Chapter 16: Health and Safety in the Workplace

Question 1

Occupational disease

Answer 1

abnormal condition other than an occupational injury caused by exposure to environmental factors at work

Question 2

Occupational illness

Answer 2

event or exposure that occurs at work that causes or contributes to a condition or worsens a preexisting condition

Question 3

On avg, __ workers die each day in canada from injury sustained at work

Answer 3

3

Question 4

Recent trends in workplace injuries and illness

Answer 4

Decline in # of workplace injuries and illnesses reported in private industry since 1992

Question 5

what industries have higher rate of nonfatal injury

Answer 5

Highest: agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting (Goods producing)

Highest service producing: education and healthcare

Question 6

Minor injuries

Answer 6

cuts, bruises, abrasions, minor burns

Question 7

Major injuries

Answer 7

amputations, fractures, severe lacerations, eye losses, acute poisonings, severe burns

Question 8

Characteristics of workers involved in work related injuries

Answer 8

Age: 45-54
Gender: males
Poverty and race: underrreported

Question 9

Temporal (time) variations in workplace injuries

Answer 9

• 1928-2011: injury death rates declined 78%
• Seasonality to work related deaths
• Summer: injury death rates from machinery, falling objects, electric current, and explosions are the highest

Question 10

Agricultural safety and health

Answer 10

• farming and machines are hazardous
• Rollover protective structures (ROPS: roll cage)
• Tractors leading cause of farm injuries despite safety improvements
• Families and migrant workers at risk

Question 11

4 fundamental tasks of prevention and control of unintentional injuries in the workplace

Answer 11

anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control

Question 12

Categories of workplace violence

Answer 12

Criminal intent (Type 1) 85%, customer/client (Type 2), worker on worker (type 3), personal relationship (type 4) 2%

Question 13

risk factors for workplace violence

Answer 13

• working w/ public, w/ money/valuables, working alone, late at night
• Taxi, liquor stores, detective and protective services high risk jobs

Question 14

prevention strategies for workplace violence

Answer 14

Environmental design (Ex. plexiglass)
Administrative controls (Ex. can’t work past a certain time)
Behaviour strategies (Ex. for women, wear purse under coat)

Question 15

Occupational illnesses and disorders

Answer 15

• Illnesses more hard to acquire data on than injury
• Hard to link occupational exposure
• Some conditions slow to develop and hard to assoc. w/ the workplace

Question 16

Types of occupational illnesses

Answer 16

- Musculoskeletal disorders
Ex. sprained ankle
- Skin disease and disorders
- Noise induced hearing loss
- Respiratory disorders: pneumoconiosis (inhaling dust, esp mineral dust), coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, asbestosis (inhaling asbestos fibres), silicosis (inhaling crystalline silica), byssinosis (inhaling cotton dust) 
- poisonings (agricultural workers)
- Infections (health care industry)
- Exposure to hazardous drugs

Question 17

Prevention and control of occupational diseases and disorders

Answer 17

• Requires vigilance of employer and employee

- Ex. med screenings, environmental monitoring

Question 18

Occupational safety and health programs

Answer 18

Pre-placement exams, disease prevention programs, safety programs, worksite health promotion programs, employee assistance programs