HRM1340

Department of Human Resource Management

Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Intended Learning Outcome 2

After studying this chapter & listening to the

lecture successfully the student will be able to:
I. Define what OSHA means
II. Understand the Significance of OSHA
III. Discuss factors affecting Health Hazards
IV. Explain in detail basic causes of accidents
V. Explain how to prevent accidents at work
VI. Discuss health hazards and strategies to avoid those hazards
VII. Explain factors affecting Quality of Work Life
VIII. Discuss occupational Health and Safety Program

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Define what Occupational Health 3

and Safety Administration means
 Health and safety administration is the group of
activities involved in the development,
implementation and on-going maintenance of a
legitimate, fair and adequate health and safety
system in order to achieve goals of the
organization.

Occupational Health 4

 Physical, mental and emotional well-being of an employee

inside and outside of the workplace.
 Occupational Health can be divided into two:
1. Physical Health; The state of being physically fit to do a
job.
2. Mental Health; A good mental healthy person has
qualities such as:
 Understanding reality of the life

 Bearing fairly life stress and working accordingly (adaptation

to situational mental stress)

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Occupational Safety 5

 Safety means free from danger and risk.

 Occupational Safety means working environment

is free from accidents and industrial disasters that
may cause personal injury or ill health to
employees.

Aims of occupational health and safety 6

 World Health Organization ( WHO) defines the aims of occupational
health as the prevention and maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations;

 The prevention among workers of departments from health caused by

their working conditions;

 The protection of workers in their employment from risks relating to

factors adverse to health, the placing and maintenance of workers in an
occupational environment adapted to his physiological and
psychological environment:

 To summary the adaptation of work to man and each man to his job.

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Significance of OSHA 7
1. Assist to develop effective and efficient work force in an
organization
2. Assist to improve employee performance

Environmental Hazards affecting 8

Employee Health and Safety
1. Industrial Accidents

2. Occupational Diseases

3. Low Quality of Work Life ( QWL)

4. Organizational Stress

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1. Industrial Accidents Cont. 9

 Industrial accidents are mainly due to human failure somewhere in the chain of
circumstances which lead to the injury, and it is an unexpected occurrence that
interrupts regular progress of work.

 Conditions

 Loss of hearing

 Eyesight

 Loss of body parts

 Cuts sprains

 Bruises

 Broken bones

 Burns

 Electric shocks

 Death

1. Industrial Accidents Cont. 10

 Cost of an accidents
1. Insured Cost

 Under Workmen’s Compensation Laws there is an immediate cost of an accident, namely

the insurance premium paid to cover the employer’s financial liability for medical and
compensation benefits for the injured employee.

2. Uninsured Cost

i. Cost of wages paid to the injured worker

ii. Cost of wages paid for the time lost of workers not injured

iii. Cost of replacing the injured employee

iv. Cost of damages to plant, equipment and materials

v. Cost of legal expenses arising due to the accident

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1. Industrial Accidents Cont. 11

Causes of Accidents
 Causes of accident can be categorized into four:
1) Relating to machines
i. Not covering or not properly covering dangerous parts
ii. Machines defects
iii. Not properly repair

iv. Machines operates at a high speed

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1. Industrial Accidents Cont. 12

Causes of Accidents
2) Human Causes 3) Environmental Causes
i. Inappropriate location & layout
i. Poor health
ii. Inappropriate ventilation
ii. Lack of training
iii. Inadequate space for movement
iii. Lack of competence
iv. Either very high or low temperature
iv. Negligence
v. Inadequate lighting
v. Anxiety
vi. Cabinets drawers & windows are left open
vi. Monotony

vii. Lack of self confidence vii. Floor and staircases wet with water or oily substance

viii. Frustration viii. Telephone and electrical cables fall on the floor

ix. Carpets are turn or loose or not suitable

ix. Intoxication

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1. Industrial Accidents Cont. 13

Causes of Accidents
4) Miscellaneous
i. Weak housekeeping
ii. High noise (excessive)
iii. Leaking of electric wires

iv. Overloading
v. Use of inadequate or defective tools
vi. Poor supervision

vii. Working continuously for a long time

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2. Occupational Diseases/ Industrial 14

Diseases
 An occupational diseases is an ailment that catches an
employee due to the reason of performing tasks, duties and
responsibilities of his/her job

 Conditions
 Cancer

 Asthma

 Poisoning

 Respiratory disorders

 Reproductive disaster

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Occupational Health Hazards 15

(Causes of Occupational Diseases)
1. Chemical – Dust, fumes, gases, lead and toxic
metals

2. Biological – Bacteria, fungus, insects

3. Physical – Noise, Heat, vibration and radiation

4. Mental – Bourbon, monotony, frustration, fear

and shocks

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3. Low Quality of Work Life (LQWL) 16

 QWL means the degree to which employee

expectations are met (level of well-being enjoyed
by employee) by the job and job environment.

 If the level of well-being enjoyed is low, there exists

a low quality of work life.

 This state is detrimental to employee health and

safety.

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3. Low Quality of Work Life (LQWL) 17

Factors Affecting LQWL

1. Poor job design

2. Low employee involvement

3. Ineffective pay system

4. Unfulfilled expectations

5. Discrimination practices

6. Lack of Job security

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4. Organizational Stress 18

 Stress means pressing conditions which affect the

employees' emotions, thoughts and physical
conditions.

 This stress is regarding organizational environment,

it is called as organizational stress.

 This is a hazard of socio-psychological aspects of

the work environment.

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4. Organizational Stress Cont. 19

Factors Affecting Stress

1. Supervision, Salary, Safety and job Security (4 S’s)

2. Organizational changes

3. Crowding

4. Lack of privacy

5. Over work

6. Unattainable targets

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 20

Health and Safety Cont.
After identifying the sources of harmful conditions on the job,
the organization can develop strategies for improving OHS.

1. Strategies for improving OHS in the physical environment

1.1. Strategies for minimizing occupational accidents

1.2. Strategies to minimizing occupational diseases

2. Strategies for improving OHS in the socio-psychological

work environment
2.1. Strategies for improving QWL

2.2. Strategies for preventing stress

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 21

Health and Safety
1.1Strategies for minimizing occupational accidents
1.1.1 Environmental design

Designing the work environment is perhaps the best way to prevent accidents
and improve safety.

E.g.- automatic shutoff, warning light, safety helmet and hand tails of staircases

1.1.2 Ergonomics

To achieve the maximum efficiency in the organization, it has to study the work and work
environment & conditions.

1.1.3 Job redesign

1.1.4 Safety committees

1.1.5 Safety motivational programs

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 22

Health and Safety Cont.
1.2 Strategies to minimizing occupational diseases
 Occupational diseases may be more harmful and costly to the organization
and employees than occupational accidents.

1.2.1 Record keeping

1.2.2 Setting objectives

1.2.3 Recognition

1.2.4 Introducing workers educational and physical fitness programs

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 23

Health and Safety Cont.
2.1 Strategies for improving QWL
2.1.1 Re-designing jobs

2.1.2 Participation in making decision

2.1.3 Ensuring job security

2.1.4 Establishing an effective and fair pay system

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 24

Health and Safety Cont.
2.2 Strategies for preventing stress
2.2.1 Job design

2.2.2 Career development

2.2.3 Quality circles

2.2.4 Organizational restructuring

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Strategies for Improving Occupational 25

Health and Safety Cont.
2.2 Strategies for preventing stress
2.2.1 Job design

2.2.2 Career development

2.2.3 Quality circles

2.2.4 Organizational restructuring

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Occupational Health and Safety Programs

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The essential elements of an occupational health and safety program

are:

1. Analysis – of health and safety performance, problems and

potential hazards

2. Development – of policies, organizational procedures and training

systems

3. Implementation – of the program by the means of training,

inspections, investigations and audits

4. Evaluation – of control on formation and reports and of the

effectiveness of the organization and training. This evaluation will
result in feedback to be used for improving performance.

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Summary 27
 What OSHA means
 Significance of OSHA
 Factors affecting Health Hazards
 Basic causes of accidents
 How to prevent accidents at work
 Health hazards
 Strategies to avoid those hazards
 Factors affecting Quality of Work Life
 Occupational Health and Safety Program

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Reference 28
 Opatha, HHDNP. 2009. Human Resource Management. ,
Nugegoda: Department of Human Resource Management, USJ

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Thank you

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