safety

Posted: August 7th, 2013

Safety within the workplace

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Safety within the workplace

The state of staff safety and workplace violence within Seven Art Printers requires a detailed review and a proposal recommendation of the way forward to reduce violence cases. The resolution of such cases falls under the jurisdiction of the plant manager, Mrs. Woodworth. Workplace violence refers to the violence that exists between and among employees and employers and threatens the tranquil atmosphere and productivity of the staff. Violence can be categorized as either physical violence such as punching or non-physical violence such as intimidation or threats.

The current state of safety within Seven Art Printers reveals certain problems. The company’s safety policy requires reviews from qualified assessors to rectify numerous backdated policies as well as including new safety and security aspects. The clauses on employee protection and compensation in the case of a violent episode do not completely serve to protect employees from all kinds of attacks. The compensation terms within the company’s safety policy also does not contain satisfactory insurance premiums, fines and compensation payments in the case of a violent attack (Walters et al, 2009).

The recent case of a shooting that took place within the Seven Art Printers premises was an indication that the physical security in the firm needed a complete overhaul. The incident happened during the peak hours when all security personnel were at their stations. All the security systems were also easily disabled by the perpetrator. The shooting resulted in the death of one employee. Other intrusions have also been recorded in the course of the year that have resulted in employee losing morale, increased stress levels and destruction of company property. These security threats require changes in the physical and structural procedures of the company to include effective systems that will guarantee safety at Seven Art Printers.

Recommendations

            Prevention measures are necessary to avert the possibility of future breaches of security. The staff should be briefed on secure and safe ways of conducting business within the workplace. For example, controlling the usage of their keycards and enforcing any security precautions that have been installed by the company. The management should also increase the enforcement of different aspects of the company’s safety policy. Regular reviews and revisions should be made to the document to increase the level of safety within their premises. An important part of the revision of the safety policy is the armed intruder response protocol. These guidelines dictate how the security staff shall respond to armed intruders. Violators of the policy should also be dealt with harshly to deter any future recurrences.

The results of the risk assessment reports that include the revamping of the security agency, Omega One Securities, should be implemented fully. The company had proved unable to provide security at Seven Art Printers. After consideration with other head of departments, Reliable Soldiers Security Company was selected as the optional firm to give the firm security services. The new security personnel will be briefed on the need to tighten security and properly scrutinize the human traffic in and out of the firm. In addition to the new security firm, the security team will also be taken through a basic exercise that will tutor them on how to use their equipment in increasing security (Walters et al, 2009).

The installation of a capable physical security team and changes in the structural formation and procedures within Seven Art printers will ensure that instances of security breaches are kept to a minimum. The security staff however plays a larger role in ensuring that safety is maintained. Healthy inter-staff relations should also be encouraged to reduce cases of internal workplace violence arising from rumors, envy and competition.