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What I Learned About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses

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What I Learned About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses

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There are various safety hazard in the workplace, and if a risk management analysis is not carefully thought through it can lead to accidents and/or illnesses in the workplace. For example, sitting for long hours typing on a computer with improper position, can lead to cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or MSDs. Being exposed to harmful chemicals and not wearing proper PPE can lead to health issues even death. Bullying in the workplace can be violent or non-violent, but the act can hurt an organizations moral, productivity, and create other negative impacts on the organization. Policies and standards of values need to be posted for everyone's reading and knowledge capabilities to identify zero-tolerances for acts of bullying. Fatigue is a huge risk any employee can take. Operating a motor vehicle, working with dangerous equipment, and various other examples can lead to loses. (Department of Labor & OSHA). Fatigue can also lead to health issues if people are not getting proper rest so the body and mind can rejuvenate. As studies show, fatigue can also increase the severity of existing chronic illnesses.

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I am one person, since the military, that has grown accustomed to performing work activity while fatigued, and sometimes severely fatigued. Luckily, I had not experienced any accidents or illnesses because of fatigue in my 20 years of military experience. What I want to know is what are the effect of fatigue as related to the causes of work-related accidents and illnesses? What I know is people are more susceptible to illness and injury due to fatigue. Chances are the injury rates are great, and become more dangerous if a person is working the night shift or working more than 12 to 24 hours per day. What I learned is in a 2005 study, based on results of a medical resident’s survey, scheduled work shifts that were extended in a month increased the chances of motor vehicle crashes during the commute from work to home. Research reveals 12 hours of work in a day elevated the probability of injury by 37 percent. Both injury and accident in comparison to day shifts, rate increases risks during the late afternoon by 18 percent, and even greater at 30 percent on night shifts (U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

Some of the illness that can result in fatigue include but not limited to heart disease, stomach and digestive problems, MSD, reproductive problems, depression, cancers (i.e. breast and prostate), sleep disorders, poor eating habits/obesity, worsening of existing chronic diseases such as diabetes and epilepsy (U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

Reference

U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2019). Long work hours, extended or irregular shits, and worker fatigue. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workerfatigue/hazards.html

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This is a general topic that I can relate to in and around my work environment. General causes of workplace accidents and incidents are as a result of not following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) , not being knowledgeable of SOPs and  not enough training on aspects safety in the work environment.  A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a written document that provides step-by-step instructions on how to safely perform a task or activity which involves some risk to health and safety. A safe operating procedure is sometimes referred to as a safe work procedure or safe work method statement ( Ceta, 2019) The article by Ceta went on to say that SOPs improve communication, safe time, improve accountability and create safer work environment.  Ceta, N. (2019, July 22). What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and How to Write It. Retrieved from
https://tallyfy.com/standard-operating-procedure-sop/.

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As it relates to work place accidents and what I know (as I focused on Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) I am curious to know how much effective SOPs are and how have it help employees effectiveness in the  work environment/organization from experiencing high numbers of workplace accidents and incidents. Through my curiosity  I went ahead and did a general search- 5 Ways Standard Procedures Improve Employees Performance on the Job : 1. Expertise through Routine Procedures 2. Maintains Quality 3. Improve Performance Management 4. Save time 5. Scales Process and Business (in that it allows the business to grow). This information was retrieved from 15Five.com by Enaohwao (see reference below). Additionally, to expand my knowledge on same, in the future I will continue to read on same.

Enaohwao, O. (n.d.). 5 Ways Standard Procedure Improves Employee Performance. [online] 15Five. Available at: https://www.15five.com/blog/5-ways-standard-procedure-improves-employee-performance/

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Work place related accidents and illness is a topic we all can relate to. I earned that not following effective workplace Standard Operating Procedures set out as guidance document by the organization that may result in serious accidents/incidents that leads to illness/illnesses. I can personally recall how a coworker of mines took a short cut in doing her job (not following SOPs and ended up getting hit by a vehicle. After two and a half years she is still unable to attend work. Simply put there is no short cut to safety following proper procedures can eliminate work place accidents and illnesses.

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Causes of Workplace Accidents and Illnesses

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Causes of Workplace Accidents and Illnesses

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What I know about the causes of work-related accidents, as a former Environmental officer, the type of accidents and illnesses are dependent on the type of job being performed, the intensity, number of hours required, equipment being used, the knowledge of the employee using the equipment, the attitudes of employees, etc. For example, an office worker who works at a desk in front of a computer and is performing administrative work, typing, and staring at a computer for prolonged hours at a time with bad posture and other improper techniques could result in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) which affects ligaments and tendons, blood vessels, muscles, and nerves. A preventive measure that can be used is the practice of Ergonomics. Ergonomics can be fitted to any person in any occupation. Some of the risk factors include, but not limited to exerting excessive force lifting heavy objects, pulling heavy loads; performing the same tasks over and over, for example, the same motion often for a very long period. Working in awkward postures, or staying in one posture for long periods of time like kneeling, squatting, holding objects above your head putting stress on shoulders, etc. These activities can lead to accidents and injury known as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

What I know, based on my experience as a Technical Engineer in the Army, about the causes of illnesses, like accidents, illnesses are a result of various occupational hazards. For example, a construction worker inhaling asbestos because of improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), or failure to implement risk management factors for individual work activities that can cause serious harm to body parts or life. Being exposed to harmful chemicals and handling them improperly. Perhaps labels are unreadable or missing, and employees could inhale the chemical to figure out what it is could lead to hospitalization or fatality. Another would be lack of knowledge operating heavy machinery, or utilizing proper safety equipment required for work, and lead to an injury or fatality.

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What I Know About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses: 

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What I Know About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses: 

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What I know about the causes of work-related accidents and illnesses really just from work experience and the military. The knowledge ranges from how many hours worked can have a mental effect on a person's ability to logically solve a problem to the type of job a person works and what equipment is needed to work efficiently. An example would be a person who works construction that deals with being on scaffolding all day while working power tools. The risk of the employee being injured while working is significantly higher than a person whose job is walking around a mall and asking for people to sign up on an email registry for voting. However, both jobs do have their unique workplace injury or illness potential. With flu season, I think people can understand that sometimes it is best to stay at home if you get the flu instead of going into work. However, there are people who would not want to miss work and then end up going into work. I do know from my required training with my job that illnesses are the highest reason people miss work in my workforce. Long hours, confined space and constantly talking to people is just the right setting for spreading an illness like the flu. stopping the spreading of an illness or even any type of workplace injury or illness comes down to proper training, best practices and common sense of people. For like a cold, properly washing hands with soap for about 20 seconds will help reduce the spread of illness to other people (Olson, 2015).  So, what I know about what causes work-related accidents and illnesses is just from years of experience and training in various workforce environments.

References:
Olson, J. (2015). Back to the basics. practical teaching tips for proper hand washing and preventing the spread of germs and illnesses in the classroom. Strategies, 28(3), 51-52. doi:10.1080/08924562.2015.1026234

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What I Want To Know About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses:

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What I Want To Know About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses:

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One thing I have learned from the military is that the human body can take an extreme level of stress physically and/or mentally and still be able to complete the mission. That mentality has transferred into the civilian workforce for me. I am able to handle stressful situations while still coming up with a clear action plan to ensure projects are completed. What I would like to know is the level of stress in a workplace, that often leads to an increase in health issues for people, could be reduced by giving employees the ability and time in the workday to exercise? I personally noticed a significant increase in health problems, outside of normal wear and tear of being in the military, when I left active duty into the civilian workforce. However, once I was able to start going to the gym for about 2-3 hours a day, I was able to remove the health problems in my life and feel better overall. So, would having a required 1 to 2 hours a week where employees had to go to a gym for physical activity helps to reduce health problems associated with employees who let work dominate their lives.  Lets's face it, in the current western societies, most Americans have jobs where they work on their leisure times or extended hours in the workday; meaning they work nights or weekends for long hours (Greubel, Arlinghaus, Nachreiner & Lombardi, 2016). These types of work schedules really reduce the capability of people having time to relax before the work week begins again. Granted we live an age where service is so crucial but what is people could have time outside of work to do something physically beneficial for them outside of their time with their family.

References:
Greubel, J., Arlinghaus, A., Nachreiner, F., & Lombardi, D. A. (2016). Higher risks when working unusual times? A cross-validation of the effects on safety, health, and work–life balance. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 89(8), 1205-1214. doi:10.1007/s00420-016-1157-z

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What I Learned About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses: 

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What I Learned About Workplace Related Accident and Illnesses: 

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Something new I have learned from this lesson was about bullying in the workplace. I always thought that a person being a bully was someone in school being picked on by someone; it never really crossed my mind about it being in the workplace because I have never personally been bullied. I know about a hostile work environment just because of the training I have taken but not much about bullying. Learning that bullying comes in a physical and non-physical form is something for me to remember. Just like a hostile work environment that I knew of already, bullying in the workplace can lead to productivity issues along with lowering morale in the work environment. Those two things alone can lead a company downwards instead of upwards toward achieving the companies goal.  Something else I have learned is that polices, procedures or any type of work document that addresses workplace hazards, are in place to protect the company and the employee. each company is different however, they all address the same goal, reducing workplace hazards to the most minimum percentage. This is why it is important for every company to have its employees go through safety classes and training as much as possible. Another thing companies should keep in mind for their employees is ensuring their mental and physical health is addressed by promoting a healthier lifestyle from their employees.  It is shown that increasing a person's physical activity outside of work will reduce their health problems. Reducing health problems means ensuring the employee can work at an optimal level while reducing the risk of insurance costs or costs to the business for the employee being sick. This is why it is very important that companies keep in mind the employee's home life just as much as their work-life.