Northern Arizona University
College of Business Administration

MGT 310--Human Resource Management

Ch 12: Safety & Health

• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

  • Designed "to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources"

  • Coverage--all employees (except Federal and employees covered by alternately approved programs)

  • Standards--job safety and health

    • Categories--general industry, maritime, construction, agriculture

    • Coverage--workplace, machinery and equipment, materials, power sources, processing, protective clothing, first aid, and administrative requirements

  • Enforcement--Secretary of Labor

    • Occupational Safety and Health Administration

      • Inspections

        • May enter without delay

        • Inspect during regular hours or reasonable other times, reasonable limits, reasonable manner

        • Priorities

          1. Imminent danger

          2. Catastrophes, fatalities, accidents involving hospitalization of five or more employees

          3. Valid employee complaints of alleged violations

          4. Specific high-hazard industries, occupations, substances

      • Citations

        • Violation

        • Time for correction

      • Penalties

        • Other-than-serious: up to $7000 for each violation

        • Serious (probability of death or serious injury and know or should have known): up to $7000 each

        • Willful (intentionally and knowingly): up to $70,000 each

        • Death: up to $250,000 for individual; up to $500,000 for corporation; imprisonment up to 6 months

  • Consultation assistance

    • Free on-site service

    • Voluntary Protection Programs--beyond minimum requirements: Star, Merit, Demonstration

      • Recognize outstanding achievement

      • Motivate others

      • Establish a relationship of cooperation vs. coercion

  • Responsibilities and rights

    • Employers

      • Comply with standards

      • Ensure employees follow standards

      • Inform employees

      • Keep records & post an annual summary

    • Employees

      • Comply with standards

      • Report hazardous conditions without recrimination

      • Request information

  • Right-to-Know laws--exposure to toxic or hazardous chemicals

  • Enforcement record

    • Severely criticized

      • Picky and unrealistic

      • Proliferation of rules

      • Outdated

      • Uneven enforcement

• Creating a safe work environment

  • Formal safety program

    • Safety awareness training, information

      • First aid, defensive driving, accident prevention, hazardous materials, emergency procedures

      • Employee involvement

      • VIDEO: Boston Ballet (8 min)

    • Supervisor communication/action

    • Enforcing rules (examples?)

    • Penalties for violations (oral, written, suspension, dismissal)

    • Investigate and record accidents

      • OSHA--11+ employees

      • Recordable case--any illness or injury that results in death, days away from work, restricted work, transfer to another job, or medical treatment beyond first aid; loss of consciousness; any significant injury or illness diagnosis by a healthcare professional

• Creating a healthy work environment

  • Examples--Chemicals and hazardous materials, air quality, tobacco smoke, video display terminals, cumulative trauma disorders (carpal tunnel syndrome), ergonomics, AIDS (fears, "disability")

  • Workplace violence--highway accidents, murder, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, terrorism

    • Prevention & security

    • Know warning signs--see Fig. 12.3, p. 527

    • Dealing with an angry employee--see Fig. 12.4, p. 530

  • Crisis management--"What if?" planning

  • Building better health

    • Pre-employment screening--alcohol & drug testing

    • "Nontraditional" or alternative approaches--relaxation, chiropractic, homeopathy, herbal therapy, diet...

    • Fitness & health

  • Employee assistance programs

    • Substance abuse policy--alcohol & drug free workplace

      • "Disability" if in treatment (reasonable accommodation rules apply)

  • Stress management

    • Stress--requires coping behavior (physical, mental, emotional)

      • Eustress--positive

      • Distress--negative

    • Job-related stress

      • Sources--workload, pressures, layoffs, restructuring, personal disagreements (especially with boss), lack of say in doing work, poor communication, lack of recognition, lack of privacy, unappealing music, excessive noise...

      • Burnout--depression, frustration, loss of productivity

        • Question own values

        • What doing no longer important

    • Coping with stress

      • Programs

        • Relaxation techniques

        • Coping skills

        • Listening skills

        • Dealing with difficult people

        • Time management

        • Assertiveness

      • Tips--see Fig 12.5, p. 539

      • How do you cope? Examples...

        • Exercise

        • Diet

        • Rest--sleep, breaks

        • Play/fun

        • Meditation