Question: Case study (10%) HOW HIGH TO STACK? Mokhtar, a store operator at WB Industries Sdn Bhd, studied the safety poster on the wall of the
- Case study (10%)
- HOW HIGH TO STACK?
-
Mokhtar, a store operator at WB Industries Sdn Bhd, studied the safety poster on the wall of the store. Mokthars job consisted of unloading cases from containers, opening cartons in the stockroom, taking their contents out into the store proper, stamping prices on each item, and placing these items on their assigned shelf space. If Mokthar understood the poster correctly, it meant that he did not have to perform any work that he thought was unsafe.
Mokhtar thought about his work, unloading cartons from incoming container lorries and stacking them eight high in the stockroom. Mokhtar thought that was dangerous because they could fall down on someones foot if the person wasnt careful. Also, he might strain his back lifting the seventh and eighth cases above shoulder level to stack them. Mokthar went looking for Nasir, the assistant store manager.
Hey, Nasir, Mokhtar said, I was looking at the safety poster and decided that what I am doing is dangerous. I have decided that I am not going to stack the incoming cases up to eight high like you want. The highest I will stack will be five high, which will be about the height of my chest. And I also want some sort of racks so that there is no danger of any carton falling down. I also need a forklift so that I do not hurt my back lifting the cartons. I do not want to get hurt in an accident. If you do not give me a forklift, then at least get another store operator so that we can lift those cartons together.
Who do you think you are bluffing? asked Nasir. Youre just looking for an excuse to get out of the heavy work here. We have been stacking cases like this for years, and there has never been an accident.
Well, we have been lucky so far, said Mokhtar. The Occupational Safety and Health Department wants us to stop doing dangerous acts and make sure no accident can happen because of an unsafe practice. And I feel that what we are doing now is unsafe.
Look, stop talking nonsense and get that incoming container upload now. You know very well that if we stack the cartons only five high there wont be enough space in the store, said Nasir.
No, said Mokhtar, I know my rights. Stacking eight cartons high is a dangerous act that can cause me injury and the company has got to remove any hazards that are likely to cause me or anyone else seriously bodily harm.
You better do as I say or I will charge you with insubordination, said Nasir. You think you can try to be funny but I will not tolerate it. The average weight of each carton is only 10 kilograms and as far as I am concerned it is safe to stack them at eight high like we have been doing all this while. You are just trying to cause trouble an in fact, I hope one of these cartons will fall on your head to knock some sense into you.
No way, said Mokhtar, Im not going to stack those cartons at all until an officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Department comes in here and tells me it is safe. I will keep on doing other work like moving stock out into the store, but I wont stack cartons eight high.
CASE STUDY QUESTIONS
- How do you think Nasir has handled this situation? EXPLAIN FIVE (5) reasons. (10 Marks)
- DESCRIBE FIVE (5) mistakes make by Nasir in handling this situation. (10 Marks)
- IDENTIFY FIVE (5) ways that Nasir to take in order to solve this problem. (10 Marks)
- As the officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Department, ANALYZE the case study above according to Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. (20 Marks)
- Case study (10%)
-
HOW HIGH TO STACK?
Mokhtar, a store operator at WB Industries Sdn Bhd, studied the safety poster on the wall of the store. Mokthars job consisted of unloading cases from containers, opening cartons in the stockroom, taking their contents out into the store proper, stamping prices on each item, and placing these items on their assigned shelf space. If Mokthar understood the poster correctly, it meant that he did not have to perform any work that he thought was unsafe.
Mokhtar thought about his work, unloading cartons from incoming container lorries and stacking them eight high in the stockroom. Mokhtar thought that was dangerous because they could fall down on someones foot if the person wasnt careful. Also, he might strain his back lifting the seventh and eighth cases above shoulder level to stack them. Mokthar went looking for Nasir, the assistant store manager.
Hey, Nasir, Mokhtar said, I was looking at the safety poster and decided that what I am doing is dangerous. I have decided that I am not going to stack the incoming cases up to eight high like you want. The highest I will stack will be five high, which will be about the height of my chest. And I also want some sort of racks so that there is no danger of any carton falling down. I also need a forklift so that I do not hurt my back lifting the cartons. I do not want to get hurt in an accident. If you do not give me a forklift, then at least get another store operator so that we can lift those cartons together.
Who do you think you are bluffing? asked Nasir. Youre just looking for an excuse to get out of the heavy work here. We have been stacking cases like this for years, and there has never been an accident.
Well, we have been lucky so far, said Mokhtar. The Occupational Safety and Health Department wants us to stop doing dangerous acts and make sure no accident can happen because of an unsafe practice. And I feel that what we are doing now is unsafe.
Look, stop talking nonsense and get that incoming container upload now. You know very well that if we stack the cartons only five high there wont be enough space in the store, said Nasir.
No, said Mokhtar, I know my rights. Stacking eight cartons high is a dangerous act that can cause me injury and the company has got to remove any hazards that are likely to cause me or anyone else seriously bodily harm.
You better do as I say or I will charge you with insubordination, said Nasir. You think you can try to be funny but I will not tolerate it. The average weight of each carton is only 10 kilograms and as far as I am concerned it is safe to stack them at eight high like we have been doing all this while. You are just trying to cause trouble an in fact, I hope one of these cartons will fall on your head to knock some sense into you.
No way, said Mokhtar, Im not going to stack those cartons at all until an officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Department comes in here and tells me it is safe. I will keep on doing other work like moving stock out into the store, but I wont stack cartons eight high.
CASE STUDY QUESTIONS
- How do you think Nasir has handled this situation? EXPLAIN FIVE (5) reasons. (10 Marks)
- DESCRIBE FIVE (5) mistakes make by Nasir in handling this situation. (10 Marks)
- IDENTIFY FIVE (5) ways that Nasir to take in order to solve this problem. (10 Marks)
- As the officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Department, ANALYZE the case study above according to Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. (20 Marks)
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