Bullying, harrassment and violence (BHV) are safety issues in the workplace, even though they normally fall to human resource departments.
I. David Daniels, president and CEO of ID2 Solutions, explained the safety professional's role when it comes to protecting workers from violence on the job at the 2018 Safety Leadership Conference in Louisville.
"Your services could be suffering because workers were not treated correctly in their position," he told attendees.
What ends as a violent act starts out slowly as incivility, or the intent to harm a worker. Negative interactions or jobs at someone could be brushed off as a cultural norm at the workplace. However, this could escalate to hazing or harassment and progresses to a physical act.
"We are we not having conversations about the value of kindness in the workplace?" I. David Daniels said.
Workplace violence falls under OSHA's general duty clause, stating the companies have to create a safe and healthy environment for workers.
Prevention, training and programs fall into a company's safety management system (SMS). Daniels outlined steps a safety professional should take:
Recognize bullying, harassment and violence as a safety hazard in the group or organization.
Establish a plan to address the hazard that includes processes for reporting.
Provide training to members of the organization at the awareness, supervisor and management level.
Integrate into the organization's SMS.
Daniels outlined some of the goals of an effective safety management system, and how workplace violence prevention can be integrated.
Goal #1: Involves engaging people and working in partnership to make safety a shared responsibility, recognizing the value of cross-level teamworkActions: Provide training on how to prevent BHV including case studies from the organization. Encourage everyone at all levels to "see something, say something."
Goal #2: Organization and structure to achieve and maintain high standards of safety performanceActions: Include leading and lagging indicators of BHV in performance management systems. Assign the responsibility for investigating reports of BHV to the safety professional and addressing behavior to HR.
Goal #3: Is proactive, preventative and integrated into the culture of your organizationActions: Use verified reports of BHV as a component of the assessment of promotion and appointment to supervisory roles. Support HR and other efforts to create a respectful workplace.
"Bullying, harassment and violence should be part of the conversation," Daniels said. "It will create awareness that will prevent situations later on."
Blue Springs, Mo.-based Arrow Plumbing LLC continues to be under OSHA's enforcement eye after willfully admitting to violating the agency's standards.
The plumbing subcontractor faces a civil monetary penalty of $225,000 after a Dec.15, 2016 trench collapse left 33-year-old worker Donald Meyer dead.
“Trenching and excavation work can be extremely dangerous,” said OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Bonita Winingham in a statement. “This settlement serves as a commitment by the employer to abate the identified workplace hazards, and implement additional safety measures to make their workplaces safer. The employer has also committed to ensuring continuous compliance with OSHA safety standards to prevent tragedies such as trench collapses from recurring.”
Arrow Plumbing LLC has admitted to willfully violating safety standards by failing to require and enforce the use of trench boxes or other trench protection techniques at the home construction site in Belton, Mo. where Meyer's death occurred.
While working in a 12-ft-deep unprotected trench, the walls collapsed around Meyer, burying him in 10 ft. of dirt. Rescue crews did not recover his body until that night.
The company agreed to implement several safety enhancements, according to the agency. These include hiring a safety consultant to design and implement a trench safety program, and conduct safety and health audits; providing extensive training for employees; reporting trenching-related incidents and near misses to OSHA; conducting meetings at new worksites to address hazards; and completing OSHA construction, and trenching and excavation training courses.
The agreement resolves similar violations cited following the trench fatality and a January 2017 subsequent inspection where OSHA observed company employees working in an unprotected trench.
Circle M. Contractors is facing two willful-serious violations after a carpenter at a residential construction site was seriously injured following an accident with a nail gun.
Cal/OSHA issued the citations totaling $225,500 in penalties for the company's faulure to train workers on nail guys and ensure safe operations of the equipment.
“Employers must effectively train workers to safely operate dangerous tools such as nail guns,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum in a statement. “The employer knew these tools are hazardous and did not take the necessary measures to protect their workers from injury.”
On April 17, a worker was using an air pressure-powered nail gun to frame wood at a construction site in Lake Forest. He was carrying the nail gun in his right hand with his finger on the trigger when a nail was unintentionally discharged into his left arm, according to the Cal/OSHA report.
Agency investigators discovered that Circle M Contractors workers did not receive hands-on training for operating nailing tools safely and that the Rancho Santa Margarita-based employer did not ensure workers carry nail guns only by the handle and not with their finger on the trigger.
The company has a history of nail gun incidents. A review of Circle M's injury log showed 34 instances of nail gun injuries suffered by employees since 2016.
In 2015, Cal/OSHA investigated after a Circle M Contractors worker installing hanger brackets slipped and discharged a nail into his knee. The agency cited the employer for failing to ensure workers carry nail guns only by the handle.
It was one of three investigations of Circle M Contractors that year following accidents in San Diego and Irvine. One worker fell 9 ft. while setting roof trusses and another worker fell from the second floor while removing guardrails.
If you have or know a child in elementary school or younger, chances are they might never be involved in a motor vehicle crash in their lives, thanks to technology.Michael Pina, program manager at the U.S. Department of Transportation, opened his presentation at the 2018 National Safety Congress with this statement."The United States is the world leader in the deployment of connected technology," he said. "Pretty much everyone in the world is waiting to see research."The federal government has provided cities across the country with millions of dollars to study and implement new vehicle features. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that connected vehicles have the potential to reduce crashes by 80%.Connected vehicles communicate with one another, traffic signals or even cell phones in order to reduce crashes and pedestrian accidents. Pina explained how they work in the following three steps:1. A wireless device in a car sends basic safety messages 10 times per second.2. Other nearby cars and roadside equipment receive the messages.3. Drivers get a warning of a potential crash.
There currently are 40 different connected vehicle deployments in the works across the country, from rural areas in Wyoming to busy city meccas such as New York City.
Some features that are being tested or will become standard in the next few years include:
Intersection Movement Assist
Red Light Violation Warning
Curve Speed Warning
Work Zone Warning
Transit Bus Stop Pedestrian Warning
Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal System
Pedestrian in Signalized Crosswalk
"Those receiving federal funds are expected to use the same standards to make sure there is consistency," Pina explained. "You don't want a car that works in one part of the country but not another."
The list includes citations through Sept. 30, 2018.
Attendees packed the National Safety Council's Learning Lab on Oct. 23 to hear in what areas employers across the United States have been failing at when it comes to safety.
Patrick Kapust, OSHA's deputy director, directorate of enforcement programs, announced the preliminary results for 2018 at the National Safety Congress in Houston.
"Typically we don't see a lot of changes from year to year," Kapust told attendees. "We like to encourage employers to use it as a guide as to what they should look at in their workplace."
View OSHA's top 10 violations by clicking through the slideshow.
Houston marks the sixth stop on the nationwide tour of the National Safety Council's memorial to opioid victims.
The exhibit, which is titled Prescribed to Death, provides facts and real stories about those impacted by the substance abuse epidemic.
"Education plays a critical role in eliminating these preventable deaths," said Deborah Hersman, NSC president and CEO. "We hope the Stop Everyday Killers campaign helps personalize this tragedy."
Texas Senator Ted Cruz also was in attendance at the 2018 National Safety Congress to unveil the exhibit.
Watch him speak to attendees about how the Cruz family has been affected by the opioid crisis.
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A Butler, Penn.-based worker who had recently overcome drug addiction and was working to assist others with substance abuse was electrocuted on April 12, 2018.
Christopher Diaz, a 30-year-old employee of Insight Pipe Contracting LLC, was "leaning against" a hydraulic forklift that touched live power lines, according to a story from The Butler Eagle.
Two other workers who attempted to assisted them were also shocked, but did not die. OSHA immediately began an investigation into the incident that killed Diaz and found multiple violations.
"Electrocution is one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry," said OSHA Pittsburgh Area Office Director Christopher Robinson. "Complying with OSHA safety and health standards is not optional. Employers are required to take necessary precautions to prevent tragedies such as this."
The agency discovered Insight Pipe Contracting failed to develop develop and implement procedures for confined space entry; train employees on confined space hazards; conduct atmospheric testing before permitting entry into a sewer line; use a retrieval line; and complete proper permits. OSHA placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program and fined Insight Pipe a proposed $331,101.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
What should employers do following Hurricane Michael? OSHA provided recommendations.
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach, Fla., completely devastating the Florida Panhandle as it began its trek north.
Rainfall, flash flooding and tornadoes were reported as a result of the category 4 storm. Now, businesses, residents and families are working to clean up the mess left behind.
"Employers and employees must be aware and trained to deal with the hazards involved in storm cleanup," said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer. "The risk of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities can be minimized with knowledge, safe work practices, and appropriate personal protective equipment."
Recovery efforts after the storm may involve hazards related to restoring electricity and communications, debris removal, repairing damage from water intrusion, roof repair, and tree trimming. Only individuals with proper training, equipment, and experience should conduct recovery and cleanup activities, OSHA says.
Click through the slideshow to see what recommendations OSHA provides post hurricane and other weather disasters.
Flying objects. Tools. Particles. Chemicals.
More than 90 percent of eye injuries could be prevented with the use of goggles, face shields, safety glasses or full-face respirators, according to The Vision Council.
“Whether it’s a chemical or a liquid or a metal foreign body, whether it’s from cutting metal or a baseball, everything needs to be considered when we’re protecting against eye injuries,” says Dr. Rachel Bishop, chief of the National Eye Institute’s consult service.
The impact of eye injuries to businesses is an estimated $300 million annually, which includes medical bills compensation and downtime, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Despite the high price tag to companies and risk for permanent vision damage for workers, employers still face the daunting task of getting workers to wear the proper eye protection.
A FOGGY ISSUE
Part of Dr. Bishop’s experience included providing ophthalmic care to thousands of soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. She says the biggest cause of those soldiers not wearing their PPE was due to fogging or other wear issues.
“If you’re a soldier in the field in Iraq and you’re wearing eye protection and [the goggles] get foggy, you just can’t do your job,” she explains. “Goggles work for protecting the eye, but they’re more challenging for maintaining good vision under difficult work environments. It’s not the easiest thing to find the perfect level of eye protection.”
The Vision Council corroborates Dr. Bishop’s first-hand account. In a brief published in conjunction with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the organization cites research about factors that influence why workers choose not to wear proper eye protection.
The study, which included manufacturing, construction, service and retail workers, found that 100 percent of participants did not wear personal protective eyewear due to fogging issues, and more than half (55 percent) said that an antifogging solution would increase usage.
“By taking the necessary measures to reduce the fogging of protective eyewear, employers will likely see an increase in compliance with eye protection recommendations and increased worker safety,” The Vision Council says.
Some injuries can happen even when wearing the proper eye protection. Dr. Bishop pointed to one incident in which a patient had a piece of metal slip under his/her safety goggles despite use.
“Even when you’re wearing the proper eye protection, it’s still not perfect, but it blocks a lot of projectile injuries to the eye,” she cautions. “Where employers need to be aware is that sometimes the work environment makes it challenging to use certain types of eyewear.”
TAKING ACTION
Eye injuries can be deceiving. While damage could seem minor, failing to take immediate action could result in vision loss and additional lost work days.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the following basic steps for all eye injuries:
Do not touch, rub or apply pressure to the eye.
Do not try to remove the object stuck in the eye.
Do not apply ointment or medication to the eye.
See a doctor as soon as possible, preferably an ophthalmologist.
In the case of chemical contact, the first effort is to rinse the eye with water.
The goal is to dilute and rinse away the chemical that makes contact with delicate eye tissues, Dr. Bishop recommends.
In addition, special caution should be taken to not rub the eye during cleaning.
If it’s grass or sawdust, Dr. Bishop says to take the nearest water source, such as a bottle, and to rinse the eye and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Again, caution should be taken to not apply pressure or contact.
“You don’t want to touch the eye. You don’t want to press something on the surface, maybe it’s lodged part of the way in, further into the eye,” she says.
Eye injuries that involve lodged objects require extra care. The first step is to find something to cover the eye so there is protection from further damage, should the eye be bumped or touched.
“You’re creating a cage around it so that the person can get urgent care,” she says. “This way, it can be removed in a controlled setting rather than pushing the object in further and scrambling the contents of the eye.”
Delaying medical attention can cause the damaged areas to worsen and could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
“At the end of the day most eye injuries really are preventable,” Dr. Bishop says. “For the workers doing the task, if something’s not working for you, speak up. Let your manager know. Tell them that you can’t do what you need to do with the gear you have.”
AN EYE ON TREATMENTEye injuries require immediate medical treatment to prevent vision loss. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommendsseeking medical attention as soon as possible if the following signs are observed:
The person has obvious pain ortrouble seeing.
The person has a cut or torn eyelid.
One eye does not move as wellas the other.
One eye sticks out comparedto the other.
The eye has an unusual pupilsize or shape.
There is blood in the clear partof the eye.
The person has something inthe eye or under the eyelidthat can’t be easily removed.
In addition, the organization states that attempting to treat a serious eye injury on your own could result in further damage or permanent vision loss.
October is Bullying Prevention Month. While most media outlets focus on schools and children, bullying runs rampant in the workplace as well.
The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI), which works to raise awareness of the issue, says workers are targeted not because they are viewed as loners or weaklings. Instead, a worker, manager or supervisor might bully a fellow coworker because that person is viewed as a threat in their minds.
Who is considered a threat? WBI research discovered that targets are considered independent, more technically skilled than their bullies, better liked, more social, ethical, honest and non-confrontational.
In other words, those who contribute to a positive workplace culture typically are the ones who are often bullied.
In his session titled, “The Safety Professional’s Role in Preventing Workplace Bullying,” part of the Safety and Risk Management Track for the 2018 Safety Leadership Conference in Louisville on Nov.6-8, I. David Daniels will address this topic.
“Creating a safe workplace involves more than the prevention of slips, trips, falls and other physical injuries,” he said in a recent Q&A with EHS Today. “An environment where incivility, hazing, bullying, harassment and violence are present is a real and present threat to the safety of employees in a workplace setting. Safety professionals have an important role in preventing and responding to bullying, hazing, harassment and violence in the workplace. In fact, many of the same techniques that are used to prevent other safety hazards can be important in addressing what can escalate into workplace violence.”
I attended his session at the 2017 National Safety Congress in Indianapolis about preventing bullying, harassment and violence.
During the session, Daniels provided insight about how managers and supervisors should employ a number of prevention strategies to encourage a positive company culture that does not foster bullying, harassment or violence.
The methods Daniels spoke about include:
• Promoting sincere, open and timely communication among managers, employees, organizations.
• Offering support for professional development.
• Fostering a family-friendly work environment.
• Promoting quality of life (job satisfaction).
• Maintaining mechanisms for complaints and concerns and allow them to be expressed in a non-judgmental forum that includes timely feedback to initiators of bullying and harassment.
• Maintaining impartial and consistent discipline for employees who exhibit improper conduct and poor performance.
(EHS Today's 2018 Safety Leadership Conference and America’s Safest Companies Awards Program will take place Nov. 6-8 in Louisville, KY at the Hyatt Regency Louisville. This event is designed to share best leadership, risk management, compliance and safety practices with EHS professionals hoping to achieve world-class safety at their companies. The conference features 24 sessions across four performance tracks; Safety & Risk Management, Compliance, Construction and Safety Technology.)