Occupational Safety and Health 1994

 

The Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) 1994 was enforced on 24th February 1994 with the aim to make further provision for securing the safety, health and welfare of person at work thus protecting them against any risks. Safety standards are designed to reduce to an acceptable level the risks inherent in the use of dangerous materials and potentially dangerous procedures or practices. All lecture theatres, classrooms or laboratories can be inherently dangerous places and the attitudes and actions of users can determine their own safety, their colleagues and ultimately that of the community.

 

Different standards are set for different levels of risk. High levels of risk require more stringent standards than lower levels of risks. Compromises are therefore made in setting safety standards so as not to impede much needed research while keeping risks of those involved to a minimum. Laboratory equipment and design for example, has become more sophisticated and safer, but safe operation still depends on properly trained and genuinely concerned personnel, who are safety conscious all the time.