Paying Attention at Work
What is OSHA
OSHA was established back in 1970 because there were to many workplace accidents.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which President Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 29, 1970. OSHA's mission is to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance". The agency is also charged with enforcing a variety of whistleblower statutes and regulations. OSHA is currently headed by Assistant Secretary of Labor David Michaels. OSHA's workplace safety inspections have been shown to reduce injury rates and injury costs without adverse effects to employment, sales, credit ratings, or firm survival.
How People You Work With Can Put You in Danger
How many times have you worked with people that make mistakes, that could be detrimental to other peoples lives, because they don't pay attention? Did you report them or just be silent about it?
Our modern world has made people stupid with texting, blackberries constantly going off with the delivery of email, and voicemail are making people more dangerou by the minute.
In the 2010-2011 year it was estimated that 171 people were killed at work, 115,000 injuries were reported, 200,000 injuries resulted in more than three days off from work, and 26.4 million working days were lost.
Work related injuries cost 14 billion dollars a year and most injuries occur because people DO NOT PAY ATTENTION or follow the rules.
Thousands of healthcare workers get needle sticks because they fail to use the safety locks installed on the needles.
Chemical cleaning companies lose lives and have serious injuries because workers do not pay attention to what they are doing.
If you work with people who put your life and others at risk for fatal injury or even death because they are texting, talking on the phone, answering emails, and checking their voice mail then they need to be reported.
My husband works around explosive chemicals and many guys he works with have lost their lives or been injured terribly because they do not pay attention. I would hate to think that any day I would get a call of losing my husband behind someone else's mistake.
Texting in the work place should never be allowed no matter what because it is an annoyance for one to hear those phones going off every minute and secondly because if your spending your day on your phone texting or on facebook then how much work are your really accomplishing.
Too many accidents for one year and too much money spent to pay for it. Everyone is guilty of texting from time to time but if you want your life or want to not be injured help those around you by not being the one who caused the problem in the first place.
Pay attention and listen so that everyone can go home at the end of the day and not to the hospital or a mortician.
Beware the Video is Graffic
Wearing Personal Protection Equipment
OSHA or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, over the years, has put proper protection in place to keep employees safe. If your company does not advise you to wear it then you should call OSHA and report it.
Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses and shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, or coveralls, vests and full body suits. (Osha)
This equipment saves lives yearly. Although some accidents can not be avoided most are a choice as you saw in the above video.
If your employer won't fix what is wrong, then you can report them.
What PPE Really Does
Working in a High Risk Job
If you work in a high risk job of being exposed to bacteria, virus, chemicals or other harmful substances, know what you can do to keep yourself and others you work with safe.
1. Where the proper equipment.
2. Follow the safety manual that your employer has put in place.
3. Report anything suspicious.
4. If you see someone who is practicing unsafe protocol, report them to your employer.
Remember you are not only saving your life but your coworkers as well. Keep your eyes and ears open.
