The Diverse Factors Bringing about Workplace Risks - Term Paper Example

Running Header: Occupational health and safety Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name & Code: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Occupational health and safety 3 Principles of risk management 4 Adverse effects 4 Open communications 5 Occupational health hazards 5 Human factors 5 Carelessness 5 Disobeying safety rules 5 Inappropriate attire 6 Lack of enough rest 6 Shortcuts 6 Haste 6 Lack of responsibility 7 Lack of knowledge 7 Goofing around and Stupidity 7 Work pressure 7 How to ensure safety 8 Behavioural safety 8 References 14 Occupational health and safety In any working environment is important to legally assess the risks of injury and ill health affecting most of the workers. This careful examination of the diverse factors bringing about workplace risks is called risk assessment. Alexander and Sheedy (2005) describes that risk assessment ensures that enough precautions are implemented in the working environment as this avoids dangers and cause of harm to the entire organisation. Work related accidents have a serious effect on the business as they may ruin the lives of employees both physically and mentally. The dangers may also lead to costly court cases therefore increasing the cost of insurance. Risk assessment therefore helps in dispensing with the above dangers and makes the working environment a safe place to carry out various activities. The most important factor to consider in risk assessment is deciding the major hazards in the workplace. Once the risk is determined, it is easy to put in precautions in order to minimise the risk involved for instance electricity is one of the most hazardous factor at workplace and to prevent dangers, proper protection should be provided to avoid these dangers. Five steps are taken in the process of risk assessment. The first step involves analysing the major hazards. Management should take a tour within the organisation and check for potential dangers that that may occur and cause serious harm to the lives of the employees. Employees’ opinions should also be involved in analysing these dangers according to the records or their experiences. The second step of assessment involves analysing the potential people who are likely to be harmed and how this will occur. The people who are mostly at the risks of dangers should be listed for example trainees; young employees, expectant mothers etc are highly vulnerable to work related accidents. Other people who are in the list include people who are not at the workplace fulltime for example outsourced workers. The third step is that management should ensure that they calculate whether enough precautions have been implemented in order to counter the hazards involved. For every risk listed, a decision should be made on how to put in place precautious a way of mitigation. Ways such as provision of protective gears for example helmets, gloves and overall help employees (Alexander and Sheedy 2005). The fourth step is to ensure that the findings about the workplace safety are recorded. This enables management to be sure that all the risks are dealt with and that employees have been involved in decision making process. The employees who are most vulnerable should also be given enough protection and that they have been sensitised to be careful at work. The final step involves reviewing the risk assessment procedures to ensure they are necessary. This enables the organisation to plan for new machinery, facilities and work procedures in future. The review also ensures that that the work environment is free from any risk and the situation will last for a long time (Roughton 2002). Principles of risk management Adverse effects The level of exposure to risk contributes to the overall danger for example environmental toxicants lead to risk of lung problems. Some effects involve factors such as nature, time and the degree of reversibility. It is therefore important to anticipate possible outcomes, identify the uncertainty and be in a position of managing resources accordingly in order to deal with the risk. Open communications It is necessary for every organisation to have free flow of information at all time. This is important as employees are able to communicate some of the dangers they face their work stations and it enables the business to put in place measures of avoiding dangers. Other principles include integrated management, having a continuous process, shared vision and teamwork (Hutto 2009). Occupational health hazards Human factors Carelessness This is the other cause of work related accidents especially to employees dealing with heavy machines. Roughton (2002) shows major injuries are caused due to carelessness for example serious injuries in the brain, burn injuries, spinal cord etc. These accidents change workers ability to perform and the minor injuries also cause loss of work. Carelessness also involves not paying attention to their work therefore end up making mistakes and errors. Disobeying safety rules Employees and especially those who have worked in the same work environment for a long time tend to assume that they are aware of the rules and regulations available. They therefore go ahead ignoring some and disobeying therefore causing major accidents at workplace for example there may be a rule where workers are not allowed to spill water on the floor and a worker disobeys causing a major accident to himself or other colleagues. Inappropriate attire Every worker is entitled to be provided with the appropriate attire according to the kind of working environment for example house constructors should be provided with helmets to avoid dangers of falling objects to the head. Workers working in a welding business should also be provided with goggles to protect their eyes from getting spoilt. Lack of enough rest It is important to take a rest after a heavy days work as this enables the mind to relax and be ready for the next days’ work. Organisations should therefore adhere to the right working hours and no worker should be allowed to exceed as this may cause more harm than benefits to the business. Without enough rest a worker is more likely to sleep at work therefore making errors which might cost the organisation a great deal. Shortcuts It is necessary that workers follow the right procedures of working according to the provided rules. This avoids shortcuts which may eventually lead to accidents. Shortcuts reduce work safety and increase chance for injury (Roughton 2002). Haste It is important to work slowly with no haste so as to avoid accidents for example it is not safe to run along slippery floors as this may cause falls and cuts. Haste also leads to carelessness which may lead to major accidents for example if working with a dangerous sector such as electricity. Connection of electricity with haste may leads to dangers such as short circuit thus fire. Lack of responsibility This may involve for example when someone spills something and fail to wipe up or to notify other workers to wipe and someone comes and someone slip leading to major dislocations. This is lack of being responsible for one’s mistakes causing danger to others. Lack of knowledge It is important for every organisation to carry out induction process to ensure that new employees get enough information about every facility around the working environment. This will reduce accidents as a result of lack of knowledge Goofing around and Stupidity This is where one has no common sense on some things for example touching a hot muffer on a car after being pulled in to the shop. Others are where one picks a boiling saucepan from the fire with bare causing major burns on the hands. Being confident is a good thing though it is risky to be overconfident with an attitude that it can never happen to you as this leads to improper use of procedures and tools leading to injury (O’Brien 2002). Work pressure This is one of the major causes of accidents at work. Felicity (2010) shows according to a study carried out in Netherlands, 6.5 percent of accidents happen as a result of work pressure especially at the construction and agricultural sectors. This is because workers in this field are subjected to heavy work and work pressures. The rate of accidents therefore increases in employees carrying out heavy work as compared to those who do not experience the working conditions. The lowest rates of work pressures were found in higher education, banking and government departments. Some of the risks involved in these working environments include falling, slipping, colliding, cutting etc. Work pressures also involve physical stress for example when working in a demanding environment (Felicity 2010). Employers should ensure that they keep paying attention to their employees’ physical and mental well-being. This is one factor that has been overlooked by employers aiming to keep their business afloat. Though employees have to work according to their job description, it is important for their leaders to understand that they are humans and have a breaking point. Some of the causes of work pressures include accumulation of work issues leading to decrease in productivity and eventually resignations. It is therefore necessary to maintain professionalism which provides support and consideration for both employees and employers. Managers within an organisation should understand that employees’ productivity depends on the state of their mind and overall health. Felicity (2010) describes that Job stress is lack of physical and mental response and is as a result of mismatch between workers’ capability and the job requirements and resources available. Job stress therefore is capable of promoting injuries, accidents and carelessness. Some of the causes of job stress are overwork, unrealistic deadlines, and isolated working conditions, lack of clear work instructions, surveillance and inadequate health care. Other causes include negative attitudes towards work, loss of motivation, poor work relationships, increased tension and rate of disciplinary issues is and poor relationships with the clients. How to ensure safety Behavioural safety Employers should ensure they understand behavioural safety as one that provides safety in the working environment for their workers. John (2010) states employers should therefore play their role in eliminating risks. Workers behaviour according to Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) officers contributes to workplace accidents. John (2010) shows some of the measures include implementing machine guards, ventilation systems and personal protective equipment. In the behavioural system, employees should be educated and trained on how to carry out risky tasks within the environment. One component of behavior safety is observation for example a worker that gets enough rest will be more alert at work than one who does not get enough rest. Such a worker is capable of causing danger as a result of carelessness and this may be identified as a bad behaviour. It is described that vulnerability has also risen up since most managers have ignored the benefits of risk management by focusing more on the cost related to management of these risks. This has therefore resulted to one major solution of dealing with supply chain risks. This solution includes multiple sourcing. This can be used in an unpredictable business environment especially one where there is too many firms competing. Such firms struggle to overcome uncertainty in various ways. It is therefore necessary for managers to try and get new ideas and strategies of dealing with the complexity. One major way of exploiting uncertainty is to stop avoiding it but face the reality. This is by capitalising on uncertainty, exploiting it and finally getting benefits from it. The other method of managing risks in supply chain is by determining the issues facing the global market and defining the risks involved. This method enhances the continuity of the firm as managers deal with every issue s stake and come up with possible solutions. A strategic choice is therefore made which will be used in dealing with the stated risks. Decisions made should also be based on real time data in such a way that risks are avoided at that particular moment. Executives should therefore be in apposition of experimenting options, learning about the outcomes and revisiting the assumptions involved (John 2010). In firms that use dual sourcing, managers should be in apposition of monitoring the outcomes and altering the parts that do not work well for that particular firm. The firm should also be flexible and move according to the environmental pressures. This is achieved by adapting the sourcing strategies over time. In the process of preparing for the unexpected, different risks should be assessed. The department needs one to have commercial contract management experience. This is by thoroughly understanding legislation in areas such as health and safety and built environment. These people should also be approachable and good communicators. They should also possess enough enthusiasm, drive and commitment in order to be in a position of resolving a wide range of challenges. According to Roughton (2002) this character enables the manager to be excited about the new opportunities in the market and is capable of designing methods of dealing with the situations. They should also be very inspiring and motivating in order to be capable of getting people stretch for ambitious goals and to drive the business forward. The area manager should also be a great listener for example a person who takes time to reflect and understand the issues of the group members in order to find helpful solutions. A constant communicator is acceptable as they will be capable of giving a clear picture and ensuring that clear, accurate and consistent message is transferred across other branches of the company. A good manager should also be capable of persuading others to contribute in the business functions in order to achieve organizational goals. To achieve significant benefits in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, it is important for every business to re-engineer the core business functions. This will be achieved through provision of increased access to human resources data and by simplifying reappointment processes of staff members. The core business functions should however not be re organized at the start of business but should be considered in future. The employees should also be offered with high quality education and developmental programs that enable them conduct both financial and personal functions. To prevent work related hazards, it is important to encompass various key aspects. One is that that the organisation should develop a culture which recognises that all occupation-related injuries are prevented. O’Brien (2002) puts it that culture is defined in two ways which include defining culture in terms of outcomes and defining it in terms of process. In terms of outcome, culture is defined as a pattern of behaviour in which individuals follows for example in an organisation members would say it is what they normally do or how they do things. It is also shown as a way in which people solve their differences, perform business tasks, and resolve conflicts among members and how employees and customers are treated. In terms of process, culture is defined as a set that link mechanisms that facilitates cross individual behavioral consistency. This shows that culture include the organisational informal values, beliefs and norms that controls members and groups working together in a particular firm. These values and beliefs also promote interpersonal relationships among members working in one environment. O’Brien (2002) shows the other aspect is to make a consistent and sustained effort of ensuring that there are no repeats of occurrences for example of major injuries occurring in a particular work station. This will be avoided by constant check up of machines and facilities used and by sensitising workers to be more careful while using the facilities provided. The final aspect is to set and implement a simple, consistent and non-negotiable set of health and safety standards. This should include rules and regulations to be followed and the aim should be to prevent work related injuries. Organisations should also use potential risk treatments which are in four categories. This includes avoidance of the risk at all times through elimination or withdrawing from the major causes. It also involves reduction or using methods of mitigation. The other category is through sharing the risk for example by insuring all workers who at the high risk of getting injured by taking up workers compensation policy. According to Borodzicz (2005) retention is the other technique of managing risk where the organisation chooses to accept and budget for any danger that might occur at the work environment. Safety and training is also necessary as the study has found out that machine malfunction and lack of training are common causes of work-related injuries. Safety measures should therefore be put in for example by following safety regulations, being provided with proper training, respecting legal work limits and avoiding carelessness. It is also necessary to adhere to work hour limits as this fatigue therefore promoting alertness. The other method of avoiding dangers is to form joint safety committees to promote safety and to fight corruption. This idea has gained popularity in the labour rights circles where managers and workers form a committee for monitoring and promoting safety conditions at the workplace. The committee involves collection of suggestions from the workers and complaints therefore enabling managers to be aware of safety issues and regulations. This enables managers to encounter accountability and promotes better working conditions (Borodzicz 2005). It is employers’ responsibility to ensure that proper steps are followed to provide workplace safety for their employees. If this is not taken into consideration, workers are potentially exposed to work related accidents. The United States Office for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has introduced strict guidelines to ensure that workers’ safety and well being is maintained. The guidelines state that no worker shall be required to perform their job in poor working conditions for example unsanitary, hazardous or risky to one’s health and safety. OSHA regulations are related to various causes of accidents suffered by workers and that employees who get injured as a result of improper conditions at work are entitled to compensation. According to Hutto (2009) in UK, The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) is the responsible body for health and safety at work legislation. The body plays a major role in providing advice on health and safety issues. The role is split between the body and the local authorities depending on the business sector. The local authorities ensure that every business adheres to the legal terms and policy policies of workplace safety. HSE role is also to carry out research on the effectiveness of regulations and safety issues for example through consulting with employees and employers. Hutto (2009) shows workers in every environment are faced with different kind of hazards. Occupational health and safety is necessary as it addresses the broad range of various hazards from accidents, injuries and damage from toxic fumes, heat or stress. To prevent accidents at workplace it is necessary to attempt to solve the problems before they develop. Employers should therefore aim at controlling the dangers at the source by solving the various causes of accidents such as carelessness and ignorance of rules and regulations. References Alexander, C & Sheedy, E 2005, The professional risk managers' handbook, A comprehensive Guide to Current Theory and Best Practices. PRMIA Publications, London. Borodzicz, E 2005, Risk, crisis and security management, Wiley, New York. Felicity, M 2010, The importance of having good mental health in the workplace, viewed 1 August 2011 Hutto, J 2009, Risk management in law enforcement, Applied Research Project, Texas State University, Texas. John, W 2010, Behavioral Safety, viewed 1 August 2011, O’Brien, M 2002, Making better environmental decisions, An alternative to risk assessment, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Roughton, J 2002, Developing an effective safety culture: A leadership approach, 1st ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, New Delhi. Read More