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Workplace Safety
Safety in the workplace should be a shared responsibility of employers and workers since

both have different roles to enhance safety. As the employers emphasize on providing a

workplace free from critical recognized hazard and comply with the standard, employees should

adhere to the safety measures. Occupational Safety and Health Act, created in 1970 is the body

ensuring employees afford safety working condition (Seaquist, 2021). The body conduct

inspection when the employer compromises worker safety. According to Andersen et al., (2019),

the cost of on-the-job injuries in the United States was approximately $192 billion. Through its

program of Site-specific targeting program, OSHA has gained discontinuous increase in

inspections, thus reducing case rates. This implies that investigation rate by OSHA on matters

pertaining to employee safety is effective. The paper analyzes the case of Mike and Sean, SC

Corporation’s employees to determine if their safety concerns link to OSHA requirements.

Analyze The Main Purpose of OSHA Regarding Employees

OSHA’ s main focus as passed by the US Congress in 1970 is assuring safe and healthful

working condition for all workers. The body was specifically created to codify and enforce

safety and health regulations. It is through it regulation that it specifies standard safety guards for

machinery equipment, and performance standards such as those linked to exposure to hazardous

chemicals. Through the body, employees are assured safety through education to their

employers, workplace inspection for any possible hazards, and levying financial penalties to

employers with repeated violations (Reilly, Wang & Rosenman, 2023). Notably, employees do

not have to worry about swift measures taken by OSHA since they have programed and

unprogrammed inspections. For unprogramed inspections, there must have been fatal or

catastrophic incidents while the programed inspections are often conducted before accident

occurrence. However, employees should follow rules and comply with the safety standards as
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stated in OSHA safety regulations including reporting hazardous conditions, reporting any-job

related injuries and illness, and using needed protective equipment.

Explain Why This Scenario Would Be Recordable Under OSHA

A general recording criteria should be often related to an injury or illness. Injuries that

meet the general recording criteria are in Section 1904.7 of OSHA (OSHA, 2023). In this case,

Sean, who is an employee has sustained an injury while at workplace although sustained through

fights. Notably, the injury has resulted in medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of

consciousness, and possible days away from work. Accordingly, employers are mandated to

record each case resulting from a new event. Fighting that eventually result to an injury of an

employee in this case is a new event that an employer should take note on. However, fighting

might be an insufficient for exposure that contribute to work-related injury for the case to be

recordable. Mark and Sean are in the parking lot which is part of the employer premises and

establishment. They had not clocked into work but that do not hinder record keeping since they

are still within the premises. There are certain cases that occur within the workplace premises

that absolutely have nothing to do with the work but must just be recorded to enhance recording

criteria simplicity. Recording such case are essential in keeping a relatively simple recording

boundaries essential in maintaining a workable system. When the OSHA will be conducting their

investigation, SC Corporation through the records will avail statistics that accurately reflect the

incident of employee injury. Lastly, the record keeping regulation contains no general exception

for purposes of determining work-relationships or scenarios involving violence in the work

environment.

Explain Why This Scenario Would Not Be Recordable Under OSHA.

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From the case, all the happenings are recordable under OSHA since they all occurred

within the company’s premises. The parking lot is owned by the company and the events that

occurred are eligible for recording. If the Sean’s injury could have been sustained on his way to

work before reaching the company’s premises, then it could not be recorded. Notably, if the fight

led to minor injuries that only needed first aid, it could not qualify record keeping. OSHA is in

the process of implementing workplace-related violence that hinder employees from attending to

their duties. Sean in this case faces the wrath of a colleague, a form of workplace violence that

may keep Sean out of work for several days. Therefore, since all the events occurred it within the

workplace premises, all will not miss recording.

At least three employer’s rights and responsibilities under OSHA in regard to the

scenario.

Employers have responsibilities to provide safe workplace by ensuring no serious hazards

and following safety and health standards. In this case, the first responsibility could have been

notifying OSHA within 8 hours of a workplace fatality or within 24 hours of any work-related

inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye as stated in 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA, 2023). However, the employer assumed that the employees having fist fight leading to an

injury of one was not work related, hence no report made. Another responsibility is keeping

accurate records of work-related injuries. Failure to record wok-related injuries violates OSHA

rules. Work-related injuries that occur within the workplace premises that absolutely have

nothing to do with the work but must just be recorded to enhance recording criteria simplicity

(OSHA, 2023). Recording such case are essential in keeping a relatively simple recording

boundaries essential in maintaining a workable system. Lastly, the employer is responsible of

posting OSHA citations and injury and illness and data where workers can see them. In that way,
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the HR could have taken appropriate measure when Sean reported about injury sustained when

fighting Mark.

In conclusion, employers should emphasize on providing a workplace free from critical

recognized hazard and comply with the standard while employees should adhere to the safety

measures. Through OSHA, employees are assured safety through education to their employers,

workplace inspection for any possible hazards, and levying financial penalties to employers with

repeated violations. From the findings, recording criteria should be often related to an injury or

illness. Injuries that meet the general recording criteria are in Section 1904.7 of OSHA. From the

case, all the happenings are recordable under OSHA since they all occurred within the

company’s premises. The parking lot is owned by the company and the events that occurred are

eligible for recording. The employer rights and responsibility include; notifying OSHA within 8

hours of a workplace fatality or within 24 hours of any work-related inpatient hospitalization,

keeping accurate records of work-related injuries, and posting OSHA citations and injury and

illness and data where workers can see them.

References
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Andersen, J. H., Malmros, P., Ebbehoej, N. E., Flachs, E. M., Bengtsen, E., & Bonde, J. P.

(2019). Systematic literature review on the effects of occupational safety and health

(OSH) interventions at the workplace. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment &

Health, 45(2), 103-113.

OSHA (2023). Employer Rights and Responsibilities. Following a Federal OSHA Inspection.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3000.pdf

Reilly, M. J., Wang, L., & Rosenman, K. D. (2023). Evaluation of the characteristics of workers

injured on the job requiring hospitalization, and employer compliance with OSHA's

reporting requirement for these work‐related hospitalizations. American journal of

industrial medicine, 66(2), 109-121.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajim.23447

Seaquist, G. (2021). Introduction to employment law. Zovio.