Occupational illness<\/strong>:Abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment<\/p>\r\n Industrial disease<\/strong>: Disease resulting from exposure relating to a particular process, trade, or occupation in industry<\/p>\r\nOne such illness that has received wide attention in the media is that of the consquences of working with Asbestos. Think about all of the workers who were affected by working with Asbestos, whether it be the construction workers or the miners.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jifoNSXvTuQ\r\n Stress management, office-related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and no-fragrance areas are all contemporary issues surrounding employee health and safety. In addition , given our new reality, employer's need to also have provisions in place for communicable diseases such as COVID-19 as we discussed in the previous section.<\/p>\r\nLet's have a closer look at the most common issues experienced at work.\r\n In its annual survey on stress in America, the American Psychological Association found that money (76 percent), work (70 percent), and the economy (65 percent) remain the most oft-cited sources of stress for Americans.<\/p>\r\n Job instability is on the rise as a source of stress: nearly half (49 percent) of adults reported that job instability was a source of stress in 2010 (compared to 44 percent in 2009). At the same time, fewer Americans are satisfied with the ways their employers help them balance work and non-work demands (36 percent in 2010 compared to 42 percent in 2009). The implications of these findings are obviously important for HRM professionals.<\/p>\r\n Before we discuss what HR professionals can do, let\u2019s discuss some basic information about stress. As it is currently used, the term stress<\/em> was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as \u201cthe nonspecific response of the body to any demand for change\u201d (The American Institute of Stress, 2011).<\/p>\r\n In other words, we can say that stress<\/a><\/span> is the reaction we have to a stressor. A stressor<\/a><\/span> is some activity, event, or other stimulus that causes either a positive or negative reaction in the body. Despite what people may think, some stress is actually good. For example, receiving a promotion at work may cause stress, but this kind of stress is considered to be positive. Stress is very much a personal thing, and depending on individual personalities, people may have different opinions about what is a stressor and what is not.<\/p>\r\n For example, a professor does not normally find public speaking to be a stressor, while someone who does not do it on a daily basis may be very stressed about having to speak in public.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Selye recognized that not all stress is negative. Positive stress is called eustress<\/a><\/span>. This type of stress is healthy and gives a feeling of fulfillment and other positive feelings. Eustress can cause us to push ourselves harder to meet an end goal. On the other hand, distress<\/a><\/span> is the term used for negative stress. While eustress can push us, distress does not produce positive feelings and can go on for a long time without relief. We can further classify distress by chronic stress<\/a><\/span>, which is prolonged exposure to stress, and acute stress, which is short-term high stress. For example, someone who receives little or no positive result from stress and is continuously stressed may experience chronic stress. Acute stress<\/a><\/span> occurs in shorter bursts and may be experienced while someone is on a tight deadline for a project.<\/p>\r\n Two other terms related to stress are hyperstress and hypostress. Hyperstress<\/a><\/span> is a type of stress in which there are extremes with little or no relief for a long period of time. This type of stress often results in burnout. Hypostress<\/a><\/span> is the lack of eustress or distress in someone\u2019s life. Remember, some stress can be good and pushes us to work harder. We see this type of stress with people who may work in a factory or other type of repetitive job. The effect of this type of stress is usually feelings of restlessness.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Figure 13.3<\/span> The Stress Curve<\/p>\r\n Source: Adapted from P. Nixon, 1979.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n One last important thing to note is how a person goes through the cycle of stress. Figure 13.3 \"The Stress Curve\"<\/a> shows an example of how stress is good up to a point, but beyond that point, the person is fatigued and negatively affected by the stress. Bear in mind, this varies from person to person based on personality type and stress-coping mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n As you have already guessed, stress on the job creates productivity issues, which is why it concerns HR professionals. We know that stress can cause headaches, stomach issues, and other negative effects that can result in lost productivity but also result in less creative work. Stress can raise health insurance costs and cause employee turnover. Because of this, according to HR Magazine<\/em> (Tyler, 2011), many employers are taking the time to identify the chief workplace stressors in employees\u2019 lives. With this information, steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate such stress.<\/p>\r\n PricewaterhouseCoopers, for example, implemented several strategies to reduce stress in its workplace. The firm restructured its work teams so that rather than having one employee work with one client, teams of employees work with groups of clients. Rather than having an employee say, \u201cI can\u2019t go to my son\u2019s baseball game because I need to wait for this client call,\u201d this arrangement allows employees to cover for each other.<\/p>\r\n The organization also requires employees to take vacation time and even promotes it with posters throughout the office. In fact, even weekends are precious at PricewaterhouseCoopers. If an employee sends an e-mail on the weekend, a popup screen reminds her or him it is the weekend and it is time to disconnect.<\/p>\r\nOffering flextime is also a way to reduce employee stress. It allows employees to arrange their work and family schedule to one that reduces stress for them. This type of creative scheduling, according to Von Madsen, HR manager at ARUP Laboratories (Tyler, 2011), allows employees to work around a schedule that suits them best. Other creative ways to reduce stress might be to offer concierge services, on-site child care, wellness initiatives, and massage therapy. All these options can garner loyalty and higher productivity from employees.\r\n Here are the most common stressors for college students:<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs)<\/a><\/span> are injuries to the fingers, hands, arms, or shoulders that result from repetitive motions such as typing.<\/p>\r\n Carpal tunnel syndrome<\/a><\/span>, or CTS, is a common cumulative disorder in which the hand and wrist is particularly affected. According to one study of CTS (Matias, et. al., 1998), the percentage of a workday at a computer, posture while at the workstation, and the individual\u2019s body features all contribute to this workplace issue. More recently, CTD can be found in people who text a lot or use their smartphones to type or surf the Internet.<\/p>\r\n There are a number of keyboards, chairs, and other devices that can help limit or prevent CTD issues.<\/p>\r\n Microsoft is attempting to relieve CTD by developing \u201csurface\u201d technology. First introduced in 2007, the system is controlled through intuitive touch rather than the traditional mouse and keyboard. Microsoft and Samsung in early 2011 introduced the newest consumer-ready product, which looks like a large tablet (or iPad) used to perform the same functions as one normally would on her computer (Microsoft News Center, 2011).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Some people have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or environmental illness (EI)<\/a><\/span>. MCS or EI is the inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of foreign chemicals. Symptoms can include headache, dizziness, inability to breathe, muscle pain, and many more depending on the person. As a result, implementing policies surrounding MCS may be not only a legal requirement but a best practice to keep employees safe and healthy in the workplace. Some examples of such policies might include the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n If an organization is going to implement a fragrance-free work policy, this is normally addressed under the dress code area of the organization\u2019s employee manual. However, many employers are reluctant to require employees to refrain from wearing or using scented products. In this case, rather than creating a policy, it might be worthwhile to simply request a fragrance-free zone from employees through e-mail and other means of communication. An example of such a policy is used by Kaiser Permanente:<\/p>\r\n\r\nWe recognize that exposure to strong scents and fragrances in the environment can cause discomfort, as well as directly impact the health of some individuals. Since we hope to support a healthful environment for employees, physicians, and visitors, it is the intent of Quality and Operations Support to strive for a fragrance-controlled workplace. Therefore, for the comfort and health of all, use of scents and fragrant products by QOS employees, other than minimally scented personal care products, is strongly discouraged (Kaiser Permanente Fragrance Policy, 2011).\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Chemicals should be labeled in English, and employees must be able to cross-reference the chemicals to the materials safety data sheet, which describes how the chemicals should be handled.<\/p>\r\nIn Canada, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System gives directives on how to properly label, use, manage, store and dispose of chemical substances. http:\/\/whmis.org\/\r\n It is estimated that 1,200 new chemicals are developed in North America alone every year (International Labor Organization, 2011). For many of these chemicals, little is known about their immediate or long-term effects on the health of workers who come into contact with them. As a result, policies should be developed on how chemicals should be handled, and proper warnings should be given as to the harmful effects of any chemicals found in a job site<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another concern of Health and Safety is mental health.<\/p>\r\n Approximately 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence every year6<\/sup>.<\/p>\r\n Workplace bullying<\/a><\/span> is defined as a tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent or repeated aggressive or unreasonable behaviour against a coworker or subordinate. The Workplace Bullying Institute found that 35 percent of workers have reported being bullied at work. This number is worth considering, given that workplace bullying reduces productivity with missed work days and turnover.\u00a0 Examples of workplace bullying include the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n It is up to the organization and human resources to implement policies to ensure the safety of workers and provide a safe working environment.<\/p>\r\n According to the government of Canada, here are some measures that an organization can take to prevent workplace violence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Development of workplace policies surrounding these items is important. Ongoing training and development in these areas are key to the creation of a safe workplace. While outside influences may affect employee safety, it is also important to be aware of the employee\u2019s safety from other employees. There are several indicators of previolence as noted by the Workplace Violence Research Institute (Mattman, 2010):<\/p>\r\n\r\n Anyone exhibiting one or more of these preincident indicators should get the attention of HRM. The HR professional should take appropriate action such as discussing the problem with the employee and offering counseling.<\/p>\r\n \u00a0Prevention of workplace bullying means creating a culture in which employees are comfortable speaking with HR professionals and managers (assuming they are not the ones bullying) about these types of situations.<\/p>\r\n Similar to traditional bullying, cyberbullying<\/a><\/span> is defined as use of the Internet or technology used to send text that is intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Examples include using Facebook to post negative comments or setting up a fake e-mail account to send out fake e-mails from that person. Comments or blogs and posts that show the victim in a bad light are other examples of cyberbullying. Similar to workplace bullying, cyberbullying is about power and control in workplace relationships. Elizabeth Carll\u2019s research on cyberbullying shows that people who experience this type of harassment are more likely to experience heightened anxiety, fear, shock, and helplessness, which can result in lost productivity at work and retention issues (White, 2011), a major concern for the HR professional.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n In today\u2019s world of identity theft, it is important that HR professionals work to achieve maximum security and privacy for employees. When private information is exposed, it can be costly.<\/p>\r\n Employee privacy is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada.<\/p>\r\n Some of the things to combat employee identity theft include the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another privacy issue that comes up often is the monitoring of employee activities on devices that are provided to them by the organization. Case law, for the most part, has decided that employees do not have privacy rights if they are using the organization\u2019s equipment, with a few exceptions. As a result, more than half of all companies engage in some kind of monitoring. According to an American Management Association7<\/sup> survey, 73 percent of employers monitor e-mail messages and 66 percent monitor web surfing. If your organization finds it necessary to implement monitoring policies, ensuring the following is important to employee buy-in of the monitoring:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Working with your IT department to implement standards and protect employee data kept on computers is a must in today\u2019s connected world. Communication of a privacy policy is an important step as well. Agrium, a Canadian-based supplier of agricultural products in North America, states its employee privacy policy on its website and shares with employees the tactics used to prevent security breaches8<\/sup>. The statement is:<\/p>\r\n\r\nAt Agrium we are committed to maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes the personal information that Agrium collects from or about you, and how we use and to whom we disclose that information.<\/em>\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Employee health and safety is a must in today\u2019s high-stress work environments. Although some may see employee health as something that shouldn\u2019t concern HR, the increasing cost of health benefits makes it in the best interest of the company to hire and maintain healthy employees. In fact, during the recession of the late 2000s, when cutbacks were common, 50 percent of all workplaces increased or planned to increase investments in wellness and health at their organization (Sears, 2009).<\/p>\r\n\r\n Cordis (A Johnson & Johnson Company) Environmental, Health, and Safety Policy<\/p>\r\n Cordis Corporation is committed to global Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) performance and leadership with respect to its associates, customers, suppliers, contractors, visitors, and communities. To fulfill this commitment, Cordis Corporation conducts its business emphasizing regulatory compliance and collaboration.<\/p>\r\n We strive for:<\/p>\r\n\r\n We affirm that EHS is:<\/p>\r\n\r\n We believe that:<\/p>\r\n\r\n A safe culture doesn\u2019t happen by requiring training sessions every year; it occurs by creating an environment in which people can recognize hazards and have the authority and ability to fix them. Instead of safety being a management focus only, every employee should take interest by being alert to the safety issues that can exist. If an employee is unable to handle the situation on his or her own, the manager should then take suggestions from employees seriously; making the change and then communicating the change to the employee can be an important component of a safe and healthy workplace.<\/p>\r\n A culture that promotes safety is one that never puts cost or production numbers ahead of safety. You do not want to create a culture in which health and safety priorities compete with production speedup, which can lead to a dangerous situation.<\/p>\r\n Another option to ensure health and safety is to implement an employee assistance program (EAP)<\/a><\/span>. This benefit is intended to help employees with personal problems that could affect their performance at work. The EAP usually includes covered counselling and referral services. This type of program can assist employees with drug or alcohol addictions, emotional issues such as depression, stress management, or other personal issues. Sometimes these programs are outsourced to organizations that can provide in-house training and referral services to employees.<\/p>\r\n Possible techniques you can implement to have a safe and healthy work environment include the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n The main different types of\u00a0 health incidents that can occur are:<\/p>\n Occupational injury<\/strong>: Cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation resulting from a workplace accident or from an exposure involving an accident in the work environment<\/p>\n Occupational illness<\/strong>:Abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment<\/p>\n Industrial disease<\/strong>: Disease resulting from exposure relating to a particular process, trade, or occupation in industry<\/p>\n One such illness that has received wide attention in the media is that of the consquences of working with Asbestos. Think about all of the workers who were affected by working with Asbestos, whether it be the construction workers or the miners.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n9.7 Stress and other safety concerns<\/h2>\r\nIn addition to issues that are directly linked to injuries there is another facet that is also part of Health and Safety.\r\n
Stress and Being Overly Productive<\/h2>\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Dvhu2OK7ffg\r\n\r\n \r\n
Stress Management<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
![\"The](\"\/app\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2015\/03\/d16943b7f315f5dbc9ac30fb51451b0b.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\nBeing a Student Can Also Be Very Stressful<\/h4>\r\n
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Cumulative Trauma Disorders<\/h2>\r\n
Chemical and Fragrance Sensitivities<\/h2>\r\n
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9.8 Chemicals and Substances<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jQ0e39NCxy4\r\n
9.9 Workplace Violence and Bullying<\/h2>\r\n
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Practical Strategies for Improving Psychological Health and Safety at Work: A Checklisthttps:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/health-safety\/reports\/psychological-health.html<\/em><\/sub><\/h2>\r\n
Employee<\/h4>\r\n
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Manager and Supervisor<\/h4>\r\n
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Organization<\/h4>\r\n
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Government<\/h4>\r\n
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9.10 Employee Privacy<\/h2>\r\n
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9.11 Promoting a Culture of Safety and Health<\/h2>\r\n
Example of Health and Safety Policy<\/h4>\r\n
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References<\/h2>\r\nAmerican Institute of Stress, The, accessed September 15, 2011, http:\/\/www.stress.org\/topic-definition-stress.htm<\/a>.\r\n\r\nAmerican Psychological Association, \u201cKey Findings,\u201d news release, n.d., accessed April 17, 2011, http:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/key-findings.aspx<\/a>.\r\n\r\nBuddy, T., \u201cSubstance Abuse in the Workplace,\u201d About.com, November 20, 2011, accessed August 20, 2011, http:\/\/alcoholism.about.com\/cs\/work\/a\/aa990120.htm<\/a>.\r\n\r\nHart, P., \u201cAttorneys Seek to Question Texas Comptroller Over Exposed Info,\u201d Houston Chronicle<\/em>, April 26, 2011, accessed April 27, 2011, http:\/\/www.chron.com\/disp\/story.mpl\/metropolitan\/7537769.html<\/a>.\r\n\r\nInternational Labor Organization, \u201cYour Safety and Health at Work: Chemicals in the Workplace,\u201d accessed April 25, 2011, http:\/\/actrav.itcilo.org\/actrav-english\/telearn\/osh\/kemi\/ciwmain.htm<\/a>.\r\n\r\nKaiser Permanente Fragrance Policy, accessed September 15, 2011, http:\/\/users.lmi.net\/wilworks\/ehnlinx\/k.htm<\/a>.\r\n\r\nKlein, K., \u201cEmployers Can\u2019t Ignore Workplace Bullies,\u201d Bloomberg Businessweek<\/em>, May 7, 2008, accessed August 20, 2011, http:\/\/www.businessweek.com\/smallbiz\/content\/may2008\/sb2008057_530667.htm<\/a>.\r\n\r\nMatias, A. C., G. Salvendy, and T. Kuczek, Ergonomics Journal<\/em> 41, no. 2 (1998): 213\u201326, accessed April 19, 2011, http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/9494433<\/a>.\r\n\r\nMattman, J., \u201cPre-Incident Indicators,\u201d Workplace Violence Research Institute, June 2010, accessed April 27, 2011, http:\/\/www.nesdis.noaa.gov\/RESPECT\/pdf\/RESPECT-Pre-IncidentIndicators24Jun09.pdf<\/a>.\r\n\r\nMicrosoft News Center, \u201cMicrosoft and Samsung Unveil the Next Generation of Surface,\u201d news release, January 2011, accessed August 21, 2011, http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/presspass\/press\/2011\/jan11\/01-06mssurfacesamsungpr.mspx<\/a>.\r\n\r\nNational Conference of State Legislatures, \u201cState Cyberstalking, Cyberharassment, and Cyberbullying Laws,\u201d January 26, 2011, accessed August 20, 2011, http:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/default.aspx?tabid=13495<\/a>.\r\n\r\nSears, D., \u201cGym Memberships and Wellness Programs Remain Standard Employee Benefits,\u201d The Ladders Career Line, July 21, 2009, accessed April 27, 2011, http:\/\/www.career-line.com\/job-search\/gym-memberships-and-wellness-programs-remain-standard-employee-benefits\/<\/a>.\r\n\r\nSolove, D., \u201cOff Campus Cyberbullying and the First Amendment,\u201d Huffington Post<\/em>, July 28, 2011, accessed August 20, 2011, http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/daniel-j-solove\/offcampus-cyberbullying-a_b_911654.html<\/a>.\r\n\r\nSteenhuysen, J., \u201c26 US States Have Comprehensive Smoking Bans,\u201d Reuters<\/em>, April 21, 2011, accessed April 25, 2011, http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2011\/04\/21\/usa-smoking-idUSN2128332820110421<\/a>.\r\n\r\nTyler, K., \u201cStress Management,\u201d HR Magazine<\/em>, September 1, 2006, accessed April 19, 2011, http:\/\/www.shrm.org\/Publications\/hrmagazine\/EditorialContent\/Pages\/0906tyler.aspx<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWhite, M., \u201cAre Cyber Bullies Worse for Victims than Real Bullies?\u201d Globe and Mail<\/em>, August 8, 2011, accessed August 20, 2011, http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/life\/the-hot-button\/are-cyber-bullies-worse-for-victims-than-real-bullies\/article2122943\/<\/a>","rendered":"
9.6\u00a0 Types of health incidents<\/h2>\n