Exploring the Interconnected Approach to Workplace Health and Safety

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of Total Workplace Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (TWSH), contrasting traditional approaches focused on basic workplace safety with modern concepts emphasizing employee wellbeing and an interconnected approach. It highlights the importance of work-life balance and quality work life, referencing definitions from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. The essay also discusses the implementation of TWSH in different industries such as construction and manufacturing, emphasizing the need for effective training, proper equipment, and adherence to organizational policies. It concludes by raising key questions about the importance of TWSH, the consequences of neglecting it, and the factors influencing its implementation, supported by various academic references.

Total Workplace
Health, Safety
and Wellbeing:
An
Interconnected
Approach

Traditional
Concept
2

“
Traditional Approach of the workplace health and
safety was focused on ensuring that the
workplace is safe for the employees and the
employees working within the organisation are
protected from the harms that may arise while
working within the organisation (Carayon, et al.,
2015)
3

Traditional
Approach
Traditionally the concept of employee health and safety was
limited up to
• Maintaining the safety of the workplace.
• Ensuring that the Government rules and regulations are
being followed within the workplace that guides the
safety and health of employees (Jonathan & Mbogo,
2016).
4
Explain the
issues
within the
organisatio
n
Protect
Employee
from any
Physical
Harm
Identify
Physical
Factors

TSH Modern
Concept 5

TSH focuses on shifting the employer mindset of
providing the employees with safe and healthy workplace
towards ensuring that the employees are working safely
and their health and safety needs are being fulfilled while
working within the organisation.
Total
Workplace
Health,
Safety and
Wellbeing
Work-Life Balance
Total Health and safety also
contribute towards maintaining the
work-life stress along with ensuring
the physical wellbeing of the
employees (Hammer & Sauter,
2013)
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Quality Work life
Total workplace safety, health and
wellbeing, also focuses on providing
the employees with Quality Work
Life (Jilcha & Kitaw, 2017)

Total
Workplace
Health,
Safety and
Wellbeing
World Health
Organisation (WHO)
World Health Organisation
(WHO) defines a safe
workplace as a workplace
that ensures that the
employees working within
are in a state of complete
mental, physical and social
wellbeing, not a workplace
that is just focused on
eliminating the factors that
led to physical harms to the
employees while working
within the organisation (EL-
Matury & Lestari, 2016)
European Agency for
Safety and Health at
Work
The active engagement of
the management within the
workplace safety motivates
the employees to work
effectively within the
organisation and to achieve
the organisational goals
and objectives (European
Agency for Safety and
Health at Work, 2012)
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TWSH Implementation
Source: (WSH Council, 2014)
8
Identify
Issues and
Concern
Prioritize and
Strategize
Implement
Interventions
Monitor and
Review
Set Up Team

Workplace
Health and
Safety
Measures at
Different
Workplaces
Construction Industry
Construction industry is
considered as an industry that
contains high risk involved.
▪ The employees working
within the industry are
trained effectively.
▪ The workers are being
provided with the effective
and required gears for
material handling and for
protecting themselves form
any mis-haps, such as
providing them with masks
and helmets (Hughes &
Ferrett, 2011).
Manufacturing Industry
Within the manufacturing
industry, the employees are
required to operate heavy
machineries and handling of the
finished goods in the warehouse
of the organisation.
The employees are being
provided with the effective
training sessions that ensures
that the employees can
effectively operate the machinery
The management should ensure
that the employees are working
as per the organisational policies
so that the health, safety and
wellbeing can be ensured at the
workplace (Yee & AL-Rejal, 2016).
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Questions?
Is TWSH really
important for
organisations?
What if the
management of the
organisation does not
focus on adopting
modern TSH approach?
How the management
can ensure the
satisfaction level of
employees by
implementing TSH
within the organisation?
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What are the factors
that influence the
implementation of TSH
within organisation?
Who plays an important
role in implementation
of TSH within
organisation?
Does TSH focus only on
organisational internal
factors or does it
include external factors
too?

References ▪ Carayon, P. et al., 2015. Advancing a sociotechnical
systems approach to workplace safety – developing
the conceptual framework. Ergonomics, 58(4), pp. 548-
564.
▪ EL- Matury, H. J. & Lestari, F., 2016. Total Workplace
Safety and Health (TWSH) to Preserved and Maintain
Workers’ Safety, Health, and Wellbeing: A Literature
Review. In: I. H. Susilowati, ed. The 1st International
Conference on Global Health. Indonesia: Faculty of
Public Health Universitas Indonesia, pp. 473-480.
▪ European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2012.
Management Leadership in Occupational Safety and
Health. [Online]
Available at:
https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/management-
leadership-occupational-safety-and-health-practical-
guide 11

References ▪ Hammer, L. B. & Sauter, S., 2013. Total Worker Health
and Work–Life Stress. Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine, 55(12), pp. 25-29.
▪ Hughes, P. & Ferrett, E., 2011. Introduction to Health
and Safety in Construction. 4th ed. New York:
Routledge.
▪ Jilcha, K. & Kitaw, D., 2017. Industrial occupational
safety and health innovation for sustainable
development. Engineering Science and Technology, an
International Journal, 20(1), pp. 372-380.
▪ Jonathan, G. K. & Mbogo, R. W., 2016. Maintaining
Health and Safety at Workplace: Employee and
Employer’s Role in Ensuring a Safe Working
Environment. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(29),
pp. 1-7.
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