Health and Safety Management - Essay Example

Health and Safety Management Section July Health and Safety Management Creating a safety culture inany work environment requires stringent yet realistic health and safety management policies and implementing programs. However, these policies and implementing program s can only be sustainable and be able to reach the long term goals of the organization through proper implementation and monitoring safety guidelines. The implementation guidelines, particularly a Safety and Health Program, should emphasize and take into account the direct and indirect costs of accidents, how costs of injuries and illnesses would affect the organization.

There is a need to lessen accidents that occur in a work place, otherwise higher costs would entail both “increased insurance premiums and greater indirect costs” (OSHA, 2007). Through the Safety and Health Program, various companies report that it could save four to six dollars for every one dollar invested. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), annual Workers’ Compensation claim of an Atlanta company in the years 1994 to 1996 costs from $592,335 to $91,536, with a reduction of $500,000.

On the other hand, Horizon Steel Erectors was able to reduce its accident costs per person per hour from $4.26 to $0.18 when it was able to implement a 100% fall protection program and supervisory accountability for safety (OSHA, 2007). These are only a few of the companies who have implemented a good working vision, mission and goals in Safety and Health Management. From emphasizing a “safety first” motto, companies should start working on a “safety production first” motto. And in order to obtain a holistic approach to safety culture, organizations must emphasize the elements of a safety and health system: management leadership and employee involvement, worksite analysis, safety and health training, and the hazard prevention and control (OSHA, 2007).

Together with these elements and the cooperation of the entire organization, companies could easily weather safety culture through the years despite unforeseen and indirect major perturbations. Work Cited Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2007). Voluntary protection programs. http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html