Answer Introduction A safe working environment is required for both.pdf
1. Answer Introduction A safe working environment is required for both
Answer
Introduction
A safe working environment is required for both the employees and employer. It helps to
ensure that the staff are working effectively to gain maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
As a result, the employees would be extremely satisfied and productive in the environment
(Sorensen et al. 2018). It is the core responsibility of the employers for protecting their staff
and even keeping them safe and secured. Workplace safety is mandatory for construction
projects as there could be high chances of human casualties. Proper safety even is
responsible for reducing absenteeism and turnover and even for increasing overall
productivity as well as quality of the work. Employee morale is also increased and the
workers’ compensation insurance costs would be required to be increased (Wu, Li and Fang
2017). The following report outlines a case analysis of workplace safety in ABC
Organization with two aspects of responsibilities of stakeholders and safety leadership.
Case Description
ABC Organization is a popular and significant construction organization in Australia and
they have been doing business for several years. However, recently while constructing a
residential building in Melbourne, one of the workers has faced an accident, after falling
from second floor and he was seriously injured. The most distinct reason that was identified
for this accident was that the worker did not have proper safety regulations and he was
only wearing the uniform. As a result, after falling, his head was injured and he even got a
fracture in his right leg. Hence, the safety protocols in the construction site was questioned
and the respective authority of Australian Construction Safety took legal actions against the
organizational management and project manager.
Literature Review
Workplace safety is referred to as the right of the employees to get safety aspects in their
workplace and well implemented safety measures are considered for keeping the
employees safe and secured as well as for protecting industrial equipment, as per WHS
(WHS Act. 2011). Such safety is required for ensuring that the respective organization and
2. project is getting a few benefits accordingly. A safer work environment ensures about more
productivity and the productive staff are the major assets to every business. Moreover,
these productive staff can also produce more outputs within lesser amount of time and
hence operational costs are reduced. According to Xia et al. 2017, workplace safety also
promotes the wellness of different staff and workers alike. Healthier staff do tasks in a more
efficient manner and as a result, better safety is enhanced for better health.
Proper safety aspects in the workplace help in reducing the total number of accidents in the
environment. It results in lesser downtime for the safety investigations and decreases the
expenses for workers’ compensations. As per Kabir, Watson and Somaratna 2017, safety
attributes are also responsible for reducing the delays in the construction and completing
the project within deadline. The organization is also able to ensure that the damages made
to the industrial equipment are reduced and the additional costs for replacement and repair
would be avoided. It is also required to avoid workplace injuries, so that profit is increased
and maximum safety protocols are maintained accordingly. When the employers are
distinctively concerned for the safety of their staff, these staff become more confident as
well as comfortable. Hence, the rates of absenteeism drop and the staff become more
focused in doing the tasks and activities.
According to Stackhouse and Turner 2019, the stakeholders have the main responsibilities
to ensure that the staff or workers are following the safety protocols, under any
circumstance and a safe working environment is created. The employers require to identify
the workplace hazards as well as safety issues for taking proper measures to address the
issues successfully. It is needed to be aware and identify workplace hazards easily for
creating a safer working environment. The employers require to identify workplace hazards
as well as safety issues at first and the workplace safety hazards also involve mechanical
issues, hazardous electrical equipment and many more.
The mechanical issues can take place at any time while operating machinery within the
workplace and working with heavier equipment would be extremely risky and even could
cause accidents. Faulty electrical equipment could electrocute staff and it cause severe
issues (Jinnett et al. 2017). The staff should also be aware of different kinds of equipment
and learn about the major hazards in the workplace. It eventually enables them in staying
clear of the dangers and different unfortunate situations. Moreover, the employers should
even train the staff in an appropriate operation of equipment and machinery.
The successful implementation of workplace safety programs would be needed for getting
all employees to commit to the workplace safety and it is needed to ensure that maximum
efficiency and effectiveness is being obtained for carrying out the safety policies (Yaris et al.
2020). The employers would require to investigate every accident in the workplace and
they should provide encouragement to the employees for following every safety procedure.
Furthermore, the employers should clearly mention that the hazards for not following them
accordingly and hence reducing the chances of issues.
3. The stakeholders of the construction organization have legal decision making rights and
might even control the budgetary issues as well as project scheduling aspects. These project
stakeholders comprise of responsibilities to the businesses, which involve creating
awareness for the developers, financing the projects, creation of scheduling parameters and
even setting milestones accordingly (Haga, Huhtamäki and Sundvik 2021). Another distinct
aspect of construction safety is the development of safety leadership by project managers
and supervisors. It is needed to ensure proper leadership is included in the organizational
management for better and efficient results. Safety leadership is setting the standards for
safer behaviors and also ensures that the staff understand the accurate correct and
incorrect or safe as well as unsafe behaviors in the job.
Case Analysis And Recommendations
Responsibilities Of Stakeholders
ABC Organization has to ensure that they are focusing on the major changes and attributes
for focusing on the accident, occurred, due to lack of safety aspects. One of the major and the
most significant parts of the organization or project is stakeholder (Falco et al. 2021). The
stakeholders are certain individuals, who have major interests in the results of the specified
projects. These stakeholders would ensure that every project activity is being executed,
under every circumstance as per the plan and schedule, created initially.
The project management stakeholders might have financially invested in the project works
as they check for the results of the works, as per the project manager. The main roles of the
stakeholders on a project can even involve working with private companies and
governmental contract or projects (Horton et al. 2018). The stakeholder even have ethical
obligations to the businesses that they manage for better and efficient results accordingly.
ABC Organization has not focused on the roles and responsibilities of their stakeholders in
their business processes and operations and hence the team leaders and project managers
should have ensured that the existing safety protocols are kept and considered on top level
priority.
Stakeholder responsibility involves reviewing deliverable project items and these
deliverables even involve completing the residential building on time. Due to the accident in
the construction site, it was required to be ensured that all the team members are working
appropriately and the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders are being executed, as
per the initial planning (Hofmann, Burke and Zohar 2017). The team leaders and project
managers also comprise of organizational staff members that are being hired for overseeing
the project issues. Safety aspects were major in the construction site and the workers were
only provided with uniform to deal with the workplace safety aspects and hence the worker
became the victim of the accident.
The main stakeholders included in the project were the client, the main contractor,
4. designers, project employees, suppliers and sub-contractors. It was the responsibility of the
contractor to ensure that every staff is following the safety protocols and aspects; however,
he did not check these protocols and the worker became a victim of the accident (Oneal et
al. 2019). The stakeholders could even be an investor in the business and their activities
determining the result of the organization. There had been a lack of knowledge of
workplace hazards as well as proper working techniques, which cause the greater risks. The
employers should also provide the employees with the most appropriate training for
reducing the accidents in the workplace.
It was required to provide proper safety training to the employees and training is a distinct
part of every organizational safety program for the purpose of protecting employees from
such accidents (Subramaniama, Shamsudinb and Alshuaibic 2017). It is the lack of
knowledge that did not help the worker of ABC Organization to focus on his workplace
safety and security attributes. Greater risk would be checked and analyzed accordingly for
gaining maximum efficiency and effectiveness. The employers should provide the staff with
appropriate training for decreasing the workplace accidents. These staff should operate
every machinery and equipment in a safe and adequate manner. The decisions are needed
to be made with proper expertise to the project operations and stakeholder management
should be done by managing the industrial crises.
The utilization of equipment would be vital for minimization of exposure to hazards, which
cause workplace injuries is significant (Hope et al. 2021). The employers should provide
these employees with personal protective equipment. Moreover, these employees should
inform any safety hazard or work risk to the management and the employers are legally
obligated for ensuring safer working environments for the employees. Hence, they should
end the safety hazards of workplace for promoting safety in the workplace. The employers
should also encourage the staff for taking regular breaks and taking frequent breaks for
preventing the accidents. It would prevent illness and injury, similar to the ABC
Organization case.
Developing Safety Leadership
Safety leadership was needed in the organization of ABC for reducing the chances of such
accidents. The safety leaders eventually set different standards or values and they connect,
motivate as well as inspire others for working safely. It is needed to ensure that the
organizations have the respective programs, tools and training required for working safely
(Vu et al. 2022). The managers and supervisors are in a unique role for bringing out a safety
leadership role for themselves. The employees also focus on the aspects for the safety
leadership. The principles are the accepted method of behaving in a specific setting. It is
needed to ensure that the organizations have the same programs, training and tools,
required for working in a safer manner.
The routine workplace activities as well as interactions require stringent safety protocols
5. for reducing risks. The measures also put in place for preventing the safety protocols to
keep the workers or staff safe and secured. The safety leaders play a specific role in the
safety performance in the safety and health aspects (Ding et al. 2021). These safety
solutions would be developed for better collaboration and coordination. It is needed to
facilitate communication regarding safety within employers and workers for reinforcing the
practices and principles for making the workplace safe and secured. The safety procedures
are required to be understood and followed accordingly with proper reporting of the safety
issues, as soon as they arise.
The safety issues in the organization of ABC are also needed to be proactively prevented
and new processes would be implemented for improving safety and security. The team
members of the entire project team would be encouraged for following the safety protocols
and also for cultivating a distinct culture of safety (GĂĽmĂĽ?ta? and KĂĽskĂĽ 2021). Hence, the
respective safety leaders would tend in emerging amongst the group and the team members
would be recognized and empowered for taking on the leadership responsibilities in the
teams. A stronger track record of safety in the workplace and safety leadership can be
implemented for the organization to ensure that compliance and safety training would be
undertaken and major commitment would be considered (Lim and Prakash 2017).
The protocols of safety culture in the construction of the residential building by ABC
Organization would be considered on top level priority and the leaders like project
managers and supervisors should ensure that every member is working in the environment
in a safe environment. The workers should report about the safety issues as soon as they
arise and also follow Workplace Health and Safety strategies or WHS. These strategies are
aligned with the legislation that is related to the safety, health and welfare of individuals at
work in a workplace (Awasthy and Hazra 2019). The employers should protect the health,
safety and welfare at work of these employees and even others on the premises of the
construction site. Hence, a safety leadership is needed to be developed in the project of ABC
Organization for gaining maximum safety and security in the construction works and also
for ensuring that the accidents or injuries similar to the organization are avoided
successfully and the work is not delayed, under any circumstance.
Recommendations
The most suitable and distinct recommendations to ABC Organization for dealing with the
safety issues in the construction projects are provided in the following paragraphs:
i) The first recommendation is to provide proper equipment and safety aspects to the
workers, working in the construction site. The person, injured in the accident in ABC
Organization was not wearing any helmet and hence after falling, had a head injury. It
should be made mandatory for all employees and workers in the construction site to wear
helmets for their workplace safety and hence such injury cases would be avoided
successfully and maximum efficiency would be enhanced.
6. ii) The second vital recommendation to ABC Organization would be creating a workplace
safety culture. It would ensure that all the team members and project management team are
well aware of the safety factors. It is needed to make workplace a vital part of the
organizational culture and hence the management can understand the main causes of the
most serious workplace injuries and regularly survey for the potential safety hazards within
work designs and equipment. Hence, the safety culture would be needed to focus on the
safety factors and also for reducing the negative impacts.
iii) Another significant recommendation would be training the employees properly.
Comprehensive training is a vital aspect for preventing any kind of workplace injury and it
is required to ensure that every employee has the major accessibility to the safety training
for their respective positions. Moreover, for encouraging the employees to follow safety
protocols, the organizational management should reward the employees for safe behavior.
Giving out smaller rewards to the employees would eventually make a bigger difference in
the reduction of workplace injuries and also focus on safety aspects successfully.
Conclusions
Hence, a conclusion can be drawn that ABC Organization should have focused on the
responsibilities of stakeholders for reducing such incidents and also develop safety
leadership in the organization. Such aspects would have been beneficial for the organization
to reduce the negative impacts and also gain better efficiency and effectiveness for
workplace safety and security.
Moreover, with an appropriate demonstration of responsibilities, it would be easier for the
employees and employer to get accurate results and the construction would not be delayed.
The involvement of safety leadership in ABC Organization would ensure that every
procedure or operation is being executed in the business with utmost effectiveness and
working conditions would be improved. This report has focused on the safety aspects of
ABC Organization to reduce the negative impacts.
References
Awasthy, P. and Hazra, J., 2019. Responsible sourcing by improving workplace safety
through buyer–supplier collaboration. European Journal of Operational Research, 274(1),
pp.155-164.
Ding, T., Shen, Y., Saravanan, V. and Luhach, A.K., 2021. Workplace safety and risk analysis
using Additive Heterogeneous Hybridized Computational Model. Aggression and Violent
Behavior, p.101558.
Falco, A., Girardi, D., Dal Corso, L., Y?ld?r?m, M. and Converso, D., 2021. The perceived risk of
7. being infected at work: An application of the job demands–resources model to workplace
safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. PloS one, 16(9), p.e0257197.
GĂĽmĂĽ?ta?, C. and KĂĽskĂĽ, F., 2021. Dynamics of organizational distrust: an exploratory study
in workplace safety. Safety science, 134, p.105032.
Haga, J., Huhtamäki, F. and Sundvik, D., 2021. Ruthless exploiters or ethical guardians of the
workforce? Powerful CEOs and their impact on workplace safety and health. Journal of
Business Ethics, pp.1-23.
Hofmann, D.A., Burke, M.J. and Zohar, D., 2017. 100 years of occupational safety research:
From basic protections and work analysis to a multilevel view of workplace safety and
risk. Journal of applied psychology, 102(3), p.375.
Hope, O.K., Wang, D., Yue, H. and Zhao, J., 2021. Information quality and workplace
safety. Available at SSRN.
Horton, J., Cameron, A., Devaraj, D., Hanson, R.T. and Hajkowicz, S.A., 2018. Workplace
Safety Futures: The impact of emerging technologies and platforms on work health and
safety and workers’ compensation over the next 20 years’. Canberra, ACT, Australia: CSIRO.
Jinnett, K., Schwatka, N., Tenney, L., Brockbank, C.V.S. and Newman, L.S., 2017. Chronic
conditions, workplace safety, and job demands contribute to absenteeism and job
performance. Health Affairs, 36(2), pp.237-244.
Kabir, Q.S., Watson, K. and Somaratna, T., 2017. Workplace safety events and firm
performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.
Lim, S. and Prakash, A., 2017. From quality control to labor protection: ISO 9001 and
workplace safety, 1993–2012. Global Policy, 8, pp.66-77.
Oneal, G., Graves, J.M., Diede, T., Postma, J., Barbosa-Leiker, C. and Butterfield, P., 2019.
Balance, health, and workplace safety: experiences of new nurses in the context of total
worker health. Workplace health & safety, 67(10), pp.520-528.
Sorensen, G., Sparer, E., Williams, J.A., Gundersen, D., Boden, L.I., Dennerlein, J.T., Hashimoto,
D., Katz, J.N., McLellan, D.L., Okechukwu, C.A. and Pronk, N.P., 2018. Measuring best
practices for workplace safety, health and wellbeing: The Workplace Integrated Safety and
Health Assessment. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 60(5), p.430.
Stackhouse, M. and Turner, N., 2019. How do organizational practices relate to perceived
system safety effectiveness? Perceptions of safety climate and co-worker commitment to
safety as workplace safety signals. Journal of safety research, 70, pp.59-69.
8. Subramaniama, C., Shamsudinb, F.M. and Alshuaibic, A.S.I., 2017. Investigating employee
perceptions of workplace safety and safety compliance using PLS-SEM among technical
employees in Malaysia. Journal of Applied Structural Equation Modeling, 1(1), pp.44-61.
Vu, T.V., Vo-Thanh, T., Nguyen, N.P., Van Nguyen, D. and Chi, H., 2022. The COVID-19
pandemic: Workplace safety management practices, job insecurity, and employees’
organizational citizenship behavior. Safety Science, 145, p.105527.
WHS Act. 2011. [online]. Accessed from
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00293 [Accessed on 17tth January 2022].
Wu, C., Li, N. and Fang, D., 2017. Leadership improvement and its impact on workplace
safety in construction projects: A conceptual model and action research. International
Journal of Project Management, 35(8), pp.1495-1511.
Xia, N., Wang, X., Griffin, M.A., Wu, C. and Liu, B., 2017. Do we see how they perceive risk? An
integrated analysis of risk perception and its effect on workplace safety behavior. Accident
Analysis & Prevention, 106, pp.234-242.
Yaris, C., Ditchburn, G., Curtis, G.J. and Brook, L., 2020. Combining physical and psychosocial
safety: A comprehensive workplace safety model. Safety Science, 132, p.104949.