HEART EASTERN TVET INSTITUTE-STONY HILL

NETWORK SUPPORT L2

MODULE ONE-UNIT 1 HANDOUT

Apply Occupational Health and Safety Procedures

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ELEMENT 1: DETERMINE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OH&S) ISSUES
RELATING TO IMMEDIATE WORK ENVIRONMENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and
attitudes to determine occupational health and safety (OH&S) issues relating to
immediate work environment. Your learning facilitator is there to assist you with the
various activities, so that on completion you should be able to:
1. Follow health, safety and security procedures correctly in accordance with
enterprise policy, relevant regulations and insurance requirements
2. Identify and report promptly breaches of health, safety and security procedures
3. Report any suspicious behaviour, packages or occurrences to the designated
person

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (OH&S)

Principles

• The principle of Occupational Health and Safety is that employers must provide a
safe and healthy environment for their employees. Some of the ways in which they
ensure that this done is to provide:
- Fire extinguishers
- Fire alarms
- Smoke detectors
- Burglar Alarms
- Non-skid mats on slippery surfaces
- Appropriate safety signs
- Door Chains
- Electronic locks
- Health, safety and security procedures

Responsibilities

The responsibility for OH&S rests both with the employer, the employee and also with
visitors and clients.
• Employers - The primary responsibility for the promotion, implementation,
maintenance and the dissemination of OH&S information rests with management of
the organization.
• Employees - Employees also have the responsibility of ensuring that they protect
themselves and others from harm by carrying out their work according to the safe
work practices, wearing protective equipment provided and using all plant,
materials, tools and equipment in the manner for which they were intended.
• All employees should know their rights and ensure that they are protected at work
• All organizations should have a Health and Safety Monitor from among their
employees.
All employees should know:
- Designated first aid and safety monitors and how to contact them
- Location of the first aid kit
- Location of fire extinguishers
- Location of accident report book

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 - How to raise an alarm
- Person(s) to whom hazards are reported

• Visitors and Clients - Visitors and clients also have the responsibility of complying
with the organization’s OH&S policies, procedures and programmes and to observe
safety directions on health and safety from designated officers

The reference noted below provides an example of an organization’s OH&S policy and
will help you to understand how procedures are developed.

Legislation

The Jamaican WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 1995 requires workplaces to have
a written health and safety policy for some of the following reasons:
• to state clearly what the employer intends to do by declaring commitment and
support for a sound occupational health and safety program
• to assist the organization in preventing accidents
• to ensure that adequate human and financial resources are made available

FOLLOW HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY PROCEDURES

Health, safety and security procedures are those measures that specifically relate to
maintaining health, safety and security in the workplace. These procedures include but
are not limited to:
• OH&S training and education for all employees
• Workplace environment and safety
• Use and maintenance of tools and equipment
• Handling and disposal of materials
• Protective clothing and equipment
• Removal of obstacles
• Personal grooming and hygiene
• Response to emergency, fire and accident
• Security of documents, personnel and equipment

An information technology environment has its own unique set of health, safety and
security procedures to follow. For example, there are:

Health - guidelines for using the computer:

• Ergonomic principles to avoid eye, wrist and back strain
• Procedures and exercises to prevent strain and injury
• Correct posture for sitting at workstation
• Minimizing electromagnetic radiation

Safety - issues (environmental):

• Air quality
• Lighting
• Noise level
• Cleanliness of equipment, furniture and surroundings
• Fire hazards

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Note: These environmental safety issues do not relate strictly to an
information technology environment
Safety - issues (industry/organizational):
• Not touching the computer nor its peripheral devices with wet hands
• Not eating or drinking at the workstation
• Ensuring that electrical cables or wires do not run across walkways
• Using proper shutdown procedures for the computer

Security regulations (organization):

• Security relating to company and customer data
• Use of passwords, access cards, access codes

Insurance and liability requirements

Apart from legislative requirements, companies are also obliged to have certain health
and safety procedures in place to satisfy their insurer. Each insurer has its own unique
set of rules and failure by an organization to comply with them can lead to loss of
benefits in the event of a claim.

IDENTIFY AND REPORT OH& S BREACHES

Your organization’s OH&S system is likely to contain procedures for identifying,

assessing and controlling workplace hazards. In the foregoing section you were given
examples of some of the measures that would be in place. Failure to observe any one
of them constitutes a breach. Always remember that it is your responsibility to become
familiar with these requirements so that you will not only be able to recognize
breaches but also to avoid committing any yourself. When it comes to health and
safety, policy, procedure and adherence are equally weighted. A breach of any one or
more will cancel out all the procedures and can prove to be very costly and dangerous
for all the stakeholders (shareholders, employers, suppliers, employees and
customers)

TIP! Safety is everybody’s responsibility. Be alert! Identify and report breaches

promptly.

Breach - The breaking of or failure to observe the law or a promise or commitment

made.

HANDLE SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR, PACKAGES OR OCCURRENCES

Companies/organizations, employers, employees and customers/clients are at risk

because of potential arson, terrorism, theft, burglary, and industrial espionage, among
many other possibilities. These are some of the actual OH&S situations faced by
various companies/organization in the world.

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As an employee you need to be alert at all times to any suspicious behaviour,
packages or occurrences. For example, you should get to know your janitorial staff and
do not open your door to anyone you do not expect or cannot identify.

Suspicious item: An item (packet, carton,

suitcase) that has been left unattended over a
period of time or something that looks out of
place and which may have illegal contents.

NB: Suspicious items may be explosive. Their

presence must be reported immediately to
avoid endangering life and property.

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ELEMENT 2: DEAL WITH EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and
attitudes to deal with emergency situations. Your learning facilitator is there to assist
you as you go through the various activities, so that on completion you will be able to:

1. Recognize emergency and potential emergency situations promptly

2. Determine and take required action within scope of individual responsibility

during emergency and potential emergency situations

3. Follow correctly, emergency procedures in accordance with enterprise

procedures.

4. Seek prompt assistance from colleagues and/or other authorities where

appropriate.

5. Report accurately, details of emergency situations in accordance with enterprise

policy.

RECOGNISE AND HANDLE EMERGENCIES/POTENTIAL EMERGENCIES

Emergency situations may occur at any time during any given day and very often
could have been avoided had their potential danger been detected early and corrected
speedily. Emergency situations may include but are not limited to:

• Accidents

• Health issues – heart attacks, fainting, bleeding, etc.

• Deranged customers

• Fire

• Flood

• Robbery

• Armed hold up

• Bomb threats

• Earthquakes

There are distinct procedures to be followed for certain types of emergency

situations. Medical emergencies for example, require knowledge of first aid. First
aid procedures are vital and often make the difference between:

• Life and death

• Temporary and permanent disability
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 • Rapid recovery and long hospitalization

Emergency - a sudden unforeseen

crisis (usually involving danger)
that requires immediate action
or remedy.

First Aid - Help given to an injured person until

proper medical treatment is available

Always pay particular attention to situations or things that are potentially hazardous
and act promptly to either contain or prevent accidents. A loose electrical wire in the
pathway is an example of a potentially hazardous situation, so are:
• Electrical faults
• Trailing electric or telephone leads
• Loose objects
• Loose fixtures
• Chemicals
• Malfunctioning equipment
• Overloading of sockets
• Slippery/wet floors
• Poorly maintained or frayed carpets

A word of caution, always ensure that the

action that you take is within the scope of your
individual responsibility. Refer to your
supervisor or the procedures handbook for
guidelines.

FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Many organizations have an emergency plan

or procedures handbook which outlines the
steps to be followed in case of emergencies. If
you have not seen one at your place of work
or learning, check with your supervisor or
learning facilitator. The website noted below
gives you an idea of what an emergency
plan/guideline entails.

When an emergency occurs we often instinctively want to rush in and do something.

Depending on the situation, this is not necessarily the best option. For example, unless
you have been trained to handle emergency situations especially those requiring first
aid, you should refrain from taking action as a procedure that is incorrectly applied
could result in any of the following disasters:
• Death
• Temporary and permanently disability
• Long hospitalization

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The rule of thumb is to quickly assess the situation and take action. This could be
simply to alert the designated personnel who could either be:
• Colleagues assigned as Health and Safety representatives
• Managers or supervisors

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REPORT DETAILS OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
A very important aspect of handling emergencies is documenting and reporting these
incidents. These reports should always be in accordance with enterprise policy. There
is likely to be some kind of system in place for reporting and recording, accidents,
injuries, illnesses and other incidents. This may include a standard form known as an
“Accident Report” which should be filled out by anyone involved in on-the-job
accidents/injuries regardless of how minor they might be. This report will aid in
determining:
• Cause
• Damages
• Liability
• New measures/enforcement of procedures

NB: It is best to write the report while the details of the emergency are fresh in your
memory. It has been proven that the longer the witness takes to document a report
the less accurate it becomes.

ELEMENT 3: UPDATE KNOWLEDGE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

REQUIREMENTS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and
attitudes to update knowledge of occupational health and safety requirements. Your
learning facilitator is there to assist you with the various activities, so that on
completion you should be able to:

1. Obtain and store information relating to Occupational Health and Safety

regulations and requirements where they can be easily accessed.

2. Access and use information on changes in the Occupational Health and Safety
policies relating to Information Technology

OBTAIN AND STORE OH&S REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

You should obtain and store OH&S regulations and requirements somewhere that is
easily accessible. This will ensure that you know exactly where to locate vital
information when the need arises as you are unlikely to remember every single
requirement or procedure. Regulations can be conspicuously posted on a wall or notice
board to remind yourself and others. You should be able to get these documents from
your emergency response coordinator or your supervisor.

ACCESS AND USE NEW INFORMATION

In all fields especially information technology, policy governing OH&S changes rapidly.
You should always try to keep abreast of these changes. Ergonomic issues and

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reducing the number of occupational related injuries are key areas of concern. The
internet is an excellent source of obtaining updated information.

Disseminate - scatter about or spread widely or

distribute.

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ELEMENT 4: MAINTAIN SAFE PERSONAL PRESENTATION STANDARDS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you need to ensure that you acquire the necessary
knowledge, skills and attitudes to maintain safe personal presentation standards. Your
learning facilitator is there to assist you with the various activities, so that on
completion you should be able to:

1. Take workplace environment and health and safety issues into account in
selecting personal attire

SELECT APPROPRIATE PERSONAL ATTIRE

When it comes to health and safety issues even your personal attire contributes to the
achievement of a safe working environment. Many fabrics for example, are highly
flammable and emit static electricity. It is always in your best interest to be very
knowledgeable about the kinds of fabrics which are fire hazards. Your safety manual
may provide guidelines in this regard.

Some organizations require their employees to wear protective clothing. Once again,
check with your manager or supervisor
Apart from your clothing you also need to ensure that your jewellery does not dangle
as it could for example, become entangled in the keyboard.

Attire – the way individuals dress or wear

clothing and other articles on them.

ELEMENT 5: SHARE BASIC INFORMATION ON ERGONOMIC ISSUES

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and
attitudes to share basic information on ergonomic issues. Your learning facilitator is
there to assist you with the various activities, so that on completion you should be able
to:
1. Identify basic ergonomic requirements of clients and colleagues
2. Provide the latest basic ergonomic information promptly to colleagues and clients
3. Record and pass on information on ergonomic issues to client and supervisor
according to established procedures

IDENITIFY BASIC ERGONOMIC REQUIREMENTS

In the Information Technology industry, ergonomics plays an important role in the
design of monitors and keyboards. Ergonomic studies suggest preventive measures
you can take to protect your health as you work with computers. These guidelines may
specify:
The types of equipment used
Appropriate furniture
Safe usage times
Seating posture
Lifting posture
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 Visual Display unit screen brightness and maintenance

Ergonomics - The study of the efficiency of

persons in their working environment.

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There are several means of identifying ergonomic requirements of clients and
employees. It may be done as part of an audit or the updating of a company’s fixed
asset register or by a form completed by visitors.
The process of identifying ergonomic requirements can be referred to as “Job Hazard
Analysis and Control”
The reference cited below is an example:

Refer to:
Get the jump on OSHA and ideas for solving workplace problems.04/21/2000
http://www.ishn.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/
0,2162,1568,00.html Accessed December 7, 2004
Tip! Make sure your analysis is accurate!

PROVIDE INFORMATION RELATING TO BASIC ERGONOMIC ISSUES

By now you will have learnt that basic ergonomic advice may include the following:
• OH&S procedures
• Using and cleaning Visual Display Units (VDUs)
• Advice on footrests
• Exercises
• Times for breaks
• Armrests
• Chairs

This information must be promptly relayed to clients and colleagues based on vendor
requirements, workplace policies and the latest OH&S information.

RECORD INFORMATION GIVEN ON ERGONOMIC ISSUES

If you work in an organization that sells IT

furniture and equipment, you may be required
to record the ergonomic information given to
clients. This may be a verbal
presentation/demonstration and/or
documentation which details ergonomic
issues. However the information is
disseminated; ensure that you follow the
procedures established by your organization
which may include notifying your supervisor.

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