ABDH 2173 Tutorial 9 ANS
ABDH 2173 INTRODUCTION TO HRM
Tutorial 9
Safety and Health at Work
HRM Incident 2: A Commitment to Safety
1. Discuss Ms. Lincoln’s level of commitment to occupational safety.
Ms. Lincoln may just be a typical harried executive. She may be as committed to occupational safety as to anything else, but may find that each day is taken up with putting out brush fires.
Another interpretation is that she is not committed to occupational safety. Certainly, she is not in terms of the action she has taken. Such failure to correct clearly dangerous situations hurts the company’s overall safety efforts.
2. Is there a necessary tradeoff between Landon’s need for low expenses and the workers’ need for safe working conditions? Explain.
There is a tradeoff to some extent in light of the Occupational Safety and Health Act structure of fines and penalties.
The tradeoff is not a large one or as definite as it was in the past. That is, if the company fails to protect the safety and health of workers, its cost might even be higher.
Still, companies can choose to try to save money at the expense of worker health and safety.
Companies that are genuinely concerned about the health and safety of workers are willing to make these tradeoffs, although there are extremes beyond which no company will go.
Class activity:
Using your college as the example, discuss the safety and health issues you have encountered. Suggest ways to improve it.
Common health hazards:
Noise, vibrations levels
Fumes, dust and smoke
Infection
Radiation
Common causes of accidents
Technical causes
Human causes
Environmental causes
Tutorial 9
Safety and Health at Work
HRM Incident 2: A Commitment to Safety
1. Discuss Ms. Lincoln’s level of commitment to occupational safety.
Ms. Lincoln may just be a typical harried executive. She may be as committed to occupational safety as to anything else, but may find that each day is taken up with putting out brush fires.
Another interpretation is that she is not committed to occupational safety. Certainly, she is not in terms of the action she has taken. Such failure to correct clearly dangerous situations hurts the company’s overall safety efforts.
2. Is there a necessary tradeoff between Landon’s need for low expenses and the workers’ need for safe working conditions? Explain.
There is a tradeoff to some extent in light of the Occupational Safety and Health Act structure of fines and penalties.
The tradeoff is not a large one or as definite as it was in the past. That is, if the company fails to protect the safety and health of workers, its cost might even be higher.
Still, companies can choose to try to save money at the expense of worker health and safety.
Companies that are genuinely concerned about the health and safety of workers are willing to make these tradeoffs, although there are extremes beyond which no company will go.
Class activity:
Using your college as the example, discuss the safety and health issues you have encountered. Suggest ways to improve it.
Common health hazards:
Noise, vibrations levels
Fumes, dust and smoke
Infection
Radiation
Common causes of accidents
Technical causes
Human causes
Environmental causes