Introduction
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practices are an essential part of any industrial workplace, and as one will see, they need to be addressed. Workers may overlook safety procedures and fail to comply with all rules, while managers can observe the tension between safety and productivity. This neglect leads to health problems: sometimes, they can be easily treated with first aid, while in other cases, it can lead to severe injuries and several weeks in hospital. Additionally, low safety levels harm workers’ satisfaction and worsen the overall working environment, reducing both work quality and productivity. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the case of the CSU Widget Factory, elucidate the safety problems, identify safety programs that address them, and discuss their methods.
A General Overview of Safety Problems
The investigation revealed that there were more than twenty cases of injuries in the CSU Widget Factory. Heat load is a serious problem, especially during the summer months, and for those working indoors, eight employees sustained various heat-related injuries that required first aid. Forklift incidents were more serious: six of them were present, three of which were the result of unsuccessful load dropping, and workers needed first aid, too. Two others were struck by forklifts directly, resulting in serious injuries that required medical attention.
One accident was the worst: an operator was ejected from a forklift and received severe trauma, resulting in being restricted from duty for 30 days. In addition, there were five electrical shocks in the machine shop: although not resulting in serious injuries, they also require attention. Lastly, nine eye injuries and six intoxications occurred due to the hazardous substances: oil splashes, foreign particles, and toxic solvent vapors. They all required first aid and medical treatment, and two intoxication cases resulted in lost workdays.
OSH Programs for Immediate Attention
I selected three programs to address the mentioned safety issues: Heat Stress, Powered Industrial Vehicles, and Personal Protective Equipment, based on the findings from the investigation. All injuries at CSU Widget Factory are categorized into three main areas: heat shock, forklift-related incidents, and hazardous substance exposures. Therefore, the practices from these three programs would enable the company to reduce injuries or even eliminate them if successful implementation is achieved. After discussing each program and how to implement them together, I will list the methods from them.
Heat Stress
According to the investigation, heat-related injuries are a problem in the CSU Widget Factory. A Heat Stress Program is designed to protect workers exposed to high temperatures that can cause heat exhaustion and stroke. It includes monitoring weather conditions, scheduling rest breaks, providing shelter from the sun, air conditioning, and adequate hydration (Glaser et al., 2022).
Employers must also train employees on how to recognize the first symptoms of heat stress and the steps to prevent it (Goetsch, 2019). This program is essential for construction, agriculture, and manufacturing workers who often work outdoors. Thus, it will reduce or eliminate the heat strain during the summer months, and its principal components are condition monitoring, heat reduction, and workforce training.
Powered Industrial Vehicles
A Powered Industrial Vehicles Program is designed to prevent accidents and injuries caused by the use of forklifts, pallet jacks, and other powered industrial vehicles. There were at least six forklift-related incidents and five electric current injuries in the CSU Widget Factory, and practices from this program can help the firm cope with them. The program typically includes training operators, regular equipment inspections, implementing safety procedures, and ensuring that the equipment is properly maintained (Goetsch, 2019).
Employers must provide workers operating forklifts with adequate training and certification andwear appropriate protective equipment, such as hard hats and safety glasses (Lehtonen et al., 2020). This program is crucial for workers in industries such as warehousing and logistics, where powered industrial vehicles are commonly used. As in CSU Widget Factory’s warehouse, these vehicles are used constantly, so it is essential to implement the program. It will cover safety issues connected with forklifts and reduce the risk of electrical shock, significantly improving the situation.
Personal Protective Equipment
Lastly, protection is necessary for this workspace, too, in the cases of inhaling dangerous substances such as solvents, oil splashes, and foreign particles. A Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program protects workers from hazards that cannot be eliminated with other engineering or administrative procedures. Examples are toxic environments, radiation, foreign particles, oil, solvents, or other hazardous substances. The program includes identifying the dangers that require the use of PPE and selecting the appropriate PPE for the job.
Then, special training is provided on using and maintaining PPE, and guidelines are created and enforced to ensure that workers wear it as required. Employers must also closely watch that PPE is adequately maintained and replaced as necessary (Goetsch, 2019). This program is essential for workers in various industries, especially production facilities, where direct contact with hazardous substances is inevitable and cannot be managed by other methods (Nill, 2019). CSU Widget Factory is an example of a workspace: four employees suffered from oil splashes, five from foreign particles, and six from solvent vapor inhalation. These interactions resulted in traumas, and medical aid was necessary to save employees; PPE would protect them from these hazards.
Discussion
These three programs cover all investigated injuries: heat shock, forklift-connected traumas, electrical shock risk, and hazardous substances such as oil splashes and solvent vapors. To protect workers from heat stress, the firm can use weather control facilities, shelters for outdoor workers, and schedule mandatory rest breaks (Glaser et al., 2022). Regular training programs for forklift operators should be present, ensuring that they will not lose their skills, and safety equipment, such as hard hats, should be mandatory for them (Lehtonen et al., 2020).Protection equipment (gloves, safety glasses, and respirator masks) for those working with oil, solvents, and other materials harmful to the organism should be mandatory, too. In addition, training programs on how to manage these substances are also necessary (Nill, 2019).
Lastly, training programs for electric engine usage are necessary, too, ensuring that there will be fewer electrical shocks (Goetsch, 2019). Thus, effectively applying the strategies outlined in the Heat Stress, Powered Industrial Vehicles, and Personal Protective Equipment frameworks will address all safety concerns at CSU Widget Factory.
Hazard Control Measures
To summarize hazard control measures proposed by the three mentioned programs, one can see a list of actions that should be taken to prevent workplace injuries.
- Weather controlling facilities for cooling the warehouse and monitoring its temperature.
- Sun shelters for those working outdoors and scheduling mandatory rest breaks to reduce heat stress.
- Heat stress-related training to show workers how to recognize the first signs of stress and avoid it.
- Training programs for forklift operators and ensuring they are appropriately certified and maintain their skills.
- Mandatory usage of hard hats and safety glasses for all forklift operators to prevent injuries.
- Mandatory usage of gloves, safety glasses, and respirator masks in all rooms where oil, solvents, or foreign particles are present to prevent intoxication.
- Training programs for managing hazardous substances and working with electric engines to prevent intoxication and electrical shocks.
Training and Implementation
There is often a problem that workers refuse to comply with safety rules and guidelines, forgetting or neglecting them. Therefore, employee training is essential to each of the three programs. Showing workers how to cope with heat stress at any given moment and when they should take a break would help protect their health during the hot time of the year (Glaser et al., 2022).
Forklift operators should constantly reinforce their skills, and various training programs, including learning games and simulations, benefit them (Lehtonen et al., 2020). Lastly, all employees who work with toxic substances, electric engines, and forklift operators should mandatorily wear protective equipment, and quality should be monitored by CSU Widget Factory (Goetsch, 2019; Nill, 2019). It will ensure that all safety measures are properly implemented and integrated into the company’s workflow.
Conclusion
All CSU Widget Factory injuries are connected to heat stress, powered industrial vehicles and engines, and hazardous substances. Three chosen programs, Heat Stress, Powered Industrial Vehicles, and Personal Protective Equipment, provide methods to manage and eliminate or significantly reduce each incident. Weather control measures, mandatory breaks, and shelters for outdoor workers would end heat stress injuries. Proper personal protective equipment management for forklift operators and those working with dangerous substances would reduce injuries. Lastly, training is necessary for each theme: heat stress, forklift, toxic substances, and electric engine management.
References
Glaser, J., Wegman, D. H., Arias-Monge, E., Pacheco-Zenteno, F., Prince, H., Chavarria, D., Martinez-Cuadra, W. J., Jakobsson, K., Hansson, E., Lucas, R. A. I., Weiss, I., & Wesseling, C. (2022). Workplace intervention for heat stress: Essential elements of design, implementation, and assessment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 3779. Web.
Goetsch, D. L. (2019). The basics of occupational safety (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Lehtonen, E., Perttula, P., Maasalo, I., Reuna, K., Kannisto, H., Puro, V., & Hirvonen, M. (2020). Learning game for improving forklift drivers’ safety awareness. Cognition, Technology & Work, 23. Web.
Nill, R. J. (2019). How to select and use personal protective equipment. Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health, 469–494. Web.