Did you know that 97% of employees consider safety a major factor in job selection? Even the so-called safe offices have their hazards. Hidden hazards can surprise you, like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor.
Do factory and construction jobs carry higher risks?
Indeed, the use of big machines and heights is more hazardous. However, the National Safety Council reveals that office workers are 2.5 times more likely to experience a severe fall than those who don’t work in an office.
So, why should HR care about this?
In 2022, 2.8 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses were reported in the workplace, which is an alarming number. Safety is not only important for employees but also affects the entire company’s operation and finances. Understanding and improving workplace safety is key regardless of where you are employed.
Role of HR in Workplace Safety
The research gives HR (Human Resources) the key role in promoting safety in the workplace through safety and health education programs(SHEW), among factors such as company size, previous incidents, and the demographic of workers. It finds that SHEW implementation significantly increases with the presence of site supervisors and safety and health (SH) committees. Businesses with 30-49 employees are 3.64 times more likely to conduct SHEW than those with 5-9 employees. Companies with past occupational injuries are 1.68 times more likely to implement SHEW.
Moreover, the presence of supervisors and SH committees increases SHEW activities by 2.30 and 2.18 times, respectively, thus showing HR’s key role in this aspect in promoting a workplace safety culture and a complete supervision system.
In the following section, we will discuss the responsibilities of HR in maintaining the health and safety of employees.
Responsibilities of HR
● Performing Safety Checks
According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 340 million occupational accidents occur annually worldwide. The safety department is very important in the process of implementing the safety checks and examination of the organization. This includes ensuring the security of the workplace, which goes beyond safety for staff. The HR people who do the assessments will think about what could be dangerous, such as loose wires, tripping hazards, or ergonomic problems, that can make workers sick or cause injuries.
If any obstacles are detected, HR will go with the supervisors and the teams to address the issues. It could comprise scheduling repairs or the involvement of the custodians in enforcing the new safety rules accordingly. Companies performing periodic safety audits stand a chance to cut workplace injuries, proving that safety audits are good at providing a healthy work environment.
● Supporting Employees in Times of Need
Even when the best preventive measures are taken, mishaps at the workplace are still a possibility. Human Resources is the first line of defense when such situations occur, and employees can turn to them for any issues. If an employee is hurt in an accident or has safety-related issues, HR is the department to talk to. They ensure that you get medical attention, they report to relevant authorities, and they help you reduce the chances of the same thing happening in the future. The human resource will also create supervision, including counseling and leave of absence to recover in case of a significant incident.
Research conducted on 213 urban bus drivers in the UK revealed that employees would be more likely to address their worries with management if they felt that their organization strongly supports safety. This emphasized the role of HR in developing a culture that perceives safety as the priority, and employees feel secure as they have the chance to express their concerns. This will lead to a considerable reduction in accidents and develop a safety culture that aims for safe improvement.
● Ergonomic Initiative
HR is the one who helps in keeping employees healthy and accident-free by the way of intelligent designing of workplaces where everything is comfortable and productive. The name of this kind of workplace is ergonomic workspaces. Although ergonomics is associated with a minimal increase in productivity of up to 18%, it is beneficial for the users of equipment and offices.
HR provides adjustable chairs, easy-to-operate keyboards, and footrests, which help prevent the same motion-related injuries and bad sitting position injuries. They might link up with the team responsible for the office setup to avoid all the stuff being arranged wrongly and teach workers the best way to use their workstations. Implementing an ergonomics-based program by a company may reduce the related expenses on workers’ compensation by up to 29% and, thus, show the financial and health benefits of implementing ergonomics initiatives.
● Continuous Evaluation
Safety audits and inspections are important tools for enhancing safety management within a company. These assessments, however, are more than just a pre-emptive way of finding hazards. They are extremely important in adjusting safety procedures.
Regular safety inspections and audits can provide companies with a thorough examination of existing safety procedures, identifying problematic areas that require additional attention. This not only identifies vulnerabilities and shortcomings in working conditions but also provides a critical source of information to ensure the necessary changes are made.
Embracing this cycle of evaluation and improvement is certainly a key to enhancing the level of safety in any organization, as it helps to create a safer working environment. A meta-analysis involving road safety audits revealed a reduction of about 60% of the crashes on the audited road segments. This shows an effective safety risk management system can reduce the accident rate by 60% or more.
● Ensuring Compliance
The Human Resources Department is critical in enforcing various legal and regulatory codes that guide health, safety, and other occupational standards in the workplace. They are updated with the changing laws and OSHA’s guidelines, and they make sure that the organization adheres to them. HR specialists frequently conduct audits, inspections, and risk evaluations to detect compliance issues and implement corrective actions.
Apart from their primary role, HR practices should be in place to keep an eye on safety protocols and ensure compliance with the laws. This is also important since it will minimize workplace accidents and maintain a good working environment. This is evidenced by Heinrich’s findings, which emphasize that 98% of work-related incidents are preventable through preemptive steps, leaving only 2% non preventable. These statistics show HR’s role in this safety enforcement and training to reduce the number of accidents that could be avoided and to create a safety culture within the workplace.
Conclusion
To conclude, the work of Human Resources is irreplaceable, being the foundation of organizational commitment to build a safe and healthy work environment. Using proper compliance with legal and regulatory standards, sensible risk assessment procedures, and the implementation of corrective measures, HR professionals significantly contribute to the well-being of the employees. HR not only assures the implementation of occupational safety rules and standards but also helps to maintain a healthy and productive working environment.
Guest writer.
