Business
Health and Safety
Health and safety in the business environment refers to the measures and protocols put in place to protect the well-being of employees, customers, and the public. This includes identifying and mitigating potential hazards, providing training on safe practices, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. Prioritizing health and safety not only safeguards individuals but also contributes to a positive work environment and organizational reputation.
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12 Key excerpts on "Health and Safety"
eBook - PDFWorkplace Well-being
How to Build Psychologically Healthy Workplaces
- Arla Day, E. Kevin Kelloway, Joseph J. Hurrell, Arla Day, E. Kevin Kelloway, Joseph J. Hurrell, Jr.(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
The aforementioned view captures two substantive elements: OHS is considered as a state of absence of loss (i.e., accidents, injuries, and illness) at work, and this state is determined mainly based on a set of criteria derived from policies, mission statements, and regulations. Expanding from the conventional conceptualization, the joint committee on occupational health from both the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization at its Twelfth Session in 1995 takes a proactive approach to view OHS as being more than just the absence of accidents, injuries, or illness at 77 Occupational Health and Safety work. The joint committee voices that OHS initiatives strive for “the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations” (ILO, 1998, p. 21). In addition, the OHS efforts aim at “the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabil- ities, and, to summarize, the adaptation of work to the workers and of each worker to his or her job” (ILO, p. 21). The positive approach voiced by the joint committee not only advocates the fundamental requirement to prevent and protect workers from being affected by safety and health hazards but also raises the aspirations and standards to emphasize promotion and maintenance of the ultimate goal in a civilized society—physical, mental, and social well-being of workers. Well-being refers not only to the experi- ence of pleasantness and satisfaction at work but also to the eudaimonic aspects of work life that foster growth, purpose, and meaning, as well as social relationships and interactions with others (Fisher, 2014).
eBook - ePubIntroduction to Human Resource Management
A Guide to HR in Practice
- Charles Leatherbarrow, Janet Fletcher(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- CIPD - Kogan Page(Publisher)
health-and-safety committee.Provide free health-and-safety training for workers so they know what hazards and risks they may face and how to deal with them; provide them with personal protective equipment (PPE).- Provide the appropriate welfare facilities, washing facilities and drinking water for all employees, not forgetting those with disabilities. Make arrangements for first aid, accidents and ill-health.
Display the health-and-safety law poster or provide a leaflet containing similar information.Buy employers’ liability insurance and display the insurance certificate in your workplace.- Keep up to date on health-and-safety matters.
- Report particular work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous events such as construction projects.
Full details are available in a free HSE publication: (HSE, 2014a).Health-and-safety policy
First, this is a statement of how the organisation intends to manage the health, safety and well-being of its employees and, crucially, visitors and the general public. Second, it describes how Health and Safety will be organised and how the high standards that have been set will be achieved through the involvement of everyone, at all levels, throughout the organisation. Third, the statement includes details of how the policy will be implemented. The HSE has provided a simple template in its guide on how to go about writing a health-and-safety policy (HSE, 2014a, p10).
eBook - PDFContemporary Themes in Strategic People Management
A Case-Based Approach
- David Hall, Stephen Pilbeam, Marjorie Corbridge(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Red Globe Press(Publisher)
Legislation plays an important role as the legal requirements pertaining to health, safety and well-being can influence the relationship between employers and employees, and their abilities to form good ‘contracts’. Managing health, safety and well-being Occupational health is defined by the ILO/WHO (1950, cited in Harrington, Gill, Aw and Gardiner, 1998) as ‘the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adaptation of work to people, and people to their jobs’. Typical occupational health interventions include risk assessments, education and training on various aspects of health, safety and training, medical assessments, health screening, counselling and sickness-absence monitoring. The Black Review of the health of Britain’s working population (Black, 2008) presented a view of work as being beneficial for health and having the ability to reverse harmful effects of long-term unemployment and prolonged sickness absence. The practical impli-cations of this perspective are far-reaching and would require a fundamentally different approach by employers and the health-care professionals in advising and administering health and well-being related to the workplace. This review has been instrumental in ending the culture of sickness certification, based on individuals’ not being able to work, and in changing it to what individuals are deemed to be fit enough to do in work. Organisational interventions aimed at supporting employee health and well-being typically fall into one of three categories: tertiary, secondary or primary. DAVID HALL AND PETER CARTWRIGHT 227 The most common in practice tend to be tertiary and secondary, which focus on the individual. Tertiary interventions usually involve programmes designed to encourage and improve lifestyle, for example Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), exercise and relaxation techniques.
eBook - ePubKey Topics in Healthcare Management
Understanding the Big Picture
- Robert Jones, Fiona Jenkins(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
In this chapter an overview of the highly complex area of regulating, managing and protecting health, safety and welfare at work has been presented. Health and Safety is managed most successfully where its importance is recognised and where it is fully integrated into the mainstream of an organisation’s management functions, delivering a positive Health and Safety culture across the organisation.A list of suggested further reading is available from a number of organisations, including those representing AHPs and contact details for some are given below.References
1 . www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/index.htm .2 . www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/healthservices/htm .3 . HSE. A guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 L73. 2nd ed. London: HSE Books; 1999.4 . Health and Safety at Work Act . London: HMSO; 1974.5 . HSE. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L21 . London: HSE Books; 2000.6 . HSE. 5 Steps to Risk Assessment . London: HSE Books; 2006. www.hse.gov.ukrisk/fivesteps.htm.7 . HSE. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992: Guidance on Regulations L23 3rd ed. London: HSE Books; 2004.8 . HSE. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Approved Code of Practice L24. London: HSE Books; 1993.9 . HSE. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Miscellaneous Amendments; Regulations 2002. Guidance on Regulations L26. 2nd ed. London: HSE Books; 2003.10 . HSE. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. Guidance on Regulations L25. London: HSE Books; 2005.11 . HSE. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L22. London: HSE Books; 1998.12 . HSE. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L5 . 5th ed. London: HSE Books; 2005.13 . Sections 1–4 URN No 06.1908A and Sections 5–11 URN No 06/1908B . London: DTI; 2006.14 . Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Briefing Paper No 22. The Working Time Regulations 1998. London: CSP; 2002.15 . HSE. Safety Representative and Safety Committees Regulations 1996 L87.
eBook - PDF- S.T.A.L.K Education, South West Gauteng College(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Macmillan(Publisher)
167 Topic 4: Health and Safety according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act Health and Safety according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act Overview All people are entitled to human rights. These rights include the right to a safe environment and this includes the environment of the workplace. How do we know what is acceptable in the workplace regarding Health and Safety and what can we use as a guideline for being safe at work? South Africa’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) of 1993 sets down, for both employees and employers, how issues of Health and Safety should be handled in the workplace. Companies usually also have their own policies regarding Health and Safety issues, and in most cases their policies are based on the Act. We have included a copy of the Act for you in this book (see Appendix A). After completing Topic 4, you should be aware of the correct policy and procedures to follow in terms of Health and Safety at work. It is important to be aware that the responsibility for a safe environment does not only lie with the employer but also with the employees of a company. The Subject Outcomes for Topic 4, Health and Safety according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act include: ● Workplace procedures for identifying hazards in the work environment ● Controlling the risk of potential hazards ● Contributing and participating in the management of occupational Health and Safety Topic 4 168 Topic 4 169 Module 1: Identifying hazards and controllings risks Identifying hazards and controlling risks Overview After completing Module 1, you should be able to: ● Explain workplace procedures for identifying and reporting hazards ● Explain the importance of identifying hazards and reporting them to the appropriate people ● Explain the workplace procedures for dealing with fires, accidents and other types of emergency within own scope, responsibilities and competencies ● Identify and understand the relevant Health and Safety legislation.
eBook - PDF- Brian Atkin, Adrian Brooks(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
6 Health, Safety, Security and the Environment Key points The following points are covered in this chapter. • The importance of Health and Safety in the workplace must be expanded to cover operational security for all users and that includes service per- sonnel and visitors to the facility. • The health, safety and security of personnel should be the concern of all organizations; the inability of a minority to act responsibly means that legislation is necessary to force minimum standards of behaviour. • Increasingly, the broader concept of health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE) is being adopted by organizations as they focus on the well-being of people and the protection of property and the natural environment. • Legislation varies from country to country in terms of its enactment but all share a common set of principles, the most fundamental of which is that it is unacceptable for someone to be injured in the course of their work; risk of injury cannot be dismissed as simply an occupational hazard. • Compliance with health, safety and environmental legislation applies to everybody in the workplace and includes shared parts of a facility and the grounds in which it is located. • A competent person must be appointed or act as a consultant to assist in complying with legislation, irrespective of whether services are provided in-house or outsourced. • A policy statement must be produced and communicated to all stake- holders and should speak to the people and not be a mere check-the-box exercise. Total Facility Management, Fifth Edition. Brian Atkin and Adrian Brooks. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2021 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Health, Safety, Security and the Environment 107 • Zero accidents should be a goal for all organizations; it goes beyond try- ing harder to reduce or avoid accidents by redesigning working practices to remove exposure to hazards and risks that would otherwise harm per- sonnel or property.
eBook - PDF- Max Messmer, Anne M. Bogardus, Connie Isbell(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
The regulations that apply depend on your particular company and industry. In addition, although the Occupational Safety and Health Act is applicable throughout the United States, it permits states to implement their own plans with requirements above and beyond the federal regulations. More than twenty states have adopted their own plan, so it’s important that you familiarize yourself with both federal and state laws regarding safety and health. When in doubt, consult an attorney. Health and Safety: THE BOTTOM LINE Although most people agree that a healthful, safe, and secure work environ- ment benefits employees, some business owners question how this environ- ment contributes to the achievement of corporate goals. They argue that the cost of improving Health and Safety adds no value to the bottom line; instead, it has the opposite effect of making it more difficult to compete in world markets by increasing product costs. The answer to this argument is that occupational Health and Safety programs make significant contributions to the achievement of corporate goals by reducing costs, building good will in the community, protecting assets, and improving productivity. 12.3.1 Employer Responsibilities and Rights As discussed in Section 12.1 of this chapter, the OSH Act has three require- ments, two of which pertain to employers. Not only must employers provide a workplace that is safe and healthful for employees, they must also comply with established standards. OSHA has established other requirements for employers as required by the law: ▲ Employers are expected to take steps to minimize or reduce hazards and ensure that employees have and use safe tools, equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure that they are properly maintained. ▲ Employers are responsible to inform all employees about OSHA, posting the OSHA poster in a prominent location and making them aware of the standards that apply in the worksite.
eBook - ePub- John Stredwick(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
■ Take all practical steps to ensure adherence to this policy by all staff and other persons undertaking work on behalf of the hospital or who are on the premises.4 Further information and details are included in the full Health and Safety policy document.J. Caring, Chief Executive* This is not the name of the actual hospitalemployees, including top management, as to what actions are necessary and how these can be carried out.Designing, providing and recording Health and Safety trainingSystematic training is essential if procedures are to operate properly. It should start with induction training to ensure that employees who are involved in any hazardous operation have instruction in key areas before they set foot on the work site. Safety instruction should be incorporated into any new processes or where new materials are introduced on to the site. New safety representatives have the right for time off for training and this should be encouraged by the organisation so they can operate efficiently.Liaising with the safety inspectorateBuilding a relationship with the enforcing authorities is essential. Making use of their advice and extensive knowledge can be valuable, especially where new processes or production lines are being planned. A list of necessary actions arising from a late visit by the factory inspector could cause an expensive delay to a new production facility.Helping create a healthy working environmentAll the research indicates that a healthy workforce will be a successful one and a higher-performing one, so being proactive in introducing and encouraging initiatives to support health programmes can make a substantial difference to organisational performance, as shown in case studies 10.5 and 10.6 .CASE STUDY 10.5 WELL-BEING PILOT AT LEGAL & GENERALA well-being pilot at Legal & General that focused on stress and mental health reduced sickness absence by 15 per cent. The insurance giant staged the pilot across two of its sites — Cardiff and Hove — between November 2010 and April 2011, testing three initiatives. These were training for line managers on handling cases of stress; an online programme for staff to monitor their health and raise awareness of pressure points; and additional preventative support for those suffering from low emotional well-being.
eBook - PDF- Frank Bott, Allison Coleman, Allison Coleman, Diane Rowland(Authors)
- 2000(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
• Consultation with safety representatives. • Formation of a safety committee if requested to do so by the safety representatives. These were new statutory obligations with respect to Health and Safety in employment and were designed to assist in achieving the objectives referred to above. 9.4.6 Safety policy For firms employing more than five employees, Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work Act requires employers: To prepare and as often as may be appropriate revise a written statement of general policy with respect to the Health and Safety at work of all employ-ees and the organization and arrangements for the time being in force for carrying out that policy, and to bring the statement and any revision of it to the notice of all employees. The italics have been added to emphasize the salient points of this require-ment. A formal written safety policy to unify safe practice throughout the company is the first step on the way to improving safety standards; in many ways the fact that it is a legal requirement is the least important reason for producing it. Some other advantages created by the production of a safety policy are: • It provides a statement of objectives, which is an important part of effi-cient management; • It clarifies positions and roles and therefore helps establish responsibilities for safety; • It provides a standard for measuring achievement; • Formulation of the safety policy may highlight areas where the organiza-tion is deficient. Health and Safety at work 245 There is no fixed correct formula for producing a safety policy but each needs to be tailored to the particular company concerned. Following the pattern laid down in Section 2(3) produces a policy consisting of three parts, namely, a general statement, the necessary organization and the arrangements for implementing it. Depending on the type of industry and the size of the company, the statement of overall policy may be quite brief.
eBook - PDFAbleism at Work
Disablement and Hierarchies of Impairment
- Paul David Harpur(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
See for discussion Richard Johnstone, Occupational Health and Safety Law and Policy (2nd ed, 2004) Lawbook Co 25–27. 62 John Channing, Safety at Work (8th ed, 2014) Routledge, 240. 63 Sutton v. United Air Lines, Inc., 527 US 471, 489 (1999). 64 Gordon v. Commonwealth of Australia [2008] FCA 603. C 166 Using Occupational Safety and Health Laws hazard eventuating can be quite speculative. Transmission of HIV/AIDS is a real risk, but the potential of it occurring could be very low and difficult to predict in many settings. 65 While it is difficult to predict the impact of well- understood impairments, it is even more difficult when the impairment itself is complex and not widely understood. 66 The causes, impact and treatment of mental disabilities is widely misunder- stood. People with mental disabilities have confronted significant discrimin- ation following high profile violent acts. 67 Reflecting on violence on university campuses, Marisa Giggie reflected that [c]ollege students with severe mental illness may potentially engage in extreme violence . 68 It seems widely accepted that perpetrators who engage in intentional acts of mass violence look at the world differently than mainstream society. NPR’s (National Public Radio) headlines following the October 2017 mass shooting event in Las Vegas shouted: ‘1 Crazy, Insane Nut Made This All Happen’. 69 President Trump in one statement calls the perpetrator ‘evil’, and in other statements calls the perpetrator a ‘sick’ and ‘demented man’. 70 Following such events, Health and Safety and security professionals scramble to attempt to implement measures to manage the risk of copycat violence in spaces they control, which include monitoring people with mental disabilities to continually assess their threat or to exclude anyone who poses a risk. 71 People who engage in threatening conduct, whether it be assault or battery, are criminalised. OHS laws require businesses to seek out risks and control them.
- Ronald R. Sims(Author)
- 2002(Publication Date)
- Praeger(Publisher)
Since getting employees to " think safety" is one of the more effective ways to prevent accidents, this is a major objective of most programs. Many strat- egies are available for promoting safety within an organization. These in- clude making the work interesting, establishing a safety committee, periodically holding safety training, and rewarding employee participation. Indoor environmental quality, HIV-AIDS, substance abuse, stress and occupational diseases are common concerns about safety and health. Oc- 333 334 Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management cupational disease is a particularly difficult problem for many reasons in today's organizations, including the fact that the onset of some disease is gradual and hard to detect. It is likely that organizations will be required to shoulder more responsibility for prevention in the future. Prolonged stress is associated with enough health and accident problems for stress to be an important area of concern for organizations, which need to help employees manage or reduce stress. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) provide avenues for supervisors and organizations to offer help to employ- ees with problems in their personal and work lives. Wellness programs provide opportunities for employers to reduce health care costs. REFERENCES Bureau of National Affairs. 1997a. Workplace fatalities. BNA Bulletin to Manage- ment (August 28): 276-277. Bureau of National Affairs. 1997b. OSHA seeks cooperative compliance. BNA Bid- letin to Management (September 4): 288. Bureau of National Affairs. 1997c. OSHA's cooperative program shoves off. BNA Bulletin to Management (December 25): 416. Bureau of National Affairs. 1998. Initial OSHA reform bills become law. BNA Bulletin to Management (July 30): 236. Code of federal regulations. 1988. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Of- fice, p. 126. The cost of safety. 1980. Wall Street Journal (July 10), p. 18. Hammer, W.
eBook - ePubEmployment Law
The Essentials
- David Lewis, Malcolm Sargeant(Authors)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- CIPD - Kogan Page(Publisher)
169.3 The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
Section 2(1) HASAWA 1974 provides that ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees’. Section 2(2) sets out matters to which this duty includes:17- the provision and maintenance of plant18 and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health
- arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances19
- the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the Health and Safety at work of employees
- so far as is reasonably practicable as regards any place of work under the employer’s control, the maintenance of it in a condition which is safe and without risks to health, and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks
- the provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.20 (On working time, see Chapter 10 .)
9.3.1 Employee involvement
From the outset it was intended that employees should be well informed and consulted about developing and maintaining measures to ensure the Health and Safety of employees. HASAWA 1974 section 2(4–7) provided regulations that could be made for safety representatives. The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 197721 enabled recognised trade unions to appoint representatives and required employers to set up a safety committee if the appointed representative(s) so required. The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 199622 gave similar rights to be consulted to employees lacking union representation. For further consideration of employee consultation, see Chapter 17
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