Summary Managing Occupational Health and Safety lecture 1-3 PDF

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CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Occupational Health & Safety  HR bears greatest burden for monitoring an organization’s OH&S—if HR fails to meet this, costs are immense  Occupational health and safety is one of the 8 major content areas defining the practice of HR  Lost-Time Injury: workplace injury that results in the employee missing time from work  Workplace fatalities and injuries are concentrated by industry i.e. construction, manufacturing, and transportation are the most dangerous in terms of workplace fatalities  Occupational Health & Safety: identification, evaluation, control of hazards associated with work environment -Hazards range from chemical, biological, and physical agents to psychosocial disorders (i.e. stress)  Goal of an organization’s health and safety program is to reduce occupational injuries/illnesses  Occupational Injury: any cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation resulting from a workplace accident  Occupational Illness: abnormal disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors of employment  OH&S issues affect a wide range of players—employers, employees, families, and those who contribute to the insurance and compensation systems that have been developed to assist and rehabilitate workers  Health & safety concerns are no longer limited to industrial workers—employees in white-collar environments are worrying about things like repetitive strain injury and sick building syndrome  Rising costs associated with work-related injuries/illness, and public’s decreasing tolerance for work-related hazards underlie the need to understand and implement effective OH&S policies/programs OH&S is about making workplace safer, educating employers how to make the workplace safe – we did something wrong… how can we prevent it from going wrong in the first place? HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY  Concern for OH&S was first evident in late 19 th century, when Ontario passed legislation that established safety standards i.e. mandating guards on machines  By the early 20th century, every jurisdiction in Canada had passed factory laws to regulate heating, lighting, ventilation, hygiene, fire safety, and accident reporting -Inspectors were appointed in each province/territory to enforce standards and conduct regular inspections  Royal Commission on the Relations of Capital and Labour in Canada (1889) had important influence on development of health and safety regulations, by doing the following: -Recommendations for improving health/safety by establishing standards & mandating regular inspections -First to recommend system for compensating victims of industrial accidents, regardless of who was at fault -Recommended that a labour bureau be created to oversee this activities  1960s and 1970s: important time for health and safety in Canada -Implementation of Canada Labour (Standards) Code and the Canada Labour (Safety) Code  1974: Ontario gov’t formed Royal Commission on Health and Safety of Workers in mines -Commission was first to articulate the three typical principal rights of workers: 1. Right to refuse dangerous work without penalty 2. Right to participate in identifying and correcting health and safety problems 3. Right to know about hazards in the workplace -these are still enshrined in current legislation and are basis for many of Canada’s health and safety programs i.e. WHMIS based on fundamental right of workers to know about potential hazards in the workplace CHANGING PERSPECTIVES ON RISK & LIABILITY  Until early 20th century, dominant model of dealing with hazards in workplace was legal doctrine of assumption of risk: belief that a worker accepted risks of employment when he/she accepted a job -Under this doctrine, employers bore little or no responsibility for worker health and safety -Employers did not have to provide compensation to workers unless accident was solely employer’s fault -Associated with the assumption-of-risk doctrine was belief that occupational injuries were caused by worker carelessness – in its most extreme form, this notion was expressed as a belief in the accident-prone personality  Accident Proneness: some individuals inherently more likely than others to be involved in accidents, as a result of individual characteristics (therefore, most accidents caused by small proportion of workers)  Modern health and safety programs have moved beyond these early beliefs, having recognized that enhancing occupational health and safety requires cooperation among multiple stakeholders  Government, employers, and employees all have a role to play in enhancing health and safety outcomes THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH & SAFETY Economic Considerations  Economic costs associated with work-related injury are both direct and indirect  The lost time attributable to injuries exceeds that of labour disruptions such as strikes or lockouts  Direct Costs of Injury: worker’s lost time, time spent in investigating incident, and finding/training of replacement worker  Indirect Costs of Injury: Worker’s compensation, potential fines/legal costs associated with unsafe workplace conditions

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-Labour disputes involving safety issues such as pollutant levels, safety equipment, and first aid facilities result in thousands of lost days of worker production -Incalculable costs are those where employees quit or refuse to work in companies because of safety/health concerns -Negative publicity for companies (i.e. when death, accident or serious health problem becomes public) Direct and indirect estimates must be considered as underestimates of the true costs of workplace injury/illness because: 1. Workplace injuries are not accurately reported 2. Occupational injury statistics do not adequately capture the extent of illnesses that are caused or exacerbated by exposure to workplace conditions Managers who are committed to safety can turn adverse publicity into a marketing and recruitment advantage by advertising their concerns about employee safety Employers that are not concerned about health and safety of employees affect other employers and taxpaying citizens Workers’ Compensation rates are determined by industry sector -A negligent employer forcers others in the sector to pay higher rates, and these costs are significant Unsafe working conditions cause insurance premiums to escalate and health expenditures to increase Industry estimates indicate that upto 90% of safety-related changes can result in positive paybacks through associated reductions in Workers’ Compensation premiums -Programs such as the New Experimental Experience Rating (NEER) reward employers for implementing safe work practices by reducing Workers’ Compensation costs based on the company’s actual experience Organizations have an economic interest in lowering the number of accidents and providing a safe working environment

Legal Considerations  Every worker has legal right to safe working conditions under OH&S acts The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario, section 25(2)(h), requires an employer to “take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker” (due diligence) 

From legal perspective, due diligence is defined as the measure of prudence expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent person under the particular circumstances depending on the relative facts of the special case -It is a standard of conduct measured by what could be expected of a reasonable person in same circumstances -Requires a business to foresee all unsafe conditions or acts and requires it to take precautions to prevent accidents that can be reasonably anticipated -Similarly, workers are required to work in compliance with heath and safety legislation

Moral Considerations  Employers have a moral obligation to employees and their families to provide the safest working environment possible  Management commitment to health and safety results in higher levels of employee motivation to work safely and better organizational safety records  Workers also have a moral responsibility to learn about safety and health, to follow recommended workplace practices, and to be alert and responsible  The economic, human, and social costs associated with workplace injury and illness are intolerable, and both employers and employees must work together to enhance occupational health and safety THE STAKEHOLDERS Government  Ontario was first province to enact compensation legislation with the passage of the Workmen’s Compensation Act (1914) -Legislation provided lost-time wages to almost every injured worker, thereby removing right of workers to sue employers  Two main goals of legislation: 1. To ensure that injured workers received compensation and that employers accepted liability 2. To prevent accidents and illness by establishing safe work environments  As a result of continued improvement to health and safety legislation, the number of workplace accidents declined  Besides passing laws, gov’ts solicit or conduct research on health and safety issues and disseminate information  Federal gov’t has created the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) as a vital health and safety research organization -Organization’s goal is to provide health and safety information to any worker who requests it -Offers online information service (CCINFOWEB-toxicological effects of chemicals/biological agents, MSDS, Canadian health and safety laws) and also produces a wide variety of safety infograms and other publications Employers  The role of a company’s management team is OH&S is pivotal  Managers have the means and authority to monitor workplace and to ensure compliance with safe practices  Organizations also have the resources to hire health and safety professionals  Employer responsible for preparing a written OH&S policy and for ensuring that it is prominently displayed in workplace  Employers are also required to:  Provide and maintain equipment, materials, and protective devices

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 Ensure that manner in which work is performed is safe and that the environment is free from hazards and serious risks  Monitor their workplace and report minor, critical, disabling, and fatal injuries, as well as occupational illnesses and toxic substances (and to maintain records of these occurrences for many years)  Establish health and safety committees with strong employee representation; alert employees to any known or perceived risks and hazards in the workplace  Provide employees with health and safety training Managers must be trained to recognize and control unsafe working environments—they cannot monitor and control what they do not recognize as unsafe In order to fulfill their responsibilities, managers must receive health and safety training

Employees  As individuals, employees are required to perform their duties and tasks in a safe and responsible manner and to wear protective equipment in compliance with company and legislative regulations  They are also required to report defective equipment and other workplace hazards to the safety professional, the Joint Health and Safety Committee, or the managers  Any employees who feel that particular activity will endanger them or others have the right to refuse to carry it out  Internal Responsibility System (IRS): system of shared responsibility for health and safety that is the basis for most Canadian OH&S legislation -“Internal” in that responsibility for health and safety is internal to workplace and not dependent on external regulation - Internal in sense that it is the way we do our work—safety is not an add-on, it is an intrinsic feature of the way we work - Each person—from CEO on down—has specific and personal responsibilities for safety that vary according to the nature of their role in the organization -It is a “system” that is both (a) based on people in the system interacting and (b) self-correcting i.e. self-correcting mechanisms that are frequently enshrined in legislation would include procedures for work refusals or work stoppages and the institution of joint occupational health and safety committees

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Employees are granted three specific rights that enable them to participate in ensuring a safe workplace: 1. Right to refuse unsafe work 2. Right to be made aware of workplace hazards (the right to know) 3. Right to participate in OH&S decisions—typically through an OH&S committee

Organized Labour  Important role to play in ensuring the proper management of safety at work  One role is to bring emerging problems and issues in health and safety to the attention of government/employers and to pressure other stakeholders to take corrective action  Organized labour and professional associations have also used the collective bargaining process to incorporate health and safety provisions in many contracts -These labour contracts attempt to formalize voluntary measures and extend legislative programs i.e. some contracts state that a union must have a FT safety rep in all plants. Others may bargain for more training on safety measures or more information on exposure to known toxic chemicals PARTNERSHIPS  Though all stakeholders support the concept of safe working conditions, not everyone is committed to implementing OH&S programs for many reasons  Employers more concerned with production quotas than safety records, because costs of production are more visible  Employers may clean up their locations just before an announced safety inspection, thus ensuring a pass  Sometimes, managers do not recognize unsafe conditions, or they feel unable to do anything bout those they do identify  Employers may be unaware of methods and instruments by which rigorous monitoring of the workplace can be achieved  Another barrier to the implementation of OH&S programs is that the general medical establishment is neither well versed nor well trained in OH&S issues and occupational medicine i.e. effects of some industrial diseases are not apparent for years and are complicated by factors such as worker’s lifestyle and failure to follow safety regulations such as wearing protective equipment

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One way to overcome barriers to implementation is to form alliances among the stakeholders Three parties—employers, employees, and unions—have the same goal: reduction of injuries and illnesses It is a win-win situation in bargaining -Employer, by investing in health and safety programs, gains economically through reduction in direct and indirect costs; it also gains through improved public image that strengthens employee loyalty and increase marketing opportunities -Employees gain through reduced risk of work-related injuries and illnesses -Unions gain through their ability to successfully champion health and safety interests of their clients The federal and most provincial governments require every organization with 20 or more employees to establish a Joint Health and Safety Committee (i.e. one that includes employers and workers) -Ontario has no requirement regarding minimum # of employees if a designated substance—such as asbestos—is present -Committees respond to accidents; monitor the workplace; notify authorities about serious hazards, critical injuries, or deaths; hear complaints; and make recommendations

HEALTH & SAFETY PROFESSIONALS  One way to develop an effective OH&S program is to employ health and safety professionals -These people can be found through associations, Yellow Pages, or safety associations and provincial departments -However, there are no legal requirements for the practice of OH&S  Doing so can produce returns equal to factors of two or more times the salaries paid  Managers and HR experts cannot be expected to develop, manage, and evaluate an OH&S program, particularly when the issues cover the spectrum from chemical hazards to workplace violence Canadian registered safety professionals (CRSPs) are trained to: (1) Identify/appraise workplace hazards and evaluate the severity of an accident or loss (2) Develop and communicate hazard control policies, methods, and programs (3) Devise motivational programs to integrate safety procedures into operations (4) Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and revise them as necessary

THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCES  Three Es: traditional approach to occupational health and safety that emphasized engineering, education, and enforcement -Goal was to develop engineering solutions to ensure safe work environments, equipment, and personal protective devices -To that end, health and safety professionals were tasked with educating supervisors and employers in use of equipment -Health and safety programs focused on enforcing existing regulations and practices  Although these approaches have succeeded in creating safer workplaces, we now recognize that the three Es do not provide a total solution and that focusing on the people side of the workplace is likely to result in more safety Safety Is a People Issue  Though great advances have been made through engineering solutions, it is increasingly apparent that effective safety programs depend on developing individual skills and abilities and on motivating individuals – these are the traditional concerns of HR departments  Through orientation and other training programs, HR professionals develop employee knowledge and skills  Through a variety of strategies including compensation and awareness programs, HR motivates safe working  Safety leadership, safety climate, HR practices like job design are all linked to safety outcomes  Management programs like the implementation of high-performance work systems or lean manufacturing have implications for occupational safety  Safety concerns have direct implications for outcomes such as stress and turnover, traditional areas of HR concern  HR decisions may affect safety even if safety was not considered at the time of the decision

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i.e. research on job insecurity suggests that when individuals fear losing their jobs they are more likely to “cut corners”, ignore safety rules, and work unsafely. Therefore, a rumor of corporate restructuring or plans for a layoff may have an impact on safety even though the two are not obviously connected Work scheduling (i.e. number of hours worked) and work overload also have direct implications for safety

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-Individuals who are tired, under time pressure, or overworked may not be as attentive to safety issues HR professionals need to monitor organizational changes with an eye to their impact on OH&S

Safety Requires Legislative Compliance  OH&S is a very well developed area of labour law  Numerous standards and requirements are imposed on employers to maintain workplace safety  HR already ensures compliance with other areas of labour law (i.e. employment equity, human rights legislation) and thus are well versed in dealing with such concerns Safety Decreases Costs  Workers’ Compensation premiums, long-term disability coverage, sick-time provisions, and health plans all add to the costs of doing business—it is the responsibility of HR to see that such costs are minimized  Aside from minimizing costs, HR needs to ensure that benefits and organization pays for are used most effectively to help injured workers and ensure a promptly return to health and to work Safety Related to Other Human Resources Functions  Safety programming in organizations often hinges on training initiatives, a traditional HR function  Research has established links between job insecurity and safety, such that individuals who experience job insecurity are more likely to commit safety violations  Performance-based pay systems have been associated with increased injury rates; the implementation of teams in organizations may be associated with reduced injuries...