Roles of Employers and Employees in Enhancing Occupational Safety and Health (Essay Sample)

Occupational Safety and Health
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Occupational Safety and Health
The safety of the organization is a variable dependent on both the employer and the employee of the organization. It is the responsibility of both the employers and the employee to ensure that the workplace is fit for human stay and activities depending on the actions and duties of the employees. OSHA gives a guideline that needs to be followed to enhance the safety of both the employer and the employee in the workplace. Besides, the act further defines the roles which need to be affected by both the employees and the employers in any given setting to uplift the healthy environmental settings for the activities of people involved.[ADDIN EN.CITE Sánchez20172566Fabián Alberto Suárez Sánchez, Gloria Isabel Carvajal Peláez, and Joaquín Catalá Alís, "Occupational Safety and Health in Construction: A Review of Applications and Trends," 55, no. 3 (2017).2566256617Sánchez, Fabián Alberto SuárezPeláez, Gloria Isabel CarvajalAlís, Joaquín CataláOccupational safety and health in construction: a review of applications and trendsIndustrial healthIndustrial health210-21855320170019-8366Fabián Alberto Suárez Sánchez, Gloria Isabel Carvajal Peláez, and Joaquín Catalá Alís, "Occupational Safety and Health in Construction: A Review of Applications and Trends," Industrial health 55, no. 3 (2017).]
The employer has a duty of ensuring that the workplace is free from any form of hazard which might be a threat to human labor in the organization. According to OSHA, the employers in their organizations need to comply with the stipulated principles of hazardous environment and control in the organization. Similarly, the employer needs to adhere to the rule and regulations governing any organization of any kind. According to the act, this makes the employers have responsibilities for their actions and reactions in the organization to enhance safety standards and protocols for both the employers and the employees. The regulation also helping to balance the number of work hours for employees in the risky areas of the organization.[ADDIN EN.CITE Adaku20212567Ebenezer Adaku, Nii A Ankrah, and Issaka E Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability," 133(2021).2567256717Adaku, EbenezerAnkrah, Nii ANdekugri, Issaka EDesign for occupational safety and health: A theoretical framework for organisational capabilitySafety ScienceSafety Science10500513320210925-7535Ebenezer Adaku, Nii A Ankrah, and Issaka E Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability," Safety Science 133(2021).] [ADDIN EN.CITE Provan20172568David J Provan, Sidney WA Dekker, and Andrew J Rae, "Bureaucracy, Influence and Beliefs: A Literature Review of the Factors Shaping the Role of a Safety Professional," 98(2017).2568256817Provan, David JDekker, Sidney WARae, Andrew JBureaucracy, influence and beliefs: A literature review of the factors shaping the role of a safety professionalSafety scienceSafety Science98-1129820170925-7535David J Provan, Sidney WA Dekker, and Andrew J Rae, "Bureaucracy, Influence and Beliefs: A Literature Review of the Factors Shaping the Role of a Safety Professional," Safety science 98(2017).]
Similarly, the employers are made to ensure safety conditions in the organization by observing and adhering strictly to the OSHA standards on safety. The main aim of OSHA is though ensuring that the workplace environment is adequately controlled to enhance the safety of the employees and employers in the organization. The standard indicates various rules and regulation which the employer is needed to observe while setting up the organization of any type. For instance, according to the Act, every employer is required to provide their staff a piece of protective equipment that shields them against hazardous exposures such as Chlorine chemicals found in most construction companies. Besides, the employer has a role in ensuring that the safety tools to be used in the various sectors of the organization is safely maintained and always in good working conditions. This is aimed at making the environment to be prepared in case of any risk. With efficient and properly functional tools such as firefighting tools and alarms, the employees can take the necessary initial precaution in solving the fire outbreak in their department before involving the external team.[ADDIN EN.CITE Adaku20212567Adaku, Ankrah, and Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability."2567256717Adaku, EbenezerAnkrah, Nii ANdekugri, Issaka EDesign for occupational safety and health: A theoretical framework for organisational capabilitySafety ScienceSafety Science10500513320210925-7535Adaku, Ankrah, and Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability."] [ADDIN EN.CITE McCleary20172569Katherine McCleary et al., "Employer and Employee Opinions About Workplace Health Promotion (Wellness) Programs: Results of the 2015 Harris Poll Nielsen Survey," 59, no. 3 (2017).2569256917McCleary, KatherineGoetzel, Ron ZRoemer, Enid ChungBerko, JeffKent, KarenDe La Torre, HectorEmployer and employee opinions about workplace health promotion (wellness) programs: results of the 2015 Harris Poll Nielsen SurveyJournal of occupational and environmental medicineJournal of occupational and environmental medicine256-26359320171076-2752Katherine McCleary et al., "Employer and Employee Opinions About Workplace Health Promotion (Wellness) Programs: Results of the 2015 Harris Poll Nielsen Survey," Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 59, no. 3 (2017).]
Similarly, the employer has the noble duties of creating effective communication channels in the system. Some safety risks in the organization arise as a result of a lack of proper communication mechanism between the employer and the employees or between the employees themselves. Moreover, risks that occur due to lack of proper information and orientation arise majorly as a function of poor communication. The employers, therefore, has the noble roles of ensuring that proper and effective communication channels are enhanced in the system and the employees especially the new ones in the system are effectively inducted on safety and health requirement in the organization. Every employee needs to be informed on where and how the reports on threatening conditions in the workplace can be reported. Reporting through effective communication enhances critical evaluation of the workability of the system to enhance further improvement. Conditionally, according to OSHA, organizations with hazardous chemicals mandate the bosses to develop and implement safety standards and communication platforms to train the employees concerning the chemicals they are exposed to and hence the effective precaution they need to consider in such an environment. This is in line with the general and harmonized system of labeling hazardous chemicals in the organization. Therefore, the information concerning such chemicals should be made available for the employees for effective handling to improve their overall safety and exposure precautions. Besides, the language of training should be employee-based for proper underrating.[ADDIN EN.CITE Adaku20212567Adaku, Ankrah, and Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability."2567256717Adaku, EbenezerAnkrah, Nii ANdekugri, Issaka EDesign for occupational safety and health: A theoretical framework for organisational capabilitySafety ScienceSafety Science10500513320210925-7535Adaku, Ankrah, and Ndekugri, "Design for Occupational Safety and Health: A Theoretical Framework for Organisational Capability."] [ADDIN EN.CITE Mullen20172570Jane Mullen, E Kevin Kelloway, and Michael Teed, "Employer Safety Obligations, Transformational Leadership and Their Interactive Effects on Employee Safety Performance," 91(2017).2570257017Mullen, JaneKelloway, E KevinTeed, MichaelEmployer safety obligations, transformational leadership and their interactive effects on employee safety performanceSafety scienceSafety Science405-4129120170925-7535Jane Mullen, E Kevin Kelloway, and Michael Teed, "Employer Safety Obligations, Transformational Leadership and Their Interactive Effects on Employee Safety Performance," Safety science 91(2017).]
Furthermore, the employers have the role of enhancing communication by use of posters in the workplace as information for any person who has not accessed the training concerning the needed precautions in the area. According to the occupational safety standards, posters at prominent location serves as an indication of what is expected in the area. Similarly, the posters are aimed at informing the employees concerning their aims and responsibilities in the organization with regards to the safety of the workplace. A poster can be defined as a piece of distinct information relayed on the wall through decoration and painting. According to OSHA, poster in the workplace is the responsibility of the employers in enhancing effective communication and enhancing health and safety standards of the workers in the organization. The posters, according to the safety act, should i