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You have many opportunities to increase the probability of identifying and correcting hazards in the workplace, according to Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He recommends taking these approaches:
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If you want employees to comply with sharps safety, then their supervisors have to require it. That is a strong message that emerged from a survey of paramedics related to bloodborne pathogen exposures.
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A new associate at BASF Corporation's catalysts site in Seneca, SC saw an employee handling a sharp object without gloves. "He spoke up, and told the employee that they needed gloves. He stopped and put them on," says Wayne Enderle, vice president of manufacturing and site environmental, health & safety services.
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In your quest to obtain resources for occupational health programs, don't consider management out of reach or earshot. "You might be surprised at some of the people who have the ear of senior management," says Tamara Y. Blow, RN, MSA, COHN-S/CM, CBM, FAAOHN, a Richmond, VA-based manager of occupational health services.
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The more employees who participate in occupational health programs, the better the results you'll get. Though this is often an uphill battle, finding creative ways to get employee feedback can help you win it.
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It's one of the toughest spots for an occupational health professional to be in. You know an injured worker needs more time to recover, but you're getting pressured from higher-ups to get that person back ASAP. What do you do?
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Hospitals have been placed on notice: They must address the hazards of workplace violence.
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After a homicide occurs in a workplace, co-workers often make statements such as "I never thought it could happen here," or "He just snapped."
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A Connecticut beer distributor employee shot and killed eight of his coworkers before taking his own life after a disciplinary hearing. An ex-employee of a Georgia truck rental business killed two employees and injured three others. A 25-year employee at a Missouri plant shot and killed three and wounded five before shooting himself.