Analysis
The occurrence is a horrific case of negligence on the firm's part, which failed despondently on all the compliance requirements with the organizational employee safety rules and regulations. According to Bayram (2019), employers have a mandate of legal compliance to guarantee a conducive, safe, and healthy workplace. Employees have the rights and responsibilities for their welfare and look after their workmates. In the case of Bumble Bee Foods in California, the top management had not prioritized employee safety regulations. In every organization, employee safety should come first to inhibit incidents of an employee losing their lives. Workplace health and safety measures are vital for all workers' health and welfare across all industries have; human injury or loss in any form is unacceptable.
The law demands that employers should not underestimate the regulations of employee safety. In the case of Bumble Bee Food, California, an employee had been stuck in the back of an industrial oven. Without any consent that the employee was in the oven, the colleagues loaded about 12,000 pounds of canned tuna in the industrial oven. The employee dies in the oven as a result of being overcooked with the canned tunas. The organization would have prevented this incident in various ways. This was a case of negligence to the firm, which had not yet set clear guidelines for ensuring safety when operating the oven.
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The coworkers would have ensured that the oven was clear and no individual was inside when the canned tunas were being loaded. Employees' responsibilities include taking reasonable care and attention to their personal, other colleagues, and the general public's health and safety. Subsequently, the employees should collaborate and cooperate with the employer in ensuring proper training is given to all employees regarding organizational operations. This prevents cases of accidents and injuries, leading to the smooth running of operations. Firms that adhere to employee health and safety measures are likely to benefit from increased productivity and have employees wasting no time due to accidents and injuries.
Under the Department of Labor docket, various agencies have been tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the rules and regulations enacted to safeguard employees' health and safety in the United States. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Fair Labor Standards Act are responsible for ensuring quality and effective health and safety standards. OSHA regulates the safety and health conditions in most firms. In Bumble Bee Foods, the Los Angeles County District had to fine the firm to compensate the victim's family. Employers who are subject to the OSHA Act have an all-purpose obligation of providing an enabling and conducive workplace free from recognized grave perils.
Principles
The International Labour Organization (ILO), in line with the World Health Organization (WHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), laid down principles to help define and apply the OSHA guidelines across the globe. The first principle is that of the purpose, which is to save human life, prevention of workstation illnesses and injuries (Dahal, 2017). It also seeks to safeguard the health of all workers. It does so by defending clusters of trivial and unorganized employees, predominantly vulnerable and faced with unique hazards. In contemporary society, various employees have been neglected due to their work status, leaving them vulnerable and exploited by their employees. The first principle of OSHA well protects them.
Additionally, OSHA seeks to formulate and implement hazard control strategies that are founded on primary prevention. The strategies focus mostly on dealing with the underlying causes of problems and reducing hazardous exposures at the workplace. Strategies are necessary for dealing with problems that are of grave danger to the welfare of employees. Subsequently, OSHA works to initiate tactical, public-private trusts to detect and inspire the spread of the industry's most acceptable practices to resolve national complications. By creating effective relationships, OSHA Acts help foster cooperation between both the private and public company domains. Informed decisions are thus deliberated, and employee safety becomes mandatory and not an obligation.
The principle of employer pledges and meaningful employee involvement and participation in health and safety is a vital ingredient in effective agendas. They should be a strong connection between the employer and employee. When the employees and the employer work together, they are likely to achieve the set goals and the organization's vision. Another principle is that all health and safety services, rules, resources, and data should be readily available and understandable to the employer, employees, and the OSHA staff. This is for the essence of promoting all stakeholders' inclusivity in an organization and gives everyone a sense of belonging in the organization. Achieving this milestone, OSHA intends to be a performance-oriented and data-driven agency. It works to place the most extensive premium on accurate and precise outcomes instead of processes and activities. According to its success in eliminating hazards and reducing illnesses and injuries, the government should evaluate the OSHA program and employees' death. Organizations should work towards being mindful of their employees and should compensate awesomely victims of workplace health and safety.
References
Bayram, M. (2019). Safety training and competence, employee participation and involvement, employee satisfaction, and safety performance: An empirical study on occupational health and safety management system implementing manufacturing firms. Alphanumeric Journal , 301-318. https://doi.org/10.17093/alphanumeric.555154
Dahal, P. (2017). Investing on occupational safety and health. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health , 7 (1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v7i1.22758
