Workplace Safety

1
Workplace Safety Health Challenges in the 21st
Century

• Don Jones PE, CSP, SGE, MBA
• Past President
• American Society of Safety Engineers

2
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS

• Founded in 1911
• Oldest and Largest Professional Safety Society
• Committed to Protecting People, Property and the
  Environment
• More than 30,000 Occupational Safety and Health
  Professionals are Members throughout the World
• Members Manage, Supervise, Research and Consult
  on Safety and Health in All Industries,
  Government, Labor and Education.

3
WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES

• Workplace injuries and illnesses in private
  industry declined for third straight year and are
  at all-time low
• Improvement is encouraging
• Cannot become complacent
• Keep focus on creating safest work environment
  possible
• Work to create mindset that one injury, one
  illness or one fatality is one too many!

4
KEY CHALLENGES

• Transportation
• Aging Workforce
• Nanotechnology
• Pandemic Flu
• Disaster Preparedness and Response

5
TRANSPORTATION

• 2004 Bureau of Transportation Statistics
• - 5703 Workplace Fatalities
• - 2460 Transportation Related Fatalities
• (43 of workplace fatalities)
• - Transportation Fatalities (included all modes
  of travel)
• 1374 Work-related highway

6
TRANSPORTATION

• Work-related transportation accidents are a major
  concern
• Transportation-related crashes continue to be the
  number one cause of deaths
• Many companies develop and implement rigid
  commercial vehicle driver safety policies that
  save lives, increased use of seat belts, etc.

7
TRANSPORTATION

• Challenge
• - Cannot control other drivers
• - Cannot control conditions of roads and bridges
• Can Help Employees
• - Safety Programs
• - Structured Vehicle Maintenance Program
• - Vehicles that offer the highest level of
  occupant protection
• NEED TO DO MORE!!!!!

8
AGING WORKFORCE

• Employers must Recognize and Meet The Needs of
  the Changing Workforce!!
• - Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 age -
  the labor pool shrinks
• - By 2014, the 55 and older age group will make
  up 21.2 of the workforce

9
AGING WORKFORCE

• Accommodate Changing Workforce
• by Providing a Safe Workplace for Aging Workers
• - Improve Illumination
• - Adding Color Contrast
• - Eliminate Heavy Lifts
• - Design Work Floors and Platforms that allow
  some cushioning.

10
AGING WORKFORCE

• Accommodate Changing Workforce
• by Providing a Safe Workplace for Aging Workers
• - Reduce Static Standing Time
• - Remove Clutter From Control Panels and
  Computer Screens
• - Use Larger Video Displays
• - Reduce Noise Levels
• - Much, Much, More!!

11
NANOTECHNOLOGY

• Engineering Small Things
• Nanometer One Billionth of Meter
• Newer Technology
• Making or Using Things in the Nanometer Size
  Range
• Opens the Door to a Multitude of New
  Opportunities

12
NANOTECHNOLOGY

• More Challenges
• Research is Needed on the Affects on Workers And
  Consumers
• Once more is Known, Safety Professionals can
  Engineer the Risk Out or Control it to Protect
  Workers and Consumers
• Products using Nanotechnology will Exceed 1
  Trillion by 2015

13
PANDEMIC FLU

• An Epidemic (outbreak of an infectious disease)
  that Spreads across a Large Area (Global)
• Viral Infection of the Lungs
• Three Pandemics in 20th Century
• - Spanish Flu (500K Deaths in US)
• - Asian Flu (70K Deaths in US)
• - Hong Kong Flu (34K Deaths in US)

14
PANDEMIC FLU

• Avian Flu
• Impossible to Predict it will Occur
• Impact Critical Functions, Business Continuity
  and the Health Care Industry
• Employers and Employees
• - Educate about Risks
• - Develop Plans to manage and respond to Safety
  and Health Issues

15
Disaster Preparedness and Response

• Prepare!!
• - Develop Plan
• - Review and Test Plan
• - Evaluate Test
• - Improve Plan
• - Do review and test on on a regular basis
• Respond and Recover!!
• - Implement Plan
• - Evaluate Response and Recovery
• - Improve Plan

16
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH

• QUESTIONS
• AND
• ANSWERS??