Question

A new HR manager joins a manufacturing organization that is experiencing an increase in workplace safety incidents. These incidents are resulting in higher insurance costs, increased absences, reduced productivity, and lower-quality products.

A review of compliance functions and key performance indicators shows an excessive increase in the last 12 months. This timeline coincides with the retirement of the compliance manager and the transfer of the duties related to managing workplace safety to the HR department. The manager also compares the number of incidents in the organization with industry standards and determines that the organization's incident rates are 50% greater than the industry average. The HR manager recognizes that changes need to be made immediately in the HR department to improve safety and protect employees from future incidents and injuries.
The CEO tasks the HR manager with finding solutions to increase safety knowledge and decrease incidents in the organization.
Which approach should the HR manager take to identify the reasons for the excessive number of safety incidents?

A. Ask department managers about the possible cause of the increase in incidents.
B. Review incident reports for the last 12 months to determine if there are patterns.
C. Observe employees while they are working to watch for unsafe behaviors.
D. Review employee work logs for a relationship between hours worked and incidents.

Answer 1

The HR manager should review incident reports for the last 12 months to determine patterns and identify common factors or trends that contribute to the increase in incidents.

Step-by-step explanation:

The HR manager should take approach B, which is to review incident reports for the last 12 months to determine if there are patterns.

By reviewing incident reports, the HR manager can identify common factors or trends that contribute to the increase in incidents. This may include specific activities, equipment, or areas where incidents frequently occur. Identifying and addressing these patterns can help in implementing targeted interventions to improve safety and reduce future incidents.