Question

Part V. Scenario

West Coast Manufacturing is a new Vancouver manufacturing firm which has been in operations for 5 years with 75 employees. The four owners are all engineers who are brilliant, experienced and generally good people. Unfortunately, they have a littlie knowledge about Health and Safety at the workplace. You’ve worked here for a year now as a Supervisor, and they’ve decided to promote you as the first Operational Manager (HR Manager) as you’ve just completed your course in Workplace Health and Safety, and they’ve been impressed with the many suggestions you have given them since taking this course.

Congratulations! This is your first manager role, and the first real people manager role that company has ever had. The staffs have high expectations from you, and many of your peers are hoping that you will make the workplace a safer place to be. It feels like all eyes are on you as you settle into your new office (actually the first office you’ve ever had).

Situation 1:

For the past four months, the number of near-misses in the workshop has increased due to poor housekeeping. You can not recall when was the last time the inspection was conducted. You were reviewing the company health and safety program and noticed that the program does not have a provision for the regular workplace inspection. You questioned JOHSC members about the inspection; they told you that the workplace inspection conducted by the general manager every six months. What sections of the OHS Regulation were violated? What recommendations do you need to provide to meet the requirements and decrease the number of near-mises?

Situation 2:

A WorkSafeBC officer conducts a site inspection in response to a complaint from a worker at your company. The complaint is regarding the lack of posted Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) meeting minutes. Upon arrival the officer questions you about the functioning of the JOHSC. You told him that JOHSC has 7 members, who are all worker representative. JOHSC meets at lunch the first Tuesday of every month. Unfortunately, the representative who takes the minutes has been off on sick leave for the past 5 months, so the most resent minutes are more than 5 month old. The officer issued an inspection report and directed to resolve the matter within a month. What sections of the Workers Compensation Act were violated? What recommendations do you need to provide to meet the requirements?

Situation 3:

You heard from another manager, who recently joined the company, that one of his workers was injured three days ago. The worker saw his doctor on the same day. The doctor estimated that it would take two weeks to be fully recovered and restrict worker to work during this time. The manager was upset that it will affect the productivity of his department. You ask the manager if he completed the incident investigation. His answer was: " No, I didn't know that it is part of my responsibility." What sections of the Workers Compensation Act were violated? What recommendations do you need to provide to meet the requirements?

Situation 4:

The sales department team which consists of four employees, three of whom spend much of their workday outside of the office working with the clients. All three employees have had a near-miss in the past in dealing with violent clients. On two occasions, clients who call in the office lost their tempers because they received answers they did not like. Several times the employees who conducted their business outside the office were the targets of threats and aggressive behaviour. The employees reported this issue to their sales manager. This issue was discussed during the management meeting. The answer you’ve got was negative; in fact, they don’t think it is necessary to have such a procedure. What OHS regulations need to be met? What actions do you recommend mitigating workplace violence?

Answer 1

Ans – Situation 1-

a) Under the occupational safety and health act 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employee. Under this section OSHA regulation were violated.

b) Recommendation to meet the requirement and to decrease the number of near miss-

· Awareness given to employee for the importance of housekeeping in safety.

· Start the GEMBA Walk (Walk Through) with line manager and housekeeping manager to identify the issues of housekeeping which can create the safety issue.

· Make the list and get it done through the both manager and take the report of completion.

· After making stream line this process hand over to line manager and JOHSC team.

· Ask line manager and JOHSC member to organize the 5 S and best housekeeping section competition in line – to encourage the employee to the part of the good process.

· Make the schedule of monthly inspection of housekeeping by JOHSC member, quarterly by safety manager, and six monthly by General manager and maintain the record.

Ans - Situation 2-

a) Employer “General Duty” Employers have the responsibility to provide the safe and healthful work that is free from recognized hazards. This is commonly known as the General duty clause of the OSHA Act.

b) Recommendation for the issue –

· Make the Schedule of JOHSC meeting calendar.

· In JOHSC insure the cross functional involvement.

· Make the tracker of meeting.

· Make the RACI of meeting (Responsible, accountable, consulted, informed).

· Make the schedule quarterly Safety meeting – in which the JOHSC tracker also review.

· And Yearly Management Review meeting for all safety indicator.

Ans -Situation 3-

a) Under Section 1904.4 Recording Criteria sections of the workers compensation Act were violated.

b) Recommendation –

· Take the meeting of all JOHSC members and line manager to provide the information about the safety requirement relation to such incident.

· Make the safety requirement as the part of induction program to manager and JOHSC team member. Yearly refresh awareness also to be given.

· Incident investigation is the second important activity after First aid.

· Make the Incident report (example-why why analysis, 7 step) with corrective action and report to all.

· Stop line first take the short-term action to prevent the injury and then start the line.

· Track the issue till all corrective action to be close.

Ans – Situation -4.

a) Preventing Workplace Violence in healthcare and Social Assistance osha regulation need to meet.

b) Recommendation as follow-

· Employer issue the ZERO tolerance policy toward work place violence. This policy covers all worker, clients, visitors, contractors and anyone who may come in the contact of employee.

· Written policy handover to clients also and take his agreement.

· Identify the methods to reduce the likelihood of incident occurring.

· Investigate the issue to create administration or some better control

· Make some yearly special program on workplace violence add the clients, contactors and others also.