Safety and risk management Problem Solution Essay

Abstract

Safety and risks have continuously caused a lot of interest in workplace environment. The reason is that workplace hazards have resulted in increased injuries and deaths. As such, risk and safety management is critical in ensuring safe working environment. Moreover, managing risk and safety in the workplace often begin by organisations’ commitment to healthy and safety working environment.

In addition, organisation’s managers need the understanding and corporation of all stakeholders in order to implement established safety measures. Management has to demonstrate their commitment to safety measures in order to attain the objectives of the safety procedures. The paper tends to explore various approaches to safety and risk management procedures particularly within organisations. Moreover, the paper will draw from the work of various scholars to explore the concepts of risk and safety management.

Introduction

Managing risk and safety in the workplace often begin by organisations’ commitment to healthy and safety working environment. Moreover, organisations’ managers need the understanding and corporation of all stakeholders in order to implement established safety measures. Management has to demonstrate their commitment to safety measures in order to attain the objectives of the safety procedures (Clarke 360).

Such commitments are demonstrated through constant involvement in safety issues, investments in safety measures and ensuring that all stakeholders understand the needs for safety. Safe workplace environment are often attained through risk and safety management process. Safety and management process is a series of systems put in place to ensure risks and hazards occurring in the workplace are prevented. As such, safety and risk management revolves around prevention of possible hazards within the workplace.

Risk and safety management

The management of risk within an organisation involves a series of steps and procedures ranging from identification of the probable hazard to establishing control measures particularly on the impending impact of the possible hazard.

Within the continuum of procedures are the assessments, prioritisation, coordination, evaluation and application of resources to reduce the possibility of hazardous occurrences (Brenner 251). Modern organisations establish procedural measures that ensure reduction of the possibility of risk occurrences while optimising on attaining probable prospects.

In the organisation setting, risks arise from varied sources. In particular, risks may result from uncertainties in financial management, legal charges, project failures, natural disasters, industrial accidents, natural causes as well as an attack from competitors. Risks from any source pose a serious threat to the growth and development of the organisation (Bjerkan 451). Even though occurrences of risks may be unpredictable, most organisations are establishing procedures and standards that would mitigate the occurrences of hazards.

Moreover, risk management standards have been developed across various organisations and institutions. However, their scope, objectives, goals and methods varies with the context in which it is developed. For instance, risk standards for project management differ with the standards set for engineering and security. In other words, risk management standards are unique to a given area.

The risk management procedures are based on the strategies established to manage uncertainties having harmful impacts. Such strategies involve transfer of probable risk, understanding the potential benefits as well as reducing the harmful effect (Bjerkan 451). Moreover, understanding the potential benefits of uncertainties is one of the most important strategies in managing risks.

The standards and procedures in risk management

As indicated, risk management involves a series of steps ranging from identification of the probable hazard to establishing control measures. Identification is the understanding or measuring the possibilities of any potential hazards occurrences. In fact, identification is the process of knowing the type of risk that would occur (Fenn 467). Once the risk has been identified, assessment is done on the probability of occurrence as well as the consequences.

Evaluations are undertaken to determine the consequences and possible duration the risk is likely to take in order to occur. Risk assessments are often carried out through the application of various procedures. However, scientific methods are preferred in the evaluation of risks.

In ideal management of risks, prioritisation involves arranging hazards according to the effects and possibilities of occurrences. Hazards with the most harmful effect as well as risks with the highest possibility of occurring are given first priority. Prioritisation enables management to deal first with risks that have increased possibilities of occurrence as well as those with greater impacts (Brenner 251).

However, identifying risks with the highest probability of occuring but having low impacts and hazards with high impacts but low probability of occurring could be challenging. In practice, identification, assessing and prioritisation of such risks are quite difficult.

Some aspects of risk management create serious challenge to the organisations. For instance, dealing with intangible, relationship, process-engagement as well as knowledge risks have been demanding to most organisations. Intangible risks often have the highest possibility of occurring.

However, such risks are overlooked by organisations because of deficiencies in the capacity to detect such risks. Moreover, knowledge risks become visible when scarce comprehension is applied in a particular state of affairs. In the same context, relationship risks occur when unproductive relationships come about (Fenn 467). In addition, process engagement risks take place when an organisation applies unsuccessful operational procedures.

The identified risks are directly involved in the reduction of organisations’ productivity particularly on skilled workforce. Moreover, such risks have direct impact the firms earning due to reduced quality in products and services. Further, intangible risks reduce the brand popularity and quality. Intangible risks increase the cost of operations both directly and indirectly. Understanding the problems associated with intangible risks enables organisations enhance their efforts towards risk reduction procedures.

Problems also emerge during distribution of funds to various sectors or sections. In most cases, resource allocation involves prioritisation and opportunity costs. Organisations often find it difficult to allocate resources in the risk and safety management when other sections are of high priority. In other words, risk management is not often prioritized in many organisations. However, organisations that invest in risk management have benefits with positive long-term effects on the operations (Fenn 467).

In appropriate management of risks, expenditures on other areas such as labour are minimized while negative impacts of any hazard are also reduced. The reason is that reduction of negative effects of risks contributes equally to the general profits organisation gain from investment in other areas considered important. Essentially, the management of risks is equally important business process that organisations have to undertake.

Principles of safety and risk management

Practically, safety and risk management should create value to the organisation. In other words, the gains from resources invested in the mitigation of safety hazards should be more than the impacts of the vulnerability to danger. In other words, resources spent on the prevention of hazards should be less in relation to the impacts of not taking action. Moreover, safety and risk management should be incorporated in the organisations’ activities.

Besides being part of the organisations’ decision-making processes, safety and risk management procedures should adequately deal with improbability and suppositions. In addition, safety and risk management procedures should be efficient and well thought-out.

In addition to transparency and inclusiveness, safety and risk management system should be tailored towards desired outcome and based on the informed opinion. Moreover, safety management system should take into consideration human factors, self-motivation and be iterative as well as receptive to constant transformations. Further, procedures in the safety and risk management system should be susceptible to continuous improvement and development.

The processes in risk and safety management

As indicated, the processes in risk and safety management consist of various steps and procedures ranging from identification of the possible danger to establishing mitigation. Besides, the risk and safety management processes should follow the standard procedures as set out in the regulatory frameworks or institutions.

In risk management, the process often begins from context establishment. Establishing the context is the process of identifying the framework or outline that will guide the management procedures. The framework is also provided in the safety management system.

Workplace safety management

Most organisations are required to establish safety management systems in their operations. The safety management systems are the efficient and organised approach to executing safety measures. In broad categorisation, safety management systems comprises of organisations’ structures, measures of accountability, strategies and methods (Brenner 251).

Specifically, the safety management systems consists of various elements including precise dedications to safety by the organisations’ administration, appointing employees to be in charge of safety measures, prior identification of risks and mitigations, investigating and auditing safety measures as well as safety performance evaluation.

The elements of the safety management system are within the required safety practices and standards. The major aim of integrating safety management structures into the functions of organisation is to decrease the chances of accidents occurrences and to improve employees’ safety particularly in high-risk industries (Bjerkan 452).

Currently, safety management systems are rarely evaluated in most organisations yet safety concerns are on the rise. The reason is that most organisations have not developed appropriate empirical safety evaluation procedures that would enable proper functioning of the safety management systems.

Moreover, it has not been empirically determined whether some elements in the safety management system have more influence. However, studies indicate that management commitments and sufficient safety communications have greater effect on the attitudes to safety (Bjerkan 451). Organisations that have strong commitments to safety and invest on safety measures always have positive benefits from the safety standards.

In the context of high-risk organisations, safety management systems are the planned, acknowledged and certifiable procedures of administering vulnerability to danger and related risk. In other words, safety management system is the procedural approach to risk management. As indicated, managing risks require organisations’ structures that support implementation of the set procedures, accountabilities on the part of management as well as strategies geared towards attaining the safety goals (Fenn 467).

Even though various organisations have different approaches to safety and risk management, the most applied standard procedures include the recognition of safety measures, counteractive action or activity that would ensure sustenance of safety performance, regular evaluation and constant monitoring of safety performance and ensuring incessant enhancement on safety measures (Clarke 360).

The procedural approaches to the risk management have to be supported by empirical evidence. In other words, the safety management system must be based on scientific methods and evidences. In fact, safety management systems reflect a collective practices and strategies that organisations utilise to ensure safety of their workers as well as other stakeholders.

However, the safety management system is a general approach to safety standards. Nevertheless, organisations are advised to devise their own systems of risk management depending on the circumstances, type of business processes and operations as well as industry. In other words, organisations are expected to be accountable for the administration of their distinctive engineering risks.

As such, self-regulations on safety management are imperative. Essentially, self-regulations on safety management are founded on the notion that organisations have to be accountable for the management of its exceptional hazard profile (Bjerkan 449).

In other words, self-regulations present the need for organisations to take rational realistic procedures that would ensure safety of their employees. Self-regulations are supported by the need of organisations to have better safety management system. In addition, the need to have increased management initiatives to safety as well as augmented participation on the part of employees form the basis for self-regulations in safety management.

Essentially, self-regulatory activities should be founded on the standard safety management systems particularly in a high-risk environment (Bjerkan 449). Safety management systems are combination of safety-related procedures that enable organisations carry out their roles within the continuum of self-regulations. Self-regulations and safety management systems procedures has proved to be effective in safety management across industries. However, the emphasis has been on the workplace health and safety.

The benefits of safety management system

Whereas safety management systems procedures are different according to each industrial domain, the premise is that the procedures would result in increased safety performance (Bjerkan 449). Moreover, the real benefits of safety management system are varied within the organisation.

Essentially, safety management system is critical to the success of organisations. Appropriate execution of safety management system should result in the attainment of the organisations’ goals. In addition, the implementation of safety management system should enhance the organisations’ safety performance through prior identification and putting in place measures that would lead to the reduction of hazards.

Effective implementation of safety management system would lead to the reduction of accidents occurrences particularly within high-risk organisations. Reduced occurrences of incidences and accidents also lead to reduced costs (Clarke 360).

In essence, appropriate safety management system procedures would lead to the reduction of both direct and indirect costs associated with safety and risk management. Indirect costs include insurance premium as well as hospital bills that organisations may incur because of hazardous incidences. However, with proper management of safety procedures, such indirect costs are reduced considerably.

Other benefits include safety recognition by the organisations’ stakeholders including clients and employees. Such recognitions are critical for the positive relationship organisations build with the stakeholders as well as communities in which they operates. In other words, organisations will be perceived as socially and ethically responsible particularly when the concern is on risks associated with environmental hazards (Bjerkan 451).

Generally, effective safety management system leads to the prevention of incidences and accidents related to hazards. Studies indicate that organisations with effective safety management procedures have reduced chances of accidents occurring. In addition, such organisations have increased benefits of safety measures.

Moreover, organisations with practicable and appropriate safety management system have a proof of diligence in case legal safety investigations are conducted. However, the benefits vary with the organisation and industry. In high-risk industries, the benefits of appropriate safety management system are more pronounced (Fenn 467).

Conclusion

The risk management process involves a series of steps and procedures ranging from identification of the probable hazard to establishing control measures particularly on the impending impact of the possible danger. Further, the process begins by establishing context. Establishing the context is the process of identifying the framework or outline that will guide the management procedures.

However, within the continuum of procedures are the assessments, prioritisation, coordination, evaluation and application of resources to reduce the possibility of hazardous occurrences. Modern organisations establish procedural measures that ensure reduction of the possibility of risk occurrences while optimising on attaining probable prospects.

In the context of managing security in the workplace, safety management systems are established. Safety management systems comprises of organisations’ structures, measures of accountability, strategies and methods.

Specifically, the safety management systems consists of various elements consisting of precise dedication to safety by the organisation administration, appointing employees in charge of safety measures, prior identification of risks and mitigations, investigating and auditing safety measures as well as safety performance evaluation.

As indicated, managing safety and risks in the workplace involves various processes including identification of the risks, evaluation and prioritisation. Even though scholars tend to differentiate the two concepts, management practitioners use the terms interchangeably in workplace safety management.

In addition, there are no specified standard procedures that have to be followed in risk and safety management. Studies indicate that organisations tend to adopt measures that are appropriate to the situation and industry in which they operate.

Works Cited

Bjerkan, Anne. “Health, environment, safety culture and climate – analysing the relationships to occupational accidents.” Journal of Risk Research, 13.1 (2010): 445-477. Print.

Brenner, Mark “‘Flexible’ work practices and occupational safety and health: exploring the relationship between cumulative trauma disorders and workplace transformation.” Industrial Relations, 43.4 (2004): 242-266. Print.

Clarke, Sharon “A meta-analytic review of the Big Five personality factors and accident involvement in occupational and non-occupational settings.” Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78.6, (2005): 355-376. Print.

Fenn, Paul. “Workplace risk, establishment size and union density.” British Journal of Industrial Relations, 42.16 (2004): 461-480. Print.