One of the first questions that arises when one begins to study fundamentals of industrial safety management is “Who should be responsible when a worker is injured?” Many would answer, “The employer, because the employer gave rise to the job and will profit from the production.” Adversely, what if employees deliberately commit acts that result in their injury as a result of violation of the industry's rules and regulations? Industrial work environments are often characterized by dynamic resources including interactions between mobile equipment and pedestrian workers. The importance of providing safe workplace has been reiterated by various studies because of the intrinsic hazard and risk factors that undoubtedly underlie every work situation and their negative impact on a company's overall performance. Safety and quality remain critical priorities in the context of improving industrial productivity and efficiency in today's industrial work environment.
TopInstructional Objectives
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
- 1.
Explain the concept of industrial safety management.
- 2.
Explain Occupational Safety and Health Act.
- 3.
Explain personal protective equipment.
- 4.
Explain the term accidents and loss control.
- 5.
State the challenges to effective management of industrial safety.
- 6.
State measures to curb the challenges facing effective management of industrial safety.
TopIntroduction
One of the first questions that arises when one begins to study fundamentals of industrial safety management is “Who should be responsible when a worker is injured? Many would answer, “The employer, because the employer gave rise to the job and will profit from the production.” Adversely, what if employees deliberately commit acts that result in their injury as a result of violation of the industry’s rules and regulations? Industrial work environments are often characterized by dynamic resources including interactions between mobile equipment and pedestrian workers. The importance of providing safe workplace has been reiterated by various studies because of the intrinsic hazard and risk factors that undoubtedly underlie every work situation and their negative impact on a company’s overall performance (Oloye, 2016). Safety and quality remain critical priorities in the context of improving industrial productivity and efficiency (Ugorji, 2014). In today’s Industrial work environment, major changes in the responsibilities of employers and employees, have created an urgent need to ensure that safety, health and environment are promoted and protected (Doe, 2004). According to Saxena (2021), industrial safety is needed to check all the possible chances of accidents for preventing loss of life and permanent disability of any industrial employee, any damage to machine and material.
Industrial safety deals with the areas of safety engineering and public health that are concerned with the protection of workers' health, through control of the work environment to reduce or eliminate hazards (Cheremisinoff, 2001). In the view of Kawuwa, Adamu, Shehu and Abubakar(2018),the hazardous characteristics of industrial facilities often result in the high rates of workplace injuries and fatalities experienced regularly due to negligence of safety rules and regulations, and ignorance of the imminent dangers associated with work related accidents and incidents. Industrial hazards, accidents and work-related illnesses may originate in technological or industrial conditions, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or specific human activities. The environmental impacts of industrial hazards do not recognize borders and their repercussions spread from local to national and international levels. They have a major impact not only on workers, but also on their families through injury or loss of life, deterioration in physical and emotional well-being, social and economic disruption, property damage and environmental degradation (Kadiri, 2006). These hazards according to Ugorji (2014), can reduce the productivity and efficiency of industries, potentially disrupting production, hampering competitiveness and diminishing the reputation of industries along supply chains.