Class 1 Notes.docx

What is Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Why Is It Important? Class 1 – Sept 5th, 2023 What are the imperatives, stakeholders, and barriers to OHS? What is the role of HR & Management in OHS? Learning Objectives Define OHS, occupational injury and illness Explain the imperatives of OHS...

What is Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Why Is It Important? Class 1 – Sept 5th, 2023 What are the imperatives, stakeholders, and barriers to OHS? What is the role of HR & Management in OHS? Learning Objectives Define OHS, occupational injury and illness Explain the imperatives of OHS Identify the stakeholders of OHS Describe barriers to OHS Outline the roles of HR & Management Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Some key definitions Occupational Health and Safety Definition: Recognition, assessment, and control of hazards associated with the work environment. Hazard Definition: Any source of potential adverse health effect on or damage or harm to something or someone under certain conditions at work. chemical, biological, ergonomic, physical, psychological Core Goal of OHS Programs Reduce occupational injury & illness, and promote human sustainability Occupational injury: a wound or damage to the body resulting from unintentional or intentional acute exposure to energy or from the acute absence of essential elements caused by a specific event, incident, or series of events within a single workday or shift Occupational illness: any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment Human sustainability: the ongoing ability to maintain health & safety without subverting growth or generativity. Growth: (i.e., the investment of resources into expanding the self beyond its current state [e.g., esteem, status]) Generativity: (i.e., the investment of resources into expansion outside or beyond the self; e.g., family, mentoring) Imperatives for OHS Why should employers, employees, and the public care about OHS? Economic Considerations Occupational injury & illness costs are… Direct: immediate and tangible expenses (e.g., medical care, investigation costs) Indirect: hidden or soft costs that are less visible and tangible (e.g., workers compensation rates, hiring/training costs) Legal Considerations The law provides legal rights to safe workplaces for every worker Due diligence: the measure of prudence to be expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent person under the circumstances depending on the relative facts of the special case. Requires organizations to foresee all unsafe conditions or acts and take precaution to prevent accidents that can reasonably be anticipated. Moral Considerations Well-being is the foundation of our moral landscape Health and safety is the “right” focus for employers, and workers have a responsibility to learn about and enact safety and health practices Management commitment to health and safety results in higher levels of employee motivation to work safely and better organizational safety records Key Stakeholders in OHS Who has a vested interest or concern in OHS? Government Legislation Occupational Health & Safety Acts Workers’ Compensation Acts Support or conduct knowledge sharing and research e.g., Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) established by federal government Employers Prepare written OHS policy and display prominently in workplace Provide and maintain equipment, materials, and protective devices. Ensure way in which work is performed is safe, and environment is free from hazards and serious risks Employees Perform duties and tasks in safe and responsible manner Wear protective equipment in compliance with company and legislative regulations Report defective equipment and other workplace hazards to safety professional, joint health and safety committee, or manager Organized Labour Take part in the joint OHS committee Bring emerging problems and issues in health and safety to attention of government and employers Pressure other stakeholders to take corrective action Use collective bargaining process to incorporate health and safety provisions in many contracts OHS Stakeholders Identify key stakeholders A construction worker was injured by a falling beam at a building site. He suffered a concussion and a broken arm and had to be taken to the hospital. A nurse working at a long-term care facility contracted COVID-19 from one of the residents. She had to isolate herself at home for two weeks, and experienced mild symptoms. Barriers to OHS Some commonly perceived barriers Employers who value production over safety OHS as a “hurdle” that adds bureaucracy/red tape/time pressure Employers who focus on safety only when they feel they must Employers may be uninformed or lack confidence about safety concerns Overcoming Barriers to OHS The vital role of partnerships Partnerships Alliances among stakeholders can help overcome barriers to OHS programs Parties within a workplace can form effective OHS partnerships employer, employees, union Broader groups of stakeholders can also partner to promote OHS workers’ compensation boards and academic researchers The Role Of HR & Management Moving beyond engineering, education, and enforcement There is a need to focus on the people side of OHS OHS often managed under human resource functions for several reasons: It is integrated in other human resource functions E.g., training, job design, scheduling It requires legislative compliance It decreases costs Safety Is Integrated into Other HR Functions: Effective safety programs depend on developing individual skills and abilities and on motivating individuals HR professionals develop employee knowledge and skills through orientation and training programs while motivating safe working through compensation and awareness programs Safety leadership and safety climate are predictors of safety outcomes (e.g., incidents, accidents, injuries) Safety Requires Legislative Compliance Ensuring legislation is followed is a natural offshoot of the HR function in organizations Safety Decreases Costs: Costs for things such as workers’ compensation premiums, long-term disability coverage, sick-time provisions, and health plans are usually assigned to HR. HR must ensure that payment benefits are used most effectively to: Help injured workers Ensure a prompt return to health and to work