the enterprise on maintaining a
safe and healthy working environment.
• Recommendation (171), of 1985

64. OSH unit – Ministry of Health
• OSH Unit was DISBANDED
– Was designed to conduct surveys to assess
occupational health and safety conditions and
investigations of occupational health and
safety issues in industrial establishments and
give advice where necessary
• Public Health Inspectors have the power
to order safety improvements or close
workplaces if safety standards are not
met.

65. Factory Inspectorate
• Under the Ministry of Labour
– Safety training
– Development of policies
• Workers were absorbed as Occupational
Safety and Health officers in the OSH
Inspectorate
• Function under the chief inspector and the
OSH authority