1. Analyse major human resources theories, policies, opportunities and risk associated on current human resource practices. Case Study: On the Tip of a Beryllum Iceberg? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the agency companies and workers count on, sometimes grudgingly, to make sure that the workplace is a safe as it can be. One of the principal means OSHA uses to ensure workplace safety is standards for work practices, acceptable levels of chemicals, and so on. Safety isn't just a matter of standards, however, managers and workers must act together to develop a culture of safety so that safety is a guiding value rather than a matter of compliance. What happens, however, if the standards really aren't sufficient to keep people safe? It looks like this may be the case with the standard for exposure to berylium, and some of the people affected indude OSHA's own employees. Beryllium is an impressive metal; it is lighter than aluminum, yet stiffer than steel. It is an ingredient in atomic bombs and is used in the dental, telecom, and aerospace industries. It shows up in cell phones, computers, cars, and golf clubs. Beryllium is also showing up in recycling operations. The problem with berylium is that its dust is toxic. Just a few millionths of a gram can fatally damage lungs and other organs. Exposure to smaler amounts can sensitize the immune system and lead to the development of a disease called chronic beryllium disease. Berylium is increasingly being used in workplaces, but it appears that this use could be placing workers at risk. The National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver tests and treats people with chronic berylium disease. Dr. Lee Newman, a leading expert who works at the Center, considers chronic beryllium disease an unrecognized epidemic whose full extent we have scarcely begun to understand. case atudyfay0919 Paget A standard for exposure to berylium exists, but it looks like it may be inadequate to ensure safety. That was the concern of Adam Finkel, an OSHA employee who told a reporter that he thought OSHA was not protecting its own workers from the danger of berylium. Finkel pushed for tests for al OSHA inspectors. According to Finkel, OSHA's response was to attack and demote him. OSHA denied this charge, and Finkel filed a whistle-blower complaint and settled the case for an undisclosed sum. Perhaps most important, OSHA has since been testing its inspectors for sensitization to berylium. Of the 271 inspectors tested at the time of this writing, 10 have been found to be sensitized to the metal and are at risk for developing a potentially fatal lung disease. However, as many as 1,000 current and former compliance officers may have been exposed. The largest producer of berylium, Brush Wellman Inc., considers OSHA's current standards to be inadequate. The company has adopted its own exposure standard for airbome beryllium that is one-tenth the level permitted by OSHA. Discussions: Q1: The beryllium sensitization of OSHA's compliance officers has raised concerns for the thousands of industry workers who are exposed to beryllium. OSHA officers visit the workplaces only sporadically, while industry workers are exposed on a more regular basis. Do you think these workers should be tested for beryllium sensitization? Why they should be tested? Who should bear the cost of the testing? Q2: OSHA has been criticized for its inadequate beryllium exposure standards. The agency did try to push through lower exposure limits in the 1970s, but companies stopped passage of the new standards by claiming they couldn't afford to meet the lower standard. Given this history, do you think the companies or OSHA are responsible for today's inadequate exposure standards? Q3: OSHA could lose credibility with companies over other safety issues due to the beryllium exposure problems. If you were hired as a consultant by OSHA, what would you recommend to reduce the possible damage of the beryllium issues to the agency's reputation and effectiveness?