Workplace Hazards

Review What are the different types of workplace hazards? Physical – electrical, tripping, heights, etc. Biological – mould, insect bites, etc. Chemical – paints, fumes, flammables, etc. Ergonomic – heavy lifting, poor lighting, etc Psychosocial – stress, rude/violent customers….

All hazards are not equal… Hazards can be classified as: Immediate – work needs to stop Examples: toxic spills, broken machinery Non-immediate – becomes a hazard after long- term exposure Examples: poor posture, repetitive action…

Who is responsible? Both the employer and the employee are responsible for identifying hazards. As an employee, what do you do? The 3 Rs Recognize – be aware of your surroundings Report – if you can’t fix, report the problem so it can be fixed Remove/resolve – employer’s responsibility and you don’t have to work until the hazard is gone

How workers are protected from hazards The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario Ministry of Labour) says that workers have the: Right to Know about workplace health and safety hazards Right to Participate in matters affecting their health and safety through representation on the JHSC Right to Refuse unsafe work The Law also protects workers from REPRISALS (demotion, suspension, termination) for exercising these rights.

According to the act…. Employers are responsible for…. Providing a safe work environment Educate workers about safety Supervisors must…. Ensure that employee use protective measures Advise employees of dangers Workers must….. Wear protective gear Report any danger

What can you do? 1.Identify the hazards 2.Get information from employer 3. Wear personal protective equipment Examples?

Personal Protective Equipment

Types of PPE Hearing protection – where noise >85 decibels (e.g. earplugs, ear muffs) Respiratory protection – different kinds for different situations (dusts and fumes – disposable; chemical cartridge respirators for gases and organic vapours – they are hazard specific)

Respiratory protection cont’d: Supplied air respirators – highly toxic, oxygen lacking

PPE continued Eye protection – flying objects, particles, liquids, etc. Could include safety glasses, goggles or full-face protection Foot protection – protection from puncture wounds (e.g. steel-toed boots) Hand protection – depends on the hazard (cotton, leather, rubber or gloves made of other materials) Head protection – possibility of head injury from falling, low ceiling areas, etc. (e.g. hard hats)

PPE continued Body protection – in dusty environments, when spraying pesticides or handling dangerous chemicals (e.g. apron, coveralls, full rain suit, etc.) Fall protection – working at heights (e.g. safety belts, harness, etc.)

Workplace safety scenario Jessica has a summer job working for the city parks program. She has been using a cleaner called “Graffiti Gone” to remove graffiti from the bathrooms. She has to take a lot of breaks, because the chemical makes her throat burn. It also makes her feel dizzy sometimes, especially when the bathrooms don’t have very many windows. On the label, she sees that the cleaner has methylene chloride in it. She feels like she’s managing to get the work done, but she is worried about feeling dizzy.

Scenario #2 Ed has been working for a company that manufactures prefabricated homes for about a year. He spends a lot of the work day using a power saw. His ears usually ring for awhile in the evening, but it seems to clear up by the morning. He is a little worried about whether it’s damaging his hearing, but it’s not that different than how his ears feel after a rock concert.

Scenario #3 An house painter, who was painting the second story of a house, fell off his ladder yesterday, breaking both legs. He also suffered severe cuts when he caught his arm on a metal fence during the fall. Co-workers rushed to assist him and called for an ambulance. Local EMTs reported that the co-workers carried the fallen employee to the front lawn and then applied pressure to the open wound to stop the bleeding.