Ch. 16
Occupational Safety and Health Act formed:
-OSHA (dept. of labor) -NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC and HHS)
Two most important laws passed passed between 1908 and 1970?
-Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) -Coal Mine Health and Safety of 1969
four fundamental tasks involved in reducing the seriousness and number of injuries and illnesses in the workplace
-anticipation -recognition -evaluation -control
3 categories of workplace violence prevention strategies
-environmental designs -administrative controls -behavior strategies
types of occupational illnesses
-musculoskeletal disorders -skin diseases and disorders -noise induced hearing loss -respiratory disorders
occupational safety and health programs
-preplacement exams -disease prevention programs -safety programs -worksite health promotion programs -employee assistance programs
goals of worksite health promotion programs
-reduce absenteeism -lower health insurance premiums -increase productivity -improve employee morale **primary prevention efforts**
environmental designs
-safer cash handling procedures -physically separating workers from customers -improving lighting -installing better security systems
administrative controls
-staffing policies (having more staff) -procedures for opening/closing workplace -reviewing employee duties that may be risky
behavior strategies
-training employees in nonviolent response and conflict resolution -educating employees about risks associated with specific duties
why are occupational and community health problems linked?
-workers, usually the healthiest people in the community, are exposed in the course of their jobs to specific hazardous materials at high concentrations. -in the instance of industrial disaster -workers themselves as a community
which occupations are the most dangerous?
1) fishing. 2)loggers 3)aircraft pilots
what events account for the highest amount of fatal occupational injuries?
1) roadway accidents (24%) 2) Violence (17%) 3) contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, and trips (15%) 4) exposure to harmful substances or environments (9%) 5) fires and explosions (3%)
average number of workers who die from an injury sustained at work each day
11!
in 2011, how many fatal work-related injuries happened per day?
12.8
machinery injury death rates based on race
2 times more likely for whites than blacks
age population with highest fatal work injury rate
65 years and older
what race experiences the least amount of occupational fatalities?
Asians
gender differences in hours worked and fatal work injuries
Males had more fatal work injuries and worked more hours.. -have riskier jobs/take more risks on the job
who enacted the first of several workers' compensation laws?
President Theodore Roosevelt & Congress in 1908
what is OSHAct also known as?
Williams-Steiger Act
noise-induced hearing loss
a form of repeated trauma. -from hazardous noise on the job or other agents like solvents and metals.
Workers' compensation laws
a set of federal laws designed to compensate those workers and their families who suffer injuries, disease, or death from workplace exposure. -covered certain federal employees -little progress was made in protecting workers from injuries
what does occupational disease include?
acute or chronic illnesses or disease that may be caused by inhalation, absorption, ingestion, or direct contact.
examples of musculoskeletal disorders
acute or chronic injury to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints, bones. -carpel tunnel syndrome -a form of repeated trauma
days away from work for each disabling injury increase with...
age
what jobs within the goods-producing industries had the highest rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses?
agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting.
examples of skin diseases and disorders
allergic and irritant dermatitis, eczema, rash, oil acne, chrome ulcers, and chemical burns. -highest reported in agricultural, forestry, and fishing.
occupational disease
any abnormal condition or disorder, other than one resulting from an occupational injury, caused by factors associated with employment.
occupational injury
any injury, such as a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation, which results from a work-related event or from a single, instantaneous exposure in the work environment.
evaluation
assessment of the data that were collected during the recognition and monitoring of activities -toxicological, exposure, risk, and clinical assessment
employee assistance programs
assist employees who have substance abuse, domestic, psychological, or social problems that interfere with their work performance. -*secondary/tertiary prevention efforts*
where do Americans spend the 2nd largest portion of their time?
at work! so safe and healthy workplaces are essential if America is to reach its future health objectives.
most disabling type of injury or illness
carpel tunnel syndrome
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
comprehensive federal legislation aimed at ensuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women
risk factors that increase a worker's risk for workplace assault
contact with public, exchange of money, delivery of passengers and goods, mobile workplace, working with unstable persons in health, working alone/small numbers, late at night, high-crime areas, guarding valuable property, community-based settings.
Within the service-providing industry, which jobs had the highest rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses?
education and healthcare.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and where is it located?
federal agency located within Dept. of Labor and created by OSHAct that is charged with responsibility of administering provisions of the OSHAct
what kind of industries in the private sector had a higher rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses?
goods-producing industries.
trend of work-related fatality rates
have declined significantly over the past 85 years
what is reported most, workplace illnesses or workplace injuries?
injuries
anticipation
involves the foresight to envision future adverse events and take action to prevent them -hazard inventory should be conducted
What does the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health do?
it is more of a research body and studies occupational illnesses and disorders as diseases, makes recommendations to OSHA on how to prevent them.
five occupations that account for nearly 20% of the days-away-from-work cases:
laborers, nursing aides, orderlies and attendants, janitors and cleaners, heavy tractor trailer drivers, police & sheriff officers.
young workers 15-24 rates of fatal workplace injuries and nonfatal injuries
lower rate of fatal, higher rate of nonfatal than people age 25 and older. -spend fewer days away from work for each disabling injury
preplacement exams
make sure that the worker fits the job, selecting the employee who is the best physically and mentally qualified
who was the first state to pass any kind of workers' compensation legislation?
maryland
control
may involve changes in the production process to make it safer, changes in work environment, improvements in the sue of personal protective equipment or apparel to protect individual workers.
what are the most frequently reported occupational illness?
musculoskeletal disorders.
pneumoconiosis
one of most important category of lung diseases.. a fibrotic lung disease caused by inhalation of dusts
what does each company need to have in the safety program?
policy statement, safe operating procedures, disaster plan, policies for hazard control, policies for investigation of injuries -farm safety run by RMH
what accounted for nearly 2/5 of all cases of disabling injuries and illnesses?
sprains, strains, and tears -most common site of injury was the back
recognition
surveillance and monitoring of the workforce for injuries and illnesses, including near misses. -inspections of workplace for hazards, monitoring for toxins, recording injuries, and conducting health screenings.
OSHA's most important provision
the employee's right to request an OSHA inspection -employees name must be withheld if desired -employee may accompany OSHA inspectors in their inspection
what does preventing and controlling occupational disease require?
the vigilance of employer and employee alike and the assistance of governmental agencies. -*agent-host-environment model*
poverty related to occupational death rates
those living in counties where income is lower have significantly higher occupational death rates
safety programs
those portions of the workplace health and safety program aimed at reducing the number and seriousness of unintentional injuries on the job.
what was the purpose of OSHAct
to ensure that employers in the private sector furnish each employee "employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm"
respiratory disorders
work-related asthma is most commonly reported occupational respiratory disease
worksite health promotion programs
workplace-based programs aimed at improving the health of employees through changes in behavior and lifestyle.