Production and Wholesale of Product in Organization

Question: Describe about the Production and Wholesale of Product in Organization. Answer: Background of challenge: Davids Timber is an Australian timber producer and wholesaler organization that was found by David and Maurice Efron in 1989. It specialises in timber products and has a comprehensive product range including products like fencing, landscape, premium sawn and pallet grade products. The company is currently the largest wholesale supplier of Timber in Victoria (Davids Timber, 2013). Major market for the company includes sawmills in Australia and New Zealand. The producer was awarded with Alex Popes cu Award for Excellence and Best Outdoor Timber Supplier of the year by Timber Merchant Association (Davids Timber, 2013). The Challenge The major challenge faced by the organization today is the increased safety issues like physical hazards such as injuries and accidents and health hazards on workers. Physical Hazards: Working in sawmill is one of the dangerous occupation in the country. Gigantic weights and falling, rolling or sliding logs and machinery equipment also can be very hazardous, especially when workers use machines without proper training or safeguards. Injuries like laceration, cut of body part, burns and blindness could occur whilst working in a timber industry (United States Department of Labour, 2016). A worker suffered injury due to saw blade at mill before few years. The company was fined and ordered to reparation after a worker had amputated his thumb and an index finger. Worker had to undergo number of surgeries to fix the finger but he ultimately lost it. (Work Safe, 2015). Major causes of such physical hazards were found as follows: Machinery: Workers faced fatal injuries like fingers cut when they came in contact with the moving machines having saw blades. Manual handling: Staff suffers from back pain and musculoskeletal disorders resulting from lifting and handling of heavy wood materials, such as, Timber boards, pallets, heavy machines. Electrical: Employees often get exposed to electrical shock or burns because of faulty wires, plugs and other electrical equipments. Due to major electrical faults, some instances of fire could also occur that can cause burns or death by smoke inhalation. Slips and falls: Employee falling from heighted place or tripping over dangerous objects have made them suffer from injuries like laceration, cut, bruising or fracture. Moving Vehicles: There are moving vehicles used in the production unit which poses a risk on employees and others visiting factory of being run over by moving vehicles (Health and safety executive, 2016). Health Hazards Various health-related problems that would be caused the employees of the organization were identified as follows: Harmful Chemicals: The timber that is brought to the production unit has to be dried such that moisture can be removed for which a treatment process is used which involves preservative chemicals that can be harmful to the health of workers (Davids Timber, 2013). Saw Dust: Saw dust is another cause of concern for health of workers. Workers who are allergic to dust may have breathing problems and risk of lung diseases like asthma, hardwood dust may cause cancer working longer time in wood industry. Noise: The noise produced in the factory from the machines is also causing havoc for workers who may suffer from temporary or permanent hearing loss due to noisy and constant machinery noise at work place (Department of Labour, 2005). Five Solutions: There is a need to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety at the working site is enhanced for workers. Work Safe 2015 NZ can be taken as a base to identify some solutions to the challenges discussed here. Moreover, form the study of operations of the organization, some more solutions can be recommended. The five solutions that are determined to solve the work place hazard issue of the timber production organization include: Use of protective equipments: Restricting visitors and untrained works from entering machine areas: Use of low noise tooling: Replacement of hazardous material with safer materials: Reduction of manual handling at work: The probable solutions are: Prevention of physical and health hazards Advanced technology for automation Materials and equipments replacement The possible solutions are: Prevention of physical and health hazards by procuring more protective equipments Acquiring more advanced technological solutions to reduce man handling of materials Replacement of hazardous materials and noise causing tools with less hazard causing materials and equipments Key Probable Protective Equipments: This would be the easiest and most cost effective thing to do for the organization as the protective equipments used for every manufacturing or production unit requirements are already available. The organization would only need to identify the right equipment, identify suppliers to source from and make a plan for acquiring most important equipments while ensuring that the financial restrictions are not much violated. However, with current financial restrictions, the company may not be able to purchase new protective equipment and thus, there is a needed that the top management realizes the importance of using them and relax the financial restrictions for the purchase of protective equipments. The benefits would later be reflected when there would be fewer injuries and health hazards leading to reduction in man hours due to absence of injured worker, reduction in costs associated with medications or hospitalization related expenses incurred on workers and reduc tion in attrition rate of employees thereby saving the costs of hiring in the long run. SWOT Analysis of education/competency Strength Davids Timber is the largest outdoor wholesaler for Timber products in Victoria It provides a large range of products The organization has a large production unit spread over 6 acres which accommodates all its employees in the same place such that it is easier to communicate with workers, bring coordination and enforce safety policies. A base level training about the work safety is provided to every employee working in the organization Weaknesses: Most of the methods used in the company for material handling are manual The company does not make use of new or advanced technologies for its operations There is a financial restriction on the amount of safety equipments that can be purchased and thus, they may not be sufficient Opportunities Expanding timber supply globally Recruit more number of employee to increase the production Opportunity to win more awards internationally for quality services Threats Increasing safety issues can threaten workers and this can lead to employee attrition as well as discourage new employees from joining. Deforestation has resulted from increasing demand of timber material which can disturb the environmental balance in the region Because of the lack of use of safety procedures and safety material, health of employees working in the organization can become a major concern. References Guide to Health and Safety in The Timber Processing Company. (2005, May). Department of Labour.