7. Risk and accidents, instructions/introduction of new employees and chemistry/substances in the workplace

Briefly about the topic

Many experiences show that employees themselves know best when their work involves a risk of a work-related accident - and why. Accidents at work are sudden incidents where a person is injured. And occupational diseases are illnesses that can be linked to work.

"Hazardous substances" are generally chemicals or metals which, because of their physical properties, are immediately dangerous and can lead to serious injury or death from a variety of causes. Some can cause harm by contact alone, while others can cause harm through a chemical reaction with other substances.

Why is this topic relevant to our industry? 

A framework for health and safety work has been established in all companies, including those in this sector.

There is often a lot of attention in the industry on aspects of the working environment such as heavy lifting, slippery floors etc. However, the fact that there is some formal framework for the health and safety actions and discussions that need to take place ensures a focus on busy days everyday.

What does it say about the topic in the legislation?

- Kilde: https://at.dk/arbejdsmiljoeproblemer/kemi/vurder-risikoen/

Assignment 7a - Risk assessment

Risk assessment
Risk assessment is about predicting the future. You need to be able to foresee the events that could result in an accident, a breakdown or an occupational disease. By analyzing accidents, you look backward to uncover and investigate why things went wrong.

During your health and safety assessment or if you are working towards a health and safety certification, the developing phase should assess whether there may be risks. It is therefore useful that you record any "near misses" that have occurred.

Watch three short videos on safety and safety culture here.

www.bar-web.dk > earch for your industry and read more about accidents at work and occupational diseases or at www.at.dk > Search the occupational health and safety guide for restaurants and bars, or hotels, course centres and holiday homes, or for offices, or other industry-relevant occupational health and safety guides.

Assignment 7B - work-related accidents

Definition of a work-related accident:
An injury caused by an event or influence that occurs suddenly or within 5 days. The injury may be physical, psychological, permanent or temporary.

You are covered by ASL (Arbejdsskadeloven) §4:

  • When performing work for an employer.

  • Are under the exercise of civil or municipal agents.

  • In the exercise of fiduciary duties in relation to employees' employment relationships.

  • Attempting to save lives, avert accidents or secure cultural losses - when it happens in the relation to work.

  • Trying to save lives without this being your job

Definition of an occupational disease?
These are diseases which, according to medical evidence, are caused by particular stresses to which certain groups of people are exposed through their work.

Report of a work-related accident

  • Within 9 days of the injury, if benefits are deemed to be due under the Act.

  • Still on sick leave at 5 weeks, report must be made at 5 weeks.

  • For occupational diseases, the reprieve is calculated from the time when the correlation between the disease and the work is known.

  • Deaths occurring in the workplace must be reported within 48 hours.

  • This includes deaths that may be caused by work.

  • 1-year deadline for reporting: Please note that the deadline for reporting a work-related accident is 1 year after the injury occurred. If you do not comply with the deadline, you may lose your right to compensation.

Assignment 7c -Training and instruction and supervision

Information on the subject: www.at.dk

Book: Fakta om arbejdsmiljø pages 122-128

Instruction on training and supervision

AT guidance: offensive behaviour, including bullying and sexual harassment

BFA Service and tourism: fact sheet ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY

The articles: "Sour smiley in the kitchen" and "Rapporteur on working conditions of student chefs: ”'It's like reading a horror story'” pdf-files.

Training, instruction and supervision
The employer has a duty to ensure that the employee receives adequate and appropriate training and instruction in how to execute his work as safely as possible, in order to avoid accidents at work. It is also the employer's responsibility to carry out effective supervision to ensure that employees follow instructions and perform their work in a safe and healthy manner.
In companies with a health and safety organization, one of the tasks of the health and safety organization is to establish principles for the training and instruction of employees. The principles must be adapted to the working conditions in the company and the needs of the employees. The employer and the OSH organization must also check that training and instruction is actually executed and that the employer ensures that the instructions are followed.

Note that the Danish Working Environment Authority pays special attention to the well-being of young apprentices and students regarding the physical and mental working environment.

Assignment 7d - chemicals & substances

Substances and materials
The previous requirement for a written workplace user manual (ABP) was phased out in 2019.

Instead, workplaces must focus more on the chemical risk assessment that workplaces must compose, which must be in writing. The Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA) supervises whether it has been drawn up and is accessible to employees. The chemical risk assessment, or chemical APV, is part of the general APV, where an additional set of issues that must be included in the APV work when there is dangerous chemistry in the workplace. All hazardous substances and materials present in the workplace must be included.

A product list of hazardous chemicals must be drawn up in the Occupational Health and Safety Organisation.

Source: https://at.dk/arbejdsmiljoeproblemer/kemi/vurder-risikoen/

 

  • How to solve the assignment:

    You must via a written essay, a movie/audio file etc. convey the following:

    - The task number/which topic you have chosen.

    - To describe the information you have read up on and the reflections it's given you.

    - Seeing as the Mandatory Occupational Health and Safety Organization course is about working together, you must discuss the topic/contents with a colleague or your work environment group.

    The purpose is for you to grow more knowledgeable of how you can work together to prevent and control different challenges that may occur relating to the topic.

    Think of at least 2 learning points - meaning:

    Your thoughts/opinion on the themes you have chosen in regards to the conditions at your workplace. It has to be something you/You have to be aware of - mention examples of this.

    Criteria for the teacher's feedback:

    It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.

    Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.

  • Read the whole assignment, which is located under "Opgaver" in Teams, and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on. Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group based on the questions.

    Try to identify where risk assessments are appropriate in your workplace.

    Briefly describe your discoveries and the risks they pose.

    You can use this questionnaire:

    -How does the risk arise?

    -What impact can occur?

    -How big is the load?

    -How much are you exposed to? And for how long?

    -What damage can be done?

    -What are the consequences?


    How to solve the assignment:

    Read the whole assignment, which is under "opgaver" in Teams, and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on.

    Talk about the issue with your colleagues or your work environment group and in writing, as a film, sound recording, or otherwise convey the following:

    -Task number/which topic you have chosen.

    -State what information you have read up on and what reflections it has given you.

    -Answer the assignment questions and explain how you do things in your workplace.

    -Reflect on what you think you do well in your workplace in relation to the topic. Give examples of this and explain why it is good. How can you improve? Give examples and explain how you will develop this in your workplace.


    Criteria for the teacher's feedback:

    It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.

    Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.

  • Read the whole assignment and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on. Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group based on the questions.

    - Have you had any work-related accidents?

    If the answer is yes, briefly describe the incident.

    How to solve the assignment:

    Read the whole assignment and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on.

    Talk about the issue with your colleagues or your work environment group and via writing, as a film, sound recording or otherwise convey the following:

    - Task number/which topic you have chosen.

    - State what information you have read up on and what reflections it has given you.

    - Answer the assignment questions and explain how you do things in your workplace.

    - Reflect on what you think you do well in your workplace in relation to the topic. Give examples of this and explain why it is good. And how can you improve? Give examples and explain how you will develop this in your workplace.

    Criteria for the teacher's feedback:

    It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.

    Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.

  • Read the entire assignment and relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on. Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group based on the questions.

    Examine how training and instruction for work tasks operate in your workplace.

    Describe briefly who is responsible for the training and instruction at the workplace.


    How to solve the assignment:

    Read the whole assignment and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on.

    Talk about the issue with your colleagues or your work environment group and via writing, as a film, sound recording or otherwise get the message across:

    - Task number/which topic you have chosen.

    - State what information you have read up on and what reflections it has given you.

    - Answer the assignment questions and explain how you do things in your workplace.

    - Reflect on what you think you do well in your workplace in relation to the topic. Give examples of this and explain why it is good. How can you improve? Give examples and explain how you will develop this in your workplace.

    Criteria for the teacher's feedback:

    It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.

    Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.

  • Read the whole exercise and relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on. Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group based on the questions.

    Answer the following 7 questions which should be considered in the chemical risk assessment:

    -How dangerous are the substances and materials?

    - What health and safety information does the supplier provide?

    - How, how much and for how long are employees exposed?

    - How is dangerous chemistry dealt with?

    - Are the preventive measures effective enough?

    - Is there any experience from occupational health examinations?

    - Has the WEA set limit values?

    How to solve the assignment:

    Read the whole assignment and relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on.

    Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group and via writing, as a film, sound recording, or otherwise convey the following:

    - Task number/which topic you have chosen.

    - Reflect on what you think you do well in your workplace in relation to the topic. Give examples of this. How can you improve? Give examples.

    Criteria for the teacher's feedback:

    It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.

    Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.