ASSESSMENT ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: THE CASE OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CORPORATION

Abstract

Occupational safety and health management practices are activities regarding in protecting the life of employees and safeguarding working machineries from hazards arising in their working areas. Chemical processing sites are seen to be very hazardous areas because of the products, inputs materials and machines they are using for operation. Companies most often downplay on the safety and health of workers at the workplace. Occupational safety and health is one issues of concern in manufacturing factories. The study aims to assess OSH practices of CIC based on its four chemical processing factories, which all are located in Oromia region. To undertake this research the researcher used convenient random sampling technique, the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and scale ranking. Delegates of company OSH department and general managers in each factory were interviewed and 247 workers from the target of 300 employees in the production department responded to questionnaires with regard to safety and health practices of the company. The study findings are mainly of the company occupational safety practices, occupational health practices, effectiveness of OSH practice and challenges of OSH practices. The findings indicate the studied company is not effective in properly implementing both occupational safety and health activities. That is the current occupational safety and health practices at the company were not adequate. Mainly, training to create awareness on policies and procedures of OSH, absence in first-aid and emergency equipment’s in worksites, inadequate and unsuited or under quality provision of personal protection equipment (PPE), absence of regular workplace and worker safety monitoring and controlling, lack in proper inspection of working machineries, minimal level of management commitment to OSH issues are identified. Absence of effective OSH implementation have a negative effect on the organization and workforce performance, so, it is recommended tothe company to give proper attention for both occupational safety and health issues, OSH should be the top agenda of the company, also management of the company should develop & make effective OSH committee & make them more functional to accelerate the practice, so as to maintain regular monitoring, inspection, evaluation and conduct reviews the implementation of OSH practices.