Workplace Risk Management and Protection Strategies

Workplace Risk Management and Protection

Employers are responsible for controlling occupational risks and implementing preventive and protective measures. Prevention measures aim to avert the materialization of occupational hazards. Protection measures, conversely, act by controlling damage, seeking to eliminate or minimize its impact. Prevention measures are classified as:

Organizational Prevention Measures

1. Staff Selection: This allows for the identification of candidates with the appropriate knowledge for the workplace, ensuring proper use of equipment and procedures.
2. Training and Information: These enable workers to identify risks associated with their jobs and apply learned techniques to avoid them.
3. Medical Control: Achieved through periodic medical examinations.

Preventive Techniques

These techniques are applied at the source, in the environment, and at the receiver. The most common include:

1. Focus on the Origin:
   • Replacing dangerous elements with non-hazardous ones.
   • Insulation.
   • Design improvements.
   • Localized extraction at the source.
2. On the Environment:
   • Maintenance.
   • Order and cleanliness.
   • Increasing the distance between the source and the receiver.
3. At the Receiver:
   • Isolation.

Means of Prevention

Collective Protection Measures

These measures guarantee the safety of several workers simultaneously. They include:

• Guardrails.
• Safety nets.
• Differential switches.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE refers to equipment intended to be worn or held by a worker to protect against risks that can cause harm as a result of their work.

Types of PPE:

• Integral PPE: Protects the entire body of the worker.
• Partial PPE: Controls damage to a specific part of the body. Examples include:
  • Head: Helmet
  • Face/Eyes: Glasses
  • Hearing: Earplugs
  • Arms/Hands: Gloves
  • Feet/Legs: Boots
  • Respiratory: Masks
  • Fall Protection: Safety harness

Safety Signs

Safety signs are crucial for communicating hazards and instructions in the workplace. They can be:

1. Bright (Optical)
2. Acoustic
3. Olfactory (Smell)
4. Textual
5. Panel Signs:

Panel Sign Types and Forms:

• Circles
• Triangles
• Squares

Panel Sign Colors and Meanings:

• Red: Prohibition, Danger alarm, Fire-fighting equipment
• Blue: Obligation, Mandatory action
• Yellow: Warning, Danger
• Green: Emergency escape, First aid, No danger

Health Monitoring

Employers have an obligation to monitor the health of their workers, utilizing several resources:

• Medical Examinations: The purpose of these examinations is to detect potential health damage early, before irreversible diseases develop.
• Prevention Campaigns: These campaigns aim to inform workers about job-related risks that can cause illness and explain actions to avoid them. They typically involve health education lectures, first aid courses, and similar initiatives.