Chapter 12 - Safe, Secure, and Productive Workplaces Flashcards
What are the main issues that the government is concerned with regarding and H&S?
- the identification, evaluation, and control of hazards in the work environment
ex. chemicals, ergonomic, health
What are the goals of H&S legislation? (federal, provincial, and territorial legislation)
- ensure safety and healthy working conditions and provide penalties for violators
- “shared responsibility” for employers and employees
What is WHMIS?
A Canada-wide system designed to give employers and workers information about hazardous materials in the workplace
What are the employer duties of H&S?
- Employers are required to take every reasonable precaution to protect the H&S of their workers
- create and maintain safe and healthy workplace
ex. provide H&S devices, equipment and apparel - constantly alert for potential sources of physical and mental harm in the workplace and correct them.
- conduct inspections
- appoint competent supervisors
- train end educate supervisors and workers
- create health and safety policies and committees.
What are the employee duties of H&S?
- employees have a general duty to follow safety practices and procedures, comply with health and safety practices.
Why should organizations care about H&S?
They have a legal/ethical/moral duty to provide a safe and healthy working environment
What happened in the metron construction case?
- scaffolding collapsed resulting in the death of 4 workers
- there were not enough safety tethers available and only one employee was connected safely.
- the site manager was sentenced to 3 and 1/2 years for criminal negligence causing death
What are the rights of every employee with regard to H&S?
- right to refuse dangerous work without penalty
- right to know about hazards in the workplace
- right to participate in identifying and correcting problems
How are H&S laws enforced?
Employers failing to comply with H&S legislation can be:
- held criminally responsible for negligence causing harm
- have legal action taken against them in civil suits
- lose the ability to conduct business.
What does an effective internal responsibility system include?
1) Safety first and safety always
2) Safety is everyone’s responsibility
3) Safe work is efficient work
What are some psychosocial hazards contributing to workplace stress?
Challenge stressors: job demands act as challenges to be overcome
- increasing workload
- time constraints
- job scope
- increasing level of responsibility
Hindrace stressors: stressors that hinder one’s ability to meet goals
- organizational politics
- job insecurity
- role stressors
- lack of training
- workplace agression
What are some consequences of a stressful work environment?
- stressed out and burned out employees
- mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety
- employees who work in an unsafe environment are 2-3 times more likely to develop mental illnesses
What are some interventions that can be put in place to reduce work place stress?
- clear org structures and processes
- selection training, and staff development appropriate to employees’ skills, knowledge,
and abilities - positive social work environment
- employee assistance programs
How common is workplace aggression?
- 19% of women and 13% of men report experienced harassment
- 13% women and 10% men reported verbal abuse
- 4% women and less than 1% men reported sexual harassment
- most common harassment for women, customers at 54%
- most common for men, supervisor 39%
What are the four types of workplace aggression?
Type 1: no legitimate relationship (ex. random robbery)
Type 2: legitimate relationship (ex. customer aggression)
Type 3: assailant is current or former employee
Type 4: assailant has ongoing or previous relationship with an individual employee (ex. domestic violence spilling into the workplace)
