Stress is generally associated with some emotional discomfort accompanied by feeling of not being able to cope, that things are falling apart, that one is not in control etc.
Stress is regarded as something unpleasant and harmful to the individual.
Nevertheless, some degree of stress is normal and necessary in all living things, otherwise devoid of any external stimulation, the individual will be literally” bored to death”.
Perhaps up to 30% of all medical consultations may be related to stress problems.
In the workplace, stress can cause loss of productivity, lower efficiency and even decline of the organisation.
Life involves a variety of demands, problems, changing situations etc affecting the individual. The way individuals are affected by these demands and their response to them is referred to as STRESS. Thus, stress can be defined simple as a response made by people to demands made upon them.
The life event, demands etc act as STRESSORS to which the individual develops mechanisms for coping with these life events. However, when one’s usual coping mechanisms become inadequate in dealing with a situation, HARMFUL STRESS OR DISTRESS results. Generally, when the word stress is used, it is actually referring to harmful stress or distress.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
STRESS AND ITS MEANING
STRESS AND ITS MEANING
Stress is a commonly used term and is generally associated with some emotional discomfort accompanied. It is regarded as something unpleasant and harmful to the individual. However, some degree of stress is normal and necessary in all living things, otherwise devoid of any external stimulation; the individual will be bored to death.
CONCEPT OF STRESS
The life pressures, demands, change situation etc act as STRESSORS to which the individual develops mechanisms for coping with these life events. However, when one’s usual coping mechanisms become inadequate in dealing with a situation, HARMFUL STRESS OR DISTRESS results. Generally, when the word stress is used, it is actually referring to harmful stress or distress.
Evidence clearly shows that we are living in critical times. Everybody is affected from young to old. No one is exempted. Do you realise that not everyone can successfully manage change. I personally believe that the greatest contributor to stress is the new changes situation that confronts people. A man or woman who could hardly pay for his children`s school fees and could hardly afford two square meals suddenly finds himself becoming a millionaire overnight.
Why do you think people who are widely celebrated belong in this category? Why do you think most of them cannot sustain a normal family life? Relationship with their wives and children has fallen apart. A lot of people`s life has been shattered by success. All over the media both electronic and non-electronic, you see adverts promoting wealth and riches.
The big question is, if you finally get to your kingdom of riches and wealth can you cope? Will it tear your life apart or make you a better human being? Don`t get me wrong, I`m not saying that wealth is bad. The pressure that accompanies such changes is equally enormous and not many can cope. Ok, consider the other side of that change situation. A very wealthy person suddenly loses everything he or she has; his or her business empire suddenly collapses and nothing seems to work.
Such an individual would certainly feel that the world is after him or her. These guys definitely will look for a means of escape in their own philosophy. This is the reason why you always hear negative news about them.
Stress is a commonly used term and is generally associated with some emotional discomfort accompanied. It is regarded as something unpleasant and harmful to the individual. However, some degree of stress is normal and necessary in all living things, otherwise devoid of any external stimulation; the individual will be bored to death.
CONCEPT OF STRESS
The life pressures, demands, change situation etc act as STRESSORS to which the individual develops mechanisms for coping with these life events. However, when one’s usual coping mechanisms become inadequate in dealing with a situation, HARMFUL STRESS OR DISTRESS results. Generally, when the word stress is used, it is actually referring to harmful stress or distress.
Evidence clearly shows that we are living in critical times. Everybody is affected from young to old. No one is exempted. Do you realise that not everyone can successfully manage change. I personally believe that the greatest contributor to stress is the new changes situation that confronts people. A man or woman who could hardly pay for his children`s school fees and could hardly afford two square meals suddenly finds himself becoming a millionaire overnight.
Why do you think people who are widely celebrated belong in this category? Why do you think most of them cannot sustain a normal family life? Relationship with their wives and children has fallen apart. A lot of people`s life has been shattered by success. All over the media both electronic and non-electronic, you see adverts promoting wealth and riches.
The big question is, if you finally get to your kingdom of riches and wealth can you cope? Will it tear your life apart or make you a better human being? Don`t get me wrong, I`m not saying that wealth is bad. The pressure that accompanies such changes is equally enormous and not many can cope. Ok, consider the other side of that change situation. A very wealthy person suddenly loses everything he or she has; his or her business empire suddenly collapses and nothing seems to work.
Such an individual would certainly feel that the world is after him or her. These guys definitely will look for a means of escape in their own philosophy. This is the reason why you always hear negative news about them.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS
The main causes of accidents involve 1) Unsafe Acts and 2) Unsafe Conditions
An unsafe act-
Ø Is an observed unsafe practice (or the connectiveness of an unsafe practice) for which responsibility can definitely be assigned?
Ø Offers injury potential to the employee ...... and may expose other people to injury, (some rule violations may not directly involve injury exposure).
Ø Could be a violation of either an establishment safety rule or procedure or of an unwritten rule of common sense or good judgment.
Ø Is an action taken by somebody without due regard for his safety and the safety of others.
Unsafe Condition: Is a condition of an equipment or work environment, which is capable of causing an accident.
In monitoring HSE performance there are various indicators used, how ever in the COMPANY HSE- MS, the following will be used
Ø Accidents with Absenteeism
Ø Accidents with Alternative Work
Ø Accidents with First Aid (FA)
Ø Accidents on the way to/from work
Ø Total Calendar Days Absenteeism
Ø Total Work Hours in the week
Ø Frequency
Ø Seriousness of Accidents
Other HSE Elements – Fire Incidents, Security Incidents, Security Breach, Civil Disturbance and Environmental Incidents.
Man Hours worked before LTI: This is the total man hours calculated before any LTI in the company.
Man Hours worked after LTI: This is the total man hours calculated after any LTI in the company i.e starting from the beginning all over again.
Lost Time Injuries Frequency (LTIF): The Lost Time Injuries Frequency is the number of Lost Time Injuries Per million Exposure Hours worked during the period.
Lost Time Incidents (LTI): Lost Time Injuries are the sum of Fatalities, Permanent Total Disabilities, Permanent Partial Disabilities and Lost Workday Cases.
An unsafe act-
Ø Is an observed unsafe practice (or the connectiveness of an unsafe practice) for which responsibility can definitely be assigned?
Ø Offers injury potential to the employee ...... and may expose other people to injury, (some rule violations may not directly involve injury exposure).
Ø Could be a violation of either an establishment safety rule or procedure or of an unwritten rule of common sense or good judgment.
Ø Is an action taken by somebody without due regard for his safety and the safety of others.
Unsafe Condition: Is a condition of an equipment or work environment, which is capable of causing an accident.
In monitoring HSE performance there are various indicators used, how ever in the COMPANY HSE- MS, the following will be used
Ø Accidents with Absenteeism
Ø Accidents with Alternative Work
Ø Accidents with First Aid (FA)
Ø Accidents on the way to/from work
Ø Total Calendar Days Absenteeism
Ø Total Work Hours in the week
Ø Frequency
Ø Seriousness of Accidents
Other HSE Elements – Fire Incidents, Security Incidents, Security Breach, Civil Disturbance and Environmental Incidents.
Man Hours worked before LTI: This is the total man hours calculated before any LTI in the company.
Man Hours worked after LTI: This is the total man hours calculated after any LTI in the company i.e starting from the beginning all over again.
Lost Time Injuries Frequency (LTIF): The Lost Time Injuries Frequency is the number of Lost Time Injuries Per million Exposure Hours worked during the period.
Lost Time Incidents (LTI): Lost Time Injuries are the sum of Fatalities, Permanent Total Disabilities, Permanent Partial Disabilities and Lost Workday Cases.
CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS
The main causes of accidents involve 1) Unsafe Acts and 2) Unsafe Conditions
An unsafe act-
Ø Is an observed unsafe practice (or the connectiveness of an unsafe practice) for which responsibility can definitely be assigned?
Ø Offers injury potential to the employee ...... and may expose other people to injury, (some rule violations may not directly involve injury exposure).
Ø Could be a violation of either an establishment safety rule or procedure or of an unwritten rule of common sense or good judgment.
Ø Is an action taken by somebody without due regard for his safety and the safety of others.
Unsafe Condition: Is a condition of an equipment or work environment, which is capable of causing an accident.
In monitoring HSE performance there are various indicators used, how ever in the COMPANY HSE- MS, the following will be used
Ø Accidents with Absenteeism
Ø Accidents with Alternative Work
Ø Accidents with First Aid (FA)
Ø Accidents on the way to/from work
Ø Total Calendar Days Absenteeism
Ø Total Work Hours in the week
Ø Frequency
Ø Seriousness of Accidents
Other HSE Elements – Fire Incidents, Security Incidents, Security Breach, Civil Disturbance and Environmental Incidents.
Man Hours worked before LTI: This is the total man hours calculated before any LTI in the company.
Man Hours worked after LTI: This is the total man hours calculated after any LTI in the company i.e starting from the beginning all over again.
Lost Time Injuries Frequency (LTIF): The Lost Time Injuries Frequency is the number of Lost Time Injuries Per million Exposure Hours worked during the period.
Lost Time Incidents (LTI): Lost Time Injuries are the sum of Fatalities, Permanent Total Disabilities, Permanent Partial Disabilities and Lost Workday Cases.
An unsafe act-
Ø Is an observed unsafe practice (or the connectiveness of an unsafe practice) for which responsibility can definitely be assigned?
Ø Offers injury potential to the employee ...... and may expose other people to injury, (some rule violations may not directly involve injury exposure).
Ø Could be a violation of either an establishment safety rule or procedure or of an unwritten rule of common sense or good judgment.
Ø Is an action taken by somebody without due regard for his safety and the safety of others.
Unsafe Condition: Is a condition of an equipment or work environment, which is capable of causing an accident.
In monitoring HSE performance there are various indicators used, how ever in the COMPANY HSE- MS, the following will be used
Ø Accidents with Absenteeism
Ø Accidents with Alternative Work
Ø Accidents with First Aid (FA)
Ø Accidents on the way to/from work
Ø Total Calendar Days Absenteeism
Ø Total Work Hours in the week
Ø Frequency
Ø Seriousness of Accidents
Other HSE Elements – Fire Incidents, Security Incidents, Security Breach, Civil Disturbance and Environmental Incidents.
Man Hours worked before LTI: This is the total man hours calculated before any LTI in the company.
Man Hours worked after LTI: This is the total man hours calculated after any LTI in the company i.e starting from the beginning all over again.
Lost Time Injuries Frequency (LTIF): The Lost Time Injuries Frequency is the number of Lost Time Injuries Per million Exposure Hours worked during the period.
Lost Time Incidents (LTI): Lost Time Injuries are the sum of Fatalities, Permanent Total Disabilities, Permanent Partial Disabilities and Lost Workday Cases.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (HSE-MS)
In any COMPANY HSE – MS, HSE should be accorded the same priority as other aspects of the company business. A safe work environment should be created and all employees would be required to maintain it. All employees should develop personal responsibility for HSE as it would benefit them as well as the company. The HSE-MS involves monitoring of HSE performance from all sites and location of COMPANY’s operation. At the head office, the report would involve every department or section. Regular HSE records and reports are essential in sustaining the system when fully implemented,
· Sites, departmental and sectional HSE compliance audits should be conducted regularly, documented and followed up.
· All accidents, security, civil and environmental matters should be reported within 24 hours, investigated within 10 days, recorded and documented.
· A HSE plan should be made available to every site and department
· COMPANY HSE posters and policy which reflects management commitment to the objective should be made available to every site and department.
· Every site, department or section must keep records of their KPIs
· HSE training needs of staff have to be identified; courses arranged in- house with the coordinator.
· Every new staff ought to be given HSE induction with documentation
· A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) should always be done per job type, documented, issued to the staff involved and discussed at HSE meetings with staff. The meeting should be conducted weekly or monthly as the case may be.
· Sites, departmental and sectional HSE compliance audits should be conducted regularly, documented and followed up.
· All accidents, security, civil and environmental matters should be reported within 24 hours, investigated within 10 days, recorded and documented.
· A HSE plan should be made available to every site and department
· COMPANY HSE posters and policy which reflects management commitment to the objective should be made available to every site and department.
· Every site, department or section must keep records of their KPIs
· HSE training needs of staff have to be identified; courses arranged in- house with the coordinator.
· Every new staff ought to be given HSE induction with documentation
· A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) should always be done per job type, documented, issued to the staff involved and discussed at HSE meetings with staff. The meeting should be conducted weekly or monthly as the case may be.
Monday, August 31, 2009
SAFETY AWARENESS
SAFETY AWARENESS
(Frequently asked questions)
What is my business with safety anyway? It has a lot to do with you, as long as you are working with others in a work environment. An 'Unsafe Act' from you could lead to thefts, injuries, fatalities, property damage and financial losses to the company.
What is the objective and purpose? The primary focus is LOSS PREVENTION
What is KPI? KPI means Key Performance Indicator. KPIs are parameters for measuring safety performance against set targets. They show how well a company or an organization is doing in terms of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management in executing projects and maintenance in rendering its services to the society or clients. Monitoring of performance against targets is usually done regularly as appropriate i.e. daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Records are usually entered in appropriate charts provided for the purpose.
Why do we need to keep track of KPIs and why do they matter? Statistical evidence shows that there is an inversely proportional relationship between employees HSE activities or acceptable culture and incident (accidents, injuries, damage to property etc) rate. In order words, we know that the more employees get involved in HSE efforts, the lower the incident rate and consequently better performance.
How do we get involved? Reporting Unsafe Acts, Unsafe Conditions, attending HSE training and meetings (in- house or otherwise), submitting HSE improvement suggestions, conducting a facility or departmental inspection and participating in a safety investigation team if called upon. Incident investigation is usually done to establish learning points that can be applied in order to avoid reoccurrence or prevent future incidents.
What about my 20 years experience on the job? Your experience on the job does not remove the hazards involved? The evidence of drivers, pilots, okada riders, other workers etc who die everyday as a result of an error or neglect gives credence to this fact. The bottom line “EVERYONE NEEDS TRAINING AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT” All the Managers, HODs, Supervisors, Technicians and all category of workers, including public workers
What is in it for me? By getting involved you are helping to keep yourself and your co-workers safe and potentially boost the company's image. Additionally, because injuries and theft cost the company a lot of money every year, you can help boost the bottom line.
All accidents and injuries can be prevented and all should work towards this goal.
All operational procedures that possess the potentials for causing accidents should be strictly controlled.
Lack of proper Safety culture and implementation: The Niger Delta crisis is a critical example. The chain of problems resulting from the region is affecting everyone directly or indirectly. This is as a result of lack of implementation of safety standards, non-chalant attitude of the government in cultivating a proper safety culture and implementation in the region as they overprotected the oil companies. The natural environment in the region has been severely degraded.
Lack of proper safety orientation has made public facilities to have degraded below the zero level.
In the same vein in corporate bodies, lack of proper Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management plan in the execution of projects and maintenance of facilities leads to degradation (loss of value with time) of facilities and even health of workers. Also lack of good administration in contract or project execution has a lot to do with safety as it affects the image of a company.
SAFETY generally has to do with acceptable STANDARDS, QUALITY CONTROL, ADMINISTRATION, PROTECTION of LIFE and PROPERTY. In most cases the losses incurred in the event of an incident greatly surpasses the little efforts put in place to prevent occurrence of incidents.
(Frequently asked questions)
What is my business with safety anyway? It has a lot to do with you, as long as you are working with others in a work environment. An 'Unsafe Act' from you could lead to thefts, injuries, fatalities, property damage and financial losses to the company.
What is the objective and purpose? The primary focus is LOSS PREVENTION
What is KPI? KPI means Key Performance Indicator. KPIs are parameters for measuring safety performance against set targets. They show how well a company or an organization is doing in terms of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management in executing projects and maintenance in rendering its services to the society or clients. Monitoring of performance against targets is usually done regularly as appropriate i.e. daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Records are usually entered in appropriate charts provided for the purpose.
Why do we need to keep track of KPIs and why do they matter? Statistical evidence shows that there is an inversely proportional relationship between employees HSE activities or acceptable culture and incident (accidents, injuries, damage to property etc) rate. In order words, we know that the more employees get involved in HSE efforts, the lower the incident rate and consequently better performance.
How do we get involved? Reporting Unsafe Acts, Unsafe Conditions, attending HSE training and meetings (in- house or otherwise), submitting HSE improvement suggestions, conducting a facility or departmental inspection and participating in a safety investigation team if called upon. Incident investigation is usually done to establish learning points that can be applied in order to avoid reoccurrence or prevent future incidents.
What about my 20 years experience on the job? Your experience on the job does not remove the hazards involved? The evidence of drivers, pilots, okada riders, other workers etc who die everyday as a result of an error or neglect gives credence to this fact. The bottom line “EVERYONE NEEDS TRAINING AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT” All the Managers, HODs, Supervisors, Technicians and all category of workers, including public workers
What is in it for me? By getting involved you are helping to keep yourself and your co-workers safe and potentially boost the company's image. Additionally, because injuries and theft cost the company a lot of money every year, you can help boost the bottom line.
All accidents and injuries can be prevented and all should work towards this goal.
All operational procedures that possess the potentials for causing accidents should be strictly controlled.
Lack of proper Safety culture and implementation: The Niger Delta crisis is a critical example. The chain of problems resulting from the region is affecting everyone directly or indirectly. This is as a result of lack of implementation of safety standards, non-chalant attitude of the government in cultivating a proper safety culture and implementation in the region as they overprotected the oil companies. The natural environment in the region has been severely degraded.
Lack of proper safety orientation has made public facilities to have degraded below the zero level.
In the same vein in corporate bodies, lack of proper Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management plan in the execution of projects and maintenance of facilities leads to degradation (loss of value with time) of facilities and even health of workers. Also lack of good administration in contract or project execution has a lot to do with safety as it affects the image of a company.
SAFETY generally has to do with acceptable STANDARDS, QUALITY CONTROL, ADMINISTRATION, PROTECTION of LIFE and PROPERTY. In most cases the losses incurred in the event of an incident greatly surpasses the little efforts put in place to prevent occurrence of incidents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)