Health & Safety Issues in the Organisations

According to the survey of the International Labor Organization(ILO) they had stated that 7,397 employees dies every day from Occupational accidents and work related diseases like fatigue, stress, Migraine, attacks, etc. which means around 2.7 Million people die every year just because of the unethical behavior of the organisations. The high level management should take care of their workers because as Richard Branson has said: Employees are the biggest assets of the organisation.

So it is the responsibility of the organisation to make their employee feel safe from everything. some of the most frequently cited violations which i have noticed during my research on the safety causes are:

1. (Fall Protection, e.g. the unprotected sides and edges and leading edges):
The workers who work in the construction companies or real estate companies when they work on the high height they are usually not equipped with the safety cables, helmets, etc. which causes harm to the life of the workers.

2. (Hazard Communication, e.g. classifying harmful chemical):
The employees working in the pharmaceuticals industries they are not aware about with which chemical they are working with the management only tell them how to work with the chemicals but do not tell them with which chemical they are working with. Also employees do not get the usual protective gadgets to get protected from the chemicals just because of that employees are getting serious diseases.

3. (Scaffolding, e.g. required resistance and maximum weight numbers):
Scaffolding also called scaffold or staging is the temporary structure used to support a work crew in materials to aid in construction, maintenance and repair of buildings bridges and other man made structures. If the scaffold is not constructed properly it may collapse hence causing death of employees on it by falling down from a great height.

4.(Respiratory Protection, e.g. emergency procedures and respiratory/filter equipment standards.):
Respiratory Protection is done by a Respirator. It is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres including particulate matter such as dusts and air borne, microorganisms, as well as hazardous fumes, vapors and gases. Like cotton industries and leather industries is a big example for Respiratory hazardous because they do not provide Respirators to the employees which causes many diseases to the employees.

Let's take an example of a company who is Disregarding the Workers Safety: 

OSHA: Aluminum Service LLC:

Despite a tumultuous relationship with OSHA, Aluminum Shapes LLC continues to disregard worker safety. Aluminum manufacturers is facing $169,524 in penalties following an August 2019 incident in which a worker was hospitalized. Aluminum Shapes continues to disregard their legal responsibility to comply with safety and health standards, said OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick, in a statement. Employers have an obligation to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. The agency cited the company for one serious and three repeat violations after a steel plate fell from an uninspected crane onto an employee's foot. In addition to not inspecting the crane on an annual basis, Aluminum Shapes did not report this injury to OSHA within 24 hours and failed to balance and secure the load. Aluminum Shapes has a long-standing history of noncompliance with OSHA going back to 2011.

·         In January 2017, inspectors found 51 health and safety violations and discovered that two employees had been injured previous to the investigation, but it was not reported. In the first case, the worker experienced chemical burns after entering a tank to drain residual sludge containing dehydrated sodium hydroxide, aluminum oxide and decomposed metal. Despite employees reporting to supervisors that they were experiencing chemical burns to their skin, the workers were directed to re-enter the tank, suffering further injuries.

·         The second incident occurred when a machine operator suffered a broken pelvis after being caught between the unguarded moving parts of a metal fabrication machine, according to OSHA.

OSHA also cited the company for repeat violations including fall hazards, lack of stair rails, machine guarding and electrical hazards. Aluminum Services LLC also received serious citations for inadequate ladders, inappropriate respiratory and hearing protection, insufficient entry permits, and lack of machine guarding and hazardous chemical training. In total, OSHA proposed penalties of $1,922,895. Despite its lengthy OSHA history, Aluminum Shapes still does not comply with federal safety and health standards, said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA’s Marlton Area Office in a 2017 statement. These hazards leave workers vulnerable to the risk of serious injury and possible death. OSHA has now placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program for repeated safety failures. 

Why OSHA should Hire Safety Consultant:

In order for most companies to remain competitive and stay in business, they must provide--per OSHA--a safe work environment for all of their employees . . . not just the full-time employees. You may have the best safety and training program, however, human error is impossible to predict and control 100 percent. Your safety and training manager (if you have one in house) usually has more on his/her plate than the original job description depicts. He or she does not have the time, and your budget constraints do not allow him or her the resources, to keep up with the ever-changing environment in which we live and work. Therefore, in most cases, it is very cost effective to hire a safety consultant to take a fresh look at your company policies, training, accident prevention programs, and a multitude of other issues that may be particular to your type of industry and company.

Unethical Move by BSNL: Customers not Intimated about Major Plan Changes

Earlier last month we had reported about famed BSNL’s night unlimited plans going away. The plan changes were so major that users would end up paying a lot for what they usually got for free.

The proposed revision is set to completely do away with the night unlimited part and customers would be paying at reduced rates for those times. 1 GB of data download which used to cost nothing so far will cost Rs. 154  (at the rate of Rs. 0.15/MB) during 2 AM to 8 AM. It will cost double the amount if used during other hours.

Despite of this major impact BSNL did not intimate a majority of consumers over this long period. Note that the decision was taken before June 10 and the changes were to be effective (now effective) from July 1. Going by the comments, only some BSNL offices intimated customers over last few days of June and most of them are alerting after the change of plan. Though we at TelecomTALK provide authentic information, many of our readers were confused with this move by BSNL due to lack of official announcements. Last month the comments were mainly about will the change happen. Alert readers confirmed the same after contacting local BSNL offices. As we feared, due to lack of proper intimation, lots of customers are sharing their worries about bill shocks next month.

What is the Solution?

1. BSNL must accept their mistake and push forward these changes by at least a month.
2. Customers must be intimated by proper means like email, SMS or phone call and be briefed about the impact and suggested alternatives. Not everyone can compare plans easily. It takes time for experts too!

If BSNL fails to do both of the above, we suggest customers who get high bills to opt for “SAMADHAAN” scheme. However according to their corporate website the option is not available now. They keep relaunching it from time to time. So unfortunately negotiating for a similar deal could be the answer. Of course approaching consumer court can also be a solution but that demands time and effort.

UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES BY APPLE COMPANY

UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES BY APPLE COMPANY                            

Apple organization like any other business organization is required by the law to function according to the stipulated ethics so as to respond effectively to both internal and external triggers of change. These ethics are important in an organization since it expresses the values an organization has to its workers and to the general public. The elements which have contributed to this organizations excellent performance in the competitive market include respect for the clients, honesty and trust among other ethics. These ethics have contributed to Apple’s organization overall performance through influencing its employees ways of thinking, building trust within the organization and their customers and developing goal oriented culture in the organization hence, its excellent performance in the electronics market 

Upholding of the labor and human rights to promote dignity are some of the ethical principles of the Apple organization. This is achieved through treating its employees with dignity and respecting their varied needs and backgrounds to promote organization’s productivity and unity at the workplace. Other ethical codes in this organization include, anti discrimination (basing on race, age gender or color), fair remuneration, prevention of forced labor, prevention of under-aged labor, provision of adequate working hours( 60 hours per week), freedom of association within the organization among other ethics which govern the behavior of the employees in the organization .

Despite these reputations linked with the Apple organization, the organization has been associated with various unethical behaviors which have contributed negatively to the company’s provision of their products and services to their customers. The company should function in a way that is acceptable in the society and engage in organization’s activities which contribute to the overall economic stability and protection of the environment (Lusted, 2012). Therefore, this paper tries to analyze in detail the unethical behaviors which have been associated with the Apple Company, and try to identify some of the effects which are likely to contribute to these unethical behaviors. The analysis is done taking into consideration the MAN 2100 which stipulates the ethical responsibilities which the organization should uphold.

One of the unethical behaviors of the Apple Company is the violation of their employees’ rights and labor laws. This is evidenced by the long working hours its employees have to perform their tasks. For instance, audits done in the company revealed that the employees were working in the company for a duration of more than 60 hours a week and some employees working in the organization for a duration of more than six days in a week. Additionally, the company is involved in the employment of children who are less than 15 years and providing false information in their records. The employees are paid less wages as compared to the duration of their working hence, violating their rights which is unethical 

Additionally, the company engages in innovations which are considered unethical according to the MAN 2100 regulation on organization’s responsibilities. The employees responsible for marketing these innovations are required by the organization work for long periods of time causing burn out and exhaustion to these employees. Employees have faced incidences of injuries such as motion injuries, injuries due to exposure to toxic chemical substances and the provision of unhealthy working conditions at the pretext of promoting innovations contributing to the violation of the employees’ labor rights hence, engaging in unethical behavior.