1. Protecting Safety and Health
Prepared by Team B

2. Importance of Employee Safety and Health
The accident rate is falling, but workplace accidents in the U.S. still cause over 3.8 million occupational injuries and illnesses per year
Dangerous workplaces are not limited to manufacturing plants!
Most slips and falls in the workplace can be eliminated by requiring slip-resistant shoes

3. OSHA
Created in 1970 after the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed.
Assuring safe and healthful working conditions

4. OSHA’s Purpose
Administer the act and to set and enforce the safety and health standards that apply to almost all workers in the United States.

5. OSHA Standards ‘General Duty Clause’
- Each employer “shall furnish to each of his [or her] employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his [or her] employees.
Osha operates under the General Duty Clause

6. OSHA’s Records
Under regulation, employers with 11 or more employees must maintain records and report any occupational injuries and illnesses.
If an on-the-job accident leads to death or hospitalization of five or more employees ALL employees must report the accident to OSHA.
If an accident at work isn’t work related it does not have to be recorded.

7. OSHA Inspections Uses “worst-first” approach 39,000 inspections yearly
Citations inform the
employer and employees
of the regulations and
standards violated and
the time set for correcting
the problem.
Osha enforces these standards through inspections and citations.
Priorities include, from highest to lowest, imminent dangers, catastrophes and fatal accidents, employee complaints, high-hazard industries inspections.

8. OSHA Penalties Penalties usually range from $5,000-$70,000
A Safety Inspection Checklist is advised to help to managers reduce problems ahead of time
Penalties can be higher than $70,000 for willful and repeated serious violations

9. What Causes Accidents? Three main reasons:
chance occurrences (ex:being hit by a car)
unsafe working conditions
unsafe acts by employees

10. Unsafe conditions Improperly guarded equipment Defective equipment
Unsafe storage, such as overloading
Improper illumination (insufficient light)
Improper ventilation(insufficient air change)

11. People cause accidents
No way to eliminate unsafe acts such as:
Throwing materials
Operating or working at unsafe speeds
lifting improperly

12. How to Prevent Accidents
Management can provide personal protective equipment to reduce unsafe conditions.
90% of eye injury could be avoided just by using safety eyewear in the work place.
It is difficult to get employees to wear protective equipment most of the time because is to heavy or do not fit properly.

13. Protecting vulnerable workers
Ex: Young, old, immigrants, women, disabled, etc.
Fatality rate for older workers is about three times that of younger workers.
Most of the machinery and PPE are designed for men, although half of the workers are women.
It is important to make sure the equipment and machines women and vulnerable workers use are appropriate for them.

14. Accidents caused by unseen hazards
Two primary unseen hazards:
Chemicals
Alcohol and substance abuse

15. Chemical hazards OSHA exposure limits for about 600 chemicals
Recognize, evaluate, and control
Personal protective gear is last resort
Asbestos might require respirator

16. Alcoholism as a Hazard
Very prevalent in workplace(⅔ of alcoholics in workplace)
Alcoholism in hard to detect
Self reporting screening(CAGE and MAST)
Symptoms include tardiness and prolonged absences

17. Drug Abuse in the Workplace
Drug-free program includes five components
Dealing with substance abuse can include drug testing
Drug testing proven to be ineffective

18. Pop Quiz
About what percent of the workforce “has either been hungover at work, been drinking shortly before showing up at work, or been drinking or impaired while on the job at least once during the previous year?
15%

19. Job Stress 25% of employees- Job is #1 stressor in life
Only 5% address this stress
Triggers-work schedule, pace of work, job security, route to and from work, workplace noise, and number and nature of customers
Burnout-Total depletion of physical and mental resources caused by excessive striving for an unrealistic work-related goal

20. How to Decrease Stress- Personal
Build Positive Relationships
Participate in something not stressful, sports?
Take care of self- eat right, exercise, sleep

21. Employers can eliminate stress?
Three-tiered approach
Primary Prevention- Focuses on ensuring that things like job designs and workflows are correct
Intervention- Individual employee assessment, attitude surveys to find sources of stress at work, and supervisory intervention
Rehabilitation- Employee assistance programs and counseling

22. Workplace smoking Reduced productivity- 10 min cigarette break
Increase absenteeism
Higher health and fire insurance
Del, Cal, Conn, and NY have banned most workplace smoking
A no-smokers-hired policy doesn’t violate the Americans with Disabilities Act

23. Violence- How to Combat it?
Adopt a zero tolerance policy
Heighten Security
Pre-Employment Screening
Workplace Violence Training

24. SeaWorld Was under investigation after death of trainer
OSHA issued 3 citations; 1 “willful”, 1 “serious” and an other-than-serious citation
Willful violation- employer showed plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health
Serious violation- issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known

25. Video

26. OSHA vs. SeaWorld To defend citations OSHA has to prove:
1.) SeaWorld’s killer whale practices put trainers at risk, and
2.) SeaWorld was aware of dangers but disregarded them
April 11, U.S. Court of Appeals upheld OSHA’s fines and citations for SeaWorld