Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay

Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay

Despite the architectural beauty that an old house might have, it comes with a number of health hazards that might generally reduce the productivity of employees working in an organization located in such a building.

Unlike new modern buildings, old houses were built with different designs that do not meet the safety standards that are required of modern houses. The building material used in constructing them might over the years become toxic or would not be even allowed to be used in constructing new houses presently.Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

The most common threat that the houses might pose health wise would be the threat moulds. Fungal growth on old wood is a common phenomenon that many have ignored over the years.

A mould is basically a fuzzy growth on organic matter that is made up of different types of fungi. They thrive on organic surfaces that over the years have become worn out and trap a lot of moisture. Old buildings have worn out moisture proof wood that easily store moisture and thus support the massive growth of moulds. The health implications of moulds are dire.

Mycosis

Moulds normally reproduce by producing spores, these spores on inhalation are becomes very deadly and could cause mycosis which are essentially diseases caused by fungal growth. These forms of diseases are characterized by flu and cold like symptoms that are as a result of allergic reaction to the spores emanating from the moulds.

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Another form of danger is the possibility that the fungal growths besides causing respiratory tract infections might probably cause chronic or acute mycosis. This is as a result of mycotoxins that these moulds produce as they grow. These diseases are generally dangerous and could lead to major health problems to employees.

Asthma

Asthma is another disease whose probability of occurrence is aggravated by the presence of moulds in old wood. This would negatively affect the productivity of the employees. It is a health phenomenon that old houses produce moulds that lead to asthma like allergic reactions

Irritant Effects

Not all people are allergic to the microscopic moulds spores, however many people will experience irritation with exposure of the skin to moulds or any other form of fungal growth.

These irritations can be experienced in the eyes, the nose, the skin and the lungs.

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Opportunistic Infections

Individuals with weak immune system might experience opportunistic infections that result from other microorganisms that grow on old building material such as wood or asbestos. A good example is the Aspergillus fumigatus which infect individuals with compromised or weak immune systems. This microorganism readily thrives in most old buildings posing a great danger to the individuals working in such a building.

Asbestos induced cancer

Old buildings were made of asbestos as part of their roofing and as a component of insulation in walls. Asbestos has since been banned from use as a building material. This is because it is carcinogenic. This in a layman’s language means that it is capable of inducing cancerous growth in any individual who come into contact with it.

Zoonotic diseases

These are diseases that are transmitted from animals to man. Animals tend to find old houses as the most suitable setting for their dwellings. Animals like rats and mice live in old houses and are capable of transmitting disease to humans. The bubonic plague that killed millions in the 19th century was as a result of human beings sharing habitats with mice and rats. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Question for employees

How many times have you been sick in the last one year?
Do you experience any sort of discomfort while working at this premise?
What kind of disease were you last diagnosed with when you last visited a health facility?

Do you feel that the ventilation in these offices is adequate?
How often is this building fumigated?
Sources of water

The major source of water for the community at large comes mainly from dammed rivers. The water is trapped treated and supplied through pipe networks to different residential and industrial destinations.

The supply of water is done by a central water supply agency that usually collect treat and distributes the water to different destinations. These agencies are responsible for the maintenance of the pipe network and collection of water bills from consumers who have meters determining their consumption of water. (Pelusey 2006)

The industrial sector consumes most of the water that is produced by distributors since the applications of water in industrial instillations quite varied. This ranges fro cooling of plants to washing and production of tones of goods. (Pelusey 2006)

The prices of water have been increasing over the year. This is due to industrialization and global warming that has result to increased scarcity of this precious commodity.

Employer should provide necessary information, proper instruction, appropriate training and supervision to make sure employees gain ability to be safe and take necessary action to maintain their health and safety.

Employer should take all the necessary action to arrange for the safe use, handling, storage and transport of goods and substances.

Employer should provide and maintain systems of work that are safe and healthy to the people who are at work.

Employer should provide and maintain a safe work place with safe entrance and exit places and also a safe working environment without risk to health and individual safety.

It should be noted that it is impossible to remove all risks and hazards from any working place. The law recognizes this. So, duties mentioned above qualified using the term ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’.

Therefore level of risk involved always can be balanced against the time, difficulty of taking measures to remove the risk as well as trouble and cost.

Employee’s duties are to:

Employees should always concern about care of the health and safety of themselves and of others who may be affected by what they do and people who are working around.

Employees should follow instructions from the employer on health and safety matters and attend relevant health and safety training conducted by particular organization.

Employees should not misuse any equipment that is provided and always use proper instructions given to use those equipment (eg fire extinguishers or safety goggles)

Employees should always cooperate with the employer on health and safety matters and be sensitive if their safety and health rights when working are violated. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Employer should always take action to report hazards and defects observed in the workplace which might threat to the employee’s safety.

Q 1.4
Welfare facilities for employees

The law states that employers must offer ‘suitable and sufficient’ welfare facilities for the comfort of their workforces though at work.

Health accommodations cover many areas.

Toilets

Coating

Wherever clean to eat and drink during opportunities

Changing facilities ex: Changing rooms and lockers

Good facilities can positively benefit health and well-being of the employees and can help to prevent dermatitis. Well being of them increase efficiency of the work they are on and by making them happy with the facilities this will definitely helpful in conflict management and psychological wellbeing of the employees.

Question no 02
Q 2.1
Health and safety policy

particular company a safe and healthy environment. Its commitment will be to protect the company, its employees and their clients.

It is the policy of the company to perform work of the highest capacity and in the safest manner possible while maintaining agreement with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay. Protecting the health and safety of the employees will be a permanent objective.

Every employee will be held responsible . Desecrations will be recorded and addressed.

Q 2.2
How to assess training requirements

There have use process which call “training need analysis” to training staff. The way of training mainly depends on the nature of the organization, capacity of the organization, the technology available, and the nature of the staff.

But for any kind of organization the fundamental elements of a training needs analysis are the same. It is a three-step process:

1. Identify the training needs

2. Deliver training that meets the needs

3. Assess the effectiveness of the training. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Why is health and safety training important?

Find out how you could manage health and safety better;

Meet your legal duty to protect the health and safety of your employees.

Those will contribute towards making your employees competent in health and safety;

Q 2.3
The Methods of recording health and safety inspections and its importance

In addition to keeping administrative records, an occupational health service normally maintain another two type of records, these are:

Personal Health Records.-
Environmental Health Records.

This set of records concern the health status of each aspects of the workplace rather than the individual employee .

Result of physical investigations.

Occupational and Medical history.

Serious treatment entries and progress.

Worker’s compensation and insurance medical records.

Site visit reports.

Hazard monitoring result. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Worksite health and safety committee reports.

Accident investigation files.

First Aid reports

CSC Inspection reports

Investigation reports

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)

WSIB (Workplace Safety Insurance Board) claims.

Incident reports

Question no 03
Q 3.1
Hazards In a construction sites

Electrical

Hazards while trenching and excavating.

Falls – Falling from scaffolding, ladders, stairways

Heavy Construction Equipment

Fire And Emergency

Hazardous Substances

Noise

Q 3.2
Identifying the hazards

Poorly designed workplace.

Hazardous tasks being performed in the workplace;

Introducing poorly designed plant and machineries.

Incorrect installation, poor maintenance, no repair or alteration of plant in the workplace when necessary.

There are a number of ways hazards can be identified in the workplace. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay. These include:

Health and environment monitoring

Recording complaints

Observation

Monitoring injury and illness records

Consultation between employees and employers

Workplace inspections

Q 3.4
Risk assessment

There are generally.

Identify the hazards and the place occurring it

Decide who might be affected and how

Record the findings and implement them

Review assessment and update if necessary

For simple example for the risk assessment, we can take Construction Company. Here five steps to risk assignment were followed.

To identify the hazards, first it should walk around all the areas and places in the construction site to find out where are the places can be potential threat to the health and safety to the employees.Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

And for the next step it should talked through the issues with the health and safety representative, other members of the staff and sometimes with supervisors to learn more about particular places and jobs and with the use of accident book more knowledge about hazards could be gathered.

Then it should write down the findings and the people who are affecting or could be harmed.

For each hazard, the fitter should write those hazards. And after that it should be noted down what else

Then with those finding and prepared report it is good to discuss with the safety representative, supervisors and with the managing director of the company. and Then those should. it should ticked if off and recorded the date which completed each tasks.

If decided t least once a when changes occurred to the workplace.

Question no: 04
Q 4.1
Consequences of workplace hazards
Slipping, tripping and falls

Slipping, falling and falls can cause serious injuries such as

head injuries.

back injuries,

Paralysis.

Broken bones.

Sprains and strains to muscles and even death.

Radiation

Sunburn

Skin cancer

Heart failure by damage small blood vessels.

Radiation kills nerve cells and small blood vessels, and can cause seizures

Vibration

Lower bearing life – unexpected plant shutdowns.

Energy wastage due to kinetic energy required for vibration.

Operator fatigue and nuisance. Annoyance.Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Heat

Heat stroke.

heat cramps

heat exhaustion,

heat rash

Cold

hypothermia,

Frostbite.

Question no: 05
Q 5.1
Importance of review and update assessment procedures

Monitoring and review involves ongoing monitoring of the hazards identified by risk assessment process, risk assessment and risk control processes and reviewing them to make sure they are working effectively.

Hazard identification, risk assessment and control are continuous processes. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay. Therefore, regularly review the effectiveness of hazard assessment and control measures make sure that the employer undertake a hazard and risk assessment when there is a change to the workplace including when work systems, labor force tools, machinery, technology or equipment change.it also Provide additional supervision when new employees with poor skill levels or knowledge are introduced to the industry.

Q 5.2
We have to suggest implementing changes to a health and safety policy

When Particular company’s health and safety policy too old:-

An old policy becomes not suitable. Because

Company employees can be changed.

Company output (type of output/amount of output) can be changed.

Ex-in construction industry some time doing building construction, some time do road construction, and also some time water project, then can’t use same health and safety policy.

Policy create by company responsible person (Ex:-Managing Director),if new Managing Director come in to company and that person need to change.

When not capable to protect the health and safety of all person in work place:-

The main objective of health and safety policy is to protect the health and safety of all people in work place.Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.  When any company unable to realize this objective,(That’s mean in other words if hazard increases, if there problem with company workers health and safety)then need to change health and safety policy to ensure worker’s health and safety.

When government implements arises.

Government implement also can made changes in health and safety policy. If government introduce new rule for every organization, that rule can say every organization have to ensure these, these things which related with health and safety to every employee. Then organizations have to change health and safety policy.

When introduce new technologies.

New technologies mean introducing new machines/plants. In this case new harms can happen in different way because of no better knowledge about new machines.

Q 5.3
Monitoring implemented changes

Nominate some responsible persons to ensure health and safety policy.

Provide sheet which call weekly safety check sheet. (That include every safety methods) to the responsible person in the work place.

Order to that responsible person to fill that sheet at work place and submit it to health and safety department in a company.

Call meeting once a month to discuss about health and safety in company

Employer should provide necessary information, proper instruction, appropriate training and supervision to make sure employees gain ability to be safe and take necessary action to maintain their health and safety.

Employer should take all the necessary action to arrange for the safe use, handling, storage and transport of goods and substances.

Employer should provide and maintain systems of work that are safe and healthy to the people who are at work.

Employer should provide and maintain a safe work place with safe entrance and exit places and also a safe working environment without risk to health and individual safety.

It should be noted that it is impossible to remove all risks and hazards from any working place. The law recognizes this. So, duties mentioned above qualified using the term ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Therefore level of risk involved always can be balanced against the time, difficulty of taking measures to remove the risk as well as trouble and cost.

Employee’s duties are to:

Employees should always concern about care of the health and safety of themselves and of others who may be affected by what they do and people who are working around.

Employees should follow instructions from the employer on health and safety matters and attend relevant health and safety training conducted by particular organization.

Employees should not misuse any equipment that is provided and always use proper instructions given to use those equipment (eg fire extinguishers or safety goggles)

Employees should always cooperate with the employer on health and safety matters and be sensitive if their safety and health rights when working are violated.

Employer should always take action to report hazards and defects observed in the workplace which might threat to the employee’s safety.

Q 1.4
Welfare facilities for employees

The law states that employers must offer ‘suitable and sufficient’ welfare facilities for the comfort of their workforces though at work. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Health accommodations cover many areas.

Toilets

Coating

Wherever clean to eat and drink during opportunities

Changing facilities ex: Changing rooms and lockers

Good facilities can positively benefit health and well-being of the employees and can help to prevent dermatitis. Well being of them increase efficiency of the work they are on and by making them happy with the facilities this will definitely helpful in conflict management and psychological wellbeing of the employees.

Question no 02
Q 2.1
Health and safety policy

particular company a safe and healthy environment. Its commitment will be to protect the company, its employees and their clients.

It is the policy of the company to perform work of the highest capacity and in the safest manner possible while maintaining agreement with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Protecting the health and safety of the employees will be a permanent objective.

Every employee will be held responsible . Desecrations will be recorded and addressed. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Q 2.2
How to assess training requirements

There have use process which call “training need analysis” to training staff. The way of training mainly depends on the nature of the organization, capacity of the organization, the technology available, and the nature of the staff.

But for any kind of organization the fundamental elements of a training needs analysis are the same. It is a three-step process:

1. Identify the training needs

2. Deliver training that meets the needs

3. Assess the effectiveness of the training.

Why is health and safety training important?

Find out how you could manage health and safety better;

Meet your legal duty to protect the health and safety of your employees.

Those will contribute towards making your employees competent in health and safety;

Q 2.3
The Methods of recording health and safety inspections and its importance

In addition to keeping administrative records, an occupational health service normally maintain another two type of records, these are:Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Personal Health Records.-
Environmental Health Records.

This set of records concern the health status of each aspects of the workplace rather than the individual employee .

Result of physical investigations.

Occupational and Medical history.

Serious treatment entries and progress.

Worker’s compensation and insurance medical records.

Site visit reports.

Hazard monitoring result.

Worksite health and safety committee reports.

Accident investigation files.

First Aid reports

CSC Inspection reports

Investigation reports

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)

WSIB (Workplace Safety Insurance Board) claims.

Incident reports

Question no 03
Q 3.1
Hazards In a construction sites

Electrical

Hazards while trenching and excavating.

Falls – Falling from scaffolding, ladders, stairways

Heavy Construction Equipment

Fire And Emergency

Hazardous Substances

Noise

Q 3.2
Identifying the hazards

Poorly designed workplace.

Hazardous tasks being performed in the workplace;

Introducing poorly designed plant and machineries.

Incorrect installation, poor maintenance, no repair or alteration of plant in the workplace when necessary. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

There are a number of ways hazards can be identified in the workplace. These include:

Health and environment monitoring

Recording complaints

Observation

Monitoring injury and illness records

Consultation between employees and employers

Workplace inspections

Q 3.4
Risk assessment

There are generally.

Identify the hazards and the place occurring it

Decide who might be affected and how

Record the findings and implement them

Review assessment and update if necessary

For simple example for the risk assessment, we can take Construction Company. Here five steps to risk assignment were followed.

To identify the hazards, first it should walk around all the areas and places in the construction site to find out where are the places can be potential threat to the health and safety to the employees.

And for the next step it should talked through the issues with the health and safety representative, other members of the staff and sometimes with supervisors to learn more about particular places and jobs and with the use of accident book more knowledge about hazards could be gathered. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Then it should write down the findings and the people who are affecting or could be harmed.

For each hazard, the fitter should write those hazards. And after that it should be noted down what else

Then with those finding and prepared report it is good to discuss with the safety representative, supervisors and with the managing director of the company. and Then those should. it should ticked if off and recorded the date which completed each tasks.

If decided t least once a when changes occurred to the workplace.

Question no: 04
Q 4.1
Consequences of workplace hazards
Slipping, tripping and falls

Slipping, falling and falls can cause serious injuries such as

head injuries.

back injuries,

Paralysis.

Broken bones.

Sprains and strains to muscles and even death.

Radiation

Sunburn

Skin cancer

Heart failure by damage small blood vessels.

Radiation kills nerve cells and small blood vessels, and can cause seizures

Vibration

Lower bearing life – unexpected plant shutdowns.

Energy wastage due to kinetic energy required for vibration.

Operator fatigue and nuisance. Annoyance. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

Heat

Heat stroke.

heat cramps

heat exhaustion,

heat rash

Cold

hypothermia,

Frostbite.

Question no: 05
Q 5.1
Importance of review and update assessment procedures

Monitoring and review involves ongoing monitoring of the hazards identified by risk assessment process, risk assessment and risk control processes and reviewing them to make sure they are working effectively.

Hazard identification, risk assessment and control are continuous processes. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay. Therefore, regularly review the effectiveness of hazard assessment and control measures make sure that the employer undertake a hazard and risk assessment when there is a change to the workplace including when work systems, labor force tools, machinery, technology or equipment change.it also Provide additional supervision when new employees with poor skill levels or knowledge are introduced to the industry.

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Q 5.2
We have to suggest implementing changes to a health and safety policy

When Particular company’s health and safety policy too old:-

An old policy becomes not suitable. Because

Company employees can be changed.

Company output (type of output/amount of output) can be changed.

Ex-in construction industry some time doing building construction, some time do road construction, and also some time water project, then can’t use same health and safety policy.

Policy create by company responsible person (Ex:-Managing Director),if new Managing Director come in to company and that person need to change.

When not capable to protect the health and safety of all person in work place:-

The main objective of health and safety policy is to protect the health and safety of all people in work place. When any company unable to realize this objective,(That’s mean in other words if hazard increases, if there problem with company workers health and safety)then need to change health and safety policy to ensure worker’s health and safety. Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.

When government implements arises.

Government implement also can made changes in health and safety policy. If government introduce new rule for every organization, that rule can say every organization have to ensure these, these things which related with health and safety to every employee. Then organizations have to change health and safety policy.

When introduce new technologies.

New technologies mean introducing new machines/plants. In this case new harms can happen in different way because of no better knowledge about new machines.

Q 5.3
Monitoring implemented changes

Nominate some responsible persons to ensure health and safety policy.

Provide sheet which call weekly safety check sheet. (That include every safety methods) to the responsible person in the work place.

Order to that responsible person to fill that sheet at work place and submit it to health and safety department in a company.

Call meeting once a month to discuss about health and safety in company . Health Hazards of an Old Building Essay.