Safety in workplaces is mandatory if a company wants to realize maximum job output from its employees. All companies are required to have Occupational Health and Safety license to comply with the laws that protect the employees in any work environment if they have more than twenty employees (Help for Employers, 2016). A safety officer in charge often designs a safety program depending on the workplace hazards the employees are likely to face in their work environments.
The Following Is a Basic Program Designed For a Company
The Focus of the Design of the Safety Program
According to Gatchel & Schultz, the safety program is designed to cover all parts the organizational structure, and it involves all the employees (2012). Each individual has the responsibility to ensure that safety is maintained in the workplace. The top managers formulate policies that are focused on ensuring safety while the line management supervise, communicate, and consult with employees on safety issues and ensuring that relevant training is given to the employees on safety issues (Help for Employers, 2016). All the employees are required to comply with all workplace instructions and procedures. The safety committees hold the meeting to discuss issues in the workplace and carrying various inspections. The safety officers oversee the implementation of safety policies, and they make recommendations on the safety outcomes and reporting of the workplace incidents. The program must ensure that all the key players participate in its development, implementation, and monitoring outcomes (Gatchel & Schultz, 2012).
The Nature and Role of Safety, Health, and Wellness In The Safety Program
The safety, health, and wellness program addresses all the possible accidents that are associated with a particular workplace and give an outline of how such hazards can be prevented (Help for Employers, 2016). It is an integrated program, which combines safety and health into all workplace practices and conditions. The major role of the safety, health and wellness in a safety program is to ensure that all the employees in the workplace work under safe conditions; hence, preventing the occurrence of accidents and incidents. It also ensures that employees are healthy and, therefore, can deliver maximum work output in the workplace (Help for Employers, 2016). It reduces the time and resources wasted on sick leave due to accidents that injure or harm the employees in the workplace. It also trains them in health habits that might not only be useful in the workplace but also in their homes, for instance, the dangers of smoking, inhalation of silica dust among others.
The Economic Impact of the Safety Program
Occupational injuries and ill health do not just touch the health dimension but also the economic dimension as well (Help for Employers, 2016). The economic aspect combines both the causes and the consequences of a work health hazard. The OSH has a crucial role, as a determinant of both financial costs and benefits of the business management and, therefore, it is an imperative economic analysis program (Gatchel & Schultz, 2012). Some of the economic impacts of the safety program include reduced insurance costs the company uses to cover their employees against workplace injuries. Most companies with excellent safety systems even suggest to their employees to have individual insurance scheme because they pay less for their covers.
There is also a high employee turnover of employees when conditions are safe, hence increasing the company's' output. Injuries such as fires and chemical spills can cost company fortunes if they are not controlled; hence, it is important for any safety program to address these underlying issues (Gatchel & Schultz, 2012). A company with an excellent safety program often has high productivity and the firm gets recognition outside, thus marketing itself attracting more customers. In addition, chances of a company are less likely to be sued, due to lack of protection to their protecting their employees hence reducing court spending.
How the Safety Program Integrates Into the Company's Overall Employee Safety, Health, and Wellness Strategies
A safety program is a comprehensive document that ensures the employees are protected from any potential hazards in the workplace. It gives an outline on how an employee should conduct him/herself in and outside the workplace. One way safety integrates into the company's overall employee safety, health, and wellness strategies is by breaking down his silos by having the same goals that are targeted to benefit the company other than having two competing unrelated concerns (Gatchel & Schultz, 2012). Adequate communication and the collaboration among risk managers and the human resource teams ensure long-lasting integration among these areas; for instance, through identification of employees healthcare needs and compensations using background data. The other strategy is to customizing solutions for the organization and inclusion of incentives. After assessment of the employee needs, the program should be customized to meet the health and risk management needs. The program should include a system of rewards hence creating positive outcomes and sustainable safety and health solutions.
Engaging the workers and management is another way the program can integrate into the company's overall Employee Safety, Health, and Wellness strategies. It can do that through the implementation of new ad modified safety and wellness programs and, thus, the managers should actively engage the human resources throughout the program plan, execution, and assessment to ensure the employees find the program appealing (Gatchel & Schultz, 2012). The wellness committee should also engage the employees because they require the knowledge more. Implementation of the program with adequate staff and resources is essential to realize full impact, and lastly evaluation and adaptation of the program will ensure that these systems work and a sustainable safety and health program is realized.
References
Gatchel, R., & Schultz, I. (2012). Handbook of occupational health and wellness. New York: Springer Science + Business Media.
Help for Employers | Sample Programs. (2016). Osha.gov. Retrieved 17 March 2016, from https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/sampleprograms.html
Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 2 - Overview of System Components: Sample Safety and Health Program for Small Business. (2016). Osha.gov. Retrieved 17 March 2016, from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/mod2_sample_sh_program.html
