Category: Workplace Safety

With age comes wisdom and experience. However, getting older also brings the inevitable decline in physical and sometimes mental agility. This change can present serious challenges for the older worker. The Department of Labor’s workplace statistics for 2004 indicate workers 64 and older had the lowest number of workplace injuries, however, the fatality rate for workers 55 and older rose by 10 percent.

How is it possible for older workers to have fewer job-related injuries than other age groups, but still experience increased fatalities? The answer to that question lies in the body’s reaction to the aging process. While older workers may have fewer accidents, when they get injured their injuries are often more severe. A longer healing process allows more time for complications that can lead to death.

However, it isn’t only the possibility of older worker fatalities that must concern employers. The type of injuries the maturing employee suffers is also significant. Older workers tend to report more back injuries than their younger counterparts. In addition, a number of workplace injuries are the result of performing the same tasks over and over. Repetitive motion injuries develop over time. Because of this, older workers report more musculoskeletal injuries since they’ve had more time for these types of injuries to develop.

As the work force continues to age, it is important for employers to recognize these facts and make accommodations that will allow older employees to remain safe and healthy. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recommends the following environmental changes to keep maturing workers safe:

·   Improve illumination and add color contrast.

·   Eliminate heavy lifts, elevated work from ladders and long reaches.

·   Design work floors and platforms with smooth and solid decking while still allowing some cushioning.

·   Reduce static standing time.

·   Remove clutter from control panels and computer screens and use large video displays.

·   Reduce noise levels.

·   Install chain actuators for valve hand wheels, damper levers or other similar control devices, which bring the control manipulation to ground level and help reduce falls.

·   Install skid-resistant material for flooring and especially for staircase treads.

·   Install shallow-angle stairways in place of ladders when space permits and where any daily, elevated access is needed to complete a task.

·   Utilize hands-free, volume-adjustable telephone equipment.

·   Increase task rotation, which will reduce the strain of repetitive motion.

·   Lower sound system pitches, such as on alarm systems, as they tend to be easier to hear.

·   Lengthen time requirements between steps in a task.

·   Increase the time allowed for making decisions.

·   Consider necessary reaction time when assigning older workers to tasks.

·   Provide opportunities for practice and time to develop task familiarity.

Bear in mind that even though these changes are ostensibly being made for the older worker, they will actually have a beneficial effect on the health and safety of the entire work force population.

Cleaning up is usually not a task many people enjoy.  Whether it’s washing the dishes after a big meal or scrubbing the shower, most people would rather put off until tomorrow what they should be doing today.

The same is true for housekeeping at work.  Employees get involved in the day-to-day routine, always intending to clean up but never quite doing it.  Sometimes, they make a half-hearted attempt at sweeping aside some paper, but it doesn’t attack the real problem.  That’s because the problem with poor on-site housekeeping goes beyond just hygiene.  Lack of regular housekeeping can actually be the catalyst for injury.

Employers should establish a routine housekeeping program and designate someone to administer it and to ensure employees follow it consistently.  If a housekeeping program is going to be truly effective, management must show they have enough commitment to the program to formalize it and have a designated overseer.

This kind of strict adherence to good housekeeping practices will lower your company’s accident rates, which in turn lowers costs for medical claims and workers’ compensation.  Fewer injuries occur when there is sufficient work area for employees to move freely while doing their jobs.  Fewer injuries can also lead to increased production.  When work areas are hazard-free and supplies and equipment are orderly, workers can perform their jobs more efficiently with little down time spent looking for what they need.

A clean workplace also helps workers think more clearly.  If employees know they will be able to access what they need to perform their jobs, a major source of stress in the workplace is eliminated.  Work becomes less like “work” and much more enjoyable.  As employees find themselves less burdened with concerns about being physically able to get the job done, it boosts their morale, in turn increasing production and quality of their output.

What should you include in your on-site housekeeping program?  The California State Compensation Insurance Fund recommends the following:

• Neatly arrange small parts, tools, cords, hoses, and equipment

• Close drawers and cabinet doors when not in use

• Store materials and supplies away from edges and at a stable height

• Clean up liquid spills and tracked in water, mud, and snow, which could cause a slip and fall

• Properly store or dispose of oily rags or flammable liquids

• Put scraps or debris in available trash containers

• Keep aisles, walkways, platforms, and stairways clean, clear, and dry

• Insure easy access to fire extinguishers, safety equipment, and emergency exits

The most important lesson to teach employees is that following good housekeeping practices is an ongoing process that every worker should adhere to each and every day.  Once good housekeeping practices become a part of your workplace culture, it will take less time and effort to follow them because they will be second nature to your employees.

“Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.” At least so thought William Congreve, a 17th century English playwright. However, the music Congreve was referring to didn’t come out of technological concoctions such as the mp3 player. Had he been alive today, he might be less concerned with the effects of the music and a lot more concerned with the effects of using this technology, especially on the job.

The mp3 player is fast becoming the method of choice for employees who need their daily dosage of tunes during the workday. While it can be argued that usage of personal music players in the office help employees concentrate by letting them tune out extraneous noise, it should be noted that any productivity gain comes with a price.

The first safety hazard associated with repeated mp3 player use is a condition that results from the hand movements necessary to navigate through a playlist. The British Chiropractic Association has called the movement “unnatural,” stating it separates the joint in the thumb every time the action is performed. The ultimate result of repeating this movement too often is a Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI). In addition to RSI, the prolonged gripping of the device, the repetitive pushing of the small buttons and the awkward wrist movements can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. As the devices become even smaller with each succeeding product generation, the risk for these conditions will become more prevalent. And as every employer knows, an employee with carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis is not only unproductive, but prone to racking up large medical claims.

The potential for hearing-related problems connected with mp3 player use is another source of alarm. Digital technology permits users to listen to thousands of consecutive hours of music. Older technologies either required users to turn over a cassette or contained only an hour or so of stored music. Either way, the ears had a brief respite from the sound. Also, the higher-quality sound of new music players makes it easier for users to turn up the volume to dangerous levels. High-volume levels can result in tinnitus, a condition in which the sufferer hears continuous buzzing in the ears.

Many tinnitus sufferers complain of buzzing, whooshing, chirping, hissing, ocean waves and even music in their ears. Some people only experience tinnitus occasionally, while others experience it 24 hours a day. The problem is associated with the sensorineural system, which transmits signals from the inner ear to the brain. An employee suffering from tinnitus is not going to exhibit increased levels of concentration.

As if this weren’t enough, employees walking around with earphones not only block out extraneous noise, but everything else, including warnings of imminent danger such as a fire alarm. This puts them at increased risk for personal injury.

For these reasons employers who permit the use of mp3 player or other personal music players in the workplace should establish guidelines concerning the length of time an employee can listen and in what areas mp3 player use is permitted.