Health and Safety Practices Plan (Part Four), Human Risk Factors - Essay Example

For instance, the American history has witnessed violence erupting from the places of work, which not only ruins the lives of workforce in the organization but also results in great production losses. Violence is often meted on such groups as women and the minority groups such as physically handicapped persons. Willful destruction of property is a common form of such violence as a former CEO to Apple Inc finds out in an investigation in the modern day violence at workplaces. Among other vices that Apple Inc faces is the increase in such violence that result to product contamination through virus as well as creation of environmental contaminants, which is more hazardous (Viollis & Kane, 2005).

The company therefore increases its efforts to mitigate such a risk in order to overcome the resultant outcomes that such risks pose. Stress Stress, on the other hand, is a common risk that the Apple Inc faces as shown in the article by Denning (2012), which said that the company subjected the employees to high risk working environment. The article points out that the company subjects many of its employees to poor working conditions with unfavorable low pays and frequent disposals of employees after exhaustion.

The company is celebrated to have great wealth globally, which does not explain such meager payments as the employees are paid. However, the company subjects the employees to poor working conditions, which causes stress, fatigue and wearing out which then contributes to low performance and subsequent dismissal by the company. Substance abuse Substance abuse is on the rise in many of modern day companies with misuse of prescription medicine, alcohol and illicit drugs being common among other manners of substance abuse (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, 2008).

Among other indicators of substance abuse in such a company are increased absenteeism, sicknesses, reduced productivity, preoccupation with the use of such substances at work as well as psychological stress. The company therefore suffers reduction in productivity per employee, increased accidents that cost the organization much in liability, as well as lowered accuracy in productions. Apple, just as any other company invests in mitigation measures and policies to lower such effects that are suffered because of substance abuse.

Nevertheless, the substance abuse as witnessed within the company may be attributed to various factors among which are high stress levels, fatigue, low satisfaction on job assignments, repetitious duties as well as ease of access to such substances. Companies invest in design and implementation of policies and programs, which are meant to address such issues as, relates to substance abuse, stress management at place of work as well as work place violence. Effective policies in management of substance abuse involve confidentiality as well as active participation of the management and labor in creation.

Mitigation strategies Among the most effective ways of mitigating the human risks experienced at work place is ‘team awareness’ (Bennett & Lehmann, n.d.). This is a mitigation framework, which explains how behavioral management of such risks as substance use, violence as well as stress can be managed through the spirit of teamwork. The management is involved to creating an