How Can You Help Prevent a Workplace Violence Incidence?

OSHA has issued new enforcement procedures to its field offices on investigating violence in the workplace. In this procedural document, OSHA defines violence, indicates high-risk individuals, lists preventative controls and provides advice to employers. Some of the guidance from OSHA is straight forward, such as advising companies to immediately contact their attorney following any act of violence. Some industries are more prone to violent incidents because of the stress-related job or valuable goods sold. An effective workplace violence preventative program starts with employee screening and contains a tough workplace violence and weapons policy. It is also critical to provide training so your management and staff understand the policy.

Even if you are not in a stress-related job or sell valuable merchandise, any company can have a risk for workplace violence. This is especially true with rising anger issues being brought into the workplace from outside stress or with anger towards managers, co-workers, and clients. You cannot predict the behavior of employees, clients, employee relatives and friends. Nor can you prepare for every possible danger. But it is the employer's responsibility to have a "duty of care" to keep all individuals in the workplace safe from dangers that can be reasonably anticipated. There are potential engineering and administrative controls that a company can use to minimize or eliminate workplace violence risks. These include alarm systems, panic buttons, metal detectors, closed-circuit video monitoring and locking doors. These types of controls help to stop people bringing in weapons or entering without proper permission. But what about stress or built-up resentment? Sometimes a management style can prevent workplace violence.

I recently went to a meeting where Certified Anger Management Specialist Neca Smith discussed 5 leader's keys to managing anger in the workplace. These principles of management are:

• be decisive
• be intentional
• be realistic
• be responsible
• be prepared

These principles of management can help to alleviate stress and built-up resentment that an employee may have in the workplace. An employee can get angry for a number of reasons, but some of the top reasons are due to inadequate communication, constant changing of what a supervisor wants, feeling exploited or "used", getting unfair treatment, and not getting a supervisor's support. If you are a supervisor, you can prevent problems in the workplace by creating a team environmental where everyone is treated fairly, asked to cooperate, and supports one another. Be clear and consistent with your directions. Provide realistic deadlines with some flexibility. Walk the talk. Take action to address misconduct right away. Provide feedback. Give credit where due.

Understand that there are different types of anger: explosive, chronic, normal, and bitter. And some people can exhibit different types of anger based on their surroundings or situation. It is normal for a person to exhibit a bit of anger here and there. But it should not last nor should it be frequent. There are signs you can look for to indicate that an employee may be under too much stress or may have built-up resentment that could create an explosive incident, bitter attack, or other violent act. These signs include lack of cooperation, inadequate communication, not following through with directions, not adhering to policy, or appearing unmotivated. Some of these signs can be normal every once in a while, but you will want to take note should an employee have signs that are abnormal or growing longer or more frequent.

Your company might have a crisis management team that is trained to handle potential violent situations. If you believe there may be a potential risk due to anger in the workplace, refer to your company's workplace violence policy immediately to determine what steps you need to take. Get help by contacting your crisis management team, human resources, safety manager, or other responsible point of contact as soon as you recognize the potential workplace violence risk.

Are Your Prepared for Summer?

As we swing into the summer season, kids are getting out of school, which means more people are on vacation. Are you one of the many people who will be covering others with added responsibilities while a coworker goes on vacation? The added stress of extra responsibilities and subsequent fatigue from working long hours are a couple of the things you should be aware of when it comes to the summer time. Stress and work fatigue can lead to mistakes and that can mean an increase in injuries. Some things you can do to relieve the stress and fatigue at work are take regular breaks, stretch to loosen muscles, and walk to relax your mind. If possible, don’t try to take on extra projects that you won’t be able to complete within a reasonable deadline.

Reviewing your schedule and knowing your limits are important in maintaining good work habits. And step up your visual awareness of your coworkers. When you are watching out for each other, you are more likely to notice if someone else is not working at their normal pace or with the attention they usually have. Lack of energy, slowing pace, and tiredness are just a few of the signs you can look for to tell that a coworker may need a break.

To help offset the busy workloads, companies increase their hiring of temporary to full time employees during the summer months or bring in interns.  More young adults age 14 to 24 years are hired during the summer or as they enter the work force for the first time after graduating from college. Young adults often give the attitude of invincibility because they are young and strong.  However, inexperience and carelessness can lead to cutting corners in safety.  To help increase awareness, young workers may need more supervision and training than other employees.  It is also good to include training for experienced employees on awareness when working with new and younger workers.  This applies particularly to working minors who have restrictions on specific types of work and hours.

Look out for your coworkers and ask them to look out for you and others.  This helps build camaraderie in the workplace while reminding others that there are added stresses in the summer months because of added workloads and other safety attention such as younger workers being hired.  Can you think of other things in your company that need special awareness during the summer months?

Handling Severe Weather Emergencies

This year we have been seeing a record number of tornadoes across the southeast and many of us are aware of the devastation from those areas hit hard. But do you know what to do if severe storms approach while you are working? If you haven't already done so, now is a good time to review your company's safety and emergency action plans. Things to review include contact people to notify in case of emergencies and who will make the decisions to stop work during severe weather. You will want to know your evacuation routes out of the building, and evacuation routes and alternate roads out of the area.

When working outdoors while severe weather approaches, certain equipment will need to be secured in place. Lighter objects will need to be moved to an enclosed location where high winds will prevent them from blowing around. In some cases, adding locks or boarding windows may be necessary. Excavation areas, elevated work areas, electrical hazards, and other high hazard areas also have special security measures to protect from unauthorized people entering these areas after a storm and to prevent these hazards from causing unnecessary injury during severe storms.

In preparation of incremental weather, you can take preventative steps. For example, check your engineering controls in advance to make sure they are operating appropriately and make repairs as needed. Have emergency supplies on hand and copy your current evacuation route and emergency contact information to a location you can access when it is needed. Know your timetables for preparing to leave a job site in an emergency so you can allow the appropriate time to stop work, secure the site, and leave. And be aware that certain activities must continue even during severe weather. Specific preparations may be needed for handling long-term delays in power or backing up data storage.

Whether you work indoors or outdoors, consider your coworker's safety as well as your own. Keep aware that some storms can come extremely fast. You may be the first person to notice incremental weather moving into the area and your notification could save others from injury or worse. By reviewing your company's emergency action plan, you will be refreshed on those actions you must take and be better prepared to handle the situation.

Do you have experiences to share from handling incremental weather on the job?

Are You Prepared for the New GHS?

It is coming. The Globally Harmonized Hazard Communication System (GHS) drafting and comment periods are complete. Now the wait for the final rule and implementation period. The GHS will replace the Hazard Communication Program (Hazcom) and will align the US requirements for classifying and labeling chemicals with the United Nations GHS, bringing us closer to worldwide uniformity on how we manage and relate chemical information. Many businesses have already implemented policies and procedures in preparation of the new standard. Once the rule is final, you may be looking at an estimated three to five year transition period for implementing the final rule. So where are you in your preparation?

A good start to getting ready is understanding the proposed rule, which is available for viewing in pdf format or download at www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html. Then you will want to review the status of your current chemical inventory and how your current material safety data sheets (MSDS) are organized. And don't forget to start communicating to your management and workers that changes are on the way.

There will be globally acceptable terms and symbols.  The proposed rule has a listing of all the terms. For example, MSDS will be simplified to safety data sheets, or SDS. And to increase consistency, the SDS will classify chemicals for health and physical standards based on GHS criteria that are formatted in a specific order on a 16 section document. Start weeding out your redundant and outdated documents while setting up a process for replacing new SDS when they are obtained. It is also a good time to dispose of any chemicals that are outdated and/or that you have no plans to use.

Many companies have considered shifting their MSDS organization and chemical inventory to online databases to help better manage them. You will want to determine what method for transitioning your MSDS is best for you. Maintaining a spreadsheet may be a suitable option in lieu of an online database.  Most countries are shifting their practice requires to align with the United Nations GHS, but not all. And there still may be some variance. Will you be needing a multi-regional or country-specific SDS or the ability to get SDS in other languages?

Another thing you can expect and prepare for are pictograms on labels, which are already available. And don't forget - more training.  Talk about it - communicate the new requirements for hazards and precautionary information using SDS and labels.  Communicate the differences so your workplace will be better prepared when the final rule is issued.

Dr. Michaels Emphasizes Priorities at NSC Summit in San Diego

Industrial Safety and Hygiene News sent out an article summarizing the summit session where Dr. Michaels spoke about OSHA's priority for the I2P2 Standard, or the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule. In his discussion, Dr. Michaels indicates that changes required will address industries finding and fixing hazards before they can cause accidents. He emphasized that changes will require a close collaboration between mangers, team leaders, and employees. Many companies have already taken steps to train employees in accident prevention, where managers and employees watch out for others and report potential problems so they can be fixed before a major incident occurs. But there is the increased problem of sick or injured workers coming to work too soon because they don't have enough time off or are afraid of losing their jobs. Depending on the circumstances, they could be placing themselves and others at a higher risk. What changes has your company done to prevent injuries and illnesses?

For the proposed ruling, go to: osha.gov/FedReg_osha_pdf/FED20100504.pdf

Elements of the rule consist of:

1. Management duties such as establishing a policy, goal setting, planning and allocating resources, and assigning and communicating roles and responsibilities,
2. Employee participation such as involving employees in the establishment and implementation of the policies, providing access to employees for health and safety information, involving the employee in the incident investigation,
3. Hazard identification and assessment such as identifying hazards, gathering information, workplace inspections and incident investigations, hazard associations with workplace changes, determining priorities and identification tools,
4. Hazard prevention and control such as determining and priorizing what hazards must be controlled, and evaluating the effectiveness of controls,
5. Education and training, including content, effectivenss, relationship for training,
6. Program evaluation and improvement, with monitoring, evaluating performance, and determining deficiencies.

The rules require a continual plan to review and improve, after all, the workplace is continually changing. Communication will be essential in this plan. People are different in how they train, how they work with others, yet everyone can bring something of value into the program. Getting people to communicate requires team collaboration skills that have often been challenging. What challenges does your company face in meeting this proposed plan?