essay on health and safety in the workplace

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Essay: Health and safety in the workplace

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Accidents and mishaps are unforeseen circumstances that can affect individuals and groups at any time and in any place. Most accidents are preventable, but the carelessness or negligence of the involved individuals leads to major injuries and grievances. Accidents can also occur in the workplace and seriously affect the ability and health of the involved workers.

The objectives of this essay to discuss the safety and wellbeing of all workers are necessary for the organization not only for consistent productivity but also due to regulatory requirements. Workers and human resources are the necessary components of all organizations due to their role in the effective accomplishment of objectives. Corporations cannot achieve long-term success and sustainable growth in the absence of motivated, safe, healthy, and effective workers. The health and safety of all workers are necessary to ensure the enhancement of productivity and efficiency at all levels and areas. Lack of safety measures can create havoc for the organization and negatively affect the working criterion of an organization. The management has to devise and implement effective safety procedures to reduce hazards and prevent accidents in the workplace. The can motivate the employees through this perspective as employees admire working in organizations that prefer safe working conditions. Employees believe that safer working conditions enhance their ability work because they do not feel scared in troublesome situations. The management should coordinate with all the related stakeholders when they devise policies about safety at workplace, as this would enhance a positive change in an organization. Different legislations also depict that organizations should focus on these perspectives and they should attain self-sufficiency in providing workplace safety.

Introduction

Corporations in the current era focus on the development of employees and they believed in the ideology of benefiting employees through different approaches. Safety at the work force is an important aspect that many organizations of today’s world disregard. Many people face mishaps and accidents in various situations especially due to negligence, recklessness, and carelessness. Many accidents and serious injuries are avoidable and preventable by taking effective safety measures and reducing hazards. For example, drivers and passengers can avoid serious injuries and death by wearing seatbelts while traveling in cars. However, many people fail to realize the importance of seatbelts and face a variety of consequences in the event of an accident. Mishaps and accidents are unforeseen occurrences that can lead to several adverse consequences in the absence of effective safety measures and precautions. Accidents, disasters, and mishaps can also occur in the workplace and affect several employees in the absence of precautions and safety procedures. Certain mediocre organizations do not regard this aspect as important and they do not focus on safety at the workplace. The owners and management of the organization need to implement rules, regulations, procedures, and systems relevant to safety and health. The management also needs to ensure that all workers have ample knowledge and information regarding safety procedures, prevention of accidents, and safe working practices.

Human resources

Human resources are one of the most important assets of the organization with respect to success and growth. The success and growth of the organization depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of the human resources. However, the inefficiencies in human resources caused by any circumstances, occurrences, and events can hinder the accomplishments of the organization. Organizations take all necessary measures to ensure the productivity of all workers and employees to maximize profits and achieve organizational objectives (Blair, 2013 ). The wellbeing, safety, and health of all employees are among the highest priorities of all organizations. Organizations cannot take risk for their respective employees because an occurrence of a negative event would tarnish the credibility of an organization. Safe and healthy workers are more productive as compared to injured or sick employees. Employees that cannot work in safe conditions feel suffocated because of the risks associated with their respective work. Risks and hazards associated with a specific job or organization adversely affect the morale and motivation level of employees. The unsafe or hazardous working conditions have several long-term psychological and physiological consequences for the workers and the organizations. When a negative event occurs in an organization, it sets up the mindset of an employee. Employees would feel that this event would occur again and this would create hurdles in their effective working process. Organizations need to create a safe and healthy working environment for all workers to ensure high levels of motivation and enhancement in efficiency (Stricoff & Groover, 2012).

Safety at Workplace

Workplace safety refers to the prevention of illness, injury, and hazards in the workplace for all employees. Workplace safety involves the creation of a safe and healthy environment for all workers to evade hazards, injuries, and illnesses. Organizations can ensure the efficiency of all workers and circumvent a considerable amount of costs by ensuring workplace safety and health. Organizations develop different strategies through which they set up different work place safety policies and benefit the workers through this. Workplace injuries and illnesses lead to compensation benefits, health insurance costs, hiring temporary replacements, lost work hours, and lawsuits. Lack of concentration would cost severe damage to an organization and they should sort such issues in order to attain proactive benefits. Business can save a considerable amount of costs by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all workers. Safeguarding the interests and wellbeing of the employees allows organizations to circumvent costs relevant to injuries and illnesses (Legg, Laird, Olsen, & Hasle, 2014). On the other hand, workplace safety instills a sense of commitment and dedication among the employees due to the safety assurance of the organization. The morale and motivation of the workers increase due to the implementation of rules that safeguard the health and interest of the employees. Employees feel that they are safe to work in this place, and through this perspective, they would perform well.

Purpose of Workplace safety

The primary objective of safety in the workplace is to create a safe, healthy, and risk-free environment for all workers. Workplace safety involves the evaluation, analysis, prevention, and elimination of hazardous and dangerous elements from the workplace. Workplace safety programs evaluate and remove the risks and hazards relevant to the safety, well-being, and health of workers and other relevant individuals. Organizations develop health and safety standards due to several reasons including laws, regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and historical occurrences. Certain industries and their associations bind organizations to work for the benefit of their employees and they force organizations to focus on different safety related perspectives. Workplace injuries and illnesses caused by working conditions or environment can lead to lawsuits, high costs, and deterioration of the corporate image. There are instances when employees at times die because of sever working conditions. Employees might got injured because of certain safety and the lack of safety would be the only probable reason of this. Enhanced safety measures and appropriate quality of these measures can reduce this perspective to a considerable level.

Safety at the workplace enables organizations to comply with regulatory requirements and prevent high costs resulting from injuries and illnesses. Several corporations can consider the fact that these safety measures would save their health and medicinal costs that would arise when an employees would hurt him. They should take proactive measures earlier through which people can benefit from these perspectives. The management can maintain high levels of productivity and efficiency by creating a safe and healthy working environment. Conversely, the employees work with dedication due to their perceptions regarding the commitment of the organization with respect to the wellbeing of the workers.

Importance of safety at workplace

Legislative and legal requirements are the most prominent cause of health and safety policies in most organizations. The Occupational and Safety Health Act is the primary law for the assurance of health and safety of all workers throughout the United States. The Occupational and Safety Health Act (OSHA) necessitates the dissemination of standards, rules, and regulations relevant to the safety and health of workers. The government establishes and enforces the standards for the safety and health of all workers and their families through the Act. All public and private organizations have to comply with the rules, regulations, and standards prescribed in OSHA (Jung & Makowsky, 2014). They would face legal complications if they do not comply with such policies and measures taken by the decision makers. However, many organizations develop and implement health and safety procedures to safeguard their interests relevant to organizational objectives rather than legal requirements. The financial and moral aspects of workers’ health and safety have a greater influence as compared to regulatory compliance. Corporations can save considerable costs by avoiding high insurance expenses, lawsuits, and employee replacement costs in the event of injuries and illnesses (Barling & Frone, 2003).

Manpower and Management

The primary objective of all managers is to enhance and promote productivity and efficiency in all areas and functions. However, the managers cannot uphold efficiency and effectiveness in the absence of a safe workplace. The managers need to create a safe working environment and increase the awareness and knowledge of all employees with respect to safe working practices. The employees and workers also need to understand the importance of workplace safety and reduce personal injury through attentiveness and removal of hazards. These safety hazards are negative for the effectiveness of organizations and create a long-term negative impact. The attitude of the employees, management, and employers plays a vital role in preventing accidents and creating a safe working environment. The negligence on the part of the employers and employees can cause a variety of hazards and accidents (Rahim, Ng, Biggs, & Boots, 2014). However, the diligence and commitment of all stakeholders regarding safe work practices leads to the prevention of major accidents and injuries. The employees and management can create a safe workplace through a shared responsibility model for workplace safety and cooperation. Organizations should own this perspective and they should realize the fact that it is their managerial responsibility to focus on this perspective so that employees can remain safe.

Conclusively, a safety plan is necessary and it comprises of certain steps that would develop a safer workplace. Organizations should make sure that everyone else in the workplace is aware of the core problem. People should notify their respective supervisors and they should file any reports if there is a problem. An important aspect is that people should realize that there is a problem as sitting back and holding the problem for a long time would not solve the problem.

Barling, J., & Frone, M. (2003). The Psychology of Workplace Safety. New Jersey: Amer Psychological Assn. Blair, E. H. (2013). Building safety culture. Professional Safety , 58 (11), 59-65. Cobb, E. (2013). Bullying, Violence, Harassment, Discrimination and Stress: Emerging Workplace Health and Safety Issues. New Jersey: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Jung, J., & Makowsky, M. D. (2014). The determinants of federal and state enforcement of workplace safety regulations: OSHA inspections 1990’2010. Journal of Regulatory Economics , 45 (1), 1-33. Legg, S., Laird, I., Olsen, K., & Hasle, P. (2014). Creating healthy work in small enterprises – from understanding to action: Summary of current knowledge. Small Enterprise Research , 21 (2), 139-147. Mathis, T., & Galloway, S. (2013). Steps to Safety Culture Excellence. New Jersey: Wiley. Rahim, A. N., Ng, H. K., Biggs, D., & Boots, K. (2014). Perceptions of safety, physical working conditions and stress between Malaysia and United Kingdom. International Journal of Business & Society , 15 (2), 321-338. Stricoff, R., & Groover, D. (2012). The Manager’s Guide to Workplace Safety. New York : Safety in Action Press.

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Importance of Health and Safety at Workplace, Essay Example

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Both the employer and the employees are responsible for health and safety of the workplace. The most important responsibility of an employee is taking reasonable care of their own safety and health this means you are you own keeper. The employees should use properly any material provided to them for safety purposes, health and safety. For example protective clothes like gloves, protective masks and laboratory coats should always be worn as required. An employee should also ensure that they understand and adhere to what they are trained on concerning the health and safety policies of the company they are working for. For example they should understand all the technical aspects of the machine they operate to avoid accidents and should also observe safety precautions as far as operation of machines is concerned. In operation of machines, loose clothing, long hair, jewellerly which can get entangled by moving parts of the machine. This can be achieved by avoiding such clothing and jewellerly when operating machines and wearing head scarf incase of the long hair.

In any working environment, employees should also be responsible for their colleague’s health and safety by ensuring that what they do does not pose risk to other workers and the environment (Dalton, 98). For example when mixing chemicals in laboratory poisonous gases might be released and so safety precautions – working in a fume chamber- must be taken to avoid their release to the environment because they can produce hazardous effects to the environment in which case the near surrounding is your colleague and also members of the public. Another example is when working in a microbiology laboratory the dust coats and any other protective clothing worn should remain in the lab to avoid contaminating other environments with microbes some of which are a health hazard.

The employer has also responsibility towards the health and safety of his employees. The very vital role is to ensure that the employees get the best training in understanding safety procedures of the work place and providing sufficient protective measures and materials to their employees. For example they should have measures to cater for any emergencies like in case of fire exits should be available. For the disposable protective material like gloves the employer must ensure constant supply. Employers should also change their employee’s jobs if they report any strains resulting from the kind of job they do or if under any medication that reduces their working ability or even in case of pregnancy. Employers have also the duty of ensuring a comfortable work place for their employees’ their duties include ensuring providing the right work equipment and ensuring proper maintenance ensure that ventilation, washing and rest facilities are up to standard as per health safety and welfare requirements. (Directgov.uk)

Addressing health issues and safety in the workplace does not only help the employer save money but also increases business value. This is because when workers sty healthy and whole the business saves costs which would have been spend on occupational injuries which of course come directly from company profits. Direct cost-savings to businesses include: reduced medical expenditures; lower insurance costs used to compensate workers’; reduced costs incurred in job accommodating workers with injuries; reduced expenditures during return-to-work programs; less expenses for overtime benefits and reduced numbers of faulty product.

Health and safety at workplace also result into decreases in costs incurred indirectly due to: increased productivity, production of products of higher quality which means increased sales. Safe workplace also fosters good labor or management relations and hence employees re motivated consequently there is increased production of high quality products s well s decreased turnover.

Employees and their families benefit from safety health and safety also have benefits to the employees and their families because it minimizes stress and they are able to protect their income as well as protecting injuries from hampering the families. It is very clear that health and safety add value not only to businesses, but also to the workplaces as well s lives and therefore protecting people in the workplace should be in our economy, our families, colleagues, and the community at large best interest(Cogwell Anderson R. & Kaczmarek B., vol.4 )..

OSHA and Its Basic Requirements or Provisions

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an Americans agency under the Labor Department whose responsibility is assuring the health and safety of workers in America by providing education, training and outreach; setting and enforcing standards; encouraging continued improvement in terms of health and safety in the workplace and establishing partnerships (Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Requirements or Provisions

OSHA is assigned two main functions by The OSH Act .these re setting standards and inspecting workplace to ensure employers compliance with the standards and provision of a healthful and safe workplace. The OSH Act applies to employees and employers in varied fields like, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, long shoring,, medicine, law, disaster relief and charity , private education and organized labor. Fields not covered by OSH ct include work conditions under the regulation of other federal agencies and statutes like nuclear energy, mining end many parts of the transportation industry, people who re self employed and local government end states employees(Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Federal OSHA Standards

OSHA standards my require that employers adopt some means, processes and practices necessary for protecting workers t work. It is the employers’ responsibility to familiarize with standards required by their establishments as well as complying with the standards and to ensure hazardous free conditions to their best capability. Employees must also comply with rules and regulations applicable to their own conduct and actions.

OSHA Standards are divided in four categories: General industry, agriculture, Maritime (long shoring, shipyards, marine terminals and construction. Each of these classes of standards imposes requirements that are aimed to the specific industry except in some instances where they are similar in all industries. Standards that impose similar requirements on all industrial sectors include standards for access to medical records, communication of hazards, access to records of exposure and personal protective equipment.

Equipment for personal protection standard require employers to provide cost free equipment for person protection against certain hazards. Such equipment include goggles, helmets for head protection, eye and hear and gauntlets for iron workers. This standard is separately added to standards for every industrial sector with the exception of agriculture. Access to medical and records of exposure standard requires employers to grant their employees access to all the records they maintain of employees exposure to hazardous substances and medical access. Hazard communication standard require both importers and manufactures of materials that re hazardous to carry out hazard evaluation of the products they import or manufacture and have the containers of the product labeled appropriately if it’s confirmed to be hazardous under the standards terms. In addition safety data sheet should also accompany the material on the first shipment to a new customer. Employers who use the safety data sheet must also have the employees trained on how to follow the safety instructions in the sheet and avoid the present hazardous material.

Reporting, posting and record keeping is imposed by OSHA regulations not a standard. Record keeping regulation require all employers under OSH cover with more than ten employees to maintain specified OSHA records of illnesses and injuries related to job. The regulation has n exception for low industries of low hazards like finance, real estate, some service industries, insurance and retail. The OSHA record keeping requires two forms be filled. form 200 is a log for illnesses or injuries with a separate entry for serious injuries which need recording .These include deaths related to the job, serious illnesses which require hospitalization and medication, restriction from work or motion or which led to transfer from one job to another .the form has also another section where all the injuries for the past year re recorded and posted in the work place every February. The other form is form 101 which provides additional report bout every workers recordable illness or injury. Despite the business category or employee numbers each employer must give reports to the OSHA office in the nearby if any accidents occur and cause hospitalization of more than three employees or cause fatalities. OSHA carries out investigations into the cause of the accident and whether it was s result of violation of standards.

Generally all employers must maintain hazard free workplaces to protect their employees from deaths or serious physical harm regardless of whether OSHA does not give a specific requirement or standard addressing such hazards. in such areas where OSHA has not given a standard to address a certain hazard, its employers responsibility to comply with the “general duty” clause for OSH Act which states that every employer “shall furnish a work place which is free from recognized hazards that are likely to or are causing serious physical harm or death to his employees” (Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Works Cited

Cogwell Anderson R. & Kaczmarek B. : The Importance of Promoting Health in the Workplace . The Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants. 2004 Volume 4 Number 1

Dalton A,P. Health and Workplace Hazards . London: Cengage Learning.1998.

Employers’ Health and Safety responsibilities . Web. 9 Oct. 2008 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/HealthAndSafetyAtWork/DG_4016686

Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements . Web.4 April 2008 http://www.ehso.com/oshaoverview.php

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Related Programs

Work health, and well-being, related articles, the changing face of worker safety, health, and well-being in a post-pandemic future, it’s not just personal: the economic value of preventing bullying in the workplace, a healthy workplace starts in bed, how covid-19 has changed the standards of worker safety and health — and how organizations can adapt.

Two warehouse workers wearing a mask and hardhat. The female is in the foreground pointing to the left and the male is in the background operating a vehicle.

by Katherine J. Igoe

Ensuring health and safety in the workplace is already a critically important issue; organizations that invest in occupational safety perform better, reduce turnover, and help workers do their jobs more effectively. But COVID-19 has forced companies to act quickly and decisively to keep workers safe. As employers endeavor to slow the spread of the virus while keeping a supportive and productive work environment, they’ve had to adapt new business processes and address existing structures that are lacking.

“COVID-19 has stressed the system. All the flaws that have been in place are totally exposed and have come to the forefront of our daily conversations,” says Jack Dennerlein , adjunct professor of ergonomics and safety in the Department of Environmental Health and co-director of Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. From distancing procedures to the availability of remote work, the pandemic has metaphorically ripped off the mask covering the flaws in organizations’ working conditions. How has COVID-19 changed the standards of worker safety and health, and how can employers adapt to these changes?

Total Worker Health and Its Impact in the Workplace

Total Worker Health (TWH) aims to address, reactively and proactively, the challenges of worker safety, health, and well-being. At its core, it measures and assesses what a worker experiences, collects data to understand what to change, provides approaches on how to modify an environment, and encourages collaboration across traditional organizational boundaries to ensure a safe workplace. It’s both an acknowledgement of workers’ existing health, and initiatives to keep them healthy.

“These two general fields — protecting and promoting health — work together in a single workplace. It makes sense to think about this as an integrated effort instead of two siloed efforts that act in parallel,” says Nico Pronk , adjunct professor of social and behavioral sciences, president of the HealthPartners Institute, chief science officer at HealthPartners, Inc., and co-director of Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health .

As an example, he explains, “If you have diabetes, your eyesight might be diminished, and you might end up with an injury because your work is putting you at risk.” Critically, though, TWH focuses more on an organization’s framework rather than solely on an individual: “the conditions of work rather than on the behaviors of the work. You set the environment — physical, social, economic — which shapes how the workplace is organized. Within that, these factors start to drive the behavior of the individuals within it.”

COVID-19 has fundamentally uprooted assumptions about worker safety, health, and well-being and been an accelerant of addressing these issues. The pandemic has also highlighted classic social issues that workers face, like childcare, sick leave, and disability issues, and underlined safety concerns in health care environments where professionals need to treat patients. The absence of TWH — where workers don’t feel safe in their workplace — is also much more visible. Implementing TWH effectively helps make organizations more resilient during this time.

Even though COVID-19 can be used as a leverage point, Dennerlein notes, “We should be doing it for the good of the people, not just because of COVID-19. If we want this country to be productive, we have to invest in the health and safety of our workforce.” Adds Pronk, “What if you didn’t get sick? What if you didn’t get injured? The benefits come back in spades. You cannot be successful if you don’t have healthy workers, but that recognition is still hardly there.”

“Protecting and promoting health work together in a single workplace. It makes sense to think about this as an integrated effort instead of two siloed efforts that act in parallel.”

Applying and Adapting Total Worker Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While the values of TWH may not change, the implementation has evolved to protect workers against COVID-19. In a paper titled “ An Integrative Total Worker Health Framework for Keeping Workers Safe and Healthy During the COVID-19 Pandemic ,” Dennerlein, Erika Sabbath, Susan Peters, and Glorian Sorensen outlined six key characteristics that are essential for applying TWH in this context:

Focusing on working conditions for infection control and supportive environments for increased psychological demands
Utilizing participatory approaches involving workers in identifying daily challenges and unique solutions
Employing comprehensive and collaborative efforts to increase system efficiencies
Committing as leaders to supporting workers through action and communications
Adhering to ethical and legal standards
Using data to guide actions and evaluate progress

In this way, organizations can address the unique demands (including physical, ethical, and legal) of counteracting COVID-19 alongside the needs of workers to complete their tasks in a safe space, while using data and feedback to make changes.

According to the researchers, the most challenging aspect of using a TWH framework is getting top-level support. “Overall organization engagement towards this shared vision of a goal is critical — some key performance indicator for the institution has to include TWH or recognizing its impact. You have to think about that at the systems level,” says Dennerlein.

“If we want this country to be productive, we have to invest in the health and safety of our workforce.”

The Practical Implications of Implementing Total Worker Health in a Pandemic

The researchers have worked with companies to take these theoretical constructs and translate them to practical insights in the workplace. “It took companies as much as six months to learn how to bring health and safety together. Health is in HR, safety is in Operations, and the two don’t usually interact,” Pronk says. Not rushing the organizations and giving them up to a year to develop an implementation plan was key.

After buy-in from leadership, the next step is to test these six characteristics using data and feedback. Previous studies show that program design principles or characteristics are correlated with good health outcomes. “The business units that scored the highest had the lowest number of health risks in their populations. The more they followed these characteristics, the healthier their group was,” Pronk says. Following implementation, organizations would then be able to make changes and use a team-based approach to maintain awareness and continue to evaluate efficacy.

Thus, TWH can be effective, and not just in the short-term. Even after COVID-19 is no longer an immediate threat, the challenges of worker health and safety remain. “What are we doing to create a more resilient workforce ? When we start thinking about the work of the future, workers are going to have to continually reinvent themselves, because work is constantly changing. COVID-19 was a big slap in the face for that. How do we all adapt?” says Dennerlein.

“We rely on the human element in the workforce so much because humans are problem-solvers. TWH tries to broaden that and realize what a great resource we have here. Why aren’t we using that element better? Why aren’t we weaving it more effectively into our organizations to help them make better decisions to affect the bottom line?”

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health , which provides the full set of skills needed to improve worker health, safety, and well-being in the workplace .

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Work and Well-being: The Changing Face of Occupational Safety and Health

There is strong evidence that work, health and well-being are closely and powerfully linked and need to be addressed together. (Dame Carol Black) [1]

The conjunctive phrase “…and well-being” is often used in the occupational safety and health (OSH) literature in the context of health and well-being. However, historically, well-being has not been defined, operationalized, prioritized or specifically considered. To gain perspective on the concept of well-being, it is useful to think of the history of OSH in a conceptual way in terms of five overlapping characteristic eras (see Figure 1)*. These include: Foundational concepts; Child labor/basic welfare/emerging perspectives; Toxic chemicals/physical agents/safety; Health and productivity/work organization factors and stress-related disorders; and, Total Worker Health®/well-being/future of work/sustainability. The most recent era starting with the early 2000’s is influenced by:

1) the realization that the nature of work, the workforce, and the workplace is changing in major ways and at a rapid pace;

2) recognition that a large number of factors external to work such as health behaviors (e.g., alcohol and drug use), aging, pandemics, and chronic disease are influencing work and workers’ health, that some of these conditions are in turn influenced by workplace exposures, and that these factors and effects require new, systems-oriented prevention strategies;

3) growing attention to fatigue, psychosocial hazards and effects; and

4) increasing consideration of decent † , sustainable and healthy work as societal goals. [2] [3]

essay on health and safety in the workplace

Well-Being Defined

To better address these four contemporary factors there is need for an overarching concept such as “well-being”, that encompasses the broad range of domains in the most recent eras of OSH. In general, well-being is understood as a summative concept that characterizes the overall quality of workers’ lives (work and nonwork), including OSH aspects, and it may be a major determinant of productivity at the individual, enterprise and societal levels.[4] [5] As treated in the literature of various disciplines, well-being can be subjective, objective or a composite of the two.[6] Subjective well-being can include flourishing, happiness, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose. Objectively, well-being is having adequate food, clothing, shelter, economic resources, and legal rights.

The threat to well-being of workers is not due just to changes in work and workplace hazards, it is also due to the interaction of work and nonwork factors.[7] Such factors as demographics, economic considerations and globalization, migration, climate change and chronic disease are drivers of current and future working conditions. To optimize well-being, there is need for a comprehensive perspective that allows full consideration of possible leverage points (direction, magnitude and causality) for producing meaningful change.[8] To achieve this, we need to understand the relationship between ‘well-being in work’ and ‘well-being in life’ in terms of directionality, magnitude and causality.

Studying Well-Being in OSH

Much of the literature on the relationship between ‘well-being in work’ and ‘well-being in life’ looks at the intersection between life satisfaction and job satisfaction.[9] [10] [11] Commonly it has involved cross-sectional studies where causal inference is generally not able to be assessed. More recently, a 2020 longitudinal study determined relationships between factors involved in job satisfaction and life satisfaction.[8] These relationships can be bi-directional or uni-directional (life-to-work or work-to-life).

The concept of well-being can be used in OSH in a variety of ways. As shown in Figure 2, it, can be used in research, practice, and policy. To these ends, well-being can be investigated in terms of what can cause it and its impact on productivity, organizational effectiveness, and health-related outcomes. Well-being may prove to be a leading indicator of these outcomes. It can be a practical objective for employers and workers, and it can be the target of policy or an indicator of whether a policy achieves well-being.

If the concept of well-being is to be operationalized for use as an objective or a condition of workers or organizations there is a need for a way to measure it. The literature on measuring well-being is broad and provides many approaches.[12] The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a conceptual framework for worker well-being that includes five domains and 20 subdomains that have been incorporated in a survey instrument called the NIOSH WellBQ . [13] [14] The instrument may be useful as a tool for research, practice and policy development.

Using Well-being in OSH and Beyond

Ultimately, if the concept of well-being is to be used by OSH in the future there is need for the OSH field to be prepared for, and to have the capacity to use it. This preparation requires that, in the future, OSH investigators and practitioners need to have appropriate training, understanding of relevant complementary disciplines, and the readiness to think about OSH concerns from a multifactorial perspective. Three approaches to expand OSH training to address well-being can be envisioned. One pertains to increasing the knowledge base and skill sets of OSH practitioners and investigators with augmented training and systems-thinking that is inclusive of extra-organizational influences and cross-disciplinary perspectives and approaches. The second is to engage professions outside the OSH discipline to understand basic principles of OSH, expand their attention toward OSH and to develop collaborations and partnerships with OSH professionals. The third would be a combination of both.[15] For all three approaches to focus on well-being as an outcome of OSH activity, a holistic analysis of worker health and well-being is needed.

The OSH field will need to have a more transdisciplinary focus. A transdisciplinary focus means that researchers and practitioners from different disciplines work jointly using a shared conceptual framework drawing together disciplinary-specific theories, concepts and approaches to address common problems.[15] Recognizing the need for a more holistic framework in OSH, NIOSH has initiated a new program of research under the rubric of Total Worker Health ® (TWH) to better understand how conditions inside and beyond the work environment combine to influence the well-being of workers, to develop integrative prevention strategies that cross these domains to improve worker well-being, and to improve the capacity of occupational health professionals in systems approaches to OSH.[16]

While OSH professionals generally take a systematic approach to their work, how to train OSH professionals in systems-thinking and skills could be a challenge because of the multifactorial nature of so many of the contemporary and emergent OSH problems, [15] although training programs of this nature have already been initiated by some partners of the NIOSH TWH program. Systems thinking in OSH involves taking a holistic view of factors and interactions that contribute to problems, diseases, and outcomes in workers. [17]

Ideally, OSH will become part of a societal consideration that includes sustainability, climate change, decent work and a future impacted heavily by technology, all impacting work and worker well-being and requiring more expansive intervention strategies in OSH. As noted, in this scenario, researchers and practitioners conducting research and developing and implementing OSH interventions will require a broader set of skills and perspectives.[18] Psychosocial hazards in particular will likely become an even greater problem for workers and employers, necessitating additional skills and new inter-disciplinary partnerships for OSH professionals., While recognizing the increasing role of psychosocial hazards and adverse effects, the OSH field will also have to address the ongoing threats of all hazards which the current era overlaps with as shown in Figure 1, as well as new physical, chemical, and biological hazards.

Ultimately, adoption of the well-being concept in OSH will require further agreement on how to operationalize the concept and development of investigatory and intervention strategies that reach beyond the workplace. It is important to guard against blaming the workers for poor well-being outcomes and to consider privacy and confidentiality concerns when addressing non-work characteristics. Additionally, because some interventions necessary to address the well-being of workers may be outside the control of the workplace, broader society-level policies, changes in personal choice-making, clinical services, and health promotion interventions will be necessary to affect well-being in these instances.

Moving Forward

Critical in the evolution of OSH (from a labor to more of a public health perspective) will be the need to address not only hazards in work and elsewhere as they relate to worker well-being, but also lack of workers’ opportunity in terms of unemployment and underemployment. The technological displacement of workers is a growing issue and one that will affect the workforce into the future. The impact of underemployment and unemployment on well-being has been richly described; however, in the future it may become more significant. Intervention to address this will be a challenge for OSH. The field will have to evolve to address lack of employment opportunity as a hazard to workers by adopting a more public health approach to worker health. Additionally, the OSH field may have to think not only of hazards to workers, but hazards to, and characteristics of the workforce, and the health and welfare of workers’ families (Figure 3) ‡ . Strategies to affect all or parts of the workforce will be of critical importance. Both of these new focal areas for OSH are well beyond historical practices and perspectives. However, they ultimately tie to worker well-being and a more broadly prepared field of OSH professionals would ideally be well-positioned to pivot, evolve, and envision solutions and quickly implement them.

Paul A. Schulte, Ph.D., is the Director of the NIOSH Division of Science Integration.

Steven L. Sauter, Ph.D., is a consultant to the NIOSH Total Worker Health program.

This blog is part of a series for the NIOSH 50th Anniversary. Stay up to date on how we’re celebrating NIOSH’s 50 th Anniversary on our website .

* These eras represent the authors’ interpretation of occupational safety and health history based on supporting literature. See Melling and Carter (2012) [19] for further discussion.

† “Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, ability to organize and participate in decisions that affect their lives, and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.” ILO [20]

‡See the 2012 WHO report on the importance of health, safety, and well-being at work.[21]

1. Black C. [2008]. Working for a healthier tomorrow. London England: The Stationary Office.

2. Burton J [2010]. Healthy workplaces: a model of action for employers, workers, policy-makers and practitioners. Geneva Switzerland: World Health Organizations.

3. Howard J. Nonstandard work arrangements and worker heath and safety. Am J Ind Med 60 (1): 1-10, 2017.

4. Schulte PA, Vainio H [2010]. Well-being at work – overview and perspective. Scan J Work Environ Health 36(5):422-429.

5. Gervais R, Buffet M-A, Liddle M, Eekelaert L [2019]. Well-being at work: creating a positive work environment. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

6. Schulte, PA, Guerin RJ, Scholl AL, Bhattacharya A, Cunningham TA, Pandalai S, Eggerth D, Stephenson CM. [2015]. Considerations for incorporating “well-being” in public policy for workers and workplaces. AJPH, August 0015; 106 (f) 31_e44, https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302616# .

7. Schulte PA, Pandalai S, Wulsin V, Chun K. Interaction of occupational and personal risk factors in workforce health and safety. Am J Public Health 102; 434-448, 2012. Pls let me know if you have further questions.

8. Weziak-Bialowolski D, Bialowolski P, Luigi Sacco, VanderWeele TJ, McNeely E [2020]. Well-being in life and well-being at work: which comes first? Evidence from a longitudinal study. Front. Public Health. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00103/full

9. Bowling NA, Eschleman KJ, Wang Q [2010]. A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being. J Occup Organ Psychol. 83:915–34. doi: 10.1348/096317909X478557.

10. Judge TA, Watanabe S [1993]. Another look at the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship. J Appl Psychol 78:939-948. Doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.78.6.939.

11. Rain JS, Lane IM, Steiner DD [1991]. A current look at the job satisfaction/life satisfaction relationship: review and future considerations. Human Relations. (1991) 44:287–307. doi: 10.1177/001872679104400305.

12. Cooke PJ, Melchart TP, Connor K [2016]. Measuring well-being: a review of instruments. The counseling psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000016633507 .

13. Chari R, Chang C-C, Sauter SL, Petrun Sayers EL, Cerully JL, Schulte PA, Scholl AL, Uscher-Pines L [2018]. Expanding the paradigm of occupational safety and health: a new framework for worker well-being. JOEM 60:921-929.

14. NIOSH [2021]. NIOSH worker well-being questionnaire (WellBQ). By Chari R, Chang CC, Sauter SL, Petrun Sayers EL, Huang W, Fisher GG. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2021-110 (revised 5/2021), https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2021110revised52021

15. Schulte PA, Delclos G, Felknor SA, Chosewood LC [2019]. Toward an expanded focus for occupational safety and health. Int J Environ Res and Public Health 16, 4946; DOI:10.3901/jerph 16244946.

16. Hudson HL, Nigam JAS, Sauter SL, Chosewood LC, Schill AL, Howard J [2019]. Total Worker Health. American Psychological Association Washington D.C. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000149-000

17. Carey G, Malbon E, Carey N, Joyce A, Crammond B, Carey A [2015]. Systems science and systems thinking for public health: a systematic review of the field. BMJ open. 5(12):e009002. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009002.

18. Schulte PA, Streit JMK, Sheriff F, Delclos G, Felknor SA, Tamers SL, Fendinger S, Grosch J, Sala R [2020]. Potential scenarios and hazards in the work of the future: A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature and gray literatures. Ann Work Exp and Health 1-31. Doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa051.

19. Melling J, Carter T [2012]. Donald Hunter and history of occupational health: precedents and perspectives. In Baxter ed al (eds) Hunter’s diseases of occupations. Pp5-23. https://doi.org/10.1201/b13467

20. International Labour Organization. Decent Work. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang–en/index.htm

21. Kim, P. [2012]. WHO and well-being at work. Presentation well-being at work 2012. Manchester UK May 21, 2012. https://www.hsl.gov.uk/media/202146/5_kim_who.pdf

70 comments on “Work and Well-being: The Changing Face of Occupational Safety and Health”

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Very informative blog.

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Useful Information, thanks for sharing.

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keep sharing this type of informative content. This is a very informative content. Thanks

strongly agree, health and safety at work is a priority that must be owned by someonem. Btw iam from indonesian

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Great article share thanks for information. Strongly agree, health and safety at work is a priority that must be owned by someones.

101℅ agree with your thoughts and idea.

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I think health and occupation is a relevant topic to talk about, since, I’ve seen these two things collide with each other. Working while being best at your health is hard these days due to diversity of working style in out country. Some people work at places where more physical movement is demanded. For young people it isn’t that bad but, for people over 40 it gets a little difficult to work. I think to avoid health problems due to work after 40’s, jobs opportunities should be changed. Since, younger people are more energetic, they should have job opportunities related with physical work, whereas, people who develop poor health condition over time should be provided jobs that require less physical activity.

101℅ agree with your thoughts and idea. Good bless you.

Will read more like this….. Thanks

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I think this is very informative, but there are a few things I’m afraid I have to disagree with. Even so, it is an additional insight for me.

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Great article share thanks for information. Strongly agree, health and safety at work is a priority that must be owned by someone.

Great article share thanks for information.

indeed in a job, a very important factor is work safety. This of course must be accompanied by a certificate of competence on work safety. In Indonesia, it must be owned by every employee, especially employees in oil and mining

work safety is the most important

Completely agree. This is why we approach everything in our company in balance. More than anything, we let our employees rest, and when they feel overwhelmed, we grant them leave.

Thank you for your post sharing with us. Really it’s a very helpful post. Hope everybody will be benefited from your post.

Nice information.

Nice article and Very Informative. I think health and occupation is a relevant topic to talk about, since, I’ve seen these two things collide with each other. Working while being best at your health is hard these days due to diversity of working style in out country.

Agreed to each and every points . Great article for daily workers.

Nice article.

very very useful article and Very Informative. I think health and occupation is a relevant topic to talk about, since, I’ve seen these two things collide with each other. Working while being best at your health is hard these days due to diversity of working style in out country.thank you

La salud y el trabajo es un tema delicado y hay que saberlo manejar. Hay que hilar despacio.

From Google Translate: Health and work is a sensitive issue and you have to know how to handle it. You have to spin slowly.

Thanks for sharing

informative blog…thx

Agreed to each and every points. Great article for daily workers.

thanks for the information

Thank you so much as you have been willing to share information with us.

Hey Thank you for the informative post. After the COVID thing, from the day, we started WFH, we all almost forget about the well being so it is necessary to have a full knowledge how to be balance your life and work.

This article sheds light on other aspects of well-being in regards to the workplace that are very rarely touched upon. The most interesting one to me is external work factors – alcohol and drug use, aging, chronic disease – I’d even include family/living dynamics at home.

An employee can come to work and do their job but you have no idea what’s going on in their personal lives that may affect their true well-being as a human. Perhaps they are living in a loud environment, don’t get any sleep and require sleep medication. Or they live in a dangerous neighborhood and have to carry self defense weapons for protection which increases their stress.

I like the discussion about well-being at work and well-being at life. Are people fulfilled if they are not doing work that aligns with something purposeful in their lives? Can well-being at work truly align with well-being in life if you are working for a company or someone else and don’t get full say on your role and objectives? Perhaps some people can, but I venture that it’s very challenging for most. At the end of the day, a job is a job that pays the bills, and sadly the employee, and the employer, understand this.

Very beautiful infography and helpful tips. Appreciated. Thank you.

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Great article

Thanks for putting this together.

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Thank you on this helpful article!

Completely agree. This is why we approach everything in our company in balance.

This article provides an insightful overview of the evolution of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) with a particular focus on the emerging emphasis on workers’ well-being. I commend the inclusion of broader societal factors such as sustainability and climate change, that indirectly but significantly impact worker well-being. The notion of well-being encompassing not just physical safety but also psychosocial aspects, underemployment, and the influence of non-work factors reflects the complexity of contemporary work environments. As OSH evolves to address these facets, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and a systems-thinking approach cannot be overstated. This comprehensive perspective promises to pave the way for healthier workplaces and a more holistic approach to worker health and productivity.

Thank you for your comment. This is precisely the direction the NIOSH Total Worker Health Program is taking us. Please visit the Total Worker Health webpage for more information.

Wow, what an insightful blog post! As someone who has always prioritized both my work and well-being, it’s refreshing to see a topic that hits close to home. The evolving landscape of occupational safety and health is something we can’t ignore, especially with the changing dynamics of the modern workplace.

The way you highlighted the importance of striking a balance between work and well-being resonated deeply with me. It’s not just about physical safety anymore; mental and emotional well-being are equally vital. Our workplaces should be nurturing environments that encourage growth, productivity, and, most importantly, happiness.

I particularly appreciated your emphasis on the role of employers in promoting a healthy work environment. I am a Call Center owner and when employers prioritize the well-being of their employees, it fosters a positive culture that leads to increased job satisfaction and overall productivity. After all, a happy employee is a productive employee!

It’s fascinating how technology has both facilitated and challenged the field of occupational safety and health. On one hand, it has revolutionized workplace practices, allowing for remote work and flexible schedules. On the other hand, it has introduced new risks and challenges that we need to address proactively.

Overall, this blog post has shed light on a crucial aspect of our lives. It’s a wake-up call for both employers and employees to recognize the significance of work-life balance and well-being. Let’s continue the conversation and strive for workplaces that not only keep us safe but also promote our holistic well-being. Great job!

Thank you. We appreciate your comments.

Occupational safety and health is very important . Especially in developing countries common safety guidelines in any occupation are not properly followed. This piece of information is very beneficial. Thanks

Thank you so much

I like this informations !!

I really enjoyed reading your blog post about work and well-being. I agree that it is important to find a balance between work and personal life, and that both can contribute to our overall well-being.

I found your point about the importance of having a sense of purpose in our work to be particularly interesting. I think that when we feel like our work is meaningful, it can make a big difference in our overall happiness and satisfaction.

I also appreciated your suggestions for how to improve work-life balance. I think that setting boundaries, taking breaks, and making time for relaxation are all important things that we can do to improve our well-being.

Thanks for sharing your insights!

This blog post sheds light on a crucial and often overlooked aspect of occupational safety and health – the interconnectedness of work, health, and overall well-being. It’s a perspective that resonates with Dame Carol Black’s insight that these elements are tightly intertwined and must be collectively addressed.

The authors highlight a fascinating progression through distinct eras in the history of occupational safety and health. From foundational concepts to the emerging focus on total worker health and well-being, the evolution is marked by evolving societal norms, changing work environments, and a deeper understanding of the complexities involved.

The modern era, starting in the early 2000s, has brought about a paradigm shift in how we perceive work-related health and well-being. Factors like rapidly changing work dynamics, external influences such as health behaviors and pandemics, and the recognition of psychosocial hazards, fatigue, and stress-related disorders have pushed the boundaries of traditional occupational safety considerations.

Moreover, the concept of “decent, sustainable, and healthy work” reflects a forward-thinking approach that aligns workplace goals with broader societal aspirations. This evolving perspective acknowledges the significance of fostering environments where employees not only thrive but contribute to a larger vision of a healthier and more sustainable society.

As we navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, it’s crucial to recognize that a holistic approach to occupational safety and health is essential. By integrating well-being into the conversation, we move closer to a comprehensive understanding of how work impacts individuals and society as a whole. This thought-provoking article invites us to contemplate the evolving landscape of occupational well-being and consider innovative strategies to ensure the health and vitality of the workforce.

This thought-provoking analysis sheds light on the evolution of occupational safety and health (OSH) and the often overlooked aspect of well-being. It is intriguing to see how the concept of well-being has been gradually integrated into the OSH framework over time. This article offers valuable historical context and raises important questions about the future of work and the significance of well-being in creating sustainable and thriving workplaces. An insightful read indeed! 👍

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Health and safety in the workplace

Consideration for public health and social measures in the workplace in the context of COVID-19

COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. Exposure can occur at the workplace, while travelling to work, during work-related travel to an area with local community transmission, as well as on the way to and from the workplace.

The risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace depends on the likelihood of coming within 1 metre of others, in having frequent physical contact with people who may be infected with COVID-19, and through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects.

Managers with the support of an occupational health and safety advisor should carry out rapid risk assessments to determine the possibility of exposure risk in order to put in place preventive measures. This should be done for each specific work setting and each job.

Low exposure risk

Jobs or work without frequent, close contact with the general public or others. Workers in this group have minimal occupational contact with the public and other co-workers. Examples of such jobs may include remote workers (i.e., working from home), office workers without frequent close contact with others and workers providing teleservices.

Medium exposure risk

Jobs or tasks with close, frequent contact with the general public or others. This risk level may apply to workers who have frequent and close contact with the people in high-population-density work environments (e.g. food markets, bus stations, public transport, and other work activities where physical distancing of at least 1 metre may be difficult to observe), or tasks that require close and frequent contact between co-workers. This may also include frequent contact with people returning from areas with community transmission. Examples of such jobs may include frontline workers in retail, home deliveries, accommodation, construction, police and security, public transport, and water and sanitation.

High exposure risk

Jobs or tasks with close contact with people who may be more likely to have COVID-19, as well as contact with objects and surfaces possibly contaminated with the virus. Examples include transporting people known or suspected to have COVID-19 without separation between the driver and the passenger, providing domestic services or home care for people with COVID-19, and having contact with the deceased who were known or suspected of having COVID-19 at the time of their death. Jobs that may fall under this category include domestic workers, social care workers, personal transport and home delivery providers and home repair technicians (plumbers, electricians) who have to provide services in the homes of people with COVID-19.

For each risk assessment, consider the environment, the task, the threat, resources available, such as personal protective equipment, and the feasibility of protective measures. The risk assessment should also extend to collective accommodation provided by the employer for workers, such as dormitories. Essential public services, such as security and police, food retail, accommodation, public transport, deliveries, water and sanitation, and other frontline workers may be at an increased risk of exposure to occupational hazards for health and safety. Workers who may be at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness because of age or pre-existing medical conditions should be considered in the risk assessment for individuals.

Workplaces for jobs at medium risk require daily cleaning and disinfection at least two times a day of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, including all shared rooms, surfaces, floors, bathrooms, and changing rooms. Consider suspending any activity where physical distancing of at least 1 metre cannot be implemented in full. If this is not possible, increase ventilation, implement enhanced regular hand hygiene, and require staff to wear appropriate face masks, goggles, gloves and work clothes during cleaning procedures that generate splashes, providing training on their use. Organize changing and washing of work clothes at the workplace, so that workers to do take them home.

WHO recommends keeping a physical distance of at least 1 metre between each person in all settings, including in workplaces. Because transmission can occur in crowded workplaces, WHO recommends providing sufficient space, at least 10 square meters, for every worker. National recommendations for physical distancing may require greater physical distance and should be complied with.

In order to support compliance with national or local recommendations, implement physical distance guidelines in a way that is practical and feasible in the context of work tasks, and which is acceptable to both workers and employers. Stimulate workers to comply with physical distancing norms also at events outside the workplace, in the community, and in dormitories.

Risk assessment and consultation between employers and workers is very important for setting up and implementing physical distancing measures at the workplace. This may require modification of workstations, changing the use of common spaces and transport vehicles, staggered work shifts, split teams and other measures to reduce social mixing at the workplace.

If physical distancing measures at the workplace are not feasible for specific work tasks, consider whether the work can be suspended, and if this is not possible, apply additional protective measures, such as the use of screens, sneeze guards, face masks, enhanced hand hygiene, ventilation and disinfection.

Physical distancing alone can’t prevent COVID-19 transmission, it is important that it is combined with other public health measures, such as hand and respiratory hygiene, environmental clean-up and disinfection of commonly touched surfaces and objects, ventilation, wearing face masks and a policy of staying at home if unwell.

Employers, workers, and their organizations should collaborate with health authorities to prevent and control COVID-19. Cooperation between management and workers and their representatives is essential for workplace‐related prevention measures. International labour standards on the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers in occupational safety and health should be fully respected.

Employers, in consultation with workers and their representatives, should plan and implement measures to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 at the workplace through engineering and administrative controls, and provide personal protective equipment and clothing according to the risk assessment. Such measures should not involve any expenditure on the part of the workers.

Special measures are needed to protect workers at higher risk of developing severe disease, such as those age 60 and over, or with underlying medical conditions, upon recommendation of the occupational health services. Workers in the informal economy and digital labour platforms, those in small enterprises, domestic and migrant workers should not be left behind in the protection of their health and safety at work and their livelihood .

There should be no social stigma or discrimination at the workplace for any reason, including access to information and protection from COVID-19, occupational health services and mental health and psychosocial support.

If COVID-19 is contracted through occupational exposure, it could be considered an occupational disease and, if so determined, should be reported and compensated according to the international labour standards and the national schemes for employment injury benefits.

Workers are responsible to follow the measures for occupational safety and health and infection prevention and control established for their workplace, and to participate in training provided by the employer. Workers should report to their supervisor any situation which may present an imminent and serious danger to their life or health. Workers have the right to remove themselves from any work situation that they have reasonable justification to believe presents an imminent and serious danger to their life or health, and should be protected from any undue consequences as a result of exercising this right.

Workplaces should develop action plans to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 as part of the business continuity plan and according to the results of the risk assessments and the epidemiological situation.

The action plan and preventive measures should be regularly monitored and updated. Workers and their representatives should be consulted and should participate in the development, monitoring and updating of the workplace COVID-19. It is very important to monitor the effectiveness of preventive measures, and the compliance of workers, visitors, customers, clients and sub-contractors with the measures. The plans should be updated when someone with known or suspected COVID-19 is at the workplace.

Temperature screening cannot detect all cases of COVID-19, since infected individuals may not have fever early in the course of infection or illness, such as during the incubation period or just before other symptoms begin, even though they may already be infectious. Some people may reduce fever with a fever-reducing medication if they are concerned about the possible consequences of not coming to work. Relying on temperature screening alone will not stop the spread of COVID-19 at work.

Thermal screening at the workplace can be considered part of a package of measures to prevent and control COVID-19 at the workplace. Workers should be encouraged to self-monitor their health, possibly with the use of questionnaires, and take their own temperature regularly at home. Workplaces should adopt “stay at home if unwell” and flexible sick leave policies to discourage workers with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 from coming to the workplaces.

Wearing masks depends on the risk assessment. For jobs and tasks that carry a medium or high risk, for people aged 60 and older, and for those with underlying health conditions, a medical mask and other personal protective equipment should be provided. Fabric masks or face coverings are currently recommended for younger people and those with no symptoms where physical distancing is not achievable. This prevents the spread of virus from the wearer (who could have COVID-19 but no symptoms) to others. The policy on wearing a mask or face covering in low risk workplaces should be in line with national or local guidelines. Masks may carry some risks if not used properly.

COVID-19 is associated with a range of concerns, such as fear of falling ill and dying, of being socially excluded, placed in quarantine, or losing a livelihood. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common reactions for people in the context of COVID-19. Mental health and psychosocial support should be made available to all workers. Comprehensive risk assessments can help identify and mitigate related occupational hazards for mental health

Full Guideline Document Considerations for public health and social measures in the workplace in the context of COVID-19 is accessible at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/considerations-for-public-health-and-social-measures-in-the-workplace-in-the-context-of-covid-19

A safe and healthy working environment

Improving Safety and Health Through Supply Chains and Building a Culture of Prevention and Protection

A Safe and Healthy Working Environment

. The landmark decision means that all ILO Member States commit to respect and promote the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.

The burden of occupational mortality and morbidity is not equally distributed across the world, among industries and among the workforce. About two-thirds (65 per cent) of global work-related mortality is estimated to occur in Asia, followed by Africa (11.8 per cent), Europe (11.7 per cent), Americas (10.9 per cent) and Oceania (0.6 per cent). The rates of fatal occupational accidents per 100,000 workers also show stark regional differences, with rates in Africa and Asia 4 to 5 times higher than those in Europe.

Human Rights Due Diligence

Nine business practices to improve safety and health in supply chains.

The International Labour Organization and the United Nations Global Compact have identified nine business practices to improve safety and health through supply chains and create a culture of prevention and protection:

Map your supply chains to gain a better understanding of existing OSH challenges
Include OSH and employment injury protection in procurement practices
Improve the monitoring of OSH compliance, including through closer engagement with suppliers
Promote vertical and horizontal knowledge and capacity sharing
Align and complement the national legal and policy framework and be a driver for improvement
Promote workers’ participation and social dialogue
Support efforts to enhance the reporting, recording and notification of occupational injuries and diseases to improve data collection
Engage with development partners to share knowledge of good practices and innovative approaches to build capacity and partnerships
Join international initiatives to support the development of national policies and strengthen national institutions in sourcing countries on OSH practices and employment injury protection

To learn more, click here to read the new brief from the ILO and the UN Global Compact (available in English and Korean) , which focuses on the role that businesses can play in ensuring safe and healthy workplaces, especially when operating in countries with deficient national safety and health and employment injury protection schemes.

Sustainable Development Goals

Robust OSH laws and policies and good business practices, combined with employment injury insurance schemes, contribute to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), amongst others.

Both employment injury insurance schemes and occupational safety and health are the primary drivers behind realizing decent work for all women and men under Goal 8. Target 8.8 of Goal 8 has made occupational safety and health a sustainable development priority. It calls for concerted action: “protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular, women migrants, and those in precarious employment”.

From the UN Global Compact Academy

Nine Business Practices for Improving Safety and Health Through Supply Chains and Building a Culture of Prevention and Protection (ILO and UN Global Compact, 2021)
A safe and healthy work environment e-learning module (UN Global Compact, 2022)
ILO Helpdesk for Business on International Labour Standards
ILO Vision Zero Fund: Improving occupational safety and health in small and medium-sized enterprises – Training module
How to Develop a Human Rights Policy (UN Global Compact and OHCHR, 2015)
International Labour Standards on Occupational Safety and Health
ILO Vision Zero Fund: Collective Action for Safe and Healthy Supply Chains
Global database on occupational safety and health legislation (ILO)
Tools and resources for business on occupational safety and health (ILO)
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Catch the wave (IOSH)
Sustainable development (IOSH)
Health and safety guidance for business (IOSH)
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work — OSH Barometer
Explore all the work of the UN Global Compact on labour
Towards a safe and healthy future of work (IOSH)

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Workplace — Workplace health and safety

Workplace Health and Safety

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Published: Mar 1, 2019

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Heat Stress

OSHA Proposes Nationwide Workplace Heat Safety Standard

OSHA has proposed a nationwide workplace heat safety standard to reduce heat-related injuries and illnesses by requiring employers to implement comprehensive heat safety measures for indoor and outdoor workers.

By Susan F. Wiltsie, Elizabeth England
Sep 13, 2024

On July 2, 2024, OSHA released its long-awaited proposed rule to prevent heat-related injuries and illnesses in the workplace. OSHA initiated the rulemaking process in October 2021 as part of its ongoing heat-related illness prevention initiative.

The proposed rule applies to most employers under OSHA’s jurisdiction and covers work in both indoor and outdoor settings, with exclusions for short-term exposure (15 minutes or less per hour), indoor sedentary work activities, indoor sites (including vehicles) kept below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, remote work and emergency response activities. The rule borrows from standards set by state occupational safety and health agencies, such as Cal/OSHA, which already impose heat safety measures on employers in their states.

The proposed rule requires employers to develop a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (HIIPP) to evaluate and control heat hazards in the workplace. As part of the HIIPP, employers will have to designate a heat safety coordinator and develop a heat emergency response plan with the involvement of non-managerial employees and their representatives.

Employers also would be required to monitor heat conditions at indoor and outdoor work areas. For indoor work sites, this includes implementing a monitoring plan covering work areas where employees are likely to be exposed to a heat index of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Records of indoor monitoring data must be maintained for at least 6 months.

For outdoor work areas, employers can monitor heat conditions by tracking local heat index forecasts provided by the National Weather Service or other reputable sources or measuring the heat index as closely as possible to the work area and with “sufficient frequency” to determine with reasonable accuracy employees’ exposure to heat.

Employers must seek the input of non-managerial employees and their representatives when evaluating the work site to identify indoor exposure areas and when developing and updating outdoor monitoring plans.

The proposed rule requires employers to implement specific measures to mitigate heat-related risks to employees when the temperature reaches an Initial Heat Trigger (a heat index of 80 degrees Fahrenheit), including the following:

Readily accessible cool drinking water (at least one quart of water per employee per hour)
Break areas at outdoor work sites with cooling measures, such as an air-conditioned enclosed space, artificial shade (e.g., tent or pavilion) or natural shade (e.g., trees), but shade from equipment is not sufficient
Break areas at indoor work sites with air conditioning or increased air movement
Controls for indoor working areas (such as air conditioning or fans)
Paid rest breaks if needed to prevent overheating
Regular and effective two-way communication.
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OSHA Proposes Nationwide Workplace Heat Safety Standard, Occupational Health & Safety

Readily accessible cool drinking water (at least one quart of water per employee per hour)
Break areas at outdoor work sites with cooling measures, such as an air-conditioned enclosed space, artificial shade (e.g., tent or pavilion) or natural shade (e.g., trees), but shade from equipment is not sufficient
Break areas at indoor work sites with air conditioning or increased air movement
Controls for indoor working areas (such as air conditioning or fans)
Paid rest breaks if needed to prevent overheating
Regular and effective two-way communication.

The proposed rule also will require employers to implement acclimatization protocols upon the Initial Heat Trigger for new workers and workers returning after an absence of 14 days or more. Employers can choose between applying the High Heat Trigger measures (discussed below) for the employee’s first week on the job, even if the heat index does not exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit or gradual acclimatization, according to a schedule recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Additional safety measures required when the High Heat Trigger is met (a heat index of 90 degrees Fahrenheit) include:

Mandatory, paid 15-minute rest breaks at least every two hours in break areas with cooling measures
Observation of employees for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, such as a mandatory “buddy system” or observation by a supervisor or heat safety coordinator
A hazard alert to remind employees of the importance of drinking water, taking rest breaks and how to seek help
Warning signs at indoor work areas with ambient temperatures that regularly exceed 120 degrees.

Employers will need to train all employees on heat safety prior to any work at or above the initial heat trigger. The proposed rule also requires annual refresher training and supplemental training after certain heat-related injuries or illnesses at the work site.

The proposed rule is available at www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/rulemaking , but it has not yet been officially published in the Federal Register. Its publication will trigger a 120-day public comment period, after which OSHA will consider the comments and hold an informal public hearing before publishing a final rule.

The rule’s future likely will hinge upon who wins the presidential race, as a Republican administration may be likely to abandon the rulemaking process (if it is not final).

If the rule takes effect, it will face increased scrutiny in light of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo . Loper Bright overturned the longstanding Chevron deference doctrine, which permitted an agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutory language to stand as long as it was deemed a reasonable interpretation of the implementing statute.

OSHA relies on its interpretation of the OSH Act to justify its workplace standards, including the proposed heat standard. In the OSH Act, Congress authorized OSHA to promulgate workplace health and safety standards “whenever the Secretary [of Labor]…determined that a rule should be promulgated in order to serve the objectives of this Act.” 29 U.S.C. § 655(b).

Courts historically have deferred to OSHA’s authority, including on the basis of Chevron deference. Loper Bright will allow employers to challenge new OSHA standards as exceeding OSHA’s authority under the OSH Act. For example, an employer could argue that a particular OSHA standard does not advance the health and safety of workers and therefore exceeds OSHA’s statutory authority. While courts would have previously deferred to OSHA’s reasonable statutory interpretations, such deference no longer applies. In a 2020 case, the DC Circuit specifically held that Chevron entitled the Secretary of Labor to deference with respect to the applicability of a safety-standard regarding eyewash stations to construction industry employers, even though, as originally passed, the regulations only applied to federal contractors. Kiewit Power Constructors Co. v. Sec'y of Lab., U.S. Dep't of Lab. , 959 F.3d 381, 385 (D.C. Cir. 2020). Such deference would no longer protect OSHA after Loper Bright.

Many observers expect challenges to the proposed rule. Assuming these challenges materialize, courts will apply their own judgment when assessing whether the proposed standard comports with the legislative delegations of authority in the OSH Act.

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Occupational Health and Safety and Workplace Accidents Essay

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Hazards, risks, and injuries

Unsafe conditions and unsafe acts, the steps of accident investigation, the internal responsibility system and duties, the types of accidents at the workplace, works cited.

One of the most important responsibilities of an employer is to provide his or her employees with a safe and healthy workplace. Occupational health and safety involve a workplace that is free of any hazards, risks, or injuries. A Hazard refers to an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon within the workplace that is a source of danger and can cause an event to result in one way or another (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 121). Hazards classify as biological, chemical, or physical. Risks refer to the possibility of harm or infection occurring given that exposure to an infectious agent or a source of danger has occurred. Risks within the workplace involve possibilities of one incurring a misfortune.

Injuries refer to any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accidents within the workplace (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 123). The three elements have a close relationship because they influence each other. Hazards expose people to risks within the workplace. The more someone has greater exposure to risk, the higher the chances of getting injuries. A hazard can cause harm while a risk is the chance of harm occurring. Injury is the extent of harm.

Unsafe conditions and unsafe acts are very important concepts in understanding occupational health and safety. Injuries and accidents are very common within the workplace, and these two elements are some of the causes. An unsafe act refers to human action, activity, or execution of a task in a manner, which poses a threat to the health, and/or safety of an individual within a workplace (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 364).

Unsafe acts involve human factors, thus they are not easy to identify and respond to within the workplace. Any person within the workplace can make an unsafe act. Examples of unsafe acts within the workplace include insubordination, operating machines without the necessary expertise, removing workplace safety instructions and devices, failure to wear protective clothing, failure to provide warning, and being in dangerous positions among others (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 366).

On the other hand, an unsafe condition refers to a situation within a workplace that has the potential to cause injury to people or property. Unsafe conditions expose one to various risks, thus hard to avoid them. Most workplaces are typically unsafe places for people to be, because of their numerous hazards that make occupants vulnerable to harm. Examples of unsafe conditions within the workplace include poor housekeeping, congestion, lack of protective clothing, inadequate or lack of warning signs, poor ventilation, and defective tools among others (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 369).

One of the nightmares that most people dread within the workplace is an accident. Workplace accidents are common, despite the employment laws providing strict guidelines to employers in order to ensure that all workers are safe. Therefore, it is important for employers to have a reliable and effective plan for dealing with such cases whenever they arise in the workplace. Occupational health and safety experts, advise all employers to have an accident plan that provides the essential steps of investigating an accident (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 144). There are four crucial steps taken when conducting an investigation of an internal accident.

The first step is an examination of the accident scene to determine what happened. This step should give a report on the tools involved in the accident, the condition of their user manuals, their maintenance condition, and availability of warning signs. The information gathered applies in determining the cause of the accident (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 145). The services of a professional investigator can be sourced if the cause of the accident is not easily identifiable.

The second step is establishing the visible facts of the accident scene. This happens by taking photographs and measurements of the whole scene. Forensic experts use the photographs and measurements to develop drawings that show the relation between the different elements collected from the accident scene. This step is all about the visual evidence, and its impact on understanding the cause of the accident (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 147).

The third step involves speaking to the witnesses of the accident. In conducting an internal accident investigation, it is necessary to speak to people who witness the accident, as well as people who might have any form of lead information about the same. The best people to interview for any lead information are people with similar job descriptions as those involved in the accident, supervisors, and employees trained to give first aid (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 150).

It is also important to talk to colleagues that the affected people associate closely with within the workplace. One important rule that investigators need to follow, is to ensure that all people who give written responses sign against them for the sake of reference and avoiding biased reactions. The fourth step involves reviewing all the collected data, as well as the work records of the employees involved in the accident.

This should give a clearer picture of the cause of the accident, and steps to prevent a similar mistake from happening at another given time. This step seeks to answer a number of questions for investigators regarding the accident (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 154). These questions focus on the intention of those injured, their qualifications for performing the task, work experience of those involved, choice of tools used, the availability of supervision, and any potential hazards on the scene of the accident.

One of the workplace characteristics is the availability of different types of jobs, whose duties and responsibilities vary. Everyone within the workplace has an ethical responsibility to ensure that duties are performed within the required standards. People also need to be accountable for their actions and take full responsibility whenever required to do so (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 428). Importantly, all these duties and responsibilities ought to apply in a safe and healthy workplace that is free of any kind of hazards. The combination of all these workplace elements creates an internal responsibility system.

The internal responsibility system integrates into an organization’s corporate culture, and it helps to allow all people within a workplace to contribute towards the attainment of occupational health and safety. This workplace strategy applies the format of a chart, where each employee is assigned a health and safety goal to promote and achieve within the workplace (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 430). Each employee holds full responsibility for his or her assigned element and is accountable to the rest of the employees.

The internal responsibility system applies a bottom to top responsibility approach. This means that everyone is answerable to the person above them. The basic structure of this system has the director at the top of the hierarchy, followed by the president, vice president, manager, supervisor, and worker respectively. Although these ranks have different levels of responsibility, people can interact freely with those above or below them for the sake of solving health and safety challenges within the workplace (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 436).

The duty of the internal responsibility system is to solve the dilemma of who ought to ensure the health and safety of employees within the workplace. Organizations that apply this strategy in their workplaces often experience safe and more secure environments characterized by low-risk levels. Some organizations are likely to record increased productivity and high employee morale to work. The reason for this is that the internal responsibility system helps to develop employee elements such as their ingenuity, acquaintance levels, management qualities, and better work experience (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 439).

The first accident type is working at risky speeds that are either too fast or too slow. The speed at which one does his or her work can compromise their safety because they can easily forget to observe safety rules. A good example is loading a truck with goods within a short time (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 66). This accident is avoidable by considering the age and physical condition of all employees. The second type is insubordination accidents.

It is important for workers to stick to jobs they are qualified to do. A good example is an accountant doing the work of a systems manager. The third type is poor storage accidents. When equipment and tools are stored poorly within the workplace, they are likely to cause accidents (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 69). Employers need to train their workers in good housekeeping skills in order to avoid accidents (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 72).

The fourth type is complacency accidents. Certain employees feel comfortable with their achievements and think they can try out new things. Employees need to avoid taking chances through shortcuts but instead stick to the safety regulation for their work. The fifth type is taking on risky body positions that expose employees to danger. For example, maintaining an erect upright position on top of chairs and tables is very dangerous (Bohle, Lamm & Quinlan 77). Employees need to learn better methods of executing their duties.

Bohle, Philip, Lamm Felicity & Quinlan Michael. Managing Occupational Health and Safety: A Multidisciplinary Approach . New York: Macmillan Education, 2010. Print.

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The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Promote, assist and execute scheduled training for external customers needing OSHA standards training through a request • Assisting with scheduled Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) initial and recertification audits • Answering and following through on questions generated by the external customers who need the most up to date OSHA information so that they can implement it within their program or workplace • Attending and completing scheduled safety and health training classes to improve upon skills necessary to enhance knowledge in the field • Attending, contributing and offering solutions to the Arizona Management System in place for the Consultation Department.

Knowledge of: • The OSHA Field Operations Manual (FOM). • Industrial Commission of Arizona Policies and Procedures. • ADOSH Policies and Procedures. • OSHA Information System (OIS). • The OSHA Standards, Arizona Revised Statutes, Arizona Administrative Codes as well as consensus standards. • Occupational safety and health hazard recognition, (e.g. unsafe trenching practices, fall hazards, electrical hazards, machine guarding) and their potential for causing injury and/or illnesses. • Effective methods for eliminating or controlling occupational safety and health standards. • Windows, Gmail Suite, Excel and Word. Skill in: • Oral and written communication. • Typing and using a keyboard. • Time Management. • Interpretation of laws, standards, rules and operating procedures. • Use and performance of a variety of technical monitoring equipment. • Application of cost effective and appropriate corrective measures to control work-place safety hazards. • Interpersonal relations. • Recognition and evaluation of occupational safety and health hazards. • Investigative procedures, report writing, and documentation of case files. • Leadership skills. Ability to: • Manage reports to meet deadlines. • Manage heavy workloads with high level of accuracy and production. • Review and interpret employer’s safety and health management systems. • Work well under pressure. • To recognize hazardous conditions in workplaces within the construction, general and agricultural industries. • Recognizing and engaging those with different backgrounds, characteristics and perspectives to bridge gaps in understanding of differing viewpoints, as well as ensuring persons with diverse perspectives are given the opportunity to collaborate and provide input in the decision making process.

Ideal candidates will have: • Degree (B.A., B.S. or A.A.S) in occupational safety and health, industrial safety, or related fields or; • Six years of work related industrial safety experience providing a broad industrial safety knowledge base including general industry, construction and agriculture; • Professional designations related to the broad practice of safety and health such as but not limited to; Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Registered Safety Professional (RSP), Occupational Safety and Health Technologist (OSHT), Construction Safety and Health Technician (CHST), and any other broadly recognized designation in the Occupational Safety and Health field. • Industrial safety-related training courses and seminars and active membership in professional industrial safety organizations.

Arizona Driver's License: Must possess valid Arizona Driver's License. Required In-state and out-of-state travel is required. Requires possession of and ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver's license appropriate to the assignment. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver's license record checks, must complete any required driver training (See Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207 (12). Employees may be required to use their own transportation, as well as maintaining valid motor vehicle insurance and current Arizona vehicle registration; however, mileage will be reimbursed.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The Arizona Department of Administration offers a comprehensive benefits package to include: Sick leave Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year Health and dental insurance Retirement plan Life insurance and long-term disability insurance Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here . For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

You will be eligible to participate in the state employee health/disability insurance plan, and you are required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). ASRS participation may begin immediately or upon your 27th week of employment. Contributions are matched by the employer

If you have any questions please feel free to call 602-542-5559 or email [email protected] for assistance.

ARIZONA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (AMS)

All Arizona state employees operate within the Arizona Management System (AMS), an intentional, results-driven approach for doing the work of state government whereby every employee reflects on performance, reduces waste, and commits to continuous improvement with sustainable progress. Through AMS, every state employee seeks to understand customer needs, identify problems, improve processes, and measure results. State employees are highly engaged, collaborative and embrace a culture of public service.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements

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COMMENTS

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Ensuring health and safety in the workplace is already a critically important issue; organizations that invest in occupational safety perform better, reduce turnover, and help workers do their jobs more effectively. But COVID-19 has forced companies to act quickly and decisively to keep workers safe. As employers endeavor to slow the spread of ...
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Health And Safety In The Workplace Free Essay Example
Essay, Pages 14 (3409 words) Views. 16452. INTRODUCTION. It is vital that organisations abides by specific health and safety laws to ensure that not employee is harmed within the workplace. Firstly most organisations would consider the hazards of the workplace; these are the factors that could potentially harm, damage or injure someone or ...
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This is because safety involves "preventing harm whether physical, physiological, or psychological in nature" (Nigel, 2004). Ensuring employees' safety and health can be equated to protecting company's assets (Nigel, 2004). This is because employees are the most important assets in an organization. Get a custom essay on Providing Safe ...
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In Workplace Safety and Health Act, It is stated that, each committee must have minimum 4, but not more than 12 members. The employer/owner have to talk with the union (s) to decide the exact number of committee members, or if there is no union, then they can directly discuss with the workers themselves. It is also clearly stated in the act ...
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In the OSH Act, Congress authorized OSHA to promulgate workplace health and safety standards "whenever the Secretary [of Labor]…determined that a rule should be promulgated in order to serve the objectives of this Act." 29 U.S.C. § 655(b). Courts historically have deferred to OSHA's authority, including on the basis of Chevron deference.
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The work of the team is varied and covers a range of topics such as workplace health, horticulture, science, education, event safety as well as being a major visitor attraction. The work is fast paced and no two days are ever the same with the bonus of working in two beautiful sites, one of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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COMPLIANCE SAFETY HEALTH OFFICER
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION Are you ready to work for an exceptional state agency that works to protect the life, health and welfare of the employees in the State of Arizona? Apply with us! The Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) is committed to the highest standards of compliance, demonstrating leadership in all areas, and teaching and working with employers and employees to make them successful ...