Workplace Safety
Despite common belief that the office provides a safe environment to work in, many hazards do exist, which cause thousands of injuries and health problems each year among office workers.
Workplace Violence
This is defined as any actionwhich takes the form of: which takes the form of:
- verbal abuse
- threatening language
- physical abuse
Manifestation:
Workplace Violence comes in many forms. These include:
- Stabbings
- Suicides
- Rape
- Strike/ Push/ Grab
- Throwing Objects
- Psychological Trauma
- Threats
- Obscene Language/Gestures
- Intimidation
- Being Followed
Dealing with workplace violence:
Safety professionals classify workplace violence at three (3) levels; that is levels 1, 2 &3.
Level One (1) - The individual is being disruptive. Here no weapon is involved, neither is there physical assault. The individual is however inciting dissension. The recommended responses to this kind of behavior are:
- Stay calm.
- Do not take the behavior personally.
- Remember, “A soft answer turns away wrath”.
Level Two (2) - This involves aggressive behavior and may include shouting, swearing and/or threatening. As the victim, the recommended responses are:
- Signal for help.
- Signal should result in calling police - avoid making the call yourself.
Level Three (3) - This level is reached when the individual is threatening with a weapon, strikes and/or has injured someone. The recommended responses are:
- Attempt to downgrade the situation to a lower level.
- Stall for time.
- Keep talking.
- Do not try to grab the weapon.
- Watch for a chance to escape.
- Follow instructions that do not endanger you further
Ergonomics
The word ergonomics was coined to name the field of study that integrates knowledge derived from the human sciences, to match jobs, systems, products and environments, to the physical and mental abilities and limitations of people.
RISK FACTORS
Below are the primary risk factors associated with Ergonomics.
FORCEFULNESS is the amount of physical effort required by the person to do a task and/or maintain control of tools and equipment.
AWKWARD POSTURE is any deviation from the ideal working posture of arms at the side of the torso, elbows bent, with the wrists straight.
REPETITIVENESS is performing the same basic motions repeatedly.
STATIC LOADING or sustained exertions are physical effort or body postures that are held and require muscle contraction for more than a short time.
EXTREME TEMPERATURES: Low temperatures reduce sensory feedback, dexterity, blood flow, muscle strength, and balance. High temperatures increase the rate at which the body fatigues.
HAND-ARM VIBRATION is vibration (generally from equipment or a hand tool) that goes through the hand and arm, then travels through the rest of the body. Vibration can also affect the lower back, especially when operating a motor vehicle.
HAZARD PEVENTION AND CONTROL
The basic recommended routes toward controlling these hazards are placed in three categories. These are:
- Engineering Controls- making changes to workstations; making changes to tools and/or equipment used on the job.
- Work Practice Controls - facilitating Recovery Pauses and Job Rotation for staff; ensuring appropriate Job Design.
- Personal Protective Equipment - describes clothing and equipment designed to create a barrier between the individual and the hazard, (e.g. hard hats, safety glasses and boots).
