(1)      Hand Wash Policy

Unwashed hands are the most important route of contamination and cross infection. Following the hand hygienic practices help in minimising the risks of contamination and  of spreading infection.

This policy sets out the minimum requirements for hand hygiene.

I) Hand Washing/decontimation:- Should be done with soap & water. Liquid soap and running water is effective for removal of physical dirt or soiling.  All the surfaces of hand should be properly covered.  This removes micro organism and render the hands clean for operations. For smooth and good hand washing the workers should ensure that :

⦁    Nails are kept short & clean.

⦁    Stoned rings are not worn.

⦁    Hand are free from Nail Polish or other artificial make up.

⦁    Wrist watches, bracelets and other jewellery items are not worn in hands.

⦁    Sleeves covering hands should be rolled up or short sleeve apparels are worn.

Style of hand washing is important rather than the cleaning agent (soap, liquid soap etc.) used and the duration of washing.

II)    Hand Drying:- After decontamination, hand should be dried thoroughly using disposable towels. Reusable dry cloth towels/electric hand driers can also be used.

Apply moisturizing cream/lotion a couple of times throughout the day. Wet surfaces are more conducive for transferring micro organism than dry one and therefore hand drying is emphasised in controlling infection.

III)    Hand Scrubbing:- Helps in removing debris and other greasy     materials sticking to hands, forearms, nails etc.

Remove all jewellery items viz ring, watches, bracelets.

Wet hands & arms under running water. Apply aqueous antiseptic solution. Preferably Hand washing to be done up to elbows. Rinsing should be done from finger tips to the elbows. Skin should be blotted dry with towels.

iv)    Hand Care: – Hand care is very important to prevent hands from becoming dry & chapped. Broken skin harbours bacteria which are different to remove during hand washing.  Sore hand reduces washing and the amount of drying with paper towel.

Hand should be protected by:-

⦁    Wetting the skin prior to applying soap ⦁    Thorough rinsing of soap ⦁    Thorough drying of hands ⦁    Application of hand cream/lotion ⦁    Keeping cuts & lesions covered with the water proof dressing.

It should be ensured that the selected antiseptic washing agents are chemically compatible to minimise skin reaction.

Hand Care Problems such as skin dryness dermatitis or sensitivity should be reported to the manager/supervisor.

No smoking policy seeks to guarantee the rights of all employees and visitors to breathe air free of tobacco & smoke and to comply with smoke free legislation.

Passive smoking has been proved to cause lung cancer and heart diseases, asthma, migraine attack and other serious diseases among non smokers.

Therefore it is the policy of Ayushraj Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. that all the work places are kept smoke free and all the employees have a right to work in the smoke free environment. Smoking is not permitted in any part of the factory/office premises including lift, stair ways, eating places, rest room, meeting room, workers room, toilets, reception area and entrance/exit door, company vehicle stand etc. However smoking is permitted for staff members & another in the externally designated area and/or in smoking shelters. They shall be responsible for disposal of cigarette, litters  including cigarette butts, packet, matches and match boxes in the dustbin only.  Smoking litter should not be discarded  on the ground.

For reasons of fire, safety, health & to adhere to govt. guidelines, smoking while the production, storage & testing area is prohibited. All the staff members have a personal responsibility to ensure the compliance of these guidelines and also to ensure that all visitors/new comers are made aware of the policy. Manager/supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring the compliance of the policy guideline at work places.

Due to Excessive littering, spills, health & sanitation hazard, Ayushraj Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Hereby introduces “No Food and Drink Policy” in all its storage, production & packaging area. The policy guidelines apply to everyone and at all times working in these areas.

It is the responsibility of all the members of the staff to create and maintain a safe and clean environment to work in factory & non factory premises of the company. Company’s facilities which are for manufacturing herbal extracts, production of ayush medicines and for conducting lab tests etc.  should therefore be used only for the designated purposes.  Food waste, rubbish & filth  left behind cause the risk of rodent viz rat, mice, squirrels flies cockroaches etc. which contaminate the products and cause health hazards and   danger to human safety.

Besides eating & drinking at work places in production  area causes floor stains and damage the floor due to drink spills.

Carrying  open or unwrapped food or beverages, food or beverage intended for immediate consumption or consuming food and beverage in the production/storage area is prohibited.

Policy Statement:-

Man is all the time exposed to machines & equipments in the production area. The company considers it it’s primary responsibility to provide safe working conditions to the workers  so that they are protected from the hazard of injury on any part of the body.  Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) help to reduce the such risk of injury to the workers during operations at work place.

Personal Protective Equipments refer to protective clothing helmet, goggles or other garments or equipments designed to protect the workers body from injury. The hazards addressed by the protective equipment include physical, electrical, heat,  chemicals, biohazards and airborne particulate  matter.

Objective:

The purpose of Personal Protective Equipments is to reduce employee’s exposure to hazards when administrative and engineering  controls are not effective  to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. PPE  are  needed when the  hazards  are present but it can  not eliminate  the hazard. PPE acts  as a barrier  between the  worker    & the working environment and helps to ensure safe and healthy working conditition. Therefore the workers in the company are mandatorily required to wear the prescribed PPE.  Not wearing the PPE exposes the worker to the risks of ill health injry, infection etc.

Selection of PPE:

Selection of PPE depends on the type of hazards to be managed and the part of body to be protected. The common hazards found at the work place are indicatively mentioned below:-

Breathing:- Breathing hazard is caused by inhaling contaminants  which  impair the   health of respiratory tract.  Workers in the  operations area exposed to such risk should use proper respiratory devices viz masks, particulate respirators etc.

Skin Protection:- The workers in the factory premises regularly come in direct contact with the raw herbs, herbal extracts, solvents etc. Their skin is exposed to the physical/chemical/mechanical hazards and the risks of catching skin diseases are high. PPE worn on hand would act as a barrier  between the skin and the cause of hazard.  Wearing Hand gloves, coats etc for workers exposed to such agents is madatory in the  production area.

Hearing Protection:- Industrial noise is yet another type of occupational hazard. Constant exposure to  machines & equipments making noise cause hearing impairment if proper PPE viz ear plug or ear muff are not used. Company make it mandatory for all the workers to use ear plugs/ ear muffs who are  exposed to plant & equipments making noise above a  specified acceptable  level.

Eye Protection:- Eyes are very sensitive part of the body and any splinter of the foreign matter viz metal, glass, wood,  chemical etc can cause irreparable damage. Therefore company has made it mandatory to wear a proper eye protective devices viz goggles for workers exposed to such hazards.

We are all prone to get ill from time to time which may necessitate time off work to recover. The company recognizes the need for an understanding and supportive approach in the management of sickness absence. The company also recognizes the significant impact of ill health and sickness absence on the cost and quality of service delivery and therefore wishes to encourage a culture of good attendance. Workers should be in good health & generally fit.

Objective of the policy is to provide an appropriate balance between the needs of the service and the needs of individuals when dealing with the sickness absence.

General Sickness

If the worker is unable to attend work due to illness, he must inform to the production manager about his absence at the earliest on the first day of absence. It should normally be within one hour of the usual starting time. The nature of illness and the expected time to report back for duty should be informed. If the worker is unable to act personally on the first day of absence, he should manage to act through someone else. Purpose is that the information about sickness absence is conveyed.Production Manager is responsible for recording all sickness absence of the workers. If the required information is not received nor the explanation is found satisfactory, the worker would be treated absent on loss of pay. In case of the information of sickness is found to be false, the worker would be subjected to disciplinary action.

Evidence of incapacity:-

In case of any incapacity, the same should be reported as soon as possible within a maximum period of 10 days stating the cause of such incapacity throughout any period of sickness. The information should be supported by satisfactory evidence otherwise the absence shall be treated on loss of pay.

Staff leaving work early:-

If any worker falls sick after starting of working time and leaves early with permission, normally that day will not be recorded as sickness absence. Similarly if the worker reports late for work on any day after obtaining the permission, he will  not be treated absent. But in case it is found that the facility is being misused or abused, stern disciplinary action shall be taken including removal from the service.

Infection Diseases & work place:-

Infectious diseases are very common although most of those encountered at work place context are minor and of short duration. There may be occasion when instead of the worker, member of the worker’s family has an infectious disease and it is felt that worker is  likely to inadvertently transmit the infection to other colleagues at work. In that situation worker shall not be taken on work till the family member recovers. Any symptom of sickness and/or infection or pain or any sort of body disorder  in you or your close relative  should be immediately reported

Fitness for job:-

The company wants that all its employees at work should be healthy and fit for job. Therefore any worker returning from sickness absence for more than 7 days should submit fitness certificate from the Registered Medical Practitioner and for less than 7 days, self certification shall be sufficient.

AEPL is committed a safe and healthy working environment and to protect the health and safety of all the person while they are at work. The occupational health, safety and welfare of individuals in the prime consideration when determining the  suitability   of any  cosmetic  jewellery item, watches  etc . This includes the likelihood & consequences of this jewellery been caught in machinery,  protruding  objects  or materials  being handed.

Staphylococus bacteria can accumulate under jewellery specially if it is not removed before washing. Besides, there is also a danger that stone from rings, earings or pandants may fall into the products.

Jewellery items and watches act as conduits for transfering bacteria & infection. Necklace, rings and metal watch bands are particularly hazardous in all these cases. They can get caught  on moving part, conduct electricity and heat and hurt employees in other ways.

Company therefore does not encourage wearing jewellery/watches by the employees working around machinery, doing electric work,  working   with chemicals / solvents  or on  heated surface.

Finger nails (real or artificial) and nail polish can become  a physical hazard. Therefore, workers must be keep their nails trimmed and filed. Long nails easily break and end up in the product. Also if nails are long, dust & micro organism can collect beneath them.  Normally use of nail polish is not encouraged. However, If workers want to use nail polish or keep long nails, they must mandatorily wear single use gloves.

Subungual  areas of the hand harbour high concentration of bacteria. Chipped nail polish may support the growth of larger member of organism on finger nail. Even after careful hand washing or use of surgical scrub or hand rubs, personals often harbour substantial number of potential pathogens in the subungual  spaces.

Workers should therefore Keep their nails short so that they are easily  cleaned and the above hazards are minimized.

The purpose of hair care policy  is to prevent any falling of hair into the product that is being handled.

Hair should be kept clean and free from dandruff. It should be completely covered at all times by either net or a cap.. Hair must be combed outside. Hair grips or clips should not be worn outside the head covering.  If for the religious reasons, beard and moustaches is  kept, it should be kept properly covered and clean.

Staphy lococus bacteria are found in the scalp  and in dandruff. Loose hairs fall off into product and may cause cross contamination. Do not remove head cover, beard/ moustache covering until the work is finished.

Bacteria are a major source of contamination although not  all bacteria are ‘bad’. The bad ones can even produce poisons, which may cause  poisoning.

The bacteria only become dangerous if they are transferred  either directly by workers  hands or indirectly from their  dirty clothes, utensils or equipment.

Bacteria multiply very rapidly by simply splitting  under moisture and warm temperature conditions.

That is why it is very important to  prevent  all products from moisturous  areas  and store them  under proper  temperature conditions.

However, if these products become mixed up or diluted with water or milk or become contaminated in some way, then bacteria may grow.

Everyone likes to think that they are clean. However, the whole body is covered with bacteria — not all of them are harmful. They only become dangerous when  transfer somehow  either directly or via  hands, utensils, or clothes. This happens if people we do not follow strict hygiene rules.

Bacteria can also  be found in:

secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat skin dust on clothing dandruff and loose hairs from the scalp

Bacteria are also found on any cuts or abrasions on our skin, particularly if the sore becomes infected and turns septic. This includes spots and boils.

Bacteria can also be picked up from other areas, especially the toilets and therefore It is important that toilets are cleaned  properly  every day to prevent a build-up of bacteria.

All products that are mass produced will go through a metal detector at various times during production and be rejected by quality controllers if they are rejected by the metal detector.

Foreign bodies such as hair or plastic will not be detected so easily.Therefore workers should  be vigilant on the production line.

Apart from ourselves, other things in the workplace can spoil the products we produce. This is called cross-contamination and can include:

insects mice rats birds dust refuse and waste

There are many problems associated with pests:

• pests contaminate extracts and medicine products.
• pests damage buildings.
• pests cause product wastage.
• customer reputation can be harmed.
• legal action, possibly including factory closure, may follow.

Pests can enter the workplace through very small spaces such as holes or cracks in the ceiling, walls or floors. The warmth and the smell also attract them.

Several insects may carry  poisonous bacteria. Flies and cockroaches are the greatest hazard because of their feeding habits and the places they find their food.

Both rats and mice can be found in buildings. They enter through very small spaces and can live in wall cavities. They carry bacteria on their feet and fur, and contamination of products  takes place through their droppings, urine, hairs, and gnawing.

There are always large numbers of bacteria in dust and floating about in the air. All extracts and products  should be covered when cleaning is carried out, especially dusting and sweeping.

Waste and unfit  stuff must not be allowed to build up in production areas. All waste containers must be kept clean and have tight-fitting lids to prevent flies and rodents getting in to breed.

Special protective clothing  to be used when dealing with waste. Hands should be washed thoroughly after having done so.

It must besured that the premises do not attract or provide homes for pests. Every employee must ensure  that any waste stored outside is dropped  in bins with tightly fitting lids.

All the employees must follow the rules for good housekeeping Remove all spillages at once.

Check regularly for any signs of pests.

Once pests are in the workplace, effective pest control must be applied  to get rid of them. This may mean putting in bait boxes, traps, and electric fly killers.

To control pests and vermin, the workplace must be kept clean and tidy and any waste must be dealt with correctly.

No matter how carefully we use the raw products, ingredients, and materials, there will be some waste. These should be stored in  waste containers having  closely fitting lid to keep out pests.

Before the start of  work, it must be  ensured that the  waste containers are in place, undamaged  and  are properly  cleaned .

Chemicals are often used to  prepare extracts and also for cleaning  the workplace and equipments. This can be very efficient and effective, but chemical contamination can happen if all the equipment and utensils are not rinsed properly   after cleaning.

Ingredients should never be stored near poisonous chemicals.  Chemicals should never be stored in open containers.

Chemical contamination can also happen after maintenance work if the correct cleaning routine is not followed.

If any damage to the products  caused by contamination or infestation is noticed, this  must be immediately reported .

The product must be isolated and the source of the problem identified.

The product must be disposed of correctly so that there is no danger of further cross-contamination.