Chapter 12 ADMN2230

Promoting Safety and Health

• Occupational health and safety is regulated by federal, provincial, and territorial governments.
• Employers have a fundamental duty to take every reasonable precaution to ensure employee safety.
• Over 1 million work-related injuries occur yearly, costing approximately $11 billion.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the common elements of federal and provincial occupational health and safety legislation.
• Identify measures managers and employees can take to create a safe work environment.
• Learn ways to control and eliminate on-the-job health hazards.
• Recognize programs organizations use to improve the health of their workforce.

Safety and Health: It's the Law

• Occupational injuries involve a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation resulting from either a workplace accident or exposure during an accident.
• Worker involvement in an accident can be direct or indirect, even if they are nearby.
• Occupational illnesses are abnormal conditions or disorders (other than injuries) caused by work-related environmental factors.
• Illnesses can be acute or chronic, caused by inhaling, absorbing, ingesting, or direct contact with substances.

Fatalities and Injuries Across Canada (2016)

• Data provided shows various provinces with their respective fatality and injury numbers.
• A total of nearly 241,000 injuries/lost time claims were recorded that year across Canada.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties of Employers

• Provide a hazard-free workplace and follow applicable laws.
• Inform employees of safety and health requirements.
• Maintain records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
• Report work-related injuries and illnesses to the appropriate authorities.
• Ensure supervisors are familiar with work hazards.
• Provide comprehensive safety training.
• Take disciplinary action against employees who do not follow safety rules.

Duties of Workers

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and employer safety rules.
• Report hazardous conditions, defective equipment, and any workplace issues.
• Follow employer's safety and health rules.
• Request and receive information regarding workplace safety and health conditions.
• Refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisal.

Duties of Supervisors

• Identify and inform employees about workplace hazards.
• Ensure employees use safety equipment.
• Provide written safety instructions.
• Implement reasonable precautions to guarantee workers' safety.

Duties of Joint Health and Safety Committees

• In most jurisdictions, health and safety committees require union and management participation.
• These committees create a non-adversarial work environment to ensure safe and healthy workplaces.
• Representative certifications are essential (e.g., Ontario).

Workers' Compensation

• Injured workers receive benefits (cash, medical, vocational rehabilitation).
• The key goal is to help workers return to the workplace as soon as possible.
• The definition of accidents and injuries has expanded to include industrial diseases and stress-related issues.

Industrial Disease

• A disease caused by exposure to work-related substances.
• Occurs often in particular industries or trades, and involve a specific process or job role.

Creating a Culture of Safety

• Interviewing job candidates for safety knowledge, practices, and skills.
• Supervisors play a key role in safety and proactive safety training.

Enforcing Safety Rules

• Employees must utilize appropriate work devices/procedures.

• They are required to follow good housekeeping practices and promptly report accidents/injuries.

• Wearing required protective equipment(PPE) and avoiding carelessness/horseplay are critical components of workplace safety.

• Ways for engaging employees in safety programs include jointly setting safety standards, participating in training, and taking part in program design/implementation, in addition to encouraging safety through incentives and rewards.

Investigating and Recording Accidents

• Incidence Rate: The number of injuries/illnesses per 100 full-time employees in a year, calculated using a base of 200,000 hours worked.

Controlling and Eliminating Health Hazards

• Fatigue (e.g., night shift)
• Distracted Driving
• Workplace Violence (verbal/written threats, harassment, physical attack, physical assault).
• Nurses often face the highest rate of violence in a workplace.
• Workplace Bullying(unwanted, ongoing negative actions of an individual(s) against another in the same work environment).

Safety Hazards and Issues

Reducing Violence in the Workplace

• Management commitment to reducing violence (zero tolerance policy), employee involvement.
• Workplace analysis to uncover potential violence areas.
• Designing safe workspaces.
• Providing violence prevention training throughout the organization.
• Evaluating violence program effectiveness.

Workplace Emergencies

• Floods
• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Fires
• Toxic gas releases
• Chemical spills
• Radiological accidents
• Explosions
• Civil disturbances and terrorism

Creating a Healthy Work Environment

• Ergonomics
• Cumulative Trauma Disorders (jobs that require repetitive motions such as meat cutters, violinists, flight attendants).
• Computer workstation issues (visual difficulties, muscular aches and pains, job stress).
• Chemical Hazards (WHMIS - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)
• Smoking and Tobacco Smoke

Creating a Healthy Work Environment

• Key Elements for Successful Ergonomics programs include:
• Providing notice and training to employees.
• Conducting pre-injury hazard assessments.
• Involving employees in risk assessment and design of work processes.
• Evaluating program effectiveness.

Question (WHMIS)

• Training is an element of WHMIS.

Building Better Physical and Emotional Health among Employees

• Depression (feelings of low spirits, sadness, gloominess; inability to feel enjoyment and pleasure in daily routines.
• Alcoholism
• Drug Abuse
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

Job Stress and Burnout

• Sources of Job-Related Stress:
  • High job demand
  • High effort
  • Low control
  • Low reward
• Coping strategies to reduce stress:
  • Build rewarding relationships with coworkers.
  • Talk openly with managers about concerns.
  • Prepare for likely job changes.
  • Set realistic deadlines and don't overextend skills.
  • Take short breaks.
  • Designate dedicated work periods to avoid interruptions.
  • De-attach from work when stressed and prioritize more important issues over trivial ones.

This quiz covers key aspects of occupational health and safety regulations across federal and provincial levels. Participants will learn about legal responsibilities, workplace safety measures, and methods to mitigate health hazards on the job. Enhance your understanding of how laws protect worker health and safety.