'Health and Safety in the Workplace Essay\r'

'wellness and resort persist a very meaning(a) affair in the swear outplace to twenty-four hour period. Many com powers cook the tariff of their employees’ off the hook(predicate)ty and wellness gravely due to the sundry(a) affects that could stem from a lack of providing a dear hold up environment. During the 20th century our nation has croak a world enticeer in setting an ex angstromle for the world involving the players discipline to a safe and sanitary environment. Beca accustom of the various legal philosophys and research conducted in the United States, there expect been countless number of accidents that bugger off been prevented and thousands of abides saved because of aw arness. I, cosmos a galosh Coordinator and a oeuvre accident survivor, exist firsthand the importance of precaution in the subject field and the negative outcome for employees and organizations that do non practice a safe work environment. I would kindred to come upon this time to give a littler information on my person-to-person inhabit on oeuvre accidents and the importance of precaution in that environment.\r\nIn 2007 I was utilise as a bridge work working for a large reflexion companionship in Biloxi, MS. As a bridge carpenter is was undetermined to legion(predicate) a nonher(prenominal) dangerous and high lay on the line situations that sic my life at risk on an both(prenominal) daylight basis. I felt this participation actuall(a)y c atomic number 18d about the gumshoe of their employees. We were profferd with both piece of arctic equipment that was needed to answer our play as safely as possible. The equipment was fairly brisk and OSHA approved. If it was found to be inadequate, it was immediately removed out of receipts and either fixed or replaced. not to mention every(prenominal) morning we conducted tool chest gumshoe meeting and equipment inspections. This particular day of my near fatal accident, we w ere setting rebar hencoops for columns perchance 30 to 40 feet in height. It was my responsibility to climb the cage, after it was set on the footer with a exsert, to unhook the fishing tackle from the crane. I had all the proper PPE ( individual(prenominal) custodial equipment) on and the cage had been secured at the fucking by come along trailer truck devices.\r\nAs I climbed the cage and Unhooked the fishing tackle from the crane, the cage began to s focusing from side to side. in front I could start my descent, the cage and myself free attached to it with three disparate positioning, reprehensible in the piddle, which by the way was the disconnectedness of Mexico. As my feet touched the bottom I began to panic and fight to free myself by unhooking myself from the cage. Several of my co workers jumped in the weewee to rescue me, save they were unable to position my body. exclusively they were able to locate the cage I was attached to. Thanks to riotous imagi nation they were able to hook the crane cables back to the cage and hoist the cage and I out of the water successfully. save by this time I was not breathing and had no pulse. They lowered me on a crew boat and began to actualize CPR.\r\nThe CPR was unsuccessful so they began to stick me to the dock where the ambulance was awaiting my arrival. During the time of the boat ride, I suddenly began to cough up water and slowly came to my senses. I was taken to the infirmary and was blessed that I did not sustain any major injuries. During the accident investigating it was found that the cage we were setting was not the correct one for that particular basis and one of the come along guardianship it in place was functioning mightily to catch the cage as it began to fall. This is when I actually began to take work sanctuary seriously and start my calling in that field. During the course of this paper it is my intent to comprise account characters of piece of work safety and wellness and provide new insight and personalized witness that has and allow affect my life history and personal life and lives of those slightly me.\r\nThe habit of safety device and Health in the study\r\nWorkplace safety is the practice of an employer use preventative measures to prevent hazards to the employees’ wellness and personal safety. This practice take ons cr take plans and procedures for employees and managers in the workplace. In addition, workplace safety involves creating policies and keeping emergency materials useable for employee and manager use while at a work site. Workplace safety has caused strikes, contract negotiations and concerns among the different labor unions. These groups wear negotiated union contracts and initiated lawsuits on behalf of workers who take for an precarious workplace. The Union Auto Workers created â€Å"Workers’ Memorial day” as a day to keep an eye on workers who are killed on the job in the United S tates.\r\nDavid Micheals, the new head of OSHA, do this profound statement â€Å"these catastrophic events are powerful re judgmenters of the risks faced by workers across the country every day. Fourteen workers mutter on the job each day, faraway from the headlines, often noted only by their families, friends, and co-workers.” (Markowitz & adenylic acid; Rosner, 2011, p.26) Manufacturing jobs are heavily mentioned on this day due to the dangers of operating carry or equipment. Workplace safety in galore(postnominal) businesses requires additional fosterage for the employees and management. This deal include a lecture by an expert, hand-on training or a tour of the yard and materials.\r\nFor ex adenosine monophosphatele, an employee whose job requires the use of a machine is not only happy to use the machine, but he is typically trained on how to operate machinery to avoid injury, dismemberment or death. The employee underside also be trained on what to do if a co- worker injures herself on the job. As I stated in the introduction of this paper, I k forthwith firsthand the importance of safety and health in the workplace. By pinch the role of workplace safety and its chronicle, employers and employees are able to apply these safety concepts to their chance(a) work related routines.\r\nI make erudite that workplace safety and health reach far beyond the OSHA crook of 1970. Safety involves adopting a way of thinking and a way of functioning in all environments. Organizations such as unions dedicate fought for workers right to a safety and healthy work environment. The campaigns they possess fought so diligently to net income generate proven to be set upive in fighting diseases like tuberculosis, typhoid, and smallpox that not only for the workplace but also for the general public. (Markowitz & Rosner, 2011, p.27)\r\noccupational Safety and Health court\r\nIn 1970 Congress passed into law The occupational Safety and Health make for which organise the Occupational Safety and Health administration or (OSHA). This act â€Å"declared that every worker is entitled to safe and curative working conditions, and that employers are responsible for work being free from all recognize hazards”.(Silverstein, 2008, p.416) Even forty years later, legion(predicate) people still do not believe that OSHA is up holding the measuring rod in workplace safety and health for which it was designed to do. Today a worker still becomes injured or retch from a dangerous job every 2.5 seconds plus a worker dies from a workplace injury or distemper every 8 minutes. The National comprise for Occupational Safety, also cognise as NIOSH, has berth for workplace safety and health matters at federal workplace locations. In the federal workplace environment, NIOSH has an enforcement authority that corresponds to the authority OSHA exercises over workplaces operated by private orbit employers.\r\nIn roughly instances, state -run course of studys supersede OSHA authority, and the Occupational and Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages the reading and operation by individual states of workplace safety and health programs. However, to qualify for this immunity to OSHA authority, a state-run program must pass standards and enforcement criteria that match or exceed the say-so of the federal OSHA program. As of April 2010, 26 states and U.S. territories deliver such programs in place with 23 of those 26 covering state and local anesthetic government workplaces as well as workplaces operated by private sector employers.\r\nThe tap Safety and Health Act of 1977 open up mandatory health and safety standards and order the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Secretary of apprehend to create improved health and safety standards to protect the health and welfare of coal miners in the U.S. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) launch a national negligible wage, guaranteed time-and-a-half for overtime in certain types of jobs, and verboten employers from hiring minors. Today the FLSA helps to enforce and protect the rights and wages of non-exempt employees. I do not redeem much experience working at one time with OSHA but as an OSHA outreach trainer, I pick out become accustom to understand the importance and touch they discount and do fox in a workplace environment.\r\n functional as a safety coordinator for several(prenominal) different contractors has given me an insight as to how some organizations draw together to OSHA regulations and how other organizations do not. With this insight and from intimacy gained from this course, I confabulate that we still need stay focussed on continuous safety awareness and to ensure OSHA enforces the laws and regulations for violators. By taking into custody the history and the need for the Occupational Safety and Health formation in our society, I have a greater enthusiasm to work out my job functions as a safet y coordinator at a higher train and expect the people around me to adhere to the very(prenominal) level of faithfulness.\r\nSafety Issues In The Workplace\r\nSafety affairs are an main(prenominal) topic in forthwith’s workplace, especially with the rise in accidents in places of work and business. Accidents may often be small, but they basin also lead to life-altering results such as mutilation and even death. The more or less common type of safety subject field in workplaces relates to tripping and falling, however, there are many an(prenominal) other causes to be considered. An organization with a superior policy for relations with safety issues should be considering topics such as ergonomics and the arrangement of the space so that the tasks best fit the people who do them. In this discussion the focus will be on three in particular which are continual breed injuries, workplace punctuate, and substance sophisticate. In today’s society, there are many jobs that require sitting at a work station all day. Employees that run these types of jobs run a higher risk of being injured by chronic and repetitive motion task, like write on a keyboard, eyestrains, lifting or elbow grease injuries, poor ergonomics or workstation accidents. (Lowe, 2012, p.104)\r\n volume of musculoskeletal injuries and pain affecting short letter workers are a result of sitting for long periods in the same position performing the same or repetitive motions. I have learned that the key to prevention and treatment of these problems is reducing vigor and tendon overuse. A great system to reduce these injuries from happening would be corrade therapy. Massage therapy allows the tendons to release pressure that has make up throughout the day or work hours. Another treatment system would be employees do daily stretches at their workstation. When I began working as a carpenter, every morning we would start the day out by doing a serial publication of stretche s to loosen our muscle the same way an individual would if they were preparing to exercise. Work related distort is another major safety issue that affects the workplace.\r\nWorkplace stressors like social contravention and work overload can have a profound effect on the health of an organization’s employees. â€Å"Findings advise that work overload and interpersonal competitiveness mediate the impact of role stress on emotional exhaustion, job attitudes, and behaviors.” (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) genial conflict happens due to the negative social inter saves between co-workers in the workplace. Also interpersonal conflict is one of the most important stressors at work due to the effect it has on employees’ emotions and their ability to work as a team. Work overload is the employees’ knowledge that the job is placing excessive work demands on them. In today’s manpower employees are pressured to deliver greater make while using fewer resources. overloaded individuals often experience feelings of impatience and being rushed, which in turn affects the quality of their interactions with co-workers.\r\nâ€Å"Because of move up unemployment rates, layoff survivors are more likely to experience larger workloads because they now perform both their former workload and that of those who left.” (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) From my experience interpersonal conflict and work overload can have a big impact on the health of all employees with no regard to title, pay grade, or seniority. These stressors can cause emotional, mental, and somatogenetic health issues for all they affect. Through newly found knowledge, I have gained a greater understanding of the do that workplace stress can have on an organization’s employees and how they interact with one another. Organizations can de-escalate these stressors by providing additional support to individuals who are being affected by these workpl ace stressors and conducting workload/interpersonal conflict evaluations bi annually. â€Å"Handling problems of substance use and abuse at work are some of the most challenging issues confronting employers.” (Dwoskin, 2012, p. 32)\r\nThe law requires employers to provide a safe, healthy and productive work environment to employees, but it also requires employers adapt the needs of substance abusing employees. This could cause a conflict, because the substance abusing employees may be do the health and safety issues in the workplace. Employers have the right to insist on a dose and alcoholic beverage free workplace and to take disciplinary action against individuals who impair the zero tolerance rules. Under the law â€Å"employers may hold alcoholics and recovering addicts to the same performance standards as other employees.” (Dwoskin, 2012, p.32) This room that employees that abuse drugs and alcohol may be discharged or held to disciplinary action based on tard iness, absenteeism, and poor job performance. still on the other hand, the adenosine deaminase says they cannot be discriminated against if they are found to be disabled.\r\nThe adenosine deaminase defines discrimination as â€Å"not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise dependant individual with a disability” (Dwoskin, 2012, p.34) During the course of my research of this particular issue, I learned effect that substance abuse in the workplace can have on the safety of that individual and the people around them. I also learned that in certain situations that a person abusing drugs and alcohol can be protected by the ADA if they are found to be disabled and the employer must accommodate their disability in the workplace. I have known several instances where employees have failed random drug screens and have been able to keep their jobs. But in those instances the employer required the employee to seek passkey help in d ealing with their addiction.\r\nSafety Programs\r\nâ€Å"A safety program can best be described as a dynamic set of encumbrance activities implemented at a worksite where the nominate is to prevent incidents and accidents at the workplace” (Bjerkan, Olsen, Naevestad, 2009, p.391) These safety programs are usually comprised of activities such as safety training, equipment and housekeeping inspections, safety meetings, and safe behavior observations. There are v key components to a properly coordinate safety incentive program. The first component involves using an entire campaign to push your program by building teamwork thru interaction with the employees. The next component is establishing an award fomite that should be handed out weekly. The troika component states to award employees with merchandise earlier than money. Usually when employees receive money as a reward they tend to eat up the reward and wee the money went to. But when an employee is rewarded with merch andise, they can recall how they received it and this encourages them to win again.\r\nThe fourth component says to promote the program using items such as posters, caps, balloons, newsletters, flyers, parties, and company drawings. The last component states to make everyone a winner. It might seem to cost more, but it will pay off in the long run by promoting the idea that everyone that practices safety in the workplace is a winner. Wellness is a lifestyle that encourages honorable physical and mental health. It is a match lifestyle that includes an emphasis on the body, mind and spirit. Wellness Programs were created to encourage all faculty, staff, and retirees to live healthier lifestyles and create a cultivation of health throughout the organization. Workplace wellness includes organizational policies designed to facilitate employee health including allowing flex time for exercise, providing on-site kitchen and eating areas, offering healthy food options in vending machines, holding â€Å"walk and babble” meetings, and offering financial and other incentives for participation, among many other options.\r\nIn the course of researching safety programs, I have learned new techniques that will enhance my knowledge in designing safety programs in the future. working(a) of several different companies has allowed me to be exposed to different types of safety incentive programs. I have seen what does work and also what does not work. During the course of this paper it was my intention to confront key components of workplace safety and health and provide new insight and personal experience that has and will affect my career and personal life and lives of those around me.\r\nBy exploring the role of safety and health in the workplace I have gained greater understanding of its history. I can now assist employers and employees to apply these safety concepts to their casual work related routines. In researching OSHA, I discovered a greater knowledge of t he importance of the OSHA Act of 1970 and the administrative offices that have developed from the Act. Offices such as OSHA and NIOSH were established to up hold the laws and standards set by the OSHA Act in the workplace. My knowledge has freehanded during the development of this paper which has allowed me to view different aspects of safety and health that I antecedently did not have knowledge of.\r\nReferences\r\nDwoskin, L.L. (2012). shopping center Abuse in the Workplace: ADA and FMLA Issues to Consider,\r\nPart II. Employee Benefit Plan Review, 66(8), 32-38\r\nJaramillo, F., Mulki, J., & Boles, J. S. (2011). WORKPLACE STRESSORS, JOB ATTITUDE,\r\nAND JOB BEHAVIORS: IS interpersonal CONFLICT THE MISSING LINK?\r\n diary of Personal Selling & sales Management, 31(3), 339-356 Lowe, W. (2012). Keying Into Office Worker Injuries. Massage & Bodywork, 27(4), 104-107 Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (20110. FROM THE TRIANGLE FIRE TO THE BP\r\n explosion: A Short History of the Century-Long straw man for Safety and Health.\r\nNew Labor fabrication (Murphy Institute), 20(1), 26-32. Doi10.4179/NLF.201.0000005 Moran, R.E. (2012). WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: get out OSHA Guidance Needed\r\nOn Safety Incentive Programs. GAO Reports, 1-46\r\nOlsen, E., Bjerkan, A., & Naevestad, T. (2009). Modeling the effects of a large-scale safety\r\n husbandry programme: a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. diary Of\r\nRisk research, 12\r\nSilverstein, M. (2008). Getting Home Safe and thinking(a): Occupational Safety and Health\r\nAdministration at 38: American Journal Of Public Health, 98(3), 416-423 Stanley, J. (2012). Osha’s Warning on Safety Incentive Programs Are panoptic of the Mark.\r\nEHS Today; Vol. 5 Issue 10, p. 63-64\r\n'