Hurting Occupational Injuries

Death by the release of energy. (Courtesy of Mine Safety and Health Administration.) 

Errant or unplanned release of energy results in injury to workers or even death. Recently, there were three workers killed in my state from failure to lock out (block) energy from being released. They failed to block or support the raised bed of a dump truck. They had positioned themselves between the frame of the truck and the raised bed. The bed s energy was released and came down on them, crushing life from them. This type of accident continues to happen every year. This is an example of the release of energy. 

There are such a myriad of safety hazards facing employers and workers within the workplace. It is difficult to select the most important hazards and thus err by leaving out ones that others believe to be important. Although great detail cannot be provided in one chapter, it is the intent of this chapter to provide enough information to set the tone. If detailed information is needed, then other references can be sought by the reader. 

Trauma is by definition an injury produced by a force (violence, thermal, chemical, or an extrinsic agent). Occupational trauma transpires from the contact with or the unplanned release of varied sources of energy intrinsic within the workplace. Most workplaces have a plethora of energy sources from potential (stored) energy to kinetic (energy in motion) energy sources. These sources may be stacked materials (potential) or a jackhammer (kinetic). The sources of energy are the primary causes of trauma deaths and injuries to workers. 

Trauma-related events are a lot easier to observe and evaluate than those related to occupational illness. The reasons for the validity of this statement are as follows  

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Chapter 9—Hurting Occupational Injuries—The occurrence of injuries is usually inherently different from the onset of occupational illness. Injuries occur in real time with observable outcomes and the cause is usually easily identifiable since the sequence of events is reasonably easy to reconstruct. Most of the injuries are caused by the release of some sort of energy. This chapter will present the common types of energy, which need to be evaluated to prevent injuries from occurring, as well as events and factors that have more subtle causes, but are at least equal or more important as a causal factor of the injuries. A procedure of how best to evaluate and analyze the injuries being seen will be provided. 

This is a philosophical as well as a social issue. At present there may be no socially acceptable risk from chemicals similar to the acceptable risks from food-borne infections, occupational injuries, or injuries incurred around the home. The public often occupies an extremist position - from "It can t hurt you I ve bathed in it," to "I don t care what you say, I don t want any exposure I want zero risk."... 

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