Introduction
An audit is the process of examining the activities of an organization to verify the validity and legality of all such activities. A Comprehensive safety, health, and wellness audit of any organization is thus concerned with evaluation and examination of a number of initiatives, which it puts in place to ensure the safety of its workforce as well as that of its consumers and others parties. It encompasses the measures taken to reduce health risk to its workers and customers during their daily operations. For this reason, this paper focuses on how Unilever organization might be ranked on a comprehensive safety, health, and wellness audit besides suggesting the areas that needs to be improved in this organization.
The Unilever Company has its unique approach of providing safe working environment to its employees and ensuring that their health is up to standards. It ensures better health of its workforce by encouraging improved diet and advocating for better lifestyles. Moreover, the safety of workers in the areas of operation is enhanced through proper structure designs that meet the legal requirements, encouraging behavior that is good in ensuring safety and by implementing secure systems (Kremer & Casino Luxembourg, 2001).
In addition, Unilever has committed itself to providing safe working place for its workers, suppliers and other parties it deals with on a daily basis. Unilever believes that a healthy and safe workforce is fundamental to its success and growth. Unilever has set a target to reduce injuries in the work place for its employees. It targets zero-injury work environment. It also aims to lower the total recordable frequency rate (TRFR) of accidents at its premises by 50% in 2020.
Unilever products can hugely aid in preventing diseases and in betterment of hygiene and promotion of wellness of the people. This results to saving its consumers lives. Unilever waste strategy of plummeting packaging without compromising on protection or safety is also a major step in facilitating the safety of its workers in their working environment. It ensures that the amount of packaging material for the product is of essential quality. Re-use, re-cycling and elimination of packing material help in reducing the negative impacts to the environment.
Furthermore, this organization shows commitment to providing a healthy working environment as per the requirement of the relevant authorities. It recognizes that safety, health and the wellbeing of its employees and suppliers is very vital for its success. Therefore, it ensures that its suppliers meet the threshold as required by the laws. The operations of the organization are executed in a manner that protects the environment and in accordance with environmental laws of the countries that they operate (New South Wales, 2007). The operations are done in accordance with the principles 7,8 and 9 of UN global on environment.
In ensuring the wellness of its workers, this organization comply with laws and regulations relating to wages and hours. Moreover, there is minimum employees working hours are as required by the law in this organization. In addition, it conducts business with the suppliers who abide by the wages and hours laws. As its code of conduct demands, it does not engage in child labor.
The organization commits itself to operate in an environment that is friendly and that enhances sustainability through perpetual environmental performance in its process of production. It has initiated an environmental management system that require all its production units to comply with policies and the strategies as required. The environmental care framework standards are in operation in all its areas of production. The operating units do a review of the risks in its business and adhere to the policies. In trying to reduce the environmental effects in its production units, Unilever has promoted sound production practices through alertness-raising programme known as “simple solution”.
Moreover, this organization provides compensation policies to its employees, which comprehensively cover all the employees when undertaking their daily duties. Besides, it offers quality training to the workforce on the safety measures and management. The organization established a Unilever Learning Academy to cater for this.
Unilever has proven to comply with the appropriate legal and valid rules and regulations that ensure health, safety and wellness in its operations. Therefore, this organization ensures its workers safety, health, and wellness. The pointed out policies are sufficient indications that the organization has proper management that is recognizable globally in assuring the workforce safety, health, and wellness.
One of the areas that this organization needs to improve in future is in risk assessments. The method to be used should be easy to understand and apply. Safety monitoring should be done on a monthly basis to identify insecure conditions and practices that are not safe for its employees.
Additionally, each production unit of this organization should put in place its own policies to enhance the safety, health, and wellness of the employees. These production units should also check their equipments to ensure that they are always in good condition and safe for use. There should be proper ventilation in the workplaces to ensure that there is fresh air for its employees.
Besides, fire extinguisher should be put in place to deal with fires risks. The basis of purchasing the fire extinguishers should be on the risk likely to occur. Employees should be trained on first aid in their areas of operation. Eye and face protection devices should be provided to its employees to ensure their safety. Finally, this organization should advice its employees to be mindful about their own health and safety by being responsible to ensure that they are safe in their working environments.
Works cited
Kremer, B., & Casino Luxembourg. (2001). Audit. Luxembourg: Casino Luxembourg.
New South Wales. Environment Protection Authority, & Unilever Australia Limited. (2004). Unilever Australia Limited, North Rocks Road, North Rocks NSW: Final: compliance audit.
Victoria. (2007). Unilever. Melbourne: EPA Victoria. Report. Sydney South: DEC.
