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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

OHS: the identification, evaluation, and control of hazards associated with the work environment Occupational Injury: any cut, fracture, sprain or amputation resulting from a workplace accident Lost-time injury: a workplace injury that results in the employee missing time from work Occupational Illness: any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment Historical Development of Modern OHS

Occupational illnesses and injuries have been with us throughout history

Documented cases of work-related illnesses go back as far as Ancient Egypt, when stonemasons

and potters experienced respiratory problems from breathing in debris during the building of

pyramids

As societies became more technologically advanced, cases of skin diseases, vomiting and liver

degeneration began to occur

With the start of the Industrial Revolution, machinists and others working in the new industries

were exposed to oils used for lubrication during the cutting and removal of metal. These oils,

mixed with the poor personal hygiene practices resulted in serious skin diseases, such as acne

and skin melanomas. When the spinning and weaving industries were mechanized, the resultant

dust from hemp and flax (breathing in dirt) caused byssinosis—Brown lung: a disease of the

lungs caused by excessive inhalation of dust; affects textile workers

In Canada, OHS concerns first arose in the late 19th century with health & safety provisions

being written into law when Ontario passed legislation that established safety standards such as

mandating guards on machines. Quebec then followed suit.

By the early 20th century, every jurisdiction in Canada had passed factory laws that regulated

heating, lighting, ventilation, hygiene, fire safety and accident reporting. Factory inspectors

were also appointed in each province/territory to enforce these standards

Important Influences

Royal Commission on Relations of Capital and Labour in Canada (1889)

1. Commissioners made several recommendations about improving health and safety by

establishing standards and mandating regular inspections

2. First to recommend a system for compensating victims

3. Lastly, recommend that a labour bureau be created to oversee these activities

Royal Commission on the H&S of Workers in Mines (1974): first to articulate 3 principles:

1. Right to refuse dangerous work without penalty

2. Right to participate in identifying and correcting H&S problems

3. Right to know about hazards in the workplace

WHMIS (1988)—Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System: has been established in

every jurisdiction in Canada and is based on worker’s fundamental right to know

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Changing Perspectives on Risk & Liability

Until the early 20th century, the dominant model of dealing with hazards in the workplace was: Assumption of risk: the belief that a worker accepted the risks of employment when he or she accepted a job ex: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Associated with the assumption of risk doctrine was the belief that occupational injuries were caused by worker carelessness and the belief in accident-prone personalities

Accident proneness: the notion that some individuals are inherently more likely than others to be

involved in accidents, as a result of individual characteristics

The Importance of H&S

ER’s, EE’s and the public should care about OHS for economic, legal and moral reasons Economic

There are various costs related to workplace injury and some of them are immediate and a direct result of the incident, while others are more subtle and follow a chain of events after a workplace injury

Direct—directly relate to injury Indirect—costs that follow workplace injury

-Worker’s lost time -Time spent investigating incident -Finding/ training of replacement worker

-Fines, legal costs -Work stoppages & strikes -Negative publicity/ bad business

Legal

OHS Act requires an ER to “take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker” –due diligence: an expected standard of conduct that requires ER’s to take every reasonable precaution to ensure safety

Moral

ER’s have moral obligations to employees and their families to provide the safest working environment possible.

Management commitment to H&S results in higher EE motivation to work safely—studies show that perception that mgrs. and co-workers who were committed to H&S was the single biggest predictor of an EE’s willingness to participate in H&S programs

Workers have moral responsibility to learn about H&S and follow recommended practices There are considerable costs of work-related injuries/illnesses that fall on:

1. Injured workers and their families

-Lost labour market earnings, shortened career, lost retirement earnings, deterioration of

health status, loss of enjoyment of non-work life, possibly reduced life expectancy; medical

care/assisted living costs, vocational retraining costs, etc.

2. Firms

(Direct)-benefit costs: LT & ST disability benefit payments, worker’s comp. costs, medical care

costs, cost of managing benefits

(Indirect)-replacement workers, OT, training, lost-production, risk of injury to co-workers,

supervisory time, costs of hiring/training, reduced productivity/morale

(Disability Mgmt. Costs)-return-to-work programs, wellness programs, EAP’s, medical clinics,

safety programs and data systems

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3. Society as a whole

-Costs to gov’t increase and revenues (taxes) to government fall, ER’s may be forced out of

business; and the prices of goods and services may be higher than would be in the case in

safer/healthier workplaces

Stakeholders 1. Government: ON passed the Workmen’s Compensation Act (1914)—provided lost-time wages

to almost every injured worker; 2 main goals: compensation and prevention; also, federal gov’t

created the Canadian Centre for OHS as a vital H&S research and resource organization

2. Employers: a company’s management team is the most pivotal player in OHS, they have the

resources to hire H&S professionals and are responsible for preparing a written OHS policy and

ensuring its displayed within the workplace; managers also must receive adequate training

3. Employees: are required to perform tasks & duties in a safe and responsible manner and to

wear protective equipment in compliance with co. regulation; they are required to report

defective equipment & other hazards; they also have the right to refuse unsafe work

4. Organized Labour: responsible to bring emerging problems and issues in H&S to the attention of

the gov’t and ER’s and to pressure other stakeholders to take corrective action; they also use the

collective bargaining process to incorporate H&S provisions into contracts

5. Partnerships: forming alliances among stakeholders to overcome barriers to implementing OHS

programs, i.e. ER’s (reduce costs, increase image), EE’s (reduced injury) and unions (successfully

champion interests of clients); gov’t also forms joint H&S committees (ER & worker reps)

6. Health & Safety Professionals: managers and HR experts cannot be solely responsible

The Role of Human Resources

HR is the face of OHS and is almost exclusively managed under the HR function

The three E’s: a traditional approach to OHS that emphasized engineering, education and enforcement

OHS is a ‘People Issue’

Now the focus is on developing individual skills and abilities and on motivating individuals; through the use of orientation and training programs, HR professionals develop EE knowledge and skills and through compensation and awareness programs, HR professionals motivate safe working

Safety leadership and safety climate are also predictors of safety outcomes

Safety requires legislative compliance (labour law—employment equity, human rights legislation, BILL 168)

Safety decreases costs (also, HR has a role to ensure benefits an org. pays for are used most effectively to help injured workers and to ensure prompt return to health and work)

Relates to other HR functions (such as compensation, training, and benefits) New Focus: Employment Health

There are less physical injuries and more LT diseases, stress, psychological trauma, etc. Why?

Nature of work: more 2-earner families, work/family balance, people do similar things at home to work i.e. keyboarding, workforce is aging (more accommodation), more service jobs, fewer machines, continued intro of chemicals, many workers at home, multiple sites, etc.

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CHAPTER 2: LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS

Act: a federal, provincial, or territorial law that constitutes the basic regulatory mechanism for OHS, if broken, could be fined and imprisoned Regulations: explain how the general intent of the act will be applied in specific circumstances, helps us to enforce the law Guidelines & Policies: more specific rules that are not legally enforceable unless referred to in a regulation or act (recommendations), ex: check people purses before leaving Standards and Codes: design-related guides established by agencies such as the Canadian Standards Association and International Labour Organization

The Scope of OHS Legislation: ER’s carry the burden—must hire competent workers and supervisors; if wrongdoings occur; they are vicariously liable under tort law Elements

an act

powers of enforcement

the right of workers to refuse to do unsafe work

protection of workers from reprisals

duties and responsibilities assigned to ER’s and others 4 Key Types of Legislation

1. ESA-attempt to provide benchmark, minimum standard of protection 2. OHS 3. Human Rights Code-promotes fairness, decreases harassment, ensures workplace is safe 4. Worker’s Compensation-compensation given to EE’s

Exceptions

Work done by the owner or occupant, or a servant in a private residence

Farming operations

Federal jurisdiction—banks, post offices, airports, transportation & telecommunication co’s Two Models of OHS Legislation “Internal Responsibility System” Model

Right to know (about workplace hazards and WHMIS) ex: bank teller & robbery risks

Right to participate (through representation of H&S committees) ex: training sessions

Right to refuse unsafe work ex: cannot be forced to work in a threatening environment Pros:

More flexible to needs of diverse workplaces

Doesn’t rely heavily on government Cons:

Workers may be intimidated

Workers may not have resources to be effective committee members

Government must still ensure compliance

Rights may be used for other issues (out of conflict, political issues, want improvements, etc.) “Command & Control” Model

Type of leadership—everything has to follow guidelines

Specific regulations/ standards

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Inspections

Fines/imprisonment Problems

Agency costs, costs of monitoring

Diversity of workplace situations

Many ER’s/workplaces-few inspectors

Fines too small—slap on the wrist (not influential) Duties of Employers, Owners and Contractors

Ensuring that equipment is provided and properly maintained

Appointing a competent supervisor

Providing information in a medical emergency

Informing supervisors and workers of possible hazards

Posting the OHS Act in the workplace

Preparing and maintaining a H&S policy and reviewing it annually Constructor: similar to responsibilities of ER’s—in H&S legislation, a constructor is a person or company who oversees the construction of a project and who is ultimately responsible for the H&S of all workers Duties of Supervisors

Ensuring that workers comply with the OHS Act and regulations

Ensuring that workers use or wear safety equipment, devices, or clothing

Advising workers of possible hazards

Providing written instructions if applicable

Taking every reasonable precaution to ensure the protection of workers Duties of Workers

Complying with the OHS Act and regulations

Properly using the safety equipment and clothes provided

Reporting hazards, such as defective equipment to the supervisor

Reporting any contraventions of the act or regulations **Duties of General Public—not contained to workplace alone, contains everyone Joint H&S Committees (JHSC)—right to participate

Recent addition to OHS legislation

Primary function is to provide a non-adversarial atmosphere in which labour and management can work together to create a safer and healthier workplace

1 certified worker, 1 certified manager come together in neutral setting to evaluate policies Work Refusals

The right to refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisals

Exceptions: if the work is a normal condition of employment or if the refusal places another life in jeopardy; police, firefighters, teachers and health care workers also have limited right to refusal (they can refuse to work if faulty or defective equipment)

Procedure:

The worker must first apprise the supervisor of the suspected work hazard and then an investigation is conducted by the supervisor and worker representative (union, joint H&S committee member or co-worker); the results are either a return to work or continued refusal;

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in a latter situation, a ministry official investigates and then provides a written decision (a replacement worker may not be assigned and the worker refusing to work may not be sent home)

Stop-Work Provisions

2 forms: bilateral (work stoppage following investigation) & unilateral (without investigation)

Dangerous circumstance: a provision of the act or regulation is being contravened presenting a danger or hazard to a worker and is such that any delay in controlling it may seriously endanger a worker

Problems: are they actually issues or people just abusing their right?

WHMIS –began in the U.S and reflects the belief that workers have the right to know about hazards used in the workplace

6 elements: (ON) 1. Labels designed to alert the worker that the container contains a potentially hazardous

product 2. Material safety data sheets outline a products potentially hazardous ingredients and

procedures of safe handling 3. Employee training 4. Hazardous materials inventory requirement 5. Physical agents (ex. Noise) 6. The public's right to know

Labels: workplace and supplier

Workplace: 6 classes 1. Compressed gas 2. Flammable and Combustible Material 3. Oxidizing Material 4. Poisonous and Infectious Material 5. Corrosive Material 6. Dangerously Reactive Material

Supplier (black and white border) 1. Product identifier 2. Supplier identifier 3. Statement to refer to material safety data sheet 4. Hazard symbols 5. Risk phrases 6. Precautionary measures 7. First-Aid measures

Training (worker should be able to)—program must be reviewed annually or as changes occur **

Identify WHMIS hazard symbols

Read WHMIS supplier and workplace labels

Read and apply the applicable info on an MSDS Environmental Legislation—OHS professional will be aware of the overlap in environmental statutes

Chemicals that can cause damage to worker may also damage ecosystem if released into environment

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Corporate Liability

Fines or imprisonment for corporate pollution causing or permitting the discharge of liquid industrial waste into the ground

Cleanup costs associated with a property the corporation owns, controls or occupies

Fines for failing to comply with regulatory legislation CHAPTER 3: WORKER’S COMPENSATION Worker’s compensation: form of insurance governed by an act of Parliament to help workers injured on the job return to work, administered by Workers Compensation Board; ensures workers receive first aid treatment, benefits while at home recuperating, proper treatment for any injuries and rehabilitation Loss of functional capacity: limit of ability depending on seriousness of an injury Historical Roots-5 Principles

1. collective liability for ER’s, with some recognition of risk in the amount of contribution paid by individual ER’s

2. compensation for workers regardless of the financial condition of the ER 3. compensation based on loss of earnings 4. a “no-fault” system: blame not on ER or EE; anyone can receive compensation regardless of

who was negligent 5. a nonadversarial process: little or no recourse to the courts

Responsibilities

Injured workers will receive payment while off work and all medical bills paid if injury happened at work and because of work, pension if disability is or becomes permanent, and benefits if he or she cannot earn same amount of money earned before incident

Also, injured worker’s immediate family and dependants entitled to benefits if worker is killed or dies as a result of an injury on the job

Worker’s Compensation Board classifies ER’s based on size and work industry to ensure consistency; decide whether an individual is classified as an EE, worker, or subcontractor, as each class has different conditions

Lastly, Worker’s Compensation system can pay benefits if a worker is affected by an industrial disease that has resulted from his or her occupation

Compensation Rates and Methods

Amount of compensation—based on a percentage of net earnings (generally 90%)-premium*

Net Earnings—salary after mandatory deductions (income tax, Canada Pension & EI)

Provide reasonable compensation without creating an incentive for individuals to stay off work

Economic Loss—wage or earnings loss when workers can no longer earn the same amount of money that they were earning before the incident

Social Goals of Worker’s Compensation

1. Provide services to prevent injuries or reduce psychological impact of injuries when they occur 2. Provide training & development to prepare an injured worker to return to work

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Enforcement

Workplace inspections are carried out to ensure compliance with the OHS Act and regulations to ensure that the IRS is working. Inspections also provide the workplace parties with access to the special knowledge and expertise in OHS available from the Ministry of Labour through inspectors

How often are inspections conducted?

It depends on the type of workplace, its size and its past record of H&S; inspections may also be conducted in response to a specific complaint about a workplace—which are kept confidential

Ex: check-in balance mechanisms: at Ryerson, in the washrooms, posters are put up asking students about their concerns with the cleanliness of the bathroom and provide #’s to call

Enforcement Statistics

From 2009-2010, many reports of field visits, orders issued, stop work orders and complaints, however, few work refusals (under 400)—possibly because workers fear exercising right

Prosecution Statistics

From 2009-2010, there were hundreds of convictions (over 600) and millions of dollars in fines (over $7M) and approx. over 100,000 per fine—these fines go to the Ministry of Labour and are used to fund programs towards labour issues

BILL C-45 (Westray Bill)—created as a result of the Westray coal mining disaster in NS; established new legal duties for workplace H&S, and imposed serious penalties for violations that result in injuries or death; provided new rules for attributing criminal liability to organizations—anyone holding authority over others has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to that person Is the ON workplace safer since IRS?

Statistics show a dramatic decreases in total workplace claims in ON from 1980 - 2010

However, it also shows that the total workplace deaths has increased in 2010 Why have claims fallen and deaths gone up?

Most workplaces are safer today but there are a minority that are much less safe than in the past

Most workers are better trained and more aware of risks but a minority are less aware, generating greater risk

Combination of above National Picture

In reality, over the years, work-related injuries in Canada have gone down since 1982-2010 Gender Differences

Work-related injuries by gender from 1994-2008 show that men are more likely to get injured Industry Differences

Top industries in work-related injuries is construction, manuf., fishing and health/ social work

Bottom industries are financial, private households, real estate/ business, and education Regions

The most dangerous regions to work in are MB, SK AND BC How Managers can Manage Disability

Create and run an effective corporate culture that values EE’s and establishes them as integral part of the organization—favourable working conditions, opportunities for growth, regular communication, training for new managers, and clearly defined work roles

Ensure senior management support

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Intervene early and regularly—EE’s tend to come back quicker and to earn a higher wage

Develop case management capacities—coordination of health and social services

Create modified and light duty jobs to allow an early return to work

Train supervisors to encourage and facilitate an early return to work—perhaps most difficult

Create data systems—can minimize costs, identify problem areas, and increase efficiency Rehabilitation

Vocational rehabilitation: steps taken to return injured workers to their place of employment or find a similar or suitable work elsewhere

Physical rehabilitation: steps taken to restore, whether fully or partially, the worker’s physical function

Social rehabilitation: the psychological and practical services that help workers with severe disabilities cope with daily life

Return to Work

Disability related absence—acute (1-30 days), subacute (30-90)& chronic (90+ days)

Effective return-to-work programs have effective environments: emphasize safety as value, strong interpersonal relations—ex: proactive programs, emphasis on communication & training

CHAPTER 4: HAZARD RECOGNITION, ASSESSMENT & CONTROL (Ch.7 & 8 in textbook) Hazard: any condition or changing set of circumstances that has the potential to cause an injury (something that poses immediate threat or danger) Event: any activity that may occur on a day-to-day basis as a direct or indirect result of some human or human-related undertaking (circumstances people cause) Incident: any observable human activity that is an unwanted event or occurrence that might have had a negative impact on the people, property, or process involved ex: close calls(not wearing protective gear) Accident: any unwanted event that causes hard to people, property or processes Injury: any trauma, physical or mental, direct (immediate or primary result of action) or indirect (serious complication incurred as a result of an injury), acute (ST) or chronic (LT), experienced by an individual Types of Injury

Overt traumatic injury—injuries resulting from coming into contact with an energy source ex: cuts, fractures, burns, etc. from falling, being struck by material)

Overexertion injury –injuries resulting from excessive physical effort, repetitive motions, and, possibly, awkward working positions

repetitive strain injury—results from ongoing, continuous, and repetitive actions that cause muscle or skeletal strain ex. Typing

Youth

young workers are at a higher risk of injury than all other workers because they want to prove themselves, are eager to please, accept all tasks to not displease, have time & efficiency quotas to meet which adds pressure, lack supervision, don’t want the feeling of being babysat, don’t know about safety, focus on perception of job rather than mechanics, and assumption of risk is still predominant

top 7 dangers include lifting objects, working on elevated levels, working with knives, hot substances, food slicers, and in proximity to running equipment/ machinery

top claims by industry are service sector, retail trade, construction and manufacturing

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Why the trend among young workers?

Inexperience and lack of training, lack of confidence or understanding of rights as workers, lack of preparation for workplace, asked to do more dangerous jobs, sense of youthful invincibility, unwillingness to ask questions, distracted by other things in lives, and pace of work

***Hazard Identification***

1. Ergonomic—design of work, task or work environment

Anthropometry—study of the measurements of the human body to determine differences

Repetitive strain injury—unnatural position or posture, excessive joint stress, repetition movement, pre-existing condition (ex: arthritis)

2. Human—most difficult (injury that comes from person), omission, commission, poor judgement, random (“bad luck”) or predictable (unsafe acts)

Unsafe act—generally refers to a deviation from standard job procedures or practices that increases a worker’s exposure to a hazard ex: unauthorized use of equipment, improper use of equipment, use of defective equipment, alcohol or drug use, horseplay, failure to warn

3. Situational—unsafe conditions are defects in design of material, improper storage or layout, work situation, toxic chemicals not labeled properly, etc.

Ex: improper illumination, poor ventilation/ air quality, defective equipment, poor housekeeping, airborne toxic chemical agents, physical agents—machinery noise, fire, etc.

4. Environmental—physical factors (noise, vibration, light & temperature)

Physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial factors Components

Walk-through survey—a survey in which a safety professional walks through a worksite and notes hazards

Safety sampling—a systematic survey procedure undertaken by safety personnel who record their observations of unsafe practices on a sampling document

Task & Job inventory—most relevant to HR professionals, looks at all job descriptions and tries to identify H&S issues/ hazards that may arise

Hazard Analysis: orderly, analytical technique that examines a system for most probable hazards having the severest consequences, for the purpose of establishing corrective or control mechanisms Risk Assessment

Once hazards have been identified, the risk of an incident, accident, or injury must be determined

Risk: probability of an injury expressed as a percentage; Risk=probability (likelihood) x consequence (result or severity) x exposure (# of times contact is made with event)

Hazard Control: the program or process used to establish preventive and corrective measures

1. Pre-contact control—addressing issues/ prevention before an incident or accident occurs (engineering control)

2. Contact control—identifying ways in which a hazardous situation can be prevented from becoming worse and harming workers ex : damage control (control & contain, ex: quarantine)

3. Post-contact control—putting in place medical and cleanup operations and ensuring that the event cannot be repeated

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4. Administrative control—management involvement, training of EE’s, rotation of EE’s, environmental sampling, and medical surveillance to protect individuals (HR)

Hierarchy of Control (best to worst) 1. Elimination 2. Substitution 3. Engineering controls (design)—modification of work processes, equipment, and materials to

reduce exposure to hazards 4. Administrative controls—role for HR 5. PPE’s (personal protective equipment, ex: mask)

Source-Path-Human model: find the source, follow the path and find the person affected CHAPTER 5: PHYSICAL AGENTS (Ch.4 in textbook) Physical agents: sources of energy that may cause injury or disease (ex: noise, vibration, temperature, radiation, heat) Ambient: all-encompassing condition associated with a given environment, being usually a composite of inputs from sources all around us (ex: condition surrounding entire environment—heat, light) Early Warning Change: a deterioration of hearing in the upper frequency—the earliest detectable sign of noise—induced hearing loss (ex: test of hearing loss) Hyperreflexia: noise damage of unusually quick reaction by the nerves to some external stimulus Vasoconstriction: type of noise damage that causes constriction of blood vessels Noise—unwanted sound

Can cause physiological damage that affects hearing and psychological effects

Physiological damage—conductive hearing loss (restricts transmission of sound to cochlea or inner ear) and sensorineural hearing loss (nerve deafness)—affects the cochlea, irreversible

Measuring Noise

Audiometer: instrument used to determine sensitivity of a person’s hearing or degree of hearing loss

Dosimeter: measures a person’s exposure to noise as a percentage for one shift

Octave band analyzer: measure the noise level in each frequency range

Sound pressure level meter: measures gross noise level Types of Hearing Loss

Indications of exposure to excessive noise levels: ringing in ears (tinnitus) and raising volume on radio or television

Temporary Threshold Shifts (TTS): gradual hearing loss, can be sometimes reversed by removal from noise source

Permanent Threshold Shifts (PTS): hearing disability that is permanent and may not be correctable

Noise Exposure Standards—vary across provinces and territories

Limit in ON is 90 dB(A) but will change to 85 decibels because anything over 85 is dangerous

Exchange rate: doubling of sound power Noise Control

Source (make the source quieter) –path (move the worker away from the source) –human (use of PPE’s) model

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Noise cancelling objects (ex: headphones, etc.)

Attenuation: reduction of noise at one location compared to another father from the source

Vibration—oscillating motion of a particle or body moving about a reference position (ex: in a car, on a bike, a power tool) Resonance: the effect that occurs when an object reacts strongly to some particular frequency (ex: even after vibration has stopped, parts of body can still vibrate) Whole body vibration: affects the whole body as a unit (ex: jackhammer use—eyeball may vibrate even after stopped use; eyes, head, shoulders are sensitive areas) Segmental vibration: affects only parts of the body

EffectsNecrosis: death or decay of tissue and Decalcification: loss of calcium in the bones Vibration Control

Avoiding the source by revising task, using equipment that produces lower vibration or add dampening devices, decrease worker exposure time and isolating the worker from the source

Thermal (heat) stress—hazard from working with extreme temperature ex: McDonalds H&S lawsuit Homeostasis: the balance of heat generation; body’s mechanism for regulating temperature (ex: when it’s hot, you sweat—natural cooling system) Conduction: heat transfer occurring when two surfaces are in contact (ex: boiling pot on stove) Convection: heat transfer occurring when one surface adds heat to the surroundings (ex: something inside the oven heats it up) Radiation: heat transfer occurring when energy is transmitted by electromagnetic waves

Ionizing radiation: any form of electromagnetic charge that can ionize matter; stronger and more concentrated—can cause damage to sensitive tissue (ex: x-ray machine, cat scans, etc.) Control: regular monitoring, shielding, job rotation, protective equipment & extensive training

Non-ionizing radiation: less concentrated electromagnetic radiation that cannot ionize matter; the eye is the primary organ at risk (ex: sun, uv lights, cell phones, lights, radio waves, microwave radiation, infrared radiation, etc.) Control: isolation or separation, protective equipment, and training

Ways in which HR professionals can introduce H&S programs 1. Give incentives, supervise, discipline, provide training sessions, post pictures/ signs, and lead by

example (have to look at the factors associated—co. culture, situational factors for example) CHAPTER 6: CHEMICAL AGENTS (Ch.5 in textbook) Chemical agents: hazards created by one or more chemicals Biohazard: hazard created by exposure to biological material Ambient: all-encompassing condition associated with a given environment; usually a composite of inputs from sources all around us Toxicity: ability to cause injury to human biological tissue Aerosols: airborne respirable contaminants, such as liquid droplets or solid particulate, dispersed in air, that are of a fine enough particle size to remain suspended for a time Toxicology: scientific study of poisons/ chemicals; study of chemical-related occupational illnesses

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Routes of Entry 1. Respiration (inhalation—breathing in): most human exposure to chemicals comes from breathing

airborne contaminants 2. Five basic levels of protection within respiratory tract: nose, interior of nasal passage, mucus/

cilia, lung passages, and lastly alveoli (tiny air sacs)

2. Skin absorption: chemical contact with the skin is a common occurrence; chemicals not absorbed through skin may produce localized irritation (dermatitis); burns or blisters can result from contact with acids or alkalis (chemical action); skin disorders can results from contact with certain plants (biological action) and skin damage can result from contact with radiation or heat (physical action)

3. Ingestion: poor personal hygiene, eating, drinking, or smoking in an area where solvents are used;

ingestion of most solvents causes damage to lining of digestive system; ingested solvent may be absorbed into bloodstream and carried to organs where it will produce toxic effects; ingested solvent may be aspirated into the lungs where it can destroy the surfactant layer, cause a chemical pneumonitis, and collapse the alveoli

4. Skin penetration: occurs when skin is cut or punctured by any sharp object; type of contamination on

the source, such as a knife or needle, will determine possible trauma or illness; workers such as doctors, nurses, and veterinarians can easily be punctured by a hypodermic needle; disorders range in seriousness from low-grade infections to HIV

Biological Agents: natural organisms (plants & animals) or bi-products of organisms that present a risk to humans (ex: excrement, blood, skin/fur, etc.)

3. Four “Bio-safety levels”—BSL1: can be handled with low or minimal risk; harmless to humans (ex: picking up dog poop); BSL2: may produce possible serious diseases if penetrates skin; fairly easy to control exposure (hepatitis); BSL3: diseases are serious and life threatening; pose high risk to individual (but not community); preventative, therapeutic interventions available (HIV); BSL4: disease are serious, no therapeutic intervention (ex: Ebola)

Control of Exposures—safe use and handling of chemical & biological agents can be ensured through a variety of control measures

1. Engineering practice—find alternatives (properly enclosed areas, proper exhaust system, fire extinguishers, etc.)

2. Work Practices & Procedures—proper training, discipline system, communication, good housekeeping, preventative maintenance, changing work environment

3. Administrative controls (training and safe work practices and procedures, such as PPE, preventative maintenance and good housekeeping) and medical control/ surveillance

4. Personal Hygiene Practices—Ingestion of chemicals or biological particulate is often the result of poor hygiene; individuals who handle agents without wearing proper protective gear, such as gloves, are at risk of food contamination; chemicals that are not adequately removed at the workplace can be transferred to worker’s homes (ex: washing hands)

5. Medical Surveillance—pre- employment and replacement medical examinations should be conducted to establish a baseline of the EE’s health and exposure to agents in previous workplaces; follow-up medical examinations should be conducted periodically; record keeping is important; types of exposures EE's face and their health records before and after exposure should be included in this process; somewhat invasive (blood/urine sample)—must be BONA fide and without discrimination ex: drug & alcohol is a disability, & testing is discrimination unless random, bona fide or safety sensitive occupation—police, operating heavy machinery