unit 6-physical-hazards-2
TRANSCRIPT
UNIT 6
PHYSICAL HAZARDS 1
HPEO 408 Occupational Health Hazards
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
SUPPLEMENTARY TO TEXTBOOK ASSIGNED READING
Ubiquitous exposure!
Ergonomic risks can be found across all industries: Office work Retail Tourism Healthcare Heavy industry
Ergonomic hazards fall into 5 main classes: Force exertion Repetitive motion Postures (awkward and static) Contact stress
INTRODUCTION TO ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
Involves the body exerting a physical force during their work task
Most common when doing manual tasks
Examples of force exertion: Lifting/carrying Pushing Pulling Gripping
Pinch grips (force usually between fingers and thumb) Power grips (force usually between fingers and palm)
Swinging (e.g. hammering)
FORCE EXERTION
Involves repeating the same task/movement using the same limb/muscle over a length of time
Severity of risk highly dependent on rate of motion and duration
Examples of repetitive motion tasks: Typing Scanning (e.g. grocery store clerk, ultrasound technicians) Production line work Laboratory work (e.g. pipetting) Agriculture workers (e.g. berry picking)
REPETITIVE MOTION
Occurs when the body is moved in a position that causes strain Working in awkward postures increases the amount of force needed
to complete the task Work surfaces at improper heights important risk factor
Examples of awkward postures include: Bending (forward, backward, and to the side)
Cradling phone in neck Twisting
Transferring loads while standing still Squatting
Agriculture workers Over reaching
Cleaning bathtubs
AWKWARD POSTURE
Occurs when the body or body part stays in the same position for a long period of time
Increases the static load to the muscles/tendons to maintain position
Examples of static postures include: Gripping tools that cannot be put down
Traffic control person (i.e. flagger) Holding the arms out or up to perform tasks
Automobile repair Standing in one place for prolonged periods
Cashier
STATIC POSTURE
Occurs from contact (occasional, repeated, or continuous) between a hard or sharp object and the body tissues
Most common on soft tissue of the fingers, palms, forearms, thighs, shins, and feet
Common examples: Using the body as a “hammer”
Using palm to push things Carpet kicker
Pressing of tool handles into the palms Sitting in chair poorly setup
Without adequate space for the knees Seat pan too long Chair too short
Wearing latex gloves that are too tight Standing/kneeling on hard surfaces Resting wrists on desk edge while typing
CONTACT STRESS
Exposure to one ergonomic risk factor may be enough to cause or contribute to an adverse effect
Multiple ergonomic hazards often occur together, increasing the likelihood of an adverse effect
Severity depends on: Duration Frequency Magnitude
ERGONOMIC SUMMARY
Textbook Assigned reading will cover the adverse effects and some controls Remaining textbook chapter material very specific and good
source for additional information if interested
Many free worksheets/resources available online WorkSafeBC Ergonomic publications website
See worksheets for identifying and assessing ergo hazards NIOSH Ergonomics information site Ergoweb Washington State Department of Labor and Industries : Ergonomic
Ideas Bank Cornell University computer use tips: CUergo
ERGONOMIC RESOURCES
PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
Psychosocial hazards are hazards that are unique in that they tend to be a result of interactions between people or work characteristics rather than an hazardous agent Historically not considered hazards but rather “stressors”
Emerging issue in occupational health!
The classifications of psychosocial hazards are hazy and change based on industry/country/occupation
The main psychosocial hazards we will review are:1.Shift work2.Fatigue3.Workplace violence4.Bullying5.Workplace stress
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
WHY SHOULD WORKPLACES CARE ABOUT PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS?
Considered any non-standard 8-hr working shift between the hours of 7:00 am – 6:00 pm including: Swing shift Evening/night shift Rotational shifts Weekend work Split shifts On call/casual Irregular schedule Extended workdays
High risk occupations/industries: Healthcare Emergency/Protective Services Manufacturing Primary Industry Tourism/Hospitality
How big is the problem? In 2005 approximately 28% (4.1 million) of Canada’s working population worked
irregular/shift work
SHIFT WORK
Shift work has been linked with multiple adverse effects including increased injury rates, gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and cardiovascular disease
Mechanism for harm thought to be due to sleep deprivation that leads to disruption of the circadian rhythm (i.e. biological clock)
Shift work has now classified as a Group 2A carcinogen (probably carcinogenic to humans) by IARC
SHIFT WORK
Shift rotations Quicker rotation of shifts (i.e. 2 days/2 nights vs. 5 days/5 nights) allows for quicker
circadian rhythm recovery For swing shifts 2 weeks of day shift/2 weeks of night shift better than one week rotations
however, there is some debate over this as the rhythm is influenced on the weekends when sleep patterns are altered
Have a forward rotating shift (i.e. morning > evening > night) as it is easier for the circadian rhythm to move forward than backward
SHIFT WORK CONTROLS
Difficult, but there are some things that lessen the effects of shift work:
Have longer breaks between shifts Provides more time to recover Recommended to have a minimum of 24
hours between rotation changes Shift start times
Early morning shifts have been shown to cause fatigue
Try to avoid shifts that start before 7:00 am
During work time Have well lit areas Provide frequent breaks and opportunity
to move around Education
Educate workers on importance of sleep, diet, and exercise while doing shift work
Fatigue is the state of feeling very tired, exhausted, weary, or sleepy There are many work and non-work causes of fatigue including:
Inadequate rest (insufficient sleep duration, insufficient break between shifts) Long or irregular work hours (overlaps/combined with shift work) Prolonged mental or physical activity Prolonged periods of stress or anxiety Sleep disorder or other health condition
Fatigue can be either acute or chronic. Acute fatigue
short-term sleep loss / short periods of heavy physical or mental work effects are of short duration and usually can be reversed by sleep and relaxation
Chronic fatigue Long-term sleep loss or overwork Recovery requires extended rest
How much sleep is enough? Research suggest adults get at least 7.5 to 8.5 hours everyday Avoid accumulation of a sleep “debt”
FATIGUE
Adverse effects of fatigue: Impaired judgment (increase in risk-taking, accidents, and incidents) Reduced attention/vigilance, memory, reaction time, and
productivity/performance Difficulty in concentration (decision making, planning, communication) Reduced visual and hand to eye co-ordination Falling asleep on the job Increase in absenteeism and presenteeism Reduced ability to handle stress on the job
Fatigue a special problem in jobs involving heavy machinery or driving (i.e. long-haul truck drivers)
NOTE: fatigue levels are not easily measured or quantified Hard to determine if workers fatigue level was cause during accidents/injuries
investigations
FATIGUE
Workplace violence is any act towards an employee at work, or due to their work, that causes the worker to feel they may be at risk for physical harm Violence includes verbal, physical, or emotional acts Most people still consider violence as having the risk of physical harm
only; however definitions are changing and other forms of “abuse” are now being considered violence without physical harm (i.e. bullying)
Examples of violent acts: Gestures (shaking fists, suggestive/vulgar movements) Verbal threats to cause physical harm to the individual, their property,
or reputation Acts meant to demean, embarrass, or humiliate a worker Verbal attacks (swearing or insulting) Physical attacks (hitting, shoving, pushing or kicking)
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Criminal violence committed to employees by citizens with no association with the
organization or victim Ex. robbery (cash, drugs)
Service user violence committed to employees by patrons/service users
Ex. bouncer injured during job removing drunk patron
Worker–on-worker violence committed to employees by other employees
Ex. fight between co-workers about promotion
Domestic violence committed to employees by a citizen with no association with the
organization, but with a fellow employee Ex. husband/wife of worker attacks co-worker over suspected affair
TYPES OF VIOLENCE
Factors to be considered that may increase the risk of violence are: The population
Working with the public
Working with unstable or volatile persons
The location
Working in community-based setting/having mobile workplace (e.g. home support
workers, taxi drivers)
Working in high crime rate areas or isolated areas
The service
Work in premises where alcohol is served
The time
Working during periods of high/elevated stress (e.g. tax season, Christmas)
Working late at night or early morning
Working during periods of intense organizational change (e.g. strikes, downsizing)
Working alone
RISK FACTORS FOR VIOLENCE
High risk occupations: Health care (nurses, paramedics, long term care aides, home support workers)
Protective services (police, fire, security, correctional, social services)
Teachers, daycare providers
Retail (convenience store, fuel stations)
Customer service agents
RISK FACTORS FOR VIOLENCE
Control options highly depends on the type of violence; however, some examples of how to reduce workplace violence can be done by breaking control options into management, administrative, workplace design, and equipment:
Workplace Management – these are control options designed and monitored by management. Mostly these relate to rules and regulations of violence in the workplace
Educate workers on identifying workplace violence Clearly defining what is unacceptable behavior and consequences of
violent acts Assure confidentiality to those reporting violent incidents
CONTROL OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Administrative – these are control options that influence how work is performed
Keeping cash on hand to a minimum Using electronic payment systems to reduce the amount of cash available Changing bank deposit or cash handling activities at varying times of the
day/ using licensed security firm for cash pickup Have security (ID badges / security patrol) Well defined working alone procedures/rules (contact person, posted
schedule) If working out of office use buddy system if possible Always work in pairs when having a potentially confrontational meeting Training in aggression management, emergency preparedness Increase the amount of workers during peak times to increase efficiency If possible make customer interactions over phone, limit face-face
interactions Provide mobile phones to workers with moving office
CONTROL OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Workplace Design – these control options are meant to consider the physical layout and space arrangement that could influence security.
Position reception/sales or service counter so that it is visible by passers Keep or enhance visibility of office/store through windows Positioning office furniture so employees are closer to a door/exit than
the client Increase the width/depth of service desks to increase difficulty in
obtaining physical contact with employee Install barriers between employee and customer Limit number of entries into store/office Ensure workspace and entrances are well lit
CONTROL OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Workplace Equipment – these control options can be used to help deter violence or be used to summon assistance in the event of an emergency
Payment options - electronic payment system will reduce amount of cash available on site
Drop or time-lock safe Install door alarms or buzzers to notify worker someone entered the
space Install security devices (cameras, alarms) Use signage to alert customers of security measures/no cash on hand Have form of communication available (phones, walki-talkie)
CONTROL OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Varying definitions of bullying, harassment, mobbing, and violence
Based on broad definition of violence bullying, harassment, and mobbing are all forms of violence however, many people still regard violence as only threats/acts of physical harm
Below are some small differences to help explain the difference between the three terms: Bullying is typically considered repeated aggressive/unreasonable behavior that
is meant to intentionally hurt another person (physically or mentally) Main reason is to gain power or increase self esteem Bullying is often not identified for weeks or at times months
Harassment differs as it is usually linked to a particular demographic feature of the person such as their gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability Main reason is to “hurt” victim Often incidents are not repeated and are one time incident Harassment is usually identified quickly/immediately
Mobbing occurs when more than one person is involved in the bullying acts/events Often caused by one “ringleader” who bullies others into their activities
BULLYING, HARASSMENT, AND MOBBING
Examples of bullying behavior: Gossiping or starting “rumors” about the victim Name calling The silent treatment/refusing to socialize with
victim Manipulating Laughing/staring at victim Mocking victim Criticizing the victim repeatedly (e.g. work, dress,
behavior) Undermining or impeding a person's work Assigning unwarranted punishment/unreasonable
amount of work Obstruct victim advancement if possible Tampering with victim’s belongings/work/work
equipment
BULLYING
Outcomes of bullying Social isolation “Stress” Reduced self esteem Absenteeism Many others…
Examples on how to control or limit bullying are:1. Develop a Workplace Bullying Policy
Clearly outlines inappropriate behavior, consequences to comply with policy
Clearly outlines complaint handling and investigation procedures
Provide a “neutral” contact person for complaints/concerns
2. Provide training for management and workers on workplace bullying
3. Provide leadership training
4. Develop a mentoring program for new or junior employees
5. Human Resources Provide clear job descriptions for each position in the company
Keep statistics on absenteeism, injuries, complaints, etc.
Identify and support employees at higher risk
Develop standard operating procedures
Review and monitor workloads and staffing levels
Limit work hours
Seek regular feedback from staff about roles and responsibilities
CONTROLLING BULLYING
World Health Organization definition of workplace stress:
“Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”
WORKPLACE STRESS
Obtained from: http://gururatings.org/work-stress/
It is important to note that “Stress” can be positive and negative, but too much stress can be harmful
When faced with a stressor the body has a physical reaction called the “fight or flight” response Causes the body to stimulate the production of additional
hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) to help “deal” with the stressor The hormone release temporarily:
Increases alertness and strength Improves immunological activity Decreases pain
Chronic exposure to stress, that the body is unable to handle, can lead to many adverse effects such as ulcers, headaches, mood changes, weight gain/loss
STRESS
JOB STRESSOR EXAMPLES
Factors unique to the job
•Workload (overload/underload)•Pace / variety / meaningfulness of work•Autonomy (e.g., ability to make your own decisions about your job or specific tasks)•Physical environment (noise, air quality, etc)•Isolation at the workplace (emotional or working alone)
Role in the organization •Role conflict (conflicting job demands, multiple supervisors/managers)•Role ambiguity (lack of clarity about responsibilities, expectations, etc)•Level of responsibility
Career development •Under/over-promotion•Job security (fear from economy, or lack of tasks or work to do)•Career development opportunities•Overall job satisfaction
Relationships at work (Interpersonal)
•Supervisors•Coworkers•Subordinates•Threat of violence, harassment, etc (threats to personal safety)
Organizational structure/climate
•Participation (or non-participation) in decision-making•Management style•Communication patterns
Adapted from: Murphy, L. R., Occupational Stress Management: Current Status and Future Direction. in Trends in Organizational Behavior, 1995, Vol. 2, p. 1-14)
Learn better communication skills with management, coworkers, and subordinates
Improve time management Balance your schedule to incorporate breaks Arrive a few minutes early for work to prepare for your day Prioritize your work tasks and complete in order of importance Don’t take on more work than you can complete (i.e. don’t set up for failure) Break your projects into smaller less overwhelming tasks, provides sense of
accomplishment
Learn how to ask for help Don’t try to control everything, delegate responsibilities when possible Know your limits and when to ask for help if you don’t understand your work
Improve your health and wellness Exercise Eat healthy
WORKPLACE STRESS CONTROL FOR EMPLOYEES
Improve communication Clearly define employees’ roles and responsibilities Share information about jobs/futures to reduce uncertainty
Give workers a voice Allow workers to participate in decisions that affect their jobs including work
rules/scheduling
Monitor work Ensure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and resources
Show appreciation for workers Verbal conformation of good work performance and value to the company Provide opportunities for career development
Foster a healthy/friendly social workplace Provide team building exercises/outings Provide social interactions among employees Firmly adhere to anti harassment/bullying/violence policy
Provide workers with support Develop health promotion program Encourage healthy lifestyles (exercise at work, gym memberships)
WORKPLACE STRESS CONTROLS FOR EMPLOYERS
SFU’s GuardingMinds@Work software for evaluating workplace stress (free registration for company use)
The job stress network
NIOSH’s Stress At Work resource page
WORKPLACE STRESS RESOURCES