...Injuries and Safety in the Workplace Gail Coates BUS642 Research Methods & Tools Kelly Bruning July 4, 2015 Introduction If safety procedure programs are not implemented in organizations’ rules and policy, the amount of workplace injuries will continue to rise. As a prospective manager and business owner, workplace safety is important to research so I can ensure that my business is productive as well as having productive employees. Knowing what the main causes of work related injuries and the responsibility as management and having the proper plan and procedure to follow will help decrease those injuries and help my business become more productive. The well being of an organizations employers and employees are contingent on the organizations workplace health and safety procedures. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), “each year about 2.3 million people die from accidents and diseases that are related to their work” (Yarlagadda, Raju,, & Raju, 2010). The article also states that each day approximately 1 million employees suffer workplace accidents, and about 5,500 of those employees will die because of an accident or disease related to their work (Yarlagadda, Raju,, & Raju, 2010). Management Dilemma There are several different dilemmas that management deals with when it come to workplace injuries and safety. Management has to know what to do to prevent workplace injuries and how to deal with those injuries when they happen. Another...
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...Common Worker's Compensation Injuries Workplace injuries run a continuum from minor to deadly, and the circumstances that give rise to workplace injuries are as varied as the individuals who experience such injuries. Some injuries are simply more common than others, though, and knowing which injuries are the most common can help you take safety precautions that help you avoid injury and having to sit in a lawyer's office and explain your that injury. Here are the top 10 injuries, in order from most to least prevalent. Overexertion Overexertion is caused by overuse of a muscle or group of muscles, or when a muscle or joint is moved in a dangerous way. For example, when you overextend your neck while reaching for something, you may suffer an overexertion injury. Slip and Falls...
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...HLG 5 Unusual Workplace Injuries Even with proper safety measures and OSHA guidelines in place, workplace injuries still occur sometimes in very unsuspecting ways. According to the Houston Chronicles, the leading causes of injury in the workplace include negligence, hazardous materials, stress and overexertion. Exposure to hazardous materials can lead to serious injuries, including respiratory diseases and skin infection. To minimize the risk of injury and fatalities caused by hazardous materials, toxic materials and chemicals used in the workplace must be handled with protective gear and lots of care. Overexertion in the workplace is a serious vulnerability that often causes mental and physical exhaustion. A worker in this state can easily...
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... 1.2 Workplace Safety Defined 1 2.0 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 2 2.1 Workplace Injury Statistics 2 2.2 Types of Safety Training 6 2.3 Negative Association with Training 10 2.4 Positive Association with Training 12 3.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14 3.1Why safety training in a workplace is a necessity? 14 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Types of injury 5 2 List of hazards of a job 6 3 Specific Precautions Requirement 7 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………18 APPENDIX ………….19 | Introduction Background Today’s workplaces consist of workers who are not educated enough about safety training and the effects this has on employee and the organization. Workers who are well trained are less likely to have injuries; less likely to causes other incidents (such as property damage) and if they are trained they are able to get the work done in a timely manner and most importantly safety. To have a safe environment, everyone must take action to prevent an injury by taking time to ensure procedures are followed. This paper will discuss the benefits of educating workers on safety training and explore the necessary types of training available in a workplace and make recommendations...
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...regulations are in place to systematize and encourage workplace safety. According to the bureau of labor statistics, between 2010 and 2013 here in Texas there average of workplace injuries was 433 each year and between the years of 2008 to 2011, an average of 564 work – related homicides ("Fact Sheet, workplace shootings and injuries," 2013, para. 2). As employees we have a right to a safe workplace according to the OSH Act (Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970). “The OSH Act was passed to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work. The Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which sets and enforces protective workplace safety and health standards ("You have the right to a safe workplace," 2013, para. 1) This paper reviews the effects of legal, safety and regulatory requirements. Deciphering what is the standards for common sense and compassion and has it been replaced with litigation in the workplace. What are the employee-related regulations in the workplace? Legal, safety, and regulatory Workers are entitled to a workplace that is not subject to risk and harm. Human resources managers follow the important standards of OSHA, limit the amount of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Require the use of specific job-related safety practices and equipment. Educate employees on the information about hazards chemicals, standards for prevent of harm, and OSHA standards. By keeping the workplace safe the human resources department responsibility...
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...The aims and benefits of Occupational Health and Safety Management As known to all, there are always such-and-such potential hazards in people's work activities or work environment, which may cause property damage, be harmful to environment, affect human’s health and even cause injury or accident. People call the possibility of one or some danger causing incidents and its possible consequence as risk. The object of contemporary occupational health and safety management is the occupational safety and health risks. These hazards may be chemical, physical, biological, related to human work efficiency and others, the factors of which include personal factor, equipment factor, environmental factor and organizational and management factor. Occupational health and safety is a series of measures and the corresponding activities adloyee’s income, prevent employee from injury and create less stress from employee, thus employee may obtain more physical and psychological satisfaction. Occupational health and safety management includes accident investigation and recording, work system designing, examination of workplace, training, complete incentives, supervision and employee aids plan. What is a hazard? The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 defines a hazard as ‘anything (including work practices or procedures) that has the potential to harm the health or safety of a person’. Hazards can be grouped into five broad areas: o physical eg. noise, radiation, light...
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...my view, zero-injury goals are unrealistic targets because I feel that it is impossible to prevent all injuries from happening. An employer only has so much control over what happens in the workplace. It is critical for the employer to ensure that jobs are done in a safe manner. This is usually done by training employees in health and safety, supervising the workplace, identifying and addressing hazards, etc. But what about when employees are injured at the workplace but not while they are doing work? For example, an employee could be walking down some stairs at the workplace and slip and get injured. There could be no hazards in the way and all the safety measures in place, such as railing. The employee could have been thinking of something worrisome in his/her life and therefore missed a step. This would result in an injury which in my view is impossible to prevent. An employer cannot control how an employee acts and goes about in the day. The employer has no control over employees taking shortcuts to meet deadlines, coming to work tired or sick, or just not performing the job safely even though the employee has been put through training and been made aware. These things among others could all be the potential cause of a workplace injury. An employer cannot control the thinking or human nature of an employee. This is why I feel that zero injury goals are unrealistic. It’s true that prevention and training play a part in not having a high rate of workplace injuries, but I feel...
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...Unit 27 – Understanding Health and safety in the Business Workplace P1/M1– All work places need to ensure the health and safety of their employees, customers and any persons who will be entering the premises of a business. Businesses have a legal obligation to do so therefore Legal requirements have to be met and guidelines to be followed such as COSHH, RIDDOR, COMAH and other safety factors have to be followed. Legislations such as the Health and Safety Act 1974 ensured that all employers would have certain duties they must perform toward their employees and customers and what duties employees would have with other employees and customers, This act did not state that employers would have to take action in reducing any risks in the work place if it impossible or that the time, cost or trouble involved outweighed the risk. This Act just ensures businesses have good management and tackle any risks that occur in a sensible manner, unlike the next legislation. The Health and Safety at work Act 1999 ensure business follow guidelines implemented by the law. It gives more explicit instructions on what employers and employees must do within with workplace to keep it a healthy and safe environment. This Act states that A business or employer must do everything they can to reduce the Risk of any injury to an employee. If they do not only could they face legal action against an employee or customer they could face criminal legal action against the court for failing to follow the Health...
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...Executive Health and Safety Executive Annual Statistics Report 2011/12 The Health and Safety Executive Statistics 2011/12 KEY FACTS WORK-RELATED ILL HEALTH WORKPLACE INJURY ENFORCEMENT OTHER TOPICS www.hse.gov.uk SOURCES AND DEFINITIONS Ill health 1.1 million people who worked during the last year were suffering from an illness (long-standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. 0.5 million of these were new conditions which started during the year. A further 0.7 million former workers (who last worked over 12 months ago) were suffering from an illness which was caused or made worse by their past work. 2347 people died from mesothelioma in 2010 and thousands more from other occupational cancers and diseases such as COPD. Injuries 173 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.6 fatalities per 100 000 workers. 111 164 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 445.4 per 100 000 employees. 212 000 injuries leading to over-3-day absence occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey, a rate of 750 per 100 000 workers. 1 Key facts Working days lost 27 million days were lost overall (17 days per case). 22.7 million due to work-related ill health and 4.3 million due to workplace injury. Economic costs to Britain Workplace injuries and ill health (excluding cancer) cost society an estimated £13.4 billion in 2010/11. Enforcement 551 cases were prosecuted by HSE in England and Wales. 95 cases were...
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...Ensuring Health And Safety At Workplaces Introduction In our day to day lives, accidents tend to occur under different circumstances some of which can be avoided. Most accidents are attributed to carelessness of which it is believed just a little carefulness could avoid and in the process reduce the many serious injuries incurred and even at times death or decapitation. Accidents are unplanned and unfortunate events that results in damage, injuries or upsets of some kind. This is the same even at workplaces. Most accidents at work places are sometimes as a result of carelessness. These accidents can be avoided if the following measures can be taken at the places of work. Management is committed to safety in the work place, employees are informed about accident prevention, consultation between the employer and employee takes place on a regular basis, there is a trusting relationship between the employer and staff and employees have actual input into the decision-making process. Employers and employees attitude towards accidents also contribute greatly towards preventing them from occurring. If both the employer and the employee approach safety at places of work with diligence, then these cases of accidents will be greatly reduced and inefficiency due to lose of time from work by employees will be avoided. The best method to achieve this is through cooperation of the two main partners (employer and employee who may be represented by unions), an approach known as the shared responsibility...
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...1) Employers operate disability management programs because it gives them a structured way to manage workplace costs associated with workplace illness and injury. Costs can be controlled through maintaining skilled workers and limiting absences to maintain a productive workforce. The program is also thought to “prevent workplace injury and illness and to accommodate workers in a manner that facilitates early and safe return to work.” (Management of Occupational Health and Safety, 2011, 329) I also feel that employers operate disability management programs as a way to keep themselves out of financial hardship and legal issues which could stem from a workplace injury or illness. The goal of a disability management program is for employers to have a set of proactive practices to “prevent or reduce workplace disability; to intervene early in the event of risk or injury; and to provide coordinated management and rehabilitation functions that promote workers’ recovery and safe and timely return to work.” (Management of Occupational Health and Safety, 2011, 329) I believe a common problem with disability management is that employers are focused on lowering the financial impact of injury or illness in the workplace. Due to this fact, the disability management practices tend to focus more on returning employees to work following an injury, rather than preventing the injury before it happens. I also think that the programs fall short following return to work because it is common...
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...STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE AND SAFETY ISSUES AMONG NURSES IN THE PHILIPPINES Abstract Personality differences among employees can lead to a tense and less productive work environment. Differences in race, gender, religious conviction, sexual orientation, and age can cause fear and uneasiness among employees. These feelings are often associated with confusion or powerlessness. Diversity and sensitivity training can assist employees in embracing each other’s unique qualities. “To accept differences, we have to understand differences, and there is no better way to do this than to learn to communicate with people who are different than you” (Lieberman, 2007). When employees feel overwhelmed, they can lose self-confidence, become irritable or act withdrawn. This behavior directly impacts productivity, and work becomes less rewarding. J. Segal, R. Segal, Horwitz, Jaffe-Gi[ http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Managing-Stress-In-The-Workplace/54320 In this article, work-related problems among a sample of nurses in the Philippines are described. Cross-sectional data were collected through a self-administered survey during the Philippine Nurses Association 2007 convention by De Castro, A.B, et al. during the Philippine Nurses Association 2007 convention. Measures included four categories: work-related demographics, occupational injury/illness, reporting behavior, and safety concerns. Approximately 40% of nurses had experienced at least one injury or illness in the past year...
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...fact that employees are aware but not in great depth. Promoting OHS is not only an advantage for the employees but also the management staff. The aim of legislations and obligations are to minimise the chance of an injury. As the employer there are certain obligations that are enforced to minimise the chance of an injury occurring. (Work Safe Victoria) mentions that in Victoria, workplace health and safety is governed by a system of laws, regulations and compliance codes which set out the responsibilities of employers and workers to ensure that safety is maintained at work. All the employees and management staff implement the OHS through The Act which sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health and safety. The main focus was by educating how to prevent injuries from arising in a workplace environment. Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 33% of all workplace injuries and illnesses in 2011; sprains, strains and tears accounted for 38% of injuries (Gupta, 2013). Typically, injuries resulted from repetitive motion. Risk management is a four step process whereby you identify hazards in the workplace, then assess the risk of those hazards and then implement control measures, which will eliminate or minimise the risk of injuries. Hazard identification plays an important part in any field, as there are always safety issues. This can include purchasing equipment, carrying out physical and psychological demands of a task, repetitive...
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...Implementing An Ergonomic Program In Workplace Introduction To Health And Safety System Dated 04/22/2015 Introduction: Ergonomics is a scientific discipline, which is concerned with improving the productivity, health, safety and comfort of people, as well as promoting effective interaction among people, technology and the environment in which both must operate. In a more practical sense, ergonomics is the science of human comfort. When aspects of work or the workplace challenge or stress the human body beyond its capabilities, the result is often a musculoskeletal injury (MSI). O/E (overexertion injury) RSIs (repetitive stress or repetitive strain injuries) ASTDs (activity-related soft tissue disorders) CTDs (cumulative trauma disorders) Whatever name is used, these injuries belong to a group of sprain and strain injuries that can affect muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, blood vessels, or spinal discs in the body. To help avoid MSIs, work demands should not exceed the physical capabilities of the worker. A proactive initiative will be described in the following case study is how to implement an ergonomics program into a workplace of 20 employees. Human Resources Department’s support beside management in executing the ergonomics program will increase workers productivity and proficiency. In this case study there are five steps that will be used to develop and implement the program called ‘The Leadership Activities For Managing Control Model’...
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...Health and Safety of Workers in the Coca-Cola Company We believe that a safe and healthy workplace is a fundamental right of every person and also a business imperative. Our Workplace Rights Policy requires that we take responsibility for maintaining a productive workplace in every part of our Company by minimizing the risk of accidents, injury and exposure to health hazards for all of our associates and contractors. In addition, we’re working with our bottling partners to ensure health and safety risks are minimized for their employees and contract workers. The Coca-Cola Operating Requirements (KORE) defines the policies, standards and requirements for managing safety, the environment and quality throughout our operations. KORE also requires that our manufacturing and distribution facilities implement BS OHSAS 18001 (British Standard Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001, a framework for an effective occupational health and safety management system) or an equivalent internationally recognized safety management system. To guide us in achieving a safe work environment for our associates, KORE defines a rigorous set of operational controls to manage known risks. The controls generally align with top global requirements and consensus standards. In addition, we audit the compliance of each of our manufacturing operations with applicable laws and regulations and our Company occupational safety and health requirements. We provide substantial safety training to our...
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