PROFESSIONAL HAZARD AND THE REAL ESTATE PRACTICE

PROFESSIONAL HAZARD AND THE REAL ESTATE PRACTICE

Introduction

In every profession there is that so-called professional hazards. It means that you can be injured, maimed, disabled or killed in the process of pursuing your job. And there are so many people who waste their lives and shed their blood in pursuit of their chosen profession.

Our soldiers and policemen are in the frontline protecting the citizens from groups trying to overthrow our government and from lawless elements. Many of our soldiers and law enforcers get killed and wounded in action. This is part of the hazards in their profession.

Some of our medical personnel get sick after they get in contact with patients with a communicable disease, just like what is happening now with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars). Doctors and nurses attending to Sars patients are now suspected of having been infected with the disease. This is again part of the hazards in their profession.

For those in real estate, especially those in practice, the professional hazards we encounter are at times worse than the others because sometimes it involves litigation and risk of life especially in this our part of the world where real estate is held at a high value.

Definitions

Keywords: profession, hazard, professional hazard.

A profession is an occupation requiring special education. It is an occupation engaged in or being practiced by an individual trained and qualified to practice it or a body or group of persons who are trained in a particular field or occupation (Oxford Dictionary, 2006). In Wikipedia (2007), profession is defined as “an occupation, vocation or career where specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science. It is applied to occupations that involve prolonged academic training and a formal qualification. From these definitions it is certain that for an occupation to be called a profession it must be an element of educational qualification, codes of conduct and defined functions which are recognized by everyone .Every recognized profession has a strong historical background with certain function and activities which members perceive as personal contribution to the public interest, including standard of practice of that profession.

Hazard: according to Wikipedia 2007, a Hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm, however, once a hazard becomes “active “it can create an emergency situation. In The Bronx 2007: A hazard is usually used to describe a potentially harmful situation, although not usually the event itself, once the incident has started it is classified as an emergency or incident. Hazard is a state of potential danger or something that is potentially very dangerous (Encarta Dictionary, 2006).

Professional Hazard: Professional Hazard can be described as a potentially harmful situation or events which are peculiar to an occupation, vocation or career or such harmful situation a professional is Liable to in his field of Endeavour.

LITERATURE REVIEWS

In the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction(2009)it was noted that hazard originates from technological or industrial conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or specific human activities, that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. Bobby G. Nalzaro(2003) stated that in every profession there is that so-called professional hazards. It means that you can be injured, maimed, disabled or killed in the process of pursuing your job. And there are so many people who waste their lives and shed their blood in pursuit of their chosen profession. According to a study published by economic and social policy researchers at the Urban Institute in the US, the number of physically demanding jobs has dropped to less than 10%, leaving more Americans susceptible to desk-job-related health problems.

In 1985 George F. Atkinson of the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, said hazard is material or situation capable of producing undesired consequences which may be injury to persons, damage to material goods, or delay in reaching desired goals. If it is possible to quantify the probable extent of the undesired consequences (in money, lost time, lost lives, etc.) and also the likelihood of the damaging event occurring. The risk related to the hazard can also be expressed numerically. He further gave the notion that there is some risk in almost everything and that compromises must somehow be achieved. In a PHA-Pro expert guidance for process hazard analysis it was stated that today’s rapidly evolving and more complex process industry is under increasing strain as organizations must abide by more stringent safety and environmental regulatory requirements and simultaneously drive business revenues, increase efficiencies and decrease costs.

The potential of workplace health promotion to enhance working life is a vital component in improving workplace productivity and performance. Integrating health promotion into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) policies benefits both workers and employers by improving the long-term well-being of workers and their families, and reducing pressure on health, welfare and social security systems. Integrating health promotion measures into OSH management systems enhances occupational health practice and contributes to the construction of a preventive culture. All new work activities or changes to existing work (which introduce new hazards or increase the hazard level) need to be reviewed to analyze hazards, identify safety standards/ requirements, and establish appropriate controls {Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)}

Nature of Hazards

The first step to protecting yourself is being able to recognize hazards in the work you are assigned and in the conditions you’re working in. There are four main types of hazards:

Physical hazards are the most common and will be present in most workplaces at one time or another. They include unsafe conditions that can cause injury, illness and death. They are typically easiest to spot but, sadly, too often overlooked because of familiarity (there are always cords running across the aisles), lack of knowledge (they aren’t seen as hazards), resistance to spending time or money to make necessary improvements or simply delays in making changes to remove the hazards (waiting until tomorrow or a time when “we’re not so busy”). None of these are acceptable reasons for workers to be exposed to physical hazards. Examples of physical hazards include:

• electrical hazards: frayed cords, missing ground pins, improper wiring
• unguarded machinery and moving machinery parts: guards removed or moving parts that a worker can accidentally touch
• constant loud noise
• high exposure to sunlight/ultraviolet rays, heat or cold
• working from heights, including ladders, scaffolds, roofs, or any raised work area
• working with mobile equipment such as forklifts (operation of forklifts and similar mobile equipment in the workplace requires significant additional training and experience)
• spills on floors or tripping hazards, such as blocked aisle or cords running across the floor.

Biological hazards come from working with animals, people or infectious plant materials. Work in day care, hospitals, hotel laundry and room cleaning, laboratories, veterinary offices and nursing homes may expose you to biological hazards. The types of things you may be exposed to include:

• blood or other body fluids
• fungi
• bacteria and viruses
• plants
• insect bites
• animal and bird droppings.

Ergonomic hazards occur when the type of work, body position and working conditions put strain on your body. They are the hardest to spot since you don’t always immediately notice the strain on your body or the harm these hazards pose. Short-term exposure may result in “sore muscles” the next day or in the days following exposure, but long term exposure can result in serious long-term injuries. Ergonomic hazards include:

• poor lighting
• improperly adjusted workstations and chairs
• frequent lifting
• poor posture
• awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive
• repeating the same movements over and over
• having to use too much force, especially if you have to do it

Chemical hazards are present when a worker is exposed to any chemical preparation in the workplace in any form (solid, liquid or gas). Some are safer than others, but to some workers who are more sensitive to chemicals, even common solutions can cause illness, skin irritation or breathing problems. We should always beware of:

• liquids like cleaning products, paints, acids, solvents especially chemicals in an unlabelled container (warning sign!)
• vapours and fumes, for instance those that come from welding or exposure to solvents
• gases like acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide and helium
• flammable materials like gasoline, solvents and explosive

ACTIVITY RELATED HAZARDS

Some hazards are created by undertaking of a certain activity and the cessation of the activity will negate the risk. This category can make us to further divide hazards into two other subdivisions so as to drive home our point

• Physical hazards: this refers to those hazards encountered in the course of discharging a professional duty which are physical in nature e.g. building collapse while on site, accident caused by various machines on the site, among OTHERS.
• Spiritual Hazards: This may sound too personal or peculiar to this part of the world, but it sure exist in our daily professional activities e.g using charm against the professionals or attacking them spiritually i.e in an unexplainable way or people in various profession which have been bewitched in their various professional activities.

Many professionals in the real estate industry believe in professional hazard, at the same time, they belief it happens in various degrees and forms. Many of these professional believed in spiritual hazards while some do not believe it exist because to them whatever happens to man in his daily activity may either be an act of God or natural happening.

Virtually everyone of them agree that natural and physical hazards exist but that physical or man-made hazards are caused by some act of negligence and carelessness. Some of these hazards can be avoided professionally that is by taken adequate and appropriate safety measure in carrying out our duty calls, although this is only applicable to the physical and manmade hazards. Natural hazard doesn’t come so often but it cannot be prevented. Spiritual hazard can be prevented or averted spiritually by means of prayer and fasting.

MODES OF HAZARDS

There are a number of modes for a hazard, these include:

• Dormant: The situation has the potential to be hazardous, but no person, property or environment is currently affected by this.
• Potential: Also known as “Armed” this is a situation where the hazard is in the position to affect persons, property or environment. This type of hazard is likely to require further risk assessment.
• Active: The hazard is certain to cause harm, as no intervention is possible before the incident occurs.
• Mitigated: A potential hazard has been identified, but actions have been taken in order to ensure it does not become an incident. This may not be an absolute guarantee of no risk or danger, but it is likely to have been undertaken to significantly reduce the danger.

CAUSES OF HAZARD

There are many causes of hazard, but they can broadly be termed into:

• Natural cause: These includes anything which is caused by natural process, and can include obvious hazards such as, Earthquake, Volcanoes to smaller scale hazards may need to be mitigated. Other examples could include: flood, wind storm, whirlwind, tornado, etc
• Man-made: Hazards created by humans, which includes a huge array of possibilities probably too many to list especially in this part of the world where things are not done right, as it includes long term effects such as global warming to immediate hazards such as building sites hazards.

HAZARDS IN REAL ESTATE PROFESSION

The various aspects of estate surveying and valuation profession include Agency, property development and management, Property valuation and so on involves different level of hazard.

Estate Agency: This involves leasing, sales, scouting and sourcing for properties. There are a lot of hazards Valuers or estate agents encounter in this regard, these include the following:

• A Valuer can be involved in auto crash in the course of sourcing or scouting.
• During the course of inspection, a Valuer can take a false prospective tenant out for inspection and this may lead to his doom or serious damage because such can strangle the valuer to death if the place is so enclosed or is a bushy area.
• A female Valuer is often exposed to the dangers of sexual harassment, and even rape.
• If an agent sells a land that is possessed or under a spell, the life of such person may be in serious danger because demonic attacks.
• An estate agent is also at risk of litigation if unknowingly involved in a sale or lease of property in disputes.

Property Management: This is a very serious and demanding task in this profession because it involves day-to-day activities and so the level of exposure to dangers and hazards is even greater,

• Derelict buildings may pose a great threat to the life of the Valuer each time he steps in to undertake any form of property management related activities.
• If the Valuer is dealing with a demonic tenant, he or she may bewitch the Valuer or even kill him all because he issued him a quit notice or he is asking him for rent payment or rent review.
• A devilish landlord may afflict the Valuer because he doesn’t want to pay him the necessary professional fee.
• He or she also faces risk of having the tenants or even the landlord as enemies to his or her detriment.

Property Valuation: This is one of the major areas where a valuer is exposed even to a greater danger in carrying out his professional duty,

• During physical inspection, a Valuer is exposed to various physical attack such as animal attack [snake bite], human attacks (Omo-Onile factor).
• The property to be valued may be under the influence of charm and once the Valuer step on it can result in spiritual attack with dire consequences including untimely death.

Property Development/project management: This is also a big task and the hazards there are quite enormous:

• The developer is also expose to various chemicals that emits from the various building materials used such as paint, cement
• Danger of drinking or eating unhygienic food or
• Valuers can fall off from ladders or scaffoldings in the course of
• Building can also collapse during construction or even go ablaze.
• The Estate Surveyor and Valuer as the Project Manager bears all the responsibility for the project either for good or
• Because a lot of finance is often involved for projects the Valuer faces the risk of accountability.

HANDLING PROFESSIONAL HAZARDS

One of the most effective ways of handling professional hazard is by carrying out a job hazard analysis. This will help in detecting hazards and providing preventive measures to control them. A job hazard analysis is a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur. It focuses on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment. Ideally, after you identify uncontrolled hazards, you will take steps to eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable risk level.

Importance of job hazard analysis

Many workers are injured and killed at the workplace every day. Safety and health can add value to your business, your job, and your life. You can help prevent workplace injuries and illnesses by looking at your workplace operations, establishing proper job procedures, and ensuring that all employees are trained properly. One of the best ways to determine and establish proper work procedures is to conduct a job hazard analysis. A job hazard analysis is one component of the larger commitment of a safety and health management system.

The value of a job hazard analysis

Supervisors can use the findings of a job hazard analysis to eliminate and prevent hazards in their workplaces. This is likely to result in fewer worker injuries and illnesses; safer, more effective work methods; reduced workers’ compensation costs; and increased worker productivity. The analysis also can be a valuable tool for training new employees in the steps required to perform their jobs safely. For a job hazard analysis to be effective, management must demonstrate its commitment to safety and health and follow through to correct any uncontrolled hazards identified. Otherwise, management will lose credibility and employees may hesitate to go to management when dangerous conditions threaten them.

Jobs appropriate for a job hazard analysis

A job hazard analysis can be conducted on many jobs in your workplace. Priority should go to the following types of jobs:

• Jobs with the highest injury or illness rates;
• Jobs with the potential to cause severe or disabling injuries or illness, even if there is no history of previous accidents;
• Jobs in which one simple human error could lead to a severe accident or injury;
• Jobs that are new to your operation or have undergone changes in processes and procedures; and
• Jobs complex enough to require written instructions.

HAZARDS ANALYSIS PROCESS

a. Involve your employees. It is very important to involve your employees in the hazard analysis process. They have a unique understanding of the job, and this knowledge is invaluable for finding hazards. Involving employees will help minimize oversights, ensure a quality analysis, and get workers to “buy in” to the solutions because they will share ownership in their safety and health program.

b. Review your accident history. Review with your employees your worksite’s history of accidents and occupational illnesses that needed treatment, losses that required repair or replacement, and any “near misses” —events in which an accident or loss did not occur, but could have. These events are indicators that the existing hazard controls (if any) may not be adequate and deserve more scrutiny.

c. Conduct a preliminary job review. Discuss with your employees the hazards they know exist in their current work and surroundings. Brainstorm with them for ideas to eliminate or control those hazards. If any hazards exist that pose an immediate danger to an employee’s life or health, take immediate action to protect the Any problems that can be corrected easily should be corrected as soon as possible. Do not wait to complete your job hazard analysis. This will demonstrate your commitment to safety and health and enable you to focus on the hazards and jobs that need more study because of their complexity.

d. List, rank, and set priorities for hazardous jobs. List jobs with hazards that present unacceptable risks, based on those most likely to occur and with the most severe These jobs should be your first priority for analysis.

e. Outline the steps or tasks. Nearly every job can be broken down into job tasks or When beginning a job hazard analysis, watch the employee perform the job and list each step as the worker takes it. Be sure to record enough information to describe each job action without getting overly detailed. Avoid making the breakdown of steps so detailed that it becomes unnecessarily long or so broad that it does not include basic steps. You may find it valuable to get input from other workers who have performed the same job. Later, review the job steps with the employee to make sure you have not omitted something. Point out that you are evaluating the job itself, not the employee’s job performance. Include the employee in all phases of the analysis—from reviewing the job steps and procedures to discussing uncontrolled hazards and recommended solutions. Sometimes, in conducting a job hazard analysis, it may be helpful to photograph or videotape the worker performing the job. These visual records can be handy references when doing a more detailed analysis of the work.

TIPS TO REDUCE PROFESSIONAL HAZARDS

Effective management of professional safety and health protection is a decisive factor in reducing the extent and the severity of work-related injuries and illness. Effective professional practice addresses all work-related hazards, including those potential hazards that could not result from change in worksite conditions or practice. It addresses hazards whether or not they are regulated by government standards. The following guidelines for effective work safety and health protection are:

• Professionals are advised and encouraged to institute and maintain programs which provides systemic policies, procedures, and practices that are adequate to recognize and protect them from occupational dangers and hazards
• An effective program includes provisions for the systemic identification, evaluation, and prevention or control of general work hazards, specific work hazards, and potential hazards, which may arise from foreseeable conditions.
• Worksite analysis involves a variety of worksite examinations, to identify not only existing hazards but also conditions and operations in which changes might occur to create hazard.
• Hazards prevention and controls are triggered by a determination that a hazards or potential hazards exists. Feasible hazards can be prevented by effective design of the jobsite or job itself.

HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL

• So that all current and potential hazards, however detected, are corrected or controlled in a timely manner, established procedures for that purpose, using the following measure:
  • Engineering techniques where feasible and appropriate,
  • Procedures for safe work which are understood and followed by all affected parties, as a result of training, positive reinforcement, correction of safe performance, and, if necessary, enforcement through a clearly communicated disciplinary system:
  • Provision of personal protective equipment; and
  • Administrative control such as reducing the duration of
• Provide for facility and equipment maintenance, so that hazardous breakdown is prevented.
• Plan and prepare for emergencies, and conduct training and drills as needed, so that the response of all parties to emergencies will be ‘second nature’
• Establish a medical program which includes availability of first aid onsite and physical and emergency medical are nearby, so that harm will be minimized if any injury or illness does occur.

CHALLENGES/SUGGESTION

Handling professional hazards requires a higher level of commitment than usual to the well being of the people involved with the day to day activities of any organization. The most important challenge found out from this study is the level of negligence to prevention of hazards on the work. There are tendencies to shy away from the responsibility of adequate hazards prevention due to the cost implication it lays on the organization. The motivation to take professional hazards serious should come from the fact that the long term benefit will pay the workers and the organization. The organization gain the confidence of the workers and in return gets the commitment of the workers.

Conclusion

It is important to make it clear that this is not an exhaustive work on the topic of professional hazards. Furthermore, other areas like health and safety in the work place can also be considered to give more details into the issue of professional hazards.

References

Bokini, S. K. (2006). Building after care. Tony Terry prints, Lagos. Pp 317-324.

Hemuka, N. N. (2002). The Test of professional competence. A handbook for the Estate Surveyor and Valuer. Hemuka Real Estate Publications (Benin, Nigeria)

Olusegun, K. (2008). Estate office practice. Lagos: Climax Communication Limited. Pp 579-582.

Wikipedia.com (n.d.). Risk and hazards. retrieved from www. wikipedia.com on 10^th may 2008.

Nalzaro, B. G. (2002). Professional hazards. Sunstar network online journal, Monday, May 12, 2003.

George, F. A. (1985), Journal of Chemical Education, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,  Volume 62 Number 12 December.

US Department of Labour (2002). Job hazard analysis. http://www.osha.gov/Publications/

BOMI International’s Contaminants http://www.fmlink.com/general/redirect.cgi?source=howto_article&dest=http://ww w.bomi-edu.org.

http://www.fmlink.com/article http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk.html. Document last updated on November 20, 2009

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety. Hazard Control. Copyright ©1997- 2012

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_control.html. Document last updated on April 20, 2006

FM Link Group, LLC. Q&A: Health and Physical Hazards in the Workplace(1996-2012). Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, Hazard and Risk. Copyright ©1997-2012.

Applicable standards listed in Appendix G of the Contract between DOE and the University of California (copies available from the EH&S Division)

Integrated Environment, Health & Safety Management Plan, LBNL/PUB-3140, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Operating and Quality Management Plan, LBNL/PUB-3111, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Regulations and Procedures Manual (RPM), LBNL/PUB-201, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Worker Safety and Health Program, LBNL/PUB-3851, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory