Case study attached, with credible references. Answer the following questions: · What are some violence indicators an employee might display? · What are some actions management can take to help preven

Fatigue Few safety issues have been in the news more lately than employee fatigue. Y ou have probably heard about air traffic controllers who have fallen asleep on the job and could not be awakened by pilots trying to contact them. Fatigue is more of a problem in organizations that operate around the clock or have night shifts. Studies show that 30 to 50 percent of night-shift workers report falling asleep at least once a week while on the job, according to Dr. Charles Czeisler , chief of sleep medicine at Brigham and W omen’s Hospital in Boston.

Fatigue may not result in life-or-death consequences for most jobs. Nonetheless managers, employees, and the public are concerned about how it af fects workplace safety and performance. The regulations in certain industries limit the number of hours employees can work per shift. The airline industry is one such industry. However, even with the limits, workers are finding themselves fatigued. Some experts say downsizing may be a factor as fewer workers are being asked to cover more shifts. Recently the U.S. government vowed it would give air traf fic controllers an extra hour of f between shifts to combat fatigue.

Continental has given its pilots permission to call in and report they’re too fatigued to fly .

Although OSHA currently has no fatigue standard, it is seeking to establish one, and unions are increasingly negotiating fatigue contracts. Employees at Dow Chemical’s Freeport, Texas, facility have negotiated a fatigue standard in their new labor contract. Under the new agreement, employees who work three consecutive 16-hour days must receive a 24-hour break. Employees on regular shifts must get a 48-hour break if they work 21 days in a row .

Distracted Driving Do you know what the leading cause of worker fatalities each year is? Motor vehicle crashes come in first. Moreover, according to a National Highway T raffic Safety Administration study , people who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to crash than other drivers, and distracted driving accounts for 80 percent of all accidents.

When it comes to mass transit, the consequences of distracted driving can be catastrophic.

For example, in 2008, a Los Angeles commuter train collided head on with another train.

Twenty-five people died, including the operator of the train. Another 135 others were injured. 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 2/8 A subsequent investigation of the accident found that operator had sent or received 57 text messages while on the job that day , including one sent 22 seconds before the crash.

To help prevent distracted driving accidents, a growing number of employers are adopting mandatory cell-phone policies for their employees. A survey of more than 2,000 employers conducted by the National Safety Council found that 58 percent had some type of cell- phone usage policy in place, and roughly one-quarter of those surveyed prohibit both handheld and hands-free devices while driving for some or all employees. Other companies are doing more than establishing policies. They are outfitting their phones with apps like Phone Guard, which prevents drivers from texting, browsing the web, or checking e-mail when they are traveling 10 miles per hour or faster .

OSHA does not have specific regulations on distracted driving. However , the agency has vowed that if an employer encourages or gives its workers an incentive to engage in distracted driving, it will penalize a company for creating an unsafe environment under OSHA’s “general duty” clause. The general duty clause [Section 5(a)(1)] states that each employer “shall furnish … a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.” The clause is used to enforce a wide range of safety and health violations for which specific regulations have not been implemented. As of October 2013, 12 states banned use of hand- held cell phones while driving, and 41 states banned text messaging for all drivers.

Mobile phones are not the only electronic safety culprit, though. W orkers who stop hearing the world around them because they are wired up to MP3 players also create risks. One aerospace manufacturer banned its 1,500 employees from using them at work. “Even though there have been no incidents, there are aircraft, forklifts, trucks, and so on moving around. We feel people should always be concentrating fully ,” said a spokesperson for the company.

Workplace V iolence The NIOSH defines workplace violence as “any physical assault, threatening behavior , or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting. It includes, but is not limited to, beatings, stabbings, suicides, shootings, rapes, near suicides, psychological traumas such as threats, obscene phone calls, an intimidating presence, and harassment of any nature such as being followed, sworn at, or shouted at.” In 2011, nearly 3 million nonfatal workplace violence incidents were reported in the form of assaults, robberies, thefts, hostage takings, hijackings, rapes, and sexual attacks.

Employees who have contact with the public; exchange money; deliver passengers, goods, or services; work in health care, social services, or criminal settings; or work alone or in small numbers are at a greater risk of encountering workplace assaults.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more women than men experience violence in the workplace. In fact, after traf fic accidents, homicide is the second-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries for women. 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 3/8 Sexual harassment is often a precursor to the workplace violence women experience.

Minority women, in particular , are vulnerable. The alleged sexual attacks of two maids at high-profile Manhattan hotels in 201 1 cast a harsh light on the risks minority women face in the workplace. Anthony Roman, a hotel security consultant, says over the course of 30 years, he has seen dozens of such incidents involving maids. The assaults went from drunken propositions to rape. “They’re not an infrequent occurrence,” Roman says.

The bullying of workers of both sexes is also a concern that is beginning to hit the radar of HR managers. Bullying is a form of violence; it is the repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons by one or more other people. It can consist of verbal abuse or offensive behaviors that are threatening, humiliating, intimidating, or interfere with someone’ s ability to work. In a Zogby poll, 35 percent of American adults said they had been bullied at work. Not only does bullying lead to lower morale, it can result in deadly suicides, violence, and homicides in the workplace. A number of countries around the world, including France and Sweden, have enacted laws against bullying. About a quarter of U.S. states either have considered or are considering anti-bullying laws.

Reducing W orkplace Violence In addition to protecting workers at high risk of on-the-job assaults, OSHA recommends firms analyze their workplaces to uncover areas of potential violence and develop violence prevention programs and training for their employees. T o begin, background checks on job applicants should be conducted to ensure they don’t have histories showing a propensity toward aggression or violence. Remember, employers can be sued for negligent hiring if they do not take this step and workplace injury occurs as a result. Managers, supervisors, and employees should also be trained to recognize violence indicators such as those listed in Figure 12.4 . Figure 12.4 Vio le n ce In dic ato rs : K now t h e W arn in g S ig ns The following behaviors should be taken seriously when assessing situations of potential violence: Direct or veiled threatening statements Recent performance declines, including concentration problems and excessive excuses Insubordination and severe reactions to criticism Prominent mood or behavior changes; despondence Preoccupation with guns, knives, or other weapons 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 4/8 Deliberate destruction of workplace equipment; sabotage Fascination with stories of violence or war Reckless or antisocial behavior; evidence of prior assaultive behavior Aggressive behavior or intimidating statements; yelling or using profanity Written messages of violent intent; exaggerated perceptions of injustice Serious stress, legal, or financial problems in one’ s personal life Intruding on other people’s privacy by pestering, spying on, or stalking them Obsessive desire to harm a specific group or person Violence against a family member Substance abuse Source : Adapted from V iolence in the Workplace: Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies, NIOSH Bulletin #59; David D. V an Fleet and Ella W. Van Fleet, “Preventing W orkplace Violence: The V iolence Volcano Metaphor ,” Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship 12, no. 3 (July 2007): 17; Bella L. Galperin and Joanne D. Leck, “Understanding the V iolent Offender in the W orkplace,” Journal of American Academy of Business 10, no. 2 (March 2007): 1 14. Other measures to reduce workplace violence include having workers team up in pairs rather than working alone and making environmental adjustments, such as increasing lighting levels, locking down entries to prevent unauthorized people from gaining access to the firm’s facilities, and providing personnel with mobile phones, walkie-talkies, and panic devices. Following the alleged attacks on the maids in Manhattan, the Pierre and Sofitel hotels decided to equip them with panic buttons. The Sofitel also changed its dress code to let maids wear pants.

Last, but certainly not least, a firm’ s HR department must effectively communicate to a firm’ s employees that it has zero tolerance for violence. Organizations such as Garden Fresh, a restaurant chain, Enterprise Rent-a-Car , JetBlue Airways, and Ritz Carlton have formalized workplace violence prevention policies informing employees that aggressive employee behavior will not be tolerated. Employees should encourage employees to report any possible or observed incidents to their firm’ s HR departments. Some firms have set up hotlines for employees to report incidents without having to fear repercussions for “getting involved.” Workplace Emergencies Because an organization’ s HR department deals with every employee, it is in an ideal position to spearhead the ef fort to plan for emergencies, deal with them, and provide 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 5/8 assistance to employees afterward. According to OSHA, a workplace emergency is an unforeseen situation that threatens employees, customers, or the public; disrupts or shuts down operations; or causes physical or environmental damage. Emergencies can be natural or manmade. In addition to workplace violence, they can include the following. Floods Hurricanes Tornadoes Fires Toxic gas releases Chemical spills Radiological accidents Explosions Civil disturbances and terrorism OSHA requires companies to have emergency action plans (A plan an organization develops that contains step-by-step procedures for dealing with various emergency situations ) to deal with incidents such as these. An emergency action plan must include, among other things, procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency , evacuating a facility, and accounting for employees after an evacuation. The plan must also include procedures for employees who must remain in facilities to ensure critical plant operations continue, as well as procedures for workers performing rescue and medical duties. A copy of the emergency action plan should either be provided to employees or kept in a convenient location where employees can access it. Organizations with 10 or fewer employees are allowed to communicate their emergency plans orally to employees.

Highlights in HRM 3 shows a readiness-assessment checklist that organizations can complete to determine how prepared they are for an emergency . OSHA Publication 3088, How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations , is also a helpful guideline for employers. To help small, low-hazard service or retail businesses implement an emergency action plan and comply with the agency’ s emergency standards, OSHA has an eT ool.

Although it is not required, OSHA advises organizations to have alternative communication centers or backup computer servers they can use if their facilities are destroyed or inaccessible. The offsite physical or Web locations can be used to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, emergency contact lists, and other essential records. Amazon.com, for example, has a computing service that allows companies to store data on its servers in addition to or in lieu of their own servers. HR managers should also make sure that employees know whom to contact and how during an 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 6/8 emergency. Following a major earthquake in Seattle, Starbucks used a voicemail system to tell its employees to call or text message the company to make sure that everyone was accounted for . Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Marriott set up an 800 number employees and managers could call for status updates on the company’ s various facilities affected by the hurricane. A firm’s website can also be used to disseminate crisis information to employees, the press, and other entities that need information.

Crisis Management T eams Organizations such as Motorola and Circle K Corporation have implemented formal crisis management teams. These teams, composed of hourly and managerial employees, work in conjunction with HR to conduct initial risk assessment surveys, develop emergency action plans, test them, and, perform crisis intervention during emergency events. For example, a crisis management team would investigate a threat reported by an employee. The team’ s mandate would be to gather facts about the threat, decide whether the organization should intervene, and, if so, determine the most appropriate method of doing so. Figure 12.5 shows what a crisis management team or other manager could do to calm an angry employee, for example. Figure 12.5 Calm in g a n A ngry E m plo yee If you try to defuse a tense situation, remember that anger frequently results from a person’ s feeling of being wronged, misunderstood, or unheard. Keep the following tips in mind to guide you. Strive to save the employee’ s dignity during an angry confrontation. Do not attack a person’s rash statements or continue a muddled line of thinking.

Hold all conversations in private. Do not allow the employee to create an embarrassing public situation for himself or herself, yourself, or other employees.

Always remain calm. Anger or aggressiveness on your part will trigger a similar response in the employee.

Listen to the employee with an open mind and nonjudgmental behavior . Give the employee the benefit of hearing him or her out.

Recognize the employee’s legitimate concerns or feelings. Agree that the employee has a valid point and that you will work to correct the problem.

If the employee is very emotional or if the engagement seems out of control, schedule a delayed meeting so people can calm down. 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 7/8 Keep the discussion as objective as possible. Focus on the problem at hand, not the personalities of individuals. A cornerstone of conflict resolution is to attack the problem, not the personality .

If the employee appears overly aggressive, withdraw immediately and seek professional help before any further discussion with the employee.

If your efforts fail to calm the employee, report the incident to your manager , security, or human resource personnel. Source : Adapted from professional literature on crisis management and seminars attended by the authors. Of course, it is impossible to prepare for every emergency or disaster that could af fect a firm, so what crisis management teams typically do is learn from past incidents and formulate strategies for dealing with them should they occur in the future. The September 11, 2001, attacks on the W orld Trade Center and Pentagon are perfect examples. The attacks made U.S. companies, particularly those in high-profile industries such as the airline industry , sporting facilities, energy plants and dams, high-tech companies, financial institutions, and public and commercial buildings, more cognizant of terrorism and how to prepare for it. In unprecedented numbers, firms began looking at their operations for ways to improve their security . Among the measures organizations adopted following 9-1 1 were to lock all facilities and provide only employees with electronic cards for entry; check the IDs of visitors; install video monitors, alarms, and blast-resistant glass in buildings; tighten the entry and security of their garage and parking facilities; and protect their computer systems against unauthorized access and data theft.

Crisis management teams and HR managers also play a key role when it comes to getting employees back to work and paid on time following an emergency . For example, after Hurricane Katrina, Ritz Carlton’s HR department set up a central command post. HR directors from all over the country helped employees af fected by the storm quickly transfer to new locations. Some workers may not want to return to work due to the shock they experienced. Jim Martin, an employee assistance program professional with the Detroit Fire Department, notes that after an incident, employees can experience shock, guilt, grief, apathy, resentment, cynicism, and a host of other emotions. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) can be utilized to help workers such as these, educate them about benefits available to them, and, in some cases, even locate them. The U.S. Postal Service’ s EAP found families of 40 workers after Hurricane Katrina by sending a team wearing USPS EAP T-shirts and carrying signs to New Orleans’ s Astrodome, where victims had taken shelter. Crisis management teams are also responsible for disseminating public information and addressing the press. Chapter 12: Promoting Safety and Health: 12.2d Safety Hazards and Issues Book Title: Managing Human Resources Printed By: Cedric T urner ([email protected]) © 2016 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning 5/13/2020 Print Preview https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?eISBN=9781285872643&id=30222992&nbId=116383&snapshotId=116383&dockAppUid=101& 8/8 © 2020 Cengage Learning Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may by reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, or in any other manner - without the written permission of the copyright holder .