Workplace Hazards

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Workplace Hazards
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Review

• What are the different types of workplace
  hazards?
• Physical electrical, tripping, heights, etc.
• Biological mould, insect bites, etc.
• Chemical paints, fumes, flammables, etc.
• Ergonomic heavy lifting, poor lighting, etc
• Psychosocial stress, rude/violent customers.

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All hazards are not equal

• Hazards can be classified as
• Immediate work needs to stop
• Examples toxic spills, broken machinery
• Non-immediate becomes a hazard after long-term
  exposure
• Examples poor posture, repetitive action

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Who is responsible?

• Both the employer and the employee are
  responsible for identifying hazards.
• As an employee, what do you do? The 3 Rs
• Recognize be aware of your surroundings
• Report if you cant fix, report the problem so
  it can be fixed
• Remove/resolve employers responsibility and
  you dont have to work until the hazard is gone

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How workers are protected from hazards

• The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act
  (Ontario Ministry of Labour) says that workers
  have the
• Right to Know about workplace health and safety
  hazards
• Right to Participate in matters affecting their
  health
• and safety through representation on the
  JHSC
• Right to Refuse unsafe work
• The Law also protects workers from REPRISALS
  (demotion, suspension, termination) for
  exercising these rights.

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According to the act.

• Employers are responsible for.
• Providing a safe work environment
• Educate workers about safety
• Supervisors must.
• Ensure that employee use protective measures
• Advise employees of dangers
• Workers must..
• Wear protective gear
• Report any danger

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What can you do?

• Identify the hazards
• Get information from employer
• 3. Wear personal protective equipment
• Examples?

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Personal Protective Equipment
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Types of PPE

• Hearing protection where noise gt85 decibels
  (e.g. earplugs, ear muffs)
• Respiratory protection different kinds for
  different situations (dusts and fumes
  disposable chemical cartridge respirators for
  gases and organic vapours they are hazard
  specific)

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• Respiratory protection contd
• Supplied air respirators highly toxic, oxygen
  lacking

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PPE continued

• Eye protection flying objects, particles,
  liquids, etc.
• Could include safety glasses, goggles or
  full-face protection
• Foot protection protection from puncture
  wounds (e.g. steel-toed boots)
• Hand protection depends on the hazard (cotton,
  leather, rubber or gloves made of other
  materials)
• Head protection possibility of head injury from
  falling, low ceiling areas, etc. (e.g. hard hats)

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PPE continued

• Body protection in dusty environments, when
  spraying pesticides or handling dangerous
  chemicals (e.g. apron, coveralls, full rain suit,
  etc.)
• Fall protection working at heights (e.g. safety
  belts, harness, etc.)

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Workplace safety scenario

• Jessica has a summer job working for the city
  parks program. She has been using a cleaner
  called Graffiti Gone to remove graffiti from
  the bathrooms. She has to take a lot of breaks,
  because the chemical makes her throat burn. It
  also makes her feel dizzy sometimes, especially
  when the bathrooms dont have very many windows.
  On the label, she sees that the cleaner has
  methylene chloride in it. She feels like shes
  managing to get the work done, but she is worried
  about feeling dizzy.

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Scenario 2

• Ed has been working for a company that
  manufactures prefabricated homes for about a
  year. He spends a lot of the work day using a
  power saw. His ears usually ring for awhile in
  the evening, but it seems to clear up by the
  morning. He is a little worried about whether
  its damaging his hearing, but its not that
  different than how his ears feel after a rock
  concert.

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Scenario 3

• An house painter, who was painting the second
  story of a house, fell off his ladder yesterday,
  breaking both legs. He also suffered severe cuts
  when he caught his arm on a metal fence during
  the fall. Co-workers rushed to assist him and
  called for an ambulance. Local EMTs reported that
  the co-workers carried the fallen employee to the
  front lawn and then applied pressure to the open
  wound to stop the bleeding.