Employee safety
Why employee safety is important?
Safety and accident prevention concerns managers for
several reasons, one of which is the staggering number of
work related accidents .for eg: a total of 6218 u.s. workers
recently died in workplace incidents, and over 6.2 million
nonfatal injuries and illness resulting from accidents at
work- roughly 8.4 cases per 100 full time workers in us
per year. Many injuries and accidents go unreported. But
even figures like these don’t tell the whole story .they
don’t reflect the human suffering incurred by the injured
workers and their families or the economic costs incurred
by employers .nor do they reflect legal implications.
Basic facts about occupational safety
law:
Purpose:
The occupational safety and health act was passed by
congress in 1970 to assure so far as possible every
working man or woman in the nation safe and healthful
working conditions and to preserve our human resources.
under this act’s provisions ,the occupational safety and
health administration (osha) was created within the
department of labour. Osha’s basic purpose is to
administer the act and to set and enforce the safety and
health standards that apply to almost all workers in u.s.
.the standards are enforced through the department of
labour; osha has inspectors working out branch officers
throughout the country to ensure compliance.
Osha standards:
Osha operates under the “general” standard that each
employer:\
Shall furnish to each of his [or her] employees
employment and a place of employment which are free
from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to
cause death or serious physical harm to his [or her]
employees.
To carry out this basic mission ,osha is responsible for
promulgating legally enforceable standards. These are
contained in five volumes covering general industry
standards ,maritime standards, construction standards,
other regulations and procedures , and a field operation
manual.
Osha recordkeeping procedures:
Under osha, employers with 11 or more employees must
maintain records of occupational injuries and illness.
Both of these must be reported. An occupational illness is
any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure
to environmental factors associated with employment.
Included here are acute and chronic illness that may be
caused by inhalation ,absorption, ingestion or direct
contact with toxic substances or harmful agents. Similarly
most occupational injuries also must be reported,
specially those injuries that result in medical treatment
,loss of consciousness ,restriction of work ,restriction of
motion or transfer to another job. If an on-the-job accident
occurs that results in the death of an employee or the
hospitalization of five or more employees ,all employers
,regardless of size ,must report in detail to the nearest
osha office.
Inspections and citations:
Osha standards are enforced through inspections and(if
necessary)citations .today osha may not conduct
warrantless inspections without an employer’s consent. It
may however ,inspect after acquiring a judicially
authorized search warrant or it’s equivalent.
Inspection priorities:
Osha has a list of inspection priorities .imminent danger
situations get top priority .these are conditions in which it
is likely that a danger exists that can immediately cause
death or serious physical harm. Second priority is given to
catastrophes, fatalities, and accidents that already
occurred. Third priority is given to valid employee
complaints of alleged violation of standards. Next in
priority are periodic special emphasis inspections aimed
at high hazard industries ,occupations or substances
.finally ,random inspections and reinspections generally
have last priority. Most inspections result from employee
complaints.
The inspection itself:
The inspection itself begins when the osha officer arrives
at the workplace .he or she displays official credentials
and asks to meet an employer representative .the officer
explains the visit’s purpose , the scope of the inspection
and the standards that apply. An authorized employee
representative is given an opportunity to accompany the
officer during the inspection. Other employees will also be
consulted during the inspection, and inspection can stop
and question workers about safety and health conditions.
Finally, after checking the premises and employer’s
records, the inspector holds a closing conference with the
employer’s representative. Here the inspector discusses
what has been found in terms of apparent violations for
which a citation and penalty may be issued or
recommended. At this point the employer can produce
records to show compliance efforts.
citations and penalities:
After the inspection report has been submitted to the osha
office, the area director determines what citations ,if any,
will be issued. The citations inform the employer and
employees of the regulations and standards that have
been violated and of the time limit set for rectifying the
problem. These citations must be posted at or near the
place where the violation occurred. Under some
circumstances, the inspector can post a citation
immediately to ensure that employees receive protection
in the shortest possible time.
Osha can also impose penalties. Penalties generally result
from $5000 to up to $70000 for willful or repeat serious
violations , although in practice the penalties can be
higher.
Responsibilities and rights of employees
and employers:
Employers are responsible for meeting their duty to
provide a workplace free from recognized hazards for
being familiar with mandatory osha standards and
for examining workplace conditions to make sure
they conform to applicable standards.
Employers have the right to : seek advice and off site
consultation from osha ; request and to receive
proper identification of the osha compliance officer
before inspection and to be advised by the
compliance officer of the reason for an inspection.
Employees have rights and responsibilities but
cannot be citied for violations of their
responsibilities. They are responsible for complying
with all applicable osha standards, for following all
employee safety and health rules and regulations and
for reporting hazardous conditions to the
supervisors.
Employees have a right to demand safety and health
on the job without fear of punishment.
The role of management commitment
to safety:
As a safety minded manager, you must aim to instill
in your workers the desire to work safely. You could
try closely watching each subordinate , but most
managers know they won’t work.
Top management commitment:
Safety commitment begins with top management. The
first line supervisor is a critical link in the chain.
What causes accidents?
Three basic causes of accidents:
1.) Unsafe conditions: these refer to technical
causes. Work related causes are as follows:
a) The job itself: job of a crane man is more risky than
that of a supervisor.
b) Work schedules: night shift is more accident prone
than day shift due to fatigue.
c) Psychological conditions: emotional disturbances
and mental preoccupation often cause accidents.
d) Machinery and equipment: defective equipment,
breakdown of machines, insufficient ventilation
and poor supervision are common causes of
accidents in industry.
2.) Unsafe acts: these arise due to lack of knowledge
and skills, bodily defects and faulty attitudes. For e.g.:
A) operating without authority.
B)failure in use of safety devices.
C) failure in listening to warning.
D) lifting things improperly.
E)teasing, quarreling, day dreaming or horseplay.
3.) Miscellaneous causes: young, inexperienced and untrained
workers causes more accidents. Alcoholic and drug addict
workers are more accident prone.
Measures to ensure industrial safety:
1.)Reduce unsafe conditions: as a first line of defense. Safety
engineers should design jobs to remove or reduce physical
hazards.for this supervisors and managers should use a self
inspection checklist.
2.) Reducing unsafe acts through selection and placement:
screen out those who might be accident prone before they are
hired. Emotional stability and personality tests, visual skills
test and employee stability tests should be done.
3.)Reducing unsafe acts through posters and other propaganda:
safety posters can reduce unsafe acts. They should be combined
with techniques like screening and training to reduce unsafe
conditions and acts.
4.)Reducing unsafe acts through training: safety training can
reduce accidents. It’s specially appropriate for new employees.
You should instruct them in safe practices and procedures,
warn them of potential hazards.
5.)Reducing unsafe acts through incentive programs and
positive reinforcement: people should be evaluated on meeting
goals in 4 key areas including safety performance. Managers
shouldn’t say anything to employees
Who take time to complete a task safely.
6.)Reducing unsafe acts through top management commitment:
top management should be personally involved in safety
activity on a routine basis; giving safety matters high priority in
meetings and including safety training in new workers’
training.
7.)Reducing unsafe acts by establishing a safety policy:your
safety policy should emphasize that the firm will do anything
possible to reduce accidents and injuries.
8.) Safety inspections: routine inspections should be done.
“investigate all accidents and “near misses”.
Safety provisions under the factories act:
The factories act,1948 lays down the following provisions:
1.)Fencing of machinery: is a must around dangerous parts
which should be properly maintained.
2.) Work on or near machinery in motion: to examine any of it’s
part should be done only by a special trained male worker
wearing tight fitting clothing.
3.) No young person should be allowed to work on or near a
dangerous machine.
4.)Prohibition of employment of women or children near
cotton openers.
5.)Floors ,stairs and means of access: should be of sound
construction and properly maintained.
6.)Pits, sumps and openings in floors :should be securely
covered and fenced.
7.)Protection on eyes :like screens or goggles should be worn
by people working in vicinity of mechanical processes that may
cause danger to eyes.
8.)Safety officers: where ever 1000 or more workers are
employed safety officers should be employed.
9.) Precaution in case of fire: there should be safe means for
people to escape in case of fire and necessary equipment foe
extinguishing fire.
10.) Excessive weights: no person would be employed to lift
weights that are likely to cause the many injury.
Employee health
Introduction: health is a state of complete physical, mental
and social well being and not merely the absence of a disease.
It’s the outcome of the interaction between the individual and
his environment.
Employee health problems:
A number of health related substances and problems can
undermine employees performance at work. They are as
follows:-
1) Alcoholism and substance abuse- these are serious and
widespread problems at work. Some experts estimate that
as many as 50% of all “problem employees” in industry
are actually alcoholics. The effects of alcoholism on the
worker and the work are severe. Both the quality and
quantity of work decline sharply, and a form of “on-the job
absenteeism” occurs as efficiency declines.
2) Problems of job stress and burnout- here job related factors
such as over work, relocation and problems with
customers eventually put the person under such stress
that a pathological reaction such as drug abuse occurs.
There are two main sources of job stress-environmental
and personal .first, a variety of external, environmental
factors can lead to job stress. These include work
schedule, pace of work, job security and nature of
customers or clients. Job stress results in anxiety,
depression, anger, headaches, cardiovascular diseases and
accidents. This results in reduction in quality of job
performance, increased absenteeism and turnover and
increased grievances.
Burnout:
It is a phenomenon closely associated with job stress. It has
been defined as the total depletion of physical and mental
resources caused by excessive striving to reach an
unrealistic work related goal. Signs of impending burnout
include :
1. You are unable to relax.
2. You identify so closely with your activities that when they
fall apart you do to.
3. Positions you worked so hard to attain often seem
meaningless now.
3) Asbestos exposure at work
Asbestos has become a major concern because of publicity
surrounding asbestos in building such as schools
constructed before the middle 1970’s.it can cause cancer.
4) Video display health problems:
Many workers today spend hours working with video
display terminals is creating health problems. Short term
eye problems like burning, itching and tearing as well as
eye strain and sourness are common complaints among
video display operators.
5) Aids :
Aids (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a disease
that undermines the body’s immune system. Employers
should make the employees undergo an aids test as a
condition of employment, refusing to hire the person
because of positive test results could put you at risk of a
handicapped discrimination suit.
6) Work place smoking:
Work place smoking is a serious problem for both employee
and employer. Studies show that for some reason smokers
have a greater risk of occupational accidents than do non
smokers. In general they are less healthy, more absent,
make more expensive claims for health and disability
benefits and endanger co-workers who breathe smoky air.
Remedies for building better health
1) Promoting work place fitness and health:
Corporate fitness through its fitness facility staffed with
licensed trainers and physical fitness experts should be
there. Four primary areas i.e. onsight physical
rehabilitation, injury prevention, fitness and education
should be included.
2) Employee assistance programs:
This program refers employees in need of assistance to in-
house councilors or outside professionals. Supervisors are
given training and guidance in the type of help they can
offer their subordinates.
3) Dealing with alcoholism:
To identify alcoholism as early as possible, it is essential
that supervisors monitor the performance of all personnel
regularly and systematically. A person disabled by
alcoholism is entitled to the same protection from job
discrimination as any other person with a disability.
4) Coping with stress:
A typical stress management program should include
instructions in relaxation techniques, coping skills, time
management and assertiveness. Organizational techniques
such as clarifying the employee’s work role, enriching jobs
and effectively handling inter personnel factors should be
looked upon.
5) Smoking policies:
employer smoking bans are on the rise. Smoking policies can
range from total prohibitions to “smokers and non smokers
should courteously work out a compromise among themselves”.
Statutory provisions concerning health
The factories act , 1948 lays down the following provisions
concerning employee health:
1) Cleanliness: every factory should be kept clean . Dirt should
be removed daily. Walls , doors etc. Should be properly
painted.
2) Disposal of waste and effluents: so as to render them
innocuous and for their disposal.
3) Ventilation and temperature: should be as per the comfort
of workers.
4) Dust and fumes should be removed for prevention of
inhalation or accumulation of dust and fumes in work
rooms.
5) Overcrowding: there should be no overcrowding in the
factory.
6) Lighting: proper lighting arrangements should be there
and these must be sufficient and suitable.
7) Drinking water facility must be there.
8) Latrines and urinals: clean and sufficient accommodation
must be provided which must be separate for males and
females.
9) Spittoons: in every factory , there shall be provided a
sufficient number of spittoons at convenient places and they
shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.
Employee welfare
The oxford dictionary defines employee welfare as “efforts
to make life worth living for workmen”. These efforts have
their origin either in some statue formed by the state or in
some local custom or in a collective agreement or in the
employer’s own initiative.
Types of employee welfare services:
All welfare services must aim at enriching both the lives of
the worker – home life and factory life. There are two types
of welfare services –intramural and extramural.
Intramural services are those which are provided within
the factory(safety,health,counseling). Extramural services
are those which are provided outside the factory
(education,housing,transport,recreation).
I. Safety services:
Prevention of accidents is an objective which requires
no explanation.
a) A safety officer should be appointed in every
organization.
b) Support of line management should also be there.
c) All the hazards should be completely eliminated.
d) Safety training education and publicity should be
imparted.
e) Safety inspections should be done.
II. Counselling services or mentoring:
The advantages of counseling services are as follows:
a) It improves two way communication.
b) It helps the employee in finding release of emotional
tension.
c) It clarifies employee’s thinking.
d) It develops courage and confidence in employees.
III. Welfare funds:
In order to provide welfare facilities to workers
employed in mica, iron ore and manganese ore mines
the welfare funds has been established to supplement
the efforts of employers’. The welfare measures
financed out of funds relate to medical facilities,
housing, suppliers’ drinking water and education of
dependents.
Pay for time not worked:
IV. Unemployement insurance:
All states have unemployment insurance or
compensation acts. These provide for weekly benefits if
a person is unable to work through some fault other
than his or her own.
V. Vacations and holidays:
The number of paid employee vacation days varies
considerably from employer to employer. A typical
vacation policy might call for :
1. One week after six months to 1 year of service.
2. Two weeks after one to five years of service.
3. Three weeks after five to ten years of service.
4. Four weeks after 15 to 25 years of service.
5. Five weeks after 25 years of service.
VI. Sick leave:
It provides pay to an employee when he or she is out of
work due to illness. Sick leave policies grant full pay
for a specified number of permissible sick days-
usually upto about 12 days per year.
Insurance benefits:
VII. Worker’s compensation:
Workers compensation laws are aimed at providing
sure, prompt income and medical benefits to work
related accident victims or their dependents ,
regardless of fault. Every state has its own law. In
event of a worker’s death or disablement, person’s
dependents are paid a cash benefit based on prior
earnings- usually one half to two thirds the worker’s
average weekly wage, per week of employement. For
an injury or illness to be covered by worker’s
compensation, one must only prove that it arose while
the employer was on job.
VIII. Life insurance:
Most employers provide group life insurance plans for
their employees. As a group, employees can obtain
lower rates than if they buy such insurance as
individuals.
Retirement benefits:
IX. Social security:
It provides three types of benefits: retirement income
at the age of 62 and thereafter; survivors and death
benefits payable to the employee’s dependents
regardless of age at time of death; and disability
benefits payable to the employee’s dependents.
X. Pension plans:
It is the plan that provides a fixed sum when
employees reach a pre determined retirement age or
when they can no longer work due to disability.
Employee services benefits:
XI. Personal service benefits:
Many companies provide benefits in form of personal
services that most employees need at one time or
another
a) Credit unions : employees usually become members
of a credit union by purchasing a share of credit
unions stock .they can deposit savings that accrue
interest at a rate determined by the board of
directors.
b) Employee assistance programmes: it is a formal
program for providing employyes with counseling
and treatment programmes for problems such as
alcoholism, gambling and stress.
c) Subsidised child care : employers increasingly
understand that with so many single parent and
dual earner families, child care is important.this is
done to attract young parents to the pay roll and to
reduce absenteeism .
d) Educational subsidies such as tution refunds are
beneficial to the employees. Other inhouse
education programmes include remedial work in
basic literacy and training for improved supervisory
skills.
e) Executive perquisites: perks are usually given to
only a few top executives. They range from
substantial to the almost insignificant . Besides
management loans, salary guarantees and
relocation benefits are given to the employees.
Bibliography
Human resource management ---
gary dessler
Human resource management ---
snell/ bohlander
Human Resource Development ---
P .C. tripathi
Human Resource Management ---
C.B Gupta
Human Resource Management ---
S.S. Khanka
