ADS 506 - PERSONNEL

ADMINISTRATION
Promoting Employees
Health and Safety

Professor:
Dr. Jaime G. Latoza
Reporter:
Ligaya R. Matchite
Promoting Safety & Health Within the Workplace
• Health and safety promotion in the workplace is vital
to the functioning and overall satisfaction of staff.

• When employees are sick or injured and cannot work,

other employees need to take on the extra work. This
can cause stress, which slows down productivity and
hurts morale.
How Health and Safety Promotes Productivity
According to the Maine Department of Labor 17,000
workers lose time from work each year due to a job-
related injury or illness.

~ For employees, job-related injury or illness causes

stress for their families and their livelihood through
medical bills, loss of income or even potential job loss.
~For employers, job-related injuries among
employees cause production losses, an increase in
workers' compensation, possible damage to
equipment or product, a potential increase in cost for
hiring and training new employees, and a decline in
productivity and worker morale. Promoting health
and safety in the workplace makes it a safer and
more pleasant place to work.
HR Role in Promoting Health and Safety
• One of the most straight forward ways to increase
health and safety in the workplace is by providing
employee training.

•  Yoh writes that it is the human resources

department’s responsibility to ensure that employees
receive appropriate training to cut down or
eliminate workplace injuries.
• Managers should educate staff on first-aid
procedures and indicate the location of first-
aid equipment.
• Human resources managers may also
conduct emergency evacuation drills in which
emergency procedures and policies are
enforced.
• Human resources department must also ensure that the
workplace follows OSHA regulations while also serving
as a contact point between the workplace and OSHA
and other relevant safety committees.
• Human resources can look to reduce employee stress by
investigating the factors indicated on employee stress-
related claims. When it is determined that the stress
factors are workplace-related, managers should take
appropriate action.
 5 HR Strategies To
Promote Employee
Health And Safety
A. Establish Open Communication
~A key component in maintaining the trust of the
employees is to encourage open communication on any health
or safety related issues. No employee should fear in
expressing concern for safety goals in the company. An HR
Personnel should hold one-on-one meetings with the
employees so that if any employee is fearing to express safety
concerns to the direct managers, will feel more at ease while
talking to an HR personnel.
B. Implement strict safety policy

~Those employees, who are not designated to work in

a certain high-risk position should be discouraged to enter
hazardous zones. By labeling unsafe environments, posting
stringent warning signs and mentioning the qualifications
required for such jobs on worksites, the candidates will get to
know if they are suitable for such roles. For a corporate office
that have less physical risks, it is advisable to identify all
potential hazards early on such as broken glass or any kind of
leaks.
C. Provide health and safety training
~ Provide required safety training programs for all employees who
should necessarily include emergency action plan training and how to
treat yourself while injured and alone. Make sure the employees are well
efficient at the time of crisis by holding fire and emergency drills from
time to time.

~Encourage employees to be responsible if they fall sick and take

leaves without reprimand.

~ With safety standards in place, a company can identify all the

potential risks and keep the employees safe and sound while on the
ground.
D. Coordinate with facility management
~Facilities department play an important role in carrying
out safety policies for business. By harmonizing
Occupational Health and Safety goals in the organization,
facilities manager can better protect employees. Encourage
them to invest in safety tools and equipments, such as anti-
slip safety mats, Eye Protection, Ear Protection, masks etc.
These simple yet effective products will cultivate a general
sense of wellbeing in the workplace.
E.Use positive consequences
~The fear of discipline which drives under-reporting and stifles
involvement must be driven out of culture.
~ Discipline has a place, but most safety issues can be effectively
dealt without discipline, which has side effects that work against building a
culture of safety. When discipline is used disproportionately in relation to
positive consequences, it leads to lower morale, reduced trust, lower
productivity, less teamwork and lack of engagement. It also suppresses
reporting incidents which cripples the organization’s ability to learn from
mistakes and become more proactive.
How to Encourage Safety in the Workplace

• Management may offer cash rewards, gift cards and

employee-of-the-month incentives to encourage
employees to keep up health and safety promotion
efforts. However, managers must be mindful of the
potential for cover-ups and refusal to report incidents
in favor of these incentives.
• Advanced Consulting and Training suggests that
employers establish health and safety programs by
including workplace representatives. Employees will
feel more motivated to comply with safety regulations
when they feel their voice is heard. Employers can also
hold health screenings and workshops to help promote
proactive attention to health. By making these services
accessible, employees are more likely to take advantage
of these opportunities.
Employees Can Promote Health and Safety
1. By always wearing proper protective equipment.

2. By knowing their rights as workers and their rights for compensation

and refusal to work.
3. By educating themselves on union labor codes and state laws,
employees are better equipped to assess a situation.

4. And employees should look out for one another by assisting and
coaching coworkers in proper safety procedures when necessary and
reporting workplace hazards when noticed.
Safety Protection
Guidelines
1. Provide Safety Equipment
~ If the work environment requires safety equipment,
like hardhats, goggles, gloves, smocks, heavy boots or
anything else to help re-enforce the safety of the
workers, then the employer should supply this for all of
their employees.
2. Signage
Proper signage of safety guidelines within the work
environment should also be posted in places where employees
are reminded of safety guidelines and can't miss reading it.

~ Safety guideline signs are often heavy on text and not terribly
attractive to post on the walls, the more simple messages you
can convey to your employees, the safer they will probably be
and the less likely you will be liable for an accident that occurs
in the workplace.
~Post signs by entrances to areas where people are constantly walking,
above water fountains or places in the workplace where people stop to
stand or spend a set amount of time. Don't post anything around these
signs either, so people have to look at them.
3. Personal Reminders
~ Beyond signage reminding your employees of safety protection
guidelines time and time again, personal reminders are a responsible
way to protect your employees from accidents and injury but also to
protect yourself and your company from liability. Sending out fliers via
email every so often or handing out hard copies with paychecks to all
employees will keep them aware of your commitment to keeping them
safe. This may seem like an annoyance at first but keeping safety in the
forefront of everyone's minds is ultimately better in the end.
Referrences:

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/promoting-safety-health-within-workplace-2607.html

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/276830

https://www.concentra.com/resource-center/articles/10-simple-steps-to-improve-workpl
ace-safety/