Module 13 Occupational Safety And Health, Employee Wellbeing PDF

Module 13: Occupational Safety and Health, and Employee Well-being Chapter 50: The Principles and Practice of Employee Wellbeing A. Introduction Employee wellbeing can be defined as the overall quality of an individual’s subjective experience and functioning at...

Module 13: Occupational Safety and Health, and Employee Well-being Chapter 50: The Principles and Practice of Employee Wellbeing A. Introduction Employee wellbeing can be defined as the overall quality of an individual’s subjective experience and functioning at work (Warr,1987). Employee well-being is essential as the employees serve as the workforce of the company. Wellbeing is heavily dependent on the working life provided by their employers. When employees are not satisfied with what they are doing, they tend to resign on their own accord. In the Philippines, the attrition rate was recorded at 15.9% in 2023, 1.7% higher than from 2022. Employee retention is believed to be one of the big challenges that Philippine companies face this year, the common reasons why employees leave are for competitive salaries, flexible work opportunities, and migration (Marquina, 2024). B. The principles of wellbeing The concept of wellbeing can be set into three aspects: 1. Hedonic - The overall quality of an individual’s subjective experience and functioning at work. 2. Eudaimonic - Refers to leading ‘a life well lived’ - Interacting with the world around you to meet basic psychological need 3. Evaluative - The way that people evaluate their lives with regard to their own appraisals of how life is going, or particular aspects of their lives, such as job satisfaction. C. The case for caring about wellbeing Employers have a duty of care. Employers seem to be becoming more concerned with the wellbeing of their employees. They now recognize that high performance service and knowledge can’t be simply programmed and regulated, but that they need to be engaged and supported by HR professionals to pursue their goals. Employers who are intent on creating a healthy workplace could therefore benefit from considering how to integrate compassion as part of their wellbeing strategy (Cooper, 2019). Caring for employee’s wellbeing is not limited to just the moral aspect, but also to the business aspect. There is a relationship between employee wellbeing and company success (CIPD, 2017). A study by Donald et al (2005) found that around a quarter of the variance in employee productivity lies within their psychological well being. Factors affecting wellbeing Wellbeing Factor & Description Possible actions The work environment Provide a good working environment Physical and mental wellbeing - A healthy and safe system of work resulting from the system of work - Minimalizing stress - Considering ergonomic factors in the design of equipment and workstations Provide amenities - Subsidized restaurants, sports and social  clubs, gyms, childcare facilities Job design and demands Review job design practices to ensure that the The extent to which the jobs people principles of good design are being met. have match their abilities and allows Account needs in line with the principle of individuals to manage their work and self-determination and the job demands-resource use their skills. The physical and model. mental requirements to meet job requirements (especially during Review job demands to ensure that they are not when work intensification). excessive and will not inflict work-life balance and induce stress and burnout Review working conditions and ergonomic factors to ensure that the physical wellbeing of employees. Relationships with line Select managers who are likely to have the managers leadership qualities to create and maintain good How people are treated at work by working relationships with their team members. their managers can strongly affect Make responsibility for employee health and wellbeing. A line manager who is in wellbeing an important part of the line regular contact with the employees manager's role so they contribute in making can have a significant influence on employee attitudes and behaviors. employees feel valued, content and open in raising concerns before reaching a crisis point (NICE, 2009). Provide training and coaching in approaches to managing stress - Leadership skills that are required and the skills required to plan tasks and design jobs. Relationships with colleagues Provide facilities for socializing at work. The quality of social relationships Introduce solid bullying and harassment policies and the extent to which negative and ensure effectiveness. behaviors exist. Work-life balance Introduce family-friendly policies to make way The achievement of a satisfying for a reasonable degree of flexibility equilibrium between work and Minimize excessive job demands non-work activities. Financial wellbeing Pay people reasonably and fairly ‘a state of both emotional and - Counselling for employees undergoing physical wellbeing, produced by a set financial worries of conditions and abilities. It includes making the most of an adequate income to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and having the skills and capabilities to manage money well, both on a daily basis and for the future.’ (CIPD, 2017) Stress Take action as according to the areas mentioned A major factor which can be caused Introduce an Employee Assistance programme by problems in any of the areas (EAP) to provide counselling and advice mentioned above.  - Apart from the factors mentioned in the table, external factors such as pressures induced by the government, regulatory authorities, and media to behave responsively E. Employee wellbeing strategy - Purpose: - To provide a framework for the introduction of policies and practice designed to increase the level of wellbeing amongst the employees of an organization 1. Investments in employees - enhancing competence through training and development and providing a sense of an attractive career future leading to a feeling of security and the development of self-efficacy, an important antecedent of wellbeing. 2. Engaging work - the provision of opportunities for autonomy, control, skill use and variety at work through the core HR practice of job design. 3. The creation of a positive social and physical environment - Prioritizing employee health and safety, providing opportunities for social interaction at work, avoiding bullying and harassment, promoting equal opportunities and diversity, ensuring fair rewards, often linked to high basic pay rather than incentive schemes, and providing employment security, including steps to maintain employability. 4. Enhancing the role of voice - extensive two-way communication, opportunities for individual expression of voice 5. The provision of organizational support - participative, supportive management, an organization climate that facilitates employee involvement, participative and developmental rather than judgemental and potentially punitive performance management, and family-friendly and flexible working arrangements Chapter 51: Health and Safety A. Introduction - The purpose of health and safety policies and programmes is to provide employee wellbeing by protecting employees as well as other people from accidents and/or risks of ill health arising from the nature of the company. - Safety programmes – Prevention of accidents and with minimizing the resulting loss and damage to people and property; concerned with the systems of work. - Occupational health programmes – Prevention of ill health and reduction of stress arising in the working environment - Importance of paying attention to health and safety at work as an important element in an employee wellbeing program - Aspects of health and safety a) Health and safety policies b) Risk assessments c) Audits d) Inspections  e) Accident Prevention f) Occupational Health g) Managing Stress h) Measuring Performance i) Communications j) Training k) Organizing Health and Safety Management B. Managing health and safety at work - The achievement of a healthy and safe place of work as well as the elimination to the maximum extent possible of hazards to safety are the responsibility of everyone employed in an organization and working under a contract. - The role of the management is emphasized in achieving the high standard in health and safety matters required by the legislation which is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the various regulations and Codes of Practice - Importance is often underestimated by those concerned with managing business and by individual managers but the attainment of highest standards is important because the management of safety hazards and risks is both the moral and legal responsibility of employers which is called the duty of care. - Failure to achieve the standards in health and safety matters may cause suffering and loss to individuals and their dependents as well as losses and damage for the organization. C. Health and safety policies - Written health and safety policies are required to show regard about the protection of the organization’s employees from hazards and risks to health at work and to indicate how this protection will be provided. - Definition of Policy 1. Declaration of intent 2. A definition of the means by which that intent will be realized 3. A statement of the guidelines that should be followed by everyone concerned (all employees) in implementing the policy - Parts of the policy statement i. The General Policy Statement - Declaration of the intention of the employer to safeguard the health and safety of employees - Four fundamental points: 1. The health and safety of employees and the public is of paramount importance 2. Health and safety takes precedence over expediency 3. Every effort will be made to involve all managers, team leaders and employees in the development and implementation of health and safety procedures 4. Health and safety legislation will be complied with in the spirit as well as the letter of the law ii. Organization  - Describe the health and safety organization of the business where high standards are set and achieved by people at all levels - Underlines the ultimate responsibility of top management for the health and safety performance of the organization - Indicates how key management personnel are held accountable for performance in their areas - Role of safety representatives and committees should be defined - Duties of specialists (i.e. safety adviser and the medical officer) should be summarized iii. Implementing health and safety policies - Basis for implementing health and safety policies is provided by three review methods: 1. Risk assessments, which identify the existence of hazards 2. Health and safety audits, which provide for a comprehensive review of all aspects of health and safety policies, procedures and practices 3. Health and safety inspections, which locate and define any faults in the system equipment, plant or machines, or any operational errors that might be a danger to health or the source of accidents D. Conducting risk assessments - Risk assessments are concerned with identification of hazards and analysis of risks attached to them. l) Hazards – Anything that can cause harm (i.e. working on roofs, lifting heavy objects, chemicals, electricity, etc..) (1) Typical hazards: (a) Lifting and carrying of heavy or unwieldy objects (b) Stacking and storage (c) Movement of people and materials (d) Processing of raw materials (exposure to toxic substances) (e) Maintenance of buildings (f) Maintenance of plant and machinery (g) Using electricity (e.g. hand tools or extension leads) (h) Operating machines (e.g. operating without sufficient clearance or at an unsafe speed; not using safety devices) (i) Failure to wear protective equipment (j) Distribution of products or materials (movement of vehicles) (k) Dealing with emergencies (l) Health hazards arising from the use of equipment of methods of working (e.g. VDUs [visual display unit],  repetitive strain injuries from badly designed work stations or working practices) (2) Have to be ranked before conducting risk assessments (a) A three-point scale can be used such as: ‘low’, ‘moderate’, and ‘high’ or ‘negligible’, ‘marginal’, and ‘critical’ m) Risks – The chance of a harm being caused by the hazard - The purpose of risk assessments is to initiate preventive actions. They enable control measures to be devised on the basis of an understanding of the relative importance of risks. - Must be recorded if there are five or more employees. Recording is not required if it’s less than five employees to avoid creation of paperworks. - It is important to note that most accidents are caused by few key activities and assessors should concentrate on those that could cause serious harm such as operations like maintenance and transport movement. - When carrying out a risk assessment it is necessary to consider who might be harmed. This means both employees and visitors (including contractors and the public when calling in to buy products or enlist services) - Types of risk assessment 1. Quantitative Risk Assessment - Objective probability estimate based upon risk information that is immediately applicable to the circumstances in which the risk occurs - Preferable if the specific data is available 2. Qualitative Risk Assessment - Subjective and is based on judgment backed by generalized data - Acceptable if there is little or no specific data as long as it is made systematically on the basis of an analysis of working conditions and hazards and an informed judgment of the likelihood of harm actually being done - Assessing the risk - After identifying the hazards risks can be assessed by answering three questions: 1. What is the worst result? 2. How likely is it to happen? 3. How many people could be hurt if things go wrong? - Using a probabilty rating system could help in risk assessment - Example of probability rating system: 1. Probable – Likely to occur immediately or shortly 2. Reasonably Probable – Probably will occur in time 3. Remote – May occur in time 4. Extremely remote – unlikely to occur - Taking action - Risk assessment should lead to action and action can be ranked in order of potential effectiveness in the form of safety precedence sequence: - Hazard Elimination – Use of alternatives, design improvements, change of process  - Substitution – Replacement - Use of barriers – Removing the hazard from the worker or removing the worker from the hazard - Use of procedures – Limitation of exposure, dilution of exposure, safe systems of work (depends on human response) - Use of warning systems – Signs, instructions, labels (depends on human response) - Use of personal protective clothing – Used as a side measure only when all other options have been exhausted - Monitoring and evaluation - Risk assessment does not end after initiating action. Monitoring the hazard and evaluating the effectiveness of the action is important. E. Health and safety audits - While risk assessments focus on hazards and risks, health and safety audits focus on all aspects of health and safety policies, procedures, and practices. - Safety audits can be conducted by safety advisers and/or HR specialists. - The involvement of managers, employees, and employee representatives are highly recommended. - Can be carried out under a health and safety committee or can be done by outside agencies. - Policies, procedures, and safety practices must be covered in a health and safety audit - Policies - In assessing policies the following questions should be asked: 1. Do health and safety policies meet legal requirements? 2. Are senior managers committed to health and safety? 3. How committed are other managers, team leaders, and supervisors to health and safety? 4. Is there a health and safety committee? If not, why not? 5. How effective is the committee in getting things done? - Procedures - How effective do the procedure do the following: 1. Support the implementation of health and safety policies? 2. Communicate the need for good health and safety practices? 3. Provide for systematic risk assessments? 4. Ensure that accidents are investigated thoroughly? 5. Record data on health and safety that is used to evaluate performance and initiate action? 6. Ensure that health and safety considerations are given proper weight when designing systems of work or manufacturing and operational processes (including the design of equipment and work stations, the specification for the product or service, and the use of materials)? 7. Provide safety training, especially induction training and training when jobs or working methods are changed? - Safety practices - The following questions must be considered:  1. To what extend to health and safety practices in all areas of organization conform to the general requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and the specific requirements of the various regulations and Codes of Practice? 2. What risk assessments have been carried out? What were the findings? What actions were taken? 3. What is the health and safety performance of the organization as shown by the performance indicators? Is the trend positive or negative? If the latter, what is being done about it? 4. How thoroughly are accidents investigated? What steps have been taken to prevent their recurrence? 5. What is the evidence that managers and supervisors are really concerned about health and safety - The purpose of the audit is to generate action and to assess priorities and costs and draw up action programmes for approval by top management Health and safety inspections - Health and safety inspections are designed to examine a specific area of the organization. an operational department or a manufacturing process – to locate and define any faults in the system, equipment, plant or machines, or any operational errors that might be a danger to health or the source of accidents. - Should be carried out on a regular and systematic basis - Steps to be taken in carrying out health and safety inspections are as follows: 1. Allocate the responsibility for conducting the inspection. 2. Define the points to be covered in the form of a checklist. 3. Divide the department or plant into areas and list the points to which attention needs to be given in each area. 4. Define the frequency with which inspections should be carried out – daily in critical areas. 5. Use the checklists as the basis for the inspection. 6. Carry out sample or spot checks on a random basis 7. Carry out special investigations as necessary to deal with special problems, such as operating machinery without guards to increase throughput. 8. Set up a reporting system (a form should be used for recording the results of inspections). 9. Set up a system for monitoring that safety inspections are being conducted properly and on schedule. 10. Ensure that corrective action is taken where necessary. G. Accident prevention - The prevention of accidents is achieved by the following actions: a. Identify the causes of accidents and the conditions under which they are most likely to occur. b. Take account of safety factors at the design stage – build safety into the system. c. Design safety equipment and protective d. devices and provide protective clothing.  e. Carry out regular risk assessments, audits,inspections and checks and take action to eliminate risks. f. Investigate all accidents resulting in damage or harm in order to establish the cause and to initiate corrective action. g. Maintain good records and statistics in order to identify problem areas and unsatisfactory trends. h. Conduct a continuous programme of education and training on safe working habits and methods of avoiding accidents. i. Encourage approaches to leadership and motivation that do not place excessive demands on people H. Occupational health programmes - The control of occupational health and hygiene problems can be achieved by taking the following actions: a. Eliminate the hazard at source through design and process engineering. b. Isolate hazardous processes and substances so that workers do not come into contact with them. c. Change the processes or substances used in order to promote better protection or eliminate the risk. d. Provide protective equipment, but only if changes to the design, process or specification cannot completely remove the hazard e. Train workers to avoid risk f. Maintain plant and equipment to eliminate the possibility of harmful emissions, controlling the use of toxic substances and eliminating radiation hazards. g. Adopt good housekeeping practices to keep premises and machinery clean and free from toxic substances h. Conduct regular inspections to ensure that potential health risks are identified in good time. i. Carry out pre-employment medical examinations and regular checks on those exposed to risk. j. Ensure that ergonomic considerations (ie those concerning the design and use of equipment, machines, processes and work stations) are taken into account in design specifications, establishing work routines and training – this is particularly important as a means of minimizing the incidence of repetitive strain injury (RSI). k. Maintain preventive medicine programmes that develop health standards for each job and involve regular audits of potential health hazards and regular examinations for anyone at risk. Particular attention needs to be exercised in the control of noise, fatigue and stress. The management and control of stress should be a major part of any occupational health programme. l. Use stress management approaches to deal with the major problem of the effects of stress at work as described below I. Managing stress - Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. Undue stress can seriously affect mental health. In the workplace it can impact significantly on productivity, performance and happiness. - productivity increases are most likely when the mental health of employees is positive and when employees operating in ‘lean’ production environments are given appropriate support, training and a ‘voice’ in the way production processes are run. - There are many causes of stress, as indicated by the factors affecting employee wellbeing. and individuals vary hugely in their resilience – their ability to withstand pressure, cope with adversity and bounce back. Good levels of personal resilience are required to cope physiologically and psychologically with stress. - higher levels of resilience can improve performance and enhance psychosocial functioning. Southwick and Charney (2012: 7) defined the following factors affecting resilience: a. a positive attitude; b. cognitive flexibility; c. moral compass; d. role models; e. facing fears; f. coping skills; g. supportive networks; h. physical wellbeing; i. regular training; j. signature (character) strengths. - There are four reasons why organizations should be concerned about stress 1) they should act in a socially responsible way to provide a good quality of working life 2) excessive stress causes illness 3) it can result in inability to cope with the demands of the job 4) excessive stress can reduce employee effectiveness and therefore organizational performance. 1) Specific ways to manage stress: a) Job design – clarifying roles, reducing the danger of role ambiguity and conflict, and giving people more autonomy within a defined structure to manage their responsibilities. b) Job placement – taking care to place people in jobs that are within their capabilities. c) Career development – planning careers and promoting staff in accordance with their capabilities, taking care not to over- or under-promote d) Targets and performance standards – setting reasonable and achievable targets that may stretch people but do not place impossible burdens on them e) Performance management processes – encouraging a dialogue to take place between managers and individuals about the latter’s work problems and ambitions. f) Counseling – giving individuals the opportunity to talk about their problems with someone, preferably a trained counselor reached through an employee assistance programme g) Anti-bullying campaigns – bullying at work is a major cause of stress. h) Management training – training in what managers can do to alleviate their own stress and reduce it in others. i) Resilience training – helping to cope with stress.  j) Mindfulness programmes involving meditation which focus the attention of people on their current experiences – ‘the present moment’ J. Measuring health and safety performance Measuring health and safety performance is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and identify areas for improvement. This process can be categorized into lagging and leading indicators. Lagging indicators focus on incident rates, lost workdays, and injury statistics, which provide insights into past performance. On the other hand, leading indicators emphasize proactive measures such as safety training completion rates, regular risk assessments, and employee engagement in safety programs. Additionally, feedback mechanisms like employee surveys and safety audits help gauge perceptions and pinpoint potential issues. The Institute for Work & Health’s Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM) demonstrates the utility of leading indicators in measuring health and safety performance. This eight-item survey tool, as Yanar et al. (2020) describe, allows organizations to benchmark their performance against others in their industry and identify areas for improvement. It emphasizes "a balance between 'leading' and 'lagging' performance indicators" to ensure risks are managed effectively and proactively Now based on the reading, measuring health and safety performance allows you to detect risks early and take corrective action. Key metrics include the frequency rate (number of injuries × 100,000 ÷ hours worked) and the incidence rate (number of injuries × 1,000 ÷ average number employed). For example, if a logistics company reports 6 injuries among 200 employees working 400,000 hours, the frequency rate is 1.5. Some companies also calculate a cost severity rate, tracking expenses like absent worker pay, equipment damage, and lost production. For instance, a company might find that accidents cost ₱30,000 per 1,000 hours worked. Regularly monitoring these figures and trends ensures that safety measures are improving workplace conditions. K. Communicating the need for better health and safety practices Effective communication is crucial for making a culture of safety and ensuring employees understand the importance of health and safety practices. Organizations can implement training and awareness campaigns, incorporating real-life incidents to highlight potential risks and the consequences of negligence. Regular updates, such as newsletters or safety meetings, can keep employees informed about policies and best practices. Interactive platforms, like forums or apps, provide avenues for employees to report hazards and offer suggestions, while visual aids such as posters, signage, or infographics placed strategically in the workplace serve as constant reminders of safety protocols. Yanar et al. (2020) emphasize the role of leadership and communication in effective occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. In high-performing organizations, safety managers actively engage employees through regular updates and personalized communication. They observed that "managers and  supervisors regularly shared information about new OHS policies and practices with employees," fostering a culture where safety became a shared responsibility. Additionally, these organizations use tools like "hazard sheets, safety meetings, emails, and phone calls" to ensure ongoing dialogue between employees and management Based on the reading, health and safety practices depend on clear policies, regular risk assessments, and proactive reporting. Begin with thorough assessments to identify specific hazards. For instance, in a warehouse, risks like slippery floors or poorly stacked goods can be flagged. Policies should define roles and outline protocols, such as requiring non-slip footwear and proper stacking methods. Routine equipment inspections also minimize risks; a factory, for example, should schedule regular checks on machinery to prevent malfunctions. Encourage employees to report near misses, like a forklift narrowly avoiding a collision, to identify gaps in safety practices. Documenting these activities helps track progress and foster continuous improvement. L. Health and safety training Health and safety training ensures employees understand risks and how to mitigate them. Start with induction training for new hires and provide updates when job roles or equipment change. For example, if a bakery introduces a new oven, staff should receive training on its safe operation to avoid burns or fires. Refresher courses, like annual fire drills, keep safety knowledge fresh. Address specific problems through targeted sessions; for instance, if multiple slips occur, organize a workshop on identifying and mitigating tripping hazards. Use practical demonstrations, such as showing how to handle hazardous chemicals safely, to make the training relatable and effective. Evaluate results through feedback and practical assessments. F. Organizing health and safety Organizing health and safety in the workplace involves systematic planning and effective delegation of responsibilities. Key roles, such as safety officers and risk managers, should be designated to oversee specific aspects of safety. Forming cross-functional committees dedicated to health and safety enables diverse perspectives and encourages collective accountability. From the readings, organizing health and safety involves assigning clear roles across all levels. Management creates policies, conducts risk assessments, and monitors performance. For example, management at a retail chain might set policies requiring store audits every month to ensure compliance. Managers oversee daily operations, addressing hazards such as spills on store floors immediately. Employees are responsible for following these procedures; for instance, a warehouse worker must report and clean up a spilled liquid to prevent accidents. Health and safety advisers offer expert advice and track accident trends. Safety committees review policies and suggest improvements, such as adding more safety signage in hazardous areas. A collaborative system like this ensures health and safety is integrated throughout the organization.