S.Davaanyam, Professor, Mongolian University of Science and Technology
Our sincere greetings on behalf of the organisers to all participants at the SAFETY FIRST-2015 Conference. We would also like to thank the Mongolian Mining Journal for its cooperation with the initiators and organisers of the conference.
“Are you doing well?” is the traditional Mongolian greeting and the query is closely related to the respondent’s safety. One’s safety depends on many factors such as a comfortable and safe environment, work conditions, and management practices, ethics, respect, technology, education, training, rules and discipline at the workplace. Society spent many years to put all this into a system and the culmination was OHSAS 18001, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems-Requirements, an internationally applied standard for occupational health and safety management. This standard was translated into Mongolian in 2012 and that is also when Mongolian workplaces began applying the internationally accepted MNS OHSAS 18001:2012 Standard for Occupational Health and Safety. This requires much preparation, discussion and training. The leading mining company Erdenet Mining Corporation was the sponsor of the first SAFETY FIRST conference.
The major sectors in the Mongolian economy are mining, construction, roads and energy – all areas where the risks of industrial accidents and occupational and work-related illnesses are higher than average. The life and health of those who work in these risky fields need to be protected in all ways. Unfortunately, the prevalent industrial culture does not prioritise the issues of occupational health and safety. Changing the culture to care more for workers’ safety and health entails Mongolian companies investing more time and money and also motivating the management.
Industrial accidents and work-related illnesses can lead to a drastic drop in an entity’s efficiency and reputation. Proper safety standards are actually a major factor in maintaining a high level of productivity.
Most industrial accidents can be traced to
1. Poor discipline and rules,
2. No or insufficient training for staff on occupational health and safety measures, and
3. A cavalier approach.
According to international research, 98 per cent of all workplace accidents are because of poor management practices. It has also been shown that adequate investments in this area make for a 220% increase in efficiency.
The SAFETY FIRST-2015 Conference will discuss the life and health issues of workers in Mongolia, with participation from Government, business and professionals. These concerns brook no further delay.
The OHS system makes for very efficient management methods to help improve standards of workplace safety, affecting employees, visitors, suppliers and contracted companies. This also helps restrict public and environmental risks.
The following graphic shows the advantages of following an OHS management system.
Traditional targets of management are being reviewed in the 21st century. So far, we have sought to make the best product at the lowest possible cost in the shortest possible time, but now we have to make sure that this does not produce any harmful effect on the environment and that the workplace is run to be safe and healthy.
May the right policy and right approach be devised and implemented more extensively for the sake of the working people!
We wish you all the best in your work!