Occupational Health and Safety in McDonald's: An Investigative Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of occupational health and safety (OHS) practices at McDonald's, specifically focusing on its operations in Darwin. The report begins with an introduction to OHS and its importance, followed by an overview of McDonald's as a global fast-food chain. It then delves into the responsibilities of employees and management regarding OHS, emphasizing the role of HR in developing and enforcing safety policies. The report identifies various workplace hazards, including safety, biological, and physical hazards, and provides a checklist based on OSHA standards. It further discusses the significance of work health and safety auditing, outlining the characteristics of an effective management system audit. The report assesses McDonald's current OHS practices, highlighting both strengths and areas needing improvement, such as workplace cleanliness and emergency exits. Finally, it proposes strategies to enhance OHS, including education and training, advisory services, and awareness programs, while considering factors like time management, resource allocation, and cost. The report concludes with recommendations for implementing these strategies, emphasizing the need for effective control and coordination to ensure a safer working environment.

INVESTIGATIVE
REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Occupational health and safety can be refereed as multidisciplinary field related with proper
health, safety and welfare of individuals at workplace. Therefore, it is the duty of employers to
assure sound health and safeguarding from various risk of its employees. The purpose of the
occupational health and safety is to encourage a safe and healthy work environment. With this
aspect, proper measures must be taken by entity to protect co-workers, employees, customers etc.
who may be impacted by workplace surroundings. The employees are the key assets of every
organization so proper consideration must be given on their sound health and safety. In this report,
various aspects of occupational health and safety will be taken into consideration. In order to
enhance the study, Mc Donald is selected. It is the world largest food retail outlet. In this report the
discussion has been made on the health and safety related to employees who are working in the Mc
Donald in the Darwin.
1.
McDonald is the world largest fast food restaurant chains, it serving approximately 68
millions customers daily in 119 countries across approximately 36,615 outlets. It primarily sells
hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, wraps, breakfast items, soft drinks,
milkshakes and dessert (Frieden, 2013). Cited venture is famous by its high quality and delicious
food. It have 420000 numbers of employees who is continuously giving their best contribution in
order to deliver an excellent quality services to its potential customers.
Employees have responsibilities for occupational health a d safety. Not only organisation is liable
for provide protection to workforce but also personnels obligated to take reasonable care for their
own health and safety. According to the section 25 or duties of employees 2004 act, personnels are
responsible to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others who may affected by their acts
or omissions. They are responsible to take reasonable care for their own health and safety. In
addition to this, employees can not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything
provided at the workplace for OHS. As per this mentioned act an employees who works in the
McDonald are responsible to care of people who are working with them at workplace.
Management of McDonald is also responsible to take care of personnels health and safety. In order
to provide health and safety to personnels, HR management play very crucial role in the Mc Donald
(Guzman and et.al., 2015). The concept of internal responsibility recognise the workplace parties
themselves including management, workers, health and safety committees and unions. In the cited
organisation, HR can also help by supporting and having membership in the health and safety
committees, communicating to personnels the organisations' commitment to occupational health

and safety and training manager and employees on safe work practices. HR department of cited
venture has role to play in developing and enforcing policies, training, overseeing the functioning
of the health and safety committees, communication and regulatory reporting. Further more there
are various areas where health and safety should considered by the HR management. These
includes workplace harassment, and bullying, attendance management, disability management,
worker's compensation clams, return to work programs, job design, wellness initiatives etc. The
Canada labour code occupational health and safety is intended to assist prevent accidents and
injury in the course of employment.
2.
Hazards exist in every workplace and by effective identification of hazard, employees will
be better prepared to control or eliminate them and prevent accidents, injuries, property damage and
downtimes. In the context of McDonald its employees should take care from various hazard which
are as follows-
 Safety Hazards-In the McDonald safety hazards are unsafe working condition that can cause
injury, illness and death. This hazard re most common at workplace. In this includes
working from height, ladders, scaffolds, roofs or any raised work area.
 Biological hazards- Biological hazards are related to exposure to harm or disease associated
with working with animals, people or infections plants materials. For example plants,
bacteria, fungi, blood and other body fluids etc (R., Bluff and Clayton, 2012.). Physical hazards- This is a different type of hazard which can be nay factor within the
environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. It includes, high level
temperatures, sunlight, microwaves, hot and cold temperature.
A laboratory safety checklist
All personnels in the country engaged in commerce are covered by occupational safety and health
act. It means all employers and employer must follow certain safety related regulations set forth by
OSHA. By use of this laboratory checklist, McDonald employees safety regulation and arrangement
are as follows-
Do Mc Donald walking
and working surfaces
meet these requirement
OSHA Section Yes No
1. Working areas,
passageways,
storerooms, service
rooms in clean, orderly
and sanitary condition
1910.22a1 
2. Workroom floors 1910.22a2 

clean and dry.Drainage
maintained and dry
standing places
provided.
3. Floors free from
protruding nails,
splinters, holes and
loose boards
1910.22a3 
4 Sufficient exits for
leaving in case of fire
or other 1910.36b1
emergency, with
alternate escape means
provided

5 Fire alarms provided
where necessary.

3.
Work health and safety auditing is systematic, ongoing and periodic review of the whole
occupational health a d safety management system. It includes the policies and programs which
promotes work health a d safety and prevent workplace accidents incidents and work related illness.
In other word it can be said that audit are conducted to determine the effectiveness of management
system and to identify the strength and opportunity for the improvement in the health and safety of
employees at workplace.
Management system audit- This is very important audit in order to implement health and safety
policies and procedure in the organisation. It have a wider scope and although addressing hazards
and risk control. It includes workplace structure, planning activities, responsibilities, implemented
procedures, review cycles and measurement and evaluation issues. (Karjalainen, Blencowe and
Lillsunde, 2012) Generally occupational health and safety management system has some of
following characteristics-
 Management should communicate about health a d safety policies to all staff members.
 Management should properly conduct the allotment of responsibility and accountability
related to health a d safety matters.
 Management should control for suppliers, sub contractors and purchasing.
 Management should measuring and evaluating work health and safety performance.
4.
As per the above discussion it has been ascertained that Mc Donald have conducted an

effective management system audit through which entire process of organisation such as workplace
structure, planning activities, responsibilities, implemented procedures, review cycles and
measurement and evaluation issues has effectively analysed in order to provide an effective health a
d safety to employees and staff member (Kondo, South and Branas, 2015). As per the survey of Mc
Donald it has been founded that cited venture effectively consider on the health a d safety policies
and practices. But in some area it has unable to build appropriate arrangement for employees safety
and protection. For example, Mc Donald has lacked of Workroom floors clean and dry. Drainage
maintained and dry standing places provided. On the other hand, corporation has not Sufficient exits
for leaving in case of fire or other emergency, with alternate escape means provided. In addition to
this, in the restaurant of Mc Donald it has unable to develop a proper arrangement of fire alarm.
So it can be said that in order to provide effective health and safety, McDonald is still lacking in
some areas. In order to improve occupational health and safety,McDonald should consider on the
various strategies. These strategies are as follows-
 Education and training- This is the best strategy through which corporation can train its
employees for using workplace equipment and instruments. Management should provide a
systematic and proper education to workers so as they can safety conduct their working at
workplace. For example, McDonald should provide the training of cooking or use the
equipments of cooking.
 Advisory services- organisation should provide proper advise to workers and employees
about their working instruments and equipment. In order to provide health and safety
corporation can render them a proper advise services so s they can safely conduct their work
at workplace (Lowes and Hulatt, 2013).
 Legislation and regulation- The occupational health and safety act and its regulations
establish the legal requirements for occupational health a d safety in workplace under
provincial jurisdiction.
 Awareness- This is most effective strategy through which employees and staff members of
McDonald can escape from any hazard at workplace. If employees arise their awareness of
using tools and equipment at workplace then they will able to escape from harmful hazards.
5.
Following aspects may largely affect to the McDonald 's occupational health and safety. Workplace communication- Communication is very important procedure at workplace by
this management transfer information about policies and practices to employee.
Occupational health and safety should communicate by management to employees. In this

context organisation can use tool box meeting, notice board etc. By conducting team
meeting and use of notice board management can transfer the strategy and ways to improve
occupational health a d safety at workplace (Martin, Lippitt and Prothero, 2013). Workplace culture-Culture may largely affect to the occupational health and safety. Culture
includes entire process of management system which carried out value, beliefs, interaction
etc of employees and staff members. If culture are appropriate and well managed then
automatically employees will conduct their activities and performance in an effective
manner.
 Workplace procedures- Workplace procedure mean the entire process of management such
as production, distribution, customer management etc. This play a crucial role in order to
provide safety and protection to staff members.
6.
As per the above discussion it has been ascertained that there are various strategies which
support in providing health and safety to employees in the Mc Donald. By use of this mentioned
strategies, Mc Donald can develop an effective occupational safety and protected environment.
These mentioned strategies can be implemented and consider of following factors-
 Time management - By use of the occupational and safety strategies such as training and
development, advisory service and awareness, corporation employees can improve their
security and safety related to workplace working.(Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013.) In use
of this strategy, time management factor has largely affected because if employees uses
programs to conduct occupational safety then organisation time management can affect.
 Resources allocation- In order to implement the health and safety strategy in the McDonald,
corporation needs to allocate various resources such as time, money and equipments. These
resources may affect the financial condition of corporation.
 Cost- I order to organise training a d development program, advisory services , cited
organisation have to spend lots of capital (McKitterick, 2012). This may be huge barrier for
company in order to implement occupational health a d safety strategies.
7.
As per the above discussion it has been ascertained that Mc Donald can follow various
strategies in order to implement occupational health a d safety. In order to implement these strategy
corporation have to develop effective control and coordination among the activities and function of
management. In this order, corporation can use the regular checking activity. Through this activity,
management can ensure that control measures actually work or not in the organisation. By use of

regular checking, management can make necessary changes at the workplace.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that, occupational health and safety is very
important in every organisation which provide a safe and secure working environment. Corporation
should adopted various effective legislation and practices of health and safety so as its employees
can manage their work in safe and secure manner. It has been concluded that employees are
responsible to take reasonable care for their own health and safety. In addition to this, employees
can not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided at the workplace for
OHS. It has been concluded that organisation should develop strategies to improve occupational
health a d safety of workplace such as awareness, training a d development, advisory services etc.

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