Hazards in the Workplace - Term Paper Example

? OSHA Problem ment Health risks of citizens in relation to their working conditions are increasing all over the country. This can be attributed to the poor working conditions and overworking themselves and end up with related health problems. These hazards revolve around chemical exposure, physical accidents and other forms of mechanical hazards (Sargeant 13). With this in mind, it is important for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to apply various policies and laws that aim at achieving good health for the employees and ensuring their safety in the workplace at all times. This memorandum contains information regarding the effective ways of handling this problem and outlines the most appropriate strategy to be used. The most effective course of action recommended is the execution of laws regarding chemical exposure in the workplace and activation of occupational health and safety programs in different companies. Background Hazards in the workplace have through time affected workers in different industries. These hazards could either be chemical, physical, biological or psychological. For example in the construction industry, statistics show that the rate of fatalities among the construction workers in three times that of all other workers in the US. Construction workers are mainly affected by physical accidents such as falls and inadequacy of proper safety equipment (Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry 18). Even in the availability of safety equipment, the collapse of building due to lack of proper inspection or the foundations also increases fatalities. Workers in the agricultural sector are commonly affected by biological and chemical hazards. This takes place during the application of pesticides on the plants, due to noise and exposure to the sun excessively. They are also susceptible to physical hazards caused by machinery used in the farm. In America, fatal agricultural injuries are mainly caused by the rolling over of tractors. The rate of accidents in the workplace has increased over the years mainly due to the current use of machinery which easily injures workers. Key Issues to be Addressed One of the major issues to be addressed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the absence of laws and regulations that ensure thorough inspection of the workplace in order to ensure that they are secure for individuals to work in. For example in the mining industry, inspections done on the land being mined are not enough to ensure that the mining field is not susceptible to fires caused by methane production (Mendeloff 58). The lands could also collapse in case of an earthquake and as such many fatalities are caused by such accidents. Equipment in different industries are inspect from time to time. However, the frequency of inspection should be increased to avoid losing more lives and more human capital to accidents in the work place. Another major issue to be addressed is the absence of occupation health and safety programs in different companies. This program is effective in training individuals on how to care for their safety and to avoid accidents in the workplace. Many companies avoid having this program as it involves the hiring of new employees thus increasing the cost of production. In the absence of the program, employees are not made aware of their employment rights and further than that they are not aware of how to act in case of accidents in the workplace. Employees further are not aware of what is expected of them in the work environment in relation to their safety and the general safety of the company. Solutions to these Issues A solution to the absence of laws and regulations is to design and enforce policies that address various problems faced by workers in different fields. For example, laws should be passed to ensure that frequent inspections are carried out in different industries depending on the frequency of accidents to take place in the particular area. Inspections should not only be based on the workplace but rather they should be extended towards observing other aspects of the company including the machinery and its functionality as well as the health of the employees (Smith 29). It should be noted that exposure to chemicals might take time before the symptoms show thus extra measures have to be made to not the exposure levels and their effects on employees. The laws should also advocate for the use of safety equipment which should be provided by the employer. These laws should be executed effectively and punitive actions taken in case they are broken. Further than that, it is important for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to ensure that all companies have active Occupational Health and Safety Programs within their departments. Despite the fact that it might seem like an extra cost, companies should be made aware that the presence of the program prevents costs incurred after an accident in the workplace which include hospital bills, repairing of equipment or replacing and also the loss of human labor. Eventually, the implementation of the program becomes cheaper compared to the costs brought about by accidents. Awareness about the program should be made through various platforms to reach out to a wide variety of industries and companies. The smooth running of an occupational health and safety program requires the presence of a committee designed to ensure that the program is executed effectively (Delivering on the Nation's Investment in Worker Safety and Health 35). This committee is also in charge of the inspections to be carried out in different departments of the company and presents reports to the management based on the hazards present at the workplace and effective recommendations. The cost of implementing the laws could be incurred directly through court actions; the cost is incurred through time consumption. In addition, passing of acts into laws takes time and in the meanwhile, occupational hazards will still threaten the lives of workers in various departments. This makes the solution costly. Implementation of occupational health and safety programs is costly on initial activation. Further than that, it requires the recruitment of new staff members specifically dedicated towards ensuring occupational safety in the company. However, it saves companies costs in relation to accidents and lawsuits. Recommendation Between the two options, implementation of occupational health and safety programs in companies is more effective compared to the implementation of laws. This is particularly based on the cost of implementing both. The program is effective as it saves companies finances that would have been incurred in accidents and also helps the employees understand their rights and their responsibilities in the workplace in relation to occupational safety and health. Further than that, it would take time before the laws are passed and this would not prevent the occurrence of accidents. The implementation of a safety program enlightens individuals of their responsibility in ensuring occupational safety and the consequences of their actions in case effective health and safety recommendations are not followed. Works Cited Delivering on the Nation's Investment in Worker Safety and Health. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2009. Internet resource. Mendeloff, John M. Regulating Safety: An Economic and Political Analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Policy. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1979. Print. Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry. New York: Commerce Clearing House, 2008. Print. Sargeant, Malcolm, and Maria Giovannone. Vulnerable Workers: Health, Safety and Well-Being. Farnham: Gower, 2011. Print. Smith, Robert S. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, Its Goals and Its Achievements. Washington: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1976. Print. Read More