Presentation by:
Emily Egbe
INTRODUCTION
Generally, the concept of occupational health and safety in the workplace is a mandatory undertaking for all employers. The same applies in the field of aviation where the effective operation of organizations within the industry calls for the safety of all employees and use of airworthy equipment. for these reasons, Management of organizations as industry stakeholders are expected to emphasize and prioritize trainings, regulations, and work procedures with the aim of ensuring the enthronement of safety.
WHAT IS EMPLOYEE SAFETY?
Employee Safety refers to providing a safe working environment for employees by incorporating safe equipment and procedures to ensure workplace safety.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY?
Health and safety in the workplace is a two-way street. On the one hand, and primarily so, Employers are responsible for the provision of a safe working environment, reasonably free of recognized hazards to the Employees. In the industry, they are also responsible for complying with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under aviation laws and regulations. Employees on the other hand, also have the responsibility of complying with health and safety standards and procedures as put in place by the organization. In a high stake environment like the aviation industry, knowing who is responsible for what is crucial to achieving safety and efficiency.
WHY IS EMPLOYEE SAFETY IMPORTANT?
Facilitating a safe and healthy work environment is not just considered a measure to protect the workers from injury and illness, but also a deliberate measure to lower injury and illness costs, reduce absenteeism, and improve employee morale in the organization. Simply put, safety is good for business.
Employee safety also has other benefits such as improving employee retention, helping to remain OSHA compliant, creating a safe work environment to improve productivity, and safeguarding company reputation in the eyes of customers, competitors, and the general public.
HOW TO MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES TO CREATE A SAFETY CULTURE
Safety guidelines and practices established in a workplace are mostly effective when employees are also equally interested, and invested in. Creating a safe work environment includes participation from employees at all levels who work together to be aware of and follow the workplace safety culture and standards.
To motivate the employees to actively participate in creating a safe culture, the following simple steps should be followed:
- Prioritize safety in the organization’s culture;
- Leadership teams should be exemplary in implementing safety policies;
- Adopt positive reinforcements to remind employees of their contributions;
- Allow employees to take ownership of the safety process; and
- Consider employee feedback to evaluate safety programs.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one of the agencies charged with the responsibility of regulating the aviation industry. The major function of this organization is the global standardization of safety for the clients and workers. According to Kim and Song (2016), ‘ICAO also deals with the safety of aircrafts by regulating the environment within which they are operating’. To achieve these objectives, the organization proposes and recommends regulations that are aimed at protecting relevant stakeholders and the entire aviation space.
CONCLUSION
Employees are an integral part of an organization. To ensure their safety, a combination of systematic preparation and responsible behavior is necessary. Organizational culture and operations are major determinants of the wellbeing of the workforce. Also, the agencies created to promote workplace safety should be innovative to deal with emerging threats. For example, it is noted that ICAO’s Regulations of 2009 on Infrastructural Modification have played a major role in promoting the safety of employees in this industry. At all times, both the Employer and the Employee should bear in mind that “safety is good for business”.
REFERENCES
- Burnette, J. (2011). Chapter 3: Workplace Safety.Web
- Kim and Song (2016)
