Sample Responses to worker
Hi all,
What will you do in situations where workers are expecting you to act and its not within your control to act?And workers are trying to test or see how you will manage the situation.
Please what will be sample of response to worker.
Worker notified a health and safety (HS) personnel about a safety related concern. HS asked worker have you informed your Supervisor, worker replies yes. HS follows up with the workers supervisor. The issue has not yet been fixed. Worker askes HS few days or weeks after about the fact that the challenge is still there and worker is expecting HS should be able to intervene for this situation to be fixed but its not happening as fast as the worker expects; what will be sampled responses to the worker?
•Situation 1- The item will cost significant amount of
money
• Situation 2-The concern will no cost money but
Supervisors needs his superior’s approval to fix it.
•Situation 3- The situation involves change in culture.
Some workers not complying to organisations safety
regulations (PPE violation) and are not penalised, so
reporting worker is asking for your intervention.
• Situation 4- The concern requires that particular
activity to be stopped until fixed, but for production to
continue Supervisor insists they should just manage it
and worker is saying like ( Hey Safety officer , are you
going to allow this continue?)
• Situation 5- Worker mentions when employee A was
involved in an unsafe act, he was not disciplined, now
worker B violated in the same exact manner and
management punished him?
Thanks
Comments (5)
Honestly, if any of these were a consistent problem, I would be looking for a new job.
1: It depends on the risk. If it's a relatively low risk, high cost thing...maybe it is what it is.
2: Why doesn't this happen within a day or two?
3: What does your organization's leadership say when you bring this up?
4: Is it manageable? If not, when are they going to fix it?
5: Same as 3.
I'm lucky enough to have never really have had to make excuses for my company when it comes to how it treats its workers. I don't think I'd be very good at it.
First Tim is spot on! I could not agree more. If anyone of these are consistent problems I would get my resume out immediately. You do not want your name associated with an organization like this!
As regards to your situations:
#1 It is all about risk vs cost! Example, to guard a dangerous machine it will cost $20,000 to put light curtain guarding on the machine. What is the cost of an arm, hand, or fingers? What are the indirect costs for such an injury (overtime, hiring other employees, employee moral). What does an OSHA Serious Violation Cost (>$15,000, if repeat up to X10). Increased Workers Comp Cot if you carry insurance.
#2 Your company either sees safety as a mission or value. Might be management approval on any expense, but with H&S items should be easy decisions and happen quickly!
#3 You answered your own question! Policies, Procedures, Safety Rules, and OSHA Standards must be enforced consistently and uniformly!
#4 When I saw an unsafe machine I LOCKED IT OUT! OSHA 1910.147 requires employees to lockout machines before they put themselves at risk! Your own LOCKOUT POLICY must say that! You just cannot cannot allow an unsafe condition to exist!
#5 See #3!!!!
I am not sure where you are located! Employees just do not tolerate unsafe conditions like they did in the "old days" there are laws and organizations to enforce those laws, like government organizations and unions! In the USA all an employee has to do is go look at a employee bulletin board and the "OSHA Poster" must be posted! Clearly on the poster is OSHA's phone number. The poster encourages employees to make the call if they feel unsafe! If you are in Canada I would be shocked if you did not have something like an "OSHA Poster" and a requirement to have it up so your employees can see it!