Human Resource Regulations. Specifically it

¶ … human resource regulations. Specifically it will discuss relevant cases that have greatly impacted the way health and safety regulations are implemented at the workplace. Health and safety in the workplace is one of the major concerns of the human resource department. Many landmark health and safety cases have implemented the way health and safety regulations are implemented in the workplace, and they continue to influence the HR environment today.

Perhaps one of the biggest cases to affect the way health and safety regulations are implemented at the workplace was the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1970. Since the creation of OSHA, human resources has had to implement numerous health and safety regulations that apply to their companies, from safety training to what type of equipment they must provide workers who work in areas where they need personal protective equipment. OSHA became the "Big Brother" to many businesses, overseeing the health and safety of the workforce by creating legislation regulating everything from interior lighting to training and first aid. OSHA changed the way human resource offices handle new-hire safety training, how they implement additional training, and how they manage health and safety on the job, among many other things. Therefore, OSHA ushered in a new era of consciousness about employee safety and health, and changed the way many companies looked at their own employee safety. With the threat of fines and court cases when OSHA standards are violated, the legislation helped at least some employers clean up their acts and take employee safety much more seriously.

Another case at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago against American Airlines indicates that human resources has to be aware of safety and health issues at all locations of a conglomerate, and they must be continually monitored, leading to increased workload and implementation for human resource professionals. The case, which charged American Airlines with at O'Hare International Airport, included "the airline's ramp services, cargo building, automotive shops, ticket and gate services, tower, two hangars and baggage room" (Mitchell, 2007). They found several violations, including non-labeled materials containing asbestos, respirator issues, hazardous chemicals and non-labeled hazardous chemicals, confined space entry, and lack of hearing conservation. Some of these were repeat violations. The implications this has for human resources is profound. Human resources has to be aware the conditions exist in the workplace, has to train employees to handle and recognize these health and safety violations, they have to be aware of them themselves, and they have to ensure that continued training and education is available to ensure the conditions do not return. This is a huge undertaking and responsibility, because ultimately the health and safety of the workforce depends on their knowledge about health and safety issues that are specific to their profession. For example, in the American Airlines case, hearing protection is critical for people who work in the hangers, on the ramp, and in air cargo, and managers have to be trained to provide ear protection to all their employees to avoid these types of fines and violations. Human resources has to be aware of all these issues and address them with training or information, which means many implementation issues and objectives.

Another landmark case involved global giant British Petroleum (BP) in the largest fine in OSHA history. The case involved the explosion at a BP refinery in Texas that killed 15 people and injured 170 others. An OSHA press release notes, "This citation and penalty - nearly double the next largest fine in OSHA history - sends a strong message to all employers about the need to protect workers and to make health and safety a core value,' Solicitor of Labor Howard M. Radzely stated" (Groover, 2005). The implications for human resource implementation are again clear. Without the proper training, the individuals in the plant did not operate some of the processing equipment effectively, and pressure built up in the unit that exploded. Part of the settlement required BP to "hire an expert to assess and report on communication within and between management, supervisors, and authorized employee representatives and non-management employees and the impact of the communication on implementation of safety practices and procedures" (Groover, 2005). Human resources should have anticipated the need for this individual beforehand, and implemented the hiring to ensure the health and safety of its workers. This means human resource departments in all companies are directly responsible for the training and safety of the company's employees, and they have to be aware of that. They also have to recognize hazardous situations exist, and that they need to address the training and implementation of training to ensure safety throughout the operation. The implementation of training procedures begins with good communication and assessment, and every human resources department has to be aware of that.