In 2013 there were 902 “notified” work-related fatalities in Canada, while Australia and the US had 218 and 1369 respectively. In addition, Canada had over 241,000 serious workers’ compensated claims related to work injury or illness, with Australia and the US having over 131,000 and 3,000,000 respectively, writes Gary Lawson-Smith.
So what are the links between the health and safety of our workplaces and corporate performance?
Recent surveys commissioned from the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OHSA), and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) attracted over 5,000 participants including CEOs, board members, managers, support personnel and OHS specialists.
The most disturbing result from these surveys was that Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards were being compromised by concerns about reduced productivity. In other words, OHS standards are being undermined by leadership teams that are too focused on short-term performance and productivity goals.
This should be a big wake up call to the business world. It really is time for change. Organisations need to start believing that OHS is the responsibility of every employee regardless of structural hierarchy.
There are three key pillars around which efforts to improve this situation can be made: education, research and training.
First, there is a clear need for more research in OHS to answer questions that will be critical to improving safety outcomes in the global workplace. But to do this there will need to be for more funds. During a recent OHS Research conference it was suggested that workers’ compensation funds should be directed towards research. This will have a direct impact on safety outcomes for each nation.
Priority research for the next ten years could include investigating safety and health questions that will arise due to the changing nature of employment and work. With even more of the workforce employed outside the workers’ compensation scheme, precarious employment is becoming a growing feature. There is also the question of known hazards in new industries, and new dimensions to existing industries, such as increased participation by women and different ethnicities in the workforce.
A greater focus and more effort in training is also required, but training can only be as good as its ability to engage those it attempts to educate.
Good training will need to be interesting, challenging and flexible. It will be targeted at and tailored to the needs of the industries, occupations and workplace groups it is being delivered to. It will not only be classroom based – it will more often be activity and action based.
On the global stage, in industries such as defence, mining and aviation, innovative OHS training is being delivered. This training has eschewed the traditional “sit, listen and walk away” classroom format and has instead adopted innovative methods using case studies, evidence-based OHS research and personal development focus.
These include video and 3D video technologies; active learning; interview simulation; unfolding scenario exercises; and workplace and event simulations/recreations using resources such as physical workplace re-creations and electronic supports from the simple (e.g. accessing date and knowledge bases) to the complex.
Focus areas for improving effectiveness could include: particular industries; geographical areas (city, suburban, regional, provisional, rural); particular occupational groups; the needs of workplace groups (employees, health and safety representatives; managers; supervisors; OHS committees); and particular hazards and issues (e.g. bullying, consultation, design, risk control etc).