Occupational Health and Public Safety

Biography

The author contributed in OSH in different parts of India and abroad. He worked as “Labour Inspection Specialist” in ILO in Bangladesh. He developed Standard Operating Procedures for the Inspectorate of Bangladesh and framed comprehensive checklist for inspections. Provided strategic advice and guidance on OSH policy and development of National OSH action planning and its implementation including building longer term OSH capacity in Bangladesh. He was actively involved in reviewing existing regulatory framework and laws and provided high-level technical advice on adjustments to relevant law(s), rules, and regulations related to labour inspections and administration. His several research papers have found place in national and international journals of repute and he authored a book titled “Handbook on Occupational Safety & Industrial Psychology”.  

Abstract

Introduction: Field inspection for enforcing the governing OSH laws has remained a tough job in India. Most of the Labour Inspectors cannot perform their duties well due to lack of uniform and defined criteria for inspection. The challenges and opportunities during inspection and afterwards, needs to be understood and conceptualized. It becomes necessary to evolve a new inspection mechanism that will be unbiased and hassle free. It was also felt that proper structured inspection system will yield fruitful results and can be a tool for making the workplace safe and accident free.

Methods: A computerized risk based inspection mechanism was developed. The new licences to the factories were also given online and inspections for such factories were carried out through computerized selection criteria. More emphasis was given to industries involving hazardous process and dangerous operations. Directions to such occupational disease prone industries were given through notices for workplace compliance. Managements of such factories were asked to carryout workplace air monitoring and measure level of exposure for the chemicals used or manipulated by them to ascertain whether these are under permissible limits.

Result: Workplace compliance could be made possible through directions and written orders. Administrative and technical control measures undertaken by industries gave expected outcome. The occupational health problems were considerably reduced and the numbers of accidents in industries were also decreased significantly. Workers suspected to be contracting occupational disease were shifted from hazardous to non-hazardous areas. Continuous monitoring of such workers helped them in gaining their self-confidence and motivation to counter disease.

Discussion: The online application of entire inspection system brought efficiency in the working and helped in identifying the industries involving hazardous process and dangerous operations. Risk based selection of factories through computerization can be an effective tool in bringing down accidents, identify occupational diseases and lead to better workplace compliance.