HRM textbook

564 PART 5 EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
R E V I E W
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CHAPTER SECTION SUMMARIES
1. Safety and accident prevention concerns managers for
several reasons, one of which is the staggering number
of workplace accidents. Because of this, all managers
need to be familiar with occupational safety law.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed
by Congress in 1972 to ensure so far as possible every
working man and woman in the nation safe and
healthful working conditions and to preserve human
resources. The act created the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA, in turn, promulgates
thousands of specific policies and standards
with which employers must comply. It enforces these
standards via a system of inspections and citations
and, where necessary, penalties. Inspectors cannot
make warrantless inspections, and managers need to
make sure a designated OSHA coordinator is present if
an inspector demands admittance.
2. There are three basic causes of workplace accidents:
chance occurrences, unsafe conditions, and employees
unsafe acts. Unsafe conditions include things like
improperly guarded equipment and hazardous procedures.
Unsafe acts sometimes reflect personality traits
such as impatience and distractibility.
3. In practice, how to prevent accidents boils down to
reducing unsafe conditions and reducing unsafe acts.
Reducing unsafe conditions is always the first line of
defense and includes using checklists and following
OSHA standards. Once all necessary steps are taken,
employers need to encourage employees to use personal
protective equipment. There are then several basic
approaches to reducing unsafe acts, for instance,
through proper selection and placement, training, motivation
and positive reinforcement, behavior-based
safety, employee participation, and conducting safety
and health audits.
4. Most workplace health hazards aren t obvious, like
unguarded equipment.
Typical exposure hazards include, for instance, chemicals,
biohazards, and improperly designed equipment.
Managing exposure hazards like these comes under the
area of industrial hygiene, and involves recognition,
evaluation, and control. Obvious areas of concern
include asbestos exposure and infectious diseases.
Managers need to be familiar with alcoholism,
substance abuse, and their manifestations at work
and particularly be familiar with signs of these
problems and how to deal with them.
Stress, burnout, and depression are more serious at
work than many people realize, and both the
employee and employer can take steps to deal with
them. Employers especially need to train supervisors
to identify depression s warning signs and to counsel
those who may need special services.
Violence against employees is an enormous problem.
Women in particular are at risk. Heightened security
measures are an employer s first line of defense and
include, for instance, improving external lighting
and using drop safes to minimize cash on hand.
Improved employee screening can reduce the risk of
hiring potentially violent employees. However,
employers also need to provide workplace violence
training (for instance, including what to watch for
such as verbal threats) and enhanced attention to
employee retention and dismissal processes.
5. Most employers today have occupational security and
safety programs. Instituting a basic facility security
program involves analyzing the current level of risk, and
then installing mechanical, natural, and organizational
security systems.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Explain how to reduce the occurrence of unsafe acts on
the part of your employees.
2. Discuss the basic facts about OSHA its purpose, standards,
inspections, and rights and responsibilities.
3. Explain the supervisor s role in safety.
4. Explain what causes unsafe acts.
5. Describe at least five techniques for reducing accidents.
6. Explain how you would reduce stress at work.
7. Describe the steps employers can take to reduce workplace
violence.