Chapter 16 Safety and Health in the Workplace

Introduction Globally, each year: ~317 million nonfatal occupational injuries 321,000 fatal injuries After home, Americans spend most time at work Occupational disease Occupational illness Occupational injury

Scope of the Problem Fewer than 11 workers die each day in U.S. from injury sustained at work Fatalities have declined significantly over past 85 years Reporting of illness versus injury Economic impact

Importance of Occupational Safety and Health to the Community Industry is a subset of the larger community Affects workplace and those outside the worksite Workers themselves are a community

History of Occupational Safety and Health Problems Before 1970 Industrial revolution State legislation Workers’ compensation laws Federal legislation Bureau of Labor-1884 Many laws from Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) To ensure employers in private sector furnish each employee a workplace free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established to enforce OSHAct NIOSH

Prevalence of Occupational Injuries, Diseases, and Deaths Recent trends in workplace injuries and illness Decline in number of workplace injuries and illnesses reported in private industry since 1992 Goods-producing industries higher rate of nonfatal injury than service-producing Highest – agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting Highest service-producing – education and health care

Nonfatal Workplace Injury and Illness Incidence Rates by Industry, 2011

Unintentional Injuries in the Workplace Minor injuries – cuts, bruises, abrasions, minor burns Major injuries – amputations, fractures, severe lacerations, eye losses, acute poisonings, severe burns Reported by many sources

Fatal Work-Related Injuries Transportation incidents leading cause Industries with highest rates of fatal occupational injuries Agriculture Forestry Fishing and hunting Mining Transportation and warehousing Construction

Fatal Occupational Injuries by Major Event, 2011

Nonfatal Work-Related Injuries In 2011, nearly 3 million injuries and illnesses in private industry; 821,000 injuries reported in state and local gov’t workers Males account for majority of treatment Disabling injuries and illnesses

Characteristics of Workers Involved in Work-Related Injuries Age Gender Poverty and race

Hours Worked and Fatal Work Injuries by Gender, 2011

Geographic Differences in Workplace Injuries

Temporal Variations in Workplace Injuries , injury death rates declined 78% Seasonality to work-related deaths Summer: Injury death rates from machinery, falling objects, electric current, and explosions are highest

Workplace Injuries by Industry and Occupation Fatal occupational injuries by industry Commercial fishing single most dangerous occupation Mining second highest fatality rate Nonfatal occupational injuries by industry

Agricultural Safety and Health Farming particularly hazardous Farm machinery major contribution to injury Rollover protective structures (ROPS) Tractors still leading cause of farm injuries and deaths despite safety improvements Families and workers exposed to same risks Migrant workers

Prevention and Control of Unintentional Injuries in the Workplace Four fundamental tasks Anticipation Recognition Evaluation Control

Workplace Violence: Intentional Workplace Injuries 1.7 million victims each year Homicides fourth leading cause of workplace fatalities Categories of workplace violence Criminal intent (Type I) Customer/client (Type II) Worker-on-worker (Type III) Personal relationship (Type IV)

Risk Factors Working with the public Working around money or valuables Working alone Working late at night Jobs with higher risk Taxicab drivers Jobs in liquor stores Detective and protective services

Prevention Strategies Environmental designs Administrative controls Behavior strategies

Occupational Illnesses and Disorders Illness more difficult to acquire data on than injury Difficult to link occupational exposure Some conditions slow to develop and difficult to associate with the workplace

Types of Occupational Illnesses Musculoskeletal disorders Skin diseases and disorders Noise-induced hearing loss Respiratory disorders Pneumoconiosis Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis Asbestosis Silicosis Byssinosis

Other Work-Related Diseases and Disorders Poisonings Agricultural workers Infections Health care industry Exposure to hazardous drugs

Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and Disorders Requires vigilance of employer and employee Agent-host-environment model Examples of activities Identification and evaluation of agents Standard setting for the handling of and exposure to causative agents Engineering controls Environmental monitoring Medical screenings

Resources for the Prevention of Workplace Injuries and Diseases Occupational safety and health professionals Safety engineers Certified safety professionals Health physicists Industrial hygienists Occupational physicians Occupational health nurses

Occupational Safety and Health Programs Preplacement examinations Disease prevention programs Safety programs Worksite health promotion programs Employee assistance programs

Discussion Questions How can employees advocate for safer workplaces? What occupational injury prevention strategies can prove to be most effective in the coming decades?