COVID-19 has reinforced need for resilient national occupational safety

Dear Editor,
Going to work in a controlled and safe environment is not an unreasonable expectation for any worker. In many occupations, a level of danger is expected because it is inherent to the job, but this is only more reason for companies to take employee safety seriously. The best organisations are those that understand that a safe workplace is not only the right thing to do for their employees, but also the right thing for their bottom line.

In recent decades, power plants and the power industry as a whole have made great strides in improving their employee safety records. This positive trend can be attributed partially to increased oversight and government regulation, but what is required to be in compliance with regulators and oversight committees is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is necessary to be an industry leader in safety.

The top performers in the power industry realise that implementing a safety programme that becomes imbedded in the culture of the organisation would not only benefit their workers, but also would help them become more competitive in the marketplace. These organisations realise that the monetary cost associated with implementing an effective safety programme is far less than the indirect costs associated with a high frequency of injuries. The industry leaders in safety have identified the most common hazards, developed safety programmes, successfully assessed these programmes, and understand the correlation between employee safety and profitability.

In any occupation, a level of risk can always be expected while on the job. Some occupations are obviously more dangerous than others, and, for many years, the power industry had a reputation of being one of the most hazardous workplace environments. The industry has worked hard to eliminate this reputation, and today it is a much safer work environment than in the past.

However, there has been a consistent downward trend in the number of annual fatalities and recordable injuries.

Power companies typically have two sets of safety exposures: those that exist in the plant, and those that exist in the field. Field workers are widely recognised as having the more hazardous occupation, but plant employees also sometimes work under dangerous conditions. Three hazards account for a large majority of the injuries: direct contact with electricity, fires and explosions of hot equipment, and contact with hazardous chemicals.

COVID-19 has reinforced the need for resilient national occupational safety and health systems to be in place. Organisational focus on employee safety can provide for higher morale and productivity in the workplace. This is due to the perception that the company truly cares about the health and well-being of its employees, thus creating a sense of pride for the companies and organisations.

Increased productivity as it correlates to safety and morale is a difficult metric to measure, but forward-thinking organisations must realise that it does exist, and can therefore justify the costs of their safety programmes as compared to the productivity benefits that they provide.

Companies and organisations should start by updating their risk assessment to manage the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) in their businesses. This would help them to understand what you should do to work safely, and protect your employees.
Talk to workers and provide information.
Consult and involve employees in the steps management is taking to manage the risk of coronavirus in the workplace, explaining the changes that you’re planning to work safely with, make sure changes would work, and hear their ideas as managers continue to operate businesses safely.

Sincerely,
David Adams