Hyatt Hotels receive ergonomic risk warning from OSHA.

Hazard Alert Letter is a first in the hotel industry

OSHA has issued a formal Hazard Alert Letter to Hyatt Hotels, notifying the company of ergonomic risk factors faced by housekeepers in the course of their daily work. The letter recommends steps for Hyatt to take to reduce the ergonomic strain of housekeeping labor.

The Hazard notice concludes a year-long investigation process of Hyatt properties nationwide led by OSHA, instigated by injury complaints that were filed by housekeepers in 2010 on behalf of 3,500 Hyatt workers in eight U.S. cities, like Chicago, San Antonio and Indianapolis. The landmark multi-city filing of complaints was the first of its kind in the private sector. Since that time, OSHA and its state counterparts have issued 18 citations against Hyatt and 3 citations against one of its subcontractors, proposing combined fines of over $118,000 for alleged violations of various safety regulations protecting housekeepers and other hotel workers. Hyatt has appealed and in some cases settled the citations against it. In addition, State OSHA plans in California and Hawaii have issued similar ergonomic hazard notices to Hyatt properties in those states.

"OSHA's letter validates reports by Hyatt housekeepers about pain and injuries sustained while cleaning luxury hotel rooms," according to UniteHere!, a union representing workers in the hotel, food service, airport, gaming and textile industries. "Over time, lifting heavy mattresses and other cleaning activities can lead to debilitating injuries, surgery and even permanent disability. Hyatt housekeepers at some hotels clean as many as 30 rooms a day, leaving room attendants as little as 15 minutes per room to scrub bathroom floors, change bed linens and more. In a study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine examining 50 hotel properties from 5 different hotel companies, Hyatt housekeepers had the highest injury rate of all housekeepers studied when compared by hotel company."

"For years, we have asked Hyatt to make simple changes that would ease the toll on our bodies," says Maria Soto, a housekeeper at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, who has been injured cleaning rooms. "Now our voices are being heard, and the federal government is joining us in calling on Hyatt to make our jobs safer."

The Hazard Alert Letter recommends remedies that Hyatt can implement across its U.S. operations, like use of long-handled mops and fitted sheets, to minimize the amount of bed lifting and straining housekeepers do daily. The letter also outlines Hyatt's responsibility to record injuries of subcontracted workers at its hotels, addressing a loophole that stems from the hotel chain's use of contract workers to clean hotel rooms. Hyatt stirred controversy in 2009 after firing nearly 100 housekeepers in its Boston hotels, replacing them with contracted workers making minimum wage and increasing the quota of rooms cleaned each day.

"By issuing the Hazard Alert at a corporate level, OSHA is telling Hyatt that the dangers of housekeeping work are real, that there are reasonable solutions, and it's time for Hyatt to put them into practice across the country," said Pamela Vossenas, UNITE HERE's health and safety expert.

Source: http://www.ishn.com/articles/93181-hyatt-hotels-receive-ergonomic-risk-warning-from-osha

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME (SBS)

It can affect your body, health and environment.

Sick Building Syndrome: Is Greening Your Building a Cure?

The idea that a building could make people ill has been in the public consciousness since 1976 when Legionella pneumophila first reared its ugly bacterial head at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. While that was an unusual and isolated case, the idea of a buildings indoor air causing illness has never gone away.

During the eighties and nineties we embraced energy efficiencies with such vigor that in some cases our buildings became airtight breeding grounds for germs and toxins and building occupants experienced symptoms of acute discomfort. In addition, according to the EPA, we here in North America spend as much as 90 percent of our time inside our buildings — our homes included — and these buildings are responsible for 38.9 percent of the US carbon dioxide emissions.

Although the actual figure is difficult to determine, the EPA  has estimated the losses in employee absenteeism, medical costs, reduced productivity, and lower earnings due to sick building syndrome to be anywhere between $60 to as much as $ 200 billion a year.

So what causes Sick Building Syndrome, and how can sustainable and green building techniques help overcome it? From the moment tenants occupy a building, CO2 from the breathing begins to build up, but that’s not all we send into our indoor air. Old buildings with their mold and moisture are a feeding ground to most biological organisms. If your building has a leaky roof or windows that aren’t sealed, or if moisture accumulates around the drip pans of a cooling or heating system, you could have a major problem: black mold.

Even new buildings can be a potential hazard. Materials like some paints, carpets, adhesives, wallboard and other construction materials emit chemicals through a process called out-gassing. The chemicals in them escape into the air circulation of the building. And if you have a cough or cold, now billions of bacteria are airborne. So imagine some of those medical office buildings your doctor is in.

So could sustainable strategies be a cure for existing or new buildings? I think so, and so do some researchers who have concluded that the application of “green” and sustainable building and operational techniques will help reduce the incidence of SBS.

Building standards, typically based on the ASHRAE 62.1, require ventilation rates of about 20 Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM) per person to help remove those contaminants from building air and send them outside where they belong. But studies by Lawrence Berkeley National Labs in California have shown that even higher ventilation rates resulted in fewer complaints of Sick Building Syndrome symptoms. But do we really need a lab or consultant to tell us that fresh air is good for us and our buildings? I think not.

Many people think green building is simply a way to cut energy costs, but that’s just one of the benefits. Green building techniques also create buildings that are healthier and more comfortable for their occupants, and for me the benefits and impact could not be better showcased than in healthcare.

The Green Building Approach

Fortunately, a cure for sick building syndrome does exist. New green-building architects and engineers are finding much better, cost-effective cures for sick building syndrome. As much as you want to put the onus on your consultants,  as a developer or builder you have to do your own homework. My tip is stick to the basics and you should get more “green” for your green.

Example –

• Enhanced natural lighting and light management systems: Natural lighting provides a healthy detoxification effect for the workspace.
• Improved air quality and ventilation: Challenge your designers to incorporate operable windows.
• Geothermal systems: The most renewable energy, great life cost ROI, and some attractive incentives currently exist.
• Improved environmental management: Analysis of the environmental needs of the building and develop controls to improve the health of the environment. Smart building technologies are becoming more adaptable and affordable
• Within reason use sustainable building materials replacing toxic artificial materials. (Note I said “within reason.”): Better quality commercial materials like sustainable carpets last longer, improve the workplace environment and cost significantly less over their product lives.
• Plants: The beneficial effect is a subtle but complex mixture of the physiological and psychological. Plants improve humidity, reduced noise, improve air quality and reduce stress and engender a feeling of well-being in most people.

The motivation for healthcare facilities to incorporate sustainable green design, construction and operating practices is that improved indoor environmental quality improves the efficiency and productivity of the professionals, their staff and above all, the health of the patient.

by:  Frank Deluca
CEO
DCL Equity Partners Inc.
Browse.    

Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/02/sick-building-syndrome-is-greening-your-building-a-cure/

What is Work-Related Stress?

In terms of occupational health and safety, stress is the misfit between a worker's needs and capabilities, and what the workplace offers and demands. Another definition is "the reaction people have to excessive demands or pressures, arising when people try to cope with tasks, responsibilities or other types of pressure connected with their jobs, but find difficulty; strain or worry in doing so". (Health and Safety Executive, UK). 

The forerunner to the Australian Safety and Compensation Commission, the National Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) identified stress as the most significant psychological hazard in the workplace, affecting both the mental and physical well-being of people. 

 

Stress is one of the major OHS issues confronting workers in Australian workplaces. The ACTU conducted a survey in 1997 receiving over 12,000 responses being received. The survey showed:

• One in four people took time off due to stress at work.
• The most stressful conditions at work reported were management issues including lack of communication and consultation; increased workload; organisational change and restructuring; and job insecurity.
• People reported a range of symptoms. More than 60 per cent reported headaches; continual tiredness; anger and sleeplessness.
• Over half the respondents nominated better management, including more communication and consultation, as the solution to stress at work. Other solutions included less workload; less performance monitoring; better work organisation; more training; job security and better career opportunities.

Despite this, and the fact that stress has been recognised as a major occupational hazard by unions and government OHS authorities world wide, many Australian employers do little about the issue. In fact, the view of one of the largest employer organisations, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), is that there is that "...in spite of the substantial amount of work by academics and researchers over the last 20 years or so, we are no closer to providing proof of a linkage between so called workplace stress and disease" (ACCI Press Release, January, 2002: Stress as a Community and Workplace Issue)

What are the causes of stress?

A 'good job' usually involves a measure of positive stimuli, which encourages the worker to perform well and gain job satisfaction as a result - this is not stress. Many jobs involve negative factors that put unwanted pressure (stress) on the worker, leading to adverse consequences. Stress is not a disease or injury in itself, but can lead to mental and physical ill health, and can also be a factor in workplace accidents. 

Many work factors can be identified as potential causes of stress, or stressors, and most can be divided into three areas:

1. Working conditions
2. Doing the job
3. Work relationships

Working conditions	Doing the job	Work relationships
Too hot or too cold	Excessive workload or long hours	Bullying or harassment
Too noisy	Boring or repetitive work	Discrimination
Poor equipment / work station	Deadline pressures	Client hostility
Inadequate security	Too little training or support	Conflict with supervisors/ managers
Poor lighting	Confusion over, or too much, responsibility for others	Poor relationships with colleagues
Overcrowding	Lack of control over work	Lack of communication or consultation between manager and employees
Inflexible work schedules or unpredictable hours	Organisational change/relocation	Negative culture based on blame for and denial of problems
Toxic fumes and chemicals	Unnecessary monitoring of employees
Vibration	Job insecurity
Poor childcare facilities	Inadequate pay and conditions
Poor maintenance	Confusion over priorities, timeframes and standards
	Inadequate or unclear procedures: eg disciplinary, promotion, transfer, etc

Workers attempt to cope with stress in a number of ways and with varying degrees of success. However, if the person is consistently exposed to stressful situations, adverse consequences will result. When the body is exposed to a stress, the level of hormones in the body increases to mobilise energy resources in preparation to 'fight or flee' the situation. This response may be appropriate in the case of a Stone Age person confronted by a wild beast, but should be out of place in today's work environment.

What are the health effects of exposure to stress?

The symptoms of stress can include indecision, anxiety, depression, altered appetite, changes in weight, headache, backache, skin rashes and difficulty sleeping. They may lead to heart disease, ulcers and other long term ill health.

Diseases of the blood circulation system:

• Hyertension
• Coronary heart disease
• Angina
• Heart attacks

Diseases of the digestive system:

• Ulcers
• Colitis (inflammation of the bowel)

Other problems include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches, backaches
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Hostility and aggression
• Psychosomatic complaints
• Neuroses
• Cancer (research has associated major life trauma with a number of cancers, and recently a South Australian court found that workplace stress contribute to a worker's fatal bowel cancer)

Just as the ways the body reacts to stress can be harmful if stress is prolonged, so too are some of the ways which people can use to try to cope with stress. As levels of stress increase, so too can the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and prescription/ non-prescription drugs. 

Source: http://www.ohsrep.org.au/hazards/stress/what-is-work-related-stress/index.cfm

 

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) Prevention.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are conditions in which:

1. The work environment and performance of work contribute significantly to the condition; and/or
2. The condition is made worse or persists longer due to work conditions¹

In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a review of evidence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Examples of work conditions that may lead to WMSDs include routine lifting of heavy objects, daily exposure to whole body vibration, routine overhead work, work with the neck in chronic flexion position, or performing repetitive forceful tasks. This report identified positive evidence for relationships between work conditions and MSDs of the neck, shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, and back.¹

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor defines MSDs as musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders when the event or exposure leading to the case is bodily reaction (e.g., bending, climbing, crawling, reaching, twisting), overexertion, or repetitive motion. MSDs do not include disorders caused by slips, trips, falls, or similar incidents. Examples of MSDs include:

• Sprains, strains, and tears
• Back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Hernia²

Musculoskeletal disorders are associated with high costs to employers such as absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased health care, disability, and worker’s compensation costs. MSD cases are more severe than the average nonfatal injury or illness (e.g., hearing loss, occupational skin diseases such as dermatitis, eczema, or rash).

• Musculoskeletal disorders account for nearly 70 million physician office visits in the United States annually, and an estimated 130 million total health care encounters including outpatient, hospital, and emergency room visits³
• The Institute of Medicine estimates of the economic burden of WMSDs, as measured by compensation costs, lost wages, and lost productivity, are between $45 and $54 billion annually³
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 26,794 Carpal tunnel syndrome cases involving days away from work in 2001⁴
• In 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 372,683 back injury cases involving days away from work⁵
• In 2003, the total cost for arthritis conditions was $128 billion—$81 billion in direct costs and $47 billion in indirect costs⁶
• Persons who are limited in their work by arthritis are said to have Arthritis-attributable work limitations (AAWL).  AAWL affects one in 20 working-age adults (aged 18-64) in the United States and one in three working-age adults with self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis⁷

Developing and Implementing Workplace Controls

Engineering controls, administrative controls and use of personal protective equipment

• The preferred approach to prevent and control WMSDs is to design the job to take account of the capabilities and limitations of the workforce using engineering controls such as changing workstation layout, which might include using height-adjustable workbenches or locating tools and materials within short reaching distances
• Administrative control strategies are policies and practices that reduce WMSD risk but they do not eliminate workplace hazards such as changes in job rules and procedures such as scheduling more breaks to allow for rest and recovery. Although engineering controls are preferred, administrative controls can be helpful as temporary measures until engineering controls can be implemented or when engineering controls are not technically feasible
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capability of the working population.¹ The goal of ergonomics is to reduce stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. A workplace ergonomics program can aim to prevent or control injuries and illnesses by eliminating or reducing worker exposure to WMSD risk factors using engineering and administrative controls. PPE is also used in some instances but it is the least effective workplace control to address ergonomic hazards. Risk factors include awkward postures, repetition, material handling, force, mechanical compression, vibration, temperature extremes, glare, inadequate lighting, and duration of exposure.⁸ For example, employees who spend many hours at a workstation, may develop ergonomic-related problems resulting in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). 

Of particular interest in evaluation of programs to prevent WMSDs is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Elements of Ergonomics Programs primer with seven steps to address WMSDs.⁹ Each step lends itself to an evaluation measure.

1. Look for signs of a potential WMSD in the workplace, such as frequent worker reports of aches and pains or tasks requiring repetitive forceful exertions (health care costs, health outcomes) and act to reduce them
2. Show management commitment by addressing possible problems and encouraging worker involvements in problem-solving activities (organizational change)
3. Offer training to expand management and worker ability to evaluate potential WMSDs (health outcomes, organizational change)
4. Gather data to identify jobs or work conditions that are most problematic, using sources such as injury and illness logs, medical records, and job analyses (health outcomes)
5. Identify effective controls for tasks that pose a risk of WMSD and evaluate these approaches once they have been instituted to see if they have reduced or eliminated the problem (organizational change)
6. Establish health care management to emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment of WMSDs for preventing impairment and disability (health outcomes)
7. Minimize risk factors for WMSDs when planning new work processes and operations (organizational change)

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/evaluation/topics/disorders.html

Release Number: 12-912-NAT
May 7, 2012
Contact: Adriano Llosa      Jesse Lawder
Phone: 202-693-4686      202-693-4659
Email: llosa.adriano@dol.gov      lawder.jesse@dol.gov

US Labor Department kicks off summer campaign to prevent
heat-related illnesses and fatalities among outdoor workers.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kicked off a national outreach initiative to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. The outreach effort builds on last year's successful summer campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of too much sun and heat.

"For outdoor workers, 'water, rest and shade' are three words that can make the difference between life and death," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said. "If employers take reasonable precautions, and look out for their workers, we can beat the heat."

Every year, thousands of workers across the country suffer from serious heat-related illnesses. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which has killed – on average – more than 30 workers annually since 2003. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps, but quickly can become heat exhaustion and then heat stroke if simple prevention steps are not followed.

"It is essential for workers and employers to take proactive steps to stay safe in extreme heat, and become aware of symptoms of heat exhaustion before they get worse," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Agriculture workers; building, road and other construction workers; utility workers; baggage handlers; roofers; landscapers; and others who work outside are all at risk. Drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks in cool, shaded areas are incredibly important in the hot summer months."

In preparation for the summer season, OSHA has developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training. Additionally, a Web page provides information and resources on heat illness – including how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency – for workers and employers. The page is available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html.

OSHA also has released a free application for mobile devices that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites. The app displays a risk level for workers based on the heat index, as well as reminders about protective measures that should be taken at that risk level. Available for Android-based platforms and the iPhone, the app can be downloaded in both English and Spanish by visiting http://s.dol.gov/RI.

In developing last year's inaugural national campaign, federal OSHA worked closely with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and adapted materials from that state's successful campaign. Additionally, OSHA is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the second year to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the nation. NOAA also will include pertinent worker safety information on its heat watch Web page at http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php.

Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=22344

Job Hazard Analysis – Eleven Steps to a Job Hazard Analysis.

As duties and projects shift in priority and if we are not constantly alert to change, we will lose the “feel” of the workplace.  Employee turnover, company mergers, new initiatives, and other technology will bring new individuals to work areas who do not have the same production or service industry experience.  As things change, management direction and objectives will also shift.  The challenge is to assure management continues to understand the benefits of developing and maintaining  a comprehensive risk and hazard analysis.

 

Management must be kept fully informed on how the job hazard analysis effort brings continuing value to the organization.  To assure on-going implementation and revisions to Job Hazard Analysis (JHAs,)  managers must comprehend the connection between JHA and safety systems, human performance, the long-term investments required and commitment to the process.

If JHAs appear to be randomly completed and considered only an add on to the safety process then it becomes ineffective in providing continuous improvement.  Focus is lost as well as needed budgets in time and money.

The Goal of Hazard Analysis

The goal of the Job Hazard Analysis is to increase the probability of success in the ever changing work environment.  The following are eleven basic steps to begin the JHA Process:

1. Develop a list of Jobs within the workplace under review - Using a risk assessment model, rank order the jobs by overall hazard and risk (exposure and potential severity of injury and/or loss producing events.) Identify jobs with that present unacceptable risks.  These jobs should be given  first priority for analysis.

2. Assure that local management and area supervision understand the Hazard Analysis process – It is important that management and area supervision how it will be of benefit to the organization.  The process can be seen as adversarial if their perception is that the process is going to be critical of their management skills.  Human nature being what it is, a negative “us versus them” environment can develop without management and supervision buy-in.  Nobody likes to have their “baby” called ugly!

3. Involve employees and area supervision in developing the JHA. Involving employees in the process is essential in  minimizing oversights of specific or hidden hazards.  Their involvement provides increased potential quality of analysis and future  “buy-in” to the solutions identified.  The employees will share ownership in the safety process.

4. Review injuries and other loss producing events, i.e., history of injuries, losses that required repair or replacement, and any near misses, any events where an injuries or loss did not occur, but would have under different circumstances.  Review all data collected with all affected employees.  These events are “warning signs” (indicators) that the existing preventative measures or controls (if any) may not be adequate.  Based on concepts from Human Performance Improvement, specific events may provide indicators of organizational weakness with unrecognized latent errors previously built into the jobs under review.

5. Beginning with the top priority Job, conduct a preliminary task review.  Enlist affected employees with breaking down the job into its basic steps and then into specific tasks necessary within each step.  We use the fishbone or cause and effect diagram to capture the steps and tasks, tools/equipment/materials to be used, the work environment, current policies/procedures, and employees or others exposed to the job.

6. Observe the employee(s) performing the job listing each step and then the related task as they are being performed.  Record enough information to describe each action without getting too detailed.  Get peer (employee-to-employee) review who have performed the same job and the area supervision input to validate assumptions and findings.

7. Discuss identified hazards that exist in the current work environment with employees.

8. Discuss the risk within each step, the potential exposure and scope of potential severity.  Do not depend on just the employees’ insights and assure that a full research for the risk potential is completed.   Employees may or may not have a full understanding of or experience with the severity potential.

9. Discuss possible changes in the job to reduce risk as well as hazard controls that must be implemented with employees so that they fully understand the why of all controls.

10. Correct identified safety issues that are as soon as possible or assure that temporary controls are implemented until a permanent fix can be devised.

11. Inform management of the finding of the JHA.

Summary

It is important that management, supervision, and employees are included in all phases of the analysis, from reviewing the job description and related task and procedures, to discussing uncontrolled hazards, associated at-risk events, and preventative measures.
References
US Department of Energy Human Performance Improvement Handbook, Volume 1, DOE-HDBK-1028-2009
Roughton, James, Nathan Crutchfield; Job Hazard Analysis. A Guide to Compliance and Beyond, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008

Source:  http://www.myjobhazardanalysis.com/job-hazard-analysis-eleven-steps-to-a-job-hazard-analysis