improving communication

Since everything done at the workplace is about communication, workers and their employers should constantly communicate in an effective manner even with regards to safety and health. In fact, quite many researches have shown that as high as 70% of workplace mistakes and accidents are due to poor communication. In other terms, how an organisation communicates horizontally and vertically determines the results of its operations and safety practices and policies

Effects of Safety and Health Problems in Automotive Workshops

the safety and health issues and problems in the automotive workshops in Saudi Arabia have certain positive and negative implications. These effects depend on whether a workshop has effective or ineffective safety and health policies and practices. The first effect of poor workshop safety and health policies and practices in the automotive workshops in Saudi Arabia is reduced productivity. When workshop employees constantly complain of illnesses and injuries, which require sick leave, overall workshop production is reduced. In addition, if an employee is absent due to injuries and illnesses, a replacement is sought to execute his or her duties. In some cases, such a replacement requires training.

Plant and equipment maintenance

Plant and equipment maintenance is the other method by which stakeholders in the Saudi Arabian automotive workshops achieve workplace safety and health. In Saudi Arabian automotive workshops, plant, machine and equipment so that problems are prevented, faults are repaired and to make machines work efficiently. In some workshops, maintenance is a planned program whereas in others, it is done on short notice upon a machine breakdown. There are several reasons for which both types of maintenances are carried out in the workshops. The first reason is for efficient and reliable machines, equipment and plants. Second, there are fewer if any plant or machine breakdown, implying less dangerous contact between man and machinery. The third benefit of maintenance is cost benefits associated with improved productivity and efficiency. Lack of or poor maintenance could also cause additional hazards due to faulty parts, which can only be diagnosed and corrected during maintenance.

               The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) is one of the agencies that work with other agencies to promote workplace environmental standards and regulations in Saudi Arabia. With other agencies, the PME has the mandate to establish environmental legislations, regulations and standards and to ensure the enforcement of these standards and regulations.  The PME thus seeks to improve the Kingdom’s environmental guidelines and standards to create a world class environmental regulation system. The purpose of this system is to provide protection for both human health and natural ecological systems. The following areas are targeted by these PME standards and guidelines: air standards, water standards, noise standards, waste standards and guidelines, coastal zone management standards and guidelines and environmental impact assessment guidelines.

The Labor and Workmen Law

The Labor and Workmen Law [1969] is the other Saudi Arabian law that regulates. The law came to being following Royal Decree No. M/21 of 15 November 1969). Chapter two of this law deals with labour inspection. According to article 23 of this chapter of the Labour and Workmen Law of 1969, labour inspection should be carried out by skilled and competent inspectors, appointed by the minister of labour.

the Saudi Arabian Occupational Safety and Health Law

the Saudi Arabian Occupational Safety and Health Law, which deals with the Kingdom’s labour law, tackles protection against occupational hazards, major workplace injuries, industrial accidents and health and social services. Just like any other industry in the Kingdom, the automotive sector is expected to comply with these safety and health regulations. For instance, automotive workshops must adhere to chapter one of this section, which covers protection against occupational hazards. According to this sub-section, workshop owners or employers are expected to ensure the workshops are in clean and hygienic condition by providing adequate lighting, clean and potable and washing water among other social and health services.of this section requires workshop employers to ensure that the necessary precautions are taken to protect workers against hazards, occupational diseases, the machinery in use thus ensuring work safety and protection. Importantly, employers are required to post safety and health information at strategic places within and outside workshops. These posts should be made in Arabic or other language that workers understand. It should also be noted that employers are not allowed to deduct employees’ pay or charge them for such services   

workers accident

The table shows different types of accidents occurred for workers in the Kingdom in different regions in the last three years. As shown in these tables, criminal acts, wastes, chemicals, gas explosions and other cause scaused injuries, burns, suffocation, fainting and death in Saudi Arabian automotive workshops in the last three years.

 

Region	Injuries	Deaths	Burns	Suffocation and fainting
Riyadh	14	2	15	20
Eastern	22	3	8	41
Makkah	111	1	17	47
Aseer	3	1	0	10
Al-Madinah	13	2	3	5
Alqaseem	7	0	2	14
Albahah	0	0	2	2
Najran	0	0	1	3
Jazan	1	1	5	1
Tapuk	2	0	2	4
Hail	9	1	3	5
Alioof	3	0	1	2
Northern	0	0	2	0