Occupational Health and Safety Maintenance in Micro and Small Enterprises: A Study on Select Sectors of West Burdwan, West Bengal

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-361
Author(s):  
Manidipa DasGupta ◽  
Sourav Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Micro And Small Enterprises

In any developing country like India, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) showed its best effort in improving the mass standard of living by ensuring employment generation. Thus the grass root people who otherwise might not get entered into the formal sector due to lack of technical skill and education could get their employment there easily. But the lack of technical know-how of the participants of MSEs may not allow them to have awareness of occupational hazards. This calls for a severe problem in Health and Safety related issues in MSEs for those individuals. The present study, therefore, takes its objectives to highlight on the maintenance of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) related issues in MSEs where the perceptions of the participants play an important role. To fulfil these objectives, the study takes its attempt to pursue a primary survey on 95 randomly selected participants out of 24 registered MSEs of select sectors of West Burdwan, an industrially developed district of West Bengal. The sectors are selected purposively based on their significant presence in West Burdwan. The data have been collected through questionnaire and non-parametric tests has been used for further assessment. It is found that creating cozy atmosphere, privacy, artificial lighting conditions, ventilation, facilities for rest and meals, and so on are the factors to be maintained under OH&S in MSEs. The responses of the participants are found as sector specific and socio-demographic characteristics specific. In this issue, while the young male members like ‘facilities for rest and meals’, the female members prefer ‘privacy’ as the factor to be maintained for OH&S in MSEs. Thus the paper in its policy implication exhibited the sector-wise and socio-demography wise preferences of the participants on OH&S related issues.

Preventive Services in Occupational Health and Safety in Europe: Developments and Trends in the 1990s

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Walters
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Preventive Services ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Northern European

This article outlines the legislative requirements for preventive services in health and safety in 13 European countries and considers the implementation and coverage of such services. The author identifies the predominant models of preventive services operating in the European Union, then assesses the influence of the E.U. Framework Directive 89/391 on the development and integration of preventive services and the role of workers in their organization and accountability. Significant differences exist in the extent and functions of preventive services in European countries, including differences in coverage between southern and northern European countries, different degrees to which employees in small enterprises and large enterprises are covered by preventive services, and overall differences in legislative approach.

scholarly journals Occupational health and safety management in “small size” enterprises, with particular emphasis on hazards identification

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-201
Author(s):  
Marta Niciejewska ◽  
Olga Kiriliuk
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Occupational Hazards ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe article presents the element of occupational health and safety management in enterprises, with particular emphasis on the identification of occupational hazards. The factors that may be a source of occupational hazards have been classified and divided. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of occupational hazards on work safety in the opinion of employees of micro and small enterprises. The research was carried out using the proprietary questionnaire. The results were verified by means of a direct interview with elements of observation. The research was compared with the trends prevailing in the enterprises of the European Union countries according to the results of the research conducted by EU-OSHA. Polish respondents considered physical and psychophysical factors to be the main occupational hazards. The results turned out to be very similar to those presented by EU-OSHA in its publicly available reports. The basic principle of occupational health and safety management, i.e. identification of occupational hazards, is reliability and correctness. Identification of occupational hazards gives the opportunity to take correct and effective corrective and preventive actions reducing occupational risk, for example through the effective use of personal protective equipment, or a more detailed treatment of both introductory and instructional training. The article also highlights the migration of individual occupational hazards, which depends on many factors, both professional and non-professional.

scholarly journals AN ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION OF OCCUPATIONAL ERGONOMICS PRINCIPLES IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR OF HARARE AND MUTARE IN ZIMBABWE

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Jerie
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Employee Relationship ◽  
To Come

<p>A major challenge for the city authorities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe is to come up with clear policies and actions aimed at supporting and nurturing the informal sector as well as improving health and safety in the sector. This study thus aims at assessing the awareness of ergonomics principles in the small scale enterprises of Harare and Mutare.<strong> </strong>The level of awareness of ergonomics principles is low in the small scale informal sectors of Harare and Mutare. It was expected that builders, woodworkers and welders would have a higher level of ergonomic principles, but this was not the case. The informal workers are employed in a high-risk sector, but survey results indicated that improving their work environment is not one of their top priorities. The financial situation and the fact that occupational hazards and diseases are not always visible means that their limited resources are allocated to field other than occupational health and safety. Workers in the informal sector are not affected by the traditional employer-employee relationship as that obtains in the formal sector where the employee is obliged to care for the workers occupational health and safety needs. In order to address occupational health and safety discrepancies in the informal sector there is need for change of mindset and this can be catalysed by the local authorities and other organizations. The local authorities can begin by ensuring basic occupational hygiene skills among the informal sector workers so that they may realize their economic potential and hence sustained businesses.</p>

scholarly journals Occupational Health and Safety in Small Enterprises: A Field Study in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Nayef Salah Al-Ghamri
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Civil Defense ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Western Region ◽  
The Western Region

This research aims at familiarizing the business environment in Small Enterprises (SEs) in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia with occupational accidents that occur due to the lack of interest and belief of the enterprise administration in this issue, a trained supervisor, and the non-compliance of workers with the rules and regulations of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). It also demonstrates the role of Civil Defense in reducing the number of such accidents. The research makes some recommendations that may contribute to improving the OHS level. A survey questionnaire was distributed among 170 employees, supervisors, and owners of SEs. This survey was conducted before the development of questions required for the study. The results of the study have shown that there is a statistically significant correlation between the reduction of OHS and the administration's belief in adopting and implementing OHS systems. Also, there are statistically significant differences between the reduction of OHS accidents, the workers' personal characteristics, their technical qualification and training, and their manners and awareness. Moreover, the results have shown that workers do not care about the use of OHS means, and are not willing to use modern technology. The study recommends that the enterprise administration should pay attention to adopting OHS systems and creating an accident-free work environment. This is in addition to working side by side with workers, encouraging them to use the OHS means, giving them their rights, appointing trained supervisors, cooperating with Civil Defense especially in cases of any accidents, using modern technology, and getting insurance coverage for workers and the enterprise assets.

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