Principles of Occupational

Safety and Health

A PowerPoint Presentation keyed to Chapter 2 of

Materials for Teaching Agricultural Safety
in the College Classroom
by Carol J. Lehtola, PhD, and Charles M. Brown
Book and more presentations in this series are available on the National Ag Safety
Database, [Link]
 Objectives
• Define occupational safety
• Define occupational health
• Explain the seven primary
principles of occupational safety
and health

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.1

 Safety is...

• ...the minimization of risks while

maximizing the quality of life
• ...a Best Management Practice

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.2

 Safety Requires...
...condition or changing set of
circumstances that presents a potential
for injury, illness, or property damage.
The potential or inherent characteristics
of an activity, condition, or
circumstance which can produce
adverse and harmful consequence.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.3

 Safety is All About...
• Identifying problems
• Developing solutions
• Implementing interventions

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.4

 Identifying Problems
• Agent of injury (“item”)
• Environment (physical and social)
• Human (operator/worker)

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.5

 Agent of Injury...
What factors for the “agent of injury”
will impact safety?

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.6

 Agent of Injury...
• What factors for the agent of injury
will impact safety?
• Examples: age, maintenance, safety
features, risk for breaking down,
ergonomics, shielding, guarding
• Animals: temperament, familiarity
with people, having just given birth

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.7

 Human...
What factors does the human bring
to the workplace that will influence
safety?

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.8

 Human...
• What factors does the human
bring to the workplace that will
influence safety?
• Examples: age, attitude, training,
experience, impairments, risk
perception, size, skills

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.9

 Environment...
What factors does the environment
bring to the workplace that will
influence safety?

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.10

 Environment...
• What factors does the environment bring
to the workplace that will influence
safety?
• Physical examples: weather, heat, cold,
wet, windy, climate controlled, noise, site
hazards
• Social examples: peer, attitudes and
support, “it’s just the cost of doing
business” mentality

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.11

 Discouraging Use of the “A”
Word
...use of the term “accident” promotes
the concept that these events are
outside of human influence and control.
NHTSA, NSC, and others promote use of
terms such as crash, collision, incident,
injury, event, or fatality. These things
are predictable and preventable.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.12

 Occupational Safety and Health
(OSH)...
• ...elimination or minimization of damage
or harm to people in the workplace, their
working tools, equipment, materials,
products, etc., and their living and
working environment
• Safety — acute injuries/events
• Health — chronic exposures over time

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.13

 OSH Examples of Disciplines
Engineers
Industrial hygienists
Medical
Loss control specialists
Educators
Public health

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.14

 Industrial Hygiene...
Toxicology
Gases, vapors, solvents
Dermatoses (skin-related diseases)
Hearing
Respiratory
Vibrations
Ergonomics

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.15

 Principles of OSH
Incidents have identifiable causes
which are either preventable or
controllable.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.16

 Principles of OSH
An incident normally derives from
multiple causes rather than a single
cause. This results in multiple
approaches to hazard and injury
prevention and control being more
effective than any single approach.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.17

 Principles of OSH
Risk is inherent and always present in
life.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.18

 Principles of OSH
To be human is to err.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.19

 Principles of OSH
Human perceptions of risk are not
very accurate

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.20

 Principles of OSH
• Human behavior can be changed.
• Two items essential for OSH
behavior change:
a. personalization of the risk
b. access to the means for change

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.21

 Principles of OSH
• OSH is a function of management.
• There needs to be a plan for buy-in
to the OSH program.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.22

 Principles of OSH
Each individual has a responsibility to
work safely and to not put another
worker at risk.

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.23

 Six E’s of Safety
• Engineering
• Education
• Enforcement
• Ergonomics (human factors)
• Economics
• Empowerment

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.24

 OSHA
([Link])

• Occupational Safety and Health

Act (1970) administered by OSH
Administration
• Minimum federal safety standards
requiring employers to provide a
safe workplace for employees
• State OSHAs are often stricter

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.25

 Compliance vs. Best Practices
• Compliance – in compliance when a
company meets all minimum safety
regulations
• Best Practices – safety program that
uses the best practices and
equipment to ensure worker safety;
often exceeds the minimum
standards (proactive approach)

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.26

 Industry Best Practices
• Management commitment
• Supervisory commitment
• Employee commitment and involvement
• Team commitment
• Accountability by all
• Authority to carry out OSH
responsibilities
• Rules that are logical and enforceable

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.27

 Best Practices (cont’d)
• WRITTEN safety policies
• Safety inspections
• Safety meetings and trainings
• Subcontractor management plan
• Incentive programs
• Incident and injury reporting and
investigations
• Light-duty, early return to work

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.28

 Inspections
• Daily
• Periodic
• Internal
• External (OSHA, insurance carrier,
consultant)

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.29

 Training
• New employees
• Employees doing a different task or
using different equipment
• Tailgate (daily or weekly, frequently)
• Periodic
• Seasonal or annual
• Recognize accomplishments

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.30

 Injury Factors
• First 30 days of employment
• Lack of equipment guarding
• Employee error

Principles of Occupational Safety and Health Slide 2.31