This statistics showed the result of the total fatalities which accounted to 5,703 in the year 2006 report. The report also states that 5,275 of the workers who experienced occupational hazards are men and the rest which accounts to 428 are all women (Statistics, 2007). Russia’s Safety & Health and Emergency Preparedness Unlike the United States of America, Russia doesn’t have any agency of a multidisciplinary type to manage the occupational health in the nation.
There are some that manage the occupational health and safety in Russia but the country’s lack of national agency specialized to handle it made the policies and strategies to be less effective (Studies, 2007b). The Russian Constitution on Article no. 37 states that each and every citizen of their state have the right to work under certain conditions that tend to provide for safety as well as occupational health or hygiene. This constitutional article has eventually been developed by a Labor Code into a Legislative document (Studies, 2007b). The legislative document of Russia includes the Occupational Health and Safety services.
Employers applying their employees for assurance and full payments are also under the implementation of this legislative document. This statement is stated on the newest Federal Law which was approved on the year 1998 under the “Obligatory social insurance from accidents and occupational diseases at work” (Studies, 2007b). Institutes ? Institute of Occupational Health of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences ? This is the institute which is responsible for coordinating researches and other related matter regarding with the occupational health and safety in the Russian country (Studies, 2007b).
? Saint-Petersburg Medical Academy ? This institute is responsible for the county’s research regarding with occupational hygiene, industrial toxicology, and other possible health and safety hazards (Studies, 2007b). In the country of Russia, their health and safety regarding with occupational matters always underlie on the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Occupational safety components which on the other hand also underlie on the Labor and Social Development Ministry (Studies, 2007b). Major Occupation in Russia Coal Mining ? Ferrous Metallurgy ? Nonferrous Metallurgy ? Cellulose and Paper Industry ?
Energy Production ? Glass and Porcelain Production ? Construction material production ? Wood processing ? Machine-building and metal processing ? Gas industry ? Printing and publishing industry ? Timber felling ? Food industry ? Oil processing industry ? Transport ? Construction industry ? Oil production industry ? Communication (Studies, 2007a). According to the institution of Saint-Petersburg, workers in Russia often experiences exposure to chemical and/or environmental hazards such as gases, vibration and dust which were the primary sources of occupational safety and health hazards (Studies, 2007a).
Statistics According to the statistics provided by the Institute of Occupational Health in Russia, the highest level of occupational health and safety hazards were accounted with coal mining, followed by the substance hazard in the industry of petroleum, engineering and machine building, transport, road construction, non-ferrous metals, and ferrous metals (Monit, 2003). Coal Mining = 29. 4% Engineering and Machine building = 10. 7% Road construction = 10. 3% Ferrous metals = 8. 2 Petroleum Industry = 7. 2% Transport = 7. 1%
Non-ferrous metals = 6. 7% (Monit, 2003) Occupational Disaster in Russia As an evidence for the Russia’s less effectiveness compared to USA there have been a three major disasters in mining particularly in Kemerovo and Vorkuta Regions. The explosion in the mining place in Kemerovo is caused by the mixture of methane, air, and the coal dust, the systems which are usually used for suppressing the possible explosions in the mining place unfortunately failed and therefore it was imposed to be prohibited for use in Russia (InBrief, 2007).
Their safety devices placed in the mining places were not effective and could not assure security for the Russian miners. This is an example where Russia is proven less effective because of their lack of ability to build their own national agency to handle such an important matter for all the countries workers. Comparing USA and Russia In comparison with the country of United States of America from the country of Russia, USA has a more complete and advanced ways of preparations regarding with the national occupational health and safety ways of their nation.
One reason behind this is because the Russian country doesn’t have a multidisciplinary agency that would possibly handle the occupational safety and health for its own country which makes the country less effective than that of those other countries such as USA. The lack of national agency that will handle the issues about occupational hazards in Russia made it difficult for the country to solve the problem organized. Unlike USA, Russia has lots of cities which on the contrary have their own unique ways of occupational health practices.
Due to these reasons, Russia became less effective in terms of national occupational safety and preparedness and their management regarding this issue is considered decentralized. On the other hand, the United States has a one uniform practice and activities that guide all of their workers into a good condition of working and a good condition of work places as well. Their national agency such as OSHA enables them to have an established foundation that will take care of the safety preparedness matters because basically it is made in order to focus its enforcement to avoid any hazards in the working area and to secure the workers as well.
Conclusion USA as a country having their own national agency that handles the occupational safety and health matters is a more effective country regarding with providing security towards their employees rather than that of how much Russia could provide for their own country’s occupational health and safety.
References
CCOHS. (2007). New regulations require emergency plans for hazardous substances [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 19, 2007 from http://www. ccohs. ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2004/04/ezine. html. HSE.
(2007). Organisations [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 19, 2007 from http://www. hse. gov. uk/org/usa. htm. InBrief, I. (2007). Three Mining Disasters Take 159 Lives in Russia [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 24, 2007 from http://www. icem. org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/? date=2007-08-27#2378. Monit, J. E. (2003). Workers’ health in Russia: current problems and analysis [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 20,2007 from http://www. rsc. org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree. cfm? doi=b302545b&JournalCode=EM.
Statistics, U. S. B. o. L. (2007). Number of fatal work injuries, 1992–2006 [Electronic Version]. Retrieved october 20,2007 from http://www. bls. gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfch0005. pdf. Studies, D. o. O. H. S. -P. M. A. o. P. (2007a). Occupational exposures [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 20,2007 from http://www. leivo. ru/mapo/occupat. html. Studies, D. o. O. H. S. -P. M. A. o. P. (2007b). Orgawnizational Profile [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 20, 2007 from http://www. leivo. ru/mapo/profile. html.