Creating a Safe Work Environment

For the company, the quality of production may suffer since when an employee gets injured, the employer may need to replace him or her with someone else who may not be well-trained and experience. Besides, the expenses associated with workers medical bills and compensation benefits may be huge. The injured person gets paid for work not performed, turnover rate increases, employee morale declines, equipment gets damaged, and hiring new employees may be costly. The cost of preventing injuries in the workplace is far less than the costs associated with injury treatment (Irwin, & Smith, 2015). Therefore workplace safety should be topmost priorities whether the company is large or small. Human resources are also known as HR refers to the department that is responsible for all work-related issues such as hiring, recruiting, vetting, selecting, onboarding, paying, promoting, firing and training employees within a company (Robertson, Kirsten Hayley Chase, and Arianna Castonguay 2018).

The department is concerned with examining the organization conditions of employment, policies and hiring individuals. Of all the company’s resources, human resources are the most important since employees can gain new skills, hence increasing the size of the organization’s competitive advantage over time. Lutchman, Ghanem, & Maharaj, (2016), defined human resources as the individuals who are employed to ensure the smooth functioning of a company. In other words, human resource refers to all employees or workers in an organization. The act produced 2 state agencies; the first one being the occupational safety and the second one being the health administration. It has been protecting workers in workplaces for 48 years (Wodka, 2018). The United States policy system has 4 pillars and OSHA is the fourth pillar.

The other three pillars may include; labor market, legal system and state employee compensation insurance program. The agency was created in response to public outcry against increasing death and injury rates in workplaces. Besides, Tort law offered a little remedy for relief of the toughies of dead or injured workers (Robertson, Kirsten Hayley Chase, and Arianna Castonguay 2018). Majority of the workers were employed in unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. For decades OSHA has towered above the international agenda urging continued support for the protection of employees against occupational injury and diseases. Every company was obligated to implement occupational safety and health programs (Samples, 2018). A safe workplace encourages work productivity. If the employer does not take intervention measures the costs may rise up.

Besides, a rising number of staffs complained about overwork and psychological stress. According to Lutchman, Ghanem, & Maharaj, (2016), Psychological stress factors have been linked to depression, insomnia, cardiovascular diseases, burn-out syndromes, and fatigue. A well-functioning human resource department must ensure that the company has the right employees it needs and assists in supporting the continued development of those employees. Human resource managers execute skillfully numerous and varied duties which may result in a productive and positive work environment. Legislative initiatives reflect workers commitment to promoting safety at work (Thompson, 2016). They also indicate standards of behavior aimed at safety issues. Legislative initiatives are required to show that the top management team is concerned with employee protection at work as well as indicates how that protection will be.

These initiatives also describe the organizational safety standards and the people to achieve set standards at all levels. The management team plays a significant role in ensuring the successful implementation of legislative initiatives. The training initiative spells out the guidelines as well as offers information about hazards and how to evade them. The new initiative also addresses the need for an appropriate as well as more specific data on individual work establishment, and industries with the highest rate of injuries (Crawford, Davis, Minhat, & Baharudin, 2017). It has been recognized that data systems concerning occupational health and safety have been inadequate. Therefore OSHA needs more additional specific data sites.   This law contains provisions that enable the human resource department to effectively use its resources to collect more specific safety data.

Employees who work in a conducive environment are motivated, inspired, and satisfied (Samples, 2018). They do not suffer pain or psychological disorders that may endanger their health. They know how important working in a safe environment is and how their jobs are important. Besides, safeguarding employee wellbeing reduces absenteeism and offers employees an opportunity to attain higher performance. Reduces cases of accidents; OSHA offers free support to organizations in permitting them to pin down every hazard present in workplaces so as to enhance health and safety organization practices (Druley, Musick, & Trotto, 2017). These practices present a step by step process of implementing a health and safety program aimed at preventing workplace illnesses, injuries, and deaths. Employers will also realize that adopting these practices bring a wide variety of benefits to the organization.

The six best practices that will help prevent accidents in places of work include; appointing a safety manager, cultivating altitude and awareness, using incentives, developing a team mentality, using personal protective equipment, and developing a job plan. According to B. H. The use of protective personal equipment is a requirement for many industries and construction jobs. This equipment may include; slip resistant, ear protection, hard hats, and heavy shoes. Workers may also use goggles to protect their faces and eyes, as well as use gloves to protect their hands. They should also make sure that these tools are properly maintained (Crawford, Davis, Minhat, & Baharudin, 2017). Managers should come up with a safety plan which includes; housekeeping practices, fire prevention practices, and evacuation plans.

 Professional Safety, 60(2), 22. Retrieved from https://login. proxy181. nclive. org/login?url=http://search. Druley, K. , Musick, T. , & Trotto, S. Court denies OSHA petitions to revisit ruling on PSM retail exemption.  Safety & Health, 195(2), 20. shrm. org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/determiningregulatoryrequirements. aspx https://www. shrm. org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/oshaform300. org/login?url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx?direct =true&db=a9h&AN=108281954&site=ehost-live Jain, A. , Leka, S. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 28(2), 101-112. Lutchman, C. , Ghanem, W. , & Maharaj, R. Safety management: A comprehensive approach to developing a sustainable system. " Management Teaching Review (2018): 2379298118775950. Samples, J. Safety in the Workplace. Metal Center News, 58(6), 30-35. Retrieved from https://login.  American Journal of Trial Advocacy, 40(1), 153–173. Retrieved from https://login. proxy181. nclive. org/login?url=http://search.