Impact of The Occupational Safety and Health Act - Essay Example

Human factors and workplace safety Impact of OSHA and other regulations Introduction: The staggering number of work-related accidents in U.S.A is alarming. 6,026 U.S workers died recently in workplace incidents at work and 6.2 million suffered from workplace injuries. In 2004, 5,703 fatalities have been reported of which 1004 were due to contact with equipments, 815 because of falls, 459 due to exposure to harmful substances and 159 due to fire and explosions. Occupational hazards are numerous and expensive to the organizations (Bohlander 2004,341). Today, there are laws that safeguard the employee's physical and emotional well- being. As per Herzberg's theory, working conditions, which assure safety, is a factor of motivation for the employees. Organizations should thus, ensure a safe work environment, which protects employees from physical hazards, unhealthy situations and violence from other personal. This is important because employees are the Human Resources of an organization who contribute towards organizational success. Health and Safety Law: The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was passed in 1970 to assure so far as possible every working woman and man in the Nation safe and healthy working conditions and to preserve human resources. The Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration within the Department of labour in U.S.A. The importance of such laws can be well documented by the statistical survey of Occupational hazards. In 2000, 5.7 million injuries were reported in private sector alone. 5,915 fatalities were reported in 2000 alone due to industrial injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Act laws cover all the employers and their employees except a few federal governments, or states or political sub-divisions of a state. However, even in such cases, each federal agency is required to establish a Safety and Health program monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One of the key responsibilities of the Occupational Safety and Health administration has been the development of mandatory job safety and health standards, enforce these standards and monitor them. These standards have been classified into four categories. 1. General Industry 2. Maritime 3. Construction and 4. Agriculture. These standards cover the workplace, machinery, material, power sources, processing, protective measures, first aid and administrative requirements. The 'Federal Register' is the main source of information on proposed, adapted, amended and deleted OSHA standards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has the power to set standards on its own account or on petition from other parties, namely, The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other bodies like state and local governments, recognized standards organization, employer or labour representative can also initiate standard setting. The Secretary of labour is the person authorized by OSHA to conduct inspections of workplaces, to issue citations and impose penalties. He can enter without delay at reasonable times into any factory, plant, establishment, construction site or other places where work is performed by an employee of an employer. He has the power to investigate and inspect at reasonable times, any such work place. Violations on job safety and health can call for a penalty of $7000 to $70,000, depending on the seriousness of the violation. In case of deaths due to willful violation, a penalty upto $2,50,000 for an individual and $5,00,000 for a corporation with imprisonment upto six months can be imposed as per this law. In 2001 alone, $82 million has been imposed as penalties for violation of OSHA standards. Pennzoil products paid $1.5 million after an explosion at its Rouseville, Pennsylvania, refinery killed 5 employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also helps employers develop effective workplace safety and Health Programmes. This includes On-site Consultation and Voluntary Protection Programs (VPPs). A Safe Work Environment What causes accidents : According to OSHA, there are three basic causes of workplace accidents.1.Chance occurrence, 2.Unsafe conditions and 3. Unsafe employee acts. Since chance occurrence is beyond human control, the other two are to be focused. 1. Unsafe working conditions: Unsafe working conditions cause accidents. Unsafe working conditions include poorly guarded equipment, defective equipment, hazardous operational procedure, lack of illumination and ventilation. About one third of the industrial accidents have been found to occur around forklift trucks, wheelbarrows, lifting areas, around transmission machinery like gears, pulleys and flywheels. Ladders, walkways, stairs and scaffolds are common sites of accidents. Apart from unsafe workplace conditions, the job itself, the work schedule and the psychological climate of the workplace also plays a role in work related accidents. 2. Unsafe employee acts: OSHA observed in Ford's Boiler explosion case that the worker's failed to close the valve that connects the furnace and hence, there was a blast killing 6 people. Thus, it is evident that unsafe working conditions alone are not the cause of industrial accidents. How to prevent accidents: Occupational accidents can be prevented by reducing unsafe conditions and unsafe employee acts. Reducing unsafe conditions is the first component of prevention of occupational hazards. Removal of physical hazards by job designs, and identifying hazards by checklist procedures helps reduce unsafe conditions. The remedial measures can be simple removal of debris on ladder or scaffold, floor coatings, mats and lighting, supply of slip- resistant footwear, cut resistant gloves, protective clothing or designing job properly with hazard watch supervisors and job rotation. Safety glass saved the eyesight of an electric arc flash worker on 13 June 2005.The accident was so serious that the protective glass was covered with molten copper and fuse filler, which would have blinded him completely (http://www.occupationalhazards.com/safety_zones/52/). Safety Programs The fact that the law demands a safe work environment triggers a 'Safety Program' in every Organization. Organizations with Safety Programs implement OSHA standards by various activities. 1. Safety Awareness Promotion: Most organizations have a Safety Awareness Programme that includes lectures, commercially produced films, Video shows and pamphlets, which teach employees safe work procedures. They also create awareness on safety hazards that occur on account of the non-compliance of Safety norms. 2. Proactive Safety Training Program: Safety training programs include First aid, Defensive driving training, Accident prevention techniques, Hazardous materials awareness and Emergency procedures training. Most of the programs train the employees about the use of emergency first aid equipment and Safety equipment. Off - the job safety - at home, on the Highway like protection against injuries away from the job have a cost implication for the employer. Employee's ideas and experience offer valuable contributions in Safety programs. Montgomery, Pa., company encourages employees to serve on safety committees (http://www.occupationalhazards.com/safety_zones/52/article.phpid=14209). Enforcing Safety Rules: Safety rules and regulations are communicated through supervisors, bulletin boards, employee handbooks and signs attached to machines/equipments. Regular safety meetings refer to the use of safety devices, proper work procedures, good housekeeping procedures, complying with accident-injury reporting, safety clothing and avoiding carelessness. It is true that discipline makes employees to work safely. But it is voluntary willingness from the employee that will last for a long period. All the employee safety programs aim at this employee involvement in the safety aspects of the organization. OSHA requirements demand that organizations with eleven or more employees should maintain records of work related occupational hazards. A recordable case is an injury or illness that results in death, days away from duty, restricted work or transfer to another job due to disability, or medical treatment beyond first aid (Bohlander, 2004,341). A Healthy Work Environment: Gone are those days when health hazards were attributed to jobs found industrial operations. In recent years, health hazards in jobs outside the plant, in health care facilities and other places have been recognized. Chemical hazards: More than 65,000 chemicals are currently in use in U.S.A with which human beings come into constant contact. Many of these chemicals are harmful and pose a serious health hazard. Numerous chemicals have been designated as hazardous to biological system and these chemicals pose an occupational health hazard to workers who are constantly in contact with them. These chemicals are often toxic, mutagenic/carcinogenic, causing serious diseases like Cancer and disabilities of various kinds. Even children born to women working in nickel refinery have been found to have Genital malformations. This offers understanding of the seriousness of occupational hazards due to chemicals (Vaktskjold 2006,247). More than 1 million U.S workers are at risk of silicosis; most of them are sand blasters who are exposed to crystalline silica. Silicosis leads to death and silicosis victims are high-risk tuberculosis patients. Asbestos workers have the risk of two types of cancer, i.e. cancer of the lung tissue and mesothelioma, cancer of the thin membrane surrounding the lung. The biggest problem here is that the diseases do not develop immediately but appear after a few years of exposure. Workers, exposed to Asphalt used in road paving, riding, and concrete work have the risk of skin cancer. Lead has a toxic effect on the nervous system. High exposure of lead damages kidneys and can cause fetal abortion and reduced sperm count. OSHA standards demand that all chemical must be labeled with the identity of the contents and have hazard warnings. The labels should be in English and employees must be able to cross-reference the label to the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). Employees should be trained in methods used to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals, the physical problems caused by them and the ways to protect themselves by way of protective clothing and masks. The potential danger the chemicals pose on reproductive health, their carcinogenic effect, mutagenic effect makes it important for the Organizations to inform the employees on the chemical hazards. The extensive use of computers and video display terminals in organizations have been the causative agent for complaints like blurred vision, sore eyes and glare in employees. Muscular aches, pain in the neck are common complaints of VDT operators. Placing the computer screen four to nine inches below eye level, keeping the monitor directly in front of the employee and use of screens are recommended remedies for such video display hazards. Cumulative trauma disorders or Repetitive motion injuries are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints and spinal discs caused by stress and strains. One of the common conditions is Carpel tunnel syndrome, which causes tingling or numbness in the fingers. Without proper treatment employees with this syndrome can permanently lose feeling in their hands. This trauma disorder is common in meat cutters, fish filleters, cooks, textile workers, violinists, flight attendants and those workers whose jobs require repetitive motion of the fingers, hands or arms. Ergonomic techniques have been recommended and successfully used to improve or correct workplaces that cause cumulative trauma disorders. Workplace violence: Employees who have contact with the public, exchange money, deliver passengers, goods, work in health care or criminal settings are at a greater risk of encountering workplace violence, Analyzing the workplace to uncover areas of potential violence, preventing and controlling violence by designing safe workplaces and work practices, providing violence prevention training to the employees are some of the recommendations of OSHA. A Clean Work Environment Indoor Air Quality: "Sick building Syndrome" (SBS) and 'Building related illness' (BRI) gives rise to employee complaints such as headaches, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue, ear, eye and throat irritations. According to the American Lung Association, four ways to overcome air pollution in buildings are 1.Elumination of tobacco smoke 2. Adequate ventilation 3. Maintaining a ventilating system 4. Removing pollution sources. Noise pollution has a adverse impact on the productivity. The impact of pollution at workplace on productivity has been well investigated. Studies on the impact of pollution at work environment in productivity reveal a tendency of reduction in the economic activity (Marrewijk 2005,144). Conclusion: Safety program at a Missoure, ABB Business Services plant resulted in 80% reduction of OSHA cases and $560,000 recorded as profit. 75 million working days are lost because of on-job-hazards. $50 billion are given as compensation for injuries and deaths in organizations. $50 billion is spent on indirect costs like replacement, training and so on (Bohlander 2004,341). On average $23,000 per serious accident- is the cost incurred by an employer in U.S.A. When a boiler explosion killed 6 workers at Ford's Rouge Power Plant, Ford was fined $1.5 million and directed to spend $6million on safety measures. A cost-oriented manager understands the importance of avoiding accidents in his organization. Costs associated with leave due to illness, disability compensations and alternate skilled employee placement are huge and have a negative impact on employee morale. Compensation costs for accidents have soared sky high. It should be recognized that effective cost management on compensations starts before the occupational accidents and not after. This involves safety measures and strict enforcement of safety policies. After the accident, the injury is always psychologically and physically traumatic. First aid with counseling followed by proper medical attention, proper documentation of the accident as per form 301 of OSHA and encouraging a speedy recovery solves most of the problems. The most important aspect of management of worker accidents is development of 'return to work' program'. References: Bohlander, Snell, Thomson. 2004. Managing Human Resources, South- Western, International Student Edition. Charles Van Marrewijk.2005. Geographical economics and the role of pollution on location, Journal of Environmental Economics. Vol.111 (3). ICFAI university press, India. Gary Dessler.2004.Human Resource Management, 9th editions, Prentice Hall of India. J. Donald Miller.2005. Screening and monitoring; Tools of prevention. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.28 (8); 544-546 Kathlyn Reed.1999.Concepts of Occupational Therapy, 4th edition, Lippincott Williams-Wilkins. Robert.2003.A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine. , 3rd edition, Lippincott Williams-Wilkins. Terry. M et.al.1998.Making sense of OSHA standards with medical requirements; Part 1. Applied occupational and environmental hygiene, Volume 13(3); 144-148, March. William E. et.al.1998.Conference on Medical screening and Biological monitoring for the effects of exposure in the work place-.Part 1.Journal of occupational medicine.28(8); 544-791,Aug. William E. et.al.1986.Conference on Medical screening and Biological monitoring for the effects of exposure in the work place. Part 2. , Journal of occupational medicine; 28(10); 901-1126,Aug. www.osha.gov www.ccohs.ca www.iosh.co.uk www.occupationalhazards.com www.puresafety.com Read More