Health and Safety Implementation Challenges in the Workplace

This report, prepared for an Advanced National Diploma in Human Resource Management, delves into the critical importance of health and safety in the workplace. It emphasizes the need for a safe and healthy environment for employees, highlighting the various hazards and challenges that can arise. The report covers the basic objectives of workplace safety, the benefits of health and safety policies, and the role of training in ensuring a safe working environment. It also examines the difficulties encountered when implementing health and safety measures, including challenges related to employee awareness, cost, and management commitment. The report underscores the significance of proactive safety measures to prevent accidents, reduce injuries, and improve productivity, ultimately aiming to create a safer and more efficient workplace. The report also discusses how employers must understand that safety goes well beyond their employees and the importance of minimizing legal liabilities.

Advanced National Diploma in Human Resource
Management
National Institute of Business
Management – Gale
Importance of Health & Safety, why it is difficult to
implement in work place
GAANDHRM192P-004
E.G.M.Sherandhi
GAANDHRM192P-002 Udarangi
Jayaneththi
GAANDHRM192P-001 Stella
Borelessa
GAANDHRM192P- 005 Dasanthi
Kariyawasam
GAANDHRM192P-003 Madusha
Kalansooriya
GAANDHRM192P-009 Ishani
Chamika
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GAANDHRM192P-007 Chanuka
Sandeepa
22/02/2021
Date of
Submission
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First, we’d love to thank our beloved lecturer Mr. Thilak Devendra, for
providing his valuable time and guidance in elaborating view of studying the project
details.
We’d also like to thank all our family members for their kind co-operations
advice and encouragement during the long and arduous task of preparing this report and
carrying out the project. We would once again like to express our heartiest gratitude to all
who helped us directly or indirectly throughout this project work.
We are also thankful to the members of this project, for extending their heartfelt
guidance through this project work. Without their supervision and many hours of devoted
guidance, stimulating & constructive criticism, this thesis would never come out in this
form.
Last not but least I would like to express gratitude to all who helped us through
the period and gave us proper response and co-operating in our various activities with
their patience.
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Abstract
In today’s world, the economic growth rapidly in industrialization has been given a
significant impact of distributions of income and quality of life it is also led in enhance
the number of workplace accident in manufacturing industry. In Malaysia, people are still
not much aware about the safety and health for the worker on manufacturing industry.
Therefore, this study aims to examining the Safety and Health Practices that can be apply
in manufacturing industry and identify the benefit of Occupational Safety and Health
Practices. Besides that, this study also identified types of hazards, injury and accidents
happen in the workplace. This study was carried out in importance and difficulties in
implementing health and safety. The significant from this study is to improve the
knowledge about the Safety and Health Practices to the workers.
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Table of Content
1.0 Introduction of Health & Safety at
Workplace……………………04
1.1 Basic Objectives of Workplace
Safety…………………………05
2.0 Importance of Health &
Safety………………………………...06
2.1 Benefits of Health and Safety Policies in the
Workplace….07
3.0 Workplace Safety Training………………………………11
3.1Aim of Workplace Safety Training…………………………..12
3.2 Workplace Safety Training of Employees…………………..13
3.3 Safety Training Benefits……………………………………..14
4.0 Health and safety challenges in workplaces…………….15
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5.0 Health and Safety Difficulties when implementing at
Workplace…………………………………………………16
1.0 Introduction of Health & Safety at
Workplace
Workplace safety is a composite field related to safety, health and welfare
of people at work. It narrates the strategy and methods in place to ensure health and
safety of employees within a workplace. Workplace safety includes employee awareness
related to the knowledge of basic safety, workplace hazards, risks relating to hazards,
implementation of hazard preventions, and putting into practice necessary safer methods,
techniques, process, and safety culture in the workplace. It also includes safety rules and
regulations designed mostly on the basis of existing government policies.
Every organization puts in place a number of safety rules and regulations for
its people. Safety training and education for employees is imparted periodically with a
view to making them aware about and updating them with latest safety measures.
Workplace safety is about putting a stop to injury and sickness to employees in the
workplace. Therefore, it is about safeguarding assets and health and life of the
employees. It also features in cutting down the cost of lost-work hours, time spent in
putting short-term help and the schedule and services that may fall off due to less of
service providers, pressure on those providers who are selecting the absent employees
portion or poor case, having to shut out or shut down a program due to lack of providers.
Before analyzing various aspects of workplace safety, it is pertinent to know the reasons
for ensuring safety in life. We attach top priority to safety and security in places we live,
stay, visit or working.
To Say no to Accidents–Accidents are fallouts of recklessness and lack of responsibility.
When we don’t follow required safety, norms end up in getting injured or even in ending
our valuable lives. It is true with regard to our home and workplace alike.
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To Stay Healthy and Energetic- should have a healthy food habit, which is itself a safety
measure, to keep us healthy and lively for work at home and in workplaces
.To have Longevity in Life– should take care of ourselves everywhere we are and of
others for leading a safe and meaningful life.
To create Public Awareness–Promotion of safety norms everywhere creates public
awareness and discipline. It is true of workplaces and motivates new employees to take
up safety measures necessary for their safety.
To avoid loss of Property and Life–The basic aim of safety measures is to prevent the
occurrences of mishaps and hazards that sometimes cause heavy loss of life and property.
To Devise Planning for Safety–Need for safety paves the way for devising an effective
planning for all-round safety of employees in an organization.
Workplace safety and health surrounds the social, mental and physical well-
being of employees in all professions. Imperfect and unhygienic working situations have
the possibility to upset an employee’s health and safety. Harmful and risky working
conditions can be found anywhere, whether the workplace is in a building or in a house
or in other country. Regrettably some employers don’t have a bit of common sense for
the prevention of risks and hazards to employees’ health and safety.
In fact, some employers are not even aware of the fact that they have the legal
responsibility to safeguard the employees from work-related hazards and risks. As a
result of this problem, and a shortage of knowledge and attention given to health and
safety, work-related mishaps are usual in all parts of the world. Work-related hazards and
illnesses are usual in almost all the parts of the world and often have many personal and
secondary negative results for employees and their families. A single hazards and
sickness can mean extensive financial loss to both the employees and the employers.
1.1 Basic Objectives of Workplace Safety
The basic objectives of workplace safety are as follows:
Preservation of and assistance for employees’ or workers’ health and
well-being.
Enhancing workability of employees by ensuring a safe and congenial
work environment.
Growth of the organization that remains free from prospective hazards
and mishaps.
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Encouraging a favorable social climate in the organization that
motivates the employees to work efficiently towards organizational
progress and prosperity.
Secure the health and safety of workers and workplace by eliminating
or minimizing risks.
Achieve higher productivity among the employees by providing a safe
and secure environment,
Focus on employees’ safety and health arising from chemicals and
hazardous elements used at workplaces.
2.0 Importance of Health & Safety
Maximum employees spend at least eight hours a day in the
workplace. Therefore, the workplace domain should be safe and
healthy. Everyday employees all over the universe are experiencing a
lot of health problems emerging from various sources such as:
DustGasesNoiseVibrations
Excessive Temperatures Workplace safety and health surrounds
the social, mental and physical well-being of employees in all
professions. Imperfect and unhygienic working situations have the
possibility to upset an employee’s health and safety. Harmful and risky
working conditions can be found anywhere, whether the workplace is
in a building or in a house or in other country. Regrettably some
employers don’t have a bit of common sense for the prevention of risks
and hazards to employees’ health and safety
As a result of this problem, and a shortage of knowledge and
attention given to health and safety, work-related mishaps are usual in
all parts of the world. Work-related hazards and illnesses are usual in
almost all the parts of the world and often have many personal and
secondary negative results for employees and their families. A single
hazards and sickness can mean extensive financial loss to both the
employees and the employers
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Workplace Safety for Successful workplace safety and health
programmers can assist to protect the lives of employees by lessening
risks and their results. Productive programmers can also have
constructive influence on both employees’ self-confidence and
production, and can save employers a great deal of penny. In carrying
out this promise safety scopes areas follows.
Expand and execute successful policies, strategy and programs which
give a safe and healthy work location and encourage the health and
safety and well-being of and that of their clients and the public.
Permission to use professional health and safety policies and
programs and strategies on a daily basis.
Take every safety measure to make sure that their work does not
cause a danger or an injury or sickness or environmental trouble to the
employees and the customers or the general public.
Observe and obey all Health, safety and environmental laws and
regulations.
Educate of the newly recruited employees of their health, safety and
environmental responsibilities and the accident and dangers related to
work and about the safety exercises in the workplace they execute.
Safety scopes contemplate health, safety and environmental safe
guards of initial importance and acknowledge the rights of every
employee to work in a safe and healthy work location.
Keeping People Safe
Most employers would agree that preventing accidents and potential death to employees
is a natural priority. Most safety issues don't arise out of nefarious intentions but come
when businesses cut corners and don't take the time to train their employees properly on
safety protocols.
Injuries Cost Time and Money
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration estimates that employers pay nearly
million each week in workers' compensation costs. Employers are required to have
workers' compensation insurance policies, but injuries increase the basic costs. Also, if an
employer is underinsured, the gap of coverage is the responsibility of the employer.
Fewer Injuries Increase Productivity
Workplace injuries and unsafe working environments are bad for employee morale. An
employee who is concerned about being hurt isn't able to devote full attention to daily
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work tasks. Employers who maintain a safe and healthy work environment and conduct
employee training on safety build a stronger relationship with employees. Employees no
longer feel like a means to an end but part of a team working together. This creates
loyalty and increases team morale, which has a direct correlation to productivity.
Increase Public Perception
A company that operates in an unsafe manner can turn away customers. A restaurant that
uses unsafe cooking practices isn't going to attract customers because they fear illness.
Similarly, customers don't want to walk into a cluttered store with potential tripping
hazards. Business owners must understand that safety goes well beyond their employees.
When thinking about productivity, positive team morale increases positive customer
interactions, which leads to customer retention and loyalty.
Minimizing Legal Liabilities
The Department of Labor oversees the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Simply put,
the act states that people have a right to feel and be safe at work. It sets forth minimum
standards for various industries and work environments. Current OSHA posters must be
posted in places where all employees can read and review them at will. Should employers
violate safety laws, legal and financial ramifications may occur.
2.1 Benefits of Health and Safety Policies in the Workplace
1. These policies help the company to keep a record of every single document that has
been thoroughly read and signed by the hired employee.
2. All the duties and their possible risks are clearly mentioned and the worker is well
known of the different challenges of the duty.
3. When the things are clear then these policies work as a legal document for the
company that the working member is well known of all the duties and the risks that he or
she can face during the work.
4. These policies also assure the safety and healthy environment for the workers which
will be provided by the company.
5. The company can easily demonstrate any legal body that they are following all the
safety measures to keep the environment healthy for the workers.
6. Moreover, the workers are well known for the facilities which the company will
provide them if they meet an accident during working in the company.
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7. The company is well protected from any of the fraud claims that has been claimed by
any of the workers, as they have all the proves from the safety cameras and safety
management which will keep them away from all the legal obligation put by any of the
workers.
8. Also the workers are sure and protected that the company would not cheat them in case
of a work place injury and they will be getting all the decided facilities which the policy
has offered them.
9. The work place injury laws have become sensitive and hard all over the world because
many of the lives have already been wasted because of the negligence of the health and
safety of the workers. Company fits well according to all the legal laws and becomes a
hazard free healthy place for the workers to work in.
10. Once it has made all the safety features in action, then will definitely gain the trust of
your staff and workers. Hence this mutual understanding and professional bond becomes
the strongest power for the successful growth of the company.
11. It is also said that “The Trusted Once are the Loyal Once” which simply means that
the workers who have gained trust over the company will also be the most loyal once
who will take the courage to face the downfall and also enjoy the success of the company
at all times.
12. Lastly “Safety is better than Cure”, these safety measure may take time and some of
the money today, but one should always take this present investment of time and
resources as an investment of future, which will definitely help out in the future.
2.2 Health Place Legislation
Occupational health and safety legislation manage the quality of
workplace hygiene and safety with the objectives to stop workplace accidents, injuries
and diseases, and make laws against violation of those standards. It features
responsibilities of employers, supervisors, and employees. Normally, the legislation
needs that the employers do everything they can fairly do to safeguard the health and
safety of their employees in the workplace.
This includes, but is not restricted to: providing suitable training for picking
up possibly dangerous equipment and/or material, informing employees of possible
dangers in the workplace, and setting up safe work exercises. A health and safety
committees are an assembly for upgrading workplace health and safety. A committee
consisting of both employee and management representatives is needed to look after the
safety and health factors in the organization.
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Generally, the role of the committee is to recognize and help in stopping or
preventing any untoward incidence and hazards form occurring in the workplace,
endorsing solutions to any issues, and encouraging and maintaining health and safety in
the workplace. Health and safety are important issues in all workplaces and as such,
organizations are required to obey with health and safety regulations and acts. Health and
safety is generally controlled by provincial or territorial legislation.
Organizations fall within the federal or central jurisdiction have separate
legislations to deal with health and safety issues. While all provinces and territories have
same legislations, there is contrast among them. It is very significant to visit your
province or territory’s health and safety website for information that is applicable to you
and your organization
2.3 Work place Roles and Responsibilities
Workplace safety is very important and plays an important role in any
organization. Then the roles and the responsibilities which are to be followed for creating
a healthy and safe workplace. Employers have a number of duties under the Act. The
different needs are divided into the following headings:
 Common duties of Employers
 Supplying Information to Employees
 Lessons, Training & Administration of Employees
 Emergencies and serious and close dangers
 Securing and Obstructive Measures
 Hazard Recognition & Risk Evaluation
 Safety Statement
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 Mutual Effort
 Health Observation & Medical fitness to work
 Safety Agent
 Employee Discussion
Common Duties of the Employer
 To protect the safety, health and welfare at work of the employees.
 To supply systems of work that are planned, organized, performed, preserved and
rethought as appropriate so as to be safe and risk-free.
 To supply and maintain opportunities and arrangements for the welfare of employees at
work.
 To give information, instruction, training and management, where necessary.
 To execute the safety, health and welfare plans necessary for protection of employees.
 To construct and review emergency plans and procedures.
Information to Employees
 When giving information to employees, employers must safeguard that it is given in
such perfect form, manner and language that it is suitable to be understood by the
employees concerned.
 Where persons from other organization are engaged in work activities as per an
employer’s agreement, the employer must protect that the person’s employer receives the
above details.
 The employer must ensure that very capable persons are appointed as safety agents of
officers.
 The employer must provide details relating to the following before a fixed term or
temporary employee start to work.
Lessons, Training & Administration of Employees The employer must ensure that:
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 All details, training and management is given in a manner, form and language that is
honestly suitable to be understood by the employee(s) concerned.
 Employees receive, during time off from their work but without loss of pay, sufficient
health, safety and welfare training including, in details, information and order relating to
the particular work to be executed and measures to be taken in an emergency.
 Training must be modified to take account of new or changed risks in the workplace.
3.0 Workplace Safety Training
As every employee looks for a safety workplace in the organization, it is
mandatory to know and follow the safety measure for keeping self-protected and be safe.
So, to know and to follow the safety measures, one needs to be trained as to how to
follow the safety measures. The training on safety norms and programs will make the
employee confident to react to the situations when a problem or issues arises. The safety
training will give a brief lesson on the things what to do and what not to do etc. Hence,
safety training is very important and mandatory for any employee for his/her safety, when
he/she joins the organization.
Workplace training is also known as trade or industry training, inculcates
learning and earning money while you work. Traineeship is one type of workplace
training. You can do workplace training in a range of active industries. “Training is the
act of enhancing the knowledge and skills of an employee for doing a specific job.”
Training is an efficient activity for enhancing the technical art of the employees to
authorize them to do particular jobs efficiently.
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Training gives the employees the tools to help them grow as safety professional.
In other words, training provides the workers with possibilities to gain technical
knowledge and to learn new skills to do certain jobs. Training is equally essential for the
existing as well as the new employees. It sanctions the new employees to get familiarized
with their jobs and also increase the job-related knowledge and skills.
Ergonomics is the study of efficiency of people in their workplaces. Certain
often unnoticed workplace situations may lead to both short-term and long-term illness.
These happen when the type of work, body positions and working conditions put a stress
on your body. Ergonomics are the toughest to spot since you don’t always directly notice
the struggle on your body or the harm that these hazards pose. Short-term display may
result in “sore muscles” the next day or in the days following the exposure, but long-
term display can result in serious long-term illness. Ergonomic Hazards result due to the
following reasons:
 Poorly adjusted workstations and chairs
 Having to lift heavy objects too often
 Embarrassing movements, especially if they are continuous
 Having to use too much force, especially if you have to do it frequently
 Dealing with frequent vibrations
3.1 Aim of Workplace Safety Training
The aims of workplace safety training are as follows:
 To supply job related knowledge and skills to the employees to arm them with the
ability to protect themselves against unintentional injuries and death.
 To reduce damage or loss to non-human factors like equipment, machinery and stocks
 To communicate skills among the employees regularly so that they may learn quickly.
 To bring about adjustment in the attitudes of the employees towards colleagues,
manager and the organization.
 To lessen the number of accidents by providing safety training to the employees.
 To make the employees handle the materials, machines and equipment effectively and
thus to check disappearance of time and resources.
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 To formulate the employees for promotion to higher jobs by communicating the
advanced skills.
Workplace training is also known as trade or industry training; it provides learning
and earning money while employees work. Traineeship is one type of workplace training.
Management can do workplace training in a range of active industries. Employee
orientation trainings aim at showing new employees how to do their jobs safely and
usefully, but leading companies know that it is essential to go much further than that.
Safety training in modern businesses has become quite unavoidable due to the following
reasons:
 Communications: The growing multiplicity of today's employees brings a wide variety
of languages and customs.
 Computer skills: Computer skills are becoming an essential for managing
administrative and office tasks.
 Customer service: The growing contest in today's worldwide marketplace makes it
grave that employees understand and meet the needs of customers.
 Diversity: Diversity training generally comprises of explanation about how people
have different vista and views, and comprises techniques to value multiplicity.
 Ethics: Today's society has growing assumptions about corporate social control. Also,
today's various workforces bring a wide variety of values and significance to the
workplace.
 Human relations: The enlarged stresses of today's workplace can include
misunderstandings and dispute.  Quality initiatives: Initiatives such as Total Quality
Management, Quality Circles, standard, etc., needs basic training about quality idea,
instructions and standards for quality, etc.
 Safety: Safety training is disapproving where working with heavy equipment,
dangerous chemicals, tedious activities, etc., but can also be useful with real advice for
avoiding attacks, etc.
 Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment training generally includes careful explanation
of the organization's policies about sexual harassment, especially about what are
unsuitable behaviors.
3.2 Workplace Safety Training of Employees
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Conduct direction and training for all employees Requirements recognize and
respond to the particular training needs of your employees, including supervisors,
managers and team leaders. Develop a written safety-and-health training plan that
documents particular training aims and instruction procedures.
The safety-and-health training plan should include:
 Company safety and health policy statement
 Employee accountabilities
 Risky communication
 Specific job/task safe work practices and hazard identification;
 Reporting  Process for the safe and efficient use of machinery and tools
 Ergonomic risk factors, including the prevention of increasing shock disorders
 Chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure
 Risks associated with movement like lifts and elevators and provision to deal with.
3.3 Safety Training Benefits
Hazards are pervasive to every organization or all types of industries, hence it is
essential for an organization to make provisions for safety training for their workers and
to update the safety programs and norms on a regular basis. There are many sources of
online information about training and development. Several of these sites indicate reasons
for managers to conduct training among employees. These reasons include:
 Educate employees on the basics of health and safety
 Increased focus by employees on their tasks
 Increased job pleasure and confidence among employees
 Increased employee inspiration
 Increased effectiveness in processes, deriving in financial gain
 Increased ability to adopt new skills and methods
 Increased change in scheme and products
 Increase employee turnover
 Increase company image, e.g., conducting ethics training
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4.0 Health and safety challenges in workplaces
Health and safety should have higher priority on the international agenda, but
improvement of OHS infrastructures and systematic preventive approaches in
industrializing countries are extremely slow. Although many countries have developed
laws and enforcement activities, working conditions for the majority of the world’s
workers do not meet the minimum standards and guidelines set by the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization.
4.1 Top health and safety challenges in workplaces
The following is a summary of respondent comments on top health and safety concerns.
 Employee engagement. This challenge was selected as a pressing concern for
54% of survey participants—the highest percentage ever recorded in our Annual
Progress Survey, and up from 48% in our 2018 poll.
 Employees taking shortcuts or ignoring rules. 46% of those polled cited this as
one of their current challenges, an increase from 44% in 2018.
 Supervisor participation in safety programs. Once again, this was our #3 top
challenge identified by survey respondents. However, the share of respondents
that noted this challenge increased from 38% in 2018 to 42% in this year’s
survey.
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 Education and training concerns - with older workers, younger workers,
contractors, employee turnover; aging workforce and turnover.
 Workplace culture – keeping safety a top priority, avoiding complacency,
building a strong safety culture; identifying issues proactively, getting people to
buy in, walking the talk.
 Traffic control – vehicle movement, congested areas, lifting and rigging.
 Violence and harassment in the workplace – violent, unpredictable behaviour of
workers, or being exposed to it regularly in the work environment.
 Staying on top of new legislation and implementing it – including risk
assessment, impairment policy regarding cannabis.
 Ergonomics – musculoskeletal injuries, hand injuries, policies and procedures.
 Hazardous materials – chemical handling, dust control.
 Occupational diseases – dust, silicosis, vibration injuries.
 Proper personal protective equipment.
 Risk assessment and control measures – properly conduct, proactive approach.
 Mental health and substance use – legalization of cannabis, opioid use, used
needles in the environment; accommodation for injured and ill workers.
These challenges clearly are not going away, and they probably cannot be solved once
and for all—maintaining engagement and a positive safety culture is an ongoing process.
However, safety managers and professionals can take a proactive approach to addressing
these challenges at their organizations with the right attitude, the right communication,
and the right tools.
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement isn’t just a safety issue it’s a workforce issue. However, the
issue is so all-encompassing that it can have an extremely detrimental effect on your
safety culture and safety performance.
While the benefits of safety are inherently obvious to EHS pros, employees may wonder,
What’s in it for me? There are a variety of benefits that safety managers can
communicate, and here are a few quick ideas for boosting engagement:
 Safety suggestions. Creating an anonymous space—or an online form—for
employees to request change will help give them a voice and relieve them of
whistleblower fears in speaking up.
 Forums. Bringing together employees from different departments and/or
locations to discuss safety topics can give them a fresh perspective on their
workplace while also creating a stronger sense of community across your
organization.
 Stand-down. A stand-down is a work shutdown that can (1) demonstrate how
seriously your company takes safety; (2) teach employees how to address hazards
and incidents; and (3) contribute to a dialogue with your employees about safety
that promotes engagement.
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Employees Taking Shortcuts or Ignoring Rules
This is a different angle of employee engagement, one that is more obviously
safety-specific. One of your best assets for addressing this challenge is other employees
—in an effective safety culture, employees will notice when others are taking
unnecessary risks or otherwise behaving unsafely, and with proper training, they will
speak up. This communication may mean even more coming from a fellow employee
than from management.
Unfortunately, there are a great deal of cognitive factors that prevent employees
from speaking up when they see something unsafe. Among other factors, a “perfect
storm” of cognitive inhibitions include:
 Reactance, or the natural urge to resist or do the opposite of what someone tells
you to do it’s the human need for exercising autonomy and independence. When a
worker speaks up against an unsafe action, reactance or defensiveness can be
triggered in the other worker who is performing the unsafe action.
 Social incongruence, the stress that feel when it is in tension with others. Part of
being human is being social and connected with those around us, and the tension
that could result from speaking up is profound. We’re wired to get away from that
feeling.
 Confirmation bias, where people are extremely good at justifying what they have
already concluded. We can rationalize anything by paying attention to things we
want to believe and discarding everything to the contrary
Supervisor Participation in Safety Programs
One way to address this challenge is to remind your frontline supervisors to
communicate safety every day. This doesn’t have to be a structured, burdensome chore;
in fact, once supervisors are in the habit of it, it will come as naturally as any other casual
interaction with employees, of which they have hundreds every day.
5.0 Health and Safety Difficulties when implementing at
Workplace
1.0 Oversee a large and diverse population of employees and workers.
Safety and health hazards exit in varying degree and forms through out the
populations. Some occupational and industries, such as constructions and manufacturing
are inherently more hazardous than others, at the same time, less obvious hazards such as
injuries caused by ergonomic factors and exposure to dangerous substances, pose subtle
but serious threats in in a wide cross section of occupational and industries.
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2.0 Trends in the demographic characteristics of the workforce and the changing nature
of work create special safety and health challenges.
 Workforce has changes significantly over the past several decades.
 More diverse in terms of age, gender, race and nationality.
 Products of labor are increasingly service rather than good.
Strategic Challenges
 Gender percentage of youth and older workers in the workplace.
 In the next decade, the youth population, ages to 16 to 24, is expected to increase
as a share of the workforce.
 The 25 to 54 age group is expected to decline and the 55 and over age will grow.
 The demand for skilled, experienced workers will grows in the next two decades.
 Older workers will become an increasingly vital labor resource.
3.0 Facility illness and injury trends reveal new occupational safety and health issues,
including new approaches to construction safety and ways to address transportation
safety and workplace violence.
 Each year more workers die in the construction industry than in any other sectors.
 Construction facility rate is three times that a general industry and remains
virtually unchanged.
 This situation complicated by a hard to reach employer/employee population
presents unique challenges for new strategies.
 Within several high-facility rate industries the most serious risks include
workplace violence and motor vehicle accidents two areas that are not
traditionally addressed.
 More specifically workplace violence and motor vehicle accidents are two of the
top three causes of death accounting for 45% of occupational facilities.
4.0 Emerging issues in health, safety and emergency preparedness and readiness for
natural and man-made disaster present new challenges.
 With respect to health threats from occupational asthma mixed exposures to new
combinations of chemicals and exposures to ultra -line particulates, including
asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers.
 In the safety area, emerging issues include fall hazards from wireless
communications and tower construction, noise in construction and difficulty
reaching the expanding population of mobile workers.
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According to Occupational Safety and Health Act (2007), the act applies to all
workplaces where any person is at work temporarily or permanently. The purpose of this
act is to secure the safety, health and welfare of persons at work, and protect persons at
work against risks to safety and health arising out of, or in connection with the activities
of persons at work. For the purpose of providing practical guidance with respect to any
provision of this Act and of safety and health regulations, the director shall, in
consultation with the council, approve and issue codes of practice, which are in his
opinion suitable for that purpose. Every occupier shall ensure the safety, health and
welfare at work of all persons working in his workplace.
Without prejudice to the generality of an occupier’s duty under subsection the
duty of the occupier includes, the provision and maintenance of plant and systems and
procedures of work that are safe and without risks to health.
 Many immigrants are less literate, unable to read instructions, and work in some of the
most inherently dangerous jobs.
▪ Hard-to-reach workers and employers include youth workers, employees who work at a
single location for only a few days before moving to a new location, temporary workers,
and small business owners.
▪ Demographic and workplace trends complicate implementation of occupational safety
and health programs and place greater emphasis on enforcement, training, and delivery
support services.
Strategic Challenges
 Fatality, illness and injury trends reveal new occupational safety and health issues,
including new approaches to construction safety and ways to address transportation
safety and workplace violence.
• Within several high-fatality rate industries, the most serious risks include workplace
violence and motor vehicle accidents, two areas that are not traditionally addressed. More
specifically, workplace violence and motor vehicle accidents are two of the top three
causes of death, accounting for 45% of US occupational fatalities
 Emerging issues in health, safety and emergency preparedness and readiness for
natural and man-made disasters present new challenges
 Improve Capacity to Support Business and Industry, Set Performance Metrics, and
Strategic Goals . By 2020, reduce rate of all workplace fatalities by 15%. By 2020,
reduce rate of all workplace injuries and illnesses by 20%. By 2020, reduce total number
of fatalities in construction by 3% By 2020, reduce total number of fatalities in general
industry by 2% ,By 2020, reduce total number of fatalities in mining industry by 5%,By
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2020, reduce total number of reportable injuries and illness for all industries by 4%.
Strategic Direction
 Implement volunteer protection program or safety and health awareness reduction
program for all industries and business. Increase collaboration of business partnerships
and alliances with universities, industry trade groups and nonprofits. Offer outreach
assistance through training and education of the workforce and business leadership.
Develop plan to promote systematic approaches to safety and health in workplaces.
Increase health and safety support staff for compliance assistance skills and abilities to
aid business. Strategic Direction
 Implement an emergency preparedness/ readiness and homeland security plan and
assess organizational capability for ground support for natural and man-made disasters.
•Improve the collection and analysis of big data regarding workplace injuries, illness,
and fatalities. Promote a universal safety culture and behavior in all workplaces.
• Increase understanding of safety and health as a core value in business, workplaces and
peoples lives . Provide training and education, and workplace assistance that are
consistent, targeted and support communication strategies. Strategic Direction
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