Chapter 15: Managing Workplace Safety and Health1.The Managerial perspective:
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Ensuring a safe working environment is an obligation for anysocially responsible manager.
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An organizational culture that places a greater value on speedor saving money than on safety can result in workplaceaccidents—some that involve the loss of human life.2.Workplace Safety and the Law:
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In 2003 more than 4.3 million people were injured on the joband 5,559 were killed.
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National average per 100 workers is 2.6 workplace injuries orillnesses that are serious enough to result in lost workdays.
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2 basic sets of workplace safety laws affect most workers:
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The various workers’ compensation laws at the statelevel
The main goal of the workers’ compensationsystem is to provide compensation to workers whosuffer job related injuries or illnesses. Workers’compensation laws have no safety regulations ormandates, but they do require employers to payfor workers’ compensation insurance
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Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) atthe federal level.
Federal Law designed to make the workplace saferby ensuring that the work environment is freefrom hazards.
Enforces standards through a system of inspections, citations, and fines
Does not provide for the compensation of accidentvictimsa)Workers Compensationa.Under the doctrine of contributory negligence employerswere not liable for an employee’s injuries when thanemployee’s own negligence contributed to or caused the
injuryb.Fellow-servant rule employers were not responsible for anemployee’s injury when the negligence of anotheremployee contributed to or caused the injuryc.Workers’ compensation concept is based on the theory thatwork related accidents and illnesses are costs of doingbusiness that the employer should pay for an pass on tothe consumerd.Workers’ compensation is mandatory in only 47 statese.The stated goals of the workers’ compensation laws arei.Providing prompt, sure, and reasonable medical careto victims and income to both victims and theirdependantsii.Providing a “no-fault” system in which injuredworkers can get quick relief without undertakingexpensive litigation and suffering court delaysiii.Encouraging employers to invest in safetyiv.Promoting research on workplace safety1.The Benefits of workers’ compensationa.Total disability benefits-partialreplacement of income lost as the resultof a work-related total disabilityb.Impairment benefits-benefits fortemporary or permanent partialdisability, based on the degree andduration of the impairment. Injuries areclassified as scheduled or nonscheduled.Scheduled injuries=those in which a bodypart is list. Unscheduled injuries=allother injuries (such as back injuries);these are dealt with on a case-by-casebasisc.Survivor benefitsd.Medical expense benefitse.Rehabilitation benefits
2.The cost of workers’ compensationa.Workers compensation insurance isbased on payroll, but premiums paid aremodified by an organization’s safetyrecord.b.In another attempt to control and reduceworkers’ compensation costs, someemployers are using on site occupationalhealth centers that provide immediateevaluation and treatment of injuredworkers. Offer faster treatment and canproduce cost savings for employersc.Overexertion is a top cause of workplaceinjuries. Examples=heavy lifting,pushing, or pullingd.Infrequent types of injuries cansometimes be more important thancommon ones. Examples-repetitivemotion injures (such as carpal tunnelsyndrome) can result in expensive andlengthy absences from worke.Hartford Financial services group hasreported that 67% of increased workers’compensation costs can be attributed tothe use of more costly drugsf.Hartford analysis found that higher-priced drugs were often prescribed forconditions that could be treated withlower priced drugsb)The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)a.Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA)-federallaw that requires employers to provide a safe and healthywork environment, comply with specific occupationalsafety and health standards, and keep records of occupational injuries and illnesses.i.OSHA’s provisions-three major obligations onemployers1.To provide a safe and healthy workenvironment-general duty provision recognizes
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