Answer Sheet Answers shown are only some of the possibilities, you may identify others. Health and Safety Program Area 1. Employee Participation Complete the form as appropriate to your workplace. Keep in mind that a successful committee will be one where there is support from management and workers in addressing issues. There are a variety of structures and operating procedures, powers and duties. Management and workers will have to decide what works best at your company. a. Who takes the minutes and where are they kept? Taking and maintaining accurate minutes is an important record keeping duty. The minutes should include subjects discussed and those that are still open. The minutes can be used for assessing program. b. How does the information about health and safety get communicated? Bulletin board Weekly newsletter Staff meeting agenda Email Distributed with paystub 2. Site Specific Hazard Analysis a) Condition of neighborhood, lack of access to the building and difficulty accessing apartment, people hanging around. Concerns for continuing to work there. Recommendations for future visits. b) If services must be provided, should consider written instructions on scope of work, sending someone to help Joseph, providing Joseph with cell phone and procedures for reporting concerns and problems. Guidelines for not conducting the visit. c) Two people go on the visit. Call brother before going on visit. Contact City building inspector. Get information from physician concerning unexpected medical problems. Case Study for Site Specific Hazard Analysis The case study includes the following information that would help you complete to survey form: Patient Information: help with toileting, dressing, mobility, and personal hygiene. Diagnosed with diabetes, left hemiparesis due to a stroke. Environmental Information: Two rival gangs, many abandoned buildings with broken windows, people walking around aimlessly, some people drinking alcohol, some people driving around with music blaring. Building Information: Parking in front of building. Bell does not work. Many people coming in and out of building. Someone with a key lets him in. Patient lives on 3rd floor. No elevator. Stairs are slippery, dirty and smell of urine. No lighting on the stairway. People standing under the stairs. May be the smell of marijuana. Apartment Information: Two large German Shepard dogs. Apartment very hot. Windows are open and a couple of fans blowing. No phone. Bother has cell phone. Syringes with exposed needles lying on the patient’s nightstand. 3. Qualitative Assessment a. Who will collect the information? The information may be collected by anyone who has access including the owner, environmental manager, industrial hygienist, safety manager, human resources, or office manager. b. Who will review the information? The information should be reviewed by the manager, owner, and safety staff. In addition, the safety committee can use the information in planning. c. Who will communicate with management and employees about the results? The health and safety committee can be an excellent resource for communicating about health and safety information through written reports. The manager or owner may also want to hold a meeting with employees to explain the information and how it will be used to improve health and safety. 4. Management Leadership How do you communicate about job assignments and changes in policy? Memos, meetings, email, posting information on bulletin board, note with paycheck How do you communicate about health and safety issues? Same Who provides the orientation and mentoring for new employees? Orientation and mentoring should be provided by someone knowledgeable about job tasks and workplace policies for health and safety. Orientation should be provided by someone who does not teach the "short cuts" first. Understanding and applying workplace policies is an important responsibility for employees. Case Study for Management Leadership What are the risks for Mary and Diane in caring for this patient? Risks to Mary include exposure to body fluids and travel to the home. Risks to Diane include exposure to body fluids, lifting, wet floors, travel to the home. Are there any other workers who may be at risk? None are listed. Considering the recommendations on page 9, what do you think Mary should do? Mary should assess Diane’s knowledge of and use of universal precautions. Mary should review her companies program and policies to see if they address health and safety concerns of contract employees. Mary should work with her employer and Diane to ensure that Diane is seen by a physician and provided appropriate medical intervention. 5. Implementation Is there any additional information you need? What are the criteria that are used to make decisions about implementing the program? In this case how did the supervisor decide that the recommendations made by the "less qualified" providers were not correct? Review incident reports. When you have enough information, what are the next steps you will take? List the steps you will take to address the problems. Include purchasing in the discussion when decisions require additional funding allocations. Add specific language in the program that will clarify how decisions are made. 6. Safety & Health Training 7. Hazard Control & Maintenance Chemicals: Cleaning: ammonia, bleach, soap Alternatives: Cleaning: borax and hot water; hydrogen peroxide, vinegar (see Safe Solutions for Home and Garden) Possible controls: premix cleaning products before going to the home, designate area for home care provider in a well ventilated area with access to water. Drugs: chemotherapeutic, antibiotics Alternatives: limited due to physician orders. Possible controls: work in designated area with adequate ventilation and access to water. Gloves, handwashing, disposable policy. 8. Inspection List the potential unsafe conditions or hazards you see in the community and home environment presented. Vacant building across alley, vacant building on street. 123 Oak St has broken window and bars on the first floor window these suggest concern that there may be illegal activities such as drug use (in vacant buildings) or robberies from bars on the windows. In the apartment there is a space heater that may cause fire and an extension cord across the entrance door which could be tripping hazard. Additional extension cord in the kitchen. One small kitchen counter in the kitchen that has ants and roaches. No adequate place to designate for home care worker. Also, clutter in the kitchen making clean up difficult. Household chemicals stored under the sink accessible to children. Living room has clutter, food left to be cleaned up, and litter for the cats. These make cleaning difficult and attracts bugs (however, there is space in this room to move things for the kitchen to create space for home care provider). Patients room space heater, television with extension cord. These are both fire hazards. Complete the Workplace Assessment Tool using the pictures provided. How does this impact your health and safety program? The work plan needs to include controlling the hazards identified in a) and c). Space needs to be provided for home care worker to set up work place. Work plan should include recommendations for the time of visits and employee trained on policies for refusing to enter the building. Calls should be made to the local community police program to determine the best way for the home care worker to identify themselves (uniform, identification, sign on car, parking arrangements) 9. Hazard Reporting a. most reports are injuries, over ½ of the incidents resulted in days away from work, 3 out of 12 were back strain b. not enough information on the location. No details on how and why. c. root cause of the incident. d. ask employees about what happened. Encourage reporting and be supportive in addressing the problems. e. interview employee. Complete incident reports. Ask for recommendations for preventing in the future. f. varies depending on the incident. 10. Incident Investigation Scheduling to allow enough time to prepare and get to location; Training on driving defensively 2 Only drive; do not do other things while the car is moving 3 Employer has policy on automobile maintenance 1 Employee disciplined for involvement in incident. eliminate Responsibility to communicate with supervisor when an incident occurs 6 Chain of command for employees in the field and decision making in an emergency or with changes in staffing 5 Communication with employer about fitness for duty 4     Supervisors are responsible for assessing the impact of the incident on co-workers and delivery of care 7     11. Medical Program Describe how a supervisor would direct workers to access the medical program. Joan should be seen be a physician for a HIV/AIDs blood test now and in 6 months. She should be counseled and place on appropriate medical prophylaxis. The needle stick should be recorded on the log of injuries and illnesses. An incident investigation should take place and the results reported to staff. Work related illnesses, work complaints, medical treatments. What changes need to be made in the health and safety program to prevent exposures in the future? Needles should not be disposed of in the trash. The incident investigation should result in recommendations for eliminating this exposure.