Introduction
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an organization that ensures safety for employees entering any potentially hazardous job. Therefore, the organization listens to workers’ concerns and responds appropriately. Its roles encompass upholding employees’ rights to report safety and health issues at the workplace and protection against punishment or discrimination by the employer (OSHA, 2019, p. 4). Employees are responsible for ensuring their safety and that of others directly affected by the omission or acts under the OSHA regulations. OSHA also provides guidelines for preventing workplace violence, practices for anti-retaliation, and reporting violence-related injuries (Arnetz, 2022). The essay evaluates whether physical assault and injury related to promotion at work would be recordable under OSHA.
Discussion
The physical fight and injury scenario could be recordable under OSHA because workplace violence is within the organization’s mandate. Career rewards and promotion are an emotional process that can cause unhealthy work relationships, especially if others feel the process is unfair. According to Karthikeyan & Thomas (2017, p. 198), these workplace conflicts arise from struggles over control, status, individual rivalry, power, and favor, to which individuals respond in unique ways. It makes sense that promotion caused the conflict and tension between the two employees, but no remedies were taken to stem it earlier. OSHA guidelines require employers to develop appropriate workplace violence prevention programs and engage employees to ensure their perspective is recognized (OSHA, 2019). Although Sean was the offender, reporting the incident to OSHA was within his right to allow due diligence and a chance for conflict resolution by a neutral entity.
The scenario would not be recordable under OSHA because Sean’s action is malicious intent to cause harm, which should be addressed by the employer’s internal disciplinary. Sean’s behavior is unethical because he ignored the right channel to express his frustration. Although workplace violence can happen anywhere and to anyone, OSHA has no specific standards for abrasive behavior. The current OSHA guidelines require employers to act on experience or when they become aware of actual workplace violence threats. Besides, the offender’s injuries are not directly linked to unsafe and unhealthful working conditions covered by OSHA. Therefore, Sean should have addressed the complaints or frustrations over his colleague’s promotion to the appropriate authority within his organization.
Employers are responsible for developing workplace violence prevention programs through constructive engagement with employees. The program enables employers to recognize employees’ perspectives, address their need to avoid conflicts and enhance safety. Secondly, employers are responsible for establishing a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. OSHA believes that a good policy combined with administrative controls can reduce workplace violence. Finally, OSHA requires employers to protect employees exercising various rights, such as reporting complaints (OSHA, 2019). It includes identifying and remedying issues or activities that may expose employees to workplace violence or compromise their safety.
Conclusion
In conclusion, OSHA’s main objective is to ensure employees have safe and healthy working conditions. The physical fight involving the two employers would be recognizable by OSHA based on several circumstances. Workplace violence, which could arise from struggles over control, status, individual rivalry, power, and favor, is recognized and addressed by OSHA guidelines. However, the scenario may be considered a malicious intent unrelated to OSHA health and safety guidelines. Therefore, it requires internal disciplinary intervention rather than OSHA. Overall, employers are responsible for developing workplace violence prevention programs, establishing a zero-tolerance policy, and protecting employees’ rights to report violations.
References
Arnetz, J. (2022). The Joint Commission’s New and Revised Workplace Violence Prevention Standards for Hospitals: A Major Step Forward Toward Improved Quality and Safety. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf, 48(4), 241–245.
Karthikeyan, C., & Thomas, P. (2017). Evaluative Study on Workplace Conflict Resolution Strategies: A Leadership Perspective. International Journal of Management, IT & Engineering, 7(7), 198-217.
OSHA. (2019). Workers’ Rights.OSHA Gov Web.