HRM health and safety on workplace

Introduction The key to employee productivity is to keep them motivated. Employees can remain motivated if  they feel safe and healthy at their their workplace. This says a lot about the importance of workplace safety. Workplace safety is immensely important for the very reason of improved productivity. It is only when the employees feel safe at work that they can invest the fullest of their capacities and exploit the best of their potentials to work. Workplace safety is the managements responsibility. It involves the formation and implementation of safety and health programs. Employee insurance schemes and employee safety policies help cover the risk an employee might suffer at work. Jobs, which put the safety of their employees on stake, should also provide the employees with the safety costs. Workplace safety and health involves training programs that are meant to teach the employees to handle risks. The employees need to be trained to react to impending dangers, if any; they should be trained to face risks and deal with accidents at work. It is important for the management of a company to heed the safety needs of its employees through risk covers as well as training programs intended to minimize the cost of risks. The management should ensure the health and safety of the employees by the means of safety education programs. The importance of office safety can be promoted through the formation of a safety committee that is assigned the responsibility to employee safety. Safety committees are helpful in increasing employee involvement. Violence at workplace gives rise to serious issues pertaining to office safety. Acts of violence eclipse the atmosphere in the organization and can leave a permanent scar on the companys image. Violence at the workplace is sure to lead to frustrated employees in turn leading to a decline in their productivity. The management should implement strict measures to prevent acts of violence at work. It should implement policies that safeguard the employees against harassment, torture or ill-treatment from other employees. Safety and health is important at a workplace also because human resource is the most important resource of an organization. Safety at a workplace, also known as office safety refers to the safety of this valuable resource of an organization. Satisfied employees can earn for a company what money cant buy. I am sure, you will agree with me, that human life is priceless. It cannot be replaced by monetary compensations. An employer might be able to replace an employee by another. But, what about the employees dedication towards work? What about the expertise he/she has invested towards his/her work? Can they be replaced? Definitely not! This makes it extremely important for an employer to cater to workplace safety, and moreover, to the lives of  the employees. Dont you think so? 1

I Safety programs Today, it has become clear that optimal health can generally be achieved through environmental safety, organizational changes and various lifestyles. 1.1 developing safety programs  Organizational safety programs require planning for

prevention of workplace accidents. Plans may be relatively simple or more complex and highly sophisticated in order to fit the organizations size. Top managements support is essential if  safety programs are to be effective. Tremendous economic losses can result from accidents. Developing workplace health and safety programs, prepare plans of action to prevent accidents or occupational diseases, and to conduct investigations as some of the many ways to meet and achieve good health and safety standards in the workplace. An effective workplace safety program comes from the top down. Management must believe in the program, emphasize safe practices and set a good example. Employees must help create the program and take ownership for safety and the safety of co-workers in ways such as participating in an employee safety team. Employees must learn how to identify risks in their jobs. A workplace safety program will teach employees to assess workplace operations, focusing on the connections between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment and how they can be improved. Here examples of safety programs: Accident Prevention Program (APP), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).etc. Job hazard analysis: the main goal of safety and health professionals is to prevent job-related

injuries and illnesses The Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act, Title III (SARA): SARA requires businesses to

communicate more openly about the hazards associated with the materials they use and produce and the wastes they generate. Employee involvement: one way to strengthen a safety program is to include employee input,

which provides workers with a sense of accomplishment. 1.2 Accident investigation The term "accident" can be defined as an unplanned event that

interrupts the completion of an activity, and that may (or may not) include injury or property damage. An incident usually refers to an unexpected event that did not cause injury or damage 2

this time but had the potential. "Near miss" or "dangerous occurrence" are also terms for an event that could have caused harm but did not. Accidents can happen even in the most safetyconscious firms. Each accident, whether or not it results in an injury, should be carefully evaluated to determine its cause and to ensure that it doesnt recur. When accidents are investigated, the emphasis should be concentrated on finding the root cause of the accident rather than the investigation procedure itself so you can prevent it from happening again. The purpose is to find facts that can lead to actions, not to find fault. Always look for deeper causes. Do not simply record the steps of the event. Reasons to investigate a workplace accident include: most importantly, to find out the cause of accidents and to prevent similar accidents in the future, to fulfill any legal requirements, to determine the cost of an accident, to de termine compliance with applicable safety regulations, to process workers' compensation claims Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected. The same principles apply to a quick inquiry of a minor incident and to the more formal investigation of a serious event. The safety engineer and the line manager jointly investigate accidents  why , how, and where they occur and who is involved. Main causes that can create accidents at workplace are: change occurrences, unsafe working conditions, unsafe acts by employees, physical conditions, defective equipment, inadequate machine guards, lack of protective equipment, environmental conditions, noise, dust, fumes, stress, unsafe be haviors. 1.2.1 Steps involved in investigating an accident y

The accident investigation process involves the following steps:

y

Report the accident occurrence to a designated person within the organization

y

Provide first aid and medical care to injured person(s) and prevent further injuries or damage

y

Investigate the accident

y

Identify the causes

y

Report the findings

y

Develop a plan for corrective action

y

Implement the plan

y

Evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action

y

Make changes for continuous improvement 3

As little time as possible should be lost between the moment of an accident or near miss and the beginning of the investigation. In this way, one is most likely to be able to observe the conditions as they were at the time, prevent disturbance of evidence, and identify witnesses. The tools that members of the investigating team may need (pencil, paper, camera, film, camera flash, tape measure, etc.) should be immediately available so that no time is wasted. 1.2.2. What should be looked at as the cause of an accident? Accident Causation Models Many models of accident causation have been proposed, ranging

from Heinrich's domino theory to the sophisticated Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT). The simple model shown in Figure1.2.2 in appendix AA attempts to illustrate that the causes of any accident can be grouped into five categories - task, material, environment, personnel, and management. When this model is used, possible causes in each category should be investigated. Each category is examined more closely below. Remember that these are sample questions only: no attempt has been made to develop a comprehensive checklist. T ask 

Here the actual work procedure being used at the time of the accident is explored.

Members of the accident investigation team will look for answers to questions such as: y

Was a safe work procedure used?

y

Had conditions changed to make the normal procedure unsafe?

y

Were the appropriate tools and materials available?

y

Were they used?

y

Were safety devices working properly?

y

Was lockout used when necessary?

For most of these questions, an important follow -up question is "If not, why not?" Material  To seek out possible causes resulting from the equipment and materials used,

investigators might ask: y

Was there an equipment failure?

y

What caused it to fail?

y

Was the machinery poorly designed?

y

Were hazardous substances involved?

y

Were they clearly identified?

y

Was a less hazardous alternative substance possible and available?

y

Was the raw material substandard in some way? 4

y

Should personal protective equipment (PPE) have been used?

y

Was the PPE used?

y

Were users of PPE properly trained?

Again, each time the answer reveals an unsafe condition, the investigator must ask why this situation was allowed to exist. E nvironment 

y

The physical environment, and especially sudden changes to that environment, are factors that need to be identified. The situation at the time of the accident is what is important, not what the "usual" conditions were. For example, accident investigators may want to know:

y

What were the weather conditions?

y

Was poor housekeeping a problem?

y

Was it too hot or too cold?

y

Was noise a problem?

y

Was there adequate light?

y

Were toxic or hazardous gases, dusts, or fumes present?

P ersonnel  The

physical and mental condition of those individuals directly involved in the event

must be explored. The purpose for investigating the accident is not to establish blame against someone but the inquiry will not be complete unless personal characteristics are considered. Some factors will remain essentially constant while others may vary from day to day: y

Were workers experienced in the work being done?

y

Had they been adequately trained?

y

Can they physically do the work?

y

What was the status of their health?

y

Were they tired?

y

Were they under stress (work or personal)?

Management  Management holds the legal responsibility for the safety of the workplace and

therefore the role of supervisors and higher management and the role or presence of  management systems must always be considered in an accident investigation. Failures of  5

management systems are often found to be direct or indirect factors in accidents. Ask questions such as: y

Were safety rules communicated to and understood by all employees?

y

Were written procedures and orientation available?

y

Were they being enforced?

y

Was there adequate supervision?

y

Were workers trained to do the work?

y

Had hazards been previously identified?

y

Had procedures been developed to overcome them?

y

Were unsafe conditions corrected?

y

Was regular maintenance of equipment carried out?

y

Were regular safety inspections carried out?

This model of accident investigations provides a guide for uncovering all possible causes and reduces the likelihood of looking at facts in isolation. Some investigators may prefer to place some of the sample questions in different categories; however, the categories are not important, as long as each pertinent question is asked. Obviously there is considerable overlap between categories; this reflects the situation in real life. Again it should be emphasized that the above sample questions do not make up a complete checklist, but are examples only. 1.3 Evaluation of safety programs  In order to judge the worth of any safety program, it is

necessary to determine whether the program has worked. Evaluation can tell us whether or not the program was delivered and received in the planned and expected manner. It can tell us whether or not there were any effects on the knowledge attitudes and skills of the target population, and also can assess any changes in injury hazards, unsafe environments, or relevant policies. Finally, and importantly, evaluation can tell us whether there was a reduction in injury. There are essentially two ways a safety program for reducing injury may be judged as successful. If evaluation shows a reduction in injury associated with the program, then clearly, the safety program is successful. However, evaluation is also seen as successful if it demonstrates that an apparently promising program does not reduce injury. Such a demonstration saves other groups from wasting their time and valuable resources in implementing a non-effective program. Clearly, if a program does not have injury reduction as a measurable goal or outcome, but meets its targets for reduction in risk factors for injury, it 6

would also be judged as successful. Perhaps the best indicator that a safety program is succeeding is a reduction in the frequency and severity of injuries and illnesses. 1.4 Rationale for safety and health trends Firms are spending an increasing amount of money

on safety. Reasons include: (1) profitability  employees can produce only while they are on the job, (2) employee relations  firms with good safety records can attract and retain good employees, (3) reduced liability  an effective safety program can reduce corporate and executive liability, (4) marketing  a good safety record may well provide companies with a competitive edge, and (5) productivity  an effective safety program may boots morale and productivity while simultaneously reducing rising costs. 1.5 Ways to manage Safe and healthy environment in organizations

To cope with physical hazards and other hazards such as stress, unsafe behavior, and poor health habits, employers often design comprehensive safety and health programs. Among these are safety programs, employee assistance programs, and wellness programs. 1.5.1 Safety programs A safe working environment does not just happen; it has to be created.

The organizations with the best reputations for safety have developed well-planed and thorough safety programs. 1.5.2 Employee assistance program (EAPs) EAPs are programs designed to help employees

whose job performance is suffering because of physical, mental, or emotional problems. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are employee benefit programs offered by many employers, typically in conjunction with a health insurance plan. EAPs are intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and well-being. EAPs generally include assessment, short-term counseling and referral services for employees and their household members. Employees and their household members may use EAPs to help manage issues that could adversely impact their work and personal lives. EAP counselors typically provide assessment, suppo rt, and if needed, referrals to additional resources. These programs are becoming increasingly more common in today's worksites, and as the field grows, the responsibilities of employee assistance professionals are expanding as well. The issues for which EAPs provide support vary, but examples include: substance abuse, safe working environment, emotional distress, major life events, including births, accidents and deaths, health care concerns, financial or legal concerns, family/personal 7

relationship issues, work relationship issues concerns about aging parents. Some studies indicate that offering EAPs may result in various benefits for employers, including lower medical costs, reduced turnover and absenteeism, and higher employee productivity and morale. There is some dispute as to whether such studies are impartial and scientifically valid, particularly those studies performed by the EAP providers themselves. EAPs may also provide other services to employers, such as supervisory consultations, support to tr oubled work teams, training and education programs, and critical incident services. 1.5.3 Wellness programs As health care costs have skyrocketed over the last two decades,

organizations have become more interested in preventative programs. A complete wellness program has three components: y

It helps employees identify potential health risks through screening and testing.

y

It educates employees about health risks such as high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet, and stress.

y

It encourages employees to change their lifestyles through exercise, good nutrition, and health monitoring.

Having a Employee Wellness program in place can boost morale, improve health and fitness and increase productivity in the workplace. By starting healthful consuming habits, exercise and offering incentives, your workers will not only sign up for the Employee Wellness progra m, but they will stick with it. Does your corporation have an onsite fitness club that employees have access to? If not, offering free or discounted fitness club mem berships to a local fitness club may be an effective method for getting employees to exercise. Whether the fitness club is on or off-site however, authorizing employees to use the facility during work hours, such as on their lunch break, will increase the likelihood that they'll exercise. Rewarding employees' achievements is another way to keep them excited and living a healthful lifestyle. Establishing corporation objectives like collectively walking a certain number of miles, supports team building. Offering incentives like gift cards, certificates of achievement, and even a day off work could be effective ways to keep participation levels up. Since there will likely be less sick days being used due to disease, your corporation could be able to afford to o ffer a day off pass as an incentive. These incentives do not have to be expensive, just valuable to the worker. Providing a healthy lunch once a week for employees participating in the corporate health plan, is a great way to promote healthy consuming. Offering an incentive of healthy, scrumptious, free food is 8

one way to reward employees for their efforts while supporting their new healthy lifestyle. Having a Employee Wellness program in place will provide long term benefits to both the corporation and the workers. This is one corporate plan that is certainly worth your time and money! Employee Wellness programs have been shown to reduce absenteeism, staff member turnover rates, and healthcare costs. It's a key piece of a organization's success. the results of  these programs lead to higher productivity, which in the end leads to a more profitable company. 1.5.4 Smoking in the workplace Numerous studies have concluded that workplace smoking not

only is hazardous to employees health, but also is detrimental to the firms financial health. Increased costs of insurance premiums, higher absenteeism, and lost productivity cost huge amount a year. These factors, along with rising opposition from nonsmokers and widespread local and state laws, have spurred many firms into action, and the trend continues. 1.6 effective safety programs share the following features:

1) They include the formation of safety committee and participation by all departments within the company. Employees participate in safety decision and management carefully considers employee suggestions for improving safety. 2) They communicate safety with a multimedia approach that includes safety lectures, films, posters, pamphlets, and computer presentations. 3) They use incentives, rewards, and positive reinforcement to encourage safe behavior. 4) They communicate safety rules and enforce them. 5) They use safety directors and/or the safe committee to engage in regular self-inspection and accident research to identify potentially dangerous situations, and to understand why accidents occur and how to correct them. 1.7 Benefits of a Safe and Healthy workforce y

More productivity

y

Increased efficiency and quality

y

Reduced medical and insurance costs

y

Lower

workers compensation rates and payments

Greater workforce flexibility 9

1.8 The HRM department and employee Safety and Health

HRM department can help organizations and employers by performing tasks like: y

Develop safety and health programs.

y

Select safety and health programs.

y

Evaluate safety and health programs.

y

Ensure legal compliance.

y

Incorporate safety and health concerns in HRM practices.

1.9 OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of  Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 30, 1970. Its mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and occupational fatality by issuing and enforcing standards for workplace safety and health. The agency is headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary of  Labor, of the United States. The OSH Act, which created OSHA also created the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a research agency focusing on occupational health and safety. NIOSH, however, is not a part of the U.S. Department of  Labor. OSHA federal regulations cover most private sector workplaces. The OSH Act permits states to develop approved plans as long as they cover public sector employees and they provide protection equivalent to that provided under Federal OSHA regulations. In return, a portion of the cost of the approved state progra m is paid by the federal governmen t. Twentytwo states and territories operate plans covering both the public and private sectors and five  Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and the US Virgin Islands  operate public employee only plans. In those five states, private sector employment remains under Federal OSHA jurisdiction. In 2000, the United States Postal Act made the U.S. Postal Service the only quasi-governmental entity to fall under the purview of OSHA jurisdiction.

10

II Health and safety in DHL and in UPS 2.1 About DHL company

DHL has built the world's premier global delivery network by trailblazing express shipping in one country after another. Over 220 countries and territories later, DH L is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry. DHL specializes in providing customers with innovative and customized transportation solutions from a single source. Find out more about DHL by visiting the links below. DH L Express is a division of Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. Originally founded in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu, the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s. The company was primarily interested in offshore and inter-continental deliveries, but the success of FedEx prompted their own inter-US expansion starting in 1983. DH L aggressively expanded to countries that could not be served by any other delivery service, including the Eastern Bloc, Vietnam and the People's Republic of China . In 1998, Deutsche Post began to acquire shares in DH L, finally reached majority ownership in 2001, and completed the purchase in 2002. Deutsche Post then effectively absorbed DH L into its Express division while expanding the use of the DH L brand to other Deutsche Post divisions, business units and subsidiaries. Today, DH L Express shares its well-known DH L brand with other Deutsche Post business units such as DH L Global Forwarding and DH L Exel Supply Chain. DHL Express's global headquarters are part of the Deutsche Post headquarters in Bonn. Headquarters for the Americas are located in Plantation, Florida, while its Asia-Pacific and EEMEA headquarters are located in & Dubai. The European hub is in

Leipzig.

Most of DHL Express' business is

incorporated as DH L International GmbH. Major competitors include FedEx, UPS, TNT, FCM L WORLDWIDE, LDH Express and national post carriers such as United States Postal Service and Royal Mail. However, DH L has a minor partnership with the USPS, which allows DH L to deliver small packages to the recipient through the USPS network. It is also the sole provider for transferring USPS mail in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. DH L offers worldwide services, including deliveries to countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Burma. As it is German-owned, DHL is not affected by U.S. embargoes or sanctions and will ship to Cuba , Iran and North Korea. However there is strict codes for delivering to North Korea, as the country has shaky relations with the West. As a foreign company, DH L is not allowed to make domestic flights between U.S. airports, so these freight flights are contracted out.

11

DHL Express's global headquarters are part of the Deutsche Post headquarters in Bonn. Headquarters for the Americas are located in Plantation, Florida, while its Asia-Pacific and EEMEA headquarters are located in & Dubai. The European hub is in Leipzig. Most of DHL Express' business is incorporated as DH L International GmbH. Major competitors include FedEx, UPS, TNT, FCM L WORLDWIDE, LDH Express and national post carriers such as United States Postal Service and Royal Mail. However, DH L has a minor partnership with the USPS, which allows DH L to deliver small packages to the recipient through the USPS network. It is also the sole provider for transferring USPS mail in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. DHL offers worldwide services, including deliveries to countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Burma. As it is German-owned, DHL is not affected by U.S. embargoes or sanctions and will ship to Cuba, Iran and North Korea. However there is strict codes for delivering to North Korea, as the country has shaky relations with the West. As a foreign company, DH L is not allowed to make domestic flights between U.S. airports, so these freight flights are contracted out. 2.1.2 Safety and health in DHL company y

Promoting safe and healthy workplaces for employees worldwide

y

Occupational health and safety initiative reflects DHL Supply Chain's commitment to operational excellence

DHL Supply Chain has designated 22 June 2010 as the company's first World Safety Day (WSD). WSD aims to highlight DH L's goal to promote safe and healthy workplaces for the benefit of  employees and customers worldwide through active employee engagement and informational activities. Site managers around the world will allocate at least 30 minutes at the beginning of  the workday and at the start of each shift on 22 June to talk to their teams and to remind them of the critical role of health and safety measures in ensuring DH L's continuing success. Moreover, senior managers have been encouraged to spearhead the program and to be creative in organizing events and activities centered on WSD. These activities include workshops to raise safety awareness, local campaigns and quizzes and games that may also involve team members' families. "We believe that an excellent company is by definition a safe company. Our efforts to minimize the risk at the workplace to our people therefore reflect our commitment to operations excellence. Occupational safety and health are vital prerequisites to delivering the performance our customers expect," says Bill Meahl, Chief Operating Officer, DH L Supply Chain. DH L is fully aware that a good safety record goes hand in hand with high productivity and quality services and standards, benefiting the company and its customers alike. And while 2009 was once again marked by good progress in decreasing lost time injuries 12

and the overall number of incidents, there is still some way to go to reach a sustainable zero accident culture. Therefore, DH L Supply Chain stresses the importance of safely producing and delivering its products and services and continues to intensify its efforts to prevent accidents at workplaces. An important aspect of these efforts is the active involvement of all employees, around the world, inside and outside of the workplace. Says Phil Renaud, Vice President Global Health Safety & Environment, DH L Supply Chain, "Safety is a fundamental element of our success. It contributes to our bottom lines in many significant ways. This is why we continuously seek to implement safer work practices and foster healthier work environments. And we are happy that our first WSD on 22 June will allow us to promote these aims and to remind the entire DH L Supply Chain family that safety is everyone's responsibility." 2.1.3 Safety program that helps to increase drivers safety on road in DHL

A unique initiative to improve driver and pedestrian safety on the roads of Oman has resulted in a significant reduction in speeding offences and improved driver behavior, according to Bahwan DHL Exel Supply Chain (Bahwan DH L). The six month long campaign, just one component of Bahwan DHL's extensive health, safety and environment program, culminated in the announcement of Salim Al-Brashdi as 'Safest Driver of the Year 2008', with a safe driving index of 99.15%. "There has been a worrying trend in the number of road accidents in the Sultanate with speeding as the number one cause of accidents", explained Paul Spyropoulos, Managing Director, Bahwan DH L. "Within our operations we identified owner drivers that support oil and gas related logistics as being particularly at risk on the roads and introduced a number of initiatives aimed at improving driving skills, behaviors and ensuring more stringent vehicle maintenance", added Spyropoulos. The performance of the drivers was measured by their overall improvement including driving behavior and vehicle maintenance. "Bahwan DH L monitored how well the drivers maintained the condition of their vehicles, including load safe ty and the progress of the drivers' responsiveness to feedback on their driving behavior," said Wayne Tait, Bahwan DHL Health and Safety Manager. "The improved standards were even greater than we had anticipated, with significant reductions in speeding vi olations, and improved driver awareness and vehicle condition." "The increasing number of road traffic accidents in Oman is a worrying trend and business must play a responsible part in improving road safety awareness," said Spyropoulos. "Bahwan DH L continues to drive the road safety agenda with ongoing campaigns and programs. Improving the safety of our colleagues and of  the communities in which we work is a primary focus for the business," concluded Spyropoulos. 13

2.2 About UPS company United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), commonly referred to as UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. UPS is well known for its brown trucks, internally known as package cars (hence the company nickname "The Big Brown Machine"). UPS also operates its own airline (IATA: 5X, ICAO: UPS, Callsign: UPS) based in Louisville,

Kentucky. UPS's primary business is the time-definite delivery of packages and documents

worldwide. In recent years, UPS has extended their service portfolio to include less than truckload transportation (primarily in the U.S.) and supply chain services. UPS reports their operations in three segments: U.S. Domestic Package operations, International Package operations, and Supply Chain & Freight operations. U.S. Domestic Package operations include the time-definite delivery of letters, documents, and packages throughout the United States. International Package operations include delivery to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, including shipments wholly outside the United States, as well as shipments with either origin or distribution outside the United States. Supply Chain & Freight (UPS-SCS for UPS Supply Chain Services) includes UPS's forwarding and contract logistics operations, UPS Freight, and other related business units. UPS's forwarding and logistics business provides services in more than 175 countries and territories worldwide, and includes worldwide supply chain design, execution and management, freight forwarding and distribution, customs brokerage, mail and consulting services. UPS Freight offers a variety of less than truckload ( LTL) and truckload (TL) services to customers in North America. UPS employs approximately 425,300 staff, with 358,400 in the U.S. and 67,300 internationally. Approximately 240,000 UPS drivers, package handlers and clerks are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The company has had only one nationwide strike in its history, which occurred in 1997, lasting 16 days. 2.2.1 Health and Safety in UPS company

Safety has long been part of the UPS opera ting philosophy. In 1917, UPS drivers received their first defensive driving handbook. Today, all drivers complete the firm's Space and Visibility defensive driving course where they learn the "five seeing habits." Its 85,000 drivers log more than 2 billion miles a yearwhile experiencing less than one accident for every million miles driven. Early on, the company also instituted a safe driving Honor Roll to recognize accident-free drivers. It's a program that continues today, and includes the Safe Driving Hall of Fame (for drivers with 20 or more years of safe driving) and the Circle of Honor (for those drivers with 25 years of safety behind the wheel), which has nearly 3,200 active members. The company's long tradition of training translates into an investment today of $38 million per year. Employees receive 1.3 million hours of safety training each year, covering topics such as defensive driving, accident investigation, hazard communication, respiratory protection, hearing 14

conservation, conveyor safety, lockout/tagout and workplace violence. Employees also participate in the firm's HABITS (Health, Athleticism, Body Mechanics, Inspect, Tools and Equipment and Safety Compliance) program, which teaches them how to bend, lift and pivot safely. "Training is a strength at UPS," explains Dan Norman, manager of the company's Comprehensive Health and Safety Process (CHSP). "We focus on teaching our people how to do their jobs, their processes in the safest merrier possible." Safety measures are also part of the company's overall evaluation process-and part of each manager's quality performance review, which impacts their merit-based pay. As CEO Mike Eskew noted in a recent interview, "Safety is just a slogan if it doesn't come from the top and if it doesn't have some teeth." Its safety tradition notwithstanding, the company realized in 1995 that it needed to do more. "Our workplace health and safety process mirrored our traffic and driving safety process, which are very successful," Norman explains. "But it didn't work as well in the workplace. We needed to develop a process that would drive the results we needed." The result was CHSP. At its core are the CHSP committees-nonmanagement employees (drivers and package handlers) who conduct facility and equipment audits, perform work practice and behavior analyses, conduct training, and recommend process and equipment changes. The committees are supported by a management cochair. CHSP required a complete culture change for the corporation. "Health and safety committees were nothing new at UPS," Norman says. "The difference was that in the past, management owned the process, directing the committee regarding what to work on, how, when. Through CHSP, we put safety in the hands of our nonmanagement people and said, 'Here run with it.'" The results suggest they did just that. Between December 1996 and June 2001, UPS reduced its lost workday injury and illness frequency by 49 percent while its OSHA-recordable injuries dropped 45 percent. The CHSP process also helped reduce automotive accident frequencies by 16 percent between 1997 and 2001. "Every improvement that we've seen in the last six years has been because of [CHSP committees]," Norman adds. "Certainly there's been strong management support, but these improvements would not have happened if these nonmanagement folks had not taken ownership of their environments and wanted themselves and their peers to return home just as they went to work." Currently, more than 2,400 CHSP committees are active nationwide, each with at least five members. Membership is voluntary and the process gives each committee a great deal of autonomy. "We gave them the shell," Norman explains. "They fit it to their needs." And it's that site ownership that infuses the process with credibility, according to Keith Jones. "Through CHSP, we get our people in the mix and ask them to tell us what's the best way-tell us, rather than have us [management] dictate," he says. "Another great thing about having nonmanagement people involved in the safety process is that peers will lean on each other [to improve] their safety performance. This ownership alleviates the need for management to get involved in that respect."

15

2.2.2 Health and safety programs in UPS Comprehensive Health and Safety Process (CHSP)

The CHSP was developed in 1995 to protect and improve the health and safety of UPS employees. There are now more than 3,700 CHSP committees at UPS facilities around the world. The committees consist of non-management employees (drivers and package handlers), supported by a management co-chair, who together, conduct facility and equipment audits, perform work practices and behavior analysis, conduct training and recommend work process and equipment changes. For the past five years, CHSP helped reduce lost workdays due to injuries by over 60 or percent, making sustained improvements each year. To learn about local committees and their best practices for safety view the UPS Safety Committees Fact Sheet. Facility and Equipment Improvements

Over the past five years, more than 40 individual design improvements have been made by UPS engineers to the company's buildings, vehicles and equipment to help make the physical job of moving 16 million packages a day less onerous. Some of those improvements include: Widening of the door in our 65,000 package cars. Ergonomic design of hand trucks and handheld computers used by drivers. Layout

of new buildings to include no lift  work areas where packages are pushed or pulled instead of 

lifted to get them on their way, and many more. Some of these ideas came directly from drivers and package handlers through focus group meetings and employee committees. Our new facilities utilize state-of-the-art automation technology to reduce the need for employee handling. Extendible, variable height load and unload equipment reduces the energy employees use to load and unload trailers. Safety on the Road Lets

face it, driving can be a dangerous task. Our attention is often lured away from the road by our

phone, children, and thoughts of dinner, any number of things. Even if were focused on the road ahead, what about those drivers next to or behind us? Unsafe drivers are everywhere. However, UPS drivers are trained to be safe, no matter what is happening around them. UPS has been committed to the safety of its drivers and the public for decades and has developed industry-leading safety training programs and safety equipment. How did our drivers get to be so safe? One reason for our outstanding record - UPSs certified management trainers who train that massive group on an annual and periodic basis. UPS tractor-trailer drivers receive 80 hours of classroom and on-the-road training before operating equipment. Delivery drivers undergo an intensive six-day training program, including 20 hours of behind-the-wheel and classroom training, plus periodic training rides through their evaluation period. UPS drivers globally receive annual safety training rides and follow-up training in the event of an avoidable accident. UPS 16

recognizes the achievements of safe drivers through the Circle of Honor and Safe Driving Hall of Fame programs, awarding drivers who have no avoidable accidents during the course of their work. Road Code Teen Safe Driving Program

Delivering UPS safety to teen drivers. UPS has been committed to the safety of its drivers and the public for more than 100 years. The UPS Foundation is building on UPSs history of safe driving by introducing UPS Road Code, a fun and educational program that brings UPSs safe-driving expertise to teenagers. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, in the last decade, over 68,000 teens have died in car crashes. Sixty-five percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving. What is UPS Road Code? UPSs world class defensive driving methods have been adapted into UPS Road Code, a unique 4-week teen safe driving course. During one session per week, UPS volunteers present two hours of classroom instruction to young people ages 13 -18 at their local Boys and Girls Club. Week 1: UPSs core safe driving code  or habits used by all UPS drivers. Week 2: Consequences of hazardous and distracted driving. Week 3: Identifying road hazards on an interactive computer-based game Week 4: Test driving skills on a simulator. At the end of the final session, students, parents and UPS volunteers participate in a graduation ceremony. Top achievers are recognized with small incentives. Each student receives a certificate indicating UPS Road Code. Parents also will receive a copy of the Novice Drivers Road Map safe driving booklet. Safety in Operations

Training is the cornerstone of safety in UPSs global operations. Last year, they invested more than US$52 million on safety training and nearly 1.3 million hours of safety training for employees. Each year, over 50 different types of formal UPS safety training courses are taught worldwide. Positions in operations  sorting, loading and delivering packages  involve physical labor. To prevent injuries, we provide comprehensive safety training to employees to equip them with the knowledge, methods and tools necessary to work safely. Training for Safety

UPS employees typically work for the company four to 12 years before becoming a driver. They understand UPSs culture long before they get behind the wheel. Additionally, UPS pilots already have 17

significant aviation experience before they come to work at our company. To be hired as a pilot by UPS Airlines, a pilot must have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, with 1,000 hours of turbine (jet) pilot-in-command time. The average new hire greatly exceeds those numbers, with more like 5,000 hours of flight time. To give some basis for comparison, if these pilots were students, they would be in the masters or PhD level in terms of the expertise theyve accumulated. Why is the UPS culture so focused on health and safety training? We believe if we take care of our people and train them to work safely, they will be in the best condition to take care of their customers. UPS invests more than US$53 million a year in safety training alone. UPS employees receive nearly 1.3 million hours of safety-related training every year. There are 26 formal UPS safety training courses taught in over 1,800 facilities. New UPS tractor-trailer drivers receive 80 hours of computer-based and on-road training before operating equipment. Managers undergo a rigorous and thorough 17-day course at UPSs Driver Training School in South Holland, Ill., before returning to their home offices to train drivers. UPS package car drivers receive 20 hours of computer-based and on-the-road training, plus three safety ride evaluations during their first 22 days on the job. They make simulated deliveries in a mock city - Clarkville, USA



- before

they make their first live delivery. There are more than 4,700 drivers with more than 25 years of safe driving.

Learn

more about UPS's Circle of Honor. A newly hired UPS pilot undergoes 48 hours of 

classroom training on the ground before they complete training for the specific fleet and duty position to which they will be assigned. Each year, a UPS pilot undergoes three days of recurrent training consisting of 25 hours of training on aircraft systems, engines, emergency procedures, FAA regulations, as well as general aviation topics such as meteorology, fuel planning and takeoff and landing procedures. In addition, each crew member must demonstrate their proficiency in simulator evaluations and live flight evaluations. Before a UPS pilot transitions to a different aircraft type, they receive almost 100 hours of classroom time and 30-40 hours of flight time in a simulator or actual aircraft. Training continues throughout a drivers and pilots career. A Health & Safety 101 workshop for helps keep safety committee management and non-management co-chairs focused on continued education of health and safety methods.

18

III Analysis of health and safety programs of reviewed companies (DHL and UPS)

In my opinion the more developed health and safety programs has UPS company. Why is the UPS culture so focused on health and safety training? They believe if they take care of their people and train them to work safely, they will be in the best condition to take care of their customers. UPS invests more than US$53 million a year in safety training alone. UPS employees receive nearly 1.3 million hours of  safety-related training every year. There are 26 formal UPS safety training courses taught in over 1,800 facilities. They Provide very huge amount of safety programs to employees, for example: Comprehensive Health and Safety Process (CHSP), Facility and Equipment Improvements, Safety on the Road, Road Code Teen Safe Driving Program, Safety in Operations. Ups has very developed health and safety structure. And what about DHL company? I think they has less developed health and safety programs in comparing with UPS. DHL company also has health and safety programs for drivers, and other employees, but in my opinion they must develop CHSP program like UPS company. I suggest them to invest more in health and safety, develop more health and safety programs. First of all they must think about their employees. I dont say that they have bad health and safety programs, their programs already good. I want only to suggest them to improve their programs.

19

Conclusion

The importance of health and safety at work cannot be overstated. The employer has both a moral and a legal obligation to ensure that his employees work in both a safe and healthy environment. Morally no worker should be forced to work in an environment where his welfare is at risk. It also makes good business sense to ensure that workers are both safe and healthy during working hours. Sick or injured workers lead to a drop in production and a subsequent loss of profits. Every employee should be made educated of the necessary steps to be adopted in case there is an emergency. As we know, most of the offices are located in high rise towers and the incidents like fire, elevator emergency, power cut have manifold impact at these places. Safety of employees is primarily important at any workplace irrespective of the fact whether it is an office, factory or a construction site. Employers should provide their employees with effective safe and healthy programs because such programs have many advantages such as: employees will be more productive, increased efficiency and quality, r educed medical and insurance costs, lower workers compensation rates and payments, greater workforce flexibility. If you desire to have successful and profitable business, you must first of all think about people, which era your employees!

20

References 1) Human resource management-lecture book (Dr. Vaishali Saple) 2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_safety_and_health 3) http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Health-and-Safety-at-Work&id=2958030 4) http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/importance-of-safety-in-workplace379825.htm 5) http://www.dhl.com/en/careers/working_at_dhl/our_company.html 6) http://www.responsibility.ups.com/Safety/Training+For+Safety

21

Appendix: AA Table

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/investig.html

22

23