Safety Management Health and Safety

Safety Management

Health and safety awareness, training, and management are essential components of every workplace in every workplace environment. While some organizations contend with a great deal more health and safety hazards than others, specific health and safety procedures apply to every company and organization. Health and safety measures protect the physical and psychological well-being of employees, contribute to cohesive organizational culture, eliminate costs, and prevent disasters. Some health and safety measures are also necessary in compliance with local, state, federal, and international law and guidelines. Some of the most common factors related to health and safety that are encountered in day-to-day operations include shift changes, climate changes, room cleanliness, substance abuse, and stress. Organizations can prevent problems related to these and other health and safety issues as well as correct problems that have already arisen.

Shift changes, while taken for granted as a regular part of life in many workplace environments, can create a number of health and safety problems. Radical shift changes disrupt the internal biological clock, disrupting physiological rhythms and responses as well as social relationships. Accidents, injuries, low motivation, mental health problems, sleep disorders, mood swings, family problems, poor eating habits, fatigue, interference with prescription medication, irritability, and isolation may all be consequences related to shift changes. These problems can be exacerbated by poor working conditions such as dim lighting during a nighttime shift, or increased exposure to pollution, chemical toxins, or noise during long daytime shifts. Staying alert and on the ball can be difficult after a long shift, especially when breaks are limited. Tolerance for shift changes declines as the employee ages, making older employees especially susceptible to the negative consequences of shift changes. In some cases, psychologists may diagnose what is known as Shift Maladaptation Syndrome (SMS). Many of the symptoms of SMS resemble those of jet lag. Some efficacious solutions to the problems related to shift change adaptation include improving overall workplace conditions to ensure that all shifts promote optimal health and safety; scheduling the most demanding or dangerous tasks early in the shift to minimize problems related to fatigue or loss of attention; ensuring access to nutritional meals; and enforcing frequent breaks.

Some workplaces involve extreme climates or extreme climate changes. Working on oil refineries in the Canadian north can cause problems related to exposure to extreme cold, whereas working all day on a construction site in August in Arizona can cause problems related to excessive heat exposure. Heat stress can be detected early, its problems prevented through individual self-awareness as well as awareness on the part of shift supervisors and coworkers. Signs of heat stress include a rise in heart rate and in sweat volume. Care should be taken to avoid heat stress and dehydration by drinking water or other healthy fluids throughout the day. Employees should be aware of the signs of heat stress in themselves as well as their coworkers, and knowledge of related first aid procedures would be helpful in averting catastrophes. Exposure to extreme cold causes another set of health and safety problems. Hypothermia, frostbite, and chilblain are some of the consequences of exposure extreme cold, which can be minimized by the creation of warm break rooms in the work environment, sophisticated equipment design, and other engineering measures such as coating metallic objects to avoid heat transfer. Reducing the time of exposure to the cold, incorporating more rest but less sedentary activities, and a buddy system can all help avoid problems related to workplace climate.

Just as exposure to the elements can cause health and safety problems, working in an excessively dirty or excessively sterile environment can also be problematic for workers. Some workplace environments involve repeated exposure to biological or chemical toxins and waste materials. Exposure to industrial chemicals and cleaning products should be minimized through the use of safety clothing, gloves, and masks if necessary. Employees should also be encouraged to take frequent breaks to reduce exposure. When environments become too sterile and employees must wear large amounts of safety gear, physical and psychological problems can ensue. Allergies to PVC or latex gloves can lead to skin problems. Protective clothing cuts off the employee from his or her colleagues, and the sense of isolation can cause depression or social anxiety.

Substance abuse is a huge issue for workplace safety and employee health. Abuse of drugs and alcohol, especially on the job, can directly lead to lowered productivity, absenteeism, inefficiency, high employee turnover rates, low morale, elevated injury rates, and behavioral problems (34). Some of these problems can cause dissatisfaction among coworkers. Because substance abuse is a problem affecting all persons regardless of gender, class, age, or race, employees and supervisors must learn how to recognize some of the signs of possible problems. Changes in employee behavior, moodiness, social problems, and poor performance can all indicate that a substance abuse problem is present. Because of the significant safety hazards that can occur as the result of substance abuse patters, organizations have the right to test employees for drug use. According to the Substance Abuse clauses of the Americans with Disability Act, drug users cannot be classified as individuals with handicaps and therefore cannot invoke protection under the law if they feel discriminated against, unless the person is no longer using drugs or if the drugs are prescribed by a physician. Countermeasures to the substance abuse problem include education and awareness, identification of behavioral, social, or emotional problems, and an offering of support, assistance, and confidentiality.

Workplace stress is also a leading cause of health and safety hazards. Noise and environmental pollutants can be physical triggers of stress. Social issues such as friction between colleagues, or between employees and supervisors can also cause stress. Stress can be a product of the workers' personal or family life unrelated to the job. However, any time a worker reacts to stress, his or her behavior can impact the health and safety of others. Therefore, organizations should take care to minimize stressors and offer employees healthy outlets for their stress. Comfortable break rooms, access to healthy food, and minimizing pressure can go a long way toward reducing stress in the workplace, as can fostering good employee relations.