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This means many work activities can create dust. Dust is not always an obvious health hazard as the particles which cause the most damage are often invisible to the naked eye and the health effects of exposure can take many years to develop.
Some dusts present more of a hazard than others, including:
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places general duties on employers to protect employees from dust in the workplace in addition to the more specific Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (with the exception of asbestos and lead).
Practical control measures may include the following:
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Years of dedicated awareness campaigns, drives, and supporting legislation has resulted in a greater national understanding of the dangers of asbestos. However, individuals still remain relatively unaware of the unseen toxicity of dust particulates in their working environment that can lead to chronic, often fatal, diseases.
This lack of awareness extends to heightened noise and vibration levels exceeding safety limits, often resulting in debilitating physical problems. In the workplace, risks are taken on a daily basis because people are often unaware of the long term effects, due to this lack of education.
In order to control these issues and increase employee awareness of the conditions they may be exposed to, workplace behaviours must change to shape new habits.
Measuring workplace exposures is a positive process and one which employers and employees need to understand. For companies who have successfully changed behaviours as the result of enforcing a new strategy, the process must be maintained and carefully monitored in order for the workforce to thrive.
But how can other employers implement an entirely new process that will truly change behaviours and improve the wellbeing of the workforce at the same time?
Behavioural change strategies are focused on employers becoming mindful of their employee’s actions, understanding the impacts and ‘nudging’ a change to eventually transform workplace habits. First recognised as a successful business strategy in the late 1980s, such strategies are now implemented across a range of sectors in the UK, often leading to improvements in occupational health and safety processes, productivity and finances.
Monitoring employee health has gained precedence as a key factor for shaping health and safety strategies, increasing employee engagement, and ensuring individuals are adhering to the correct processes.
Enforcing new behaviours isn’t an easy task and an education process is central to changing routines. Safety cultures and the belief of: “That’s how we do things around here” influences decisions, as well as several other factors such as mutual trust, communication, supervision, workable solutions as well as risk perceptions.
To influence employers to monitor the workforces’ exposure to noise, dust and vibration a clear outcome is needed as justification for enforcing the new behaviour and changing habits.
The tangible advantages include a reduction in workplace absenteeism, reduced risks of debilitating illnesses, improved communication and employee engagement as well as enhancing productivity.
Despite clear advantages, many employers remain sceptical about embracing new technologies and workplace practises and there is the belief that it may draw attention and resources away from safety critical issues.
It is also often thought that the duties of the management will be shifting onto individual employees, potentially demotivating and stressing individuals who are not keen to have such a responsibility.
Despite this belief, monitoring safe behaviours and treating health like safety will eventually become a universal responsibility and so employer and employees alike must embrace this – the approach is crucial.
Stories of success are a key factor in increasing confidence. In an IOSH publication: Looking for Higher Standards examples are given that prove implementing new behavioural safety procedures can lead to positive outcomes:
2. A behavioural safety programme at a petrochemicals plant delivered positive results:
Change can be daunting but introducing new strategies in the workplace and encouraging a shift in behaviour doesn’t need to be challenging.
New monitoring solutions represent a change, making it easier for employees to understand. The latest solutions available allow for real time monitoring, enabling individual’s to capture their own quantitative data, becoming an occupational hygienist in their own right. Motivation and job satisfaction could actually increase.
By implementing clear health and safety strategies and maintaining these solutions, behaviours will naturally change, resulting in improved employee motivation, productivity and business costs.
Tim Turney is technical product manager at Casella[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”10″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1493138471831-80b0d075-5aea-9″ taxonomies=”9374, 9072, 12658, 13561, 14138, 9070″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
