All entries for July 2016

Final reflection

Time flies. We just started in October and now it is already July. I felt like this year was a roller coaster in a positive way. I believe that I positively changed mentally and as a person in the same way. My presentation skills improved, my English grammar developed and I learnt how to think critically thanks to my supervisor, Paul and some of my classmates. When I came here, my confidence level was already high, but during the year due to positive feedback from my supervisor, lecturers, classmates, as well as because of my results, my confidence level increased even more while I learnt how to shut up and listen to others, respectively how to be more humble. I even reached a stage where I can link anything to everything. :-) Anyway, I am very grateful that I could study in the MBE environment and I was able to learn something from everyone. And it is a very good feeling to me that I added value to some of these people's lives. I believe that this is just the beginning and I will face many challenges in my life, but I know that with hard work, discipline, commitment, continuous improvement, anything is possible and solvable as long as we keep in mind "Drive out fear" (Deming, 2000), JUST DO IT AND TAKE RISKS.

Thank you very much Paul that you gave me a chance to study in this course and thank you to all the MBE students for all the learning experiences, memories, get togethers and parties. This was one of the best years in my life. xxx

: 16 Jul 2016 16:24 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Where is H&S???

Yesterday more than 80 people have been killed in Nice in a terrorist truck attack during Bastille Day celebration in France. How is this possible?? How can people organise an event with thousands of people on the busiest street of Nice without blocking the two end of the road both ways??? Why they couldn't build up a huge impermeable metal fence??? Why they didn't think about the health and safety of their citizens and tourists??? Why incidents like this need to happen time to time to realise the significance of health and safety??? Why they didn't organise more policemen around and security checks??? Why, why, why??? Just more questions arise... I was walking on the Promenade des Anglais a couple of years ago and now this is what happened...aggravating and frustrating...we are given only one life and it is so easy to be taken away... :-(

: 15 Jul 2016 18:02 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Are we doing enough?

With regards to H&S, companies should raise a question: are we doing enough? Are we doing enough to protect our employees by properly managing and preventing problems? Are we doing enough to monitor and record incidents and accidents? Are we doing enough to support employees if they are off sick as a responsible employer should do? Unfortunately, I have got a bad experience regarding to all these issues. In 2014, I slipped over on the wet stairs and flew more than 1 meter landing on my right leg breaking my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee at my previous workplace. It was painful. I don't even remember how I drove home and pushed myself up to my stairs from the bottom up to my room. It is a shame that the statutory sickpay in this country at the moment is £88.45 per week (I got like £68 per week that time) so I couldn't afford to be sick. I still came to work with my sticks I got from the hospital and have done office work for 4-5 days and with that leg I worked at the weekend. Although, I knew I needed to have a surgery to fix my knee. I had to take a month off work in September 2014. My lovely employer basically forced me to use 2 weeks of my holiday for this, because I cannot be off sick that much time. So I ended up losing 2 weeks of my holiday, 1 weel fully sick pay and 1 week statutory sick pay. I was a bit disappointed as it can be imagined. My point is that if you don't pay for your own private health insurance and you get sick for a longer period, it is impossible to live from the statutory sick pay. This raises issues that either the government needs to change something, or the employer should be more concerned to minimise all the chances for any accidents and put in place robust risk assessment and audits to prevent any potential accident to occur.

: 14 Jul 2016 20:11 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Poor H&S at work

By failing to address H&S in an organisation can contribute to human and financial costs, as millions of working days are lost because of work-related illnesses or injuries. Moreover, thousands of people die from certain diseases. Furthermore, companies may lose their reputation because all the above mentioned H&S issues. Nevertheless, the outcome of poor H&S include numerous costs such as incident costs, the cost of first aid and other equioments; investigation costs when an accident happens, it needs to be reported, investigated and recorded; administration costs and so on...

: 07 Jul 2016 13:55 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Another Reflection…

Failure to include H&S in the company's decision making process may lead to catastrophic results. Interestingly, many cases of H&S failure's root causes relates to leadership. H&S places laws, regulations and duties on organisations and on the top management, therefore employees can be personally liable when these duties are breached. Consequently, H&S is everyone's responsibility. Hence, a strong, active, committed and effective leadership is inevitable to communicate H&S through the hierarchy and integrate H&S into daily business decision makings.

: 07 Jul 2016 13:42 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

H&S survey

It is inevitable for companies to provide a safe working environment, because if any accident occur, the company should produce a proof that H&S procedures had been adhered to on their part. A survey amongs the employees might be useful to evaluate the company's strengths and weaknesses regarding to H&S in order to improve any areas where it would be necessary and share the results with all the stakeholders. This would also enhance knowledge sharing and 'lessons learned'.

: 04 Jul 2016 11:21 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

H&S PMA

I have already done my PMA a week ago, but there are new things coming to my head regarding to H&S. For example, an asset management H&S software would allow companies to maintain asset maintenance and inspection records, and issues about different equipments. This can apply to any assets like registration, testing, inspection, different records of licences or certificates, ect. A software like this would reduce potential risks, would improve the company's time management, anyone could easily access to the company's H&S policies and procedures, it would improve efficiency and taking actions, it would help managing and maintaining the company's assets. Now I should add this thoughts to my PMA... lol

: 04 Jul 2016 11:11 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

H&S reflection

Risk assessment is a part of Health & Safety by taking into account potential risks that might occur, measuring and reporting them, controling them and communicate safe working practices. By reading this the DMAIC cycle came into my head from Six Sigma which would be a good strategy to use to imrove the company's H&S processes and problem solving capability. Additionally, by capturing incidents and learning from them, the company can support management of change and continuous improvement. Again, everything links to everything...EFQM, SOPK, PDSA, DMAIC hand in hand.

: 04 Jul 2016 10:58 |  Tags: Kbam |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem