The Human Resources - Essay Example

Choose a Good One for Me Introduction It is pretty needless to say that the most important asset of an organization is the human resources. However, when the health and safety of the people of an organization is under fire, things become quite serious. Workplace safety and health are important for each and every employee; as the well being of the company is directly correlated to the safety of the employees. However there are a few courses of concerns. According to reports, violence and lack of safety at work place is ever growing. According to the reports of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) murder happens to be the fourth largest cause of fatal injuries at work place in the US. But, there are issues that may not be as serious as homicide. For example, diseases leading to illness, also affect the job duties of employees. It is the duty of the employer to ensure that the safety of the employees by taking required measures. With the rise of health safety related issues at workplace companies are looking for experts in the domain of health and safety. Hence the demand of skilled and knowledge workers in the domain of health and safety is also on the high (OSHA, p.1). This study looks to focus the issues – Health and safety issues at work place as well as the demand of skilled workers in this domain. It is also not a mere coincidence the organizations that will be under the spot light would be of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation (ASSE). ASSE foundation was established in a partnership with the ASSE. The objective of the foundation is to resources, conduct applied research, and provide scholarship and other academic initiatives to increase the safety of profession. Under the occupational safety and health Act 970, Congress formed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safety and healthy working condition for the men and women at work by developing and enforcing standards as well providing the correct training, education and assistance. Part – 1 Implementing OSHA compliance in an organization OSHA has developed compliance assistance resources for various Industries including agriculture, Energy, Construction, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Mining, Maritime, etc. It is too astronomical to discuss about the compliances for each and every industry. Hence keeping the main objective of the study in mind Retail Industry has been chosen. During the study special emphasis would be given to the ways to prevent violence in late night retail. Workplace can very narrowly be defined as the inclusion of violent criminal acts. However on a broader note it includes verbal abuse and threats also. It has been a constant problem for late night retail workers. Many could be seemed wondering regarding the extent of the problems. Here are few facts and figures to reflect the seriousness of the problem. As per the Bureau of Labor statistics or BLS in the year 2007 acts of violence along with other occupational injuries claimed a total of 864 lives. Homicides claimed the big chunk of the violent acts. Over 25% of those homicides happened in retail trade. Over thirty happened in convenience stores, 32 in gas stations as seven in wine stores. From such the seriousness of the issue can easily be understood, hence it seems imperative for the all the companies including the retail trades (especially for late night retail trades) to design and implement violence prevention programs. As per in-depth research and also keeping OSHA guidelines in mind the key components of a successful health and safety management program would include commitment of the management, involvement of workers, analysis of worksite, prevention of Hazards and trainings related to safety and health. Management provides the much provides the much required motivation and the capability to address violence at workplace. The commitment of management towards effective implementation of violence presentation program may include demonstration of care and concern for the health and emotional safety of workers, equal commitment for safety and health, conveying responsibility towards prevention of violence prevention programs, developing a system of accountability among the managers and supervisors, building up constructive relationship with other parties; like the landlords, polices, safety agencies, etc. to improve reduce violence, hazards and increase safety for the workers. The employee involvement program may include informing the authorities about violence prevention programs in a prompt manner, participation in safety and health teams or committees, active participation in various training programs (OSHA1, p.1). Some of the proposed programs for worksite analysis could be tracking records, conducting surveys and analysis of workplace security. The hazard prevention program may include ensuring proper customer service, maintaining proper lighting in and outside, video surveillance, door detectors, and proper alarm systems. The topics pertaining to training module may include violence prevention policies, brief of potential risk, use of appropriate security measures, behavioral strategies to counter aggression, required emergency actions to be taken during robbery or any other violent actions. Part-2 Safety Profession The prime objective of safety profession is the preventions of the harm to the property, people and over all environments. Safety profession looks to combine the principles from diverse field of knowledge such as education, engineering, psychology, hygiene as well as management. Safety science has become an integral part of safety profession. Safety science is the mechanism to prevent people and property from illness, accidents, explosions, fires or any other acts of such a kind. Safety Professional tentative job description The presence of safety professional could be seen wherever there are potential chances of injury or illness. The safety professionals use wide range of cross functional skills to prevent acts of accidents or violence leading to loss injury or loss of property. However the roles of such professional largely depend upon the education, experience and organization they belong to. Professional who have doctoral or equivalent degrees may be seen in colleges, teaching or conducting research. However majority of the safety professionals tend to have bachelor’s degrees. They could be seen working in insurance companies or in any public or private safety agencies. Probable workplace for Safety Professionals Irrespective of the business type or size the employees of a business unit can be exposed to certain hazards or risks. Many would be surprised to know that work at a computer terminal can lead to injuries to wrist, hands, etc. Therefore, whether the company does manufacturing, transpiration, construction, etc. the employees may always face hazards. Hence it is quite natural that the companies would hire safety professionals to prevent or control risks. Employment Outlook Employment outlook for safety professionals is quite bright. Based on the education and communication skills, certifications and experience professionals may have a bright and rewarding career. With growth in technology companies would be looking for professionals. Master degree holders or even graduates in this domain may expect rewarding careers with private, local, state and federal agencies. Among them some may be responsible for planning and implementation. Whereas, some of them may be found in colleges and universities; especially the doctoral degree holders, conducting research work or teaching. Safety as a Profession When it comes to choosing safety as a profession some key factors need to be considered. It must provide a sense of respect and accomplishment to an individual. It must provide opportunity for growth and responsibility. It must reflect the accomplishments and skills of an individual. There should be a tradeoff between stress and interest, where the stress should be low and interest should be high. It must be said that there is probably no professional who could be treated as idol. But safety profession may quality for all the criteria mentioned above. Safety Expert After going through the accomplishments of various health and safety experts Mr. Thomas Ryan has been chosen. The reason of such choice is to demonstrate that success can be achieved by sheer passion. Mr. Ryan became passionate about safety as he was a witness of a fatal accident at workplace. It acted as a trigger mechanism that leads Mr. Ryan to choose safety as a career. Mr. Ryan also holds an MBA degree. The passion to prevent workers from accidents at work place has been the catalyst in the success of Mr. Ryan. Mr. Ryan is now a part of Central Maine Community where Mr. Ryan helps young students to get graduate degrees so that they can become successful professional in the domain of Health and safety (ASSE, p.12). Conclusions To conclude the study it can be said that health safety is a must do for the organizations to ensure the safety of the most valuable resources of an organization. It helps the companies to develop a risk free and harmonious work place. The companies in the US may follow the OSHA guidelines to do the required. There also seems to be a high degree of demand for skilled professional in the domain of safety and health. Work Cited OSHA. Compliance Assistance/Outreach. 2012. Web. 4 November. 2012. . OSHA 1. Industry-Specific Resources. 2012. Web. 6 March. 2013. . ASSE. Career Guide to the Safety Profession. 2007. Web. 6 March. 2013. . Read More