Kingdom of Thailand
The study of occupational safety , health and environment information system in the Ministry of Labour
Abstract
Occupational Accidents and Diseases data is standard data which can be apply for setting up the policy and regulation to deal with occupational accidents and diseases problems. Aim of this research is to investigate an obstacle in the application of Occupational Accidents and Diseases data for Occupational Safety and Health practices.
Scope of the study
This study focus on the Occupational Accidents and Diseases information system of relevant organization in the Ministry of Labor such as Department of Labor Protection and Welfare and Social Security Office.
Method of the study
- Literature review.
- Survey opinion from Occupational Health and safety staff.
- Observe Data collection and distribution method.
- Interview.
- Arrange the brainstorming conference for the relevant staff from workmen compensation office, Provincial offices of Labor Protection and Welfare, Social Security provincial office, Occupational safety and health inspection division, Regional center for the improvement of working condition and environment, and National Institute for the improvement of working condition and environment to identify the problems in the use of Occupational Accidents and Diseases data for their work.
- Arrange the work shop for define the suitable format of Occupational Accidents and Diseases data that can support occupational health and safety job.
- Design the model of database that represents the analysis of occupational accident and diseases problems.
- Conclusion of the study
1. Current situation of Occupational Accidents and Diseases data.
Occupational Accidents and Diseases data is used for indicate the current Occupational Accidents and Diseases situation in the country. It was collected by Workmen Division/Social office. This data was completely collected by enforcement, but the compilation of this data need some improvement to apply as data for the prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases. On the other hand, the Data that obtain from Department of Labor protection and welfare was specific in detail but not complete in content because this information was collected by inspector while visiting the enterprise. This useful data was kept at the department, no one bring it out for analysis.
2. Problem that created from Organization structure and Hierarchy of control.
The development of an information system was affected by the royal decree that regulate functions and duties of civil service units. The information from each organization can be owner only. The structure detail and analysis of information create obstacles to apply for other organizations.
Furthermore, zoning of units in each department is different. This creates effect to the collection and usage of information. Regulation is an important factor for the completeness of information. The report from enterprise to social insurance office is beneficial for enterprise to get compensation. On the other hand, the report of enterprise to Department of labor protection and welfare is the risk of penalty and constrains by law.
3. Problem that created form Occupational Accidents and Diseases data’s structure.
The problems in the use of Social Security office’s Occupational Accidents and Diseases data for application in Department of Labor Protection and Welfare function can be represent as following;
- Workmen Compensation Office uses one roster system for enterprise register. Multidivisional enterprise which has many factories in each area will have only one record as a whole enterprise. But when they need to claim for compensation they can report accident case at the nearest social security office. The report will be sent back to head office and recorded by the name of first register. This lead to an error in statistical data such as high rate of accident in area that has no worker or zero accident in factory area.
- The enterprise coding system of Department of labor protection and welfare and Social security office are different. Department of labor protection and welfare and Social Security office use registering name of enterprises to codify while social insurance office use type of enterprise, end product of enterprise or main employees of enterprise to codify.
- Occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social insurance office is changing and updating by the time and there is no comparative between former and recent data. The data at the end of the year will be chosen for published.
- Occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social insurance was reported in form of severity and reported by the rate of 1,000 workers. This reporting system creates obstacle in the comparison of statistic between countries because the majority represents raw data as statistic.
- Occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social insurance are represent as percentage. This created difficulties to investigate the root cause of accident.
4.Problem for the availability of data.
Occupational Accidents and Diseases data was used by 3 main groups of staff in Department of labor protection and welfare that are executive, labor inspector and technical staff to implement the prevention program.
The result of this study found that;
- The executive groups need information that represents the situation and trend of the problem for whole country, which can be apply in policy level. The data should be useful for the prediction of Occupational Accidents and Diseases trend in each industry, define the working environment that create high risk of loss. The information must be update and certain. All cases of accident should be clarified in cause, working environment, preventive measure and information that can use for law enforcement.
- The labor inspector information which can represent area and type that create problems in occupational accident and diseases to identify target group for inspection.
- Technical staff needs an analytical data which represent the current situation of Occupational Accidents and Diseases. Also, production process, working condition, working hour and loss from accident are important. These information should be changed and updated by the situation and time.
- Finding From the workshop.
Occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social security off ice can be use for the prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases but it still needs some change in the compilation of statistic for accident analysis and prevention. There are some limitations for the development of database due to the duties of each department. The Department of Labor protection and Welfare should develop Occupational Accidents and Diseases data base by apply some data from social security office and add some data for investigation.
Recommendation
1. Recommendation for policy maker.
For the effective use of occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social insurance office Department of labor protection and welfare should
- Share raw Occupational Accidents and Diseases data with social security office using computerizing system; regulate standard criteria for the use and confidentiality of information.
- Social security Office supports the analytical data and setting working group to deal with this task.
- Promote enterprise to collect their Occupational Accidents and Diseases data. The government sector should develop model to collect and analyze data and represent data by the same direction.
2. Recommendation for administration.
Long term plan: The relevant organization should reunite Occupational Accidents and Diseases data to prevent the problem such as incomplete and unavailable of data.
Short term plan:
- The pattern and method of report by the regulation of department of labor protection and welfare should be modified.
- The structure of information system should be review and adjustment such as the reunion of coding system, the roster of Social security office.
- The responsible area of each department should be the same area. The overlapping of area cause problem in data sharing between departments.
- Department of labor protection and welfare and Social Security office should use Occupational Accidents and Diseases data from social insurance as data base and add some analytical data for each kind of industry.
3. Recommendation for the development of Occupational Accidents and diseases information systems.
- The meeting of relevant organization should be arranged before setting the data collecting system to prevent the overlapping and contrasting of data.
- The development of information should be assessed and reviewed regularly for the effective use of information.
- The information should be computerize collected by area for the use of executive as data of the country.
4. Recommendation for further study.
- Model of Occupational Accidents and Diseases indicator and situation in Thailand.
- Detail of important information that is useful for occupational health and safety and working environment, and format of report that can be use for analyze, making prevention policy.
- Direction for development of occupational health and safety and working environment database for prevention.
- The connecting system of information between relevant departments.
- Center for processing occupational health and safety and working environment data in Thailand.
- The research for form filling (compulsory by regulation).
- The research for electronically form filling system for enterprises.
