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Introduction According to Bohle and Quinlan (1999:xii), the cost of workplace injuries and disease is in excess of $20 billion dollars per year. Obviously, these figures are alarming and would suggest that OHS would be a top priority for management. However, a survey from Queensland manufacturer revealed that many companies had no written policy regarding occupational health and safety? and? 48 percent have no formalized occupational health and safety program?. A relatively high level of risks and hazards would occur in the restaurant industry comparing with other industries. People who work in the food industry would easily injury in hazards including gas, noise, fire, personal security and violence at work, biological hazards, sharps ? skin penetrating injuries and hazardous substances (chemicals). However, both restaurant employee and employer would avoid falling into the trap of the ?reactive approach?, which involves only responding to health and safety problems as they arise or after the accident has happened. They would have different kinds of excuses used for not being proactive about health and safety and include, ?we do not worry about safety as it?s common sense? or ?accidents are just bad luck? These excuses send the message that they are not really serious about OHS. Baseline for the Workplace Nature of the workplace China house is a Chinese restaurant that owned by a Hong Kong couple. This restaurant is located in the heart of the Surface Paradise. The restaurant open 7 days a week, from 11am to 11pm. The styles of food that the restaurant will provide are typically Chinese food. Such as fired rice, black bean chicken, dim sum, and etc. It approximately around 70 -120 customers per day, the amount of customers is depends whether it is a public holiday, weekday or weekend. There are six part times stuff work in the Chinese restaurant. There are only two shifts per day, from 11 am to 5pm and 5pm to 11pm. And there are usually two people working in the morning shift (from 11am to 5pm) and three to four people working at night shift (from 5pm to 11pm). For the kitchen, there are three chief working inside, one is to make dim sum, and the other two are cooking chief. And they almost need to attend work everyday. Organizational structure Since a couple owns the restaurant, and it is a small family business as well, basically there is no manager or any senior staff at all. The women (one of the owner) will control the operational outside, and the other owner (the men) will look after the kitchen since he is a chief of himself. Safety Responsibilities and Legislative Requirements Ultimately management has the major responsibility for ensuring worker safety. Even the best legislation cannot force management to adopt safety measures, when there is ?blame the victim?
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