Factors Affecting Health and Safety
People are the most valuable asset for many organisations. And as organisations replace people with technology, the people that are left become even more valuable.
There are sound moral and legal reasons why we should ensure the health and safety of people in the workplace. It makes good economic sense, too.
Yet if this is true, why should we put lots of effort into protecting and maintaining physical and financial resources, while giving our most valuable resources - people - secondary consideration?
Health and safety in the workplace covers a much broader range of issues than just protecting people from physical harm. You need to consider:
- stress-related factors
- physical health and safety
- psychological, mental, and cultural factors
- Treaty of Waitangi issues
- cultural issues
- sexual harassment.
More information on the first three factors is available separately.
Cultural issues and Treaty of Waitangi obligations
Failure to recognise cultural differences, and failure to observe Treaty of Waitangi obligations, can be major causes of stress with all its negative consequences. In these circumstances, there is not much point in dealing with the symptoms of stress; you need to get to grips with the causes.
Different cultures may have many similarities. Maori and Pakeha cultures, for example, are similar in many respects. But there are also differences between the two in cultural values and customs. Thus, there may be behavioural differences between the two cultural groups. People may have different ways of doing things.
In the workplace, people need to be sensitive and understanding towards these differences. Failure to do this can place people under a great deal of pressure and this can have serious health consequences.
Failure to observe Treaty obligations can have similar consequences. The most common form of failure is that people in the dominant culture expect people from other cultures to conform with their values and customs. With the Treaty, the Pakeha majority often expect Maori to conform to Pakeha interpretations, interests, and priorities.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. It is touching, speaking to, or using visual material in front of someone in ways that are sexual and uninvited, unwelcome, or unwarranted. It is either repetitive or of such a severe nature that it has a detrimental effect on the recipient.
Sexual harassment covers a range of behaviour. It ranges from causing slight embarrassment through to acts of criminal assault. It may be a single incident or a series of incidents. It can be directly person-to-person or carried out using technology such as computers.
The consequences of sexual harassment can be serious for both parties. For the victim, harassment can affect health, job performance, and personal relationships. It can also reduce self-confidence. It can lead to recurring illness. Clearly, it is a health and safety issue.
A range of remedies is available to victims of sexual harassment. At the lower end of the scale of remedies, a complainant may be able to resolve a harassment situation by telling the offender, orally or in writing, that their behaviour is unacceptable. If that did not work, the next step would be to complain to management. The offence of sexual harassment is covered by personal grievance procedures in the Employment Relations Act 2000 and by the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1993. A complainant can take action under either Act (but not both). Harassment may also be an offence under the Crimes Act 1961. In this case, the complainant would make a complaint to the Police.
Activity
Investigate your organisation's sexual harassment policy (or that of an organisation you have access to). Is it readily available? Do all staff and management understand it? Does it comply with current legislation?
