Chapter 12: Promoting Safety and Health

Question 1

Occupational Injury

Answer 1

any cut, fracture, sprain, or amputationon resulting from a workplace accident or from an exposure
involving an accident in the work environment

Question 2

Occupatinal Illnes

Answer 2

any condition or disorder, other than the one resulting from an occupational injury, caused by
exposure to environmental factors associated with employment

Question 3

Industrial diseases

Answer 3

A disease resulting from exposure to a substance relating to a particular process, trade, or occupation in industry

Question 4

Duty of employer

Answer 4

take every reasonable precaution to ensure employee safety
Employers must provide safety training and be prepared to discipline employees for not complying.

• Follow workplace safety & insurance act
• Compensate employees
• Enforce Safety
• Promote healthful practices

Question 5

Shift of act

Answer 5

Reactive –> Prevention

Question 6

Duty of supervisors

Answer 6

advice employees of potential workplace hazards, ensure safety equipment is used, provide
written instructions where applicable, take reasonable precautions

Question 7

Average number of incidence rates calculation

Answer 7

of injuries & ilnessess * 200.000 / total hours worked by all employees during period covered

Question 7

Creating a healthy work environment

Answer 7

• Ergonomics
  focuses on ensuring that jobs are designed for safe and efficient work while
  improving the safety, comfort, and performance of users
• Cumulative trauma disorders
  Injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, and spinal discs
  caused by repeated stresses and strains
• One example is carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chemical hazards
  Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
• Canada’s national hazard communication standard. Key elements of the
  system are hazard classification, cautionary labelling of containers, the
  provision of safety data sheets (SDSs) and worker education and training
  programs.

Question 8

Preventing workplace violences

Answer 8

• Alter workplace design
• Administrative polices
• Work practices

Question 9

Why don’t employees follow health & safety practices? (IMPORTANT)

Answer 9

1. Don’t know the rules
2. Inconvenient to follow the rules
3. Inhibits speed/productivity
4. Norms (“not cool”)

Question 10

How can HR get people to follow the rules?

Answer 10

Health & Safety Programs
1. Training and education
2. Monitoring and problem-solving (health and safety
committee)
3. Behavior Modification/Goal Setting
* Competition, incentives, rewards
4. Create a safety-conscious culture
* Make safety the norm

Question 11

Stress

Answer 11

Any adjustive demand caused by physical, mental, or emotional
factors that require coping behaviour

Jobs with stress:
- High demand
- High effort
- Low control
- Low reward

Question 12

Burnout

Answer 12

The most severe stage of distress, manifesting itself in depression, frustration, and loss of productivity primarily due to a lack of personal fulfillment in the job or lack of positive feedback.

Question 13

Safety hazards and issues

Answer 13

• Fatigue – affects workplace safety and performance, the number of hours are limited in a certain industry; downsizing may be
  a factor as fewer workers are being asked to cover more shifts
• Distracted driving – using phones while driving; many companies have cell phone policies for employees

Question 14

Workers’ Compensation

Answer 14

Injured workers can receive benefits in the form of a cash payout (if the disability is permanent) or wage loss payments (if
they can no longer earn the same amount of money)

Question 15

Chances of returning

Answer 15

A person who has been off work for 6 months has a 50% chance of returning to the company.

12 months – 20% chance of return

2 years – 10% chance of returning

Question 16

Stress-related disabilities are divided into three groups.

Answer 16

• Physical injuries leading to mental disabilities
• Mental stress resulting in a physical disability
• Mental stress results in a mental condition

Question 17

Workplace Violence

Answer 17

Workplace violence – physical assault, threatening behavior, verbal threats, harassment, physical attacks
Certain job characteristics put workers at risk for aggression and violence in the workplace.