Tag Archives: complaints

General Safety Issues

DO YOU HAVE PET PEEVES AT WORK?

We hope these words bring a smile to your face, rather than a frown!  Having worked in several vocations, I can think back to little things going on at each place that irritated me to no end. 

Sometimes these pet peeves get under our skin so much, that it can cause us to lose our cool, and possibly have an accident that otherwise could be prevented.  There’s an old saying, “The customer is always right.”  I am of the opinion this can’t be true.  It seems that customers of department stores and other retail stores can be rude to the employees.  They are busy talking on their cell phone while ignoring the clerk, who is there to help them.  That can go both ways, however, because sometimes clerks are downright rude to the customers. 

While working at an oilfield construction company, the workers would gather in the back room before time to go to work, the office would be full of smoke, and then, when they left to go to their job, they would throw their coffee cups on the floor, and even worse, the sugar in the coffee would drip down the wall!  Having a blunt talk with my supervisor, he put a stop to it. (I was a one-woman secretary in a company of about 100 employees.)  They complied for a while, which made it much more pleasant.  I often wondered if they treated their wives and homes the same way. 

I am betting that each one of you has a story to tell.  As you drive to work, do drivers who don’t use turn signals irritate you?  Don’t you know you are supposed to read their minds?  How about people that read the paper or their text mails while operating their vehicle?  What about the guy you are behind that won’t turn right on a red light, when it is permissible?

Some drivers ignore yield or stop signs, which can be bad for them and the other person.  Or, have you encountered that driver who zigzags in and out of lanes on the expressway?  Or the driver who drives 20 mph lower than the speed limit, and you are stuck behind him/her?  I especially don’t appreciate the jerks that take up two parking spaces, or a handicapped parking spot.  That extra wide parking place is there for a reason, so please don’t violate this courtesy to those who need them.  Last, but not least, in the driving/parking category, put your cart in the cart corral instead of leaving it in the middle of the parking lot.  Thank You! 

Let’s talk about some disturbing facts that may annoy you in your workplace.  First, the B.O. (body odor) factor isn’t pleasant for anyone who has to work with that person.  Second, if someone is sick and coughing/sneezing, wouldn’t it be better for them to take a sick day, rather than sharing their problem with everyone else?  At one of my workplaces we had a couple of clowns (IT people) that thought it was really clever to adjust our computers where the picture on the monitor was upside down when we turned them on in the morning.  Thanks, guys.  Do you know someone at your workplace that thinks he/she is the only one with the background for understanding an issue?  Do you have a boss that won’t introduce you to an important customer?  Nice to feel invisible, isn’t it?  How about that know-it-all across the hall that is always right and has the last word? 

It is not unusual to be irked about things that happen at work.  Some workers think they don’t have to pay attention to important things, like safety training.  They are usually the ones who get hurt or hurt someone else.  It would be hard to find a person that doesn’t have some sort of pet peeve against a coworker, unless they are perfect.  It might be a good idea, though, to go to your supervisor if a coworker is doing annoying things that take your mind off your job. 

There is always going to be some horseplay at most businesses:  those are the ones who may cause someone else to be injured.  By telling someone else about irritating habits, the solution may be simple.  Try to count to ten and think about something you are looking forward to, instead of simmering. 

One thing that always bothered me, was to be reprimanded in front of coworkers.  There’s a time and place for everything, and it is in a private area, where your supervisor explains a mistake you may have made (especially in a new job), and helps you correct it. 

Habitually tardy employees make it hard on the others.  This constant habit of showing up late, could cause a shortage of personnel, someone else having to do their work, and general resentment all around.  If that person has to drive too fast to make it to work on time, they are risking safety of themselves and others just to get their day started.  My advice:  set your alarm thirty minutes early.

Well, you know, I feel much better having placed some of my pet peeves on your shoulders!  If you have a friend or coworker that you can share your concerns, it really helps to have that person to talk it over with.  Thanks for letting me share things that have bothered me in the past, but didn’t amount to a hill of beans when it was all said and done.  You have better things to do with your time, so try not to let these little “pet peeves” get to you.  One hundred years from now, who will know anyway?

General Safety Issues

OHSA Publishes New Information on Worker Safety

Today, we are featuring a guest blog written by Daphne Dunphy, a safety copywriter at Moneysupermarket.com, who majored in English. Daphne loves  to combine her creative streak and passion for the English language with her love of all things travel.  The following information was sent to share with our readers:

OSHA Publishes New Information on Worker Safety

The last month has brought with it new information on the rights of workers and employers, after documents were published in Washington that shed light on the protection offered to people who work outdoors.

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington released a document that outlines the best ways to protect workers from hazards, particularly in the construction, general and maritime industries.
Two booklets have been produced, one called Workers’ Rights (here) and another entitled Employer Rights and Responsibilities (here).
Workers’ Rights goes into detail on the issues of workers’ conditions and making sure that environments comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The OSHA standards on workers’ rights also come under the spotlight, along with information on how to file a complaint with OSHA, and the protections offered to whistleblowers under the law.
The other booklet, Employer Rights and Responsibilities, takes employers through federal OSHA inspections, covering violations that can occur, and the situations in which they may be cited.
Other documents have been published to give people who work outdoors a more detailed guide to the protections they stand to receive.
Managers of laboratories can consult the newly-published Laboratory Safety Document (here) and fact sheets for advice on how to protect workers from exposure to chemical, biological and physical hazards.
A new guide to what workers should do before entering a confined space, such as an underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, silos or manholes has been published in the form of a ‘QuickCard’, entitled Permit-Required Confined Spaces in General Industry (here).
Other guidance has been made available on how to protect workers when using aerial lifts, focusing on the potential injuries and death that can occur when aerial lifts fail, fall over or eject people.
There is equivalent regulatory information available in the UK, where the board that oversees workplace safety regulations is called the Health and Safety Executive. This board published the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER), which offers guidance on the public liability insurance UK residents can purchase.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington released a document that outlines the best ways to protect workers from hazards, particularly in the construction, general and maritime industries.
Two booklets have been produced, one called Workers’ Rights and another entitled Employer Rights and Responsibilities.  Workers’ Rights goes into detail on the issues of workers’ conditions and making sure that environments comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The OSHA standards on workers’ rights also come under the spotlight, along with information on how to file a complaint with OSHA, and the protections offered to whistleblowers under the law.
The other booklet, Employer Rights and Responsibilities, takes employers through federal OSHA inspections, covering violations that can occur, and the situations in which they may be cited.
Other documents have been published to give people who work outdoors a more detailed guide to the protections they stand to receive.
Managers of laboratories can consult the newly-published Laboratory Safety Document  and fact sheets for advice on how to protect workers from exposure to chemical, biological and physical hazards.
A new guide to what workers should do before entering a confined space, such as an underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, silos or manholes has been published in the form of a ‘QuickCard’, entitled Permit-Required Confined Spaces in General Industry.  Other guidance has been made available on how to protect workers when using aerial lifts, focusing on the potential injuries and death that can occur when aerial lifts fail, fall over or eject people.
There is equivalent regulatory information available in the UK, where the board that oversees workplace safety regulations is called the Health and Safety Executive. This board published the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER), which offers guidance on the public liability insurance UK residents can purchase.

The topics that Daphne mentioned are very important requirements of being trained and prepared for outdoor work responsibilities, such as entering confined spaces, using aerial lifts, and other occupations that present special hazards.  Thanks, Daphne.  We look forward to hearing from you again.

General Safety Issues

IS THERE CONFLICT IN YOUR WORKPLACE?

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Do you or have you ever worked where there wasn’t some sort of conflict?  First, I looked up the word “conflict” and it has several definitions: dispute, disagreement, clash, difference, argument, quarrel, or discord.  Do any of these fit your workplace?  Face it, we are all human beings, and it just seems to be in our nature to look out for ourselves, many times forgetting to think about the others who come to work every day. 

Workplace conflicts cannot be ignored.  Companies have trained leaders that use their expertise to resolve differences before they grow into something destructive and harmful for their employees.  When there is discord among workers, companies will start seeing more absenteeism, turnover, stress, accidents, lower productivity, and a decrease in employee morale.  Leaders must meet with those in conflict together, not separately.  This gives those involved the opportunity to give their side of the story, as well as listen to the other party.  If it is done separately, stories sometimes have a way of getting stretched a little.  Mediating a conflict is a serious responsibility.  A leader must consider that if conflicts are not resolved, the safety of the employees may be compromised. 

Bullying in the workplace should never be accepted.  Some of the safety factors that are seen where there are conflicts are aggressive behaviors by certain workers, exclusion of  workers, physically abusing or threatening them, yelling at or criticizing an employee, or tampering with equipment.  Supervisors must treat complaints seriously, and not ignoring potential problems. 

Some of the causes of conflict may be the fact that one person’s success in achieving his/her goals for the day depend on another person’s input/output of data that the first person needs. Certain workers are very task-oriented, while others sail right through a project.  We are all different- that’s what makes the world unique.  Some of this “uniqueness” may be at the root of conflict, whether it is intentional or unintentional, such as: differences in gender/background, educational backgrounds, experience, ethnic heritage, or political preferences.  (It seems as though there’s always something to “agree to disagree” on!)  Statistics show that 85% of dismissals in the U.S. are due to personality conflicts. 

Do you have a story?  How do you justify your poor behavior, if that’s the case?  Have you let someone down more than one time, but you reason that it’s because you are overworked?  If a co-worker brings a birthday card to the boss, do you think it’s because he’s buttering up the boss for a promotion; however, if you bring a card to the boss, it’s because you are a warm and caring person.  Re-thinking your story about your differences at work is important because it keeps you from over-reacting to a situation; it opens up an opportunity for healthy discussion, and rather than ambushing other persons with your emotions, you begin to sift “fact”  from “story”.  

Just The Facts: 

Make a list about the conflict you are experiencing with someone.  On the left side of the page, describe incidents that you have been telling or thinking about that person.  Things that have kept going through your mind.  On the right side of the page, list just the facts.  Specific actions and information you have taken and the objective of your desires to resolve the quarrel.  This could open up a healthy conversation with less accusations and improve cooperation with each other.  If you and a co-worker can work out any misunderstandings, you will both get more out of your job, and your company will get more out of you.  Supervisors want to help, so go to them if you can’t take care of it yourself. 

Communication is the key to success in every walk of life – in our work and with our families.  If you are happy at work, you won’t be taking those complaints and worries home with you.  Be assertive, but always respect others.  Share tips with your workers that can help them in their jobs.  Life is too short to carry heavy loads such as resentment, frustration, confusion and anger with us.