Exam 8: A Part 1creating a Safe and Healthy Work Environment

Scenario 8.2: Faulty Scaffolding The owner and supervisor of a small BC construction company and a scaffold platform supplier were charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death,in addition to 12 provincial health and safety legislation charges.Two migrant workers fell 11 storeys from a high-rise building when the faulty scaffolding broke,and they were not attached to harnesses. -Please refer to Scenario 8.2.What is another minimum legal element of the health and safety program that this construction company was to have in place?

Scenario 8.2: Faulty Scaffolding The owner and supervisor of a small BC construction company and a scaffold platform supplier were charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death,in addition to 12 provincial health and safety legislation charges.Two migrant workers fell 11 storeys from a high-rise building when the faulty scaffolding broke,and they were not attached to harnesses. -Please refer to Scenario 8.2.What was the owner's responsibility under health and safety legislation?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.The rail yard workers are exposed to many hazards when repetitively lifting small freight boxes manually in the shipping areas.Several workers are experiencing pain,tingling and numbness in their fingers.What is this injury called?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.WHMIS states that workers at CR have a right to know about potential workplace hazards.What three elements are the federal Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS)based on?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.The rail workers (employees)who work around or directly handle certain materials are required to identify these materials through the procedures outlined in WHMIS.What symbol used on the supplier's products would have made the burned worker aware of the nature of the materials leaking from the box?

Scenario 8.3: Emergency Room Shutdown On Saturday,February 28,2013,Ciara Michal,the human resource manager at Strathcona Hospital,made a decision to shut down the hospital's emergency room.A second registered nurse had refused to work a 12-hour shift due to fears concerning the spread and infection of several communicable diseases.Patients had to be directed to another hospital,260 km away.Michal had spent the last several hours fielding questions and concerns from hospital staff,the public,and government representatives about the hospital emergency room closure.Several additional health and safety concerns were brought to her attention,pointing to a larger problem. Emergency room doctors and nurses working at Lochview Hospital are particularly concerned about the risk of patients contracting C.difficile virus,as the incidents of infection had increased 300% in two years.There had been two recent needle-stick injuries: one involving a rushed emergency room cleaning staff person and the other,a practicum nursing student.These incidents posed both physical and emotional threats related to the hepatitis B virus,the hepatitis C virus,and HIV.All emergency room staff,as well as paramedics and emergency social services staff,are concerned about the shortage of hospital beds and the makeshift system of creating an overflow ward in the hallways and cafeteria.Hallway beds don't have the safety equipment available,leading to mistakes and poor care.Extension cords run across the floors in order to reach electrical outlets.Patients with acute problems are seen in chairs,and some are tucked way into corners where they cannot be observed.These stressful working conditions are having an adverse impact on emergency room health-care workers.Over 10% of the emergency room staff are on extended stress-related leaves. -Please refer to Scenario 8.3.What type of stress management intervention would be most effective?

What is considered to be the most severe hazard facing office workers?

What is a common measure for reducing workplace violence?

Scenario 8.3: Emergency Room Shutdown On Saturday,February 28,2013,Ciara Michal,the human resource manager at Strathcona Hospital,made a decision to shut down the hospital's emergency room.A second registered nurse had refused to work a 12-hour shift due to fears concerning the spread and infection of several communicable diseases.Patients had to be directed to another hospital,260 km away.Michal had spent the last several hours fielding questions and concerns from hospital staff,the public,and government representatives about the hospital emergency room closure.Several additional health and safety concerns were brought to her attention,pointing to a larger problem. Emergency room doctors and nurses working at Lochview Hospital are particularly concerned about the risk of patients contracting C.difficile virus,as the incidents of infection had increased 300% in two years.There had been two recent needle-stick injuries: one involving a rushed emergency room cleaning staff person and the other,a practicum nursing student.These incidents posed both physical and emotional threats related to the hepatitis B virus,the hepatitis C virus,and HIV.All emergency room staff,as well as paramedics and emergency social services staff,are concerned about the shortage of hospital beds and the makeshift system of creating an overflow ward in the hallways and cafeteria.Hallway beds don't have the safety equipment available,leading to mistakes and poor care.Extension cords run across the floors in order to reach electrical outlets.Patients with acute problems are seen in chairs,and some are tucked way into corners where they cannot be observed.These stressful working conditions are having an adverse impact on emergency room health-care workers.Over 10% of the emergency room staff are on extended stress-related leaves. -Please refer to Scenario 8.3.It is generally recognized in our society that better health is beneficial to the individual and the organization.What programs can the hospital offer to encourage healthier lifestyles among their employees?

An organization was charged with several safety offences as they did not take all reasonable precautions to ensure employee safety.What legal defense was required,which the organization could not prove?

Scenario 8.2: Faulty Scaffolding The owner and supervisor of a small BC construction company and a scaffold platform supplier were charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death,in addition to 12 provincial health and safety legislation charges.Two migrant workers fell 11 storeys from a high-rise building when the faulty scaffolding broke,and they were not attached to harnesses. -Please refer to Scenario 8.2.The owner was required by law to provide an orientation for the migrant workers which follows the systems model of training.What would have been the critical first step to a migrant worker orientation?

What would likely be the most effective means for an organization to communicate its safety rules?

What recent legislative changes have broadened the responsibility of employers to ensure The work environment is free of violence.

A short time after a convenience store robbery,a team of professionals arrived at the store to provide counselling to employees who were experiencing shock and other emotions around the robbery.What are these intervention teams called?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.What type of hazard was the young rail worker who was burned exposed to?

What type of stress management intervention would be most effective?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.Several of the rail crew smoke on the worksite behind the trains so they are not observed.Second-hand smoke is an example of what type of health and safety hazard and issue?

Which of the following is a workplace stressor?

Scenario 8.1: SaFE The Safety For Everyone (SaFE)program at Canadian Rails (CR)encourages peer-on-peer safety."SaFE observers" provide positive and constructive feedback to peers during a shift.At-risk behaviours are discussed in confidence and corrected on the spot.General observations are noted by the SaFE observer and shared with supervisors for future analysis.Several weeks ago CR experienced a train crash in which several employees were injured.Many employees are emotional and shocked that this occurred as CR has extensive health and safety policies and practices to ensure public safety of which SaFE is only one of many health and safety initiatives.There had also been a high number of injuries by employees working in the Canadian Rails shipyards. -Please refer to Scenario 8.1.It was found and that the rail worker who received the burns to his arms was 18 years old and he was burned on his first work shift.Which of the following is one of the three fundamental rights that the burned rail worker should have been informed of?

Scenario 8.5.East Coast Health Services Kyle Jon was a Health and Safety advisor for the East Coast Health Services (ECHS).In addition to being responsible for the health,safety,and well-being of the community care facility healthcare workers,he was a member of the violence prevention steering committee responsible for the 2011 online "Violence in Healthcare" survey.A total of 11,791 healthcare workers responded,representing over two thirds of the ECHS workers and all the healthcare facilities.Results indicated that violence continues to be extremely prevalent in healthcare.Survey participants responded as outlined below: · 74% had experienced some kind of violence in their workplace · types of violence experienced: 64% swearing/verbal abuse,32% threats of assault,70% throwing/striking objects,40% intimidating gestures,27% spitting,18% physical assault,11% use of weapon · 62% reported violence verbally,38% reported violence in writing · 24% accepted violence as part of the job · 81% felt patient illness or delays in attending to patient needs contributed to violence · 53% felt insufficient staffing contributed to violence What was most bothersome to him was that the nurses,licensed practical nurses and care aides in the community care facilities reported experiencing more violence than their colleagues at the hospitals and other healthcare facilities.Over 70% of home care providers felt unsafe in their workplaces and did not perceive their workplace control measures as effective in protecting them against violence. ECHS has over 50 community care facilities.Violence was the leading cause of injury to ECHS home care workers and had resulted in over 1,000 injuries last year.Investigations into these violent incidents frequently revealed that the patient involved had a history,or a known risk,of violent behaviour that was not communicated to workers by way of assessments,charts,and care plans. Over the past two years,there had been two incidents of violence by patients against staff at the Northern Rim residential care facility.One psychiatric patient was involved in firing a pellet gun that hit several employees and another irritable and agitated patient had thrown a worker into a wall and then punched him repeatedly after being asked to return to his room. -Please refer to Scenario 8.5.What primary legal body regulates occupational health and safety at ECHS?