Thesis (LLM. (Development and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Occupational health, safety and wellbeing of employees is an important factor in the socioeconomic development of a country hence the need for South Africa as a developmental state, to give priority to the health and safety of employees in the country as employees are key to socio-economic development. The right to an environment that is not detrimental to the health and wellbeing of employees is also entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic making it a fundamental right which should be enjoyed by all. Laws related to occupational health and safety have been enacted in South Africa with a view to, on the one hand, prevent occupational injuries, diseases or deaths and on the other hand to provide compensation where such occurs. This study seeks to determine which of the laws are applicable, whether they are reasonable when compared to the constitutional requirements and South Africa’s obligations as a member of the international community. Comparisons are also made with other countries and recommendations made for the South African government to adequately ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of employees in the country.

M.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

As organizações têm repassado para empresas especializadas os trabalhos que originalmente realizavam com empregados de seus quadros de efetivos. Este fenômeno tem provocado um crescente movimento de subcontratação de serviços conhecido como terceirização. As empresas terceirizadas têm se estabelecido de forma frágil do ponto de vista da segurança do trabalho, negligenciando os aspectos mais básicos estabelecidos pela legislação vigente, normas técnicas e as boas práticas nesta área no intuito de oferecer propostas mais econômicas para fazer frente a um mercado cada vez mais competitivo. Estabeleceu-se como objetivo para esta pesquisa identificar as práticas adotadas em matéria de segurança por uma companhia multinacional do ramo de alimentos, que é certificada na Norma OHSAS 18.001:2007, no que tange as empresas terceirizadas que prestaram serviços de manutenção predial com foco nas atividades de construção civil no período de julho de 2009 a junho de 2010. A metodologia utilizada consistiu de um estudo detalhado da documentação relativa ao sistema de gestão da organização contratante quanto aos trabalhos terceirizados e dos registros das subcontratadas concernentes a acidentes e medidas prevencionistas adotadas para o atendimento das exigências estipuladas pela contratante. Como resultado principal desta pesquisa identificou-se que dentre as medidas adotadas destacaram-se o estabelecimento de processos administrativos e técnicos, como a operacionalização de ações chaves como a fundamentação dos trabalhos com base em requisitos da Norma OHSAS 18.001, dos programas de treinamento, do atendimento a legislação, da definição de procedimentos para atividades administrativas e de risco, de uma boa relação entre contratante e contratada, da organização de profissionais de segurança, de preparação de emergências e atendimento médico. Como conclusão verificou-se que as medidas implantadas foram eficazes, pois contribuíram efetivamente para que a área de manutenção predial com foco em construção civil apresentasse o melhor desempenho em termos de indicadores de acidentabilidade. Desta forma recomenda-se considerar a aplicação das ações preventivas identificadas nesta pesquisa em virtude da sua eficácia, e pelo processo de implantação ser basicamente de ordem administrativa. / Organizations have transferred to specialized companies that originally held the jobs of their employees with effective frameworks. This phenomenon has caused a growing movement known as outsourcing services. The outsourced companies have been established so fragile from the standpoint of safety at work, neglecting the most basic aspects established by the legislation, technical standards and best practice in this area in order to offer more economic proposals to deal with a market every increasingly competitive. It was established as a goal for this research to identify the practices adopted in terms of safety by a multinational company in the food industry field that is certified under OHSAS 18.001:2007, regarding outside contractors who provide building maintenance services with focus on civil construction activities during July 2009 thru June 2010. The methodology consisted of a detailed study relating to the contracting organization management system concerning outside contractors as well as of the records of accidents and preventive measures adopted to meet the requirements stipulated by the contractor. As a main result of this research it was identified that among the measures adopted, it were highlighted the establishment of administrative and technical procedures, such as the operationalization of key actions like work oriented on the requirements of OHSAS 18001, training programs, the legislation attendance, the definition of administration procedures and for risk management activities, a good relationship between the contractor and subcontractors, the organization of safety professionals, emergency preparedness and medical care. As conclusion it was found that the measures implemented were effective because they contributed to the branch of building maintenance with a focus on civil construction on presenting the best performance in terms of accident rates. Therefore it is recommended to consider the application of the preventive actions identified in this survey due to its effectiveness, and for the fact that the deployment process is basically administrative.

The existence of an occupational health and safety policy is believed to be evidence of management accepting their occupational health and safety role in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It is accepted that this results in management ensuring the provision of a safe workplace. Despite the emphasis in legislation (the Occupational Health and Safety Act) on the need for management to implement comprehensive occupational health and safety policies, there is a lack of research on the implementation and efficacy of occupational health and safety policies in the workplace. This study investigates the efficacy with which management carries out their occupational health and safety duties and responsibilities when implementing the provisions of an occupational health and safety policy in the workplace. A number of factors are essential to the efficient performance of management in this regard. These factors include managerial commitment, practices and strategies; communication practices and structures; training initiatives and information; the extent of employee and trade union involvement; and the infrastructure of the organisation. This research study is primarily qualitative in nature. Semi-structured interviews were the primary tool used by the researcher to collect the data. The case-study research method was employed to assist the researcher in collecting the data. The participants involved in the research were selected using the principles of strategic informant sampling and expert choice sampling. The participants consisted of a sample of management, employees and shop stewards. The research findings indicate that firstly, the presence of occupational health and safety policies, practices, strategies and systems in the workplace do not automatically result in reduced hazards, accidents or deaths in the workplace. Secondly, the participation schemes and the communication practices put in place by management are weak. The reason for their weakness is their ineffective implementation by management and use by employees and the trade union. Thirdly, management has a definite impact on the involvement, attitudes and actions of the employees and the trade union in occupational health and safety issues. Fourthly, there is an unequal partnership between management and employees as a result of the educational differences regarding occupational health and safety between them. The outcome is that management and employees are faced with numerous challenges in relation to occupational health and safety. Contributing to this challenge is a lack of sufficient resources allocated to training, resulting ultimately in the ineffective monitoring of occupational health and safety in the workplace. The existence of occupational health and safety structures and systems does not provide the essential evidence to suggest that their mere presence makes a difference to the workplace safety level. However, through more co-operation and participation by all the parties, these structures and systems have the potential to be effective. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

A segurança e saúde no trabalho é tema de grande relevância nos dias atuais, sobretudo, em razão do elevado custo financeiro, social e para a saúde dos trabalhadores relacionados aos agravos decorrentes dos riscos existentes nas atividades laborais. Desde a Revolução Industrial e no Brasil desde o fim da escravidão o tema vem progressivamente adquirindo maior importância e chamando a atenção das autoridades públicas. No Brasil a segurança e saúde do trabalho é amplamente abordada e disciplinada na legislação trabalhista através das disposições da Consolidação das Leis Trabalhistas – CLT e das Normas Regulamentadoras, emitidas pelo Ministério do Trabalho, bem como de outros instrumentos legais afins. Entretanto, no âmbito do serviço público a realidade é bastante diferente. Apesar de o setor público abrigar diversas atividades que implicam em riscos à saúde e à integridade física de seus trabalhadores, a SST é marcada pela omissão legislativa nesse setor. Enquanto no regime CLT a disciplina legal e regulamentar do tema é bastante satisfatória em termos de abrangência, no serviço público, por sua vez a disciplina do tema resume-se a tratar dos adicionais ocupacionais, deixando de lado importantes programas e medidas que são utilizadas no regime celetista. O objetivo geral deste estudo é propor alternativas para sanar a omissão legislativa e regulamentar sobre saúde e segurança no trabalho no regime jurídico único federal (estatutário). O trabalho foi elaborado com base em pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Discute-se a possibilidade de criação de alternativas para superar a omissão legislativa e regulamentar sobre SST que atinge os trabalhadores do setor público com vistas a garantir maior isonomia no tratamento dos trabalhadores de ambos os regimes, no que diz respeito à proteção de sua saúde e segurança no trabalho. / Safety and health at work is a subject which has great relevance nowadays, mainly due to the high financial, social and health costs of workers related to the grieves arising from the existing risks in the work activities. Since the Industrial Revolution, and in Brazil, since the end of slavery the issue has gradually become more important and has been drawing the attention of public authorities. In Brazil, occupational safety and health is widely approached and disciplined in labor legislation through the provisions of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) and the Regulatory Norms issued by the Ministry of Labor, as well as other related legal instruments. However, within the public service the reality is quite different. Although the public sector has several activities that imply risks to the health and physical integrity of its workers, the SHW is marked by the legislative omission in this sector. While in the CLT regime the legal and regulatory discipline of the subject is quite satisfactory in terms of scope, in the public service, in its turn the discipline of the topic boils down to dealing with occupational additional which is paid to those who work in circumstances of risk, leaving aside important programs and initiatives that are used in the private sector. The general objective of this study is to propose alternatives to solve the legislative and regulatory omission on health and safety at work in the federal (statutory) single legal regime. The work was elaborated taking as a base bibliographical and documentary research. The possibility of creating alternatives to overcoming the legislative and regulatory omission of SHW affecting public sector workers is discussed, with a view in ensuring greater equality in the treatment of workers in both regimes with regard to the protection of their health and safety at work.

A pesquisa aborda as percepções do Fator Acidentário de Prevenção como instrumento normativo para o alcance da sustentabilidade no meio ambiente do trabalho. Buscar a sustentabilidade no plano das relações de trabalho conduz à garantia de um ambiente laboral digno às presentes e futuras gerações de trabalhadores. Diante disso, a pesquisa atinge seus objetivos ao expor uma análise histórico-sociológica da transição do trabalho como formação biológico-evolutiva do ser humano à necessidade biológico-social pelo trabalho, abordando o meio ambiente do trabalho e as significativas transformações dos processos produtivos. Outrossim, a pesquisa demonstra a relevância do princípio da precaução para a construção de um meio ambiente do trabalho seguro, saudável e, sobretudo, sustentável, bem como aponta o Fator Acidentário de Prevenção (FAP) como instrumento normativo para a sustentabilidade do ambiente laboral. A pesquisa tem natureza qualitativo-exploratória, tendo utilizado como técnicas de coleta de dados a observação direta e a entrevista semiestruturada para identificar a percepção de seis observadores das relações de trabalho em relação ao FAP. Além disso, a pesquisa desenvolveu-se com uma sequência metodológica dividida em três fases: fase preliminar estado da arte , onde foram analisados os referenciais teóricobibliográficos, que fundamentaram a pesquisa de campo, denominada fase de coleta de dados , e a fase analítico-conclusiva , onde ocorreu a análise e discussão dos dados coletados. A pesquisa é dotada de embasamento metodológico que permitiu retratar o contexto fático do meio ambiente do trabalho e do Fator Acidentário de Prevenção sob o olhar do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, Ministério Público do Trabalho, INSS, Justiça do Trabalho, representante da classe dos empregados e representante da classe dos empregadores. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-06-04T17:57:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Vinicius Borges Fortes.pdf: 1001126 bytes, checksum: c0e40811f9e71899ec7245cd545af372 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-04T17:57:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Vinicius Borges Fortes.pdf: 1001126 bytes, checksum: c0e40811f9e71899ec7245cd545af372 (MD5) / The research approaches the perceptions of Accident Prevention Factor as a normative instrument for achieving sustainability in the environment of work. Seeking sustainability in terms of labor relations leads to ensuring a decent working environment for present and future generations of workers. Given this, the research achieves its objectives by exposing a historical-sociological analysis of the transition from working as biological-evolutionary training of human beings to the need for biological and social work, approaching the environment of work and the significant transformations of production processes. Moreover, research demonstrates the relevance of the precautionary principle to build a working environment safe, healthy and above all, sustainable, and points to the Accident Prevention Factor (APF) as a regulatory tool for the sustainability of the work environment. The research has qualitative and exploratory nature, and used as data collection techniques the direct observation and semistructured interviews to identify the perception of six observers of labor relations about the APF. Moreover, the research was developed with a methodological sequence divided into three phases: preliminary phase - "state of the art", which analyzed the theoretical and bibliographic, which motivated the research field, called "phase of data collection" and "Analytical-conclusive phase" that was a discussion and analysis of data collected. The research is endowed with a methodological basis that allowed portray the factual context of the environment of work and Accident Prevention Factor under the gaze of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Labour Prosecutor, Social Security, Labour Justice, representing the class of employees and representative of the class of employers.

A pesquisa aborda as percepções do Fator Acidentário de Prevenção como instrumento normativo para o alcance da sustentabilidade no meio ambiente do trabalho. Buscar a sustentabilidade no plano das relações de trabalho conduz à garantia de um ambiente laboral digno às presentes e futuras gerações de trabalhadores. Diante disso, a pesquisa atinge seus objetivos ao expor uma análise histórico-sociológica da transição do trabalho como formação biológico-evolutiva do ser humano à necessidade biológico-social pelo trabalho, abordando o meio ambiente do trabalho e as significativas transformações dos processos produtivos. Outrossim, a pesquisa demonstra a relevância do princípio da precaução para a construção de um meio ambiente do trabalho seguro, saudável e, sobretudo, sustentável, bem como aponta o Fator Acidentário de Prevenção (FAP) como instrumento normativo para a sustentabilidade do ambiente laboral. A pesquisa tem natureza qualitativo-exploratória, tendo utilizado como técnicas de coleta de dados a observação direta e a entrevista semiestruturada para identificar a percepção de seis observadores das relações de trabalho em relação ao FAP. Além disso, a pesquisa desenvolveu-se com uma sequência metodológica dividida em três fases: fase preliminar estado da arte , onde foram analisados os referenciais teóricobibliográficos, que fundamentaram a pesquisa de campo, denominada fase de coleta de dados , e a fase analítico-conclusiva , onde ocorreu a análise e discussão dos dados coletados. A pesquisa é dotada de embasamento metodológico que permitiu retratar o contexto fático do meio ambiente do trabalho e do Fator Acidentário de Prevenção sob o olhar do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, Ministério Público do Trabalho, INSS, Justiça do Trabalho, representante da classe dos empregados e representante da classe dos empregadores. / The research approaches the perceptions of Accident Prevention Factor as a normative instrument for achieving sustainability in the environment of work. Seeking sustainability in terms of labor relations leads to ensuring a decent working environment for present and future generations of workers. Given this, the research achieves its objectives by exposing a historical-sociological analysis of the transition from working as biological-evolutionary training of human beings to the need for biological and social work, approaching the environment of work and the significant transformations of production processes. Moreover, research demonstrates the relevance of the precautionary principle to build a working environment safe, healthy and above all, sustainable, and points to the Accident Prevention Factor (APF) as a regulatory tool for the sustainability of the work environment. The research has qualitative and exploratory nature, and used as data collection techniques the direct observation and semistructured interviews to identify the perception of six observers of labor relations about the APF. Moreover, the research was developed with a methodological sequence divided into three phases: preliminary phase - "state of the art", which analyzed the theoretical and bibliographic, which motivated the research field, called "phase of data collection" and "Analytical-conclusive phase" that was a discussion and analysis of data collected. The research is endowed with a methodological basis that allowed portray the factual context of the environment of work and Accident Prevention Factor under the gaze of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Labour Prosecutor, Social Security, Labour Justice, representing the class of employees and representative of the class of employers.

The aim of the study was to determine the causes of IODs in the workplace and to identify possible preventative measures to reduce IODs. A literature review was conducted as part of the study, involving assessment of all related articles and books on the subject of IODs in the workplace. A qualitative research methodology was utilised to conduct the study. The main research instruments were four focus group interviews and eight individual interviews. The study concluded that employees experienced IODs in different ways, with most participants describing negative experiences such as physical pain, undue financial hardship, psychological trauma and lack of support from the employer. A minor percentage experienced IODs in a positive sense in that there is heightened safety awareness in the workplace after an IOD has occurred, and the adoption of a more cautious approach by employees when performing their duties. From a practical and organisational/managerial perspective, the adoption of effective training of security officers and adherence to organisational standard operating procedures will assist in reducing IODs in the workplace. Limitations of the study included the small sample size from the research population, perceived language barriers during the interview processes and non-participation and inputs from managers at the organisation. However, it is hoped that the study will form the basis for further research to broaden the field to include parastatal or public-service entities / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

It is essential for both employers and employees to know and understand their obligations and rights about occupational health and safety. The study aimed at developing guidelines for the managers of health and safety programmes to promote compliance with OHS Act (No. 85 of 1993) among the food and beverage industry in South Africa. The study sites were from the four selected provinces of South Africa, with twenty three of them located in the Gauteng Province. A quantitative research method which is descriptive in nature was used to obtain in-depth knowledge on compliance to the health and safety legislation. Data was collected from 27 study sites using an inspection checklist and an interview- led questionnaire for the 202 employees. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Most employees on the study sites were young and therefore needed regular supervision, information, instruction and training to promote safe work and reduce injury and diseases. The study sites were male dominated. It emerged that there was general lack of consultation and communication with regards to health and safety matters between the employers and the employees. It was also noted that most study sites did not have a written and conspicuously placed health and safety policy and the OHS Act No. 85 of 1993. Majority of the study sites did not deploy adequate resources to manage problems related to health and safety at work and reduce their incidence. In addition, employees experienced injuries or illnesses at one point or the other as they were exposed to various occupational hazards. Finally, most study sites had poor housekeeping practices. Employers did not have the appropriate control measures, such as baseline risk assessments, in place. This placed employees at an increased risk of injuries and illnesses as well as the possibility of employers facing financial burdens such as higher compensation claims, medical specialist fees, fees involved in the replacement of injured employees or fees for the recruitment and training of new recruits. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)