Columbia Southern University Off The Job Safety Article Review Paper TWO PARTS!!! ARTICLE REVIEW AND Discussion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unit V Article Review

Columbia Southern University Off The Job Safety Article Review Paper TWO PARTS!!! ARTICLE REVIEW AND Discussion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unit V Article Review
Weight: 9% of course grade
Grading Rubric
Due: Tuesday, 12/10/2019 11:59 PM (CST)
Instructions

In the CSU Online Library, go to the ABI/Inform Collection database, and perform a publication search for “professional safety.” This should take you to a page where you can perform a search from within the publication itself. Perform an additional search within the publication using “return on investment” as a search term. Click here for instructions on how to do this.

Select an article that deals with considering return on investment when deciding upon the implementation of hazard controls.

Write a review of the article that includes the following items:

a brief introduction to the article,
a summary and analysis of the key points in the article,
a discussion related to the concept of return on investment considerations for advocating the implementation of appropriate controls, and
a summary of the article’s conclusions and your own opinions.

The assignment must be in APA format and at least two pages in length, not including title and reference pages.

>>>>>>>>>>>>> DISCUSSION POST :Provide an example of a hazard where you imagine starting at the bottom of the hierarchy would be the easiest path for management to take. Which path do you believe is the best choice to take?

Please review the Hierarchy of Controls, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/default… BEST PRACTICES
OFF-THE-JOB SAFETY
A Successful Special Emphasis Project
By Dennis Burks
Many employers have established exceptional occupational safety programs that have resulted in great return
on investment leading to reduced incident rates, low insurance costs, minimal regulatory issues and high
employee morale. Having a great on-the-job safety program is an ongoing process.
Although many employers maintain
great programs, they may not have invested in off-the-job safety. Most incidents
occur off the job but these incidents can
affect a company’s bottom line involving
factors such as health insurance premiums
and workforce reliability and readiness to
perform. The return on investment for an
off-the-job safety program can be higher
than that of a workplace safety program.
An off-the-job safety program could be
considered an extension of the workplace
safety program. An OSH professional might
consider this to be the next frontier.
Special Emphasis Project
A great way to start or build on an existing off-the-job safety program could
involve a special emphasis project. An organization could focus on any of the various safety concerns that workers face off
the job. This article presents an example of
a special emphasis project that has worked
well for an architecture, engineering and
infrastructure firm focused on prevention
of head injuries in children riding bicycles
or skateboards. According to Nationwide
Children’s Hospital (2012):
•Every year in the U.S., nearly 400,000
children visit hospital emergency departments with bicycle-related injuries.
•The most common injuries are bruises, cuts and broken bones, but the most
serious are head injuries.
•Nine out of 10 bicycle riders who die
in crashes are not wearing helmets.
•Wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce
the risk of brain injury by up to 88%.
According to BrainLine (2011), a national
multimedia project offering information
and resources about traumatic brain injury:
•Universal bicycle helmet use by children ages 4 to 15 can prevent 39,000 to
45,000 head injuries and 18,000 to 55,000
scalp and face injuries annually.
•One child out of seven will suffer a
head injury as a result of a bicycle crash.
•Biking is the cause of more visits to
the emergency room for children ages 5
to 14 than any other sport.
In this special emphasis project, a
child’s bike helmet was offered free of
The company website displays the helmet giveaway information and a suggested $10 donation to the
firm’s Employee Assistance Fund, creating an added benefit to this off-the-job safety program.
charge to all employees who ordered one
for their child or grandchild who rides a
bicycle or skateboard. The helmets were
examined by a number of employees who
are seasoned bicycle enthusiasts. The helmets that were evaluated met standards
set by the Consumer Product Safety
Commission. The firm’s logo was printed
on the sides of all the helmets ordered. To
receive the child’s bike helmet, employees
placed orders during a selected month on
a specially designed website. The firm’s
vendor for the helmets designed and
managed the website.
The corporate communications process
and the quarterly safety newsletter communicated both the importance of children
using a bike helmet and the employee ordering procedures. Orders for the helmets came
immediately after the announcements. The
company estimated how many employees’
children or grandchildren would need and
request helmets. To estimate the numbers of
helmets that might be ordered, the human
resources department analyzed a company
census of dependent children who were enrolled in its digital database. A large number
of helmets were preordered, a total of 500.
In case of low employee interest and orders,
a backup plan was developed to donate the
helmets to the local safety council, which
has a variety of children’s safety programs
for the community. At the conclusion of the
ordering month, 371 employees had placed
orders requesting 488 helmets. The helmets
60 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JUNE 2019 assp.org
were distributed across the U.S., from the
east to the west coast. The few helmets remaining were requested by employees who
forgot to order.
Return on Investment
This example off-the-job safety special
emphasis project was a big success that other organizations might consider. The benefits or return on investment considered in
the development of this project were:
•providing safety motivation to the
workforce;
•increasing employee interest concerning off-the-job safety;
•reducing the number of insurance
claims due to child head injury, and the
associated costs;
•further demonstrating top management’s commitment and involvement in
employee safety;
•enhancing the firm’s public image;
•visibility of the firm’s logo (on the side of
the helmets) in surrounding communities;
•demonstrating the firm as a premier
employer for prospective and existing
employees;
•most importantly, protecting one of
the firm’s most precious resources, employees’ children.
Recognizing these successes could conclude this article. However, this particular
project parlayed into further success. An
executive from the firm recommended that
the ordering website suggest a $10 donation
to an organization’s corporate social
responsibility policy. This type of written
policy is a good business practice that relates how well an organization serves and
is involved with its community, which can
be a business necessity.
As safety professionals, our mission
should include not only the prevention of
occupational incidents but also incidents
that can happen to our coworkers away
from work. For many of us, this could be
considered the next frontier. PSJ
to the firm’s Employee’s Assistance Fund.
The fund provides tax-free cash grants to
employees who are facing unexpected difficulties. Circumstances that may qualify to
receive financial assistance are:
•serious illness or injury to the employee
or the employee’s spouse, child or parent;
•natural disasters such as hurricanes
or tornadoes;
•extreme circumstances such as a
home fire;
•death of an employee’s spouse, child
or parent.
Donations to the fund are tax-deductible.
A considerable amount of money was donated to the fund during the helmet order
period. Donations to the fund increased by
25% during the ordering month compared
to the previous month and giving increased
during the following month. This special
emphasis off-the-job safety project was a
winning undertaking in many respects.
and training has focused on regulatory
compliance and techniques of occupational safety management. The value of implementing off-the-job safety projects may
not be fully realized. Safety undertakings
that would be classified as nonoccupational can easily be perceived as an extension
of the corporate safety program. Many
organizations respond to projects when
return on investment is perceived. When
developing a special emphasis project, it
is important to analyze what can be of the
most value to the employee and the organization. Promoting an off-the-job safety
project involving not just the employee’s
safety but the employee’s family safety
can reap additional benefits. With a little
research, an organization can easily establish a return on investment from both an
economic and a humanitarian perspective. It could also be seen as contributing
Conclusion
Dennis Burks, P.E., CSP, is the safety director for HNTB and has been a safety professional for
more than 38 years. He is an adjunct instructor for the Great Plains OSHA Education Center in Kansas
City and adjunct associate professor at Johnson County Community College. Burks holds an M.S.
in Industrial Safety and Education Specialist from University of Central Missouri. Dennis is a professional member of ASSP’s Heart of America Chapter and a member of the Society’s Construction
Practice Specialty.
The importance of having an effective
corporate safety program should be at the
top of an organization’s hierarchy of value.
For many safety professionals, education
References
Brainline. (2011, April 29). Bicycle safety.
Retrieved from www.brainline.org/article/
bicycle-safety
Nationwide Children’s Hospital. (2012, June
17). Bicycle safety. Retrieved from www.nation
widechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/
center-for-injury-research-and-policy/injury
-topics/sports-recreation/bicycle-safety
AWARENESS
SPECIALISTS
“FRA” (Level 1)
(Level 4)
TECHNICIANS
TTE
ECH
CHNNIICI
CIAN
ANNSS
“Techs” (Level 3)
OOPERATIONS
OP
PEERRA
“FRO” (Level 2)
(Level 5)
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
TRAINING FOR EVERY LEVEL
When an emergency release happens, every worker should know exactly
what to do. Whether the employee moves toward the danger or away from
it—effective training, preparation, and knowledge will prevent injuries,
chemical exposures, and worse.
Find a course at Lion.com
TECHNOLOGY INC.
®
assp.org JUNE 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 61
Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction
prohibited without permission.
BEST PRACTICES
Seven Steps to Creating Value-Driven
WORKPLACE WELLNESS INITIATIVES
By Caley Mancl
Research shows that wellness initiatives may provide a financial benefit for companies that are dealing with
costly healthcare expenses. Common health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity
and diabetes are often viewed as low-hanging fruit that can be addressed through corporate wellness initiatives.
The financial impacts of an employee who suffers a heart attack can
cost a company thousands of dollars in
insurance costs, not to mention the ramifications of temporarily or permanently
replacing that employee on the job.
According to Baicker, Cutler and Song
(2010), “medical costs fall by about $3.27
for every dollar spent on wellness programs
and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for
every dollar spent.” Other experts tout the
value-based benefits of workplace wellness
initiatives, focusing more on factors such as
company morale and job satisfaction.
Bradley Corp., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of industrial safety products and
commercial restroom fixtures, launched its
workplace wellness initiative in 2010. “Our
main intention has been to raise awareness of
the importance of total health and well-being,” says Diane Rudy, Bradley’s human
resources director. “Ultimately, we want to
catch health issues early so employees have
the very best outcomes. In general, these
efforts can also result in lower cost claims.”
As part of the initiative, the company
offers on-site exercise classes, wellness
clinics and fitness challenges. In addition
to offering fruit and other healthy snacks
at its facilities, the firm employs an onsite health coach to help guide employees
to more healthful habits.
“Our employees’ responses to these
health initiatives have been remarkably
positive,” says CEO Bryan Mullett. “Over
the past few years, we’ve seen greater
awareness, participation and engagement
in Bradley’s wellness program, and have
heard many health success stories. Without a doubt, our employees are healthier,
happier and more engaged in their work
and our company because of these efforts.”
Based on these experiences, following
are several recommendations for developing an employee-focused and impactful wellness initiative.
1) Consider the Value of Wellness
Programs, Not Just ROI
Years ago, when companies first recognized the need for health and wellness
programs, there was a key emphasis on the
return on investment. Understandably, decision-makers base their companies’ budgets and programs on the benefit-to-cost
ratio. However, a company’s degree of
employee wellness is not easily measured
as a dollar-for-dollar expense and return.
Rather, it is helpful to look at the benefits
of such programming through a prism of
overall value to employees and the company. Instead of return on investment, the
emphasis is on the value on investment.
When Bradley launched its program
nearly 10 years ago, there was an effort to
tie the program to input and output. Today,
while the company’s financial investment
is still taken into account, the key emphasis
has been on the program’s value. Employees and their families are the company’s
most valuable assets. Instead of looking
only at dollars saved, it is important to consider other benchmarks such as job satisfaction and employee morale. For example,
ask questions such as, Is the program
engaging employees and gaining traction?
Does the program help recruit and retain
employees? Are there success stories? These
types of indicators give feedback and momentum for improving the program.
2) Establish a Clear
Employee-Focused Objective
A wellness program should be tied to a
clear objective. What does the company
want to accomplish long term? Companies want employees to be healthy but
how will that happen?
Bradley’s wellness objective is to
create a distinct culture of well-being
throughout the company. The strategy
for meeting that objective is to ensure
that wellness activities and events support employees’ overall lifestyle, not just
physical health. Therefore, the company
organized its program and activities to
focus on five dimensions of well-being:
•Purpose: Liking what you do each
day and being motivated to achieve goals
(e.g., comprehensive and interactive performance reviews);
•Social: Having supportive relationships
and love in your life (e.g., company outings
such as sporting events and family picnics);
12 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JULY 2019 assp.org
•Finance: Managing your economic life
to reduce stress and increase security [e.g.,
meetings with 401(k) providers or fiduciaries to manage financial well-being];
•Physical: Having good health and
enough energy to get things done daily
(e.g., having on-site resources and experts for exercise and nutrition, participating in health challenges);
•Community: Liking where you live
and work, feeling safe and having pride
in your community (e.g., volunteer outreach in the community such as participating in Habitat for Humanity).
Here is an example of a multidimensional wellness activity: Throughout November,
employees are invited to write down something for which they are grateful and post it
on a wall of gratitude. These acknowledgements might focus on a coworker, a family
member, a successful project or the weather. Not only does this help employees focus
positively, it also speaks to the dimensions
of purpose, social and community.
In all, broadening the scope of a wellness initiative to encompass the entire
spectrum of well-being increases the
depth, efficacy and overall value of a
company’s wellness program.
3) Engage Employees
With Health Experts
To augment a company’s wellness program, it is helpful to employ a dedicated
on-site wellness coach. This demonstrates
a company’s commitment to wellness,
individualizes the outreach and helps
workers track successes.
Once per week, Bradley offers employees an accredited on-site wellness expert,
Garrett Stangel, who focuses on educating, motivating, training and counseling
employees individually or in groups. Stangel finds ways to create an easy dialogue
with employees while they are at their
cubicle or out on the shop floor. He asks
how they are feeling, including how they
are managing stress, aches and pains.
“Both office and shop positions often
require repetitive movements, so I remind
people to take a break, stretch, strengthen
weak areas, try stress management tech-
niques, and reset their minds and bodies,”
says Stangel. “Workers typically have about
90-minute attention spans. Pushing beyond
that limit can make employees feel like
they’re burning the candle at both ends.”
Stangel also participates in new employee orientations, and corporate and
community events as a go-to resource for
health and wellness advising.
“Periodically, Bradley checks employees’
health with biometric screenings and blood
pressure, height and weight measurements,”
Stangel says. “Helping out with these health
check-ins opens the door for me to discuss
health concerns right on the spot. Similarly,
when Bradley employees see their doctor for
an annual physical, they become eligible for a
$50 gift card. When they turn in paperwork
to verify the checkup, I offer to help them
keep focused on any health-related goals
they may have discussed with their doctor.”
4) Use Organizational Tools
to Track & Motivate Employees
BRADLEY CORP.
Many healthcare insurance plans offer
monitoring and incentive programs to help
companies and employees with their wellness
journeys. By using online tracking platforms
in which employees accumulate points for
participating in activities, these online programs help drive and track employee involvement. For example, roughly 60% of Bradley
employees use Go365, a wellness and rewards
points program offered by Humana. The
program allows users to complete and update
their health assessment, set challenges and
milestones, and submit verification of eligible
activities (e.g., completing an exercise class
or donating blood) to earn points. As users
receive points for logging their health-related
activities, they are able to redeem them in
a virtual mall for items such as gift cards to
major retailers. In Go365, users can earn rewards when completing healthy actions such
as prevention activities (e.g., annual wellness
visits, flu shots, bone density screenings),
community events (e.g., volunteering, fitness
and nutrition classes, health-related fundraising events) and verified workouts (e.g.,
documented exercise by trainers or coaches,
electronic fitness trackers).
Offering a multidimensional program
such as the five dimensions of well-being
will broaden the range of trackable health
activities, making the program more valuable to a wider range of employees.
5) Invite Employees to Give
Input & Take Ownership
The success of health and wellness
programs are tied to employees’ level of
engagement. One way to increase interest
Through its workplace wellness
initiative, Bradley offers on-site
exercise classes, wellness clinics and
fitness challenges. In addition to offering fruit and other healthy snacks
at its facilities, the firm employs an
on-site health coach to help guide
employees to more healthful habits.
and participation is to organize wellness
committees whose members represent
the departments in which they work.
Committee members regularly gather input from fellow employees to share with
program organizers. This feedback keeps
the activities relevant, fresh, creative and
tailored to its core audience. It also helps
employees take ownership of the program, which can increase engagement.
“I’ve been a member of the wellness
committee for more than 2 years and I
really appreciate being able to advocate
for the company and its commitment to
employee health and well-being,” says
product manager Valerie Bonney. “Our
wellness committee helps get the word out
and pique interest about upcoming events
and activities, as well as success stories.
E-mails, message boards, posters, flyers
and announcements at meetings help
keep the program top of mind.”
6) Promote Benefits & Successes
Internally & Externally
While it is important to highlight
employees’ accomplishments internally,
consider sharing your program’s collective successes via qualified nonprofit
third-party organizations. Bradley
has worked with Wellness Council of
America (WELCOA) to ensure that its
initiative meets industry standards. With
more than 6,000 member organizations
located throughout North America,
WELCOA is known for its results-oriented approach to workplace wellness.
Along with local affiliate Wellness
Council of Wisconsin, WELCOA recently
presented Bradley its second gold-level Well
Workplace Award for its commitment to
the health and well-being of its employees (Bradley, …
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