A SAFE AND HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT

1. A SAFE AND HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT

2. Chapter Objectives • Describe some safety and security strategies for a post-September 11 world. • Describe the nature and role of safety and health. • Explain the purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. • Describe OSHA’s changing role.

3. Chapter Objectives (Continued) • Reasons for Management Support of a Safety Program • Explain the purpose of ergonomics. • Describe the nature of stress and burnout. • Describe the purposes of wellness programs. • Describe employee assistance programs.

4. Safety and Security StrategiesPost 9/11 • Companies have increased security • Companies have increased screening of employees prior to hiring • Department of Homeland Security spent over $37 billion

5. The Nature and Role of Safety and Health Safety - Protecting employees from injuries caused by work- related accidents Health - Employees' freedom from physical or emotional illness

6. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) • Most important federal safety and health legislation • Assures a safe and healthy workplace for every worker • OSHA has formed partnerships with corporations

7. OSHA’s Changing Role • Give employers choice between partnership and traditional enforcement • Inject commonsense into regulation and enforcement • Eliminate red tape

8. Reasons for Management Support of a Safety Program • Personal loss • Financial loss to injured employees • Lost productivity • Higher insurance premiums • Possibility of fines and imprisonment • Social responsibility

9. Ergonomics • Study of human interaction with tasks, equipment, tools and physical environment • Congress and OSHA - formed National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics • Ergonomics Payoff – clear payoff in using ergonomics

10. The Nature of Stress • Body’s nonspecific reaction to any demand made on it • Potential consequences – diseases that are leading causes of death, may even lead to suicide • Stressful jobs – lack of employee control over work

11. Twelve Most Stressful Jobs 7. Manager/ Administrator 8. Waitress/Waiter 9. Machine Operator 10. Farm Owner 11. Miner 12. Painter 1. Laborer 2. Secretary 3. Inspector 4. Clinical Lab Technician 5. Office Manager 6. Foreman

12. Burnout • Individuals lose sense of basic purpose and fulfillment of work • Costs: reduced productivity, higher turnover • Individuals in helping/service professions seem to be most susceptible to burnout • Danger: It is contagious!

13. Wellness Programs • Optimal health can be achieved through environmental, organizational changes and different lifestyles • Firm conducts needs assessment to find appropriate health needs • People can have more control over chronic diseases

14. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) Comprehensiveapproach that many organizations have taken to deal with marital or family problems, stress, financial troubles, alcohol and drug abuse, grief, etc.