TRANSREDES considers, looking after the health of its employees in keeping with Company policy, a process of continuous improvement made effective through occupational health management, which currently complies with the OHSAS 18001 specifications.
The objectives of the Occupational Health Management
System are:
- To protect employees and contractors from health hazards that could be associated to their work
or their work environment.
- To promote good health practices among our employees
and personnel working for Transredes.
Our system starts with the identification and assessment
of health hazards in the workplace at TRANSREDES. A Health
Risk Assessment process has been developed and is used
as a tool allowing us to ensure that the identified risks
potentially affecting employee health – on the short-term (acute
effects) or on the long-term (chronic effects) –
are being suitably controlled.
• HEALTH RISK
ASSESSMENT (H.R.A.)
• OUR MEDICAL
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
• CONTROLLING
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RISKS
There are potential harmful effects from biological agents,
physical, chemical, ergonomic effects that can harm people’s
health. (Also included in the assessment are the psycho-social
as well as lifestyle factors)
The H.R.A. method is a tool allowing us to ensure that
the risks affecting employee health – in the short-term
(acute effects) or in the long-term (chronic effects)
– are being suitably controlled.
H.R.A. Objectives
- To protect TRANSREDES employees, contractors and others
from work-related health hazards that could be associated
to their work or their work environment.
- Promote the health of TRANSREDES' workers.
- To meet all the requirements defined by OHSAS 18001.
H.R.A. Method
- Identify and create an inventory of
potentially harmful agents and health hazards.
- Evaluate the health risks with regards
to exposure to these agents.
- Choose control measures
in effect and required to maintain the levels
“as low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP).
- Consider any emergency measure (recovery)
necessary in case control measures fail.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
Procedure:
The Emergency Medical Evacuation Procedure was implemented with the aim of improving emergency responses at the site of an event or accident and to improve the response to emergencies in the Transredes Control Room, assigning both general and specific responsibilities and duties to the personnel responsible for responding to a medical emergency whether it be from an accident or illness.
The Annexes to this procedure are as following:
- General Information about the Entities Involved.
- Supporting Hospitals.
- General Diagram for a Medical Evacuation.
- Medical History Form.
First Aid Procedure:
 This
procedure establishes the pre-requisites that should be
met by the First Aid Training Courses, as well as the
equipment and materials that should be available for treating
work-related injuries.
There are three levels of First Aid Training Courses:
1. Basic First Aid Course.
2. Advanced First Aid Course.
3. Course for C.P.R. instructors.
 The
Annexes to this procedure are as following:
- Instructions for using the blood-borne
pathogen protection kit.
- Instructions for using the First Aid
Kit. These are available in all Transredes First Aid
Kits and in an electronic format via the intranet (information about the Departments, in the HSES Department consult the
Ocupational Health Section).
- First Aid Training Checklist (basic
and advanced courses).
First Aid Equipment available in all
our Stations and locations throughout the Company (Information
contained in the Medical Emergency Equipment CD):
- Standard First Aid Kits with their respective instruction
sheet.
- First Aid Kits for Burn (includes a CD-based course).
- Spinal Immobilization Boards with side splints and belts.
 -
Cervical collars.
- Trauma Kits.
- Prosplints.
- Oxygen Bottles.
- Blood-Borne Pathogen Protection Kits.
- C.P.R. Kits.
Procedure for Controlling
Blood-Borne Pathogens
The goal of this procedure is to establish the pre-requisites that should be met to protec employees from diseases caused by contact with blood or other body fluids.
The information contained in this procedures manual should
promote the employee’s and contractor’s awareness
regarding health risks associated with exposure to pathogens
that could affect the blood system, including the possibility
of contracting a serious and contagious disease.
 The priority of the Health Risk Assessment, is to control health risks from contaminated water and foods; consequently Transredes developed its System to Administer Food Hazards (SAPIA) , the same that includes training for those who handle food, in a course using a CD, training video, a manual and a guide to prepare operative work constructions.
A
computerized
system for follow up and control was developed allowing monthly inspections and semi-annual audits administered through the Occupational Health Program Information System. (SIPSO in Spanish). The verification for compliance is given in the application of operative work instructions.
In support of our SAPIA system, microbiological laboratory controls are performed for the hands of food handlers, kitchen environment, foods, and utensils used. Laboratory controls also include drinking water.
The innovation of the training on the System to Administer Food Hazards is to be able to schedule training using the interactive CD course, the video and the manual for Food handlers.
Procedures to control alcohol and prohibited drugs
The purpose of this procedure is to provide a safe and productive work environment for all workers and public in general, assuring that all workers within the Transredes premises or those performing an official function for the Company, do not manufacture, distribute, use or have any prohibited drugs or alcohol, or be affected by or under the influence of any type of drug or alcohol.
The occupational health office verifies compliance with the Corporate Policy (that is applicable to workers and personnel contracted or under temporary contract), control takes place in the following cases: preemployment, at random, due to reasonable cause and in case of accident.
Procedures for risks with insects, animals or plants
Because the activities of those working for Transredes are carried out in three different geographical areas of Bolivia , biological risks associated to insects, animals, or plants may be present . For the purpose of minimizing such risks, a study was undertaken covering all the geographical regions of Bolivia to identify such hazards.
Once the hazards were identified, it became necessary to train all the personnel regarding risks that were identified, the objective was to provide the training and to have a practical procedure to put into effect. All the studies undertaken contributed the development of distance courses on these hazards. First of all, a CD course on Poisonous Snakes of Bolivia was prepared. Then a distance CD-based course on Risks with Insects, Animals, and Plants was completed which included the diseases transmitted by these vectors and First Aid guidelines. The process was completed giving all TRANSREDES employees a guidebook covering these risks.
The CD-based course, Risks with Insects, Animals, and
Plants, may be used with a self-evaluation of the knowledge
acquired. The workers can take an interactive test that
will allow them to obtain a certificate showing they
passed the course. The Procedure of Risks with
Insects, Animals, and Plants is a unheard of
undertaking and highly valued because of the information
it contains.
Audits, vaccinations and control of vectors
Audits on health conditions in dwellings, bathrooms,
and other facilities at the Stations and other Company
Locations are carried out, in addition to vaccination
program scheduling comprehensive controls of vectors.
Audiometric Tests
 Audiometric
controls are in place for all personnel exposed to noise,
monitoring at the SIPSO database allows us to follow
up audiometric tests on workers since 1998, identifying
workers who require in addition to the tonal audiometric
test, logo audiometric and impedance metric tests, to
prevent permanent changes in the hearing threshold (Our
H.R.A. considers dosimetries and engineering or administrative
controls in accordance with the risk analysis).
The use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPI), measuring
noise levels and identifying areas with noise pollution
and monitoring of hearing among workers allows us to
keep the risk under control.
Our employees also receive training on hearing protection
by means of a distance course. This CD course contains
a self-evaluation Program.
 Risk
Management
In accordance with the identification of hazards and
evaluation of health risks, there are 23 identified
hazards currently under management, being the majority
identified in our H.R.A matrix as medium, low or very
low exposure risks.
In order to follow up indicators all information is
entered into the Occupational Health Program Information
System. (SIPSO), the database at the health Headquarters.
The work is geared to obtain measures in order to keep
biologic, physical, ergonomic, psychosocial and lifestyle
risks at levels that “are as low as reasonably practicable”
(ALARP).
Commitment
The commitment of the occupational health programs
in effect in TRANSREDES is continuous improvement, in
accordance with OHSAS 18001 specifications where the scope
is defined by prioritizing objectives.
Subsequent progress will give way to Health Promotion Programs the design of which is being complemented, in accordance with evaluated lifestyle risks.
Health Standards at TRANSREDES are applicable to contractors ( Contractor's Manual , “Health” chapter).
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