Question

Occupational health and safety topic

• What is an “identity of interest” between workers and employers? How does this assumption share OHS law and OHS safety interventions? Who benefits from the notion of an identity of interest?

Answer 1

Interest groups are those who have a common goal or common interest and they influence each other. Identity of interest defines a relationship in the interest group such as parent-child relationship or in case of a business it is buyer and seller. In an organization, it is the employer and employee.

The organization is run in coordination with the worker and the employers. It is the prime duty of the organization to provide Occupational Health and Safety to its workers and employees.

The law was enacted in 1970 by the US government. President Richard Nixon signed the law on December 29, 1970, under the US labor law. The main intention of the law was to provide a safe working environment to its workers, like adopt safety measures against exposure to toxic chemicals, explosions, excessive noise level, or stress due to the environment. To inspect the situation and implement the law at the worksite the  OSHA (occupational safety health administration) was set up, it helps to enforce job safety and see that the organizations rigidly adhere to the rules set by the administration.

As the employers and the workers share the identity of interest, if the workers are looked after well and provided safety and good health measures by the organization both would get benefitted. The organization would save its experienced workers who can help in the growth of the company.

It provides protection against the physical injury or effect of chemicals on the worker's health; it includes employers from the private and public organizations.

As the workers spend lots of time at his workplace it is important to see that the organization takes care of its workers' health and provide safe working environment, they are provided good hygienic condition, and saved from the effect of toxic chemicals if they are working with an organization that deals with chemicals and hazardous chemicals. Providing safety to its workers is the prime responsibility of the employers as they are in the same interest group.

Under the identity of interest, the employer and employee both are benefitted, if the company provides a healthy environment and safety to its workers, the workers would remain loyal to the organization, they would not quit the job in search of the better facility. The organization or employer would be benefitted as their good hand would remain with them, and they can guide the new employees.