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.
What should the HR manager do to increase his own knowledge of safety practices and outcomes in the organization?

A. Visit similar manufacturing organizations to find out about their safety procedures.
B. Review incident reports from the past five years to identify themes and common problems.
C. Watch manufacturing safety videos to become familiar with industry best practices.
D. Interview employees at the organization about safety practices they use.

Answer 1

The HR manager should review incident reports to identify trends, visit similar organizations to learn best practices, and interview employees to gain insights into their safety concerns. Familiarization with OSHA guidelines is also crucial.

Step-by-step explanation:

To address the increase in workplace safety incidents and associated consequences, the HR manager should incorporate several strategies to increase his own knowledge of safety practices and outcomes in the organization. Reviewing incident reports from the past five years is crucial to identify common themes and persistent problems. This allows for a data-driven approach to understanding the underlying causes of incidents. Secondly, the HR manager should visit similar manufacturing organizations to learn about effective safety procedures that could be adapted to their own operations. Benchmarking and sharing best practices can lead to improvements in safety protocols and training. Lastly, interviewing employees can provide direct insight into the everyday challenges and unsafe conditions they encounter, adding a valuable human perspective to quantitative data. Additionally, familiarizing oneself with OSHA requirements, enforcement practices, and workers' rights can offer a regulatory framework to guide safety improvements.