Occupational health and safety
Thesis
This report examines how small businesses face different challenges as far as occupational health and safety (OHS) are concerned in Qatar. Overall, the workers in the small businesses are faced with higher workplace injury as compared to those working in the bigger firms. However they do not realize these risks and hence keep on suffering everyday. This report analyzes these risks and presents a review on the understanding of and guidance on how to conduct OHS in small businesses. (Ladou, J.2006). This report will also identify good and effective occupational health and safety programmes. This will help to greatly reduce the work place injuries and the workers will be made to air their views a bout the new programme.
Background
It is important to note that small businesses play an important role in the economy of Qatar. The research has shown that almost half of the people living in this country are self employed in the small business sector. (Roughton, J.2002). Consequently, they are faced with different risks at the workplace. The number of small businesses also is growing rapidly. Until today, there is no proper line up for implementing good occupational health and safety programs to reduce workplace injuries. The time has come for the workers in these small businesses to be made aware of the OHS rules and regulations.
Purpose/Audience
This report will be presented to the chief executive officers of the small businesses across the country. It will be also given to the departments dealing with risks management in those respective businesses .The secondary audience to which this report will be presented is the ministry of trade in the government. From here, it can be advertised to the people all over the country. (Ashford, N.1976).The, main objective of this report is to analyze the challenges which are being faced by the small businesses in the country and find a way of dealing with them.
Proposed Content
Background
The occupational health and safety in small businesses in this country are highly neglected. (Ladou, J.2006).There are very poor ways of risk management and consequently, statistics have it that many people loose their lives at work place and some are being crippled because of injuries. Therefore implementing OHS will help reduce these risks and save the productive people in the nation.
Analysis Problems
During this research, there are several problems which come across in the small business workplaces. (Ashford, N.1976).Firstly, somebody have to shout to other people incase of fire. This does not reach many people since the voice is not lowed enough. Secondly, many workers do not put on the required protective clothes while at work and last but not least is that there are no proper equipments to deal with emergencies.
Advantages of new system
There will be fire alarms at strategic points which can be dialed by any body just incase of fire. Also people will be putting on protective clothes while carrying out risky activities such as machine operation. (Roughton, J.2002). Finally, there will be stand by water boozers to deal with fire emergencies as well as the ambulance and first aid kits in each and every business premise.
Disadvantages of the new system
The main disadvantage of the new system is that the businesses will incur extra costs of training people about these rules. Also there will be buying of new emergency equipments as well as creating new safety debarments if there isn’t.
Research Method
This report will include the thoughts and recommendations of workers in the small business in the country through interviews. Research instruments include questionnaires, interviews and computers. (Ladou, J.2006). The following instruments were adopted since they are reliable and accurate i.e. they give adequate information. Computers were used to record the data obtained for future reference, further analysis and interpretation of data.
Conclusion
According to this report, the small businesses must adopt the new OHS rules through training of staffs. (Ashford, N.1976). The equipment which deals with emergencies must be bought and workers must be aware of these new arrangements.
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References
Ashford, N. (1976). Crisis in the Workplace: Occupational Disease and Injury. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Ladou, J. (2006). Current Occupational & Environmental Medicine. London: McGraw-Hill. Roughton, J. (2002). Developing an Effective Safety Culture: A Leadership Approach. New York: utterworth-Heinemann.
