Environmental Health and Safety Studies Questions - Essay Example

Indirect costs that relate to workplace accidents and injuries include the damage to the tools and equipment used by the worker, the loss of time and the cost of hiring and training other new employees that would be a replacement for the injured employee on either temporary or permanent basis. Other costs include the possibility of rise of insurance premiums as a result of the accident. The indirect costs may sometimes rise to as much as 3 to 4 times that of direct costs. This, however, depends on the type of accident that occurred.

It is impossible to be accurate in determination of actual costs given the uniqueness of each injury type. The type of occupation will help determine the likelihood of a risk occurring, as some occupations expose the workers to much more risk than others. All the same, all jobs expose the employees to risk to certain degrees regardless of one’s occupation. Employers who employ workers in jobs which expose them to high risk would likely incur much more cost than those who involve in jobs with little risk.

In addition, organizations having safety programs have low incidents of accidents, increased productivity and higher worker moral and motivation. Other costs include legal fees in cases where employees sue the company, cost of implementation of accident reduction standards and the cost of conducting investigations. Lastly, since safety training may be instituted following accidents, operations are slowed and therefore profits are reduced. When an employee violates safety rules for the first time, they are summoned and a discussion is held with them over the matter.

They are instructed over the proper procedures and the particular hazards that they control. The instance is kept as a notification in the file of the supervisor. The advance of technology is likely to completely change the profession of occupational health and