Health and Safety in Human Resource Management

This article discusses the importance of health and safety in human resource management. It covers topics such as instigating stringent safety policies, implementing a health and safety training program, maintaining coordination between departments, ensuring open communication, and more. The article emphasizes the benefits of health and safety programs for both employees and organizations.

Running head: HEALTH AND SAFETY IN HUMAN RESOURCE
Health and Safety in Human Resource
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Health and Safety in Human Resource Management
Since the early 1900s, human resource management has undergone various changes so as
to get to where it stands today. In the early 1900s it had what could be referred to as a non-
existent role in the work place which included, hiring and firing all to benefit the administration.
With new laws passed, on minimum wages and employment insurance, legal compliance became
a necessity. More laws were passed in the 70s and 80s including safety and health, due to
enforcement of the laws passed human resources roles were no longer simple clerics, they
evolved to include health and safety programs, training, compensation and benefits and strategic
planning. Human resource management is still undergoing changes (Cascio, 2009).
Safety and health in the work place is of great importance to human resource
management (Jackson, Schuler & Werner, 2009) Dealing with the well-being of the workers in
the organization should be a priority in every organization seeing that the workers will either
contribute positively or negatively to the organization, if their well fare is not taken care of, then
there will be negative impacts such as the high turnover of workers (Dobbin & Sutton, 2008).
Instigate stringent safety policies
Safety policies in work places should be put in place to ensure the safety of the workers.
Work places should be completely safe for all the workers. Some jobs such as construction
involve working in unstable environments which is unavoidable, proper labeling of the danger
zones should be done to minimize on the risks. Proper introduction of the workers to the high
risk work sites should be done with all the possible risks being outlined for the employees to
know beforehand what they are up against.

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Work places with relatively low potential risks such as the office, all potential risks
should be identified and measures put in place to prevent them from occurring and if they occur
measures should be put in place to minimize the damage such as put up signs in case of a
slippery floor.
Implement a health and safety training program.
The human resource department should provide health and safety training to all their
employees. Training the employees will ensure that minor injuries can be attended to on site, and
first aid can be administered in case of an accident before the victim is taken to qualified
healthcare provider, this could help save lives (Sawicki, 2008).
Fire and emergency drills should be held from time to time as is required as part of
procedure, they should also be taken seriously so that they can serve their purpose fully.
Employees should be encouraged to take some time off in case of a health issue and should not
be reprimanded for it (Lanoie, 2002).
Maintain coordination between departments
The human resource department is conversant with the risks encountered by employees at
certain conditions, with good coordination with other departments such as the facility
department, they will encourage them to invest in facilities that will help prevent these risks e.g.
handrails in the rest rooms will help prevent falls and anti-slip mats will help prevent slips. This
way all employees are protected from these risks which help them have a sense of safety in the
work place (Hollan, Hutchinsn & Kirsh, 2000).

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Ensure there is open communication
Employees should be able to express themselves without fear of anything; this is the only
way for them to share their honest views on issues that affect the organizations goals on
occupational safety and health. Employees will only be honest with their views if they are
assured that it is okay for them to do so without bringing harm to their jobs or social life. The
human resource department should ensure that the supervisors hired in each department of the
organization is concerned for the safety of every employee in the organization, this can be done
during the hiring process. The supervisors hired should be trained on accessibility and
interaction; this will help enhance open communication.
Human resource personnel should interact one on one with the employees, this can help an
employee who is hesitant to approach the direct manager to open up about his as he may be more
comfortable talking with the human resource personnel (Trenholm & Jensen, 2008). In case of
minor issues on health and safety, they should be addressed through the organization’s notice
board in a memo or through emails.
At this time health and safety are being used as part of an organization’s overall strategy
for talent retention, overall objectives, and loss-time prevention. When or if employees feel like
their work place is not safe, they may decide to leave the organization for one with safer working
conditions. This will result to the organization being forced to recruit new employees resulting to
unexpected expenditures. A good wellness program in an organization can act as an incentive for
young, new, talented people to strive to work for your company and also retain them.

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Healthy employees are productive employees, if employees keep getting hurt at their
work places forcing them to take time off this will result to fewer employees working at a time
and could result to lower output of the products they produce or poor services in case it is a
service company. Getting injured or witnessing injuries at work places will not only impact
production but also the morale and retention of the employees. Organizations are using health
and safety programs to prevent time loss and also keep productivity at the optimum level thus
achieving overall goals and objectives (Beamer, & Varner, 2001).
Health and safety program also helps the company avoid law suits that could result from
accidents in working places.
Respect in relation to health and safety in human resource management
Respect creates trust, trust leads to a feeling of safety which in turn frees the
organizations productivity thus in order to achieve the two main objectives in companies that is
safe working conditions and increase productivity, it all stems from respect. Studies around the
world show that leaders who are domineering, intimidating or threatening only diminish the
productivity of employees. This kind of leadership is not only out dated but also is destructive.
This kind of leadership cannot allow an employee to speak up and therefore safety and health of
the employees could be endangered. Respectful leaders create working environments that value
and foster their employees, this helps enhance their focus and spirit thus they become committed
to the success of the organization such that they see the organization’s success as their personal
success (Bratton, & Gold, 2017).
Integrity in relation to health and safety in human resource management

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Integrity in the work place is of great importance it is a fundamental value employees
should possess and employers seek in their employee’s honesty, trust having sound morals and
ethical principles are some of the values that show integrity in an employee. Having these values
is important when setting safety and health standards in an organization, when the leaders in an
organization are trustworthy, then the employees trust them to set them health and safety
programs that cater for their needs, without this trust the process cannot be smooth. The leaders
should have integrity to bring the best offer to the table and the employees should have integrity
and have what they deserve (Vuontisjärvi, 2006).
Community in relation to health and safety in human resource management
The community is of importance to everything that goes on in business, the company and
its employees form a community with one agenda and that is governed by common norms, the
kind of community created will determine the kind of safety and health standards to be put in
place. For example in case of a construction company, the kind of health and safety standards put
in place are not the same as those put in place in an official setting. The kinds of risks involved
in both cases are different and therefore cannot be under the same programs.
Health and safety standards are of benefit to both the organization and its employees, it is
therefore important that every organization has them set aside, if necessary make them part of the
organizations development plan (Wells & Bradon, 2002).

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References
Beamer, L., & Varner, I. I. (2001). Intercultural communication in the global workplace. New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Cascio, W. F. (2009). Managing human resources (p. 251). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Dobbin, F., & Sutton, J. R. (2008). The strength of a weak state: The rights revolution and the
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Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., & Werner, S. (2009). Managing human resources (p. 358). Mason,
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Sawicki, N. N. (2008). Doctors, Discipline, and the Death Penalty: Professional Implications of
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