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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Nancy Lessin, Health and Safety Coordinator, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, 8 Beacon Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-227-8260, 71112.600@compuserve.com and Deborah Rosenstein, United Food & Commercial Workers Union, 1775 K Street, N.W., Washington D.C., DC 20006.
Over the last decade, many workplaces have experienced massive downsizing, increased hours of work, intensification of work and a host of changes in technologies, work processes and management techniques. These changes have significantly increased repetitive strain and back injuries, stress, workplace violence, and other occupational injuries and illnesses. Instead of examining how core work processes are creating hazardous conditions and affecting the health and safety of the workforce, some employers and management officials are directing attention to workers themselves and "workers' unsafe behavior" as the problem. Enter "blame-the-worker" safety programs, including behavior-based safety, safety incentive programs and injury discipline policies. These programs are all based on the misguided theory that most workplace injuries are caused by workers' own unsafe acts and behaviors. Behavior-based safety programs aim to correct workers' unsafe behaviors to reduce injuries and illnesses; safety incentive programs offer rewards to workers or groups of workers when no injuries are reported; and injury discipline programs threaten and deliver discipline when workers report injuries. Recent surveys of corporate occupational health and safety officials indicate that the majority intend to bring more behavior-based safety programs into their workplaces. This roundtable discussion will allow participants to discuss the causes of workplace injuries and illnesses, review the theory and practice behind the various types of "blame-the-worker" safety programs, and explore ways in which problematic programs and practices can be confronted and replaced with effective, comprehensive worksite safety and health programs.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Keywords: Behavior Based Safety, Occupational Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.