[SOLVED] OSHA and Safety Considerations

OSHA and Safety Considerations
OVERVIEW
Week 6 helps us develop a broad perspective on the notion of workplace safety. While the traditional view has focused upon the prevention of physical injuries, this perspective has expanded in recent years.
“Safety” at work has taken on a broader meaning that encompasses protection from workplace violence, minimizing physical hazards, and helping to ensure employees’ mental and emotional health.
We will be exploring some of the legal implications of these various dimensions of “safety.” Week 6 provides an overview of current laws, regulations, and reporting requirements governing OSHA and recognizes the various dimensions of workplace safety, the role played by OSHA in enforcing standards for workplace safety, the exponential growth of workplace violence and the potential liability of
employers when incidents occur and identifying positive steps employers and employees can take to enhance workplace safety and stem incidents of workplace violence. Topics include Management response teams, workplace violence policies and OSHA inspections and fines.
LEARNING RESOURCES:
1. OSHA Laws and Regulations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides a Table of Contents for “all things OSHA.” This link takes you to a landing page which functions much like a table of contents. Navigate around the page to gather general information about a specific area that interests you. Or, explore some of the topics in-depth to gather information for a specific assignment you may be working on.
Link: https://www.osha.gov/
2. OSHA Inspection Information
This link describes the OSHA inspection fact sheet.
Link: https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-inspections.pdf
3. OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements
What kind of records and logs must be maintained when injuries occur at work? This link takes you to a landing page which functions much like a table of contents. Navigate around the page to gather general information about a specific area that interests you. Or, explore some of the topics in-depth to gather
information for a specific assignment you may be working on.
Link: https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/index.html
Link: https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/osha/recordkeeping/
4. When Violence Affects the Workplace
This workplace violence website provides information on the extent of violence in the workplace,
assessing the hazards in different settings and developing workplace violence prevention plans for
individual worksites.
Link: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/
5. Whistleblowers Information
OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of more than 20
whistleblower statutes protecting employees from retaliation for reporting violations of various
workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental,
financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public
transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, and tax laws and for engaging in other related
protected activities.
Links: https://www.whistleblowers.gov/
https://www.whistleblowers.gov/whistleblower_acts-desk_reference
Week 6 Discussions
Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SVIpDMk7fk
Discussion Topic #1 – OSHA Complaint
An employee comes to your office and says he wants to anonymously make a complaint to the US
Occupational Safety and Health Act. He doesn’t want his identity known to his supervisor, who told a
group of employees that he would make life difficult for anyone who complained about working
conditions.
Write a professional memo as a member of the HR team to the HR Manager “Morgan” providing the
following guidance:
1. Review and summarize the basic employee right to file a complaint with OSHA.
2. Address the concern whether the employee has a right to file an anonymous OSHA complaint.
3. As an HR professional, address how your boss, the HR Manager Morgan should handle the
complaint about the supervisor’s actions. Be specific.
Use a minimum of two HR/legal references to support your conclusions.
Here are a few links to get you started.
https://www.osha.gov/
https://www.whistleblowers.gov/
https://www.whistleblowers.gov/whistleblower_acts-desk_reference
Discussion Topic #2 — Safety in the Workplace
Situation – Your company believes that “Safety” at work means more than the traditional meaning
regarding physical hazards. Discuss in a short memorandum directed to employees from the
perspective of the HR Manager, how your organization uses OSHA and the laws and regulations to
look beyond just the physical concerns of the employee and to include other aspects of safety in the
workplace. Consider including how the organization is dealing with the current Coronavirus pandemic
and OSHA requirements.
Use a minimum of two HR/legal references to support your conclusions.
Here are some references for you to consider:
https://www.osha.gov/
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/
https://www.whistleblowers.gov/
https://www.whistleblowers.gov/whistleblower_acts-desk_reference