Deck 13: Employee Health and Safety

Question 1

Health and safety performance within an organisation is linked to:

A) organisational performance and culture.
B) the skill level of employees.
C) employee attitudes towards supervisors.
D) industry standards and procedures.

Answer 1

organisational performance and culture.

Question 2

Top performing companies have workers compensation costs per employee that are less than ___ per cent of workers compensation costs for the worst-performing companies.

A) 10
B) 15
C) 20
D) 25

Answer 2

10

Question 3

An approach to OHS that involves the active participation of employers, unions and government is:

A) tripartite.
B) legislative enforcement.
C) self-regulation.
D) individual responsibility.

Answer 3

tripartite.

Question 4

Which of the following are key elements of OHS success?

A) Develop a corporate culture that embraces OHS
B) Ensure senior management are committed to superior OHS performance
C) Create well-designed jobs that are interesting and are performed in a safe and healthy way.
D) All of the options listed.

Question 5

According to a former director of the US National Security Agency, what is now a primary target for terrorist groups seeking to impose global political and economic change?

A) Industry.
B) South-East Asia.
C) The United States.
D) Public sector organisations.

Question 6

In which major industry does 20 to 30 per cent of all Australian workplace fatalities occur?

A) Mining
B) Manufacturing
C) Construction
D) Forestry

Question 7

Feedback on the efficiency and effectiveness of an organisation's OHS program can be gathered through:

A) yearly workers compensation costs.
B) number of hours of downtime related to accidents.
C) an audit of all health and safety issues and programs.
D) percentage of employees undertaking OHS training.

Question 8

Which organisation has been honoured more times than any other company by the American National Safety Council?

A) Shell
B) General Motors
C) Microsoft
D) Du Pont

Question 9

The NSW Chamber of Commerce recommends that companies adopt a number of measures to deal with security issues and the threat of terrorism. Which of the following is NOT one of the recommendations?

A) Provide staff with visible security passes.
B) Conduct police checks on all new employees.
C) Ensure staff are alert to the presence of unauthorised personnel.
D) Audit all security equipment.

Question 10

More and more companies are enacting workplace smoking policies. Which of the following have been given as reasons for this trend?

A) Demands by employees and customers for a smoke-free environment
B) Lobbying by the tobacco industry
C) The greater social acceptance of smoking.
D) All of the options listed.

Question 11

Any policy requiring compulsory drug testing in the workplace is:

A) likely to be met with general acceptance due to improved OHS outcomes.
B) illegal in most Australian states.
C) likely to encounter trade union opposition.
D) impractical as current drug testing produces inconclusive results.

Question 12

Which of the following behaviours is NOT likely to be displayed by an employee who is a victim of sexual harassment?

A) Interest in the job
B) Feelings of powerlessness
C) Stress
D) Anger

Question 13

Persecuting or ganging up on an individual, abusive language, physical assault and threats are examples of:

A) vilification.
B) workplace stress.
C) bullying.
D) initiation.

Question 14

Employee surveys consistently show that conflict between work and family responsibilities affects:

A) employee/supervisor relationships.
B) teamwork.
C) commitment.
D) employee productivity.

Question 15

A condition of strain that affects one's emotions, thought processes and physical condition is:

A) repetitive strain injury.
B) stress.
C) poor workplace culture.
D) substance abuse.

Question 16

Which of the following contributions to an employee's levels of stress is NOT a work factor?

A) Work load
B) Role ambiguity
C) Economic conditions
D) Organisational climate

Question 17

The number of Australians who stay away from work more than one day a month because of depression, substance abuse or anxiety is:

A) about 1%.
B) over 45%.
C) nearly 20%.
D) less than 0.5%.

Question 18

In organisations where employees do not know what is expected of them, the resulting uncertainty creates stress. This is most likely a definition of:

A) work overload.
B) organisational climate.
C) poor management style.
D) role ambiguity.

Question 19

Which of these is NOT an external factor contributing to levels of stress?

A) Organisational climate
B) Travel
C) Economic conditions
D) Climate

Question 20

When the amount of stress exceeds the optimum and starts to place excessive demands on the employee, then it is likely that:

A) job satisfaction will increase.
B) performance will be enhanced.
C) performance will deteriorate.
D) none of the options listed.

Question 21

The stimuli or circumstances that bring about a change in people's psychological and physiological equilibrium are known as:

A) stressors.
B) motivators.
C) incentives.
D) rewards.

Question 22

It is critical that expatriate personnel working in dangerous locations such as Papua New Guinea and the Philippines:

A) use bodyguards when outside the compounds.
B) do not relocate their families to these locations.
C) are trained in security and evacuation procedures.
D) all of the options listed.

Question 23

Unfortunately, too many companies still regard security:

A) as an investment rather than a cost.
B) as a cost rather than an investment.
C) as an expendable budget item when times are tough.
D) as more important than health matters.

Question 24

According to a British medical expert, who of the following types of workers are more likely than other employees to be heavy smokers, to be addicted to alcohol, to have heart disease and to suffer from stress?

A) Sales representatives
B) Civil engineers
C) Transport drivers
D) School teachers

Question 25

Some industries are particularly at risk from workplace violence. Which of the following would NOT be one of these most-at-risk industries?

A) Restaurants
B) Welfare and community services
C) Road and rail transport
D) Motor vehicle repairers

Question 26

The incidence of bullying is highest in industries:

A) with a rapid turnover of staff.
B) where the workforce is younger and inexperienced.
C) with autocratic and arbitrary management.
D) where management adopts a hands-off approach.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT one of the main causes of stress?

A) Work factors
B) Demographic factors
C) Personal factors
D) External factors

Question 28

Statistics show that the most stressful city in the world is:

A) New York.
B) Tokyo.
C) Sydney.
D) Hong Kong.

Question 29

The number one stressor in a survey of US managers is:

A) incompetent, lazy and demanding staff.
B) rapid technological change and fear of obsolescence.
C) the increasing pressure of working longer hours.
D) complying with federal and state government rules and policies.

Question 30

US studies suggest that frequent travellers are:

A) less prone to extended illnesses because they have access to immediate treatment.
B) less prone to stress because they have regular check-ups.
C) more prone to heart attacks because of the stress induced.
D) the main reason for increasing health claims on organisations.

Question 31

The country with more deaths from work related illnesses than all of Europe and the United States combined is:

A) India.
B) China.
C) Japan.
D) Indonesia.

Question 32

The Labor government is attempting to reduce the 'regulatory burden' and high compliance costs in OHS by:

A) retaining the existing state systems but ensuring that they are consistent in their regulations.
B) implementing a comprehensive prosecution process as a first response to an employer breach of the duty of care.
C) introducing a single federal OHS system.
D) focusing primarily on self regulation by employers and minimising legislative provisions.

Question 33

Overall, the evidence suggests that the OHS legislative approach on its own:

A) has been successful in awakening organisations to the critical importance of health and safety.
B) has been effective in bringing improvements to poor performing and small workplaces.
C) has been ineffective in bringing improvements to poor performing and small workplaces.
D) has been successful in awakening public sector organisations to the critical importance of health and safety.

Question 34

In Japan, karoshi means:

A) shame of not being valued at work.
B) death from overwork.
C) being locked out of workplace networks.
D) death from hazardous working conditions.

Question 35

Which of the following has NOT been recommended by Stone as a method for managing stress in the workplace?

A) Relaxation
B) Taking sick leave
C) Exercise
D) Talk

Question 36

The number of people seriously injured or killed in assaults in Victoria:

A) doubled in the five years leading up to 2007.
B) decreased by 50 per cent leading up to 2007.
C) tripled in the five years leading up to 2007.
D) decreased by 10 per cent leading up to 2007.

Question 37

Fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers are most often associated with which industry?

A) Retail.
B) Health.
C) Aviation.
D) Mining.

Question 38

Poor occupational health and safety equates with:

A) poor HRM and poor ethical, legal and social responsibility.
B) accident prone employees.
C) a high risk occupation.
D) low levels of employee compliance with safety regulations.

Question 39

Where an organisation emphasises doing the minimum ethically to meet community expectations in regards to OHS, this would be descriptive of what OHS strategy?

A) Obstructionist
B) Defensive
C) Accommodative
D) Proactive

Question 40

To be effective, safety and health concerns have to be considered:

A) a necessary cost expenditure.
B) as important elements of job design.
C) only when a workplace accident takes place.
D) only when they cost the organisation money.

Question 41

Research suggests that most sexual harassment targets:

A) report their experience to their manager.
B) report their experience to their trade union representative.
C) are more likely to directly refer their case to the relevant anti-discrimination tribunal.
D) do not report the incident.

Question 42

Current issues in health and safety that HR managers must deal with include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) violence in the workplace.
B) substance abuse.
C) incentive programs.
D) sexual harassment.

Question 43

The three general sources of stress are:

A) stressors, personal factors, external factors.
B) death of a spouse, divorce, marital separation.
C) work overload, shift work, external factors.
D) work factors, personal factors, external factors.

Question 44

More and more organisations are reorganising the traditional way work has been structured because:

A) government legislation is forcing changes to the traditional structures.
B) competitive pressures have forced organisations to review the ways things are done.
C) new technology requires changes to the traditional workplace structures.
D) it is no longer compatible with the needs of today's working families.

Question 45

If organisations are to deal effectively with workplace substance abuse:

A) they will need to determine what best practice is for dealing with abuse and to follow this practice.
B) they will need to work closely with relevant government and industry bodies to attack the problem.
C) a clear, unequivocal policy statement defining the rights and responsibilities of employer and employee is essential.
D) employees will have to be regularly tested for the abuse of illegal substances.

Question 46

Poor interpersonal relationships are aggravated further in highly political organisations where no objective performance measures exist and:

A) personal connections are critical for promotion and survival.
B) rapid turnover of experienced and valued staff occurs.
C) union presence is very powerful and persuasive.
D) HR management is centralised and inexperienced.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of stress?

A) Feeling sleepy.
B) A change in eating habits.
C) An inability to relax.
D) Aches and pains.

Question 48

With regards to the organisation, what is a consequence of job stress?

A) Increased accident rates.
B) Psychological disorders.
C) Physical illness.
D) Behavioural problems.

Question 49

With regards to the individual employee, what is a consequence of job stress?

A) Reduced morale.
B) Physical illness.
C) Lower motivation.
D) Reduced job satisfaction.

Question 50

Explain what sexual harassment is and why it is a complex issue to manage.

Question 51

Stress has been identified as a major problem in many organisations. What are the leading causes of stress?

Question 52

How can stress be managed in the workplace?

Question 53

It has been argued that for organisations to develop effective OHS programs they need to develop a culture which views OHS as an essential part of the organisation's overall business objectives. Discuss the arguments that support this view.

Question 54

Explain the underlying principles of the Australian OHS system and why critics claim that it has largely been unsuccessful.

Question 55

Outline the consequences of job stress to both the individual employee and the organisation.