1. Creating a safer workplace
Injury Prevention
Creating a safer workplace
Helping you achieve a healthy community within your worksite

2. -OSHA, United States Department of Labor
INJURY PREVENTION
Goal of Lesson:
To create awareness about the type of injuries employees could face at the workplace, as well as educate participants about how to prevent workplace injuries from happening.
Objectives:
·  Identify the most common workplace injuries
·  Evaluate your workplace
· Create ways to make your workplace more safe
Background:
·  Injury and Illness Prevention Programs are an effective tool for reducing occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
·  According to the Assistant Secretary of Labor, “the direct cost of workplace injuries and illnesses in 2008 amounted to $53.42 billion in U.S. workers compensation costs. This money would be better spent on job creation and innovation.”
Ice Breaker:
As a group create a list of what everyone believes are the top ten most common injuries at the worksite. Write this list on the board.
Statistics
“Every day, 12 workers are killed on the job and more than 9,000 workers suffer a serious job-related injury.”
-OSHA, United States Department of Labor
Ice Breaker Directions:
Have everyone break up into groups of 2-3. Distribute to each group a sheet of paper that lists the top 10 most common injuries (definitions included), and a blank sheet of paper and a pen. Working together, the groups will have about 7-10 minutes to list, in order the top ten most common worksite injuries. Once the time is up they will go over the answers together.
Following this discuss the differences or surprises in the list they created and the list from Workplace Safety.

3. INJURY PREVENTION
ACTIVITY #1

4. Activity #1: Is your worksite safe?
As a group identify the areas within your worksite that are unsafe or could lead to an injury. Once the group has created a list of 10 or so come up with solutions to these areas. (see “Handout #1” for ideas)

5. INJURY PREVENTION
ACTIVITY #2

6. Activity #2: Worksite Scavenger Hunt
Break up into small groups of 3-4. Find or list, where certain safety items are located, such as; emergency telephone/cell numbers, AED, fire extinguishers, etc. (for a more complete list see “Handout #2). *Suggestion: if you’re running low on time have the group stay seated and list where these items are instead of having them run around the office/building.

7. Conclusion
There's something each of us can do to make sure we all go home as whole as when we started the day. One step at a time, we can make our workplaces better places to work. Know that we all have a right to a safe work environment, address workplace hazards with those responsible, know your responsibilities as an employee and as a team work with your co-workers to create a happy and injury free environment.

8. INJURY PREVENTION CHALLENGE
Each individual will create their own challenge. (IE. Know where fire extinguishers are, become CPR/1st Aid certified, promise to ask for assistance when lifting heavy objects)

9. 2) Require everyone in the office to become CPR/First Aid Certified.
Policy Examples
1) Twice a year run through all emergency evacuation plans; fire, tornadoes, power outage, active shooter...etc.
2) Require everyone in the office to become CPR/First Aid Certified.

10. INJURY PREVENTION
SUPPLIMENTAL MATERIALS & DIRECTIONS

11. Icebreaker Activity
Can you list the top ten most common worksite injuries? Working with a partner or two put the following injuries in order 1-10, 1– most common & 10– least common
· Fall to Lower Level: This includes falling from an elevated surface such as roofs, ladders, walls, and stairways.
· Overexertion: This includes injuries related to pulling, lifting, pushing, holding, carrying, and throwing activities at work. Overexertion has consistently been a number one workplace injury among the surveys and statistics.
· Assaults and violent acts:  This may not be a frequent occurrence but is nonetheless causing injuries among employees who engage in physical attack against each other. Repetitive Motion: A good example is typing on a computer in regular offices. Due to prolonged repetitive motion, muscles and tendons are susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome, back injuries, and vision problems.
· Struck against Object: This injury is caused by running into doors, tables, chairs, walls, and other concrete objects.
·  Bodily Reaction: This type of injury is caused by tripping and slipping without actually falling.
· Fall on Same Level: This type of workplace injury refers to those falls without elevation or falls on same level surfaces. Examples of this are falls on wet and slippery office floors and slips on snow covered surfaces usually affecting elderly employees.
· Struck by Object: Objects that fall from shelves or dropped by another person. These can cause very serious injuries.
· Caught in/ compressed by : Handling large and sharp machinery is terribly dangerous especially without proper knowledge and precautions used. Workers may also be exposed to extreme temperature which can also cause this type of injury.
· Highway Incident: This injury refers to automobile accidents that may happen to an employee who is on an official business trip.

12. Hand out 1: Identifying Safety Problems in the Workplace
Excerpted from Safe Jobs Now: An AFSCME Guide to Health and Safety in the Workplace.
Safety Hazards
Common types of safety hazard sin the work place are:
A. Slips, trips and falls
B. Being caught in or struck by moving machinery or other objects
C. Fire and explosions
D. Transportation and vehicle-related accidents
E. Confined spaces
F. Violence
Transportation and Vehicle-Related Accidents:
· Operators of vehicles and equipment can be injured or cause injury to pedestrians if equipment is unsafe or if adequate training has not been provided.
· You can be seriously injured or killed after being hit by a vehicle while repairing roads or doing other work in traffic zones. This danger exists when traffic is not properly routed and/or adequate barriers are not placed between the workers and the traffic.
Confined Spaces:
· A confined space is an area with small openings for a worker to enter and exit and is not designed for regular work. Examples of confined spaces include manholes, sewer digestors and silos. There are many hazards in confined spaces.
· Workers can become unconscious and die from a lack of oxygen.
· There may be too much oxygen, or other chemicals that can catch fire or explode.
· Poisonous gases and vapors, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide, may also build up in a confined space.
· Confined spaces can also pose physical hazards. They can be very hot or cold, very loud, or slippery and wet.
· Grain, sand or gravel can bury a worker.
Caught In or Struck By Moving Machinery/Objects
Machinery can cause injuries in different ways:
· You can get parts of your body caught in or struck bye exposed moving parts if machines are not properly guarded, or not locked out when being repaired.
· You can be struck by flying objects from machines without protective guards.
Violence:
· Violence on the job is a growing problem.
· Homicides are the second leading cause of workplace fatalities. Workplace violence includes physical assault as well as near misses, verbal abuse and sexual harassment.
Fire and Explosions:
· Improper labeling, handling or storage of certain materials can pose a risk of fire or explosion.
· Every workplace should have an evacuation plan for getting people out of a building in case of fire and an alarm or alert system to quickly inform employees of an emergency.
· Every worker should be trained on what to do in case of an emergency.
Slips, Trips and Falls:
· Bad Housekeeping and poor drainage can make floors and other walking surfaces wet and slippery
· Electrical Wires along the floor pose a tripping hazard
· You can fall if you are not provided with fall protection equipment, guardrails and safe ladders

13. Handout #2: Office Scavenger Hunt
List of items to find:
· Emergency Exits
· Alarm/Surveillance Equipment
· 1st Aid Kits
· AED
· Fire Extinguisher
· Flashlights
· Emergency contact telephone numbers
· Smoke Alarm/Gas Detectors