On Health and Safety at Campus Food

When faced with the daunting prospect of a labor component so critical to a business as health and safety, Cindy must address this task with all necessary diligence. As stated, the report is ultimately to go to President Dawes, so she has no obligation to go over Fred White’s head to garner Ms. Dawe’s attention. Ultimately, doing so will allow Fred no recourse to correct the situation. Obviously leaking to the press would be nothing short of unprofessional and not necessary. If Cindy felt the need to take the matter outside the organization, she would have the option to contact OSHA on her accord and request an investigation. However, her professional obligation is to seek recourse first at a company level without a full scale ambush on the facility.
It is clear that Jake is aware of the impact full disclosure will have on the organization and that his concern is not for health or safety, but rather covering up the high risk of the many hazards at food services. Dealing with Jake is not a responsible option. Cindy, as an HR professional must realize that safety is everybody’s business, not to be merely passed off in hopes that the powers that be will, in this case, Jake, will have a change of heart and act accordingly when by all accounts his interests seem to lie in maintaining a dangerous work site. Clearly omitting, understating or changing the data is both unsafe and illegal. Presenting Jake with true reporting, in an effort to subtly suggest the right thing to do, may cause a confrontation, whereupon he seeks retribution in other ways for her undermining him. Most importantly, Cindy knows that if anyone is likely to falsify her reporting, it would be Jake.
Cindy is wise to present the findings to Fred White, with full disclosure of the concerns she has with Campus Food’s Safety Record. With thousands of pages of health and safety legislature his department is responsible, it may well be that Mr. White has delegated the role of health and safety to Jake. It would not be a stretch to garner that for all Mr. White is aware, there are no health and safety concerns at Campus Food. Jake’s willingness to cover them up has not been concealed. However, what Mr. White needs to be made of aware of is that he is the senior manager, and as a result would be considered responsible for these serious violations, which could see him personally fined and potentially incarcerated.
Within the complete report, Cindy would be best to also provide some solutions to bring CFS up to speed. Although her assigned responsibility is with student services, it is her duty to take charge throughout the organization where and when she can improve health and safety. She may recommend the formation of a joint health and safety committee comprised of various employees and management who make it their role to investigate areas where health and safety can be highlighted as concerns.

Three people cutting their hands on a meat slicer may seem like a string of minimal injuries, though the equipment involved, a meat slicer, has the potential to cause much more serious harm.
While failure to replace the hand guard on the slicer, as one example of a safety hazard should be addressed, a firm policy against operating equipment without proper safety guards in place should be implemented with firm reprisals for employees who do not.
The other obvious potential for catastrophe, involving the handling of sea food is a health hazard that should no longer be overlooked. The consequences of continuing this high risk health concern are massive. Despite being told not to handle raw seafood, when staff routinely does anyways and no action is taken, the end result may be the same. When faced with a paralyzed employee who nearly lost his life, partial loss of two fingers and serious burns, Mr. White would benefit from a proposal detailing the need for health and safety training, an audit of all facilities for high risk work areas, and a summary of what type of reporting is required and when. This would be enforced by the potential fines CFS services, as well as himself could be liable for. It is clear that true reporting will likely bring about an investigation and Cindy could well create such a proposal that she is selected to bring CFS up to speed in order to assure OSHA that all of these problems have been resolved.
Clearly, Cindy is also worried about her future within the field. Going over Jake’s head seems not only necessary but potentially a good career move. Cindy, as an HR professional could not in good conscience work for someone with such little regard for the health and safety of the people who work for him, especially when that role is his primary designation. Should Fred White pattern Jake’s request to cover up data, Cindy has the duty to take her concerns to President Dawes, who despite division concerns about her possible goals for the CFS, having worked with large scale operations would likely be accustomed the OSHA and aghast at the goings on down the line.
Cindy should be more concerned with inactivity than pressing forward her concerns for her fellow employees. She cannot be dismissed for refusing to participate in an illegal act, and may not be sanctioned for requesting an inspection by OSHA investigators. This is her ultimate trump card.
Whether or not she uses it depends on how well her proposal goes over with Fred White, and how quickly she is offered Jake’s Job.