Ensuring Safety in the Workplace Essay

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Introduction

Occupational safety and ensuring the right quality conditions is one of the important aspects of employment law. Total Safety Management (TSM) is a structured, systematic approach to safety in the workplace. The Kanye Standard consists of eight elements that are designed to make it easier for employers and employees to identify and eliminate potential danger at work. However, all points are not equal in their usefulness, and the hazard identification and control provision can be considered the most effective.

Identifying and controlling hazards is the most important, as it can be used to exterminate a potential problem proactively. It includes risk management, ensuring they are eliminated before any incident occurs. Thus, this element is the basis on which all other components of the TSM program are built. Without a clear identification and definition of hazards, creating a safe working environment would not be possible. Moreover, a proactive approach is always preferable to correcting an accident that has occurred. In this way, a better level of personnel health can be achieved since dangerous situations cannot arise due to risk control. By implementing controls to keep dangers to a minimum, employees can be significantly safer by providing a better working environment. Identifying and controlling hazards is an ongoing process that must be continually continued. Safety workers should regularly carry out the necessary activities to improve the workplace to make it more convenient and efficient.

In conclusion, the element of hazard identification and control is the most effective for ensuring safety in organizations. This is due to the fact that this standard provides procedures without which it is impossible to perform all other elements of TSM. In addition, the prevention of dangerous situations by early detection is much more effective because it makes it impossible for employees to be injured.

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Essay: Health and safety in the workplace

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Accidents and mishaps are unforeseen circumstances that can affect individuals and groups at any time and in any place. Most accidents are preventable, but the carelessness or negligence of the involved individuals leads to major injuries and grievances. Accidents can also occur in the workplace and seriously affect the ability and health of the involved workers.

The objectives of this essay to discuss the safety and wellbeing of all workers are necessary for the organization not only for consistent productivity but also due to regulatory requirements. Workers and human resources are the necessary components of all organizations due to their role in the effective accomplishment of objectives. Corporations cannot achieve long-term success and sustainable growth in the absence of motivated, safe, healthy, and effective workers. The health and safety of all workers are necessary to ensure the enhancement of productivity and efficiency at all levels and areas. Lack of safety measures can create havoc for the organization and negatively affect the working criterion of an organization. The management has to devise and implement effective safety procedures to reduce hazards and prevent accidents in the workplace. The can motivate the employees through this perspective as employees admire working in organizations that prefer safe working conditions. Employees believe that safer working conditions enhance their ability work because they do not feel scared in troublesome situations. The management should coordinate with all the related stakeholders when they devise policies about safety at workplace, as this would enhance a positive change in an organization. Different legislations also depict that organizations should focus on these perspectives and they should attain self-sufficiency in providing workplace safety.

Introduction

Corporations in the current era focus on the development of employees and they believed in the ideology of benefiting employees through different approaches. Safety at the work force is an important aspect that many organizations of today’s world disregard. Many people face mishaps and accidents in various situations especially due to negligence, recklessness, and carelessness. Many accidents and serious injuries are avoidable and preventable by taking effective safety measures and reducing hazards. For example, drivers and passengers can avoid serious injuries and death by wearing seatbelts while traveling in cars. However, many people fail to realize the importance of seatbelts and face a variety of consequences in the event of an accident. Mishaps and accidents are unforeseen occurrences that can lead to several adverse consequences in the absence of effective safety measures and precautions. Accidents, disasters, and mishaps can also occur in the workplace and affect several employees in the absence of precautions and safety procedures. Certain mediocre organizations do not regard this aspect as important and they do not focus on safety at the workplace. The owners and management of the organization need to implement rules, regulations, procedures, and systems relevant to safety and health. The management also needs to ensure that all workers have ample knowledge and information regarding safety procedures, prevention of accidents, and safe working practices.

Human resources

Human resources are one of the most important assets of the organization with respect to success and growth. The success and growth of the organization depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of the human resources. However, the inefficiencies in human resources caused by any circumstances, occurrences, and events can hinder the accomplishments of the organization. Organizations take all necessary measures to ensure the productivity of all workers and employees to maximize profits and achieve organizational objectives (Blair, 2013). The wellbeing, safety, and health of all employees are among the highest priorities of all organizations. Organizations cannot take risk for their respective employees because an occurrence of a negative event would tarnish the credibility of an organization. Safe and healthy workers are more productive as compared to injured or sick employees. Employees that cannot work in safe conditions feel suffocated because of the risks associated with their respective work. Risks and hazards associated with a specific job or organization adversely affect the morale and motivation level of employees. The unsafe or hazardous working conditions have several long-term psychological and physiological consequences for the workers and the organizations. When a negative event occurs in an organization, it sets up the mindset of an employee. Employees would feel that this event would occur again and this would create hurdles in their effective working process. Organizations need to create a safe and healthy working environment for all workers to ensure high levels of motivation and enhancement in efficiency (Stricoff & Groover, 2012).

Safety at Workplace

Workplace safety refers to the prevention of illness, injury, and hazards in the workplace for all employees. Workplace safety involves the creation of a safe and healthy environment for all workers to evade hazards, injuries, and illnesses. Organizations can ensure the efficiency of all workers and circumvent a considerable amount of costs by ensuring workplace safety and health. Organizations develop different strategies through which they set up different work place safety policies and benefit the workers through this. Workplace injuries and illnesses lead to compensation benefits, health insurance costs, hiring temporary replacements, lost work hours, and lawsuits. Lack of concentration would cost severe damage to an organization and they should sort such issues in order to attain proactive benefits. Business can save a considerable amount of costs by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all workers. Safeguarding the interests and wellbeing of the employees allows organizations to circumvent costs relevant to injuries and illnesses (Legg, Laird, Olsen, & Hasle, 2014). On the other hand, workplace safety instills a sense of commitment and dedication among the employees due to the safety assurance of the organization. The morale and motivation of the workers increase due to the implementation of rules that safeguard the health and interest of the employees. Employees feel that they are safe to work in this place, and through this perspective, they would perform well.

Purpose of Workplace safety

The primary objective of safety in the workplace is to create a safe, healthy, and risk-free environment for all workers. Workplace safety involves the evaluation, analysis, prevention, and elimination of hazardous and dangerous elements from the workplace. Workplace safety programs evaluate and remove the risks and hazards relevant to the safety, well-being, and health of workers and other relevant individuals. Organizations develop health and safety standards due to several reasons including laws, regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and historical occurrences. Certain industries and their associations bind organizations to work for the benefit of their employees and they force organizations to focus on different safety related perspectives. Workplace injuries and illnesses caused by working conditions or environment can lead to lawsuits, high costs, and deterioration of the corporate image. There are instances when employees at times die because of sever working conditions. Employees might got injured because of certain safety and the lack of safety would be the only probable reason of this. Enhanced safety measures and appropriate quality of these measures can reduce this perspective to a considerable level.

Safety at the workplace enables organizations to comply with regulatory requirements and prevent high costs resulting from injuries and illnesses. Several corporations can consider the fact that these safety measures would save their health and medicinal costs that would arise when an employees would hurt him. They should take proactive measures earlier through which people can benefit from these perspectives. The management can maintain high levels of productivity and efficiency by creating a safe and healthy working environment. Conversely, the employees work with dedication due to their perceptions regarding the commitment of the organization with respect to the wellbeing of the workers.

Importance of safety at workplace

Legislative and legal requirements are the most prominent cause of health and safety policies in most organizations. The Occupational and Safety Health Act is the primary law for the assurance of health and safety of all workers throughout the United States. The Occupational and Safety Health Act (OSHA) necessitates the dissemination of standards, rules, and regulations relevant to the safety and health of workers. The government establishes and enforces the standards for the safety and health of all workers and their families through the Act. All public and private organizations have to comply with the rules, regulations, and standards prescribed in OSHA (Jung & Makowsky, 2014). They would face legal complications if they do not comply with such policies and measures taken by the decision makers. However, many organizations develop and implement health and safety procedures to safeguard their interests relevant to organizational objectives rather than legal requirements. The financial and moral aspects of workers’ health and safety have a greater influence as compared to regulatory compliance. Corporations can save considerable costs by avoiding high insurance expenses, lawsuits, and employee replacement costs in the event of injuries and illnesses (Barling & Frone, 2003).

Manpower and Management

The primary objective of all managers is to enhance and promote productivity and efficiency in all areas and functions. However, the managers cannot uphold efficiency and effectiveness in the absence of a safe workplace. The managers need to create a safe working environment and increase the awareness and knowledge of all employees with respect to safe working practices. The employees and workers also need to understand the importance of workplace safety and reduce personal injury through attentiveness and removal of hazards. These safety hazards are negative for the effectiveness of organizations and create a long-term negative impact. The attitude of the employees, management, and employers plays a vital role in preventing accidents and creating a safe working environment. The negligence on the part of the employers and employees can cause a variety of hazards and accidents (Rahim, Ng, Biggs, & Boots, 2014). However, the diligence and commitment of all stakeholders regarding safe work practices leads to the prevention of major accidents and injuries. The employees and management can create a safe workplace through a shared responsibility model for workplace safety and cooperation. Organizations should own this perspective and they should realize the fact that it is their managerial responsibility to focus on this perspective so that employees can remain safe.

Conclusively, a safety plan is necessary and it comprises of certain steps that would develop a safer workplace. Organizations should make sure that everyone else in the workplace is aware of the core problem. People should notify their respective supervisors and they should file any reports if there is a problem. An important aspect is that people should realize that there is a problem as sitting back and holding the problem for a long time would not solve the problem.

Barling, J., & Frone, M. (2003). The Psychology of Workplace Safety. New Jersey: Amer Psychological Assn. Blair, E. H. (2013). Building safety culture. Professional Safety , 58 (11), 59-65. Cobb, E. (2013). Bullying, Violence, Harassment, Discrimination and Stress: Emerging Workplace Health and Safety Issues. New Jersey: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Jung, J., & Makowsky, M. D. (2014). The determinants of federal and state enforcement of workplace safety regulations: OSHA inspections 1990’2010. Journal of Regulatory Economics , 45 (1), 1-33. Legg, S., Laird, I., Olsen, K., & Hasle, P. (2014). Creating healthy work in small enterprises – from understanding to action: Summary of current knowledge. Small Enterprise Research , 21 (2), 139-147. Mathis, T., & Galloway, S. (2013). Steps to Safety Culture Excellence. New Jersey: Wiley. Rahim, A. N., Ng, H. K., Biggs, D., & Boots, K. (2014). Perceptions of safety, physical working conditions and stress between Malaysia and United Kingdom. International Journal of Business & Society , 15 (2), 321-338. Stricoff, R., & Groover, D. (2012). The Manager’s Guide to Workplace Safety. New York : Safety in Action Press.

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Mr Greg's English Cloud

Short Essay: Safety First

Advocating for safety through an essay is a vital way to raise awareness about the importance of safety measures in everyday life. Whether addressing workplace safety, road safety, or safety at home, a well-crafted essay can persuade and educate its readers about adopting a “safety first” mindset. This guide will walk you through the steps of writing a concise and impactful essay on this important topic.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Your introduction should set the stage for the discussion on safety. Begin with a compelling hook—a startling statistic, a personal anecdote, or a relevant quote that draws the reader’s attention to the importance of safety. Following this, provide some background information on the specific area of safety you are focusing on. Conclude the introduction with a clear thesis statement that outlines your main argument or the specific aspect of safety you will discuss. This statement will guide the structure of your essay.

The body of your essay should consist of several paragraphs, each dedicated to a different aspect of safety related to your topic. Arrange each paragraph logically and ensure each one builds on the point made previously. Here are some suggestions on what to include:

  • Specific Measures:  Describe specific safety measures that can be implemented to prevent accidents and injuries. For example, in a workplace context, you might discuss the importance of regular safety drills, proper equipment maintenance, and mandatory safety gear.
  • Benefits:  Explain the benefits of adopting these safety measures. Focus on both the immediate and long-term outcomes, such as reduced injury rates, lower healthcare costs, and improved employee morale.
  • Real-World Examples:  Provide examples or case studies where safety measures have successfully prevented accidents or minimized their impact. This real-world evidence can be very persuasive in highlighting the effectiveness of a “safety first” approach.

Conclude your essay by summarizing the key points discussed, reinforcing the importance of the “safety first” principle. Suggest additional ways the reader can contribute to promoting safety in their own environment. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the importance of safety.

Safety First Essay Example #1

Safety has always been an integral part of our lives, and it should be a top priority in any workplace or activity. It is essential to ensure that everyone involved in any activity is safe and secure from any potential harm. Accidents and injuries can occur anytime, anywhere, and they can be extremely harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to take proper precautions and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of safety in any workplace or activity and how proper training, equipment, and safety regulations can help prevent accidents and injuries.

Importance of Safety should always be a top priority in any workplace or activity. It is essential to ensure that everyone involved in any activity is safe and secure from any potential harm. Accidents and injuries can occur anytime, anywhere, and they can be extremely harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to take proper precautions and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved. In any workplace, safety should be a part of the culture, and all employees should be trained to follow safety guidelines. It is essential to make sure that everyone understands the importance of safety and how it can help prevent accidents and injuries.

Proper training and equipment can help prevent accidents and injuries. In any workplace or activity, it is essential to provide adequate training to all employees and individuals involved. Proper training will help them understand the potential risks and hazards involved in the activity, and it will help them take necessary precautions to prevent accidents and injuries. Additionally, providing proper equipment and tools is equally important. Faulty or outdated equipment can be dangerous and can cause accidents and injuries. Therefore, it is essential to provide proper equipment and tools, and they should be regularly checked for any possible defects.

Safety regulations and guidelines should be followed to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved. In any workplace or activity, there are specific safety regulations and guidelines that need to be followed. These regulations and guidelines are put in place to ensure the safety of all individuals involved in the activity. It is essential to follow these regulations and guidelines to prevent accidents and injuries. Additionally, safety inspections should be conducted regularly to ensure that all safety guidelines are being followed. Any potential hazards and risks should be identified and addressed immediately.

In conclusion, safety should always be a top priority in any workplace or activity. It is essential to ensure that everyone involved in any activity is safe and secure from any potential harm. Proper training and equipment can help prevent accidents and injuries, and safety regulations and guidelines should be followed to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved. It is essential to understand the importance of safety and take necessary precautions to prevent accidents and injuries. By following safety guidelines and regulations, we can ensure a safe environment for everyone involved.

Safety First Essay Example #2

Safety is an important aspect of our everyday lives, and it should always be given top priority. It involves taking proactive measures to prevent accidents and hazards in various settings. In order to ensure safety, it is crucial to identify potential hazards and take necessary precautions. Safety training and education also play a significant role in promoting safe practices. Workplace safety regulations and policies are essential to protecting employees and creating a safe work environment. This essay will discuss the various ways in which safety first can be achieved, including identifying potential hazards, safety training and education, and workplace safety regulations and policies.

Safety first requires identifying potential hazards and taking proactive measures to prevent accidents. Hazards can be found in various settings, including the workplace, home, and outdoors. In the workplace, hazards can include electrical hazards, chemical hazards, slips, trips, and falls, and machinery hazards. Identifying these hazards and taking necessary precautions can prevent accidents and promote safety. For example, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) can protect workers from electrical and chemical hazards. Implementing safety measures such as non-slip flooring and proper signage can prevent slips, trips, and falls. Regular maintenance and inspection of machinery can prevent machinery hazards. By taking proactive measures, potential hazards can be prevented, and safety can be ensured.

Safety training and education can help individuals understand and follow safe practices in various settings. Safety training and education can include topics such as fire safety, first aid, and emergency response. In the workplace, safety training can help employees understand the hazards they may encounter and how to prevent accidents. For example, fire safety training can teach employees how to use fire extinguishers and how to evacuate in case of a fire. First aid training can teach employees how to respond to medical emergencies. In addition to workplace safety training and education can also be applied in other settings, such as at home and in outdoor activities. By understanding and following safe practices, accidents can be prevented, and safety can be ensured.

Workplace safety regulations and policies are important for protecting employees and promoting a safe work environment. Workplace safety regulations and policies can include topics such as hazard communication, lockout/tagout procedures, and personal protective equipment requirements. These regulations and policies are designed to protect employees from hazards and promote a safe work environment. For example, hazard communication regulations require employers to inform employees of potential hazards in the workplace and provide appropriate training. Lockout/tagout procedures require the isolation of energy sources during maintenance and repair to prevent accidental start-up. Personal protective equipment requirements require employers to provide and ensure the use of appropriate PPE. By following workplace safety regulations and policies, employees can be protected from hazards, and a safe work environment can be maintained.

In conclusion, safety first is crucial for preventing accidents and promoting safety in various settings. Identifying potential hazards and taking proactive measures to prevent them, safety training and education, and workplace safety regulations and policies are all important aspects of achieving safety first. By following these measures, accidents can be prevented, and safety can be ensured. It is important to always prioritize safety in all aspects of our lives.

Safety First Essay Example #3

Safety is an essential aspect of any workplace, and it should always be a top priority. Companies that prioritize safety have a better chance of preventing accidents and injuries among their employees. It is essential to implement safety measures, conduct regular inspections, and provide training to ensure that the workplace is safe for everyone. This essay will discuss three essential steps that employers can take to ensure safety in the workplace.

The first step to ensuring safety in the workplace is implementing safety measures such as wearing protective gear and following safety protocols. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in reducing the risk of injuries and accidents. Employers must provide their employees with the necessary PPE, such as hard hats, safety goggles, gloves, and safety boots. Employees should be trained on how to use the PPE correctly and be required to wear it at all times when working in hazardous environments. Safety protocols such as locking out machinery before maintenance and repair work can also help prevent workplace accidents.

The second step to ensuring safety in the workplace is conducting regular safety inspections and maintaining equipment and machinery. Regular inspections help identify potential hazards and ensure that equipment and machinery are functioning correctly. Employees should be trained on how to conduct safety inspections and report any issues that they identify immediately. Equipment and machinery should also be well-maintained to prevent breakdowns and accidents. Regular maintenance can help identify potential problems before they occur and ensure that equipment and machinery are functioning correctly.

The third step to ensuring safety in the workplace is educating employees and providing training on safety procedures. Educating employees on safety procedures can increase awareness and promote a culture of safety in the workplace. Employees should be trained on how to identify hazards, how to respond to emergencies, and how to use safety equipment correctly. Training should be provided regularly, and employees should be required to attend. Providing incentives for employees who prioritize safety can also help create a culture of safety in the workplace.

In conclusion, ensuring safety in the workplace is essential for the well-being of employees and the success of companies. Employers must prioritize safety by implementing safety measures, conducting regular inspections, and providing training to their employees. By taking these steps, companies can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries and create a safer workplace for everyone.

Final Tips for Effective Writing

  • Clarity and Precision:  When discussing safety measures, be clear and precise. Use simple language and avoid jargon unless it is widely understood.
  • Persuasiveness:  Use persuasive language to convince your readers of the importance of safety measures. Emotional appeals can be particularly effective in this context.
  • Proofreading:  Always proofread your essay for grammatical errors and ensure that it flows logically. A well-written essay is more likely to persuade its readers.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

how will you ensure safety in the workplace essay

Related Programs

Work health, and well-being, related articles, the changing face of worker safety, health, and well-being in a post-pandemic future, it’s not just personal: the economic value of preventing bullying in the workplace, a healthy workplace starts in bed, how covid-19 has changed the standards of worker safety and health — and how organizations can adapt.

Two warehouse workers wearing a mask and hardhat. The female is in the foreground pointing to the left and the male is in the background operating a vehicle.

by Katherine J. Igoe

Ensuring health and safety in the workplace is already a critically important issue; organizations that invest in occupational safety perform better, reduce turnover, and help workers do their jobs more effectively. But COVID-19 has forced companies to act quickly and decisively to keep workers safe. As employers endeavor to slow the spread of the virus while keeping a supportive and productive work environment, they’ve had to adapt new business processes and address existing structures that are lacking.

“COVID-19 has stressed the system. All the flaws that have been in place are totally exposed and have come to the forefront of our daily conversations,” says Jack Dennerlein , adjunct professor of ergonomics and safety in the Department of Environmental Health and co-director of Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. From distancing procedures to the availability of remote work, the pandemic has metaphorically ripped off the mask covering the flaws in organizations’ working conditions. How has COVID-19 changed the standards of worker safety and health, and how can employers adapt to these changes?

Total Worker Health and Its Impact in the Workplace

Total Worker Health (TWH) aims to address, reactively and proactively, the challenges of worker safety, health, and well-being. At its core, it measures and assesses what a worker experiences, collects data to understand what to change, provides approaches on how to modify an environment, and encourages collaboration across traditional organizational boundaries to ensure a safe workplace. It’s both an acknowledgement of workers’ existing health, and initiatives to keep them healthy.

“These two general fields — protecting and promoting health — work together in a single workplace. It makes sense to think about this as an integrated effort instead of two siloed efforts that act in parallel,” says Nico Pronk , adjunct professor of social and behavioral sciences, president of the HealthPartners Institute, chief science officer at HealthPartners, Inc., and co-director of Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health .

As an example, he explains, “If you have diabetes, your eyesight might be diminished, and you might end up with an injury because your work is putting you at risk.” Critically, though, TWH focuses more on an organization’s framework rather than solely on an individual: “the conditions of work rather than on the behaviors of the work. You set the environment — physical, social, economic — which shapes how the workplace is organized. Within that, these factors start to drive the behavior of the individuals within it.”

COVID-19 has fundamentally uprooted assumptions about worker safety, health, and well-being and been an accelerant of addressing these issues. The pandemic has also highlighted classic social issues that workers face, like childcare, sick leave, and disability issues, and underlined safety concerns in health care environments where professionals need to treat patients. The absence of TWH — where workers don’t feel safe in their workplace — is also much more visible. Implementing TWH effectively helps make organizations more resilient during this time.

Even though COVID-19 can be used as a leverage point, Dennerlein notes, “We should be doing it for the good of the people, not just because of COVID-19. If we want this country to be productive, we have to invest in the health and safety of our workforce.” Adds Pronk, “What if you didn’t get sick? What if you didn’t get injured? The benefits come back in spades. You cannot be successful if you don’t have healthy workers, but that recognition is still hardly there.”

“Protecting and promoting health work together in a single workplace. It makes sense to think about this as an integrated effort instead of two siloed efforts that act in parallel.”

Applying and Adapting Total Worker Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While the values of TWH may not change, the implementation has evolved to protect workers against COVID-19. In a paper titled “ An Integrative Total Worker Health Framework for Keeping Workers Safe and Healthy During the COVID-19 Pandemic ,” Dennerlein, Erika Sabbath, Susan Peters, and Glorian Sorensen outlined six key characteristics that are essential for applying TWH in this context:

  • Focusing on working conditions for infection control and supportive environments for increased psychological demands
  • Utilizing participatory approaches involving workers in identifying daily challenges and unique solutions
  • Employing comprehensive and collaborative efforts to increase system efficiencies
  • Committing as leaders to supporting workers through action and communications
  • Adhering to ethical and legal standards
  • Using data to guide actions and evaluate progress

In this way, organizations can address the unique demands (including physical, ethical, and legal) of counteracting COVID-19 alongside the needs of workers to complete their tasks in a safe space, while using data and feedback to make changes.

According to the researchers, the most challenging aspect of using a TWH framework is getting top-level support. “Overall organization engagement towards this shared vision of a goal is critical — some key performance indicator for the institution has to include TWH or recognizing its impact. You have to think about that at the systems level,” says Dennerlein.

“If we want this country to be productive, we have to invest in the health and safety of our workforce.”

The Practical Implications of Implementing Total Worker Health in a Pandemic

The researchers have worked with companies to take these theoretical constructs and translate them to practical insights in the workplace. “It took companies as much as six months to learn how to bring health and safety together. Health is in HR, safety is in Operations, and the two don’t usually interact,” Pronk says. Not rushing the organizations and giving them up to a year to develop an implementation plan was key.

After buy-in from leadership, the next step is to test these six characteristics using data and feedback. Previous studies show that program design principles or characteristics are correlated with good health outcomes. “The business units that scored the highest had the lowest number of health risks in their populations. The more they followed these characteristics, the healthier their group was,” Pronk says. Following implementation, organizations would then be able to make changes and use a team-based approach to maintain awareness and continue to evaluate efficacy.

Thus, TWH can be effective, and not just in the short-term. Even after COVID-19 is no longer an immediate threat, the challenges of worker health and safety remain. “What are we doing to create a more resilient workforce ? When we start thinking about the work of the future, workers are going to have to continually reinvent themselves, because work is constantly changing. COVID-19 was a big slap in the face for that. How do we all adapt?” says Dennerlein.

“We rely on the human element in the workforce so much because humans are problem-solvers. TWH tries to broaden that and realize what a great resource we have here. Why aren’t we using that element better? Why aren’t we weaving it more effectively into our organizations to help them make better decisions to affect the bottom line?”

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers Work Health and Well-being: Achieving Worker Health , which provides the full set of skills needed to improve worker health, safety, and well-being in the workplace .

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Importance of Health and Safety at Workplace, Essay Example

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Both the employer and the employees are responsible for health and safety of the workplace. The most important responsibility of an employee is taking reasonable care of their own safety and health this means you are you own keeper. The employees should use properly any material provided to them for safety purposes, health and safety. For example protective clothes like gloves, protective masks and laboratory coats should always be worn as required. An employee should also ensure that they understand and adhere to what they are trained on concerning the health and safety policies of the company they are working for. For example they should understand all the technical aspects of the machine they operate to avoid accidents and should also observe safety precautions as far as operation of machines is concerned. In operation of machines, loose clothing, long hair, jewellerly which can get entangled by moving parts of the machine. This can be achieved by avoiding such clothing and jewellerly when operating machines and wearing head scarf incase of the long hair.

In any working environment, employees should also be responsible for their colleague’s health and safety by ensuring that what they do does not pose risk to other workers and the environment (Dalton, 98).  For example when mixing chemicals in laboratory poisonous gases might be released and so safety precautions – working in a fume chamber- must be taken to avoid their release to the environment because they can produce hazardous effects to the environment in which case the near surrounding is your colleague and also members of the public. Another example is when working in a microbiology laboratory the dust coats and any other protective clothing worn should remain in the lab to avoid contaminating other environments with microbes some of which are a health hazard.

The employer has also responsibility towards the health and safety of his employees. The very vital role is to ensure that the employees get the best training in understanding safety procedures of the work place and providing sufficient protective measures and   materials to their employees. For example they should have measures to cater for any emergencies like in case of fire exits should be available. For the disposable protective material like gloves the employer must ensure constant supply. Employers should also change their employee’s jobs if they report any strains resulting from the kind of job they do or if under any medication that reduces their working ability or even in case of pregnancy. Employers have also the duty of ensuring a comfortable work place for their employees’ their duties include ensuring providing the right work equipment and ensuring proper maintenance ensure that ventilation, washing and rest facilities are up to standard as per health safety and welfare requirements.  (Directgov.uk)

Addressing health issues and safety in the workplace does not only help the employer save money but also increases business value. This is because when workers sty healthy and whole the business saves costs which would have been spend on occupational injuries which of course come directly from company profits.  Direct cost-savings to businesses include: reduced medical expenditures; lower insurance costs used to  compensate workers’; reduced  costs incurred in   job accommodating  workers with injuries; reduced expenditures during  return-to-work programs; less expenses for  overtime benefits and reduced numbers of  faulty product.

Health and safety at workplace also result into decreases in costs incurred indirectly due to: increased productivity, production of products of higher quality which means increased sales. Safe workplace also fosters good labor or management relations and hence employees re motivated consequently there is increased production of high quality products s well s decreased turnover.

Employees and their families benefit from safety health and safety also have benefits to the employees and their families because it minimizes stress and they are able to protect their income as well as protecting injuries from hampering the families. It is very clear that health and safety add value not only to  businesses, but also to the workplaces as well s lives and therefore protecting people in the workplace should be  in our economy, our families, colleagues, and the community at large best interest(Cogwell Anderson R.  & Kaczmarek  B., vol.4 )..

OSHA and Its Basic Requirements or Provisions

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an Americans agency under the Labor Department whose responsibility is assuring the health and safety of workers in America by providing education, training and outreach; setting and enforcing standards; encouraging continued improvement in terms of health and safety in the workplace and establishing partnerships (Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Requirements or Provisions

OSHA is assigned two main functions by The OSH Act .these re setting standards and inspecting workplace to ensure employers compliance with the standards and provision of a healthful and safe workplace. The OSH Act applies to employees and employers in varied fields like, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, long shoring,, medicine, law,   disaster relief and charity , private education and organized labor. Fields not covered by OSH ct include work conditions under the regulation of other federal agencies and statutes like nuclear energy, mining end many parts of the transportation industry, people who re self employed and local government end states employees(Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Federal OSHA Standards

OSHA standards my require that employers adopt some means, processes and practices  necessary for  protecting workers t work. It is the employers’ responsibility to familiarize with standards required by their establishments as well as complying with the standards and to ensure hazardous free conditions to their best capability. Employees must also comply with rules and regulations applicable to their own conduct and actions.

OSHA Standards are divided in four categories: General industry, agriculture, Maritime (long shoring, shipyards, marine terminals and construction. Each of these classes of standards imposes requirements that are aimed to the specific industry except in some instances where they are similar in all industries. Standards that impose similar requirements on all industrial sectors include standards for access to medical records, communication of hazards, access to records of exposure and personal protective equipment.

Equipment for personal  protection standard require employers to provide cost free equipment for  person  protection against certain hazards. Such equipment include goggles, helmets for head protection, eye and hear and gauntlets for iron workers. This standard is separately added to standards for every industrial sector with the exception of agriculture. Access to medical and records of exposure standard requires employers to grant their employees access to all the records they maintain of employees exposure to hazardous substances and medical access. Hazard communication standard require both importers and manufactures of materials that re hazardous to carry out hazard evaluation of the products they import or manufacture and have the containers of the product labeled appropriately if it’s confirmed to be hazardous under the standards terms. In addition   safety data sheet should also accompany the material on the first shipment to a new customer. Employers who use the safety data sheet must also have the employees trained on how to follow the safety instructions in the sheet and avoid the present hazardous material.

Reporting, posting and record keeping is imposed by OSHA regulations not a standard. Record keeping regulation require all employers under OSH cover with more than ten employees to maintain specified OSHA records of illnesses and injuries related to job. The regulation has n exception for low industries of low hazards like finance, real estate, some service industries, insurance and retail. The OSHA record keeping requires two forms be filled. form 200 is a log for illnesses or injuries with a separate entry for serious injuries which need recording .These include deaths related to the job, serious illnesses which require hospitalization and medication, restriction from work or motion or which led to transfer from one job to another .the form has also another section where all the injuries for the past year re recorded and posted in the work place every February. The other form is form 101 which provides additional report bout every workers recordable illness or injury. Despite the business category or employee numbers each employer must give reports to the OSHA office in the nearby if any accidents occur and cause hospitalization of more than three employees or cause fatalities. OSHA carries out investigations into the cause of the accident and whether it was s result of violation of standards.

Generally all employers must maintain hazard free workplaces to protect their employees from deaths or serious physical harm regardless of whether OSHA does not give a specific requirement or standard addressing such hazards. in such areas where OSHA has not given a standard to address a certain hazard, its employers responsibility to comply with the “general duty” clause for OSH Act which states that every employer “shall furnish a work place which is free from recognized hazards that are likely to or are causing serious physical harm or death to his employees” (Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements).

Works Cited

Cogwell Anderson R.  & Kaczmarek  B.  : The Importance of Promoting Health in the Workplace . The Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants. 2004 Volume 4 Number 1

Dalton A,P. Health and Workplace Hazards . London: Cengage Learning.1998.

Employers’ Health and Safety responsibilities . Web. 9 Oct. 2008 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/HealthAndSafetyAtWork/DG_4016686

Summary Guide of OSHA Regulations and Requirements . Web.4 April 2008 http://www.ehso.com/oshaoverview.php

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Occupational Health and Safety Blog

10 Effective Strategies to Improve Workplace Safety

Ensuring the safety of employees within a workspace remains a paramount concern for any thriving organization. With the rise in workplace accidents, stakeholders are urged to prioritize and improve workplace safety measures. The incorporation of a safer work environment not only abolishes potential hazards but also significantly boosts employees’ productivity, morale, and overall job satisfaction.

Adopting safety protocols, providing safety training, and installing safety equipment are a necessity. This article underlines the importance of workplace safety and offers resourceful strategies for enhancing the efficiency of safety protocols for a guaranteed safer working environment. 

Ideas To Improve Safety In The Workplace

10 Effective Strategies/Ideas to Improve Workplace Safety

Creating a safe work environment is not just a legal duty; it’s a critical component in the long-term success of any business. Improving workplace safety is an ongoing process that requires commitment and proactive strategies. Here are ten steps to enhance safety in the workplace and foster a robust safety culture.

1. Establish a Safety-First Culture

An effective safety culture is the foundation of a safe workplace. This means that every aspect of the work environment, from management to the newest employee, prioritizes safety above all else. To cultivate this culture, businesses must ensure that all employees understand the importance of safety and are trained to follow safety protocols. Regular meetings to review safety rules and discuss prevention can keep workplace safety top of mind.

2. Conduct Regular Risk Evaluations

Regular risk evaluations are crucial in identifying potential hazards. Appoint or nominate a safety captain who is empowered to communicate concerns identified by employees to leadership. This proactive approach ensures that risks are assessed and appropriate measures are taken to mitigate them.

3. Implement Comprehensive Safety Training

Safety training for their positions is essential for all employees. Training should be ongoing and evolve with new safety protocols and technologies. Employees who follow safety policies help keep everyone safe and can prevent work injuries by visiting areas where there’s a high risk for employee injury and ensuring that appropriate safety measures are in place.

Ways To Improve Safety In The Workplace

4. Improve Workplace Ergonomics

Ergonomics plays a significant role in preventing workplace injuries, especially repetitive motion injuries. Improve workplace ergonomics and develop human performance by consulting with physical and occupational therapists. These professionals can help you screen candidates for physically demanding roles and aid in the return-to-work process for those recovering from injuries.

5. Keep the Workplace Clean and Organized

A messy workplace can lead to accidents and reduce productivity. Ensure that walkways are clear of clutter, cords are securely fastened, and tools are stored properly. Labels and signs can help maintain organization and remind employees of safety practices.

6. Use Labels and Signs Effectively

Labels and signs are simple steps to improve workplace safety. They provide quick, visual reminders of potential hazards and safety procedures. Ensure that these are up to-date and clearly visible in all necessary areas.

7. Provide the Right Tools and Equipment

A safe workplace has the right tools for the job. This includes personal protective equipment (PPE), ergonomic furniture, and safety guards on machinery. Regular maintenance and updates of equipment can also reduce workplace hazards .

Improving Workplace Safety

8. Encourage Open Communication

It’s your responsibility to create an environment where employees feel comfortable reporting hazards right away and identifying potential areas of concern they may not have noticed. An open-door policy can help facilitate this communication.

9. Prepare for Emergencies

Have emergency plans in place, including evacuation routes, emergency contacts, and access to first aid. Regular drills can help ensure that, in the event of an emergency, everyone knows what to do.

10. Reward Safe Behavior

A way to encourage a strong workplace safety culture is to reward safe behavior. Recognize and reward employees and teams that exemplify safety protocols and contribute to preventing workplace accidents. This positive reinforcement can help keep safety processes at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can end up not only protecting their employees but also improving overall morale and productivity. Remember, a safe workplace is a productive one, and the steps to improve workplace safety are usually simple and cost-effective. Take five minutes to stretch, report hazards right away, and always keep your workplace safe.

How To Improve Workplace Safety

What is workplace safety?

Workplace safety refers to the measures and protocols put in place to protect employees and prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the workplace.

Why is workplace safety important?

Workplace safety is important because it helps protect the well-being of employees, prevents workplace accidents and injuries, reduces healthcare costs, improves productivity, and ensures compliance with occupational safety and health regulations.

How can I improve workplace safety?

There are several effective strategies you can implement to improve workplace safety. These include creating and promoting a strong safety culture, providing adequate training to employees, conducting regular safety inspections, identifying and addressing potential hazards, encouraging open communication about safety concerns, and establishing clear safety protocols.

What is a safety culture?

Safety culture refers to the shared beliefs, attitudes, and values that prioritize safety in the workplace. It involves a commitment to safety from all levels of the organization and encourages employees to participate in promoting and maintaining a safe work environment actively.

How can I develop a safety culture?

To develop a safety culture, you can start by providing comprehensive safety training to all employees, involving them in safety decision-making processes, recognizing and rewarding safe behaviors, promoting open dialogue about safety concerns, and consistently reinforcing safety protocols and practices.

What is the role of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in workplace safety?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a regulatory agency that sets and enforces safety standards in the workplace. Their role is to ensure that employers provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees by conducting inspections, issuing citations for safety violations , and providing educational resources and guidance on workplace safety.

How can I protect my employees from work-related hazards?

To protect your employees from work-related hazards, you can conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards, implement appropriate safety measures and controls, provide personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, and ensure that all employees are properly trained on how to perform their job tasks safely.

What should I do if an employee is injured or falls ill at work?

If an employee is injured or falls ill at work, it is important to have proper protocols in place to respond promptly. This may include providing immediate medical care if necessary, documenting the incident, investigating the cause, and taking corrective actions to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

How can I encourage employees to report safety concerns?

To encourage employees to report safety concerns, you can create a supportive and non-punitive reporting culture, ensure the confidentiality of reports, provide multiple reporting channels (e.g., anonymous hotlines, suggestion boxes), communicate the importance of reporting, and take prompt action to address reported concerns.

How can a safety program benefit my organization?

Implementing a safety program can benefit your organization in several ways. It can reduce workplace accidents and injuries, improve employee morale and retention, enhance productivity and efficiency, reduce costs associated with healthcare and Workers’ Compensation claims, and ensure compliance with occupational safety and health regulations.

how will you ensure safety in the workplace essay

7 Tips on How to Improve Your Workplace Safety Culture

how will you ensure safety in the workplace essay

Here are seven effective tips to bolster safety awareness amongst your employees and also improve your workplace culture.

1. Start from the Top

Workers won’t buy into your workplace policies if their superiors do not follow them. If the management commits to safety, your employees will do the same. Your top management members are responsible mainly for improving your safety culture. They should be at the forefront, communicating the importance of safety to your employees.

Every organization has a management team. They should not only talk about safety but also take precautions. Equip your employees with all the right tools for work. Give them the chance to participate in safety programs. Hold safety meetings frequently, and make sure you ask for feedback and recommendations.

2. Keep Your Workplace Tidy

•  Ensure all doors and windows are in excellent conditions

•  Pack all boxes and furniture away from the window.

•  Install good lighting

•  Conduct regular repair of all your work equipment

Your workplace is a reflection of you and your employees. You can even set aside the last 45 minutes of the last Friday of every month as a general cleaning session. Get rid of items that are unnecessary or sell them. Make cleaning fun. Approach it as a team event that gives room for bonding.

3. Show Your Employees That You Value Safety

Do you reward employees that perform their tasks regardless of what it takes? You might be indirectly encouraging a culture where safety becomes the least consideration. Instead, praise and recognize employees who proffer suggestions on how to work safely. However, you should know that accidents happen. Even though you are going to teach your employees that workplace risks can be reduced, you should always have it in mind that every job has its risks.

4. Communication

Communication is vital. Effective communication does not only give your workers the ability to articulate the presence of danger, but it also helps to build trust. In the workplace, miscommunication can cause drastic consequences.

Aside from communicating these policies, provide communication channels for hazard reporting. This way, your employees can know who to contact and how they can prevent a potential accident.

5. Conduct Safety Training for Your Employees

Take time to review the important messages from the training sessions. This will help you to reinforce learning. Document the training and all safety procedures. For the training to be more effective, organize a consistent refreshers course to ensure compliance. This is because people tend to lose their alertness overtime.

6. Address Toxic Behaviors

The cumulative effects of workplace gossip, threats, and bullying can become extreme and lead to violent behaviors. You can avoid this entirely by implementing a zero-tolerance policy for toxicity in your organization. Do not hesitate to let go off employees who do not respect other people.

7. Caution and Punish Rule Breakers

Finally, if you want to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, start implementing your goals from the team leaders. Be consistent and have it in mind that the change you desire will not happen overnight. With consistency and dedication, you will build a safe workplace that you’ve always desired.

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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Characteristics of a Good Approach to Safety in the Workplace

Approaches to health and safety in the workplace are as many and varied as the safety issues your workplace may encounter. After all, workplaces are diverse, and they need to find a safety approach that works for their needs.

However, the best approaches to safety in the workplace have two key features in common: they’re proactive and they’re positive.

What does that mean for your workplace, and how can you ensure your workplace cultivates these attributes? Let’s take a closer look.

First and foremost, a good approach to health & safety in the workplace is proactive. You think about safety before an incident arises, not as a means of reacting to a workplace accident or incident but as a means of stopping an incident from happening in the first place.

Proactive and reactive health & safety management both have their place, but if you’re interested in a truly safe work environment, proactivity needs to take a front seat.

If you only think of safety after an incident happens, you’re essentially calling a lawyer after the police have already knocked on the door. In other words, you’re dealing with the issue after the issue has already happened, which means the only thing you can do is put out fires. This approach relies on extremely faulty logic: the prayer and crossed fingers that an incident won’t happen.

Proactive safety, on the other hand, believes that safety issues can and should be prevented, whether you’re preventing workplace burnout or preventing fire hazards .

It’s easy to talk about safety in negative terms. After all, when your job focuses on injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, it’s easy to get caught up in these negative numbers – how many accidents you had, mistakes that were made, ways you could have prevented it but didn’t.

However, a truly safe workplace understands that health & safety in the workplace is a positive experience, emphasizing the positive elements of safety and taking a positive approach.

The positive elements of safety include positive outcomes, such as improved worker morale , greater employee engagement, and improved productivity. On a broader scale, a positive approach to safety emphasizes safety as a core value. In other words, safety is something that underlies everything you do, not just because it prevents negative outcomes but because it creates positive health outcomes for the whole workplace.

That’s why a positive approach to health & safety in the workplace tends to put the focus where it matters most: people. Safety is your opportunity for employees to take care of each other, and a positive safety culture encourages employees to take pride in looking out for each other and making sure their colleagues can go home safe and sound every day.

Enabling a Better Approach to Health & Safety in the Workplace

As an EHS professional, you know health & safety in the workplace isn’t a destination but a journey, and it takes a lot of work to stay on the road to success. To borrow from an old saying, it takes twenty years to build something good and ten seconds to tear it down.

Because of this, a strong workplace safety culture, one that is truly positive and proactive, requires a commitment to keep on learning. Make sure to check out our blog for more great posts to guide your safety culture journey, like these unexpected consequences of setting a poor health and safety example.

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Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work

What you need to know.

COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

  • Different COVID-19 vaccines may work in our bodies differently but all provide protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • None of the COVID-19 vaccines can give you COVID-19.
  • Bringing new vaccines to the public involves various steps, all which must be followed to ensure they are safe and effective before they are made available for use.

How COVID-19 Vaccines Work

Woman with bandaid on arm after vaccination

Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection. But with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.

It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes.

Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal signs the body is building immunity.

Types of Vaccines: mRNA, and Protein Subunit

There are different types of vaccines.

  • All COVID-19 vaccines prompt our bodies to recognize and help protect us from the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • Currently, there are two types of COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States: mRNA , and protein subunit vaccines.

None of these vaccines can give you COVID-19.

  • Vaccines do  not  use any live virus.
  • Vaccines  cannot  cause infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 or other viruses.

They do not affect or interact with our DNA.

  • These vaccines do  not  enter the nucleus of the cell where our DNA (genetic material) is located, so it cannot change or influence our genes.

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)

To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect us from getting sick from that germ in the future.

Research for mRNA technology

Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades .

  • In fact, mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
  • Beyond vaccines, cancer research has also used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells.
  • First, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle or upper thigh, depending on the age of who is getting vaccinated.
  • After vaccination, the mRNA will enter the muscle cells. Once inside, they use the cells’ machinery to produce a harmless piece of what is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After the protein piece is made, our cells break down the mRNA and remove it, leaving the body as waste.
  • Next, our cells display the spike protein piece on their surface. Our immune system recognizes that the protein does not belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.
  • At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that people get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Any side effects  from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

Learn-More-about-mRNA-Vaccines-crop

How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work

PDF infographic explaining how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work.

  • English [128 KB, 1 page]
  • Other Languages

Protein subunit vaccines (Novavax)

Protein subunit vaccines contain pieces (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19. These virus pieces are the spike protein. The vaccine also contains another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to that spike protein in the future. Once the immune system knows how to respond to the spike protein, the immune system will be able to respond quickly to the actual virus spike protein and protect you against COVID-19.

Research for protein subunit technology

Protein subunit vaccines have been used for years.

  • More than 30 years ago, a hepatitis B vaccine became the first protein subunit vaccine to be approved for use in people in the United States.
  • Another example of other protein subunit vaccines used today include whooping cough vaccines.
  • Protein subunit COVID-19 vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle. After vaccination, nearby cells pick up these proteins.
  • Next, our immune system recognizes that these proteins do not belong there. Another ingredient in the vaccine, the adjuvant, helps our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.
  • At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that people get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Many side effects  from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

How-Protein-Subunit-Vaccines-Work-crop

How Protein Subunit COVID-19 Vaccines Work

PDF infographic explaining how Protein Subunit COVID-19 vaccines work.

  • English [953 KB, 1 page]

Developing COVID-19 Vaccines

While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Bringing a new vaccine to the public involves many steps including:

  • vaccine development,
  • clinical trials,
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization or approval,
  • and development and approval of vaccine recommendations through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and CDC.

As vaccines are distributed outside of clinical trials, monitoring systems are used to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

New vaccines are first developed in laboratories. Scientists have been working for many years to develop vaccines against coronaviruses, such as those that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is related to these other coronaviruses. The knowledge that was gained through past research on coronavirus vaccines helped speed up the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines.

After initial laboratory development, vaccines go through three phases of clinical trials  to make sure they are safe and effective. No trial phases have been skipped.

The clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines have involved tens of thousands of volunteers of different ages, races, and ethnicities.

Clinical trials for vaccines compare outcomes (such as how many people get sick) between people who are vaccinated and people who are not. Results from these trials have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective , especially against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Before vaccines are made available to people in real-world settings, FDA assesses the findings from clinical trials. Initially, they determined that COVID-19 vaccines  met FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards and granted those vaccines  Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) . The EUAs allowed the vaccines to be quickly distributed for use while maintaining the same high safety standards required for all vaccines. Learn more in this  video about EUAs .

FDA has granted full approval for some COVID-19 vaccines. Before granting approval, FDA reviewed evidence that built on the data and information submitted to support the EUA. This included:

  • preclinical and clinical trial data and information,
  • as well as details of the manufacturing process,
  • vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and
  • inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made.

These vaccines were found to meet the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality FDA requires of an approved product. Learn more about the process for FDA approval .

When FDA authorizes or approves a COVID-19 vaccine, ACIP reviews all available data about that vaccine to determine whether to recommend it and who should receive it. These vaccine recommendations then go through an approval process that involves both ACIP and CDC.

  Watch Video: Understanding ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made [00:05:02]

Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.

Several monitoring systems continue to track outcomes from COVID-19 vaccines to ensure their safety. Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported common side effects after COVID-19 vaccination , like pain or swelling at the injection site, a headache, chills, or fever. These reactions are common and are normal signs that your body is building protection.

Reports of serious adverse events after vaccination are rare .

  • How can you prepare for vaccination?
  • What can you expect during and after your vaccination?
  • Uninsured? You can still get a free COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more about CDC’s Bridge Access program .

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  • Vaccine Development Process: How Was Time Saved [779 KB, 1 Page]

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  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Medical Devices

At-Home COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests: Frequently Asked Questions

May 12, 2023 - The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act expired on May 11, 2023.

The end of the PHE under section 319 of the PHS Act does not impact the FDA's ability to authorize devices, including tests, for emergency use. Existing emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for devices remain in effect, and the FDA may continue to issue new EUAs going forward while the EUA declarations under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are in effect and when the criteria for issuance of an EUA are met. Additional information is provided on the page FAQs: What happens to EUAs when a public health emergency ends ?

Diagnostic tests can show if you have an active COVID-19 infection and need to take steps to quarantine or isolate yourself from others.

This page supplements the information found at: At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests  and provides answers to frequently asked questions related to at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests. This page is part of the FAQs on Testing for SARS-CoV-2 .

  • When should I test for COVID-19?
  • What do my at-home COVID-19 test results mean?
  • I got a negative test result on an at-home COVID-19 antigen test. Do I need to take another test?
  • Do I need to report my at-home COVID-19 test results?
  • Are at-home COVID-19 tests safe to use? Do they contain toxic chemicals?
  • Can I use an authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test if it was left outside in freezing temperatures or in the heat?
  • How is the expiration date determined for an at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test and can it be extended?
  • Can I use an FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test that is expired?

Q: When should I test for COVID-19?

A: COVID-19 testing is important to find out if you have COVID-19 so that you can get treatment, if needed, as well as to be aware if you are infected and should stay away from people to help reduce the spread of the virus. You should test for COVID-19 in the following situations:

  • If you have symptoms , test immediately, and then test again per the instructions if your first result is negative.
  • If you were exposed to someone who has COVID-19 and you do not have symptoms, wait at least 5 full days after your exposure before testing. If you test too early, you may have an inaccurate result.
  • If you are in certain high-risk settings, you may need to test as part of a screening testing program.
  • Consider testing before coming into contact with someone who has a high risk for severe COVID-19, people who are older adults or immunocompromised, or have other medical conditions, especially if you are in an area with a medium or high COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level.

Q: What do my at-home COVID-19 test results mean?

A: If you receive a positive result on any COVID-19 test, assume you have COVID-19. Be sure to follow the CDC's guidelines for people with COVID-19, including to stay home, isolate from others, and seek follow-up care with a health care provider to determine what steps to take next.

If you receive a negative result on your at-home COVID-19 antigen test, it means the test did not detect the virus that causes COVID-19, but it does not rule out an infection because some tests may not detect the virus early in an infection. Always do a repeat test  48 hours after a negative result on an antigen test. The FDA encourages you to voluntarily and anonymously report your positive or negative test results every time you use an at-home COVID-19 test. You can send your test result to MakeMyTestCount.org or use an app or other digital option for self-reporting that may be included with your test.

Find out more about at-home testing, when and how often to test, and understanding your test results at Understanding At-Home OTC COVID-19 Antigen Diagnostic Test Results .

Q: I got a negative test result on an at-home COVID-19 antigen test. Do I need to take another test?

A: Yes. The FDA recommends repeat testing following a negative COVID-19 antigen test result whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms. COVID-19 antigen tests are less accurate than molecular tests and may not detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus early in an infection or in people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms.

You should perform repeat testing following a negative result on a COVID-19 antigen test to reduce the risk an infection may have been missed (false negative result) and to help prevent unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.

  • If you have COVID-19 symptoms, test again 48 hours after the first negative test, for a total of at least two tests.
  • If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, test again 48 hours after the first negative test, then 48 hours after the second negative test, for a total of at least three tests.
  • If you get a positive result on any COVID-19 test, you most likely have COVID-19 and should follow the CDC guidance for people with COVID-19.

In August 2022, the FDA issued a Safety Communication on the need to perform repeat testing to reduce your risk of a false negative result. In November 2022 , the FDA required all manufacturers of EUA-authorized COVID-19 antigen tests to update their labeling to reflect the need for repeat testing at least twice over three days for individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 and at least three times over five days for individuals without symptoms of COVID-19, as appropriate based on their authorized uses.

Q. Do I need to report my at-home COVID-19 test results?

A. The FDA encourages you to voluntarily and anonymously report your positive or negative test results every time you use an at-home COVID-19 test. You can send your test result to MakeMyTestCount.org or use an app or other digital option for self-reporting that may be included with your test. Report each test result one time.

The data from MakeMyTestCount.org can help public health departments know how fast the virus is spreading. This valuable test data helps public health departments assess and modify their response to COVID-19 in their local communities, states, or across the country. The MakeMyTestCount website is developed through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Tech program and allows consumers to anonymously report their test results from OTC at-home COVID-19 test.

Q. Are at-home COVID-19 tests safe to use? Do they contain toxic chemicals?

A: FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests are safe to use when people follow the manufacturer's step by step instructions. However, incorrect use of at-home COVID-19 tests can cause harm if the parts of the test kit, such as liquid solutions in small vials that may contain chemicals like sodium azide, are swallowed or if the liquid solutions touch a person's skin or eyes. The FDA has provided recommendations to promote the safe use of at-home COVID-19 tests in a Safety Communication issued March 18, 2022, including to keep all parts of at-home COVID-19 tests out of reach of children and pets before and after use, and to follow the test's step by step instructions exactly, including the Warning, Precautions, And Safety Information.

Q: Can I use an authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test if it was left outside in freezing temperatures or in the heat?

A: Since shipping conditions may vary, test developers perform stability testing to ensure that the test performance will remain stable when tests are stored at various temperatures, including shipping during the summer in very hot regions and in the winter in very cold regions.

However, test performance may be impacted if the test is used while it is still cold, such as being used outdoors in freezing temperatures or being used immediately after being brought inside from freezing temperatures, or in a hotter than expected environment, such as outside in the summer. The stated performance generally assumes the test is being performed in an environment that is between 15-30⁰C (approximately 59-86⁰F). The specific conditions that were validated are included in the authorized Instructions for Use for each test.

In order to ensure appropriate test performance with a test that is delivered to you in below freezing temperatures or in very hot temperatures, you should bring the package inside your home and leave it unopened at room temperature for at least two hours before opening it. Once the package is at room temperature, you may open it and perform the test according to the authorized instructions for use. As long as the test line(s) appear as described in the instructions, you can be confident that the test is performing as it should. If the line(s) do not appear in the correct location(s) and within the correct time as shown in the test instructions when you perform the test, then the results may not be accurate, and a new test is needed to get an accurate result.

In addition, long exposure to high temperatures may impact the test performance. If your test has been left in a high temperature environment beyond the normal shipping time to be delivered to you, such as being left outside in the heat for several days, the FDA recommends considering using a different test.

Q: How is the expiration date determined for an at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test and can it be extended?

A: All at-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests are labeled with an expiration date printed on the outer box or package.  Generally, tests should not be used beyond this expiration date.  However, as discussed here, these expiration dates can be extended beyond the date printed on the outer box or package as additional stability data is collected. 

COVID-19 test manufacturers perform studies to show how long after manufacturing COVID-19 tests perform as accurately as the day the test was manufactured. The shelf-life is how long the test should perform as expected and is measured from the date the test was manufactured. The expiration date is set at the end of the shelf-life and is the date through which the test is expected to perform as accurately as when manufactured.

The testing to determine this time period is called stability testing because it is confirming the time period over which the performance is expected to remain stable. There are different types of stability testing. The most accurate is real-time stability testing, where the manufacturer stores the tests for the time period of the proposed shelf-life (plus a little extra time to ensure the expiration date can be relied upon) and then evaluates its ability to perform accurately. For example, for a proposed 12-month shelf-life, the manufacturer would evaluate the performance after storing the test for 13 months.

In some cases, accelerated testing provides a faster way to estimate the stability of a test's performance over time by storing the test for a shorter time at a higher temperature, and then evaluating its ability to perform accurately. However, since accelerated testing only estimates the test stability, it does not provide as much assurance as real-time data, especially for longer time periods. Based on experience with tests and stability testing, accelerated testing typically provides sufficient assurance to label tests with a shelf-life of up to six months.

Since it takes time for test manufacturers to perform stability testing, the FDA typically authorizes at-home COVID-19 tests with a shelf-life of about four to six months from the day the test was manufactured, based on initial study results, and it may be extended later as additional data is collected. 

Once the test manufacturer has more stability testing results, such as 12 or 18 months, the test manufacturer can contact the FDA to request that the FDA authorize a longer shelf-life.  When a longer shelf-life is authorized, the expiration dates will be extended and the test manufacturer may send a notice to customers to provide the new authorized expiration dates, so the customers know how long they can use the tests they already have.  If you did not purchase your at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test directly from the test manufacturer, you may not receive such a notice. 

You can check the Expiration Date column of the List of Authorized At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests to see if the expiration date for your at-home OTC COVID-19 test has been extended and how to find any new expiration date.

Q. Can I use an FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test that is expired?

A: The expiration date for an at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test may be extended beyond the date printed on the outer box or package as additional stability data is collected. You can check the Expiration Date column of the List of Authorized At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests to see if the expiration date for your at-home OTC COVID-19 test has been extended and how to find any new expiration date.

The FDA does not recommend using at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests beyond their authorized expiration dates, which, as noted above, may go beyond the date printed on the box. COVID-19 tests and the parts they are made of may degrade, or break down, over time. Because of this, expired test kits could give inaccurate or invalid test results.

  • At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests
  • COVID-19 Test Basics
  • If you think you had a problem with a COVID-19 test, the FDA encourages you to  report the problem through the MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form .
  • If you have other questions about COVID-19 testing, email the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) at  [email protected]  or call 800-638-2041 or 301-796-7100. You may also contact the customer service department for the COVID-19 test you are using.

Building, Architecture, Outdoors, City, Aerial View, Urban, Office Building, Cityscape

Custodial Assistant Supervisor

  • Madison, Wisconsin
  • WISCONSIN UNION/WU FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
  • Custodial Services
  • Facilities and Capital Planning
  • Staff-Full Time
  • Opening at: Jun 7 2024 at 11:35 CDT
  • Closing at: Jun 21 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

The Custodial Assistant Supervisor performs cleaning and maintenance duties in addition to interviewing, hiring, reviewing of custodial personnel as well lead supervision are a few of the skills that will be introduced and refined. This position trains to become familiar with all of the responsibilities associated with supervising a Custodial team.

Responsibilities:

  • 25% Utilizes basic equipment and supplies to clean assigned facility areas and remove waste and recyclables
  • 10% Monitors and secures facility interior and exterior entrances, reports issues to appropriate entities
  • 15% Maintains organization of supply areas and equipment, documents inventory, and requests additional supplies as needed
  • 10% Documents and reports repairs, violations, and pest control needs
  • 10% Maintains clean and clear walkways to ensure they are free of debris, litter, snow, and ice
  • 20% Assists in the development, scheduling, inspection, and supervision of operational work plans and/or staff for an assigned unit
  • 10% Assists with planning and implementation of facility emergency and hazardous response policies and procedures

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Preferred H.S. Diploma

Qualifications:

One year custodial experience preferred. Experience supervising the work of others, preferably within the custodial field.

Work Schedule:

Tuesday - Saturday 6:30am - 3pm

Full Time: 100%

It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $21.00 HOURLY Depending on Qualifications

Additional Information:

The Wisconsin Union operates from several buildings on the UW-Madison campus including Memorial Union, Union South, Fluno Center, Pyle Center, University Club, Red Gym, and the Student Activity Center. The Wisconsin Union is a financially self-supporting division of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Financial support for the organization is provided by income earned by over thirty food service units and a variety of nonfood units such as games, guest rooms, space rentals and campus vending. Substantial support is also provided by student fees. The total annual organizational budget is approximately $60 million dollars.

How to Apply:

To be considered, applications must be submitted online. Please submit a resume and cover letter.

Rod Rotar [email protected] 608-263-5596 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Custodial Services Asst Supv(FP016)

Department(s):

A96-WISCONSIN UNION/FAC MGT/MU BLG SRV

Employment Class:

University Staff-Ongoing

Job Number:

The university of wisconsin-madison is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer..

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