Introduction
Occupational safety and health (OHS) refers to a concept that is concerned with the health, safety, and welfare of different individuals within their workplace environment. A safe workplace is identified as a work environment whose management is focused on the prevention of workplace injuries and diseases while also engaging its workers in the process. A relationship can be established between workplace safety and the level of productivity of the employees involved (Katsuro et al., 2010). This is because the establishment of occupational safety has been found to have several benefits for any workplace environment. The organization's management should be aware of occupational safety standards and practices and how they can be applied within organizational management. Furthermore, there also exists a need for an understanding of how the proper implementation of occupational safety and health practices results in the increased productivity of employees. This creates a proper guideline for the implementation of occupational safety practices within an organization.
Frame
In this paper, the researcher will be focused on identifying the ways in which workplace safety can influence the productivity of employees. Through the understanding of this area, the research will provide greater insight on how to increase the level of productivity within their organizations. Several studies have a focus on workplace safety and how it influences the welfare of the employees. However, there appears to be limited research on the correlation that exists between occupational safety and productivity.
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This will be done through the presentation of the major argument on the significance of workplace safety on the productivity of employees. This will include an evaluation of benefits such as a reduced risk of injury and the mitigation of costs associated with illnesses. Through this argument, the researcher will focus on persuading organizational management on the different ways in which occupation safety and promote increased productivity. Based on this importance, the researcher will then highlight the inclusion of employees in the design of safety guidelines and why this is important. This paper will be concerned with how the organizational managers can meet the Occupational Safety and Health Requirements Act and how this will be beneficial for the employees. Through the identification of the associated benefits, the researcher will attempt to persuade organizational managers that occupational safety and health is critical for the increased performance of an organization.
The Importance of Occupational Safety on Employee Productivity
Organizations that prioritize the safety of their employees typically benefit from an increase in the level of productivity of the employees. This may be in relation to an increase in the level of output of employees or an increase in the quality of their performance. Organizations that have efficiently implemented their safety practices, usually instill greater confidence in their employees. This is because the employees are aware that they are less exposed to cases of illnesses or injuries that may result from their positions within the organization. A workplace with zero incidences results in a lower level of injuries. Occupational safety involves an increased control of any existing occupational health hazards (Katsuro et al., 2010). When these hazards decrease, the incidence of work-related diseases and accidents is significantly minimized. This enhances the health of the organizational workforce involved. In this way, the organizational costs associated with illnesses are minimized. Employees become more confident when there are reduced cases of occupational diseases which can be prevented.
An unsafe workplace environment increases the exposure of employees to a wide number of health risks (Kaplan et al., 2011). However, a safe work environment ensures that there is constant protection of employees from any injuries and illnesses. This results in the reduction of costs of injury and the payment of workers on sick leave. Organizations have the legal responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of a work environment in which employees have the ability to work safely without risks to their physical and psychological health and welfare (Clements-Croome, 2015). Employees also have an obligation to show compliance with all legislative standards set and organizational policies and procedures associated with workplace safety. This means that employees have to work according to the agreed safe work procedures while using all available resources to protect their health and safety.
All employers are expected to take all reasonably practicable steps to present a working environment in which employees can conduct their duties without any risk to their health, safety, and welfare. Employers are also often needed to establish workplace arrangements that facilitate effective consultation on workplace health and safety issues (Hoboubi et al., 2017). In this way, employees are expected to cooperate with their employees and conduct their responsibilities in a way that does not negatively affect their safety level. The Occupational Health and Safety Act expects organizations to showcase a commitment to the maintenance of the greatest level of physical, mental, and social welfare in the workplace environment (Reese, 2018). Based on this act, employees are expected to identify ways of maintaining and improving workplace conditions and procedures. In this way, the main objective of occupational health and safety is to minimize the occurrence and risk of workplace injuries and illnesses for employees.
Occupational safety is critical for the reduction of the levels of absenteeism. One of the main causes of absenteeism is the existence of workplace injuries and illnesses. When employees have injuries or are suffering from illnesses linked to their occupations, they usually require additional time to heal (Kaplan et al., 2011). Organizations usually have to provide overtime coverage, pay their medical bills, and provide the employees with additional compensation. This results in high costs for the organization. When the members of management take the time to identify and address the hazards that exist within an organization, the number of injuries and illnesses is dramatically decreased (Katsuro et al., 2010). When workers exist in safe environments, they do not need additional time off to heal. Due to a reduction in the cases of accidents and injuries, employees will exhibit a low rate of absenteeism in a safe workplace as compared to an unsafe environment.
This results in an increase in the morale of the employees. Workers usually have increased levels of motivation when they work in safe and conducive environments. The outcome of this is a positive impact on the performance of an organization. When a safety culture is developed within an organization, employee productivity is significantly increased, and the associated costs are considerably decreased (Kaplan et al., 2011). An increased focus on the reduction of errors that result in accidents results in the implementation of training, auditing, and safety measures for the increased and reduction of expenses. When safeguards are in place, employees have the perspective that they are safe within their position. This increases the likelihood that these employees will take personal accountability for their duties and have a higher level of engagement within their work.
The state of health of an employee and their welfare has an impact on the motivation of employees (Clements-Croome, 2015). Illnesses or injuries have been identified to have an adverse effect on the motivation and performance of employees. It is clear that the objective of OSH is the creation of a safe working environment, and employees are protected from workplace accidents or from negative events. This is due to factors that encourage job satisfaction (Hoboubi et al;., 2017). These include the support of employment conditions in which employees are supported by a good working environment for their own personal comfort. When occupational safety and health are implemented effectively, it creates a sense of security within employees (Clements-Croome, 2015). This, in turn, place employees in a more suitable position to avoid any workplace accidents. It also minimizes the number of restrictions that affect the quality of their performance. Hence, the creation of a sense of security and comfort in the work environment would also increase productivity employees.
The relationship between workplace productivity should be the main area of focus of employees who are interested in increasing the level of organizational performance. A positive OSH achievement would increase the sense of security which could enhance productivity, since when employees feel safe while working, they may not conduct their positions effectively.
Role of Stakeholder in the Formulation of Safety Guidelines
In the formulation safety guidelines, several stakeholders should be involved. Stakeholders refer to a group of individuals whose activities may have an impact on or affected by a particular organization. The different stakeholder groups identified include employers, occupiers, and employees. Employers are mainly responsible for ensuring that safety guidelines are effectively implemented with an organization. In this way, they have the greatest responsibility in the protection of the safety and health of employees and workers working under their positions. Some of the roles of these stakeholders include conducting risk assessments for the identification of hazards and the implementation of effective risk control measures (Reese, 2018). Employers also have to ensure that the work environment is safe. This is by ensuring that there are enough safety measures that are taken for different workplace components such as machinery, equipment, plant articles, or processes involved. As the main stakeholder group, employers are also responsible for the development and implement systems for handling emergencies and ensuring employees have sufficient instructions and training to be able to work safely.
Another major stakeholder group is the occupier. In the workplace environment, the occupier is the individual that holds the certification or registration for the workplace. In a large number of workplace environments, occupiers involve individuals that have control over the work environment, regardless of whether or not they own the environment in itself (Young, 2013). Occupiers have several responsibilities for workplace safety. One of these responsibilities is to ensure that the workplace is safe and that all the machinery and equipment used in the work environment are safe for the employees (Reese, 2018). Occupiers have to ensure that the environment in itself does not present risks to any individual, including those that are not organizational employees. Manufacturers and suppliers also have the responsibility of ensuring that all machinery equipment that is provided is safe. This includes the provision of information on health hazards and ways of safely using the machinery or any hazardous substances. Manufacturers and suppliers also have to conduct examinations and testing of the machinery or any other materials delivered to ensure that they are safe to be used.
The last stakeholder group is that of the employee. Employees act as the main users of occupational health and safety guidelines, as this affects the ways in which they conduct work practices (Beus et al., 2015). In the workplace, employees are expected to follow the existing system structured for workplace safety and health, along with any relevant procedures and rules that have been designed for the work environment. Employees are also expected not to engage in unsafe or negligent activities that may place themselves or their colleagues in danger (Reese, 2018). Lastly, an employee should use personal protective equipment to ensure that they are safe while working. This includes ensuring that they do not misuse any equipment that is available to them.
With all these stakeholders, the creation of a communication strategy for occupational health and safety is essential. In this case, this communication will foster the construction of relations with the different stakeholders involved and the expression of health and safety concepts in a way that can be easily understood. When communication is conducted effectively, it ensures that positive relationships are established with different stakeholders. This can have a significant effect on the attitudes and behaviors that are concerned with healthy safety; the main goal of health and safety communication is to present meaningful and relevant communication to the stakeholders involved (Young, 2013). This is essential for the promotion of awareness and comprehension of health and safety management, along with particular risk issues. It will also support the promotion of consistency and transparency in structuring and implementing risk management decisions. It also facilitates a base for understanding the management of health and safety practices within the organization. This improves the general effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of OHS practices and guidelines.
As already discussed, employees are an important stakeholder group in the implementation of occupational health and safety practices. This creates a need to increase their participation in the structuring of the OHS practices that they will be directed to follow. The participation of employees in the making of decisions concerning occupational health and safety, they have a professional and personal investment in ensuring that they are effectively applied (Beus et al, 2015). This commitment results in the increased participation in safe practices as employees have active participation in different aspects of the firm and wish to see the OHS system in the organization succeed. This increases the level of responsibility and accountability in each employee concerning their own safety.
When employees are involved in making decisions concerning OHS, the overall company motivation will be increased. A large number of organizations have a distinct separation between employers and their employees. However, when employees are actively involved in the making of decisions, this gap is minimized. As a functioning participant in the structuring of occupational safety guidelines, employees gain the understanding that their ideas are a considerable contribution to the firm, and provides them the power to influence the results of the safety system (Beus et al., 2015). This results in the establishment of a positive attitude towards the OHS system. Each employee will have the opportunity of voicing their opinions concerning the guidelines and sharing that their knowledge with others. While this will improve the relationship that exists between employers and employees, it will also increase the level of knowledge and significance that employees associate with these guidelines (Dollard et al., 2010). It will also act as a good way of gathering the information needed on the level of training required for the OHS system in the firm. Hence, involving employees in the decision-making process will not only increase the morale of employees to apply the safety guidelines that are set but will also contribute to the increase in productivity.
Rebuttal
One of the arguments against the relation between occupational safety and workplace productivity is the evidence of organizations that have high levels of productivity without fully investing in the formulation of safety policies. Safety procedures are not viewed as enough incentive for an increase in employee productivity when compared to other employee incentives such as workplace promotions (Hoboubi et al., 2017). This is because employees are more motivated by elements that are structured towards the further growth and development of their careers. However, this is not entirely true as the existence of workplace injuries, and accidents may have a significant effect on the capability of employees to have high levels of performance. This is even when there is an existence of other workplace incentives. Legal liabilities and workplace injuries that may result from the absence of workplace safety may act as considerable restrictions for employees to be fully productive in the workplace environment (Dollard et al., 2010). This makes workplace safety an important requirement for a high level of employee productivity. Organizations that expect better performance must fully implement the safety guidelines.
On the other hand, some employers may argue for the need to exclude employees in formulating safety guidelines. This is based on the belief that the inclusion of employees by employers in making decisions concerning safety guidelines may provide them with greater power than they should have (Dollard et al., 2010). However, excluding employees from the formulation of safety guidelines may have a considerable impact on their motivation to apply and implement these guidelines. Hence, the inclusion of employees is critical in the formulation of safety rules.
Conclusion
Occupational safety is a critical component of the productivity of employees. Occupational safety refers to the mitigation of the occurrence and risk of workplace injuries and diseases. When these safety guidelines are properly implemented, the costs associated with these incidences are significantly decreased. Employees are also highly motivated and confident in the environment that they work in. This increases the motivation and morale to conduct their tasks and duties effectively. In this way, workplace safety results in an increase in the level of employee productivity. Several stakeholders are involved in occupational health and safety. Some of these stakeholders include employers, employees, and occupiers. The implementation of a communication system is essential to ensure that safety efforts are coordinated due to the numerous stakeholders involved. Lastly, employees should be included in the formulation of occupational health and safety practices. This not only educates them on the significance of these practices but enhances their willingness to implement these practices. Hence, occupational health and safety are critical components for any organization that is focused on enhancing employees' productivity.
References
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