Health and Safety

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Health and Safety

• OS352
• September 9, 2004

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Agenda

• Why do we need to legislate health and safety
  issues?
• What does OSHA do?

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Reminder!

• First guest speakers presenting tonight
• Snell 213 at 700
• Must either attend tonights session or second
  session in October
• Be prepared to write a one-page summary of the
  speakers key points

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Workplace Safety

• Another important area of federal oversight
• In which industries do workers have the greatest
  exposure to unsafe conditions?
• Which jobs are the least safe?

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Discussion questions

• Why do we need laws about safety?
• What are some of the challenges involved in
  creating a safe workplace?

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(No Transcript)
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Why should organizations care?

• Bureau of Labor statistics (2002)
• 5,524 worker deaths (down 6)
• 4.7 million injuries/illnesses
• Related to bottom line productivity, medical
  and insurance costs
• Also legal and ethical concerns

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OSHA

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  (DOL)
• Goal is to ensure safe and healthful workplaces
• Prevention through training, inspections
• Penalties for violations

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Accidents

• Result of unsafe conditions, behaviors
• Low base rate
• Can usually practice unsafe behaviors and not
  have an accident
• Tends to discourage safe behaviors
• Accident proneness some employees are more
  susceptible to accidents

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Workplace Violence

• One of three leading causes of workplace
  fatalities
• Occupations most affected
• Police
• Taxi drivers
• Private guards
• Managers of food service or lodging
  establishments
• OSHA published guidelines for prevention

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Ergonomics

• Musculoskeletal disorders (carpal tunnel) are a
  major source of workplace injury
• Poultry processing
• Keyboarding/mouse usage
• Lifting
• Ergonomic assessment, redesign can help

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OSHA Fact Sheets

• What are they used for?
• What information do they contain?
• What examples did you find?

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Voluntary Protection Programs

• Cooperative relationships at workplaces with
  comprehensive safety and health management
  systems.
• Requires rigorous on-site evaluation
• Participants submit annual self-evaluations
• Undergo periodic onsite reevaluations to remain
  in the program
• VPP worksites have lost workday incidence rate
  52 below industry average.

Source http//www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html
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For next class

• Topic Job analysis
• Read chapter 4
• What is the purpose of conducting job analysis?
• Why are there so many different ways to conduct a
  job analysis?