Chapter 14: Occupational Health and Safety

Question 1

responsibilities and rights of employees

Answer 1

-take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety, and that of co-workers
-includes wearing protective clothing and equipment, and reporting contravention of the law.
-basic rights:
=to know about workplace safety hazards
=to participate in the OHS process
=to refuse unsafe work

Question 2

responsibilities and rights of employers

Answer 2

-take every precaution to ensure the health and safety of workers (due diligence)
- specific duties include:
=filing government accident reports
=maintaining records
= ensuring that safety rules are enforced
= positing safety notices and legislative information

Question 3

joint health and safe committees

Answer 3

non-adversarial atmosphere where management and labour can work together to ensure a safe and healthy workplace

• usually 2-12 members (at least half of the represent workers
• in small workplaces, one health and saftey representative may be required.

Question 4

the supervisor’s role in safety

Answer 4

• ensure that workers comply with occupational health and safety regulations
• advise and instruct workers about safety
• safety-minded managers must aim to instill their workers the desire to work safely

Question 5

Enforcment of OHS Laws

Answer 5

• periodic inspection of workplace
• penalties consit of fines and/or jail terms
• “corporate killing”: a criminal offence, failure to ensure an appropriate level of safety in the workplace

Question 6

Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS)

Answer 6

• control of substance
• three components
  1. labeling of hazardous material containers
  2. material safety data sheets (MSDS)
  3. employee training

Question 7

What causes accidents?

Answer 7

1. chance occurrences
   
   • beyond management control
2. unsafe conditions
   - equipment, procedures, storage, illumination, ventilation
   - job itself, work schedule, psychological climate
3. unsafe acts
   - carrying/lifting, operating speed , avoiding safety devices/equipment, horseplay, quarreling, etc.
4. Personal Characteristics
   - human traits related to accident repetition:
   
   • vision
   • literacy
   • age (highest between 17 and 28)
   • perceptual versus motor skills.

Question 8

how to reduce unsafe conditions

Answer 8

-reduce unsafe conditions:
=job design, remove physical hazards
=ensure safety precautions are taken
-reduce unsafe acts:
=selection testing- hire according to job
=leadership commitment
=training and education
=positive reinforcement
Controlling Workers’ Compensation Costs
-before the accident:
=accident prevention measures

   -after the accident:
           =provide first aid and ensure medical attention
            =show interest in the injured worker
            =document/file accident reports
            =encourage speedy return to work

Question 9

OHS Challenges in Canada

Answer 9

Substance Abuse and the Law

-human rights law (disability) vs. OHS laws (due diligence requirement)

Question 10

-testing is only legal if test is:

Answer 10

1. rationally connected to performance of the job
   2. adopted in honest and good-faith belief that it is necessary for fulfillment of work-related purpose
   3. reasonably necessary to the accomplishment of the work-related purpose

Question 11

Job-Related Stress

Answer 11

• Environmental Factors

- Personal Factors

Question 12

Job-Related Stress: Environmental Factors:

Answer 12

• high demand job

- high levels of mental and physical effort

Question 13

Job-Related Stress: Personal Factors

Answer 13

• Type A personalities
• patience, tolerance for ambiguity
• self-esteem
• health and exercise, work/sleep patterns
• non-job-related problems

Question 14

Reducing Job Stress

Answer 14

Employee can:
–get more sleep, eat better, take vacation, meditate, find a more suitable job, get counselling, organize activities

-Employer/supervisor can:

• -offer an EAP
• -identify symptoms of stress
• -ensure fair treatment
• -permit employee to have more control

Question 15

Burnout

Answer 15

total depletion caused by excessive striving to reach unrealistic work-related goals

Question 16

avoiding burnout:

Answer 16

• break patterns
• get away from it all periodically
• reassess goals
• think about work
• reduce stress

Question 17

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Answer 17

refers to a series of symptoms that can develop after exposure to an actual or perceived threat of death or serious injury, or after a threat of injury (including physical and emotional) to self or others

PTSD can be triggered by an event or series of events (workplace related or not), and is prevalent in specific professions

Question 18

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Answer 18

–activity-related soft-tissue injuries (of the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, back, legs)

• -employers must:
  
  • advise and train workers about RSI’s
    - identify and assess RSI risk factors
    
    • encourage reporting of RSI symptoms early
    • use ergonomic interventions
• -ergonomics:
  - the art of fitting work equipment to the individual

Question 19

Workplace Toxins

Answer 19

Toxins:

• cancer is leading cause of work-related deaths
• new chemicals and substances are introduced into the workplace without adequate testing

Question 20

Smoking:

Answer 20

• smoking is banned in most workplaces

- Health Canada is urging employers to implement smoking cessation programs

Question 21

lost-time injury rate

Answer 21

measures any occupational injury or illness resulting in an employee being unable to fulfill full work assignments, not including any fatalities,

Question 22

occupational health and safety legislation

Answer 22

laws intended to protect the health and safety of workers by minimizing work-related accidents and illnesses

Question 23

principle of joint responsibility

Answer 23

an implicit and explicit expectation that both workers and employers must maintain a hazard-free work environment and enhance the health and safety in the workplace.

Question 24

due diligence

Answer 24

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

Question 25

employees have three basic rights under the joint responsibility model:

Answer 25

1. the right to know about workplace safety hazards
2. the right to participate in the occupational health and safety process
3. the right to refuse unsafe work if they have “reasonable cause” to believe that the work is dangerous

Question 26

reasonable cause

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Answer 27

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

Question 28

ergonomics

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Employee wellness program

Answer 29

a program that takes a proactive approach to employee health and well-being