Abstract
Occupational accidents bring with
them serious problems, both financial and non-financial, for employees as well
as organisations. The purpose of this study was to investigate adherence to
health and safety standards in a selected X-engineering outsoucing company. A
quantitative survey approach was used in which a structured questionnaire was
administered to a purposively selected sample composed of 165 employees from a
steel processing company based in the Gauteng province. The collected data were
analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version
22.0). The results of the study confirm that employees in the selected steel
processing company are satisfied with the degree of adherence to health and
safety standards. Employees felt that the company has in place various rewards
which are offered to employees whenever they successfully follow health and
safety rules. The study further revealed that the labour union in the company
participates actively in health and safety issues and that its recommendations
are taken seriously by the company. Finally, employees are satisfied with the
workplace surroundings in areas such as ventilation, room temperature, lighting
and hygiene. Conclusions drawn from the study and recommendations are
discussed.
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
Self-regulation
and the implicit need for health and safety management systems and employee
involvement was incorporated into the Health and safety at Work Act 1974. This
was necessitated through the Robens report of 1972 where he proposed that
health and safety management systems was essential if the ideal of
self-regulation of health and safety by industry was to be realized. He further
recognized that a more active involvement of the workforce in such systems was
essential if self-regulation was to work.
Since the
introduction of the HSW Act, health and safety standards have improved
considerably but there have been some catastrophic failures, one of which is
the Piper Alpha incident of 1988, where 167 people died as a result of a fire
outbreak on the off-shore oil platform. At the subsequent inquiry, the concept
of a safety culture was defined by the Director General of the HSE at the time,
J. R. Remington and his definition has remained as one of the main checklists
for a successful health and safety management system.
1.2 Background of the Study
Globalisation has created widespread changes in the labour
market, with many organisations facing enormous pressure to stay profitable and
competitive. Technological advances occupy an important position amongst these
changes, and are primarily intended to improve productivity (Lund and Marriot,
2011). The rapid changes taking place in the labour market which are triggered
by globalisation compel some organisations to take short cuts in the completion
of work, leading to high rates of work-related health hazards and accidents
(Huang et al., 2012). This unfortunately happens at the expense of the safety
of employees in the workplace since strict safety regulations are typically
disregarded (Baram, 2009). Adherence to work-related health and safety
regulations is a huge challenge encountered by many organisations, and this
phenomenon has serious implications on the productivity and reputation of an
organisation (Omogoroye and Oke, 2007). Continuous efforts are therefore needed
to curb the high incidents of health- and safety-related diseases and accidents
in the workplace.
The South African steel processing sector and its upstream
and downstream industries continue to play a critical role in the South African
economy, directly employing approximately 1 779 000 employees nationwide
(Statistics South Africa, 2015). Steel processing and manufacturing industries
constantly need to maintain the desired safety standards to improve the present
health and safety standard in order to protect the lives of employees, property
as well as the working environment (Pajero-Moscoso, Rubio-Romero and
Perez-Canto, 2012). This is because the steel manufacturing sector is a very
hazardous environment to work in, as it is associated with various work-related
hazards such as excessive heat, high noise level, hazardous gases and
vibrations (Pollitt, 2011). Mthalane, Othman and Pearl (2007) report that
employees in the steel processing sector experience various types of accidents
such as stepping or striking against objects, sprains, strains, slipping,
falling from heights, machinery and transport accidents in addition to numerous
health risks. Hence, employees’ safety in the workplace is paramount especially
in the steel manufacturing sector which is characterised by such high levels of
accidents.
1.3
Aim of the Study
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of
employee perceptions of health and safety, health and safety adherence and
employee health and safety behaviours on overall work-related health and safety
awareness. The study was conducted in the auspices of x-engineering outsourcing
company. As mentioned by Robbins and Judge (2007), non-compliance to the health
and safety
regulations continues to be major challenge for steel
companies. Millions of work-related accidents and deaths occur in steel plants
worldwide, which is a major cause of concern (Lingard, Blismas and Cooke,
2009).
1.4 Problems of Study
Unfortunately, management sitting at the highest echelons in
steel processing organisations is often aloof, has little information, and is
inexperienced in shop floor issues regarding health and safety, making it very
difficult for them to relate to the health and safety needs of the employees at
the shop floor level (Bosak, Coetsee and Cullinane, 2013). Yet the increase of
work-related injuries and diseases in the workplace is worrisome, given its
severe impact on employees’ welfare and the high cost to businesses and the
country’s economy (Casey and Krauss, 2013).
The costs to employees injured whilst furthering the
interests of the employer in the workplace has serious implications on the
injured employee. This places limits on future employment prospects for
employees due to serious injuries suffered in the workplace (Watson et al.,
2005). Other costs include the loss of wages, setting up rehabilitation centers
and high medical costs (Bosak et al. 2013). In addition, it has been
observed that work-related accidents and diseases occur mostly due to the
decisions primarily made about work, choices about the way work is organised,
and the materials and technologies used in the workplace (Rosenberg, Levenstein
and Spangler, 2005). Unionised workplaces are more likely than non-unionised organisations
to be inspected by labour inspectors. This is because employees that are
unionised have health and safety committees in their workplaces as compared
non-unionized employees (Gray and Mendeloff, 2005). Also, the lack of a safety
culture among employees and failure to take responsibility for their safety
contributes to high levels of accidents (Dahl, 2013). These issues require
empirical attention, in order to generate appropriate long term solutions.
1.5
Objectives of Study
The present study is motivated
by the lack of a previous research that focused on the interplay between
employee perceptions, safety adherence, safety behaviours and health and safety
awareness in the context of the steel processing sector in South Africa. More
precisely, the following objectives were set for the study
•
To determine the influence of
employee perceptions of health and safety on their overall awareness of
work-related health and safety within the steel processing industry;
•
To establish the influence of
adherence to health and safety standards by employees on their overall
awareness of work-related health and safety in the steel processing industry;
• To
determine the influence of the behaviours of employees in the steel processing
industry regarding health and safety on their overall awareness of work-related
health and safety.