Safety Questions

chp_1_2.ppt

Safety and Health Movement, Then and Now

Chapter 1

Safety Movement in the U.S

Started in the 1900’s
Industrial accidents were common in U.S.
Legislation, precedent and public opinion in favor of management
Work-related accident resulted in about 4 in 100,000 workers now or less than a third of the rate 50 years ago - National Safety Council (NSC)
Safety legislation has improved health and safety.

Developments Before the Industrial Revolution

Ancient Babylonians (Circa 2000 B.C.) developed the Code of Hammurabi (named after their ruler)
Hammurabi is a set of laws of the land that deals with injuries, fees for physicians and monetary compensation for injuries.
E.g. “If a man has caused the loss of a gentleman's eye, his own eye shall be caused to be lost.”

Developments, Control

Egyptians used slave labors for construction.
Rameses II, an Egyptian king started the industrial medical service to care for workers.
The Romans built aqueducts, sewerage systems, public baths, latrines, and ventilated houses.
Phillippus Aureolus wrote on pulmonary disease of miners

Developments, Control

Georgius Agricola published “De Re Metallica” and advocated for the need for ventilation and air pollution control in mines.
Bernardino Ramazzini wrote on the “Discourse of the Diseases of Workers” relating to occupational diseases due to material handling.

Milestones in the Safety Movement

Child labor was common during the industrial revolution era
Unhealthy conditions and unsafe practices
1802: Health and morals of Apprentices Act passed in England.
1867: Factory inspection introduced in Massachussetts (MA)
1869: Mine safety legislation requiring 2 exits passed in Pennsylvania.
1869: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) established in U.S. to study industrial accidents.

Milestones, Cont’d

1877- MA Legislature passed a law that requires safeguards for hazardous machinery and the Employer’s Liability Law in workplace accidents
1892- 1st recorded safety program in Joliet, Illinois steel plant.
1900- Fredrick Taylor studied the impact of several factors on efficiency, productivity and profitability.
1907- Bureau of Mines created to investigate accidents, examine health hazards and make recommendations for improvement.

Milestones, Cont’d

1908- 1st workers compensation introduced in U.S.
1911- Wisconsin Legislature passed the 1st effective workers compensation law, followed by New Jersey.
1912- 1st meeting of the Cooperative Safety Congress
1913- National Council of Industrial Safety (NCIS) formed in Chicago, later renamed National Safety Council (NSC) in 1915.
1960’s – several safety legislations established in U.S.
1970’s- the Occupational Safety and Health Act or OSH Act formed as the most significant legislation in the history of safety movement in U.S.
1970- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established to provide on-site test’s and research for toxic substances in the workplace. They also publish a list of all known toxic substances and make recommendations to OSHA.

Tragedies that Changed Safety Movement, Hawks Nest Tragedy

The tragedy of Gauley Bridge titled Hawk’s Nest by Herbert Skidmore led to public outcry and forced the U.S. Congress to respond.
Workers who drilled and blasted the passageway through a mountain located in Hawk’s Nest region of West Virginia developed silicosis.
Most of the workers died of silicosis before the project was completed near the city of Gauley Bridge.
Silicosis among miners due to breathing high levels of silica dust.
Silicosis is a disabling lung disease and people who have the disease were denied employment.
Air Hygiene Foundation (AHF) was forced to conduct research and develop standards.

Asbestos Menace

Asbestos is a natural fiber and was once considered a “miracle fiber” and was widely used in buildings and construction.
Selikoff was the first to link asbestos to lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
Asbestos exposure causes cancer in the lungs, gastro intestinal tract, larynx, pharynx, kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile duct of workers
Asbestos –related lawsuits changed how asbestos was viewed and many regulations were implemented in the 1970’s and 1980’s to control it.

Bhopal Tragedy

Over 3,000 people died in Bhopal, India as a result of a chemical accident that resulted from the lacking of over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) and other lethal gases owned by Union Carbide.
As many as 50,000 people of Bhopal were exposed to MIC and may suffer disability.
Union Carbide was accused of criminal negligence, corporate prejudice, and avoidance of stricter safety and health standards of OSHA.
The Indian supreme court ordered Union Carbide to pay $470 million in compensation.
This disaster led to the passage of stricter health and safety standards including the Emergency Planning and Community Right to know Act (EPCRA) of 1986.

Role of Organized Labor

Organized labor has fought for safe working conditions and worker’s compensation.
They played a key role in bringing poor and deplorable working conditions to the attention of the public.
They helped overturn anti-labor laws including:
fellow servant rule which held that employers need not be liable for workplace injuries resulting from negligence of other employees (still in New Hampshire)
contribution negligence
assumption of risk based on the theory that people who accept a job assume the risks that go with it.

Integrated Approach to Safety and Health

Expertise to identify, predict, control, and correct safety and health problems.
OSHA’s intergrated approach requires companies to:
provide appropriate medical treatment for injured or ill workers
regularly examine workers who are exposed to toxic substances.
Have a qualified first aid person during work hours
Small companies may contract these services out.
Key health and safety positions include
Industrial hygienist
Chemist or Engineer
Occupational nurse, etc.
New materials and processes introduced into the workplace are making integrated approach a practical necessity in promoting growth in safety and health profession.

Development of Accident Prevention Programs