CASE STUDY - MODULE 7
EMPLOYEE SERVICES: HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE

CARGO & CONTAINER HANDLING CO. LTD.
Management Case Study

Prepared by

PQHRM-31/82
AMANDA SOMATILAKE

16Th October 2009

Table of Contents

• Introduction Page 1

• Issues Page 2-6

• Assessment Page 7-9

• Plan

• References Page 10

Introduction

The given case study describes a Cargo & Container handling yard & problems arise after relocation.

Cargo and Container Handling Co. Ltd was earlier located in Colombo, in close proximity to the Port, With the relocation of such projects out of Colombo City the container yard along with all its technical operations was relocated in Hendala.

The new container yard is around 10 acres in extent and was macadamized. Now there are some Health and Safety issues arises and the company has to find out solution for those issues.

Health and safety policies and programs are concerned with protecting employees and other people affected by what the company produces and does against the hazards arising from their employment or their links to with the Company.

The importance of healthy and safe policies and practices is, sadly often underestimated by those concerned with managing business and by individual managers within those businesses. But it cannot be emphasized too strongly that the prevention of accidents and elimination of health and safety hazards are a prime responsibility of management and managers in order to minimize suffering and loss.

Managing health and safety at work is a matter of;-

• developing health and safety policies. • Conducting risk assessment which identify hazards and assess the risks attached to them. • Carrying out health and safety audits and inspections. • Implementing occupational health programs • Managing stress. • Preventing accidents. • Measuring health and safety performance. • Communicating the need for good health and safety practices. • Training in good health and safety practices. • Organizing health and safety.

Question No. 1.

Identify the Hazards.

It is a dangerous condition or event, natural or man-made that could cause injury, loss of life or damage to property, livelihood environment.
A hazard is something that can and does have the potential to cause harm, serious injury or worse.... death! Where do we find hazards? Hazards are all around us and take many forms. Hazards can be associated with the work environment, electricity, noise, Machinery and Equipment, procedures and practices, chemicals and manual handling.

There are several types of hazards;-

1. Physical Hazards 2. Ergonomic Hazards 3. Chemicals hazards 4. Biological hazards 5. electrical hazards 6. stress related hazards

1. Physical Hazards

Physical hazards are those substances which threaten your physical safety. The most common types of physical hazards are: * Fire * Explosion * Chemical Reactivity

2. Ergonomic Hazards

In this Cargo and Container Handling Company we can identify several hazards which can cause damages to the employees.

• The new container yard is around 10 acres in extent. The present condition is that the road and the yard is damaged due to the use of heavy machinery and the rain . This situation can be a hazard for the employees as the roads are muddy and they cannot walk. And there are ruts and holes and on rainy days these get filled with muddy rain water. This is not a good environment to work as there is a danger. The drains in the yard overflow and the whole area becomes water locked as there is no proper outflow in the nearby land. Actually this is situation which violates the rules and regulations of the Factory Ordinance 15 of 1954. According to that every workplace should have a proper drainage system. Other wise these can become a spots for the mosquitoes to breed.

• There is no proper lighting system in this yard. The cargo and container handling is a 24 hour operation and the without sufficient lighting facility employees cannot work in this yard and during the raining season it is highly risky to walk on the road as the road are full of muddy water.

• Sometimes some employees have to work two shifts continuously to cover-up the absentees. Driving heavy vehicles is a very risky and stressful job. Continuous work can become a hazard for the employee as they are tired. Mentally and physically they are not fit enough to drive.

• The drinking water is available in the office and the operational units but not in the yard. This is a serious violation of rules as there is rule in Factory Ordinance that the Employer must supply adequate wholesome drinking water to the employee. So there should be a proper mechanism to supply drinking water to yard as well.

• Employer had supplied uniforms but the lockers are situated far away from the work stations. As such it will take another extra time for them to go there and store their uniforms. The proper storage facility is a legal requirement. As such people will get de motivated to change their uniforms and they will continuously wear the unclean, dirty uniforms with dust and sweat. This can cause a occupational disease such as skin infections in long term.

Question No. 2

Identify the factors which are likely to cause occupational disease.

Occupational disease is a disease known to arise due to exposure to substances and dangerous conditions in work processes, trade or occupation. When it is obvious the casual relationship exists between an occupational exposure and a specific disease- medically and legally considered as occupational disease. Wide ranges of diseases are related in one way or another to occupation or working condition.

• Stressful work environment can be a cause to a work related disease as these workers sometimes work continuously two shifts to cover-up the absentees.

• The employees have to wash and paint the forty feet long containers and there is not ventilation. Some employees faint inside or have difficulty in breathing and or get suffocated. This situation can cause lung infections long term and sometime some people may have allergies of paints.

• There is no proper canteen or food supplying facility. As such workers are unable to get a clean and healthy meal. It will be a cause for Gastric ulcers due to improper dietary habits. So it can become a work related disease. Also employees are not happy with the pint of milk that the company is supplying.

Question No. 3

Do a safety audit and safety inspection.

When the Hazards have been identified it is necessary to assess how high the risks are. Risk Assessment should lead to action. Risk Assessment identify specific hazards and quantify the risks attached to them.

Safety Audits can be conducted by safety advisers or personnel specialists. Managers can also be held responsible for conducting audits. A Health and safety Audit should cover Policies, Procedures and Practices.

Policies

• Check whether the organization’s health and safety policies meet the legal requirement according to the Factory Ordinance. • It is important the commitment of the senior management for health and safety. • There is no Safety Committee in this Organization. As such it is important to organize a committee. And it is essential to check the effectiveness of the committee.

Procedures

• You have to check how effective the procedures of the company regarding Health and Safety. • It is important to record data on health and safety which are used to evaluate the performance and initiate action. • Safety training is a must to this container year as there are lot of health and safety issues.
Practices

• It is necessary to check to what extent do health and safety practices in the organization conform to the general requirements of the Health and Safety at work. • We need to go through all the findings of the risk assessment and what action were taken . • It is important to investigate the accidents and take steps to prevent the reoccurrence. • It is necessary to collect the evidence to prove that the managers and supervisors are really concerned about health and safety. Then it is easy to carry out the policies according to the legal requirements.

SAFETY INSPECTION. Safety inspections are designed to examine a specific area or the company. To do the inspection we have to do the following:-

• Allocate the responsibility for conducting the inspection. • Define the points t be covered in the form of a checklist. • Divided the yard into areas and list the points to which attention need to be given in each area. • Define the frequency with which inspections should be carried out – daily in critical areas. • We can use the checklist as the basis for the inspection. • Also can carry out the spot checks on a random basis. • If there is special problems we can carry out special investigations if necessary. • We can set up reporting system and a system of monitoring that safety inspections are being conducted properly and on schedule and that corrective action has been taken where necessary.
Question No. 4

Identify the improvements to the external and internal environment.

• It is important to provide transport facility to workers who are in the nigh shift and also should make arrangements to for restroom facility and provide food facilities.

• Wholesome drinking water is essential for all the staff according to the regulation of the Sri Lankan Law.

• Roads to be repaired as heavy vehicles are using the roads.

• The drain system should be demolished.

• A Choice of soft drinks and milk to be made available to the drivers and machine operators. We can introduce a NLDB milk bar to the yard. Then employees can drink fresh milk at a low cost.

• Safety lockers and changing rooms should be shifted near the yard and proper laundry facility should be introduced.

• A Medical Policy and an Insurance Policy which covers all the employees should immediately introduce.

• As there is a medical officer for the day shift, it is very important to place medical officer during the night shift as well.

• Presently the Human Resources manager acts as the Safety Manager but he is not available in the premises in the night. So we need to take steps to place at least a nurse in the night and a Safety Manager should be recruited immediately, as the Human Resource Manager cannot handle the two jobs.

• It is relevant to organize an awareness programme to all the employees about the Health and Safety Practices and the importance of the proper hygienic practices. Personal Protective Equipments should be supplied to the employees to avoid risks and accidents.

• Proper duty roster should be introduced to avoid the stress for the workers who cover up for the absentees shifts. Within the week we can introduce on day off to minor employees.

• Proper washing equipments and facilities should be supplied for those who are cleaning the containers.

Question No. 5

Assess the present benefits and service package.

I think there are weak points in the benefits that are currently giving by the organization.

• There is no Safety Manager for the night time and the Human Resource Manager covers the both jobs.

• There is no canteen facility

• In the medical reimbursement scheme a special policy for executives.

• In sufficient supply of wholesome drinking water.

• If there is any urgency there is no medical officer for nigh shift. It is important to place a medical officer fro night shift.

• Posters and accident prevention and safety management are displayed and exhibited there but no one explains the significance of the posters.

• There are safety lockers but they are situated far way from the yard.

• Heavy vehicle drivers are only paying the shift allowance but no incidental allowance for them. Sometimes the trailer driver and the helper who go to the port are compelled to wait in the queue for long hours bit they are not given any petty cash or other allowance to meet with the expenses occurred.

• There is no transport arrangement during the night and the operatives who finish their shift work in the night spend the night in the yard. But the traveling arrangements to executives are there.

Question No. 6

Plan out a suitable benefit and service package for the organization.

Before designing the Benefit Plan we need to follow up the following steps:-

• You need to define the plan well to the employees. • Do a need survey and find out what are the needs of the employees • It is important to ascertain the needs and spell out the requirements. • Find out the available resources in order to implement the benefit plan among the organization. • It is very important to provide a meaningful service to the employees. • Regular monitoring should be done after the introducing of the plan.

It is advisable to introduce a flexi system to the employees to avoid the dissatisfaction of the current benefit service.

It is important to include the following to the new benefit and service package of the organization.

1. By categorizing the workers as executives and non executives the benefit package can be varied. 2. Regular laundry facility should be introduced. 3. According to the legal requirements there should be a continuous supply of wholesome drinking water to the employees. 4. Proper grievance handling process and recruiting of a qualified counselor t o carry out the counseling process. 5. Incidental allowance to those who travel to the staff should be introduced. 6. It is relevant to commence performance based incentive scheme in order to motivate the people to do their work at a maximum level. 7. Pit is important to have proper storage facilities near to the yard and a cafeteria.
References

• Dressler, G. , Human Resource Management 11th Edition

• Covey, R. Stephen, Principle Centered Leadership

• Wendell, L. French, Human Resource Management 3rd Edition

• Peters, T. ,and Waterman, R.H., In search of Excellence

• Suzanne, W.Zoglion, Teams at Work; Seven Keys to Success

• www.businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_do_i_build_teamwork_in_my_organization_021640.html

• humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm

• www.scjc.state.ny.us/Policy%20Statements/delegation_of_authority.htm

• www.adv-leadership-grp.com/Motivational_Article.html

• www.speakforsuccess.net/p-esscom.htm

• www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_goleman_leadership_styles.html

• www.motivation-tools.com/workplace/leadership_styles

• http://humanresources.about.com/od/teamstoppicks/tp/teams.htm

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