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Workplace Safety � PreventingWorkplace Safety � PreventingAccidents In The WorkplaceAccidents In The Workplace
The CULTURE of SAFETY and How to Implement It
STEVE SYMESPrincipalATEX and DSEAR Services Co.
[email protected]://atexanddsear.co.uk
WORKPLACE SAFETY –
PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN
THE WORKPLACE
Workplace Safety – Preventing
Accidents In The Workplace
The Culture of Safety and How to
Implement It
Big accidents are prevented by
small precautions. It is also a fact,
dumb acts are likely to cause
accidents about four times higher
than a workplace that is
hazardous. To increase workplace
safety, the following will help.
5 chapters of information and
safety improving ideas and
suggestions, to help you improve
your workplace’s safety record for
the good of all.
Introduction
What you will learn from this
document:
1# Principles of Accident
prevention: We discuss taking
risks, making shortcuts, safety
handbooks and other guidance, the
dangers of "winging it" at work,
and planning for safety.
#2 The Top Causes of 10
Workplace Injuries: People fall
victim to very common workplace
2
injuries every day. With simple
precautionary measures though,
you can diminish the chances that
your employees will meet
accidents while at work. In this
chapter we describe the top 10
workplace injuries
#3 A Checklist For Making The
Workplace Crime And Violence
Proof: Learn the overall
requirement for a safe workplace
in which all employees look out for
each other has not got a chance of
working properly.
#4 Workplace Safety – Tips On
Manual Lifting: Lifting objects is
common when performing a task
and a huge number of hours are
lost due to back injury, so all
offices need to understand the
simple techniques which we all
must use to avoid injuring
ourselves. Beyond ordinary files in
boxes, there are many items that
are moved around every day in the
workplace, often without the use of
lifting aids. In the section your will
learn the basic precautions to
protect you back, and which you
need to pass on to others at work.
#5 Top Tips On Maintaining
Workplace And Colleague Safety:
In our last section and following
the creed that workplace safety is
the right of every employee,
whether they are working in
relatively safe environments or in
workplaces that constantly expose
them to physical and health
hazards. Learn and apply these
tips and you will be well on the
way to a better safety record in
your business.
DISCLAIMER: We have taken care
to use only general principles here
and avoid Safety Industry and
safety professional's language. All
readers must ensure that they use
the safety regulations which apply
locally. The contents of this
document cover general
considerations and
non-professional opinions only.
This information is provided "as
is". The author, publishers and
marketers of this information
disclaim any loss or liability, either
directly or indirectly as a
consequence of applying the
information presented herein, or in
regard to the use and application
of said information. No guarantee
is given, either expressed or
implied, in regard to the
merchantability, accuracy, or
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acceptability of the information.
1# Principles of Accident prevention
Taking risks
This is a fine attribute. In fact,
nothing substantial in the world
has ever been achieved without
some risk taking. However, when
risks are taken without a good
understanding and a good
evaluation of the consequences,
risks could be just that, risks.
Better not take it. Even when
substantial bragging rights will be
in order, nothing is better than
having all the limbs and parts in
the body working well together. It
is not worth it. Never worth it.
Making Shortcuts
Cutting edges and making short
cuts are not always efficient aside
from potentially endangering the
workplace and the people in it,
too. Remember that an accident
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usually involves more than one
person aside from reputation,
investigation, reports, litigation,
and other expenses. It is
understandable to finish on time
but always the best way to do that
is by being safe. If an employee
gets a kick from working faster
than time, it may be the
employees' favorite sport. Transfer
the employee somewhere else.
When belligerent, you are better
off without him.
The Safety Handbook Safe Working
Protocols and Safe Methods of Working
These are all essentiually safety
handbooks and are excellent aids
to achieving a better safety record,
the problem oftentimes is that
rank and file employees seldom
reads these documents. If ever,
the employee will likely open the
handbook when a problem has
already occurred. Never assume
that an employee knows safety
procedures because the employee
was issued a safety handbook and
make sure. To reduce accidents in
the workplace, supervisors must be
provided time to discuss the safety
precautions and other work related
issues with his subordinates.
Winging It
New employees in particular are on
most occasions timid and would
not ask too many questions. This is
basically the fear of losing face.
This attitude is more pronounced
with Asian cultures. To assume
that the new employee would "wing
it" instead of being sufficiently
informed on safety measures
employed could prove fatal.
Disorganized Workplace
Poor housekeeping is always an
accident waiting to happen.
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Remove hazards and other items
where it should not belong. Keep
materials, equipment, and tools in
their places and keep it that way.
Sooner, even disorganized
employees would catch on. What is
more, a safe, orderly workplace
instills pride even among slobs. It
is so easy to add mess to a place
that is already disorganized. On
the other hand, workplaces that
are properly kept have the
tendency to win the cooperation of
workers to keep it that way.
Remove Distractions
There are jobs that could do with
little distractions while there are
jobs that require focus. Even so,
distractions create downtime. It is
also a fertile area where accidents
are caused. In tasks that require
much attention, even chats must
be kept to a minimum if not totally
discouraged.
Planning
There is no substitute for tasks
that are pre planned before the
undertaking. Well thought off
procedures and methods saved
countless limbs let alone lives.
#2 The Top Causes of 10 Workplace
Injuries
Not a few people fall victim to very
common workplace injuries. The
sad thing is, these are very
common but are not really
addressed because they all seem
minor. With simple precautionary
measures though, you can
diminish the chances that your
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employees will meet accidents
while at work. Here are the top 10
workplace injuries based on the
2009 Workplace Safety Index:
1.) Overexertion
Finally, is the number most
common workplace injury –
overexertion. This is mostly related
to manual handling such as
pushing and pulling, carrying,
holding, throwing, lifting and other
activities that require the use
hands and limbs. Most common
incidents filed under overexertion
involve hand and arm strain, back
pain and others.
2.) Falls On Same Level
This pertains to falls that have
happened on same level surfaces.
Common injuries filed in this
category are slipping on wet floors,
falling on snow covered surfaces,
and others. Most victims of this
accident are elderly employees
who have lesser control over their
balance.
3.) Falls To Lower Level
Falling from stairways, roofs,
ladders and other elevated areas
are the top three most common
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workplace accidents in 2009. It
has consistently been among the
top three incidents for the past
couple of years.
4.) Bodily Reactions
Slips and trips are, without a
doubt, among the most common
accidents occurring in the
workplace. These are listed as the
fourth most common accident in
2009 because at least $5.4 billion
were spent on giving medical
attention to employees who have
tripped or slipped in the
workplace.
5.) Struck By Objects
These involve accidents such as
tools falling directly on any part of
the workers' body as well as falling
debris and concrete objects from
elevated surfaces that resulted to
hospitalization. Accidents as minor
as books hitting the head of the
worker are also included under this
category.
6.) Highway Incidents
Official business trips account for
more than $2.5 billion spent on
hospitalization, surgeries and
treatment in 2009. This type of
accident involves car collisions
and other accidents that occurred
in highways and pedestrians.
7.) Caught In/Compressed By
These are injuries that result from
workers being compressed by or
caught in any operation workplace
machineries. Injuries of this kind
can also result from exposure to
extreme heat.
8.) Repetitive Motion
Prolonged repetitive motion
8
accounts for hundreds of
insurance claims filed every year.
Clerical jobs and other types of
jobs that require extended period
of physical repetitive work are
often the cause of job-related
carpal tunnel syndrome, vision
problems, and physical injuries.
9.) Struck Against Objects
$2 billion dollars were spent on
accidents involving the employee
being struck against objects in
2009 alone. This category
includes accidents such as
running into doors, windows, walls,
tables, chairs and other concrete
objects.
10.) Workplace Violence
It seems to many that workplace
violence is not a reality. Well, it is.
Every year, many people are
victimized by violent assaults,
sexual harassment, coercion,
physical attacks, robbery,
homicide and other forms of
workplace violence.
#3 A Checklist For Making The
Workplace Crime And Violence Proof
Violence and crimes take many
forms inside the workplace, and
unless an employer has a
management system which
prevents almost all such events
occurring, and punishes and
neutralises the effects of any
digressions which occur, the
overall requirement for a safe
workplace in which all employees
look out for each other has not got
a chance of working properly. For
this reason we make no apology for
including this chapter.
Sexual harassment, coercion,
profanity, raised voices,
intimidation, threat, robbery,
homicide and other forms of
physical harm can happen at any
given time. Commonly, it may be
something minor like petty theft,
but in some cases, lives are taken
because of a disgruntled
employee.
Protect your workers from any act
of violence or crime by carefully
planning a series of office checks
and monitoring systems. Start with
assessing the vulnerability of the
workplace by asking yourself the
questions below:
- Does the workplace have an
appropriate security system in
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place?
- Do you have phone systems
which can be monitored for
employee behaviour should
complaints occur?
- Do you have office access
controls to prevent entry from the
street?
- Are there adequate panic and
emergency buttons, sign-in
policies, good lighting and is
safety training given?
These should be a starting point to
protect all your employees from
violence coming from inside the
organization and outside the
workplace premises, but ultimately
all staff should be given open
access to senior staff to be able to
talk to them if they are
experiencing threatening
relationship problems with their
own managers and colleagues.
What is the policy adopted by your
company when it comes to hiring
and firing?
Your company should prevent
anyone with criminal violence from
entering your organization. It
should look into employment gaps,
educational records, and history
references before it absorbs
someone into the company.
What are your company’s
termination procedures? Do these
clearly define policies on advance
notice, placement services, and
severance pay? The company
should minimized the chances of
these causing dissatisfaction
among terminated employees.
Is there anyone in your
organization who can potentially
become a source of violence or
crime?
Does anyone in your organization
exhibit any of the following?
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- Chronic absenteeism
- Frequent raising of voice
- Depression
- Beyond normal impatience
- Increased irritability
- Memory and concentration
problems
- Other worrisome and unusual
behaviors
If so, what does your company do
to prevent workplace problems
related to any of the above
mentioned conditions from
erupting? Does your company have
policies on handling workplace
violence? There should be a
system in place that encourages
employees to report unusual
behaviors among their colleagues.
The management should also
provide a program that helps in
assisting employees in distress.
How about the structural integrity
of your workplace?
Are the doors, windows and other
entry and exit points secured?
These should be safe from
mechanical override. Your
company should also adopt
effective policies on reporting,
maintaining and fixing broken
doors, windows and locks. Also,
additional security measures
should be placed to guarantee the
personal security of every member
of the organization within and
outside workplace premises.
Does your company provide
equipment that help secure
valuable objects, belongings and
information?
Are the employees secured in
common trouble spots such as
reception areas, garages, elevators,
restrooms, etc.? Are there areas in
the workplace that have dim
lighting? These and other problem
areas such as blind spots should
be properly addressed.
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Is sensitive and confidential
information safe in your workplace
or can outside people breach your
office security that can lead to
information leaks?
Does your company adopt a formal
document destruction policy?
After assessing your office's
vulnerability to crime and violence,
take steps to reduce this. Adopt a
comprehensive workplace
harassment and violence
prevention program which covers
not only the most common
scenarios involving violence, but
also the worst-case scenarios that
could happen within the workplace
premises. It should also
encompass issues such as physical
security, practices relating to
hiring and firing employees, and
employee vulnerability. Lastly, this
program should be implemented
and supported by all levels of
employees, from upper
management down.
#4 Workplace Safety – Tips On
Manual Lifting
Lifting objects is common when
performing a task. Beyond ordinary
files in boxes, there are many
items that are moved around every
day in the workplace, often without
the use of lifting aids.
Lifting items carelessly is one of
the most common types of
workplace injury that has caused
from pulled muscles to long-term
damage to back, upper limbs and
the pelvic area. Because injuries
resulting from lifting are common,
many companies whose business
involves moving objects includes
training sessions on manual lifting
to their workers including posters
in strategic locations in the work
area and leaflets for reminders.
The following are typical manual
lifting guides:
- Tap the item or the box if you are
not familiar with its content or
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weight before attempting a lift.
- Your mind and body anticipates
and are better prepared to lift
things when you are standing
directly in front of an object aside
from providing you the best
balance.
- Keep your balance in the center
of your body before attempting the
lift. The feet must be at equal
distance from your center of
gravity. Ignoring the center of
gravity has resulted to sprains and
injuries to the pelvic muscles.
- Use the handles of the item when
lifting.
- Always know where to drop the
item. This is mundane but lifting
items that are heavy are heavier
when you lift them a second time.
- Do not carry boxes that will
obscure your line of vision. Always
carry items below your lifting
capacity.
- Before the actual lift, tighten
your abdominal muscles as this
gives you additional strength and
stability.
- Do not bend over as you start to
lift. Instead, bend the knees and
squat your legs. Bending over
injures the upper limbs that are far
weaker than the lower part of the
body. Bending over will also never
provide you the strength and the
balance required to lift moderately
heavy objects.
- Firmly hold the item with both
hands.
- Start lifting using the strength of
your legs but distribute the weight
of the object evenly to maintain
balance.
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- Once the object is lifted, check
your balance once more by
adjusting your stance before
moving and keep the object as
close to the body as possible. The
weight should put strain on the
legs muscles as much as possible
and not in other areas of the body.
- Stand up slowly and avoid jerking
motions. Jerking will affect the
balance that you started with.
Avoid quick movements while you
are rising.
- Start moving but do it at a
comfortable slow pace. There is
always the temptation to move fast
when lifting even slightly heavier
objects but that could upset the
item and offset your balance.
- If the object restricts or obstructs
your view, ask for a guide.
- Bend your legs as you put the
object down. The same process by
which you lift the object is the
same process used as you ease it
down. Keep your back straight and
keep a firm hold of the object.
- To prevent the fingers from
getting trapped under the item,
lower one side of the item first,
when that is done, lower the other.
#5 Top Tips On Maintaining
Workplace And Colleague Safety
Workplace safety is the right of
every employee, whether they are
working in relatively safe
environments or in workplaces that
constantly expose them to physical
and health hazards. It is also the
obligation of every organization to
provide their employees with safe
working environments where their
well-beings are guaranteed. This is
why in every country, organizations
exist to police the policies of
companies that are pertinent to
their employee's safety.
14
Some tips on ensuring safety in the
workplace
There are several areas that should
be addressed regarding workplace
safety. These include electrical
safety, fire safety, equipment
safety, and others.
Electrical Safety
- Ensure that all machineries are
installed according to product
installation instructions. Many
accidents happen because
someone did not take the time to
ensure that the office equipment is
properly installed.
- Prevent any electrical circuit
overload.
- When using extension cords,
ensure that the cords can bear the
electrical load demanded by the
products that use them. These are
not supposed to be used
permanently and are not meant to
substitute permanent wires and
sockets.
- Properly ground electrical
appliances.
- Immediately report and repair
any damaged electrical wires or
outlets.
- Always hire certified electricians
for installing electric wires as well
as for repairing any damaged
wires.
Fire Safety
- Do not forego the provision of fire
alarms.
- Ensure that sufficient fire
extinguishers are installed in
appropriate places.
- Advise the employees about the
location of the fire extinguishers in
15
the workplace.
- Conduct periodical fire drills.
These prepare the employees for
the proper course of action in case
of fire.
Colleague Safety
Workplace safety, although mainly
focused on the structural aspects
of the office, is by no means
limited to these factors alone.
Colleague safety is also an
important issue to cover. Without
paying attention to this, employees
could be at a much greater risk
than you realize.
Safety from colleagues ensures
that employees are not exposed to
bullying, coercion, physical harm
and sexual exploitation. Adopt
violence safety measures to ensure
that the employees are not only
protected from risks posed by
machineries, equipment,
appliances and other accidents,
they are also protected from the
biggest threats to their well-being.
- Track any violent behaviors of all
employees. Put these into record.
- The management should
expressly adopt zero tolerance
towards violence. Otherwise,
organization members who have
histories of violence and who
possess the characteristics that
make them a threat to their
colleagues can have a free reign on
their behavior.
- Prevent the entry of people with
violent tendencies into the
organization during the
recruitment process. The safety of
the majority should not be
compromised because of one
employee.
- Advise the members of the
organization to always carry with
them mobile phones. it is also not
a bad idea to have a policy that
will encourage every member of
the organization to keep tabs of
their colleagues' whereabouts.
Tailor this idea according to the
16
preferences of the organization
members and the management.
- Ensure that dark areas in the
workplace are well lit.
- Hire security personnel who will
guard the entry and exit points of
the workplace.
Summarising what we have covered...
What you will have learnt from this
document if you have read it
carefully, is the following:
The Principles of Accident
prevention and all about taking
risks, making shortcuts, safety
handbooks and other guidance, the
dangers of "winging it" at work,
and planning for safety.
The Top Causes of 10 Workplace
Injuries which by knowing what
they are you should have become
much better able to prevent them
happening
How to Making Your Workplace
Crime And Violence which if this is
absent the employer has not got a
chance of improved safety targets
being met.
Then we dealt with Workplace
Safety with Tips On Manual
Lifting, because so many hours are
lost due to back injury, so all
offices need to understand the
simple techniques which we all
must use to avoid injuring
ourselves. Beyond ordinary files in
boxes, there are many items that
are moved around every day in the
workplace, often without the use of
lifting aids. In the section your will
learn the basic precautions to
protect you back, and which you
need to pass on to others at work.
Finally we gave you our Top Tips
On Maintaining Workplace And
Colleague Safety.
We hope you found this document
useful.
However, many people will
consider this to be just a start. For
more UK based Health and Safety
guidance, we suggest that you
might find a visit to the safety site
at http://atexanddsear.co.uk
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17
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