Tag Archives: age

General Safety Issues

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIFFICULT WORK ENVIRONMENT AND A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Most of us at one time or another has worked with someone who makes part or all of the workday miserable.  There’s usually at least one employee who has a negative outlook on everything – can’t see the glass half-full, only half-empty.  Good supervisors should know how to turn this environment into a productive one, but it isn’t always easy.

Managers need to ensure that the person focuses on tasks or projects instead of negative personality traits.  Maybe they don’t understand exactly what their job responsibilities are, or threatened by the abilities of their co-workers.  Some of these employees are against management and won’t cooperate.  Bringing the problem to the attention of the supervisor may have to be done by other employees.  Everyone wants to get their job done, and doesn’t need a bad attitude from someone else to deter them. 

A “hostile work environment” is a different matter.  Here are some signs of hostile behavior: (which is against the law).

  • Harrassment –  Whether it is because of race, religion, origin, age, disability, military and veteran status, this behavior is discriminatory under federal law.
  • Unwelcome behavior – Intimidating, humiliating, offensive, or making threats to employees or a group of employees is also discrimination.
  • Verbal sexual advances – Bullying, telling cruel jokes, or sending negative emails or text messages – again, discrimination.
  • Hostile behavior is pervasive over time.  It should be reported to Human Resources , who can intervene in a timely fashion, because it must be addressed by the employer.
  •  Actions or communications being repeated over a period of time defines discrimination. 
  • If the work environment interferes with an employee’s career progress, resulting in failure to receive a job rotation or promotion, this is considered discrimination.

An employer can be liable for the creation of a hostile work environment if they knew about the behavior and did not sufficiently try to remedy the situation.  The hostility can be started by a boss or another workers whose actions or behavior make doing your job impossible.  If the unreasonable work situation can not be a comfortable work environment for others and is disciminatory, this is a situation that must be fixed.

In other words, if a coworker does annoying things to bother their coworkers, and demonstrates rude or obnoxious behavior, that is not considered being hostile, as much as being a distracting pest.  However, if that person tells untruths about a worker or tells sexual or racial jokes, makes fun of your background or age,  the person is creating a hostile environment.  If someone belittles you about your religion, gender or race, you are working in both a hostile work environment, and one that you are being discriminated against.  This should be reported to your supervisor. 

No matter where you work, something we all need to know, is that we do not harbor resentment against anyone.  Maybe you have a better education than others, but does that make you better than them?  Many persons have talents that far outweigh a formal education.  It takes workers with all types of skills to make a company successful.  Life is too short to make it miserable for others who want to do a good job and go home at the end of the day, feeling good about the work they have accomplished.

Let’s treat others as we want to be treated.  It takes the whole team to accomplish the goal of their employer.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

WOMEN’S EYE SAFETY AND EYE HEALTH MONTH

April is designated as Women’s Eye Safety and Eye Health Month, and we’ve found out some things that will really open your eyes!   Worldwide, an estimated 37 million people are blind and one hundred twenty-four million people have low vision.  Two-thirds of both blind and visually impaired people are women!  In the United States, there are estimated to be over one million legally blind people, and over 700,000 of them are women.  Women bear a larger burden than men in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, because, on average they outlive men.  However, adding to the disproportion, is the possibility of biological (perhaps hormonal or immunological) predisposition to some eye diseases known to be more prevalent in women.   Women who live in developing countries have less access to medical care, and therefore may contact more infectious diseases that are prevalent in females.

A major epidemiological survey in 2001 revealed that, worldwide, common eye diseases, such as autoimmune disease, dry eye syndrome, and certain forms of cataract are more prevalent in women than men.  Age-related afflictions such as macular degeneration and cataract also affect women more often than men.  Vision loss can be due to chronic disease, infection, uncorrected refractive error, trauma or congenital defect.   The good news for women and men is that three-quarters of blindness and vision loss is either preventable or treatable.  By having regular eye exams and living a healthy lifestyle, you can optimize your eye health.  The risk factors for premature death due to heart disease or cancer are the same as those for blindness and vision impairment.  These factors include smoking, excess weight, improper diet, lack of exercise and exposures to UV rays.  Knowing your family health history in relation to eye health is as important as any other facet of family history. 

There are certain eye problems that must be dealt with such as dry eye, eye redness, excessive watering of eyes, and pain in the eye, (throbbing, aching, or stabbing sensation.)  Seeing your ophthalmologist can solve many of these problems.  Other options to healthy eyes are as listed:

1.      Wear sunglasses or a hat with a brim when outside in sunlight;

2.      Adopt a healthy lifestyle;

3.      Know the warning signs of eye disease;

4.      Drink alcohol in moderation;

5.      Stop smoking or never start;

6.      Maintain a healthy body weight by eating a balanced diet;

7.      Exercise regularly;

8.      Schedule regular eye exams for yourself and the entire family. 

Women should wear eye protection when working with tools, metals or chemicals at home or work, the same as men.  Everyone should avoid being around pellet guns, bb guns, bows and arrows, toys with missiles and fireworks – these can cause serious eye injury.

So, ladies, take care of those beautiful eyes, and the eyes of everyone you love.    Make the most to improve eye health by both protecting your eyes from injury and keeping your body healthy.

General Safety Issues

KEEPING OUR AGING WORKFORCE SAFE

1 Comment

Who knows what age determines when a person becomes a member of the “aging workforce”, or what is sometimes referred to as the “chronologically-gifted workforce?”  Those “baby boomers” born after World War II should be getting ready to retire; however, times have changed. Americans are living longer and they are also working longer.  Regardless of the reasons to continue working, older workers bring knowledge, experience, and wisdom to many aspects of business.  Studies report that in general, there is lower turnover, more dedication to the workplace, more positive attitudes, and less absenteeism than from a younger workforce.

Employers must apply safety practices in the workplace to prevent significant injuries to all employees, not just the older workers.  However, there are some reasons that extra care should be taken to ensure the safety of those whose hearing, vision, or balance may slow them down a little.  Training may be different for older workers.  New skills should be explained in a way that they understand. Simply put, justification and logic- why you are doing what you are doing is the easiest message to get across to workers of any age.

According to the Texas Department of Insurance, these are some changes that happen as workers age:

  • Balance – Injuries involving falls are more common to older workers.  Slips and falls account for 14 to 40 percent of non-fatal occupational injuries to workers of all ages.  Work should be matched up to a person’s abilities.  The correct Personal Protective Equipment should be furnished to all workers.
  • Muscular – Older workers may lose muscle mass, which means they lose strength. They may tire more easily, and need to exercise daily to be fit and flexible.
  • Respiratory – Oxygen uptake declines after the age of 50, and physical activity is more difficult.  If the worker is not able to do strenuous tasks, they should be assigned a less physically demanding job.
  • Vision – Many folks in their forties sometimes begin to notice that they do not see as well as they did when they were younger.  Workers should be encouraged to have their eyes checked regularly.  Signs at workplaces should be easily seen and easy to read and follow.
  • Circulatory – We all know that in the summer, outside workers need more breaks and water to cope with heat stress.  These especially apply to the older worker.  All workers should be allowed proper consideration to accommodate what their bodies can withstand in cold or hot weather conditions.
  • Mental – Older persons are usually able to perform mental tasks just as well as their younger counterparts.  They are still able to learn to do new things, it might just take them a little longer.  Changes in mental ability and physical condition do not happen to everyone as they age.
  • Hearing – Employers should be aware that some older workers may be less able to hear verbal instructions if the background is noisy, and be sure that they understand what is being requested of them.

The older generations didn’t have all the technology exists now.  They did many things the old-fashioned way – the hard way!  We also need to appreciate the fact that they are willing to go out into this busy, fast-paced world and do their jobs with the pride and work ethics they were taught.  They can teach us all a thing or two!  Let’s keep them safe.