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PART FIVE EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS
C H A P T E R
F o u r t e e n
Improving Occupational
Safety, Health, and Risk
Management
14
Lecture Outline
In Brief: This chapter outlines
occupational safety laws, and then
discusses causes of accidents and
how to prevent them. There is also a
section devoted to employee health,
stress, company security, and risk
management.
Interesting Issues: The role of
understand the nature of work and
jobs, whereas others view it as the
only check and balance available to
help save employees’ lives and
limbs.
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ANNOTATED OUTLINE
I. Employee Safety and Health: An Introduction
A. Why Safety Is Important There is a staggering number of work accidents.
Also, accidents are expensive.
B. Management’s Role in Safety Reducing accidents often boils down to
reducing accident-causing conditions and accident-causing acts. DuPont’s good
safety record is partly due to an organizational commitment to safety.
C. The Supervisor’s Role in Accident Prevention The local supervisor is
responsible for the day-to-day inspections to ensure worker safety.
D. A Manager’s Briefing on Occupational Law The Occupational Safety and
Health Act was passed in 1970 to preserve the nation’s human resources by
assuring so far as possible that every worker has safe and healthy working
1. OSHA Standards and Record Keeping Employers with 11 or more
employees must maintain a record of, and report, occupational injuries and
occupational illnesses.
E. OSHA Inspections and Citations
1. Inspection Priorities Imminent dangers, catastrophes and fatal accidents,
employee complaints, high-hazard industries, and follow-up inspections.
2. The Inspection Inspectors look for violations of all types. The citations
inform the employer and employees of the regulations and standards that
have been violated and the time set for rectifying the problem.
3. Penalties OSHA can impose penalties ranging from $5,000 up to $70,000
for willful or repeated serious violations, although in practice the penalties
can be far higher.
F. OSHA Responsibilities and Rights of Employers and Employees — Employers
are responsible for providing a hazard-free workplace, being familiar with
mandatory OSHA standards, and examining workplace conditions to make sure
they conform to applicable standards. Employees are responsible for complying
II. What Causes Accidents?
A. Unsafe Working Conditions — Unsafe conditions are one main cause of
accidents. Three other work-related accident factors: the job itself, the work
schedule, and the psychological climate of the workplace.
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1. Safety Climate — A set of mostly psychological factors that set the stage for
employees to act unsafely.
2. Other Working Condition Factors — Work schedules and fatigue also affect
accident rates.
3. Unsafe Acts — People usually cause accidents through unsafe acts.
4. What Traits Characterize “Accident–Prone” People? — People who are
III. How to Prevent Accidents
A. Reduce Unsafe Conditions — Reducing unsafe conditions is always an
employer’s first line of defense. Safety engineers should design jobs to remove
hazards; additionally, supervisors and managers should help identify and remove
potential hazards.
1. Job Hazard Analysis — A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating
hazards before they occur.
2. Operational Safety Reviews — Reviews conducted by agencies to ascertain
B. Provide Personal Protective Equipment After addressing unsafe conditions,
management can make available personal protective equipment (PPE). For
example, Prevent Blindness America estimates that each year, more than
700,000 Americans injure their eyes at work, and that employers could avoid
90% of these injuries with safety eyewear.
C. Diversity Counts — Because they are often new to working, employers should
D. Reduce Unsafe Acts First, identify and try to eliminate potential risks, such as
unguarded equipment. Next, reduce potential distractions, such as noise, heat,
and stress. Then, carefully screen and train employees.
E. Screen to Reduce Unsafe Acts — Screening is another way to reduce unsafe
F. Provide Safety Training — Is especially appropriate for new employees. Many
employers are creating websites devoted to safety training.
G. Use Posters, Incentives, and Positive Reinforcement — Should be combined with
other tools to create a safety program.
H. Foster a Culture of Safety A facility with a safety-oriented culture exhibits:
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I. Establish a Safety Policy and Set Specific Loss Control Goals The company’s
written safety policy should emphasize that accident prevention is of the utmost
importance at the firm. Set safety goals in terms of frequency of lost-time injuries
per number of full-time employees.
J. Conduct Regular Safety and Health Inspections — On all premises for possible
K. Organize a Safety Committee Employee safety committees can improve
workplace safety.
IV. Employee Engagement Guide for Managers
A. Milliken& Company-World-Class Safety through Employee Engagement —
Milliken& Company designs, manufactures, and markets chemicals, floor
coverings, protective fabrics, and textiles. They have highly engaged employees
and extraordinarily low workplace illness and injury rates.
B. Involvement-Based Employee Engagement — The Safety Steering Committee,
runs the program that includes subcommittees for Rules & Procedures,
V. Workplace Health: Problems and Remedies
A. Chemicals, Air Quality, and Industrial Hygiene OSHA standards list exposure
limits for about 600 chemicals, such as benzene. Managing such exposure
hazards comes under the area of industrial hygiene, and involves recognition,
evaluation, and control. First, the facility’s health and safety officers must
B. Alcoholism and Substance Abuse — Are serious and widespread problems at
work because they usually lead to declines in the quality and quantity of work.
1. Dealing with Substance Abuse — Various techniques can be used to deal
with these problems, which include: a drug-free workplace policy, supervisor
training, employee education, employee assistance, and drug testing.
2. Tools — Several tools are available to screen for alcohol or drug use.
C. Job Stress and Burnout — A variety of external environmental factors can lead to
job stress. Personal factors also influence stress — no two people react to the
same job in the very same way. Human consequences of stress include anxiety,
depression, anger, and various physical consequences.
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1. Reducing Your Own Job Stress — Can range from getting more sleep and
eating better to finding a more suitable job, getting counseling, and planning
each day’s activities.
2. What the Employer Can Do — One’s relationship with his or her immediate
supervisor is an important factor in one’s peace of mind at work.
3. Burnout — Burnout is the total depletion of physical and mental resources
4. Depression Depressed workers cost their employers $44 billion per year
in absenteeism or in reduced performance at work.
5. Sitting — People who sit a lot are in poorer health and need to get up and
walk around about 30 to 40 times a day.
D. Computer Monitor and Ergonomic Health Problems and How to Avoid Them—
Short-term eye problems (such as burning, itching, tearing, eyestrain, and eye
E. Infectious Diseases Employers can take steps to prevent the entry or spread
of infectious diseases from other countries. Steps include monitoring, daily
F. Workplace Smoking In general, you can probably deny a job to a smoker as
VI. Occupational Security and Risk Management
A. Enterprise Risk Management Potential risks include, for instance, natural
disaster risks, financial risks, and risks to the firm’s computer systems. However,
human capital risks would also rank high. These include safety risks like those
B. Preventing and Dealing with Violence at Work — Violence against employees
has become an enormous problem at work, including homicide and robbery.
1. Improve Employee Screening — Screen potentially explosive employees and
applicants by instituting a rigorous pre–employment investigation as a line of
defense.
2. Use Workplace Violence Training — Should supplement enhanced security
and screening.
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C. Setting up a Basic Security Program Instituting a basic facility security
program requires four steps: analyzing the current level of risk, and then
installing mechanical, natural, and organizational security systems.
D. Terrorism — Using a ten-step process, the employer can help to [protect its
employees and physical assets from a terrorist attack.
E. Emergency Plans and Business Continuity The possibility of emergencies
prompted by fires, attacks, and similar issues means that employers need facility
KEY TERMS
Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970
The law passed by Congress in 1970 “to assure so far as possible
every working man and woman in the nation safe and healthful
working conditions and to preserve our human resources.”
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration(OSHA)
The agency created within the Department of Labor to set safety and
health standards for almost all workers in the United States.
Citations
Summons informing employers and employees of the regulations
and standards that have been violated in the workplace.
Job hazard analysis
A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating hazards before
they occur, and focuses on the relationship between the worker, the
task, the tools, and the work environment and ends by reducing the
potential risks to acceptable levels.
Operational safety reviews
Reviews conducted by agencies to ascertain whether units under
their jurisdiction are complying with all the applicable safety laws,
regulations, orders, and rules.
Safety awareness program
Program that enables trained supervisors to orient new workers
arriving at a job site regarding common safety hazards and simple
prevention methods.
Workaholic
People who feel driven to always be on time and meet deadlines
and so normally place themselves under greater stress than do
others.
Burnout
The total depletion of physical and mental resources caused by
excessive striving to reach an unrealistic work–related goal.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
14–1. Discuss OSHA and how it operates. (LO 14.1: Discuss OSHA and how it operates.) This item
can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyLab Management. Student responses will vary.
Copyright © 2019 Pearson Education, Inc.
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14–2. Explain in detail three basic causes of accidents. (LO 14.2: Explain in detail three
14–4. Discuss the basic facts about OSHA—its purpose, standards, inspection, and rights and
14–5. Explain the supervisor’s role in safety. (LO 14.1: Discuss OSHA and how it operates.) Beyond
14–6. Explain what causes unsafe acts. (LO 14.2: Explain in detail three basic causes of accidents.)
Three basic causes are chance occurrences, unsafe conditions, and unsafe acts. People are the
14–7. Explain how an employee could reduce stress at work. (LO 14.5: Discuss major health
problems at work and how to remedy them.) Both environmental and personal factors can lead to
job stress. If individuals are feeling dysfunctional levels of stress due to the work schedule, pace
14–8. Working individually or in groups, answer the question, “Is there such a thing as an
accident-prone person?”Develop your answer using examples of actual people you know
who seemed to be accident prone on some endeavor. (LO 14.2: Explain in detail three basic
14–9. Working individually or in groups, compile a list of the factors at work or in school that
14–10. An issue of the journal Occupational Hazards presented some information about what
happens when OSHA refers criminal complaints about willful violations of OSHA
standards to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Between 1982 and 2002, OSHA referred
119 fatal cases allegedly involving willful violations of OSHA to DOJ for criminal
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACTIVITIES
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prosecution. The DOJ declined to pursue 57% of them, and some were dropped for other
reasons. Of the remaining 51 cases, the DOJ settled 63% with pretrial settlements
involving no prison time. So, counting acquittals, of the 119 cases OSHA referred to the
DOJ, only nine resulted in prison time for at least one of the defendants. “The Department
of Justice is a disgrace,” charged the founder of an organization for family members of
workers killed on the job. One possible explanation for this low conviction rate is that the
crime in cases such as these is generally a misdemeanor, not a felony, and the DOJ
generally tries to focus its attention on felony cases. Given this information, what
implications do you think this has for how employers and their managers should manage
their safety programs, and why do you take that position? (LO 14.1: Discuss OSHA and how
14–11. Recently, a 315-foot-tall, 2-million-pound erection crane collapsed on a construction site in
East Toledo, Ohio, killing four ironworkers. Do you think catastrophic failures like this are
avoidable? If so, what steps would you suggest the general contractor take to avoid a
disaster like this? (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.) Without knowing the
14–12. In groups of three or four students, spend 15 minutes walking around the building in
which your class is held or where you are now, listing possible natural, mechanical, and
organizational security measures you’d suggest to the building’s owner. (LO 14.6: Discuss
14–13. For this activity, you will need the documents titled (1) “HRCI PHR® and SPHR®
Certification body of Knowledge” and (2) “About the Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM) Body of Competency and KnowledgeTM Model and Certification
Exams.” Your instructor can obtain these documents from the Pearson Instructor
Resource Center and pass them on to you. These documents list the knowledge someone
studying for the HRCI or SHRM certification exam needs to have in each area of human
resource management (such as in Strategic Management, and Workforce Planning). In
groups of several students, do four things: (1) review the HRCI and/or SHRM documents;
(2) identify the material in this chapter that relates to the required knowledge the appendix
lists; (3) write four multiple-choice exam questions on this material that you believe would
be suitable for inclusion in the HRCI exam; and (4) if time permits, have someone from
your team post your team’s questions in front of the class, so the students in other teams
Students can find the following assisted-graded writing questions at
www.pearson.com/mylab/management:
14-14. Explain how to prevent accidents at work. (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.)
14-15. How would you go about providing a safer work environment for your employees? (LO 14.3:
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HR in Action Case Incident 1: The Office Safety and Health Program
14–16. Based on your knowledge of health and safety matters and your actual observations of
operations that are similar to ours, make a list of the potential hazardous conditions
employees and others face at LearnInMotion.com. What should they do to reduce the
potential severity of the top five hazards? (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.)
14–17. Would it be advisable for us to set up a procedure for screening out stress-prone or
accident-prone individuals? Why or why not? If so, how should they screen them? (LO
14–18. Write a short position paper on the subject, what should we do to get all our employees to
behave more safely at work? (LO 14.4: Describe how one company uses employee
14-19. Based on what you know and on what other dot-coms are doing, write a short position
paper on the subject, “What can we do to reduce the potential problems of stress and
burnout in our company?” (LO 14.5: Discuss major health problems at work and how to
HR in Action Case Incident 2: Carter Cleaning Company: Motivating Safe Behavior
14–20. How should the firm go about identifying hazardous conditions that should be rectified?
Use data and checklists such as in Figure 14.4 to list at least 10 possible dry cleaning
store hazardous conditions. (LO 14.2: Explain in detail three basic causes of accidents. LO
14–21. Would it be advisable for the firm to set up a procedure for screening out accident-prone
individuals? How should it do so? (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.) There
14–22. In general, how would you suggest the Carters get all employees to behave more safely at
work? (LO 14.1: Discuss OSHA and how it operates. LO 14.4: Describe how one company uses
APPLICATION EXERCISES
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14–23. Describe in detail how you would use motivation to get those who should be wearing
goggles to do so. (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.) They should make it
Experiential Exercise: How Safe Is My University?
Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give you practice in identifying unsafe conditions.
Required Understanding: You should be familiar with material covered in this chapter, particularly that
on unsafe conditions and that in Figure 14.4.
How to Set Up the Exercise/Instructions: Divide the class into groups of four. Assume that each group
is a safety committee retained by your college or university’s safety engineer to identify and report on any
possible unsafe conditions in and around the school building.
Return to the class in about 45 minutes. A spokesperson for each group should list on the board the
unsafe conditions you think you have identified. How many were there? Do you think these also violate
OSHA standards? How would you go about checking?
1. According to information athttp://www.shrm.org/research/benchmarks/pages/default.aspx,
what sorts of benchmarking information can an employer request from SHRM? (None) SHRM
2. Assume you are an HR manager and want to compile a list of what to check in your HR audit.
Use sites such as www.hraudit.com to compile your list. (None) The HR Audit website indicates
WEB-e’s (WEB EXERCISES)
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1. Why is it important to establish a culture of safety? What characterizes a safety-oriented
culture? (LO 14.3: Explain how to prevent accidents at work.) A culture of safety guides employees
2. What steps can an organization take to prevent workplace violence? (LO 14.6: Discuss the main
ADDITIONAL EXERCISES