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EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH

Title: Employee Safety and Health

Student Name:
School Name:
Date:
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EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH
This chapter helped me in understanding the importance of employees’ safety and health
for an organization, the role of top management in providing safe and healthy workplace
environment, laws regulating employees’ safety, accidents, causes (unsafe conditions and unsafe
acts) and their preventive measures.
I have learned that employees are the functional units of an organization and their safety
is of prime importance. Employees’ safety has a positive impact on their mental health. They feel
safe and secured while working. This increases their interest in carrying out their jobs and thus
their efficiency increases. A safe workplace environment reduces absenteeism and labor
turnover. Lower labor turnover increases productivity of an organization. Organization’s
productivity and a healthy workforce have a positive correlation. It also has some pleasant
economic impacts on the organization. Health care costs such as sick pay costs, medical claims
and insurance costs are reduced because employees are less prone to injuries and illness. More
importantly, employees’ safety and health program develop good image of the organization to
the outside world.
The chapter further added to my knowledge that top management can play a key role
when it comes to employees’ safety and health issues. It is their primary responsibility to devise
policies for employees’ safety and health. They provide direction, guidelines and ensure
implementation of safety rules. Supervisors and HR managers provide the employees with
necessary safety training before assigning any job. They keep a record of the number of
accidents and injuries. They investigate each case, identify the causes of the accidents and pass
on the information to top management, who then take preventive measures to avoid such
misshape in the future.
This chapter has also improved my comprehension of the Occupation Safety and Health
Act (OSHA). According to this law, employers are legally responsible to provide a hazard free
work environment and safety tools and equipments to employees. They shall educate and train
employees about safety requirement and grant them financial and medical aid in case of injuries
in the workplace. The law binds the employers, having more than ten employees, to keep a
record of the injuries, illness and deaths of employees. Failure of employer to comply with
OSHA leads to severe consequences and may be penalized. The rights of workers include
blowing the whistle and inform the authorities about violation of OSHA rules. They may refuse
to work in danger situations. It is their responsibility to report any hazards and work related
illness to management.
Accidents at workplace either cause injury, permanent disability or even death. These
accidents are caused by three main factors including unsafe conditions, danger zones and unsafe
acts. Unsafe conditions include poorly maintained raw material storage, using improper tools and
machines, lack of work place inspection and absence of warning system like fire alarms in the
workplace. Unsafe acts include failure to follow work related guidelines, going for shortcuts,
poor housekeeping, attention diversion due to a bad day or worrying about family problem, and
not observing safety guidelines.
After studying this chapter, I understand how the factors causing accidents may be
minimized. Unsafe conditions are avoided using Job Hazard Analysis (analytical approach used
to identify job hazards and safety concerns. It involves planning the work, understanding the
method of performing work etc.), Operational Safety Reviews and Personal Protective
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EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Equipment. Unsafe acts may be reduced by initiating safety awareness programs. Training
sessions may be held to improve employees’ knowledge of safety importance. Employee’s
suffering from job related stress and depression shall be motivated and encouraged. Informal
gathering shall be organized to reduce employees’ job related stress. Employees exposed to
asbestos shall be provided regular medical check-up facility and those affected of harmful
diseases shall be given financial assistance. Workplace environment should be such that there is
circulation of fresh air.
I also learned that alcoholism and substance abuse cause drowsiness and sleepiness. It
may result in premature death, injuries and poor performance. These effects are expensive for an
organization and policies should be devised to cope with such problems. Employees shall be
educated and disciplinary actions shall be brought into action in case of failure.
After studying the chapter I learned a lot about employees’ safety and health, laws regulating
employees’ safety and the effects that result from lack of employees’ safety and health and now I
am even become capable to guide someone regarding the safety measures that they can take and
avoid any mishap in their workplace.