Occupational Safety and Health Act - Essay Example

Occupational Safety and Health Act is a Department of Labor agency that is in the United States. OSHAS primary mission is to ensure that the working conditions of the employees are enforced and also provide training, education, and provision of assistance while in the working environment (United States, 2011).

It will be of great importance to use the OSHA guidelines while developing the training course. It is because OSHA helps in the enforcement of various regulations. A workplace that is regulated by OSHA workplace safety inspections tends to reduce incidences of injury and also reduced injury costs without having a great effect on employment, sales or even the survival of the organization. It will help protect the workers from serious health hazards that may be posed by the chemicals used in various plants. It will be the duty of the employers to ensure that their workers are safe so as not to violate the Section 19 of the OSHA Act through the provision of working conditions that are healthful and safe. The regulations will include the limits on the exposure of hazardous chemicals, making information available to the employees concerning those chemicals, providing them with protective equipment such as gumboots and gloves while in their jobs.

I will also carry out an analysis to consider if the organization is a federal government agency or a state and local government agency. This is because employees who work for the state and local government agencies are usually protected by the OSH Act if they are working in that particular state that has a state program that has been approved by OSHA. On the other hand, the OSHAs protection tends to apply to all workers who are working in a federal government agency.

During the training process, the best method to use is the group discussion method and one-on-one method. It will help the trainer to be able to demonstrate on what he is teaching easily and ensure that everyone understands what he is saying. It will also create room for the workers to ask the trainer questions on areas that they do not understand and seek clarification. It will create room for interaction and intervention. The employees will also be able to share their different skills with each other. Through this method, the trainer will be able to assess if the workers have understood as there will be instant feedback from them.

The principles of andragogy will be applied while designing this cause. There will be the need to explain to the workers as to the reasons why they are being taught about their safety while in their jobs and how they can protect themselves from those hazardous chemicals. It is because adults require being involved during the planning and evaluation of the various instructions that they are given by their trainer (Ingalls & Peace Corps (U.S.), 1984).The other principle that will be involved is of their experience. Adults have various skills and experience that they have learned in their past. Experience acts as a basis for learning for the adult learners which includes their mistakes so that they can be corrected. The training should be task oriented instead of memorization. The learning activity should be in the common tasks that other people will perform as well. They are more concerned with jobs that are problem centered as compared to content oriented. The time principle should also be considered while designing the training program. Adults are more interested in dealing with tasks that have relevance to their work or their personal life. They should be given time to discover new things and knowledge by themselves as adults tend to be self-directed (American Society of Andrology & European Academy of Andrology, 2013).

The Gardners intelligence theory will be used while dealing with this course. Its learning styles will be utilized by the trainer while dealing with the workers. The trainer will be required to think concerning the physical space, that trains them through the use of drawings, verbal and also physical imagery such as photographs to enhance their understanding. There will also be the use of body kinesthetic. Body language can be best used during the communication process and physical activity. The interpersonal and intrapersonal interaction should be utilized during the training process. Interpersonal communication will ensure that everyone takes part in the training process through dialogues and asking questions while intrapersonal communication will help in understanding an individuals personal goals as some may shy away from others while in a group. Linguistics should be used correctly. It will assist in ensuring that words are effectively used so as not to mislead the employees while giving them instructions and guidelines on how to use various equipment. The trainer is also required to think logically. It is to help him to be in a position to teach in a manner that the workers learn and form various concepts before they start dealing with details (Gardner, 1999).

The psychomotor domain tends to include physical movement, coordination and as well as the use of motor-skill areas. The workers will be trained to enhance their skills of awareness. It is to enable them to use their sensory cues to direct their motor activities. They should be trained on how they can always be ready to act in case of a fire incidence. It will help them to be always mentally, physically and emotionally set. The trainer through this should be able to determine an individuals ability and limitations. They should be provided with a guided response and ensure that they frequently practice on what is being taught by the trainer. During the early learning stages, it involves trial and error. They should be accessed on their basic proficiency. The Learned process tends to become habitual and hence the movement can be performed with a level of confidence and proficiency. The patterns created should fit in the particular situation and solve the intended problem (Goldberger, 1980).

The main obstacle with this design project is the level of education that the workers been trained may have as it may make it difficult for the communication process to take place. It will cause misunderstanding and hence lead to the project being unsuccessful. The other obstacle will be the lack of enough finance to carry out the project. It may be expensive to conduct the training process and also to buy the required safety equipments to ensure the safety of the workers according to the OSHA Act.

In conclusion, employees should ensure that their employees help in ensuring that their health and safety is safeguarded while in the working environment. They should be trained on how to handle various equipments and chemicals which are hazardous.

References

American Society of Andrology, & European Academy of Andrology. (2013). Andrology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Goldberger, M. (1980). A taxonomy of psychomotor forms. East Lansing, MI: Institute for Research on Teaching, Michigan State University.

Ingalls, J. D., & Peace Corps (U.S.). (1984). A trainers guide to andragogy. Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps, Information Collection & Exchange.

United States. (2011). OSHA. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.