Unit Nine: Employee Safety an

d Health
Why employee safety and health?

•To prevent accidents

•To prevent expenses (direct and indirect costs)
•To enhance organization image
•To abide by law of the state
•To instill safety feeling in employees (hence
increasing commitment)
Management’s role in safety

• Top management’s role in safety

– Institutionalize commitment towards safety
– Organizing training
– Analysis of safety
• Supervisor’s role in safety
– A daily walk through
– Day to day works
OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)

•Aim- to ensure organizations provide safe and
healthy work environment to employees/ workers
•Legally enforceable standards
•OSHA inspectors- to monitor OSHA activities
•OSHA record-keeping procedures: all accidents
should be documented in those organizations having
more than 11 employees
OSHA

•Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)

•Inspections and citations-
•Unannounced inspections
•Outreach programs
• Inspection procedure
•OSHA officers arrives shows credentials
•Investigation ; Authorized employees accompanies
officers
•Finally, holding closing conference with employer
representatives
OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)

Voluntary consultation:
encourages cooperative safety programs
Inspection priorities:
Imminent dangers
Catastrophes and fatal accidents
Employee complaints
High-hazard industries inspection
Follow-up inspections
OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)

The inspection
Penalties
Responsibilities and rights of employers
•To provide safety measures to each employee
•To make safety policies and enforce them
•To discipline employees not following norms
Responsibilities and rights of employees
•To demand safety measures to be installed
•To follow safety procedures
What causes accidents?

Three main reasons:

•Chance occurrences
•Unsafe working conditions
•Unsafe acts by employees
Unsafe conditions

Improperly guarded equipment

•Defective equipment
•Unsafe storage, such as overloading
•Improper illumination, such as insufficient light
•Improper ventilation, such as insufficient air change
How to enhance safety?

Minimize unsafe conditions

Use of safety measures check-list
Train employees on safety measures
Make policies - disciplinary actions for not following
instructions
Identify accident prone work areas
Other causes

Psychology or safety climate of the workplace

Strong work-pressure
Fatigue
Night shifts
Congested workplace
Workplace temperature
Layoffs, job-dissatisfaction
Unsafe acts

Throwing materials
Operating or working at unsafe speeds-either too
fast or too slow
Lifting improperly
Accident prone traits

Impulsive
Sensation seeking
Extremely extroverted
Less conscientious
How to prevent accidents?

•Reduce unsafe conditions

•Reduce unsafe acts
•Use screening to reduce unsafe acts
•Use posters and other propaganda
•Provide safety training
•Use incentives and positive reinforcement
•Use behavior based safety
•Use employee participation
•Conduct safety and health audits and inspectionss
•Emphasize top management commitment
How to prevent accidents?
Supervisor:
•Foster a culture of safety
•Management commitment
•Safety communications
•Shared vision (accidents are preventable)
•Safety responsibility assigned to specific person in each
team
•Continuous process of identifying and correcting hazards
•Establish safety policy
Strategy and HR
•Inject ‘safety first’ mentality into all the firm’s
operations
•Train staff
•Recruit safety staff
•Develop safety policies aligned with organization
strategy
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
•Chemicals and industrial hygiene
•Alcoholism and substance abuse
•Job-stress and burn-out
•Infectious diseases
•Workplace smoking
•Computer monitor health problems
•Violence at work
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Chemicals and industrial hygiene
•Recognition (what)
•Evaluation (how, why)
•Control
Engineering controls (ventilation)
Air sampling
Personal protective gears (masks)
Administrative controls (training)
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Alcoholism-
•Symptoms- tardiness and absenteeism
•Remedy- employee assistance program- counseling
Substance abuse-
•Drug free workplace policy
•Supervisor training
•Employee education
•Employee assistance
•Drug testing
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Job-stress and burn-out-
•Stressors at workplace- schedule, pace of work, job
security, route to and from work, workplace noise,
number and nature of customers
•Consequences for individuals-anxiety, depression,
anger, cardiovascular disease, headaches, health
care costs
•Consequences for employers- diminished
performance, increased absenteeism, turnover and
grievances, health care costs
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Job-stress and burn-out-
How to reduce job stress?
At individual level-
•Good relationships (with boss, colleagues,
subordinates)
•Performance as per capacity (realistic deadlines,
targets)
•Relax for a while, meditation
•Forced leaves
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Job-stress and burn-out-
How to reduce job stress?
Employer-
•Help reduce job stress
Burnout-
Symptoms- irritability, discouragement, entrapment,
resentment
Solutions- break patterns, reassess goals, think
about job
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Depression-
Symptoms- persistent sad moods, sleeping too little,
reduced appetite, difficulty in concentrating, loss of
interest in activities once enjoyed
Solutions- train employees, supervisors, employee
assistance programs
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Infectious diseases-
•Traveling precautions- vaccination, medication
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Workplace smoking-
•Barring smoking in workplace
•Health and fire insurance
•Smoking cessation programs
•Hiring no-smokers
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Computer monitor health problems-
•Rest breaks
•Flexibility in work-station
•Reduce glares using shades over windows
•Vision exam
•Height of table and chair
•Wrist rests
•Foot-rest
Workplace health hazards
Problems and remedies:
Violence-
•Work-place violence policy
•Security measures
•Employee screening
•Work-place violence training