Health and Safety in the Workplace - PDF

Health and Safety in the Workplace Chapter 12 Krista Uggerslev, NAIT © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-1  Lea...

Health and Safety in the Workplace Chapter 12 Krista Uggerslev, NAIT © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-1  Learning Objectives 1. Describe the major Canadian laws relating to occupational health and safety. 2. Assess the traditional thinking with respect to occupational health and safety issues. 3. Explain the new thinking with respect to employee rights relating to occupational health and safety issues. 4. Outline the implications for human resource management of safety and health responsibilities. 5. Discuss the impact of stress on employees and the workplace. 6. Summarize the relationship between health and safety issues and human resource management. © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-2  Ensuring Health and Safety at the Workplace In the 1900s, the thinking and attitudes of employers and employees toward accident prevention were quite different from today Assumption of risk was a legal expression used by the courts Workers accepted customary risks of the occupation Workers were instructed to protect themselves from special hazards (e.g., extreme heat, sharp metal) Scars were accepted as badges of honour © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-3  Safety in the Workplace Models Careless Worker Early approach to safety in the workplace which assumed accidents were due to workers’ carelessness A newer approach to workplace safety that relies on the cooperation of the employer and employees Shared Responsibility © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-4 Workplace Injuries and Health Hazards Workplace accidents and occupation-related illnesses: $8B annually in direct compensation More than $19B including indirect expenses Direct cost of injuries: Lost wages, medical treatment, rehabilitation, etc. Indirect costs: Lost production, recruiting, training, etc. On average, 2.5 employees die each day of the year from workplace accidents (925 each year) © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-5  Health Hazards Physical Biological Ergonomic Agents Agents Related Exposure to Exposure to Caused by physical natural the work elements organisms environment (e.g., repetitive (e.g., Noise) (e.g., Viruses) strain) © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-6  Younger Workers Growing emphasis on the health and safety of young workers 1 in 7 young workers is injured on the job One-fourth of all workplace injuries involve workers aged 15 – 29 years Among injured workers under 25, 50% of injuries occurred in first 6 months on the job, and 20% of injuries and fatalities were in the first month Most common types of injuries are electrocution and machine injuries © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-7  Federal and Provincial Safety Regulations Each province and federal jurisdiction has detailed legislation addressing health and safety 3 Fundamental Employee Rights The right to know about hazards in the workplace The right to participate in correcting hazards The right to refuse dangerous work © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-8  Federal and Provincial Safety Regulations (2) Workplace Health and Safety Committee Expeditiously deal with health and safety complaints Participate in inquiries, investigations, studies etc. Ensure adequate records are kelp Inspecting all parts of the workplace at least annually Hazardous Products Act Protects consumers by regulating the sale of dangerous products Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-9  Federal and Provincial Safety Regulations (3) Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Act Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) Requires that employers provide training to enable employees to understand and recognize hazards Now includes Hazardous Products Act © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-10  Responsibility for Health and Safety Legal requirements – should be seen as the minimum requirements for employers Canada’s top 100 employers place considerable attention on safety Responsibility for health and safety is shifting from employers to employees (joint committees) A focus on educating young employees about workplace safety © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-11  Responsibility for Health and Safety Cont’d Top Management Responsibility for Health and Safety Employees Supervisors © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-12  Implications for HRM Ensure consistent enforcement Best defence to a health and safety offence is “due diligence” Health and safety audit Safety climate Downsizing and safety © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-13  Workplace Stress Workplace Stress Harmful physical and emotional responses Stress Management Now part of manager/employee vocabulary Ways of dealing with the problem of stress © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-14  Symptoms of Workplace Stress Symptoms of stress can harm employee performance and lead to: Nervousness; chronic worry; easily provoked Unable to relax Stress-related physical ailments (e.g., stomach) upsets, cardiovascular disease Musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., back injuries) Psychological disorders (e.g., depression) © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-15  Causes of Workplace Stress Factors unique Workload/pace, autonomy shift work, to the job physical environment, isolation Role in the Role conflict/role ambiguity, level of organization responsibility Career Includes under- or over-promotion, development job security, overall job satisfaction more © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-16 Causes of Workplace Stress cont’d Relationships at Includes supervisors/co- workers/subordinates, threat of work violence or harassment Participation (or not) in decision- Organizational making, management style, climate communication patterns © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-17  Burnout Condition of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical exhaustion that results from substantial and prolonged stress Presenteeism HR department needs to be proactive (e.g., train supervisors, provide counselling) Stress and Job Performance Can be helpful or harmful depending on amount of stress experienced When there is no stress, job challenges are absent and performance tends to be low © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-18  Stress Management Curative methods Try to correct the outcomes of stress (e.g., availability of exercise, counselling services) Preventive measures Attempt to change the cause of stress (e.g., stress management training) Stress Audit Identifies the causes of stress © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-19  HR Actions to Reduce Stress Compatible Establish workload Job policy design Provide Define HR Actions to training roles Reduce Stress Work Participate schedules Social in decisions interaction © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-20  Mental Health Mental health costs the Canadian economy about $50 billion a year and $6 billion annually for lost productivity resulting from mental health absenteeism Approximately 6.7 million Canadians have a mental health problem or illness About half a million Canadians are absent in any given week as a result of mental health issues Around 30% of disability claims and 70% of disability costs are attributable to mental illness © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-21  Fitness and Employee Wellness Programs Improve employee health Decrease health care costs Improve employee satisfaction Decrease absenteeism and turnover Improve corporate image Reduce disability claims © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-22  Other Contemporary Safety Issues Workplace Violence and Security Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Ergonomics © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-23  Occupational Health and Safety Strategy Top management’s involvement in setting health and safety policies is essential Clearly assign responsibilities for plant safety and health programs to ensure that the company’s policies are carried out An occupational health and safety committee with enforcement authority is very helpful © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-24  Ensuring Health and Safety at the Workplace Summary After mastering this chapter content, you should be able to: 1. Describe the major Canadian laws relating to occupational health and safety. 2. Assess the traditional thinking with respect to occupational health and safety issues. 3. Explain the new thinking with respect to employee rights relating to occupational health and safety issues. 4. Outline the implications for human resource management of safety and health responsibilities. 5. Discuss the impact of stress on employees and the workplace. 6. Summarize the relationship between health and safety issues and human resource management. © 2022 McGraw-Hill Education Ltd. Schwind 13th Edition 12-25