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.

steve@ippts.comhttp://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

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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

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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.

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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

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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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