Working conditions and workplace environments

Working Conditions

The company that I have chosen to analyze is UPS. This company has a number of jobs that might be considered to be hazardous. Anybody involved in the transportation side, including pilots and truck drivers, faces some hazards. The delivery drivers also must handle packages, sometimes including dangerous goods. Probably the most dangerous position at the company, however, lies in the sorting of the goods at the various UPS facilities around the world. The packages are transported through the sorting facilities on conveyor belts. Each package has different weights and dimensions. Often, the people handling the packages have no idea what is inside. The combination of moving parts, heavy weights, and uncertainty makes this position quick dangerous. The risks associated with the position include everything from freak accidents that could be catastrophic to repetitive stress injuries arising from handling such a diverse range of goods while under time constraints.

In general, employees are adequately informed of the risks. There are mandates that they must wear safety footwear, for example, to protect against injury related to dropping packages. The employees are also trained with regard to procedures for handling packages, dealing with broken packages, and with regard to the equipment that is being used. The risks should be highlighted during the training process, although there is no guarantee that this happens with every single employee. In addition, employees are supposed to meet certain fitness criteria, so that the basic tasks of the job are not too physically stressful. The training is in line with OSHA guidelines. Further, during the training process, employees are introduced to the idea of safety monitors, some of whom are senior members of the staff. Each facility has people in place to monitor safety and to act as liaisons between the workers and management with respect to safety and health issues.

There have been issues with the company and safety in the past (Lydersen, 2011). The company seems to do the minimum, and the Teamsters union has taken issue with the approach that senior management takes towards the safety of its workers. While legally, UPS appears to take the issue of safety seriously, if the company overworking its people and management does not take a proactive approach that focuses more on education and eliminating risks (rather than managing them), then the company has a long way to go with respect to guaranteeing a safe work environment.