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The Health and Safety Handbook

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The Health and Safety Handbook The Health and Safety Handbook A Guide to the Hazards in the Healthcare Industry Did you know… * WorkSafe NZ dictates that temperatures must be set between 19-24 degrees in summer and 18-22 degrees in winter to ensure good workplace health and safety. * Workers must not be exposed to noise levels at 85 decibels or above averaged over 8 hours, or a peak noise level of 140 decibels, as this can cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss which is irreversible. * Exposure to toxic substances contributes to an estimated 600-900 deaths per year. * A worldwide survey across 510 surgeons, conducted in April 2019, revealed that 95% of surgeons had either experienced a needlestick injury or witnessed a college sustain one. * In 2018 an estimated 2565 health care professionals were injured in the workplace from a slip, trip or fall, which resulted in absence from work for at least a week. * In 2015 ACC spent $3.3 million on claims made by health care professionals from injuries they receive in handling patients. * The New Zealand Occupational Health and Safety Standard have determined that 12 cubic metres are needed at minimum for each employee in a working office. * Asbestos is New Zealand’s leading killer in the workplace killing an estimated 170 people every year. 2 The Health & Safety Handbook The types of hazards you may encounter in your work as a Germs health care INTRODUCTION& professional infections include: Health and safety is paramount in the Moving workplace. patients or Toxic helping them substances However, conditions to move encountered at work, can compromise physical, Violence physiological and mental & Fatigue wellbeing. bullying & stress Ergonomics Most of you are likely to & space be aware of the specific risks associated with your Adverse profession, however, there Loud temperatures are other hazards that you noises may be exposed to at work. This booklet is meant to be a Slips, guide to workplace hazards trips & that you may not be aware of. falls 3 The Health & Safety Handbook People you can Health approach to help & Safety address the danger that workplace hazards By the pose to you: Numbers... • Your APEX delegates and advocates. 750 • Health & Safety to 900 representatives and deaths occur every committees. Provided year as a result of in the Health and Safety work-related health Act 2015, each workplace issues. may elect a representative or committee to identify hazards to employees 5000 - and determine how to remedy the danger they 6000 pose. hospitalisations occur each year as a • Your workplace managers. result of work-related ill-health. We hope that this guide A proves to be a useful tool worker is with which you will be able to create a workspace that 15 you can thrive in, whilst times more likely to die from a continuing to perform crucial work-related disease work. than injury.22 4 The Health & Safety Handbook TEMPERATURES Uncomfortable temperatures in your workplace can seriously hinder your productivity. Working in temperatures that are too high or too low can be extremely demanding on you both mentally and physically, and can affect your ability to What is perform your job. To ensure Thermal Comfort? that we view our work and Thermal Comfort is the workplace positively, it is optimal room important that we’re temperature for at least supported by a comfortable environment. 80% of all the people present. While working, you may be exposed to uncomfortable temperatures that may not work and thrive in. These appear to be a health and risks support the need for a safety hazard at first, but thermally comfortable after significant exposure, environment. can affect your health negatively.1 Working in healthy temperatures can improve Thermal comfort is the ideal mental wellbeing, efficiency temperature for you to and reduce the number of 5 The Health & Safety Handbook health and safety hazards you face at work. Your employer must take steps to accommodate thermal comfort and ensure that required temperatures for workplaces are not affecting the workers within them. There are many things you can do to improve your own thermal comfort such as altering your attire; however, WorkSafe this is not an option that is recommends that office always available in many jobs. air conditioning units be set between 19-24 It is the employer’s duty to degrees in summer and identify the hazards that may 18-22 arise from working within the degrees in winter.1 temperatures in your position and place control measures in place to reduce the risk to your health. temperatures, your employer needs to take steps to While it may be important to mitigate the risk they cause to keep workplaces within the you in setting these health sector at certain temperatures. What can you do? Record the temperature with a thermometer every hour for a week, then report your findings to your Health and Safety representative. 6 The Health & Safety Handbook In 2018, increased summer temperatures threatened the Health and Safety of Nurses in Hawke’s Bay. The Nurses complained that with the high summer temperatures they were experiencing, they were finding it more difficult to conduct their duties without feeling unwell, uncomfortable and exhausted. The District Health Board recognised that due to the age of the hospital, the building was unable to effectively cater to its worker’s needs. A patient even commented that the conditions were so strenuous that if they had occurred in any other workplace there would have CASE STUDY been a public outcry. In response, the Board considered whether the costs of installing a comprehensive air-conditioning system was acceptable to help their workers. Installing the air-conditioning system would have cost them $3 million dollars. Therefore, the hospital chose to give out ice blocks, talked about providing fans and considered changing the fabrics of the uniforms instead. Although steps were taken to address the problem, it seems that the health of their workers may have been compromised. 7 The Health & Safety Handbook Noise Induced Hearing Loss(NIHL) can cause NOISETinnitus (creates constant sounds such as roaring, humming, buzzing and Working in exceedingly ringing in your ears). loud environments is never Mild NIHL can mean you can’t hear comfortable, however high frequency sounds. discomfort is not the only You may struggle to hear problem with noisy certain sounds and workplaces. Loud sounds words also have the potential to correctly. negatively impact your health and safety. your ears can recover. However, when there is Working in noisy conditions prolonged exposure, your can seriously affect your ears cannot recover from the health and productivity and damage done. can negatively impact your ability to carry out your job. It This subsequently has the can also affect your life potential to cause lifelong outside of work. The main damage to your hearing.3 issue with noise, is your If workplace conditions ears ability to recover from require you to shout to your exposure to loud noises. co-workers when they are If you have ample breaks one meter from you, from loud sounds, 8 The Health & Safety Handbook your hearing is at risk of a significant impact on your being permanently damaged. productivity, may cause you to feel stressed and Noise limits: Workers must overwhelmed, and even not be exposed to noise isolate you from others. levels at 85 decibels or above averaged over 8 hours, or Being exposed to levels a peak noise level of 140 above 85 decibels can cause decibels. 2 Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Therefore, it is Being exposed to levels above important to consider these limits can cause Noise workplace safety measures to Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). minimise this risk. Although Once hearing is lost it cannot it may be uncomfortable come back as the nerve cells for you to approach your within the inner ear become employer to raise concerns damaged and eventually stop about these potential issues, responding to sound.2 always remember that your health and safety is of utmost Not only will this cause you importance. to struggle with completing your duties at work, it will Anyone also impact your everyday life whose workplace is drastically. Hearing loss can under construction, can be exposed to potentially have a significant impact on damaging noise levels. your productivity, may cause Certain tools used in you to feel stressed and construction can emit overwhelmed, and even approximately 100 isolate you from others. decibels of noise Further, hearing loss can have whilst in use! What can you do? Get a Sounds Level Meter and record the levels in your workplace, then report this to your Health and Safety representative. 9 The Health & Safety Handbook 10 The Health & Safety Handbook TOXIC SUBSTANCES Toxic substances can be seriously hazardous to your health. As a health professional, there are, unfortunately, many circumstances under which you can encounter harmful substances that can Due cause immediate injury, long to the severity lasting health issues, and, in of the possible outcomes, extreme cases, even death. it is of utmost importance It is important that you are that the appropriate measures are taken to aware of these risks and mitigate any adverse take action to prevent harm effects while interacting before it causes irreversible with toxic substances damage to your health. at work. Toxic Serious substances health issues resulting contribute to an from exposure to toxic estimated substances, result in an estimated 30,000 600-900 12 deaths per year. cases each year. 11 The Health & Safety Handbook The ways in which you may be exposed to toxic substances in the workplace include: Interacting with patients: you may be exposed to antineoplastic drugs, aerosolized medications, anaesthetic gases.
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