HR Management & Compliance

HR Managers Becoming Safety Managers Too … And What to Do if That Describes You


With budgets shrinking, many HR managers are being asked to also handle workplace safety. Here are some tips (and a BLR book + CD program) to help you do it easier and better.


Yesterday’s Daily Advisor reported that some employers are allowing, or even encouraging, employees to use iPod-like devices at work. A little music, the reasoning goes, makes the job go easier. And if the output from those earphones is training material or company information, that’s even better.


Those benefits go away quickly, however, if those same phones block out the sound of a fast-approaching vehicle or an emergency alarm. Then, an iPod becomes a safety hazard.


Safety is a word that hasn’t much crept into the HR lexicon. After all, many of us oversee office workers far from the flying sparks, grinding machinery, and poisonous chemicals in many industrial settings.



Is safety part of your job? Then you’ll benefit from BLR’s new Managing Safety from the HR Desk. Click for full information or to order.



But think about it. Does your office have electrical outlets, carpeting that can fray and cause a fall, blocked aisles, or poorly designed workstations that stress the body and mind? Then safety is part of your world, too.


That means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is, too. Its jurisdiction is all business, and its inspectors go where the accidents are. Slips, trips, and falls and ergonomic injuries, as two examples, are perpetually on OSHA’s list of top safety mishaps.


Knowing that OSHA hovers over all business, but having no money for a stand-alone safety professional, senior management now often tasks the HR manager with setting up and running a safety program. Here are some hints for doing so from BLR’s new book and CD program, Managing Safety from the HR Desk, created especially for HR managers with safety responsibilities:


–Know the Law. OSHA regulations are voluminous, but a lot are industry-specific, so what’s relevant to you is likely limited. Get a good plain-English guidebook (Managing Safety from the HR Desk does nicely.), start with the General Duty Clause, and work through till you find what you need to do in posting requirements, training, and recordkeeping, and also what to do if OSHA comes to call. Be aware of state regulations, too. In 25 states, plus Puerto Rico, they trump the national standards. (The BLR book outlines all the state differences from the federal.)



BLR’s Managing Safety from the HR Desk makes OSHA understandable. Click here to learn more.



–Identify Hazards. The centerpiece of a safety program is finding hazards and remedying them before an accident happens. While we haven’t room to include the many checklists in Managing Safety from the HR Desk, some general principles are (1) watch the processes of your workplace in action;(2) check them often (some hazardous behaviors appear sporadically); (3) check your accident and workers’ comp records for patterns; and (4) use government and industry group statistics that pinpoint specific problem areas.


–Share the Load. If you’ve got safety as a “second job,” you’ll need to push back some of the responsibility. Convince senior management to back you to the hilt (reminding them of the fines and lawsuits others have suffered from safety violations and the fact that workers’ comp offers no defense against negligence makes for a good first step). Then get line managers and supervisors to take an active hand in watching for, training on, and eliminating safety hazards in their areas. In some companies, department heads walk through each other’s areas to provide a second opinion and a fresh perspective.


–Motivate Workers! Safety can be motivated the same as any other behavior. Managing Safety from the HR Desk suggests using incentive plans first (don’t make them too generous or accidents simply won’t be reported), discipline, second. And don’t hesitate to involve workers. Form a safety committee with both management and employee members. Everyone profits from safety. That shared understanding may be your best ally in building a program.


If you’d like to know more of what this very useful reference includes, click on the link below. You’ll find this book and CD program quite modestly priced ($199) and delivered, as with all BLR products, with satisfaction assured. It’s a safe bet.



Do HR and Safety Go Together?
You bet they do! In more and more firms, the HR manager is being charged with office or workplace safety. If that’s you, the resource you need is BLR’s unique and highly affordable book and CD program Managing Safety from the HR Desk. Read more.



Print

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *