safty in the workplace
... widgets faster, better, and cheaper than Brand X—but we don’t do it by taking chances with our own safety and that of the co-workers who are our teammates. Instead, we continue to think about safety whenever a work decision has to be made. We conscientiously observe the safety rules and consciously practice the safe behavior we've learned. We wear the safety glasses, clear the debris from the aisles, mop up spills promptly, and read the label on any chemical we’re going to use. If this hasn’t already become automatic behavior, it will with further practice—and as with any accomplishment, some people may need more practice than others. At any rate, once we have all paid the necessary price of practicing safety, we will all share the dividend—a workplace in which the odds against our being injured on the job have become greater and greater. Accidental injuries are the 5th leading cause of deaths in the US. On average 11,200 disabling accidental injuries happen every hour during the year. The most common accident at construction sites is falls, either on the same level or from height. More fatalities occur from falls than any other construction activity. The back is the part of the body most frequently injured at work accounting for nearly 25 percent of all work-related injuries. Injuries to the legs, arms and hands are the next most frequent bodily injuries. The war on drugs has been going on for some time now. Illegal drugs seem to be everywhere and that includes the workplace. The vast majority of drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don't leave their problems at the door. Of the 16.7 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2003, 12.4 million (74.3 percent) were employed either full or part time. Furthermore, research indicates that between 10 and 20 percent of the nation's workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs. In fact, industries with the highest rates of drug use are the same as those at a high risk for occupational injuries, such as construction, mining, manufacturing and wholesale. In a recent statement, Barry McCaffrey, the White House drug policy director, told reporters that "the typical drug user is not poor or unemployed." In fact substance abusers are drivers, welders, and bartenders. The Department of Health and Human Services recently released a report that stated 44% of drug user’s work for small companies. That same study found that 7.7% of workers between the ages of 18 and 49 used illegal drugs in the previous month. Furthermore, young, white, undereducated males are the most likely to use drugs. Your employees' behavior at work affects everyone, and it also affects the bottom line. Abusers are less productive, miss more workdays, often injure themselves or coworkers, and file more worker's compensation claims. No one company can absorb the costs incurred by this segment of the work force, but someone does pay. Employees pay through higher insurance premiums, lesser salaries and smaller benefit packages. The consumer ends up paying higher prices for goods. Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE) for eyes, face, head, and protective clothing, is extremely important. All personal protective equipment is of a safe design and construction for the work to be performed. Applicable standards, codes, and regulations are followed in the design and construction of protective equipment. Protective eyewear has evolved dramatically over the years. In the 1960s, standard safety glasses were worn mainly in industry and made of tempered glass with unattractive frame styles. But since then, a merge between safety glasses and sunglasses has made eyewear more protective and fashionable. There's a much wider selection of colors and styles to choose from. In fact, many sports and industry safety glasses are made with anything from sports team logos to zebra stripes on the frames. And instead of tempered glass, the majority of lenses today are made of impact-resistant polycarbonate. Protective eye and face equipment is provided and required where there is a reasonable probability of injury that can be prevented by such equipment. Eye and face protection used meet the requirements of ANSI Standard Z 87.1 - Eye and Face Protection. All employees are required to wear the prescribed eye and face protection to protect themselves from a hazardous environment. Situations where suitable eye protection is required, but not limited to, machine operations involving flying objects, glass, liquids, injurious radiation, or a combination of them. Eye and face protection meets the following requirements: A. Provide adequate protection. B. Reasonably comfortable. C. Fit snugly and do not unduly interfere with movements. D. Durable. E. Capable of being disinfected. F. Easily cleanable. G. Kept clean and in good repair. H. Persons requiring corrective lenses shall wear: 1. Spectacles whose protective lenses provide the correction. 2. Goggles that can be properly worn over corrective spectacles. 3. Goggles that incorporate corrective lenses. Every day an estimated 1,000 eye injuries occur in American workplaces. The financial cost of these injuries is enormous--more than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses, and workers ...