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The Institute of Safety and Hygiene (Industrial Health) is the body responsible for action designed to prevent work accidents through the dissemination of information, education, research and planning. The Institute of Safety and Hygiene was established under the provisions of the Law for the Control of Labour - 1954.
In the wake of the establishment of the State and the beginnings of technological development and the increased sophistication of production processes, the spate of work accidents plaguing all branches of industry became a major contributory factor to the toll of injuries suffered by the working population. It also resulted in heavy economic losses due to the increasing frequency and severity of the injuries.
The human and material resources devoted to the prevention of work accidents in Israel are concentrated on two main fronts. The first front is that of legislation and control - this is directed by the Ministry of Labour's Labour Control department.
The second, parallel front is that of information, education, research, planning and advice on safety provided by the joint government-public Institute of Safety and Hygiene.
The Institute is directed by a board of management comprising seven members drawn from the ranks of government, workers and employers. There is also a public board of 34 .members headed by the Minister of Labour.
The Institute is active in all branches of economic activity such as industry, building, agriculture and service trades. The work of the Institute is directed from its Tel Aviv Head Office, while in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva and Haifa there are branch offices manned by engineers responsible for promoting work safety in their particular area.
The main functions of the Institute are: a) Advising and training the members of plant Safety Committees b) The engineering planning of equipment, tools and installations from a safety standpoint c) The provision of safety training to all grades of workers in all occupations e) The development of an appreciation of safety-consciousness and the dissemination of information and know-how throughout the educational system as a whole and particularly in the technical education system.
The Safety Engineering Department
This department is responsible for collecting all available information on safety engineering and bringing it to the attention of all branches of industry concerned. It serves as the source of information on all the various activities of the Institute and is responsible for guiding the work of the Institute by fixing orders of priority and spheres of activity. Its principal functions are: a) Acting as a central source of information and know-how - the department collects, classifies and summarizes information and know-how on the subject of safety from a wide selection of sources in Israel and abroad. b) Guidance - the department acts as a safety-technology adviser to the various departments of the Institute and its instructors. c) Planning and development - the department is responsible for planning, developing and preparing standards (in cooperation with the Israel Standards Institute) of safety installations for protecting machinery and equipment. d) Surveys and research - the department carries out surveys designed to pinpoint safety problems 'and does research into the special problems involved in adapting work methods and equipment to Israeli conditions.
The Occupational Safety Department
The Work Safety Department keeps track of the work of the Occupational Safety Committees, offers them guidance and advice in the efficient carrying-out of their work. Today, the Institute's engineers and technicians are in touch with approximately 1,800 such Committees.
Regional Public Safety Committees - these committees are responsible for circulating information on all matters concerning safety within their own areas and drawing attention to specific problems calling for improvements and innovations in the safety field.
The Training and Publicity Department
This Department organizes publicity campaigns among workers in the various branches of industry, agriculture, building and services trades. This publicity is aimed at increasing the degree of safety-consciousness and knowledge of safety matters touching upon the specific problems of each trade and occupational branch.
The Publications and Distribution Department
This Department publishes and distributes the Institute's publicity, research and training material. This material comprises some twenty different kinds of publications directed at the various branches of occupational activity and workers on different job levels. It includes, among others, the Institute's monthly publication "Safety" which carries current surveys of safety matters, innovations, improvements, lessons to be learned from accidents, and professional material specific to various occupations.
The Education Department
This department was set up in 1968 as the result of a joint cooperation agreement signed between the Institute and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The objective of the department is to inculcate safety-consciousness among that part of the population still at the stage of learning and acquiring work-habits.
Organization for Fostering Safety
This Organization works alongside the Institute and its members comprise government departments, public institutions and undertakings.
The Josephtal Competition
Among the Institute's widespread activities for promoting work safety is the country-wide safety competition held among undertakings in the different branches of economic activity, named after the late Minister of Labour - Dr. Giora Josephtal.
While work accidents have not yet been wholly eliminated, there can be no doubt that the work of the various bodies, including the Institute of Safety and Hygiene, has already brought and will continue to bring great benefits to working man and to all branches of industry.
