Number: 2005-046-1-022
Title: Occupational Health and
Safety Assessment in East Africa
Task Group
Chairman: Kelvin
Khisa
Members: Mike
Booth and Mark C.
Cesa
Completion Date: 2007 - project completed
Objective:
To enable industrialists and other stakeholders in East Africa to
appreciate the purpose of an occupational health and safety (OH&S)
management system; explain the legislative framework relevant to
such an OH&S management system; and explore the purpose and
intent of Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS)
18001 and 18002.
To reach that objective, a 3-day conference will be organized
in Nairobi, Kenya, on 27-29 September 2006.
Description:
Whereas developed country industrialists take OH&S issues very
seriously, their counterparts in the developing world do not always
do so. This is largely due to lack of awareness, non-enforcement
of relevant safety laws and regulations, and a lack of a systematic
structure that guides the establishment of sound OH&S management
systems. The end result has been an uncoordinated approach to safety
issues, a development that exposes workers to high levels of risks.
There is therefore an urgent need for developing country industrialists
and key stakeholders to be exposed to OHSAS specifications that
give requirements for an OH&S management system and enables
organizations to control their full range of risks. This OHSAS specification
is applicable to any organization that wishes to establish an OH&S
management system so as to eliminate or minimize risks to employees
and other parties; implement, maintain and continually improve on
its OH&S management system; assure itself of its conformance
with its stated OH&S policy; demonstrate such conformance to
others; seek certification of its OH&S management system and
make a self declaration of conformance with OHSAS specifications.
This fits in with the objectives of the IUPAC/COCI
Health and Safety Fellowship program. If health and safety experts
from the East African Region are exposed to OHSAS specifications,
they will be able to guide industrialists in the setting up of comprehensive
occupational health and safety programs.
By the end of the conference, participants will be able to describe
the purpose of an OH&S management system in managing health
and safety risks resulting from their business operations; outline
the concept and approaches to OH&S risk management; summarize
relevant national and local OH&S legislation in the context
of the development of modern OH&S legislation, based on the
principles of risk assessment and self-regulation; understand and
appreciate the purpose of OHSAS 18001 Specification and OHSAS 18002
Guidelines, how they interrelate and the benefits to organizations
that use an OH&S management system specification; outline the
content of OHSAS 18001 and OHSAS 18002; Describe with reference
to the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle (the OHSAS 18001 elements of successful
OH&S management), the structure and scope of OHSAS 18001; Explain
key OHSAS definitions and terminology; and determine conformance
of a management system to OHSAS 18001.