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ImpactoftheLawCHAPTEROVERVIEW•Thischapterintroducesthelegislationthatregulatessafetyandhealthintheworkplace.–TheOccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1970setsupgovernmentto•conductresearchregardingoccupationalhealthandsafety,•sethealthandsafetystandards,•inspectworkplaces,and•penalizeemployersthatdonotmeetstandards.•Thesupervisormustbefamiliarwiththekindsofpracticesrequiredtopreservehealthandsafetyintheirdepartment.•Theyalsomustkeepformalrecordsofoccupationalinjuriesandillnesses,andbesurethatemployeeshaveinformationaboutchemicalhazards,asrequiredbyOSHA’sright-to-knowrule.•Hazardsintheworkplacemaybe–physical,–chemical,–biological,or–stress-inducing.•Safetyhazardsincludepersonalbehaviorandunsafeconditionsofthephysicalenvironment.•Someofthecommonsafetyandhealthconcernsofemployersinclude–cigarettesmoke,–abuseofalcoholandotherdrugs,–extendeduseofvideodisplayterminals,repetitive-motiondisorders,and–AIDS.•Employersaretakingactionstocontroltheseconditionsbecausetheyarecostlytotheorganizationandreduceemployeemoralewhentheyareleftunattended.–Rulesandpoliciesenforcedbyemployersinclude•limitingsmokingintheworkplace,•rotatingemployeesontasksthatincreaseriskofinjury,•applyingergonomicstothedesignofjobsandworkstations,and•trainingemployees.•Benefitstoorganizationsfromwell-designedandexecutedsafetyandhealthprogramsarereducednumberandseverityofwork-relatedinjuriesandillnessthatcutassociatedcosts.•Inaddition,concernforemployees’safetyandhealth–motivatesemployees,–reducesturnover,and–avoidsthepainandsufferingofemployees.•Asafetyandhealthprogramiseffectivewhenitminimizesthelikelihoodthatpeoplewillbeinjuredorillasaresultofconditionsintheworkplace.–Thisismostlikelywhenalllevelsofmanagementdemonstrateastrongcommitmenttotheprogram.–Thesupervisorisresponsibleforseeingtoitthatemployeesunderstandandfollowsafetyprecautions.•Thesupervisorshouldencourageemployeestoparticipateinpromotingsafetyandhealthconditions.•Finally,thesupervisorshouldsetagoodexamplebyfollowingsafepractices.•Anothertypeofconflictisexperiencedbyanorganizationduringaunionorganizationdriveandcollectivebargaining.–Therearelawsthatdirectthesupervisor’sandothermanager’sbehaviorduringthistime.–Ingeneral,supervisorsmaynotthreatenemployeesaboutformingorjoiningaunion,andmaynotpromiserewardsforworkingagainsttheunion.–Duringcollectivebargaining,thesupervisorprovidesmanagementwithinformationthatwillhelpthembargain.•Whenemployeesbelievetheorganization,or,morelikely,thesupervisor,hasviolatedtheunioncontract,theymayfileagrievance.–Thesupervisorshouldworkwiththeunionstewardtoresolveproblemsratherthanlettingthemescalate.–Thesupervisorshouldtrytoavoidgrievancesbygivingemployeesachancetobeheardandtryingtoresolveconflicts.•Supervisorsplayanimportantroleinpreventingstrikes.–Fairtreatmentandeffectivecommunicationsminimizethechancesthatemployeeswillwanttogoonstrike.–Ifastrikedoesoccur,thesupervisorshouldcarefullyobservewhatisoccurringandencourageemployeestogobacktowork.•Whenanemployeechargesamemberoftheorganizationwithsexualharassment,asupervisormusttaketheproblemseriously,withoutexception.–Heorshemustseethatthecomplainisinvestigatedproperlyandavoidexpressinganopinionorimposinganinterpretationonthesituation.–Asupervisorshouldworkwiththehumanresourcesdepartmenttoidentifyapromptandfirmresponsetochargesthatareproventrue.–Inmanycases,sexualharassmentcanbepreventedthroughtrainingandgreaterawarenessofdifferentpointsofviewbetweenmenandwomen.BasicPurposeoftheOSHAct•OccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1970(OSHAct):Thefederallawthatsetsupgovernmentagenciestoconductresearchregardingoccupationalhealthandsafety,sethealthandsafetystandards,inspectworkplaces,andpenalizeemployersthatdonotmeetstandards.•OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OSHA):Theagencyofthefederalgovernmentchargedwithsettingandenforcingstandardsforworkplacehealthandsafety.•NationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth(NIOSH):Theagencyofthefederalgovernmentresponsibleforconductingresearchrelatedtoworkplacesafetyandhealth.•Manyorganizationsrecognizethevalueofsafeguardingthehealthandwell-beingofemployees,butunfortunately,thishasnotalwaysbeenthecase.–Asaresult,thegovernmentsteppedintoregulatesafetyandhealthintheworkplace.•Themostfar-reachinglawregulatingworkplacesafetyandhealthistheOccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1970(OSHAct).–TheOSHActsetsupgovernmentagenciesto•conductresearchregardingoccupationalhealthandsafety,•sethealthandsafetystandards,•inspectworkplaces,and•penalizeemployersthatdonotmeetstandards.•TheOSHActestablishedtwogovernmentagenciestoseethatemployerscarryoutitsprovisions.–TheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OSHA),apartoftheU.S.DepartmentofLabor,isthegovernmentagencychargedwithsettingandenforcingstandardsforworkplacehealthandsafety.•OSHA’sinspectorsmayvisitcompaniesbutmustshowasearchwarrantbeforeconductinganinspection.•Theyalsooperatefree,onsiteconsultationsthroughwhichindependentconsultantsevaluatetheorganization’sworkpractices,environmentalhazards,andhealthandsafetyprograms.–TheNationalInstituteofOccupationalSafetyandHea