Workplace Safety
Employee health and safety management

Most U.S. firms are offering disease management and health promotion programs to employees to address the increasing health care costs through improving employee lifestyle and overall health. Nevertheless, the U.S. has not been efficient in providing employees with integrated comprehensive health programs. Comprehensive programs of promoting employee health might encompass a series of strategies including supportive environments, health education, accessing support services, employee integration into organizational structures and frequent health screenings (O'Donnell, 2008).

Most companies operating in the U.S. have implemented enhancement and employee health programs with a primary focus on employee lifestyle management. Employees are encouraged to enroll in insurance programs, which give them regular health risk assessments (HA) and a certificate of completion. HA are regularly applied in the identification of health risks facing employees based on their current lifestyles and health status (eniers, 2010). Employees are given credit incentives towards their health insurance….

Furthermore, in respect of the various cultures and languages within the workforce, the manual could also be printed in each representative language, as far as this is deemed necessary. This will ensure full understanding of the rules and regulations, and also promote the function of the entire workforce as a group (Nonprofit Risk Management Center, 2005 (b)).
Writing such a manual would then address the various important aspects of the program. These for example would include the reasons for the safety program, and its benefits for employers and employees. The rules and regulations of safety should then be thoroughly explicated, including the reasons for their implementation and consequences of not following such rules. A consequence of not wearing a hard hat in the required workplace areas can for example increase the danger of a head injury. Finally, the manual should include the rewards for promoting safety via not only following….

6). DO-IT stores have been designed in the past to keep the safety of its employees and customers constantly in mind. The company understands that accidents can happen but that any steps taken to avoid an accident is money well invested. It knows that doing business in a country like the United Kingdom "puts direct cost of accidents in the billions of dollars" (Thye, par. 10) per year. ith regards to the new site, it is safe to assume DO-IT stores will implement corporate protocol for safety and risk. ill this store be as safe as the others? ill there be adequate room for existing inventory and traffic within the store? ill employees be comfortable with their computer equipment requiring repetitious movement? hat kind of action plan is put in place should there be an accident? Is safety gear provided for use during certain job requirement? hat kind of….

Thus, employees are discouraged from reporting abuses and safety issues because of fear of retaliation. As noted, if they are illegal immigrants, they fear deportation or reporting to INS, and they fear losing their jobs, and so, they do not report safety issues that could be life threatening. etaliation should not occur, and a worker should not have to fear for their livelihood just to protect themselves and their co-workers. Again, the packers are only interested in their profits, rather than their workers. This is an excellent recommendation and it should not only be enacted, it should also be strictly enforced, and those who do not adhere to it should be fined, punished, or shut down.
Another issue facing many employees is the issue of union membership. Under national and international standards, any employee should be free to join a union without retaliation, but again, this seems to be ignored….

Workplace Safety Inspection
One of management's most pressing priorities within any workplace setting, from the floor of a factory to a site of office cubicles, is to ensure that all employees are provided diligent protection from the array of hazards which inevitably arise during any professional pursuit. Signage must be clear and accurate, warning labels must be affixed to any and all dangerous substances, and machinery capable of injuring or killing workers must be monitored constantly and maintained regularly. To ensure that employers across America are upholding their responsibility to provide a safe working environment, the United States Department of Labor works under the auspices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to devise legislative mandates and regulatory provisions. According to OSHA's stringent definition of workplace hazards, "in practical terms, a hazard often is associated with a condition or activity that, if left uncontrolled, can result in an injury….

Physical Hazards of Slaughterhouse Workers
The Nature of Slaughterhouse Work

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Diseases

Trauma

Burns

Hearing

Safeguards

Ergonomics

Dangerous Equipment

eporting and Organizational Culture

Slaughterhouses are among the most hazardous workplace environments, and represent a significant challenge for industrial hygienists. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common form, and are typically related to repetitive stress. Workers in this industry are asked to perform routine tasks at a sustained high rate of speed, and the use of advanced ergonomics is not universal in the industry. Trauma injuries occur at a much higher rate than normal in this industry and these are usually related to the sharp blades and heavy equipment. Around two-thirds of musculoskeletal injuries are serious enough to necessitate time off work, and many workers will work through chronic pains without reporting it. Indeed, while rates of injuries in this industry have diminished significantly, there are reasons to believe that some of this reduction is due to the increase in non-reporting of….

Perhaps, one of the best examples of interdependent workplace safety program and organization is America's Dial 911 government agency. With Dial 911, worse scenarios in workplace accidents can be prevented. This is being made possible by advanced technologies like VoIP (Voice Over IP) that facilitates connection to 911 for help and assistance. Many companies are currently considering having such technology be implemented in their businesses to ensure safety of employees in the workplace. That is, instead of singly relying on their medical staffs, safety is further ensured to employees with the help of VoIP technology. Tekelec Online indicates the following on the use of this type of interdependent system for workplace safety.

911 refers to the ability of an end-user to dial 911 and be connected to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), the entity that refers calls to the appropriate safety authority.

eferences

Thomas, B. Workplace Safety Programs Offer Way to Aid….

Environmental and Employee Safety Concerns
Chemical acids such as Hydrochloric acids are hazardous wastes that must be used with caution. This acid is corrosive in nature and releases concentrated mists, which tend to be dangerous. If the mist or acid itself come into contact with the eyes, skin or internal organs, the damage could be fatal or irreversible.

Safeguards when handling the acid

When dealing with deadly acids such as hydrochloric acid, safety is of paramount importance (The United States, 2007). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the acid as a toxic material. The agency recommends that people wear a set of protective gears when using this acid, regardless of the concentration level. These equipments include a face shield, full suit, boots, rubber gloves and vapor respirator.

When using the acid at the office, it is advisable to prepare for accidental exposure by having access to an eye-flush specialist. If using the acid at….

1) Background of OSHA and Objectives The US Department of Labor spearheaded the establishment of Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) in 1970 with the desire of creating as a safe workplace for American laborers. Having being ratified in 1971, the main goal was to ensure that employers provided safe working environments and employees could get compensation for injuries within the working environment. The formation was influenced by the rising case of lead and asbestos exposure to workers in the 1960s and 70s. Presently, employees can visit OSHA as an agency to register their complaints whenever they feel that their employer has violated the provisions of the OSH Act. On their part, business owners and HR managers in the United States strive to ensure that they abide by the OSH Act guidelines. The agency (OSHA) enforces regulations geared towards ensuring that workplaces safer and healthier for employees. OSHA can also….

Boosting job satisfaction by offering employees safety nets should they get MSD or offering as many preventative measures as possible will lead to a corporate culture more conducive to long-term profitability. Firms should move away from the prevailing business model that discounts employee satisfaction (and employee health) and shift toward a more holistic vision of business. No industry or organization will fare well for long if they cannot maintain a healthy workforce. Firms and their leaders also have an ethical obligation to provide their employees with the best ergonomic equipment and the latest knowledge about MSDs.
MSDs are not a problem, regardless of arguments that insufficient research backs up OSHA's claims. Enough research is available and enough case studies testify to the problem. The federal government absolutely should intervene and mandate complete coverage for MSDs because one of the purposes of government is to help maintain public safety..

Q1. The Gauley Bridge disaster took place in the 1920s, before appropriate health and safety requirements were imposed upon industries to protect workers. Workers were often forced to tolerate such conditions because they had no other options by which to make a living. Furthermore, a certain degree of physical risk to workers was acceptable in the eyes of employers. To some extent, this is also true in many developing world nations such as India, where the Bhopal gas tragedy took place. If there was a sudden absence of federal and state mandates in the United States, workers would still bring contemporary safety expectations to the workplace in many industry sectors. Also, despite the fact there has been substantial attrition of the power of unions, unions still have enough clout in some areas to demand better conditions.
Thus, lapsing back to where things were within a year might be overstating the case.….

Safety and Heath in it Environments
Applied Business esearch: The need for Safety and Health Standards in Hazardous Working Environments in the Information Technology

Businesses including IT firms are flooded with IT tools like microcomputers, photocopiers, digital surveillance tools, internet, among others. There is mounting evidence from a review of literature that in the IT work environment, especially the IT industry, present hazardous working environments to workers. Workers in these environments also undergo stress from the lack of knowledge of the tools, the lack of, or reduced human contact. Information technology tools also create electrical and fire hazards, which threaten the safety of employees. Employees also suffer from health issues like bleary-eyes from bright screens and monitors of IT tools. The research proves the need for increased safety and health measures in these environments. In the end, the research creates knowledge in the business community of the importance of increased safety and….

Any organization that deals directly with petroleum-based products, including storage facilities, will be affected by the act. The act also provides for Area Contingency Plans in case of emergency. The Pollution Prevention Act aims to reduce pollution "through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use," ("Pollution Prevention Act"). Recycling programs fall under the Pollution Prevention Act; therefore, organizations might be required under this law to participate in large-scale recycling programs. Moreover, the Pollution Prevention Act is designed to curb source pollution, so the act applies especially to organizations that are potential polluters. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act applies especially to storage of toxic waste. The act will pertain to employees of waste management facilities or of any organization that must dispose of its waste material in an environmentally sound and legally authorized way.
orks Cited

About EPA." 2005. Online at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/aboutepa.htm.

Clean ater Act." Online at http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm.

Endangered Species Act."….

Workplace Injury
educing workplace injury requires a multifaceted approach, and requires responsibility on the part of employees and managers. I am frequently called upon to move, lift, or manipulate objects. Most of the time this behavior is in accordance with my job description, and I was offered some basic safety training and guidelines when I was hired to perform the job. However, the details of each procedure were not offered in the training. As a result, we only received general guidance, such as how to bend our knees when lifting heavy objects. Issues related to workplace environment and ergonomics remain woefully ignored by senior management. Moreover, there is no ongoing training to remind personnel of their role and responsibility in preventing workplace injury. I have witnessed many of my colleagues do things that are not according to recommended procedure, thereby causing injury.

Management is often able to prevent workplace injuries, in part….

1. What are the leading causes of death in the United States? Accidents are considered to be the fourth leading cause of death after heart disease, cancer and strokes.

2. When the overall cost of an accident is calculated, what elements make up the cost?

The elements making up the cost of an accident are lost wages, insurance administration, medical expenses, motor vehicle damage, fire-related losses, and indirect costs.

3. What are the five leading causes of accidental deaths in the United States?
Motor vehicle, poison, falls, drowning, and fire-related accidents.

4. What are the leading causes of death in the United States of people between the ages of 25 and 44?
Motor vehicle, poison, falls, drowning, fire-related accidents, heart, and cancer disease.

5. Explain how today’s rate of accidental work deaths compares with the rate in the early 1900s.
Per a population of 100,000, accidental work deaths have reduced by 81 percent from 21 to 4 between 1912….