In this constantly changing world there is a need for people to keep shaping and building it. Especially in the United States, with our mile high skyscrapers and super highways. Construction workers are a vital part of our society and are necessary to keep our society moving and growing. Construction workers are often employed by governmental agencies, private companies and unions. “There are more than 6 million construction workers in the USA (approximately 6% of the labor force) and construction workers experience some of the highest rates for fatal and non-fatal injuries resulting in lost work days.” (Sweeney, Becker, Bryant and Palassis, 1999) Construction workers are both men and women, for many the hours are long and tiring, especially in areas where construction is difficult to complete in the winter. “In 2008, about 18 percent of construction workers worked 45 hours or more a week.” (Choi, p.215) Working long hours and usually holidays and weekends can make it difficult for these workers to manage their time and stress in an efficient way, which could easily impact their jobs and impact the jobs of the co-workers around them. These work related injuries not only impact the individual and those that they work with, but they also impact the industry as a whole.
Throughout this paper we will evaluate worksite promotion programs that work towards creating a safer work environment and to finding the cause for these work related injuries, including lack of safety equipment or knowledge on how to use safety equipment properly. Stress management will be considered and how that impacts the worksite. And lastly the use of proper work equipment that can bring down the incidence of work related injury.
“Stressors can be either intern...
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...ed with construction companies may be in fear of losing their jobs when they report a work related injury. “A large body of evidence indicates that illnesses, traumatic injuries, and fatalities are more prevalent among workers in the construction industry than any other occupational groups in the USA or other industrialized nations.” (Moore, Cigularov, Sampson, Rosecrance, & Chen, p. 97) This means that when injuries go unreported it puts employees at greater risk, “under-reporting of injuries and illnesses can compromise the accuracy of surveillance data, thus hindering the proper and timely identification of areas for organizational or industry interventions.” (Moore, Cigularov, Sampson, Rosecrance, & Chen, p. 98) Based on a report investigating barriers of reporting work-related injuries, researchers found, “that workers were dealing with work-related injuries
McGuire, C. (2011, April). Workplace Safety 100 Years Ago. Safety Compliance Letter(2524), 1-6. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=60166397&site=ehost-live&scope=site
"Workplace Safety." Labour Program. Government of Canada, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Proper ergonomic conditions prevent injuries to workers and allow them to work efficiently. Ergonomics reduces costs. Workers that do not have a good ergonomic workspace can suffer from pain and uncomfortable posture which is dealt with money spent on treatment. In Canada $800 000 000 per year goes to ergonomic related injuries. Appropriate ergonomic workspaces create an anti-injury space for workers. Ergonomics also increases worker’s productivity by designing a work place with good posture, good heights, fewer motions, and less exertion. Thus making the workspace more efficient for the worker. Ergonomics also
“Little empirical data are available examining the injury experience of hired crop workers in the United States (US).”(Wang, Myers et al. 2011) Work-related injury data from a national survey collected through the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) in the years 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2004 on 13,604 crop farm workers revealed that the bulk of injuries occurred to male (84%) and Mexican born (72%) workers. “The use of hand tools, falls, and lifting overex...
Most children who worked; suffered health related issues. “Many of the industries that employ large numbers of young workers in the United States have higher-than-average injury rates for workers of all ages,
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides an annual count of fatal work injuries in the United States, including workplace homicides. From 2006 to 2010, an average of 551 workers per year were killed as a result of work-related homicides. In 2010 (the last year for which final data are available), CFOI reported a total of 518 workplace homicides, or 11 percent of all fatal work injuries that occurred that year. A total of 77 of those were multiple-fatality homicide incidents in which two or more workers were killed, including 69 homicides and 8 assailant suicides, all of whom were in work status at the time of the incident. These figures have been brought into public view due to recent tragedies around the country such as Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012), Virginia Tech (2007), and Fort Hood (2007).
As opined by Cassidy (2006), these are intrinsically demanding, hazardous and actually challenging lines of work. Consequently, it is important to consider workers’ health related issues and others connected to the place of work to diminish the effects of drug use in construction sites and to augment the protection contained by the workers in addition to the place of work.
When it comes to safety most people think they are safe, and they have a true understanding on how to work safe. Human nature prevents us from harming ourselves. Our instincts help protect us from harm. Yet everyday there are injuries and deaths across the world due to being unsafe. What causes people to work unsafe is one of the main challenges that face all Safety Managers across the world.
One of the biggest challenges managers face in motivating employees is the ability to meet their safety needs. Because of the weak economy and high
Introduction Canadian health and safety legislation requires companies and organizations to make a commitment towards occupational health and safety. Maintaining a safe workplace environment has numerous benefits. A safe work environment can boost employee morale, increase productivity, and improve job satisfaction. For companies and organizations, these benefits can lead to less turnover and increased employee retention. They can also reduce absenteeism while improving the culture and image of a company or organization.
...tional Injuries | UC Health." Low-wage Workers Vulnerable to Impact of Occupational Injuries | UC Health. N.p., 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 May 2013.
Accidents occur in the workplace but in secret. These most of the time lead to physical and mental injuries that might affect the worker way of living for the rest of their lives. It is estimated that more than 337 million workers get injured in their place of work or in the course of work every year leading to work-related diseases causing about 2.3 million deaths per year (United States Department of Labor, n.d.).
These effects will most likely harm their daily health severely and could take its toll, with the exposure to asbestos, hazardous chemicals, stress, fatigue, extreme heat etc. The employee could develop diseases, such as forms of cancers, tumours, or physical injuries as such. Physical Injuries could include, cuts, bruises, sprains, etc. which require medical or first-aid attention. Injured employees, cannot work productively and will need time off work. Also, the family of the worker will also take the burden of financial costs associated with seeking medical attention and performing operations as such. These costs can further intensify when the injured family member cannot earn money due to their sickness, and where another family member may be forced to resign from their job in order to take care of the injured family member. Furthermore, hospital waiting times can also mean lost time for families being
Everyday, there are workers who come home from their jobs with a high amount of health issues. Headaches, aching muscles, exhaustion, and many more health issues have workers wondering why this is happening. All of these symptoms can be linked to stress in the workplace. Job stress has become more of a problem than ever before. Numerous studies show that job stress is the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades (“Workplace Stress,” 2004).
Zanko, M & Dawson, P 2012, ‘Occupational health and safety management in organizations: A review’, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 14, no. 3, p 328-344, viewed 2 April 2014, http://ro.uow.edu.au/commpapers/2832/.