As a health and safety professional with the city's Health Department, my job is to ensure workplaces are free from health and safety hazards, and that all employees are protected from these hazards at all times. Workplaces contain many types of health and safety hazards. As a result, employers are required to keep employees safe and protect them against these hazards. Investigating and identifying incidents which result from hazards is an important role of the employer, and the health and safety professional. Furthermore, a root cause analysis—a type of problem solving—are used by employers and outside professionals to identify and correct the root cause of a problem.
I was notified of a potential hazard at a local distribution warehouse where employees were complaining of dizziness and feeling sick. Upon arrival at the warehouse, I did not immediately identify what could have made the employees sick, although, I could smell exhaust from the forklifts around the shipping and receiving loading area. Upon further observation, I noticed other employees in the same general area, however they did not present any symptoms. As a result, I knew this required further investigation to identify the source of the problem.
To ensure the sources of the problem were identified and were contained, a plan of action would be established. The first action I took, was to talk with and interview the women who are feeling dizzy and sick. The interview consisted of questions such as; what they were doing—the location where they were performing their work—and when they started to feel ill. Upon review of their statements, I learned all four women were forklift operators. As a result, I focused my attention on the loading dock area. As me...
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...tallation of carbon monoxide detectors to signal if the CO levels reach 20 ppm.
8. Installation of oxygen detectors to signal if the O2 levels drop below 19.5 percent.
My final recommendation is to have the necessary sensors and monitoring systems installed within 90 days—implementation of an adequate ventilation system within 6 months, and replacement of 50 percent of forklifts within one year. In the end, follow-up visits at the recommended intervals would be conducted to ensure the employer complies with health and safety standards.
Works Cited
http://www.gmitoxics.com/ammonia1_article.html
http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/products/etools/pit/workplacehazards/ventilation.html#carbon
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9828#1910.178(c)
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10099
middle of paper ... ... Root Cause Analysis in Response to a Sentinel Event. Retrieved on March 2014 from world wide web at http://www.pedsanesthesia.org/meetings/2004winter/pdfs/heitmiller_Sentinel.pdf Orlando Regional Healthcare, Education & Development. (2004). Patient Safety: Preventing Medical Errors.
Western Australian Department of Education. (2010). Occupational Safety and Health. WA: Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-framework/policies/occupational-safety-and-health.en?bbp.s=9&bbp.e=select&bbp.v=4&bbp.i=d0.1&bbp.8.policyID=10918572&g11n.enc=UTF-8&bbp.9.pane=0
Forklift wellbeing is a noteworthy sympathy toward stockroom administrators as forklift related passings have been a noteworthy reason for mechanical passings and mischances almost consistently for as long as 20 years. By and large, there are more than 100 passings in the United States each year. 10's of 1000's of wounds happen every year from mishaps that could have been dodged by appropriate forklift preparing. The most widely recognized damage or passing happens when a forklift tips more than, a person on foot is hit, the administrator is not focusing, or falling burdens.
Dizziness is a common part of the aging process that can result from various factors including dehydration, malnutrition, peripheral and central disorders such as labyrinthitis; cardiovascular issues such as hypotension or the effects of certain medications (Fernández, Breinbauer & Delano, 2015). The nurse could speak with Mrs Jones to ascertain the type of dizziness that she experiences by identifying when the dizziness occurs and how often it occurs. If the dizziness is a result of dehydration or malnutrition, the nurse could recommend increasing fluid intake and refer Mrs Jones to a dietician to increase nutrient intake or if the dizziness is caused by any type of hypotension or inner ear problems, the nurse could refer Mrs Jones to her Doctor for treatment or provide strategies to reduce her symptoms (Bunn & Hooper, 2015; Fernández, Breinbauer & Delano, 2015; Gupta & Lipsitz,
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
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