Occupational Health and Safety: Importance, Changes, and Recommendations

This document discusses the importance of occupational health and safety (OHS) in the workplace, including its impact on employee satisfaction, business efficiency, and brand image. It also explores the changes in OHS policies due to COVID-19 and provides recommendations for businesses to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
IMPORTANCE OF OHS................................................................................................................4
CHANGES IN THE POLICIES OF OHS.......................................................................................5
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. ................................................................................................7
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Occupational health and safety also commonly known as occupational health and
occupational safety is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the health, safety and welfare of
people at work or people at occupation. The main aim of occupational health and safety program
is to foster an environment which is healthy as well as safe to work for the employees of the
company. Occupational health and safety also protect the public who may be affected by
environment of the occupation. It helps in dealing with the health and safety in the place of work
and primarily strongly focuses on the prevention of hazards which can happen in the workplace
any day and at anytime. Occupational health and safety is defined as field of healthcare
concerned with enabling an individual to undertake their job/occupation in a way which causes
no harm to their health standards. It is based on three objectives such as promotion and
maintenance of workers health and there working capacity, regular improvement in environment
and working standards to make aware of health and safety measures to be taken while working in
the organization, and lastly focuses on development of culture which focuses on directions that
supports health and safety during course of work to enhance smooth flow of operations and
ensures productivity in the operations. Present report will address to various reviews of experts
on occupational health and safety. It will brief on how OHS is important in the workplace and
will brief on changes that took place in the policies due to COVID-19 and will also brief on
finding and conclusion based out of OHS and recommendations to the same.

LITERATURE REVIEW
As per the view of Badri(2018), it is stated that occupational health and safety helps in
improved staff relationship and morale to perform task effectively and efficiently as employees
derive job satisfaction in terms that the company takes steps in providing security to prevent
them from accidents and from hazardous situation.
According to the view of Gul, Ak(2018), OHS helps in increased & improved business
efficiency as it reduces the chance where the employees of the company fall sick and take leaves
which affects the performance of the company and helps the company in retaining the employees
and reducing the cost of training for new and temporary hires.
As stated by the Amponsah-Tawiah, Mensah(2016), occupational health and safety
helps the company in building the brand image as the customers are satisfied that company
adapts to norms related to safety and health which helps in gaining new customers. It is also
being stated that customers far less likely to trust companies which does not consider their
employees safety& health.
In accordance with the view point of da Silva, Amaral(2019), OHS management system
helps in building confidence as employees feel safe at the workplace as companies with OHS
certification makes ensure business/ company in committed in the workplace towards the
employees welfare which is in terms of safety and health.
Contradicting to the points above the Silaparasetti, Rao, Khan(2017),has stated that
work related illness/ injury can put employees out of work and may impact their quality of life
which may also lead to damage the productivity of the business leading to decline in the image
of the company.
The Darabont (2019), has stated that when proper occupational health& and safety
measures are not taken it may lead to legal repercussions as it is the legal responsibility on the
part of employer but when it neglects to take the same it leads company to pay high fines and
possibility to jail of employer.

IMPORTANCE OF OHS
Occupational health and safety plays a vital role in the workplace and is very important
on the part of the company to be taken care off. The employer & the supervisor of the company
are legally responsible for maintaining safety and healthiness in the workplace. It helps in
promoting the working conditions of the workplace. It is also required on the part of employees
to take care of their own safety as well as the safety of other co-workers
(Akinwale,Olusanya,2016). Occupational safety and health is the official body to see that
minimum standards are maintained at the workplace. Occupational health & safety helps in
ensuring that the work is done with the smooth flow which not only ensures the profitability of
but also helps in supporting the well- being of its employees (Kaynak,2016).
OHS is important on the part of the company and employees as it helps in ensuring the
measures taken to avoid accidents and hazardous situation which in turn increases the job
satisfaction for its employees resulting in the company to achieve its desired goals and build a
positive image in the minds of customers and generate brand awareness. It is important as its
standards mandate reduction, replacement and removal of hazards and accidents which can occur
at the workplace. It is also important as it helps in ensuring that employees work effectively and
efficiently. It also helps in providing the added value to the work community (Korkusuz, 2018).

CHANGES IN THE POLICIES OF OHS
COVID-19 has drastically affected several businesses all across the world leading to the
discontinuation of operations of several businesses. Now every company ensures maximum
safety and healthy measures in their operation by ensuring changes in there occupational health
and safety policies to avoid the virus which can cause COVID-19.
Changes in the policies related to OHS to promote the welfare of individual includes
employer's developing an infectious disease preparedness and disease plan that helps in guiding
protective actions to fight against the virus (Androniceanu, 2020). It includes policies prepared
to implement basic infection prevention measures where it states employees to frequently wash
and sanitize their hands and place of work. By encouraging workers to work from home & to
stay at home if they feel sick.
New Changes in the OHS policies due to the virus is encouraging employees to not use
other employees phones, desks or other work tool and equipments, when it is possible and when
used not to forgot to sanitize the same (Reis,2020). Encourages respiratory etiquettes to cover
with tissues while sneezing and coughing and encouraging avoiding frequent touch of hands to
face, eyes from where the Virus enters. It also includes maintaining regular house keeping
practices, which includes cleaning and disinfecting of equipments, surfaces and other tools of
work (Godderis,Luyten,2020).
It also includes policies where social distancing is taken care of where employees are
called in different shifts policies where policies are designed where employees work for whole
week with strict regulations on putting masks and hand gloves all time and remain quarantine for
two weeks and at that time work from home. (Temel,2020).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.
It has been found out that following the occupational heath and safety laws are made to
enhances the work culture and protect the employees in terms of physical hazards like loss of
hearing, loss of eyesight etc. there are other hazards included in occupational health and safety
such as biological hazards like hazards related to microorganisms such as viruses and toxins,
chemical hazards like neurotoxins, systemic toxins etc. there is one more hazard which is
psychological hazards which related to risk to the mental and emotional well-being of workers
like feeling of insecurity, long working hours and if not followed properly then it can lead to
accidents, injuries and various other negative impact and after this pandemic. Occupational
health and safety laws are made stricter to cope up with the spread of virus. Due to the fear of the
virus spread employees are avoiding coming to the office and workplace and preferring to work
from home. Businesses are delivery services remotely through phone or video call instead of in
person. Businesses are ensuring that only workers who are essential to the job are present at the
workplace and are minimizing the presence. Businesses are including more hygiene related
occupational health and safety laws and policies to avoid the spread of virus. The trend of the
latest technology of touch screen is becoming less popular and it is shifting towards voice and
face recognition and contactless attendance, logging and logging out etc. Businesses are
developing,implementing and updating plans to tackle emergency situation. Businesses are
getting more aware about the hygiene of the workplace. Workers and employees are also getting
more aware about the health and safety measures, they wear protective equipment and clothing
according to the field of work. Companies are also educating their employees about various
precautionary steps they should follow such as avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with
unwashed hands, cover the mouth and nose with the tissue when they cough or sneeze.
Businesses when conducting meetings follows all the rules specified in occupational health and
safety and maintains social distancing.
But it was also found that some businesses are not adopting these laws and policies
properly. They do not maintain proper hygiene and sanitization at their workplace. Some
equipments are not kept properly and training to handle complex equipments is also not given
properly to the employees which leads to accidents and injuries.

In this situation of pandemic also they are not taking care of employees hygiene by making them
work in a conjusted place, transferring them to other departments or place of work now and then
without even doing proper sanitization of the place.

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended to the business that
 The company should place an impervious barrier between the workers to keep the
distance, barriers can be purposeful-made or improvised using items like plastic sheets,
partitions, mobile drawers etc.
 Businesses must make sure that their workplace is clean and hygienic.
 Surfaces and objects must be wiped with disinfectant regularly.
 Before going on business trips consult national travel advice.
 Employees should also be made aware about the rules followed at the workplace to avoid
the spread like washing hands in case of any physical contact with person or object.
Maintaining the specified distance and working from home if not feeling well.
 If the employees are avoiding to return to the workplace then company should understand
their concerns, provide information about the measures taken and the support available to
them.
 Making sure that surgical face mask or paper tissues are available at the workplace along
with closed bins for hygiene disposal.
 Employees and contractor must be briefed that if anyone with even a mild cough or fever
needs to stay at home.
 Lastly it is recommended to follow all the laws and acts related to health and safety by
both the employers and employees, provided by the government with extra precaution
regarding covid-19.

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that occupational health and safety policies and procedures have
helped the businesses in coping with this pandemic and are made Stricter because of the
pandemic as their objective is to prevent diseases, injuries and deaths that are caused due to
working condition. There are much importance of this law at the workplace such as : keeping the
people safe by giving them proper training and organizing awareness programmes as injuries and
accidents costs time and money. By establishing proper occupational health and safety laws
brand reputation can be increased as people and employees give review of the workplace and
practices followed by them. After the pandemic there have been many changes in occupational
health and safety policies and laws and more hygiene related points are been added on.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Akinwale, A.A. and Olusanya, O.A., 2016. Implications of occupational health and safety
intelligence in Nigeria.
Amponsah-Tawiah, K. and Mensah, J., 2016. Occupational health and safety and organizational
commitment: Evidence from the Ghanaian mining industry. Safety and health at
work, 7(3), pp.225-230.
Androniceanu, A., 2020. Major structural changes in the EU policies due to the problems and
risks caused by COVID-19. Administratie si Management Public. (34). pp.137-149.
Badri, A., and et.al., 2018. Occupational health and safety in the industry 4.0 era: A cause for
major concern?. Safety science, 109, pp.403-411.
da Silva, S.L.C. and Amaral, F.G., 2019. Critical factors of success and barriers to the
implementation of occupational health and safety management systems: A systematic
review of literature. Safety science, 117, pp.123-132.
Darabont, D.C.,and et.al., 2019. Modern approaches in integrated management systems of
quality, environmental and occupational health and safety. Calitatea, 20(S1), p.105.
Godderis, L. and Luyten, J., 2020. Challenges and opportunities for occupational health and
safety after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Gul, M. and Ak, M.F., 2018. A comparative outline for quantifying risk ratings in occupational
health and safety risk assessment. Journal of cleaner production, 196, pp.653-664.
Kaynak, R.,and et.al., 2016. Effects of occupational health and safety practices on organizational
commitment, work alienation, and job performance: Using the PLS-SEM
approach. International Journal of Business and Management.11(5). pp.146-166.
Korkusuz, A.Y., 2018. Evaluation of occupational health and safety key performance indicators
using in healthcare sector.
Reis, C., and et.al., 2020. Occupational Health and Safety-Sustainable Development and the
Changes in Organizations. In Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health
II (pp. 677-687). Springer, Cham.
Silaparasetti, V., Rao, G.V.R. and Khan, F.R., 2017. Structural equation modeling analysis using
smart pls to assess the occupational health and safety (OHS) factors on workers’
behavior. Structural Equation Modeling Analysis Using Smart PLS to Assess the
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Factors on Workers’ Behavior (July 17, 2017).
Humanities & Social Science Reviews, eISSN, pp.2395-7654.
Temel, T., 2020. Employment Strategies to Respond to COVID-19: Characterizing Input-Output
Linkages of a Targeted Sector.