MGT2HRM Human Resource Management

Question:

In his recommendations, the auditor suggested that Evans Smallgoods ‘work towards developing a culture of safety within the organisation’.

Mark Evans, the CEO, is concerned about his workers’ safety. In a private meeting, he commented “It’s just a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or dies on the factory floor. What can I do? We have good procedures. We have spent a lot of money on making sure the factory is safe. But, I can’t make the supervisors and employees follow our safety procedures…..I can’t watch them all the time”.

Mark has hired your group to come up with five recommendations as to how he can create a ‘safety culture’ within Evans Smallgoods. He has asked for a comprehensive Report that he can give to the Board of Directors. The Report should:

1. Briefly outline the legal responsibilities that employers have to ensure a safe workplace

2. Define the term ‘safety culture’ (drawing on appropriate academic literature)

3. Explain how a safety culture can improve safety behaviours of employees (drawing on appropriate academic literature)

4. Identify five recommendations that Evans Smallgoods should implement to improve the safety culture within the organisation. These recommendations may incorporate multiple HRM functions, including performance management, rewards, training and development, recruitment and job design. For each recommendation, a clear explanation about how this will lead to improved safety behaviours should be provided.

In a recent independent health and safety investigation, the auditor found ‘multiple instances of lax safety practices by front line workers’ and ‘a poor attitude towards safety amongst front line staff, supervisors and middle management’. However, the auditor commended senior management on their general commitment to the safety of workers, but found ‘this has not translated into safe working practices on the factory floor’. The auditor cited several examples of dangerous practices he witnessed on the production line, including workers reaching into meat mincers to remove blockages whilst the mincer was operating; poor manual handling practices; workers not wearing their personal protective equipment; dangerous use of forklifts; equipment such as knives not being put away properly; and safety barriers on machines being removed to speed up the production process.