Safety and Health in the Work Environment - Literature review Example

Safety and Health in the Work Environment Safety and Health in the Work Environment The nature and role of safety and health The employers are usually concerned about the well-being of the workforce. In turn, it translates into costs such as benefit packages, ergonomics, promotion programs for health, among other ways that enhance satisfaction and health and as well minimize the absence of satisfaction and health. The availability as well as the proximity to the natural environment which is usually less costly may result into desired outcomes. This is despite the fact that employee’s not too much time on the natural setting at the work place. Safety and health at the work place encompasses the protection of the co-workers, employers, and the family members of the employers and employees who can be affected by the environment of the workplace. Health and safety are vital for legal, financial, and moral reasons at the workplace (Price, 2007). Rouse (2015) explains that the jurisdiction of the common law in the US incorporates the care and safety for employees. Practices in the occupational safety and health should aim at minimizing the injury of the workers, reducing costs related to illness, through the inclusion of sick leave, medical care, and costs related to disability benefits. The occupational health focuses on not only maintaining and promoting the health of the workers but also the working capacity. Moreover, it emphasizes on the need for improved working environment, as well as, the work being conducive to both health and safety. In addition, work organization and cultures are developed to promote safety and health at the workplace which in turn creates an amicable climate (Price, 2007). This makes operations at the workplace to be smooth thus translating into higher performance and productivity. The role of the occupational safety and health administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency in the US Department of Labor tasked with the responsibility of not only of ascertaining that the working conditions for employees are of safe and health (Chaturvedi, Safety and Quality Forum & Quality Council of India, 2007). The agency not only sets the standards but also enforce the set standards through education, training, and assistance. Its cover jurisdiction encompasses the employees of the private sector and those of the public sector in all the states of the USA. The main aim of the administration is to protect the workers’ rights, as well as, safety by preventing injuries and even deaths at workplace (Rouse, 2012). The employers are usually held accountable by the agency for the safety and health of employees at work. The federal standards that have been set in relation to safety compel all businesses and organizations to strictly comply or rather adhere to. In addition, the administration (OSHA) usually conducts inspections at various workplaces to ascertain that all the regulations are adhered to by business entities (Rouse, 2012). The economic impact of safety and the focus of safety programs in business operations The economic perspectives on safety and health consist of the causes and consequences. These perspectives can be examined in respect to the economic prospects of the employees, organizations or enterprises, the nation, and even on the global scale. It is prudent to understand that economics in this context also entails the process of improving the working conditions so that the business optimizes its bottom line. Furthermore, it entails the economic costs that emanate from injuries at workplace and diseases. A safety program consists of practices at work and set of policies of businesses or organizations. The program addresses the how to minimize the exposure to hazards at workplaces besides the organization of frameworks that drive performance for continued improvement of safety and focus on safety. For the program to be effective it has to be designed around the processes of work or tasks that are mandated to the workers that attempt to synchronize decisions and precautions related to health and safety. Therefore, businesses have an obligation to develop guidelines related to health and safety programs. However, the programs should contribute significantly to the business or organizations’ bottom line. That is, provision of optimum protection of the employees while simultaneously minimizing costs of operations. The consequences of repetitive stress injuries Injuries at workplace do not usually result due to events that are sudden and isolated. In fact, in most cases, they develop from repetitive minor movements that are frequently performed. Fortunately, the majority of the workers have compensation systems that enable them to recover from repetitive stress injuries (RSI). A repetitive stress injury may consequently results into a worker being unable to routine tasks. OSHA has different categories of injuries that are induced that wears and tears the body system of human beings (Walters, Johnstone & Frick, 2011). The employers have the obligations of effecting changes at the workplace arena that enhances safety and health of the employees. One of the consequences is that repetitive stress can amount to malfunctioning of the part of the body that is routinely used to a particular task. However, the best prevention measure is designing the workplace in a manner that enables various adjustments of the work stations. The purpose of ergonomics There are several benefits of ergonomics at the work place. For an instant, it minimizes the risks of injuries and illnesses at the workplace. The quality of life at work coupled with the productivity of the employees is improved by ergonomics. It entails the knowledge or information about individuals such as their weight, height, and ability in reference to handling information among many other factors. Moreover, it also consists of the risk issues or factors that aimed at not only making the workplace safe but also more productive, and comfortable (Price, 2007). The nature of stress and means of managing stress Occupational health and safety faces on major challenge which is stress that are work related. Despite the fact that individuals get motivated by challenges encountered at their places of work, the demand pressure at work may not only be excess but also prolonged (Walters, Johnstone & Frick, 2011). This, in turn, leads to more stress. Today stress is perceived in the context of the interaction between an individual and the environment. On the other hand, its management includes a wide range of techniques, as well as, psychotherapies with the aim of individual stress levels to improve their daily functions. There are several management practices and techniques that health professionals use that help reduce the level individuals stress. Burnout Burnout manifest itself in several ways such lack of motivation and enthusiasm, exhaustion, an individual’s feelings of being ineffective at workplace. It’s a state of and individual(s) being exhausted physically, mentally or even emotionally. Moreover, it’s normally accompanied by the feeling of hopelessness and emptiness. Walters, Johnstone & Frick (2011) argue that there are evidences that insinuate that burnout is relatively similar to depression and usually emanate from high level of stress that are prolonged. It is prevalent in the professions that are related to work environment that is characterized by high levels of stress and emotional demands at the workplace. More often, burnout has been associated with conditions such as depression, high blood pressure, and heart conditions (Price, 2007). The recognition of burnout tends to be difficult as it normally develops slowly and eventually may become severe. Its prevention measures are similar to those applied in the management of stress. The purposes of wellness programs The wellness program is vital in the establishment and development of a working environment that minimizes the risks related to diseases that emanate from working conditions, promotes lifestyles that are healthy, and enhances and promotes the quality of life. The programs enable individuals to incorporate prevention measures either at the beginning or the degeneration of illness or disease by encouraging people to adopt healthy lifestyles (Doyle, 2015). The investment into the wellness program by the employers for the employees is a very valuable resource for companies and businesses. When the workers are healthy, it not only lowers the cost of health care provision by the business but also prevents the occurrences of illness that are serious besides increasing the level of productivity and performance of the employees (Price, 2007). The importance of physical fitness programs There are numerous importance reasons of establishment of physical programs for worker of an organization. Workers who are fit rarely get sick thus the rate of absenteeism is usually minimized to significant levels (Doyle, 2015). Moreover, these employees tend to have more energy which allows them to stay focused for a longer period of time. Fit workers normally have self-confident which empowers them to challenges themselves and strive for achievement. They also tend to take more leadership roles and it’s evident that they often become good leaders. In addition, when individuals are physically fit, they tend to be not only less stressed but also possess good attitude at the work place (Price, 2007). The employee assistance programs According to Doyle (2015), it is a worker benefit programs that employer ten to offer the employees. Its purpose is geared towards aiding the workers to deal with individuals programs that have the potential of influencing their performance at work, their well-being, and health. It may encompass counseling services or even the referral services inclusive of their families. The assistance of the employees in this particular context varies depending on the issue affecting the employee at workplace. Some of the factors that may require such assistance are: emotional stress, job stress, abuse of substances, and health concerns among others. References: Chaturvedi, P., Safety and Quality Forum., & Quality Council of India. (2007). Occupational safety, health & environment and sustainable economic development: Proceedings of the Safety Convention - 2006. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing. Doyle, B. (2015). Reasons to Encourage Fitness in the Workplace. Retrieved on 4th May 2015 from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Doyle4.html Price, A. (2007). Human resource management in a business context. London: Thomson. Rouse, M. (2012). Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Retrieved on 4th May 2015 from: http://searchcompliance.techtarget.com/definition/Occupational-Safety-and-Health-Administration-OSHA Walters, D., Johnstone, R., & Frick, K. (2011). Regulating Workplace Risks: A Comparative Study of Inspection Regimes in Times of Change. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Read More