National Safe Workplace Institute

How dangerous are America s workplaces Workers apparently feel they are unsafe. A poll of blue-collar workers taken in Indiana in 1990 found that nearly 30 percent considered their jobs not safe, and those who felt their jobs less safe compared to three years earlier outnumbered those who felt their jobs more safe by 22.9 percent to 16.3 percent. Almost three out of five reported that they had been seriously injured on-the-job of these, a third reported multiple injuries. (The emphasis on serious was in the questionnaire.) When asked what priority his or her employer placed on safety, twice as many said low as high (The National Safe Workplace Institute, 1990a). 

The National Safe Woritplace Institute. 1990a. What Indiana Blue Collar Workers Have to Say about Employers and the Role of Government. Chicago The National Safe Workplace Institute. 

Johnson, D. L. and Kinney, K. A. 1993. Breaking Point. Ghicago, IL National Safe Workplace Institute. 

National Safe Workplace Institute 122 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1450 Chicago, IL 60603... 

White phosphorus levels in workplace air are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and recommendations for safe levels have been made by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health... 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research on occupational diseases and injuries, responds to requests for assistance by investigating problems of health and safety in the workplace, recommends standards to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and trains professionals in occupational safely andhealth. Contact NIOSH, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201 "Phone 800-356-4674 or NIOSH Technical Information Branch, Robert A. Taft Laboratory, Mailstop C-19, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998 "Phone 800-35-NIOSH. 

This chapter discusses the requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE). It also addresses other control mechanisms and procedures. Engineering controls should be the primary method used to eliminate or minimize hazard exposure in the workplace. Administrative controls must be set in motion prior to the use of PPE. When such controls are not practical or applicable, PPE shall be employed to reduce or eliminate personnel exposure to hazards. PPE will be provided, used, and maintained when it has been determined that its use is required and that such use will lessen the likelihood of occupational injuries and/or illnesses. All personal protective clothing and equipment should be of a safe design and appropriate for the work to be performed. Only those items of protective clothing and equipment that meet National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards are to be procured or accepted for use. 

Studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health show that employee training and hazard analyses can reduce the incidence of workplace violence. Using entrance door detectors or buzzer systems can help minimize risk in retail establishments and providing adequately trained staff, alarms and employee safe rooms to use during emergencies can do the same in healthcare settings. 

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