Question

[PHB] is an organisation in the building industry and is currently experiencing problems with managing their workplace health and safety issues. Senior management of the organisation is concerned for many reasons. Senior management wishes to develop a strategic human resource model for managing their workplace health and safety.

When formulating such a model what would you advise senior management is the major range of issues that need to be considered.------- 1500 words

Answer 1

Answer:

While developing a human resource model, the senior management of PHB should take into consideration the following issues:

1. Organisation should strictly follow the standards and the regulations of OSHA and should comply with them.

2. Semi annual inspections and the audits should be carried out by the management of the organisation through OSHA and organisation should act on the recommendations made by the audit team.

3. Organisation should employ one health and safety manager and should allot a sufficient number of assistants to the manager.

4. Health and safety manager should be allotted with the responsibilities of conducting health and safety trainings at the workplace in coordination with OSHA.

5. Organisation should allot the necessary resources to the health and safety manager of the organisation and should conduct a mock drive for checking any hazardous situation in the organisation.

6. As far as building construction sites are concerned, most number of fatalities and incidence occurs because of the worker falling from the height. Health and safety manager should provide the necessary trainings to the workers of the company before they commence their work. Necessary emergency kits should also be provided to the worker working on height. Planning and supervising of working from the height is also important. Precautionary measures should be taken by the workers and the supervisor before the commencement of the work. It is also necessary to avoid most of the activities being carried out at height that could be carried out on the ground. The effect of fall should be minimised by the provision of the equipments such as foam and net.

7. Moving objects should be appropriately used and the risk of hazard resulting from them should be minimised. These moving objects include the Crain, lifting equipments, digging equipments, etc. Many a times, accidents occur because the operator of the moving object fails to notice the presence of the worker in the working area because of which the operator accidently hits the worker and accident occurs. It is therefore necessary that the workers are provided with the equipments which make them more visible such as visibility jackets, overhead lights, etc.

8. Construction sites have uneven surfaces and terrains and the unused material at the site. These things make the building surface and the construction sites slippery making the area more hazardous. These surfaces are required to be properly managed in such a way that even when a person approaches these areas, he/she does not fall prey to the accident. For uneven surfaces, provision of well maintained and clearly defined walkways should be made. Wires and cables should be properly insulated and should be kept away from the approach of the general workers.

9. Excessive noise at the workplace should be dealt appropriately by giving it proper attention. High decibel of noise may create the permanent hearing problem in an individual. Therefore the manager should provide the noise cancellation ear buds to the workers.

10. Working at the construction sites with the unprotected eyes may lead to the entering of hazardous material or particle in the eyes and the worker may experience faulty vision or he/she may become blind. Protective eyewear should be provided to the worker.

11. Material handling should be supervised properly. Hot and heavy material should be handled through the use of machinery and other equipments which are meant for the effective material handling purpose.

12. It has been sometime observed that, the overhead slabs of the building collapse even when the workers are inside the construction site. Regular checking of the slab unless it becomes rigid and safe is required to be carried out for the safety of the workers as its collapsing may kill the workers inside.

13. Open and live wires, welding machines and other open sources of electrical instruments pose a huge threat to the life of the worker. The worker may come directly or indirectly in contact with these instruments as large quantity of good conductors of electricity are present at the construction sites. These instruments should be properly maintained and should always be kept away from the workers in such a way that they do not come directly or indirectly in contact with these instruments. Using the latest technological devices may reduce this harm further.

14. Accidents and ill health caused by hazardous working conditions may charge the organisation with the heavy financial costs. It may also invoke the legal actions that could be taken against the organisation.

15. Well maintained healthy and safe environment increases the productivity of the worker and the worker works with enthusiasm at the site.

The above issues are needed to be taken care of at the construction site. Along with these issues, the management should also consult the health and safety managers of the contractors who are commissioned on the government handled sites and should make a detailed analysis of how they comply with the health and safety issues. The management should also provide the general insurance to the workers so that they could get the compensation in case of the occurrence of any untoward incident.