Chapter 13 WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY

2 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Chapter Outcomes Discuss the supervisory effects of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. List the enforcement priorities of OSHA. Explain what punitive actions OSHA can impose on an organization. Describe what supervisors must to do comply with OSHA record-keeping requirements. Describe the leading causes of safety and health accidents. Explain what supervisors can do to prevent workplace violence. Define stress. Explain how a supervisor can create a healthy work site. Describe the purposes of employee assistance and wellness programs.

3 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Introduction Each year there are: 5,500 work-related deaths 4 million injuries and illnesses 240 million days lost of productive work time $110 billion spent

4 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. OSH Act The Occupational Safety and Health Act Established comprehensive and specific health standards Authorized inspections to ensure standards are met Empowered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to police organizational compliance Required employers to keep records of illnesses and injuries and to calculate accident ratios

5 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. OSH Act established standards for diverse conditions Noise levels Air impurities Physical protection equipment The height of toilet partitions Correct size of ladders

6 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Priority listing Imminent danger Serious accidents that have occurred within the last 48 hours Current employee complaint Inspections of target industries with high injury ratio Random inspections

7 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. EXHIBIT 13–2 OSHA’s Forms 300 and 300A. Source:

8 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Incidence rate formula To determine the incident rate, the formula (N/EH) x 200,000 is used where: N is the number of injuries and/or illnesses or lost workdays EH is the total hours worked by all employees during the year 200,000 is the base hour rate equivalent (100 workers x 40 hours per week x 50 weeks per year)

9 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. EXHIBIT 13–3 Determining recordability of cases under the OSH Act.

10 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Continuing OSHA issues Blood-borne pathogens Chemical process safety Lyme Disease Motor vehicle safety Ergonomics

11 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. EXHIBIT 13–4 Accident prevention mechanisms.

12 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Workplace violence The issue for supervisors How to prevent violence How to reduce the organization’s liability should an unfortunate event occur Plan of action Develop a plan Train supervisors to identify troubled employees before the problem results in violence Implement stronger security mechanisms Prepare supervisors to deal with the aftermath of the situation

13 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Maintaining a healthy workplace Make sure workers get enough fresh air Avoid suspect building materials and furnishings Test new buildings for toxins before occupancy Provide a smoke-free environment Keep air ducts clean and dry Pay attention to workers’ complaints

14 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Repetitive stress injuries Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) Account for nearly 40% of annual workplace illnesses Headaches Swollen feet Back pain Nerve damage Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

15 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. EXHIBIT 13–5 Potential sources of stress.

16 Supervision Today! 6 th Edition Robbins, DeCenzo, Wolter © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. How can stress be reduced? Match employees to jobs Reduce ambiguity Ease work overload-related stressors Employee Assistance Programs Wellness Programs