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Soumi answered on May 21 2021
THE INFLUENCE OF WORKFORCE HEALTH AND SAFETY TOWARDS EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION IN MINING INDUSTRIES OF AUSTRALIA
(
THE INFLUENCE OF
WORKFORCE
HEALTH AND SAFETY
TOWARDS EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION IN MINING INDUSTRIES OF AUSTRALIA
)
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
1.0 Introduction 3
1.1 Background and Problem Statement 3
1.2 Research Aim 4
1.3 Research Questions 4
2.0 Critical Literature Review 4
2.1 Reasons for Accidents and Health Issues in Mining Employees 4
2.2 Factors of Employee Satisfaction in Mining Industry 5
2.3 Factors of Employee Performance in Mining Industry 5
2.4 Ways to Improve Mining Employee Satisfaction and Subsequent Performance 6
3.0 Methodology 7
3.1 Research Plan 7
3.2 Data Collection 7
3.2.1 Sampling Size, Population and Approach 7
4.0 Discussion and Findings 8
RQ 1: What is the status of health and safety standards in the mining industry in Australia? 8
4.1 Theme 1: Risk of Health and Safety in Australian Mining Industry 8
4.1.1 Sub-Theme 1: Lack of Health Incentives 8
4.1.2 Sub-Theme 2: Lack of Medical Aids 9
4.1.3 Sub-Theme 3: Lack of Safe Infrastructure 9
4.2 Theme 2: Role of Stakeholders in Maintaining Health and Safety in Australian Mining Industry 9
4.2.1 Sub-Theme 1: Employers 9
4.2.2 Sub-Theme 2: Employees 10
4.2.3 Sub-Theme 3: Government 10
4.2.4 Sub-Theme 4: Customers 10
RQ 2:How health and safety standards regulate employee satisfaction among mining employees in Australia? 10
4.3 Theme 3: Performance 11
4.3.1 Sub-Theme 1: Effectiveness of Health and Safety Initiatives 11
4.3.2 Sub-Theme 2: Employee Performance 11
4.3.3 Sub-Theme 3: Employee Satisfaction 11
6.0 Conclusion 12
6.2 Recommendations 12
6.3 Limitations 13
7.0 References 14
8.0 Appendix – 1 17
Executive Summary
The current research attempts to explore the impact of workplace health and safety provisions towards the mining employees and their impact on their satisfaction levels, controlling their performance. The current research starts with the introductory chapter, where the background of the research, the problem statement, aim, objectives and the questions are described. In the following chapter, relevant literary aspects of the study have been discussed in details, followed by the methodology chapter, which gives a brief idea about the related aspects of the research topic variables. In the discussion and finding chapter, the two major research questions are positioned under which themes have been placed, which yields answers to their respective research questions. Based on the research questions and their related themes, finally a proper conclusion is drawn, along with recommendations for further improvements. It is noteworthy that in the conclusion chapter, the limitations of the conducted research are also mentioned, which makes the research all the more realistic and engrossing.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background and Problem Statement
In Australia, the large number of mines, contributing in the mining industry has made the business profitable and the potential of higher earnings is dependent on the huge quantities of deposits remains in the mining zones. Considering the declining demand and the increasing competition in the local and international markets, the mines are in need of cheap labour for higher extraction, for which employee retention is needed and employee retention comes from employee satisfaction.
It is found that the health and safety provisions at workplaces, gives employees work satisfaction and reduced employee turnover. The risks generated from both, accidents and heat as well as fumes-oriented health issues has been considered as occupational hazards of the mining industry. However, with the use of automation and higher investment has given scope for better health and safety provisions at mining site employees, although has not being able to stop the occurrence of accidents or development of health hazards entirely (Department of Mines, Industry Regulations and Safety, 2018).
On the other hand, it is also found the previous researches have been conducted on issues relating to Australian mining industry, the health hazards, as mentioned in the work of Joy (2004) and the social issues with mining-oriented locality relocation, as observed by Harvey and Brereton (2005). However, the impact of workplace health and safety has not been discussion as a factor for employee satisfaction, which has current significance in the industry for its condition and selected as the chosen topic for the project. The main concern that is raised in the project is shown as the inability of avoiding accidents and health issues, hindering employee satisfaction in mining industry in a context, which requires employee satisfaction, for better performance.
1.2 Research Aim
The aim of the current research is to assess critically the impact of health and safety at the workplace on the employee satisfaction, within the mining industry in Australia.
1.3 Research Questions
The following are the research questions—
· What is the status of health and safety standards in the mining industry in Australia?
· How health and safety standards regulate employee satisfaction among mining employees in Australia?
2.0 Critical Literature Review
2.1 Reasons for Accidents and Health Issues in Mining Employees
One of the major reasons for accident and health issues among mining employees has been considered the outcome of lower ethical standards. As mentioned by Mactaggart, McDermott, Tynan and Gericke (2018), in mines, due to lower ethical standards, substance abuse is allowed by the management, considering the intoxication of the employee as a means of attaining higher profit as intoxication reduces the fatigue of the employees, making them capable of performing better.
The lack of knowledge of mental fatigue is considered another reason of accidents and health issues among mining employee. As stated by O’Mullan, Debattista and Keen-Dyer (2018), mining employees, in most cases come from lower section of the society, which make them less educated, leading to limited knowledge about mental fatigue and its long-term impact. As the mining employees work under heat and high pressure, environment, the mental condition degradation leads to accidents and health issues.
The lower quality of health and safety standards abided in mines has also been considered to be a reason for health and safety issues among the mine employees. As affirmed by Xingwana, Smith and Mazibuko (2019), the mining employees get safety and health precautions while working at the mines, thereby making it clear that the absence of precaution is not the reason for accidents and health issues, but their standards are.
Contrasting with the provided reasons, Frederiksen (2018), argue that breaches of the precautions are the reasons for accidents and health issues and the employees are responsible themselves. As opined by Etteh (2018), health and safety standards will not be able to stop accidents and health issues, as it is a part of the occupational hazard of the mining industry.
2.2 Factors of Employee Satisfaction in Mining Industry
Giving more importance to the nature of mining job and the risk that is associated with it; arguments have been mounting on the inference that employees in mining industry have naturally lower job satisfaction, which contributes to lower performance and high turnover. As mentioned by Macfarlane (2018), mining is a difficult and risky task to perform and therefore, employees very often get injured or develop health issues, which hinders their satisfaction and increase the chance of employee turnover.
On the contrary, Wegenast, Krauser, Struver and Giesen (2019) argued that employees, who work in the mines are aware of the risks and health hazards, therefore, they cannot be the reason of their dissatisfaction, instead it is the safety provisions provided for them and their quality that determine their satisfaction levels. On the other hand, taking a completely different approach, Street, Lacey and Somoray (2019) opined that the paid wages are the core factor that regulates the degree of employee satisfaction.
2.3 Factors of Employee Performance in Mining Industry
The employee performance, especially those engaged in the mining activities, depend largely on the degree of attachment they develop with their respective organisations. As stated by Boiral, Heras-Saizarbitoria and Brotherton (2019), the more an employee is attached to his or her mining company and its management, the higher performance it would provide, as attachment with the company creates dedicative mentality on the part of the mining employees. However, Friedman, Almberg and Cohen (2019), argued that employees in the mining industry had to undergo extreme physical labour, which generates high exhaustion, and fatigue.
This brings down the performance drastically and as the employees become older or continue mining for longer period, the performance degrades. According to Bonsu, Van Dyk, Franzidis, Petersen and Isafiade (2016), mining employees at mines do not get proper safety and health benefits due to the nature of the job as well as carelessness of the employers, which makes their satisfaction lower and performance slower. Botha and Cronje (2015) opined that employees in mining industry do not get much social importance as they are considered to be the lower part of the social order, which makes them more prone to not only leave their respective organisations but also leave the industry as well.
2.4 Ways to Improve Mining Employee Satisfaction and Subsequent Performance
The nature of work, the risk associated, the hazards involved in mining process cannot be changed, however, there are ways, through which employee satisfaction can be increased, which would cast direct impact on the degree of employee performance. As suggested by...