Editorial
Thank Goodness it is Friday – let’s get out of this place!
October 2015
Sheila Pantry OBE
How many directors, managers and supervisors are really aware that this may be what their staff members are thinking as the workforce leave their workplaces at the end of the working week?
Stress and conflict in the workplace undermines performance and can make people mentally and physically ill. Research and statistics shows that large numbers of people experience all forms of aggression in a work-related context.
It applies to all levels of people in all kinds of businesses and organisations. Some workers can be double targets for verbal and non-verbal violent behaviour through their accessibility to the public. And there are also employees of such organisations who are suffering, often in silence, from aggression, bullying and harassment from work colleagues, supervisors and managers. A reign of terror by non communication with staff can also create a stressful atmosphere.
Tackling – and preventing – conflict and stress effectively is a legal responsibility for management, and can result in significant benefits for the organisation in terms of recruitment and retention, employee commitment, performance and productivity, customer satisfaction, organisational image and reputation, and avoidance of potential litigation.
Management should define clearly what should and should not be tolerated in a healthy and safe working environment, and introduce the reporting procedures and communication skills essential in conflict resolution, enabling both the employees and the manager to consider situations consistently based on risk assessments previously carried out. Management boards themselves should also examine their own behaviour towards colleagues and all levels of staff.
Staff want to feel valued and respected and it is management’s responsibility to ensure that the culture of the organisation encourages this.
To help organisations – managers, directors, supervisors and workers and especially those teaching in colleges and universities there is OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com – an electronic collection of 26 databases of full text and bibliographic authoritative and validated information on all aspects of working life and especially how to keep bullying, aggression and violence out of their workplace.
OSH UPDATE + FIRE is constantly updated with worldwide information. There are many case studies, guidance documents, articles, reports and research reports from worldwide sources that shows what constitutes “Good working conditions.” There is also legislation in many countries that clearly defines what is acceptable and what is NOT acceptable.
If you need information on all aspects of workplace health and safety and much more – then have a look at OSH UPDATE + FIRE which is a unique collection of information sources collected together in one place.
Information seekers will find a wealth of authoritative and validated advice from these global sources. Full text documents and references on research results, best practices, case studies, journal articles, reports, advice and guidance, legislation, accidents and incident reports and much more are in OSH UPDATE + FIRE.
Why not try OSH UPDATE + FIRE for yourself? Take a 15-day free trial. Why be without quality OSH and fire information?
Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for 15 day FREE trials for all services that are very cost-effective and easy to use. Why pay more for information? Go to: www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
You will also find examples of good practices, information, guidance and advice, research reports, leaflets and much more in OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com – the key tool to all your health, safety and fire information requirements
- OSH UPDATE + FIRE is easily searchable by keywords, titles, journal names, standard number, authors, organisations, and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as air pollution, workplace health risks, the health risks of nanotechnology, preparedness and business continuity, risk assessment, corporate killing and corporate social responsibility, bio-terrorism, management of road risks, all aspects of fire and related fire topics, workplace health and safety and much more.
- Long established from mid 1990s
- Arguably the largest electronic collection in the world in these very wide subject areas from worldwide sources. There is a special collection of OSH legislation, guidance and advice within OSH UPDATE and FIRE!
- The databases and contents are from worldwide class organisations such as the US NIOSH, the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and many more similar organisations in the world
This time of the year is a good time for all organisations worldwide to review their health and safety goals and decide on the training or re-training that is needed for all levels of staff and update their information resources.
Check out these successful efforts that are in OSH UPDATE + FIRE and introduce them into your workplace!
It is always good to keep researching and finding out if there are services and other ways of keeping up-to-date in this fast changing world of ours. Time is precious and many people are really stretched in their jobs and find it difficult to keep ahead in current knowledge that they should have for their jobs. So help is at hand for those working in health, safety and fire and fire related industries which are brought together in an easy to use web service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com that is constantly updated.
Then try these long established Practical, Affordable Solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd.
For a 15 DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
FOCUS
This month’s OSHWORLD FOCUS is entitled October is Women’s Health Month.
Want to know where the best websites are located? Then check out OSHWORLD!
It is always good to review health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures on a regular basis. It is also important that the practices and systems in the workplace are constantly reviewed and if necessary, improved. This review may also indicate training requirements and updates and re-thinking how systems and services can be improved. This is where the free-of-charge OSHWORLD can help you.
In these days of tighter budgets perhaps training may be put on the “back-burner” – but think again how you can keep up with the latest techniques and training opportunities. So look at the latest additions to the Diary of Events and you will see plans have been made already worldwide up to the end of 2015 and well into 2016 to have training courses, symposiums and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects.
Remember that even if you cannot attend these many events, speakers and organisers are often willing to share their knowledge. Look at the details – where possible, we add in the web sites of these events so you can request further information.
And do let me know if you are organising any OSHE events so that I can add them to the Diary.
Resources
In addition to the above we hope that you find the information in OSHWORLD useful in your daily work. Globally there are continually new titles, news items, new products so remember to look at the News to find the latest information from a number of worldwide sources.
Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites that you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. avian flu and the workplace.
Most information services have a reference shelf where you can quickly check the reference sources – so OSHWORLD brings you a collection of Reference sources and also teaches you how to Search the Internet.
Click onto the various Bookshops to order any new document as they are being published. Many of these Bookshops have a constant stream of new titles available.
Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD – your portal to validated and authoritative information. Remember also to look at our other really useful sites – www.sheilapantry.com and why not make a free entry about your company’s products in www.shebuyersguide.com.
Don’t work harder – work smarter! Be ahead of the game.
Are you aiming to have a zero accident, incident-free and healthy year in 2015 in your workplace? Some would argue that this is not possible! But keep on trying and make plans for 2016!