Comparing the help agencies niosh and osha can give for implementing an employee motivational program

In this paper, we will be analyzing the two alternative solutions to our continuing problem. We have utilized the Decision-Making Tools and Techniques that we have studdied to analyze each alternative, and will selected what we think is the best idea and option. Finally, after examining the alternative solution, we will identify three influences on our choice.

The Helping Hand

One of the alternative solutions is the helping hand provided by organizations like National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Although Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created the NIOSH and the OSHA, they are two distinct agencies with separate responsibilities.

NIOSH

NIOSH is with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is an agency established to help assure safe and healthy working conditions by providing research, information, education, and training. As part of its mission, NIOSH operates programs in every state where they evaluate workplace hazards and recommend solutions when requested by employers, workers, or state/federal agencies. NIOSH also offers grants and cooperative agreements and supports occupational safety and health training programs. Under the NIOSH Prevention, Surveillance, and Training and Communication Programs, they created the Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program, which responds to requests for workplace evaluations from employers, employees and their representatives, and other agencies. It identifies current hazards and recommends practical, valid solutions for preventing injury and disability. The recommendations can help protect workers and continue its outreach efforts to further characterize the scope of the problem. NIOSH conducts and supports a variety of programs to track occupational injuries and illnesses (NIOSH, 2004).

OSHA

OSHA is with the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL) and is responsible for developing and enforcing workplace safety and health regulation. OSHA’s mission is to promote and assure workplace safety and health and reduce workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. OSHA achieves its mission through various means, including workplace enforcement of applicable laws and regulations, inspections, consultation services, compliance assistance, outreach education, cooperative programs, and issuance of standards and guidance. In order to increase its effectiveness, OSHA collaborates with a variety of organizations interested in occupational safety and health. By accomplishing this mission, OSHA saves lives, enhances the quality of life in the workforce, and contributes to the economic vitality of the nation. OSHA’s Compliance Assistance, Outreach, Training and Education, and Information services develops and provides a broad array of compliance assistance programs, outreach and assistance products and services, education and training materials, and courses that promote occupational safety and health. OSHA also helps employers and employees to better understand their obligations and opportunities in workplace safety and health issues. It provides services including education centers, 1-800 number assistance, interactive e-tolls, and an extensive website. These programs have served to help safety and health professionals see the need to expand prevention efforts and to focus attention on root causes of persistent problems, not to mention loss of revenues or expences to libilaty lawsuits (OSHA, 2004).

Employee Incentive Program

The second alternative is employee incentives to promote work safety. In order to be better able to promote work safety, we must first define the different areas that are concerned. An example might be janitorial duties would be apt to have more chemical reaction problems where warehouse workers could involve safety problems due to heavy lifting or machinery malfunctions. By identifying the differences in safety, we can adapt a better safety program. In this program, we could promote safety at work by keeping employees, in all areas, informed of work accidents, and how they could have been avoided. It would also work to the organization’s advantage to notifying the employees when the accident count is below the expected levels, and to praise them for their good work procedures. Individual feedback to employees is also important, as feedback can promote better working conditions. Instituting an on-site work safety class with an on-staff coordinator can also promote safety and be a valuable asset to the organization. In an effort to promote cooperation, establishing a reward program would be beneficial to everyone… employees and the employer. Examples could be holding quarterly meetings to present safety figures and giving awards to departments with the best percentage of improvement in safety, and certificates of completion to individuals who complete the safety classe. Employees who get involved, and are well informed, tend to feel more a part of the program, and will respond better to the overall program.

Our Recommendations

Since safety is such an important issue, we have decided that the first alternative would be the best choice. Bringing in an outside organization with a proven program that has been established with the purpose of evaluating safety and health issues would be the easiest and most cost effective program. NIOSH and OSHA have the knowledge and experience to come into our organization, to determine, and to recommend the best course of action for each of our departments. It is also a free and confidential program that benefits both the employer and employees by estelabishing or improving our occupational safety and health management systems. Different parts of these programs are funded by OSHA, the DOL, the HHS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) (Safety Jackpot, 2004), and will cost our organization nothing but time. Therefore, we believe it is best to bring in the pros! We also believe that stopping here would be a shame. Our evualation of the employee incentive program shows that it would also aid in lowering icidents. After NIOSH and OSHA have made their recommendations, and the company has developed a plan to implument them, it is also our recommendation that the company also develop and implument an employee incentive program.

Conclusion:

Workplace safty is very important. NIOSH and OSHA both offer a free service that that we recomend utilizing to aid againgt the fight in lowering the number of employee accidents at work. A second recommendation of an employee incentive program was also made after exploring NIOSH’s and OSHA’s recommendations.