OSHE 111 Introduction To Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment
OSHE 111 Introduction To Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment
INTRODUCTION TO OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT
Approach to teaching
INTRODUCTION
What does safety mean to you?
Safety is a culture.
HAZARDS
ACCIDENT
An event or series of events that results in, or has the potential to
result in
Death, injury, or illness
Property damage
Environmental harm
Because we can identify a risk – does not mean we can control it.
Needless destruction of life, health, and environment is
morally unjustified.
Increased hazards.
Work organization shifted into large units: Supervision not as close as it had been; Lack
of training; etc.
Accidents were “cheap.” Half of those killed recovered any compensation – then about
half a year pay.
How about the entire U.S.? (Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, Vol, 48/No .22, June 11, 1999.)
1913 – Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) approximately 23,000
deaths among 38 million workers (61 deaths per 100,000 workers.)
1997 – 5,100 deaths but 130 million workers (4 deaths per 100,000
workers.)
THE TRIANGLE
SHIRTWAIST FACTORY
FIRE
New York City in 1911
http://www.osha.gov/oas/trianglefactoryfire.html
ACCELERATION OF SAFETY
AND HEALTH
Workers’ compensation
First compensation system in America was proposed by
President Taft and put into law in 1908 to cover those
workers involved in interstate trade
Source: Haller JS. Industrial accidents-worker
compensation laws and the medical
response. Western J of Med.1988;148:341–348.
First comprehensive workers' compensation law was
finally passed shortly thereafter in Wisconsin in 1911.
Source: Ibid
Injured worker would receive some means of sustenance,
regardless of who was at fault for the injury.
Employers required to pay for the workers’ compensation.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
ACCELERATION OF
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Sharp rise in accident costs that resulted from compensation
laws and tighter employers’ liability initiated the modern
concern with work safety.
TECHNICAL PROGRESS
Rates were based on a company’s accident record.
INSURANCE
Collapse of Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 – Galloping
Gertie
Three Mile Island Accident in 1979 – Partial Nuclear
Reactor Meltdown
Bhopal Disaster in 1984 – Over 2,000 dead
Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster in 1986 – An Accident?
Pepcon Disaster – Shock wave
Phillips Disaster in 1989 – 23 dead
BP - Deepwater Horizon – 11 dead/210 million gallons oil
and over $60 billion and counting.
CREATION OF
ORGANIZATIONS
American Industrial Hygiene
Association (AIHA): founded in 1939
as a membership organization of
occupational and environmental
health professionals practicing
industrial hygiene in industry,
government, labor, academic
institutions, and independent
organizations.
ORGANIZATIONS (CONT.)
OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENT TRENDS
Source: Reese, Charles, D. (2003) Occupational Health and Safety Management: A Practical Approach. Lewis
Publishers.
ACCIDENTS – DEMOGRAPHICS WHO
AND WHEN? (PRIVATE SECTOR)