Workplace Safety: Prevention, Protection, and Emergency Response

Posted on Jan 9, 2025 in Business Administration and Innovation Management

Risk Prevention and Protection Measures

Prevention: Focuses on avoiding or reducing risks. It acts directly on the risk factors.

Protection: Aims to eliminate or minimize harm by acting on the potential damage.

  • Collective Protection Measures: Safeguard a group of workers.
  • Individual Protection Measures: Protect a single worker, such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Workplaces and Equipment

Workplaces: Encompass all areas under the direct or indirect control of the employer.

Includes: Restrooms, break rooms, first aid stations, dining facilities, and any protective services connected to the workplace.

Handling Equipment:

  • Tools: Portable work items.
  • Machines: Fixed elements used to perform tasks.
  • Vehicles: Mobile and fixed elements for material transport.

All equipment requires EC marking and must be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Electrical Safety

Electricity: The primary risk is electrocution from direct or indirect contact, fires from short circuits or overloads, and explosions caused by sparks in flammable environments.

Fire Safety

Types of Fires:

  • Class A: Solid organic materials.
  • Class B: Liquid fuels.
  • Class C: Gaseous fuels.
  • Class D: Metals and chemical reagents.

Signage

Signage: Used when risk elimination or reduction is not feasible, or when protective measures are insufficient.

Occupational Risk Prevention Law (LPRL)

The Law for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (LPRL) mandates employers to analyze potential emergency situations and implement measures to minimize them.

Employers must take steps regarding:

  • Firefighting.
  • Worker evacuation and first aid.
  • Coordination with external emergency services.

Self-Protection Plan

The Self-Protection Plan includes:

  • Identification of the owners and location of the activity.
  • Detailed description of the activity and premises.
  • Inventory, analysis, and risk assessment.
  • Inventory and description of safety measures.
  • Maintenance program.
  • Integration of the Self-Protection Action Plan.
  • Implementation, maintenance, and updating of the plan.
  • Annexes with communication directories.

Emergency and Evacuation Plan

Emergency Plan and Evacuation:

  • What is it?
  • Who does it?
  • When?
  • How and where?

Required Resources:

  • Technical Resources: Detection systems.
  • Human Resources: Staff availability and organization.
  • Documents: Drawings with relevant emergency information.

Emergency Classification

  • Minor Emergency: Easily controlled and contained.
  • Partial Emergency: Requires intervention from the company’s emergency team.
  • General Emergency: Requires all company resources and external emergency services.
  • Evacuation: Requires leaving the workplace.

Action Sequence

  1. Alarms.
  2. Emergency equipment response.
  3. Evacuation.

Accident Procedures

In case of an accident:

  • Accident notification.
  • Investigation.
  • Statistical accident indices.
  • Notification to the Electronic Declaration of Work Accidents (DELTA).

Internal Accident Record: Companies should use their own reporting and investigation model.

Average Index: Quantifies the average duration of absence due to accidents.

Incidence Index: Relates the number of accidents to the number of exposed workers.

First Aid

First Aid: Companies must have the necessary materials for first aid and follow an ordered sequence of actions (PAS).

PAS:

  • Protect: Remove the source of harm and prevent further injuries.
  • Alert: Request help from medical facilities.
  • Assist: Help the injured person.