Workplaces interviews

Compliance with the written program can be verified during the walkaround by personal observation and employee interviews. If respirators are required to be worn in the workplace or respirators other than dust masks are worn by voluntary users, a written program is required. An overexposure is not required to cite. Discrepancies between the written program and implemented work practices at the worksite should be cited. Use of a elastomeric or supplied-air respirator, even when voluntary on the part of the employee, will require the employer to include all elements in a written program that will make sure that there is proper use of these respirators so that they do not create a hazard. 

Elizabeth s ability to live well with MCS can be attributed in part to a supportive husband and an employer willing to make accommodations in her workplace. Since I interviewed her, a fragrance-free policy was adopted in her workplace, and environmental health issues have been considered in the planning of renovations in her department. 

Barbara met me in San Francisco for the interview. By the time she arrived her voice was a raspy whisper because of chemical exposures she encountered on her way. Her story illustrates some of the challenges and chemical barriers faced by many people with MCS in their workplaces. 

For follow-up interviews and general information gathering (factfinding type meetings), the ratio of interviewee/interviewer is less critical. A group interview can come across as more open, honest, and less covert. A team atmosphere can be created. Later in the investigation, it may be acceptable to have multiple witnesses present as details and inconsistencies are resolved. The team will have to make this judgment based on the specifics of the occurrence and the workplace atmosphere. 

After an OSHA inspection of the workplace, the investigator(s) will review the evidence gathered via documents, interviews, and observations. If the OSHA inspector believes there has been a violation of a standard, he can use a standard citation form that identifies the site inspected, the date, the type of violation, a description of the violation, the proposed penalty, and other requirements. The citation must be issued within the first six months after the alleged violation occurred. 

Qualitative information on exposure can be obtained from study subjects using questionnaires or interviews. Experts such as occupational hygienists can evaluate the exposure by walk-through surveys, detailed workplace investigations using validated checklists or judgements based on their experience. 

Siemiatycki (Canada) 1997 Application of expert judgment in a study of cancer and occupation in Montreal between 1979 and 1986 294 workplace chemicals Interviews and job histories Qualitative frequency (% work week) and exposure level (high, medium, low) ratings... 

Kudla (USA) 1997 Analysis of historical exposures to two workers with bone marrow disorders in the printing trade Benzene, toluene Detailed worker interviews and workplace descriptions Qualitative estimates generated... 

First, and most critically, many violations are in a sense invisible to those in the workplace. They know they happen, as we understood from interviews with railway shunters and anaesthetists, but on a daily basis they largely pass unnoticed so no one knows how often they occur. For these reasons, they do not feature in incident reporting systems, unless they have some serious consequence, which is very occasional. 

The exploratory study was based on workplace visits and semi-structured interviews with managers of 7 SMEs enterprises. Interviews focusednpon managers attitudes, knowledge and perceptions regarding the OH S, their commitment to safety, cooperation with occupational physicians (OPs), and worker s involvement in safety. The objective was to bnilt np a picture which took into account not only how OH S organized and implemented in the enterprise, but also how managers valued it and how they viewed the role of OPs in improvement of safety culture at the enterprise. 

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