will discuss the basic facts about the Occupation Safety and Health Act and Administration,

discuss how to minimize unsafe acts by employees, talk about how to deal with important occupational

health problems, and look at the supervisor's role in safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970 to preserve the nation's human

resources by assuring as much as possible that every worker has a safe and healthy working

condition. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA) held within the Department

of Labor administers the act, sets and enforces the safety and health standards, and has inspectors

working out of branch offices throughout the country to ensure compliance.

One of the main things OSHA does is to create general industry, maritime, and construction

standards, and well as other regulations and procedures that different industries must

follow to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Here is an example of a general

construction standard for guardrails. As you can see the standard notes a minimum height

as well as other installation requirements.

OSHA also requires most employers to maintain records of any workplace injuries. Under OSHA,

employers with 11 or more employees must maintain records of and report occupational injuries

and illnesses. An occupational illness is any abnormal condition or disorder caused

by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment. This flow chart helps organizations

decide when an accident must be reported to OSHA. For example, if an accident results

in a death, an illness, or a restriction of work motion, it must be reported to OSHA;

but if the accident only involves minor first aid, then it does not need to be reported.

Not only does OSHA require reporting and record keeping but they also do onsite inspections.

Inspections are decided based on a priority list. First on this list are situations of

imminent danger and OSHA conducts an inspection within 24 hours for these situations. Second,

are catastrophes, fatalities, and accidents that have already occurred and OSHA responds

within 3 working days. Third, are valid employee complaints of an alleged violation of standards

and for situations that are non-serious, OSHA responds within 20 working days. Complaints

such as these are filed in writing by a worker or union. Next, are periodic special-emphasis

inspections aimed at high-hazard industries, occupations, or substances; and last are random

inspections and re-inspections. Penalties on average can range from $5,000 up to $70,000

for willful or repeated serious violations, although in practice the penalties can be

far higher based on the violation.

There are 3 main causes of workplace accidents: chance occurrences, unsafe conditions and

unsafe acts. The first, chance occurrences, are just that; they are random events that

have no rhyme or reason to them. For example, a baseball from a local little league game

comes flying through your window at work, breaks the glass and you receive some cuts

from the flying glass. This is a chance occurrence. The second cause, unsafe conditions can involve

any of the things you see listed here. For instance things like improperly guarded or

defective equipment can lead to serious workplace accidents. Unsafe acts by employees are the

last major cause of workplace accidents. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to the question

of what causes them, but examples include things like forgetting to wear a hard hat

or other safety equipment.

There are a number of hazardous substances or chemicals you may come into contact with

at work. Asbestos is one such example and organizations must take every precaution to

protect employees from this and other sources of respiratory illness such as silica or lead

poisoning. There is also the threat of infectious diseases. Since the SARS scare people have

become more concerned about this issue especially with many employees traveling to and from

international destinations. Obviously, employers must make provisions for ensuring that a returning

employee does not inadvertently infect colleagues.

There are also a number of other issues employers need to be aware of in relation to health

and safety, ranging from job stress to violence at work. Job stress can cause a number of

problems at work such as poor work performance and lower job satisfaction. Reducing job stress

can range from getting more sleep and eating better to negotiating with your boss for realistic

deadlines on important projects.

When severe job stress is not dealt with, it can lead to burnout. Burnout is the total

depletion of physical and mental resources caused by excessive striving to reach an unrealistic

work-related goal. Some suggestions for alleviating burnout include: getting away from it all

periodically and reassessing your goals.

A third issue concerns computer-related health problems such as eyestrain, neck and back

pain or carpal tunnel syndrome. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(or NIOSH) has several recommendations that organizations can implement to reduce computer-related

health problems and minimize employee concerns.

AIDS is another issue we have discussed previously. While AIDS is definitely a workplace hazard

employers need to be aware of, under ADA, they cannot subject an employee with AIDS

to discriminatory treatment.

Workplace smoking is becoming an area of serious concern for employees and employers. Smokers

have significantly greater risk of occupational accidents and higher absenteeism rates than

nonsmokers. They also increase the cost of health and fire insurance. In response to

this, many organizations are starting smoking cessation programs or even going so far as

refusing to hire smokers.

Violence at work is the last issue we will discuss here. In the last few decades organizations

have seen a dramatic increase in the number of violent incidents occurring on the job.

From the highly publicized office shootings to the lesser discussed issue of workplace

robbery, organizations need to do their best to reduce violence at work.

There are a number of steps companies can take to better prepare or protect their employees

such as: improving their employee screening process to make sure they are not hiring anyone

with a past history of aggressive behavior and providing employees with conflict resolution

training.

In the end there is no better deterrent to employee violence than having a basic security

plan. Basic prerequisites for a Security Plan include several things: one, a company philosophy

and policy on crime, in particular, making sure employees understand that no crime is

acceptable and that the employer has a zero tolerance policy. Two, making sure to conduct

a full background check as part of your selection process for every position. Three, creating

a security awareness training to inform employees on the policies and procedures. Four, the

organization should establish and communicate the procedures employees should follow in

the event of a terrorist threat, bomb threat, fire, or other emergency.

When setting up the actual security plan organizations should follow these four steps: analyze the

current level of risk, and then install mechanical, natural, and organizational security systems.

Natural security is taking advantage of the facility's natural or architectural features

in order to minimize security problems. Mechanical security is the utilization of security systems

such as locks, intrusion alarms, access control systems, and surveillance systems.

Lastly, organizational security is using good management to improve safety. In other words,

if you have good managers that treat employees with respect and dignity then many health

and safety issues can be avoided completely.

In today's lesson we have discussed the basics of workplace health and safety and how organizations

can help to create a safe environment for their employees. Now it is time to apply what

you have learned.