“Who is responsible for safety in the workplace, and why?“
I firmly believe that safety in the workplace is essential in order to guarantee excellent performance of organizations. Institutions need to implement safety measures across all departments to ensure a healthy workforce that will bring a positive impact to the organization not only in the short run but also in the long term. It is worthy to note that there are so many risks that workers can encounter during work. These risks include personal injury, fire outbreak, health problems, and electrical faults, among others. The majority of the risks have the potential to cause serious health problems, and therefore safety measures are critical. In extreme cases, workplace accidents can result in the death of employees.
I believe that the employer has an absolute role in protecting the employee working under him or her. The employer is supposed to design workplace environments to ensure that they meet the highest level of standards as prescribed by the Occupational safety and health administration. Employers must ensure that they comply with these rules and regulations to ensure that workers are free from both health and physical risks. For instance, I support the fact that every worker who is injured at the workplace must file a complaint to his boss for compensation. The boss must also ascertain that the injury is work-related and thereafter, compensate the employee. The injuries that workers can are likely to encounter at the workplace include workplace-illness, toxic chemicals, and harm from operating machines. In this regard, I support the fact that employers should ensure working conditions for employees are healthful and safe.
The protection of these fundamental rights is a must by every employer.
The employer must also carry out a regular inspection at the workplace to ensure that hazardous condition is detected and mitigated. In most cases, I would advise employers to hire inspection experts from a reputable organization such as OSHA to carry out an inspection on their behalf. Also, employers must ensure that every employee has suitable protective equipment during work. This is important to prevent work-related injuries. For instance, I propose that employers should provide workers with manufacturing and chemical department safety gear, gloves, overalls, and lifeline. These equipment protect them from toxic chemicals that can be dangerous to their health. Employers must always review records of work-related illnesses and injuries. In this way, they will be able to mitigate workplace hazards because they will detect the most prevalent danger in the workplace and take vital steps to provide a solution. Employers should also encourage workers to report severe injuries or fatalities that occur in work environments. This step is crucial to ensure that the hazard is addressed on time. In some organizations, an accident can occur and go unnoticed, which undermines the safety of other workers. Reporting accidents to employers is essential because it allows an action to be taken by relevant authorities on time.
Hence, employers, together with the top management at the workplace, have the sole responsibility of ensuring the safety of workers. This is because they have the resources and mandate to purchase safety equipment that can be put on by workers during work. Additionally, they can carry out a regular inspection at the workplace to ensure that hazardous condition is detected and mitigated before it affects many workers.