Safety and Risk Management - Literature review Example

Topic: Safety and Risk Management Name: University: Course: Professor: Date of submission: Introduction The organisational demands for the protection of employees’ safety, as well as health, have led to the development of OHS legislation. Moreover, the inadequacy in the ability to control hazards, alongside risks in the environment has led to the introduction of various systems that compensate the workers who encounter an injury that is related to the work they do. In these contemporary times, almost all organizations are increasingly recognising this matter (Biggs et al, 2006). Numerous laws, alongside regulations, have been put in place so as to protect workers at their areas of work. However, numerous human, social, as well as economic burdens are imposed by occupational accidents, as well as injuries. Thus, this question seeks to find out if the current laws as well as regulations are sufficient and if mere compliance with them is a surety of safety at the workplace, or more laws and regulations are required so as to reduce the rate of hazards, as well as risks at the work place. The essay also looks at the impact of culture on safety organizational performance (Biggs et al, 2006). Compliance with OHS legislation Hopkins (2002) indicates that compliance is more than the mere comparison of the way that the actual behaviour measures up to benchmark or is carried out according to the requirements of the laid down rules and regulations. Compliance is rather an open-ended, as well as ongoing social and in some cases, political procedures of negotiations. Thus, compliance can be looked at as an ongoing process (Grammeno, 2006). The obligations that are imposed by the OHS regulations are neither ongoing nor continuing, and that organisations take a considerable amount of time in organising, as well as preparing themselves to achieve the required standards for compliance. Hopkins (2002) states that most OHS legislation has no straight centre of attention on attainment of socially related deaths, alongside the impacts of the outcomes of injuries. The sole relationship between the impact outcomes and legislation is through assumptions that are speculative; that compliance with the required procedures will effectively and promptly result in significant, as well as ongoing impact outcome enhancement. OHS legislation on the basis of risk management procedure assumptions has not led to the deaths, as well as the number of claims of injury and cost minimisation confidently predicted by its advocates (Grammeno, 2006). This clearly indicates that mere compliance with OHS legislation is not enough. It is, therefore, time to appreciate that the earth is round, rather than flat, and begin to move forward to other alternative legislations in addition to OHS, which could offer more efficiency in attaining the required improvements in the economic, as well as the social impacts of deaths, alongside injuries at places of work. Contemporary OHS legislation as constitutive regulations uses legal norms in the organisation and formation of procedures, as well as routines that are projected to be incorporated in the normal operations of an organisation’s activities thus; boosting safety performance. Appropriate legislation is extremely vital in the aiding if managers in the implementation and development of policies, alongside objectives which provide an environment that is safe for working to the employees. However, Grammeno (2006) exemplifies that though OHS might try to enhance the safety at the workplace, it is not effective and useful enough as adequate ways of enforcement or compliance guarantees are required. Deployment of an effective OHS is a key challenge to many managers in any organisation. Effective implementation calls for all levels and functions within the organisation to be committed. Involvement of employees in risk identification, deploying controls to assess risks, and carrying out workplace safety consultations with workers are some of affirmative proactive elements and features that can enhance the effectiveness of OHS legislation. This means that, enhancing workplace safety cannot be achieved by mere compliance of OHS legislation, but other proactive elements should be incorporated for better outcomes. Nevertheless, the most crucial thing to note is that the proactive elements require some enforcement otherwise; the employee safety in the organisation is not guaranteed. Krause (2002) illustrates that proactive identification of hazard, assessment of risk and control procedures impact significantly on the safety performance. Moreover, establishing the stage of compliance with OHS legislation, as well as management is part of the practical monitoring procedure. Inspection of safety, alongside the supervision of the administration of OHS by state authorities can be extremely effective in determining the conformity of organisations with the OHS regulations. Nevertheless, this can be quite challenging as inspection of workplaces is usually done after serious injuries, or when there are complains. This, thus, leaves this method only practical in the short-term. Moreover, the inadequacy of skilled personnel, and changes in technology that result to the emergence of new hazards makes it extremely difficult to put in place a system of inspection that is effective and efficient. It is, therefore, it is clear that, it is not easy to make sure that all organisations are compliant with the OHS regulations at the workplace (Krause, 2002). Thus, mere compliance is not adequate to ensure worker’s safety at workplaces, but, in addition to the compliance, organisations should have some driving factor that aim at motivating the workers so as to enhance the levels of safety. Safety culture and safety leadership can significantly enhance the safety performance. The above mentioned problems can be solved by a collective bargain by managers, as a key means to improving the safety of the workers in an organisation. According to Zohar (2004), OHS legislation is slow and inflexible. Therefore, collective bargaining, which is one of safety culture attitudes, is extremely suitable for developing requirements related to local problems with respect to conditions of working, as well as the environment. Collective agreements, in relation to OHS, can be of extreme use in various contexts so as to enhance the safety improvements for workers, at the workplace. Contemporary approach to OHS emphasises on the establishment, along with maintenance of constructive, as well as effective communication between workers and employers by representatives of health and safety or a committee of safety (Zohar, 2004). Safety culture Safety culture has several different concepts with the social scientists exemplifying that a safety culture has to be incorporated as an aspect of groups, rather than individuals. Nevertheless, some managers of organisations prefer to look at safety culture as an issue of individual aspects that can be propagated at workplace. In other concepts, safety culture is seen as having values, as well as attitudes. Hopkins (2002) exemplifies that a safety culture to be equivalent to an informed culture. The author further indicates that in spite of organisations having a reporting system or not, a culture that is informed can provide a significant guide to organisations so as employees are able to report future misses, alongside errors. The procedure in which problems are handled, and punishment is administered contributes significantly in the shaping, as well as developing a culture that is informed. On the other hand, when employers have a unpleasant encounter with workers who reported misses and errors, they may not take the responsibility of reporting in the future, and the organisation may not learn from the reports. Hopkins (2002) indicates that collaboration, which is a vital factor in the management of an organisation, as well as informed culture, can contribute significantly to the development of a safety culture. Indeed, managers should encourage workers to bring forward issues on safety, in addition to minimizing the conflict, that would exist between them and managers, by letting them participate in the solving of safety issues. If safety is looked at as a mindset, it cannot be exclusively considered for occupational safety. Safety culture, according to Zohar, (2004), can be extended beyond the place of work, and managers should realise that a safe behaviour cannot be achieved, unless they are committed to facilitating safety as a full time effort. Efficient safety at the workplace can be achieved by encouraging workers to think safety, in addition to acting safely. Thus, a safety culture is not enough and cannot enhance safety performance at workplace more than safety management. In fact, the habit to ignore the roots of workplace accidents, in addition to inculpating the attitude, of workers as the origin of accidents at the workplace are some of the consequences that are not appropriate since they consider safety culture as a mindset. Overcoming the problems highlighted above, there is a need for managers of organisations to identify, in addition to controlling the key, hazards, and avail, as well as manage the resources that are required to in the establishment and maintenance of workplace safety. Moreover, as exemplified by Biggs et al (2006), enhanced hazard awareness, as well as preventive behaviours is referred to as cultural actions, which are crucial, in the development of positive safety culture. Safe behaviour, mindfulness, as well as safety culture are three components that are of significant essence in the enhancement of safety performance in any organisation. According to Grammeno (2006), safety culture can only increase the level of safety at the workplace if there is a safety culture that is strong. This thus, compensates the inherent limitations, as well as defects of the safety system. This, however, does not exemplify that the systems of safety in any organisations are useless and irrelevant. Safety systems perform extremely well in the event that an organisation develops a safety culture. In addition, as exemplified by Grammeno (2006), a safety culture that conforms to safety legislation can enhance safety performance significantly. The author also emphasised on the role played by practical leadership in the efforts to support safety culture. Deployment of safety regulations is a costly and time demanding undertaking for managers of organisations. It is this reason that some industries in the construction sector such as small builders, in most cases try to hedge OHS legislation. However, large players in this industry are extremely strict in adhering to OHS regulations in addition to implementing them, alongside other Legislations, so as to enhance workplace safety. It has been widely misconceived by organisational managers that the mere observance to the requirements of safety is a safety culture. Indeed, as exemplified by Biggs et al (2006), this concept is a relatively limited one about safety culture and does not work at the workplace. Statistics according to Safe Work Australia imply that, in the industry of construction, there were 4.2 deaths in every 100,000, in 2007/2008. Despite the reduction in injury numbers, as well as fatalities that were compensated in Australia in the past, the few injuries in the constructions sites indicate that they still do not have efficient and effective safety culture. Thus, ignorance of safety culture by leaders, as well as the mere legislation of OHS will not have any positive impacts on enhancing safety. According to Biggs et al (2006) the fact that the mere compliance to legislation of OHS has not brought about adequate prevention of injuries, as well as deaths more so in the construction industry, deployment of safety culture could be the best alternative to consider as a means of enhancing safety at the workplace. Moreover, according to Biggs et al (2006), safety performance can be attained via a safety culture in the event that both employees and constructors accept it as a fundamental core of the goals of the organisation, in addition to individual core values. Grammeno (@006) indicates that the core reason of this statement is to develop a rooted recognition of safety concept as a strategy of thinking among members of the organisation, any kind of injury is unacceptable. Grammeno (2006) also exemplified that enhanced safety performance is attainable more easily via institutionalising safety as a core value in the organisation for all employees, as well as managers. Leadership culture Hopkins (2002) exemplifies that leadership has a vital role in the shaping of safe culture in the organisation’s workplace. Moreover, a building of an efficient and strong safety culture calls for managers, as well as leaders, of an organisation to be fully dedicated to safety. Leaders can utilise the values of Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) as vital tools in accomplishing this specific duty and enhance safety culture. In fact, incorporating BBS into cultural perspectives, leaders can develop a top-down approach to safety enhancement. However, the top-down approach contradicts the values of safety culture, which are based, on multi-dimensional communication, as well as input. In this regard, Hopkins (2002) suggests that even though a cultural approach, as well as BBS, is reciprocally exclusive perspectives, the approaches that are utilised in large organisations for the enhancement of safety culture are based on the values of BBS. Developing new changes in safety culture leadership, according to Krause (2002), managers and leaders have the obligation of carrying out investigations and exploring key behaviours that result into accidents and fatalities, rather that the accidents themselves. Thus, this call for them to make use of practical strategies that can help in the identification of potential hazards, as well as safety behaviours at the workplace. Leaders can, therefore, use proactive methods such as BBS in this. Krause (2002) suggests the use of leadership exchange theory in the enhancement of the organisation’s culture of safety, via incorporating a proactive attitude towards safety. The author indicates that this theory lays its basis on the interaction between managers and employees that are characterised by reciprocal conscientious anxiety, as well as open communication. Evaluation of this theory indicate that enhanced safety performance can be attained via teamwork between parties in argument, the setting up of the work, as well as proactively responding to issues on safety. Conclusion Leadership approaches, style of communication and collaboration with the employees are the most vital aspects that have a critical function in the enhancement of safety culture. Safety culture is extremely crucial to any organisation, and if it is fully accepted by managers and employees as the fundamental core of the goals of the organisation, it can significantly encourage employees, as well as managers to act, in addition to thinking safety instead, of just the mere compliance with legislation of OHS. However, this is only under optimal circumstances. Thus, in this view, it is easy to conclude that the mere compliance with the OHS legislation. It is also clear that a safety culture may assist organisations to attain the required standards to conform to OHS legislation. References Biggs, H. C, Dingsdag, D.P, Sheahan, V. L & Cipolla, D. J 2006, A Construction Safety Competency Framework: Improving OH&S performance by creating and maintaining a safety culture, Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Icon.net Pty Ltd, Brisbane. Grammeno, G (ed.) 2006, Planning occupational health & safety, CCH Australian Limited, Sydney. Hopkins, A 2002, 'Safety Culture, Mindfulness and Safe Behaviour: Converging ideas?', National Research centre for OHS regulation, December, viewed 20 August 2011, Krause, T. 2002, Myths, Misconceptions, and Wrong-headed Ideas About Behavior - Based Safety; Why Conventional Wisdom Is Usually Wrong, Behavioral Science Technology Inc. Zohar, D 2004, 'Safety climate in industrial organisation: theoretical and applied implication', Journal of Applied psychology, Vol. 65, pp. 96-120. Read More