INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

ASSIGNMENT
SUBMITTED BY
PUNITHA.G
BBA 3rd YEAR
 INTRODUCTION
Health and safety of workers is mainly about providing a safe and healthy workplace to the
employees. It is vital that organisations follows by specific health and safety laws to ensure
that not employee is harmed within the workplace. Identifying the hazards and risks,
allows the organisation to work out specific precautions that would help to minimise the
risk by creating rules or regulations within the workplace. Health and safety has become an
important issue nowadays.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
Safety and wellbeing of all workers are necessary for the organization not only for
consistent productivity but also due to regulatory requirements. Corporations cannot
achieve long-term success and sustainable growth in the absence of motivated, safe,
healthy, and effective workers. The health and safety of all workers are necessary to ensure
the enhancement of productivity and efficiency at all levels and areas. Lack of safety
measures can create havoc for the organization and negatively affect the working criterion
of an organization.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EMPLOYEES
SAFETY AND HEALTH ?
EMPLOYER - It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their
employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers make
sure that workers and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, effectively
controlling any risks to injury or health that could arise in the workplace.

Employers must give you information about the risks in your workplace and how you are
protected, also instruct and train you on how to deal with the risks.
EMPLOYER HEALTH AND SAFETY DUTIES
● Provide and maintain safe plant (machinery and equipment).
● Give your employees the necessary information, instruction, training or
supervision to enable them to do their work in a way that is safe and without
risks to health.
● Provide and maintain safe systems of work - for example, controlling entry to
high-risk areas and providing systems to prevent falls from heights.
● Ensure the safe use, handling, storage or transport of plant or substances.
● Keep workplaces that you manage and control in a safe condition, free of risks to
health (for example, ensure fire exits aren’t blocked).
MOST COMMON HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE

The six main categories of hazards are:

● Biological - Biological hazards include viruses, bacteria, insects, animals, etc., that
can cause adverse health impacts. For example, mould, blood and other bodily fluids,
harmful plants, sewage, dust and vermin.
● Chemical - Chemical hazards are hazardous substances that can cause harm. These
hazards can result in both health and physical impacts, such as skin irritation,
respiratory system irritation, blindness, corrosion and explosions.
● Psychosocial - Psychosocial hazards include those that can have an adverse effect on
an employee’s mental health or wellbeing. For example, sexual harassment,
victimisation, stress and workplace violence.
● Physical - Physical hazards are environmental factors that can harm an employee
without necessarily touching them, including heights, noise, radiation and pressure.
● Safety - These are hazards that create unsafe working conditions. For example,
exposed wires or a damaged carpet might result in a tripping hazard. These are
sometimes included under the category of physical hazards.
● Ergonomic - Ergonomic hazards are a result of physical factors that can result in
musculoskeletal injuries. For example, a poor workstation setup in an office, poor
posture and manual handling.
WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS
● It's an unplanned event that results in personal injury or property damage.
● Accidents at work can also be referred to as workplace accidents, occupational
accidents, or injuries at work.
● Accidents can occur in a number of different environments or premises that an
employee is legally required to be during the course of their working day.
What to do after an accident at work ?
There are a number of steps you should follow:

1. Seek medical attention

2. Report the accident
3. Identify any witnesses
4. Document the incident
5. Speak to a workplace accident solicitor
WORKPLACE INJURY COMPENSATION
If the business employees more than 20 employees, the Employees’ State Insurance Act,
1948 applies. Under this act, employees and the company pay toward an insurance benefit
in case of injury. When a workplace injury occurs, the injured employee is able to avail of
both medical and financial support.

The Act requires employers to compensate an employee who has suffered an accident
while performing his/her duties during work hours, resulting into
● Permanent total disability,
● Permanent partial disability,
● Temporary disability, or
● Death.
WORKPLACE SAFETY TRAINING
Workplace safety training is a process that aims to provide your workforce with knowledge
and skills to perform their work in a way that is safe for them and their co-workers. Workers
can use this training program required by the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and
Training regulation.

Education and training provides employers, managers, supervisors, and workers with:

■ Knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely and avoid creating hazards that
could place themselves or others at risk.
■ Awareness and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report, and
control them.
■ Specialized training, when their work involves unique hazards.
HEALTHY WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT
A healthy workplace environment is ideal when it comes to maintaining a positive
outcome in a stressful atmosphere. The most important thing that influences employee
motivation and happiness, and how productive and efficient they can be, all goes down to
their working environment.

Healthy does not only constitute as needing medical attention, it could also be the outlook
of the workplace and even the surroundings. There are four aspects to look into when
creating a healthy workplace environment:
Ways to Create a Healthy Environment Workplace
A happy and healthy employee is a productive employee. People who enjoy their jobs are
more likely to engage thoroughly with their work. As an employee, it is always in your
best interest to keep staff happy; otherwise, resentment could start to impact on the quality
of their work or they may even consider leaving.

Promote wellness - You can encourage health and wellness of your employees by having a
weekly exercise program such as a yoga session before the start of their work day.

Eat healthy - Another great way to create a healthy workplace environment is by eating
healthy, and no – skipping lunch break because employees are busy is not a good excuse.
Team building activities - Team building activities not only bond employees closer but
also motivate them, creating a positive workplace environment.

Break time - Another great way to create a healthy workplace environment is by

encouraging your employees to take a quick 5-minute break. Regular breaks will assist to
relieve muscle fatigue, eyestrain and to restore the level of concentration.

Engage with different personalities - Every workplace has a combination of characters,

and what works to motivate a particular employee, may not necessarily help others. Get to
know your employees and find out whether a hands-on approach or more independence
will help them.
● A neat and tidy workplace is also a more productive
workplace.
● It is also safer and healthier.

● The key to the success of a safety and health plan is to see it

as a part of the business operation and to see it reflected in
the day-to-day operation.
CONCLUSION
A safety plan is necessary and it comprises of certain steps that would develop a safer
workplace. Organizations should make sure that everyone else in the workplace is aware
of the core problem. People should notify their respective supervisors and they should file
any reports if there is a problem. An important aspect is that people should realize that
there is a problem as sitting back and holding the problem for a long time would not solve
the problem.

The key to the success of a safety and health plan is to see it as a part of the business
operation and to see it reflected in the day-to-day operation