The workplace injury is a significant problem that a majority of the organizations have to deal with in the recent past. The problem is extensive to a level that the governments have enacted legislation that is designed to protect the employees in the places of work. The focus on occupational health and safety has served to create safer working environments (Hofmann, Burke, & Zohar, 2017). The communication and enhanced education have been made with the aim of dealing with the underlying problems that are necessary for the protection of the employees within the workplace environment. Canada is one of the countries that have made strides towards having laws that are explicitly designed at protecting the rights of the employees within the workplace. The paper, therefore, focuses on identifying the procedures that have been developed towards addressing the problem of workplace injuries.
The employees are affected in the process of spending excessive energy towards carrying out specific roles. The process leads to overexertion that causes them to experience injuries. Proper education is necessary for ensuring that the appropriate information is availed to the employees. The process will ensure that the employees can evade unnecessary injuries that can prevent them from the realization of safe workplace environments.
Description of the Workplace Injury Problem
The identification of the hazardous environment is critical towards the process of addressing the safety issues that the employees might experience in the workplace. The necessary means are crucial to the identification of the possible outcomes that can be instrumental towards the enhancement of the essential elements that can enhance employee safety within the environment.
Factor Causing Workplace Injuries
The workplace can be a significantly dangerous place for the employees. The industrial environment is characterized by numerous hazards that can be the cause of significant injuries to the employees. The different factors that can lead to workplace injuries can be classified as overexertion or the process of mishandling of hazardous materials used in the workplace environment.
Lifting
Lifting can lead to different injuries in their places of work. A majority of the problems are caused by the employees’ lack of knowledge about the maximum weights that they can lift. The aspect can lead to sprain, strain and muscle tears. Necessary polices are made towards the process of guiding the employees on the necessary procedures that they need to employ towards addressing the common problems that emanate from poor decisions on the maximum weights that can be lifted. The policies are made towards ensuring that the employees are not allowed to lift loads that are beyond a given weight threshold. The necessary measures are essential in safeguarding employees on the aspects that can keep them safe when carrying loads within the workplace.
Fatigue
Fatigue arises from the failure to take a break in the course of carrying out specific tasks. The role of adequate breaks cannot be underestimated. It requires that the approaches are made towards creating the environments where necessary arrangements are made towards ensuring that regular breaks are instituted towards the process of providing that the employees do not experience excessive fatigue. Atrophy and general exhaustion can lead to low work output that can be significantly devastating to the organization.
Hazardous Materials
The process of handling hazardous materials can lead the employees to be exposed to a significant amount of danger. The organization needs to lay down policies that are aimed at ensuring that the trained people only handle hazardous materials. The use of personal protective equipment cannot be underscored. The capability to read the material safety information is key to building the necessary environment that is made towards addressing the required settings. Unrequired exposure is a significant factor that leads the employees from addressingthe immediate challenges. The employees that are not allowed to deal with the problem is essential towards addressing the necessary questions.
Emotionless Stress
Emotionless stress is an essential factor that can lead to workplace injuries. The stress can lead to absent-mindedness among the employees exposing them to significant risks across the environment. The resulting distraction might lead the employees that can drive the employees to be exposed to a considerable amount of danger. The resulting debilitation can expose the employees to poor service delivery leading to losses in the organization. Lack of attention should be enhanced with the aim of dealing with the upcoming issues.
Acts of Violence
Violence is a significant challenge that companies are dealing with. The fights within the workplace contribute heavily towards workplace injuries. A working policy ought to be established towards ensuring that the injuries associated with workplace fights are minimized. The discussions about politics are some emotive issues that give rise to the workplace fights. The organization ought to work towards creating an environment that is designed towards addressing the underlying issues. The policies should ensure that the necessary efforts are made towards enhancing the peaceful coexistence in the workplace.
Trips and Falls
Slippery floors are some of the biggest causes of injury in the workplace. The employs need to be advised about putting up the necessary safety dressing that is designed to safeguard the employees as they move around the workplace. Improper footwear can lead to the emergent of accidents that can have a detrimental effect on the employees. The falls are a significant threat to the skeletal well-being of the employees. The company needs to identify the reasonable policies that can enhance the workplace environment to address the issue of workplace injuries.
Review of the Historical Issues, Trends, Practices and Technologies associated with the Workplace Safety in the Canadian Organizations
Owing to the increased number of workplace injuries, Canadian companies have devised policies with the aim of enhancing workplace safety. The efforts range from compliance based safety committees that discuss the different efforts towards implementation to the management systems meant to check compliance with the global standards. The role of leadership in enhancing workplace safety cannot be ignored (Kramer, Haynes, Holness, Strahlendorf, Kushner, & Tenkate, 2017). The aspect has created an environment that is characterized by the organizations' inclusion of the safety policies deep within the core values that guide their operations.
The efforts have led to a reduced workplace incident related to safety. Some of the organizations that have been affected profoundly operate in the mining, oil, and gas as well as the forestry sectors. The workplace injuries in the sectors have been on the upward trend over time making it difficult to address the specific challenges facing the communities. Time is a crucial component to the successful implementation of any regulation (Hale, Borys, & Adams, 2015). The stakeholders have devised measures that are designed to have the continuous scrutiny of the players in the identified sectors. The fatality rates in the companies associated with the workplace industries are a course of concern.
Laws Regarding Workplace Safety in Japan
Japan is one of the countries that have paid close attention to the safety of employees within the workplace. Most organizations in the country have invested in ensuring that the employees are empowered with necessary skills that are central to the participation in injury prevention (Lay, Saunders, Lifshen, Breslin, LaMontagne, Tompa, & Smith, 2016). The increased number of the injuries and resulting fatalities in different organizations was a major concern. The primary reason behind the deaths was identified to be the inappropriate behavior of the employees as well as unsafe workplace conditions. Different companies have recognized the vital role of employee safety in their operations. The companies have therefore resorted to implementing new policy guidelines that are intended at creating an environment that is safe enough for all the employees.
The aspect points to the need for education among employees that is aimed at creating an environment that is characteristic of the essential elements that need to be implemented towards having a safe environment within the workplace. Constant dissemination of information is critical towards creating an environment that is safe for all the employees. Human error is a significant cause to the health and safety issues experienced at the workplace (Beus, Dhanani, & McCord, 2015). The aspect points to the need for a concerted effort towards developing a structure that is pegged on the environmental necessity of addressing the underlying issues facing the employees. The companies in Japan understand the role of individual effort towards enhancing employee safety in the workplace. The private sector has developed deliberate strategies that are designed to be in line with established workplace cultures. The voluntary actions have been instrumental in creating a safe environment that is mindful of the unique needs of the employee safety aspects.
Worker education is a critical element that is designed towards enhancing the workplace safety aspects. The companies have laid down essential strategies that are aimed towards drawing the necessary items that are instrumental to the different elements that can improve the safety of the employees. The role of awareness cannot be underscored. It requires significant efforts made towards addressing the fundamental concerns that resonate around the elements of safety that can affect the well-being of employees. Organizations have developed structures that are pegged towards enhancing employee safety with the aim of reducing the injuries that emanate from the elements.