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BUSN 3350 > ch 14: occupational health and safety > Flashcards

ch 14: occupational health and safety Flashcards

1
Q

describe occupational health and safety (OH&S)

A
  • initiatives are part of a strategic approach to human resources management
  • work-related accident figures are staggering
  • lost-time injury rate measures any occupational illness or injury
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2
Q

what is the lost-time injury rate?

A

Measures any occupational injury or illness resulting in an employee being unable to ful­ fill full work assignments, not including any fatalities

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3
Q

what is the employee wellness program?

A

A program that takes a pro­active approach to employee health and well­being

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4
Q

describe wellness programs

A
  • a proactive approach to employee health and well-being
  • healthy workplace elements - physical and social environments, and health practices
  • wellness initiatives encompass a wide variety of programs and activities
  • focus on wellness is driven by a shrinking workforce, an increase in postponed retirement, increased awareness of mental health, and medical and technological advances
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5
Q

what is the purpose of occupational health and safety legislation?

A
  • laws intended to protect workers by minimizing work-related accidents and illnesses
  • laws have mandatory compliance requirements
  • regional, provincial, and industry-specific regulations also exist
    • In some jurisdictions, occupational health and safety acts are combined into one overall law with regulations for specific industries and hazards, while in others they remain separate
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6
Q

describe the occupational health and safety legislation laws in Canada

A
  • general rules
  • rules for specific industries (ex: mining)
  • rules related to specific hazards (ex: asbestos)
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7
Q

what is the principle of joint responsibility?

A
  • both workers and employers must maintain a hazard-free workplace and enhance the health and safety in the workplace
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8
Q

what are the employer’s responsibilities for OH&S?

A
  • exercise “due diligence”
  • complete accident reports and maintains records
  • ensure safety rules are enforced; use progressive discipline
  • post safety notice and legislative information
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9
Q

what is due diligence?

A

Employers’ responsibility regarding taking every reasonable precaution to ensure the health and safety of their workers.

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10
Q

what are the employee’s responsibilities for OH&S?

A
  • take reasonable care of their own and coworkers’ safety
  • wear protective clothing, report breach of regulations
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11
Q

what are the 3 employee rights under the joint responsibility model?

A
  • to know about workplace safety hazards
  • to participate in the OH&S process
  • to refuse unsafe work if they have “unreasonable cause” to believe the work is dangerous
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12
Q

what is reasonable cause?

A

A complaint about a workplace hazard has not been satisfactorily resolved or a safety problem places employees in immediate danger.

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13
Q

describe joint health and safety committees

A
  • management and labour work together to ensure a safe and healthy workplace
  • make regular inspections of the workplace
  • investigate employee complaints and accidents
  • Most jurisdictions require a joint health and safety committee to be established in each workplace with a minimum number of workers
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14
Q

describe the supervisor’s role in safety

A
  • duty to ensure workers comply with OH&S regulations
  • obligation to advise and instruct workers
  • instill desire to work safely and minimize hazards
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15
Q

describe the control of toxic substance (WHIMIS) safety legislation

A
  • legally mandated system designed to protect workers
  • with respect to toxic substances, including chemicals, biohazards (such as HIV, AIDS, and SARS), and physical agents (such as radiation, heat, and noise)
  • An accurate inventory of these substances must be maintained, maximum exposure limits for airborne concentrations of these agents adhered to, the substances tested, and their use carefully controlled
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16
Q

what are the elements of WHIMIS?

A
  • labelling of hazardous material containers
  • material safety and data sheets (MSDS) to outline product’s potentially hazardous ingredients and the procedures for safe handling
  • training to ensure employees can identify WHIMIS symbols and labels; and read and apply information on the MSDS
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17
Q

what is the workplae hazardous materials information system (WHIMIS)?

A

A legally mandated system designed to protect workers by providing information about hazardous materials in the workplace.

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18
Q

describe the enforcement of OH&S Laws

A
  • government inspectors have opwer to carry out safety inspections without a warrant
    • they can issue orders to stop work, stop using tools, install first aid equipment, and stop emission of contaminants
  • penalties consist of fines and or/jail term
  • bill C-45 imposes criminal liability on “all persons” who direct the work on others and fail to ensure an appropriate level of safety in the workplace
19
Q

due to many different laws and regulations, what is important for organizations and HR professional to know?

A

legislation, regulations, and standards which are inforce for their workplace

20
Q

what causes accidents?

A
  • unsafe conditions
  • unsafe acts
  • personal charactistics
21
Q

what are some remedies to prevent accidents?

A
  • eliminate or minimize unsafe conditions
  • follow government standards
  • use checklist to analyze job hazards
22
Q

what are other work-related factors that causes unsafe conditions?

A
  • the job itself - some jobs are inherently more dangerous than others
  • work schedule - shift work, fatigue, and/or long working hours
  • psychological climate of workplace - hostility among employees, stress causing factors, high season layoff rate
  • Temporary stress factors, such as high workplace temperature, poor illumination, and a congested workplace, are also related to accident rates
23
Q

what are some unsafe work acts?

A

caused by employees, not the situation

  • operating at unsafe speeds
  • making safety devices inoperative
  • using unsafe procedures
  • throwing materials
  • taking unsafe positions
  • acting irresponsibly
24
Q

list some personal characteristics of unsafe acts

A

may be on the basis for certain attitudes and behaviours

  • tendency to take risks
  • accident proneness is situational
    • lack of mother skills may contribute
  • personal factors
    • poor vision
    • low literacy skills
    • age
    • perceptual skill
25
Q

what are some ways to prevent accidents?

A
  • fostering a culture of safety
  • reducing unsafe conditions
  • reducing unsafe acts
  • remove unsafe conditions
  • screen out employees who might be accident-prone without violating human rights
  • establish safety policy
  • establish loss control goals
26
Q

describe fostering a culture of safety

A
  • management and employees both involved in safety promotion
  • visible and interactive communication and collaboration on safety matters
  • shared vision of safety and excellence
  • assign critical safety functions to specific individuals or teams
  • continuous effort in identifying and correcting hazards
  • encourage incident reporting
27
Q

describe reducing unsafe conditions

A
  • first priority in workplace safety
  • desin jobs to remove or reduce physical hazards
  • ensure employees wear personal protective equipment
  • focus on changing employee behaviors
28
Q

describe reducing unsafe acts

A
  • second priority in workplace safety
  • slection testing for job-related physical skills and abilities
    • can help screen out accident-prone individuals before they are hired
  • leadership commitment through values, resource allocation and culture based on safety
  • training and education to ensure safety procedures are followed
  • positive reinforcement through collecting data and providing feedback on safety performance
29
Q

what are some things to do after there is an accident?

A
  • provide first aid
  • ensure quick medical attention
  • demonstrate concern for the injured worker
  • document the accident
  • file required accident report
  • encourage speedy return to work
  • National Institute of Disability Management and Research recommends commitment, collaboration, and creativity in managing accident events
30
Q

describe Functional abilities evaluations (FAE)

A

conducted by a healthcare professional with an aim to:

  • Improve the chances that the injured worker will be safe on the job
  • Help the worker’s performance by identifying problem areas of work that can be addressed by physical therapy or accommodated through job modification
  • Determine the level of disability so that the worker can either go back to his or her original job or be accommodated
31
Q

what are some OH&S challenges in Canada?

A
  • alcohol and substance abuse
  • job-related stress
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • workers’ compensation and stress-related disability claims
  • repetitive strain injuries
  • workplace toxins
32
Q

describe job-related stress

A
  • causes serious consequences for both the employee and the organization
    • reduction in productivity, increased absenteeism, higher turnover
  • few managers have awareness of the impact of mental health on their workplace
  • stressed employees impact co-workers’ workloads and productivity
  • employees are asked to do more with less
    • work overload
    • time pressures and deadlines
  • corporate climate characterized by fatigue, depression, and anxiety
33
Q

what are sources of workplace stress?

A
  • environmental factors - high-demand job
  • personal factors - personality, self-esteem, health and exercise, family issues
34
Q

describe burnout

A
  • the total depletion of physical and mental resources caused by excessive striving to reach an unrealistic work-related goal.
  • victims do not lead well-balance lives
  • all energy is focused on achieving work-related goals to exclusion of other activities
35
Q

describe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A
  • series of symptoms that can develop after an actual or perceived threat to self or others
  • PTSD is not limited to the person suffering from it, but can take an emotional toll on the those who have strong relationships with the victim
  • prevalent in specific occupations
  • can be triggered by violence from others, organizational accidents, or disasters outside the organization
36
Q

what are the symptoms of PTSD?

A
  • re-experiencing the event (ex: nightmares)
  • avoidance of emotions, person, or physical space associated with the event
  • increased arousal
37
Q

describe workers’ compensation and stress-related disability claims

A
  • all jurisdiction provide benefits for specific workplace incidents
  • significant portion of chronic stress is work related
    • limited or no coverage for chronic stress
  • expectation is that employers will treat employees fairly, with respect and dignity, and protect employees from psychological damage as well as physical harm
38
Q

describe repetitive strain injuries

A
  • prevalent work-related injury due to increasing number of workers using computers
    • activity-related soft-tissue injuries caused by repetition, work pace, awkward of fixed position, etc.
  • employers must advise and train workers about risks
  • ergonomics in the workplace will become more important in order to alleviate RSIs
  • video display terminals create new health problems such as eyestrain
39
Q

what are ergonomics?

A

An interdisciplinary approach that seeks to integrate and accommodate the physical needs of workers into the design of jobs. It aims to adapt the entire job system—the work, environment, machines, equipment, and processes—to match human characteristics.

40
Q

describe workplace violence

A
  • incidents in which an employee is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances in relaton to work
  • includes harassment, bullying, intimidation, physical threats, assults, and robberies
  • Most workplace violence arises from members of the public—customers or strangers—rather than co-workers.
41
Q

describe workplace violence and the law

A
  • canadian jurisdiction have legislation in place, some include psychological and emotional violence
  • employers may be found vicariously liable
  • employees may be liable if they do not report incidents
42
Q

what are ways to prevent and control workplace violence?

A
  • identify jobs with high risk violence
  • institute workplace violence policy
    • communicate the no degree or type of violence is acceptable
    • specify consequences
  • heighten security measures
    • take all possible precautions to reduce risk
    • provide staff training in conflict resolution and defusing anger
43
Q

what are the 3 basic categories that reliable predictors of workplace violence fall into?

A
  1. The instigator of the violence specifically enters the work environment with the intent to engage in criminal behaviour (theft, for instance) and generally has no other legitimate reason to be in the workplace. Jobs such as those of taxi drivers or gas station attendants have the highest risk for this type of violence.
  2. The instigator is the recipient of a service or object offered at the targeted workplace. Jobs such as those of nurses or social workers are at risk for this type of violence.
  3. The instigator is a potential or former employee (or, for example, a disgruntled employee).

BUSN 3350 (14 decks)

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