Reference no: EM133191759 , Length: Word count: 1 Page

Assignment Task 1:

I think every human being deserves to work in a healthy and safe environment, so every employer is responsible to provide a healthy and safe work environment for their employees. In fact it's a Law! According to OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was passed to stop workers from being killed or injured at work. This law requires employers to give their employees working conditions without known dangers. A healthy and safe work environment is not just about preventing injuries or the spread of disease, it's more about making a priority of your employees well-being. In my opinion, a safe workplace is a place where employees can feel secure and enjoy their work space, company believes, and a positive co-working environment that inspires respect for everyone in the company. Also, a safe work environment improves/increases productivity and quality, boost morale among co-workers, lower injury costs, decrease nonattendance and turnover. In other words, a healthy and safe environment is good for everyone - employers and employees. I had an experience working in both a healthy and unhealthy work environment. In the first place, I worked for 4 plus years and only had to quit due to our transfer to Japan. Everything and everyone was great about this facility and I loved going to work every day. The second place, I lasted for 2 years and only due to the pandemic and being able to work from home for a year. I quit the job due to an unhealthy work environment to the point affecting my mental state - very poor communication skills, inappropriate jokes/comments from management, poor morale, bullying. Employees leaving a job due to an unsafe work environment have increased by nearly 1000% since 2010 (Partida, 2021). Nowadays, employees have a very low tolerance for a lack of a healthy and safe culture at work. As a conclusion from everything above, the company and the employees succeed in a safe, healthy, and caring environment.

References:

Partida D. (2021). How does your safety culture impact workers? Industrial Safety & Hygiene News. Retrieved on May 31, 2022

Workers' Rights. (2017). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved on May 31, 2022

Assignment Task 2:

The right to health and safety at work is part of basic human rights and should be a priority in the workforce for every government, organization, and corporation. In our learning module, we discussed the WHO's Model of 4 segments that represent a healthy work environment; physical work environment, personal health resources, enterprise community involvement, and psychosocial work environment. These 4 segments take a holistic approach to health and safety in the workplace and are crucial for success for both the employer and the employee. Unfortunately, not all regions around the world have access nor the right to healthy and safe workplaces. The cycle of neglect is present in many developing countries and even in certain workplaces in developed nations - this cycle includes low prioritization of occupational health, limited allocated resources, inadequate information/research, poor evidence about the significance of occupational health, and limited occupational health allies and partners.

An analysis by the World Bank from 2016 showed that "65% of poor working adults made a living through agriculture" and "in 2018, agriculture accounted for 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least developing countries, it can account for more than 25% of GDP (Overview, nd)." According to an article by Jakob et al (2021), "agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries worldwide when comparing farm worker disease and injury rates with other sectors". Based on this data, we can see the importance of occupational health and safety standards, especially in poor, developing nations that rely on physical labor moreso than others. Not only will these standards ensure the safety of the individual, but will also lead to more financial success for their employers and their industries.

References:

Jakob, M. C., Santa, D., Holte, K. A., Sikkeland, I. J., Hilt, B., & Lundqvist, P. (2021). Occupational health and safety in agriculture - a brief report on organization, legislation and support in selected European countries. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 28(3), 452-457.

Overview. World Bank. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2022