The Back injuries prevention and safe lifting practises in JIMS CLEANING - Essay Example

FINAL PROJECT REPORT ASSESMENT ON SAFE LIFTING AND OFFICE HEALTH. Table of Contents FINAL PROJECT REPORT ASSESMENT ON SAFE LIFTING AND OFFICE HEALTH. 1 Table of Contents 1 Abstract. 2 Introduction and Scope statement. 3 PROJECT OVERVIEW/PLANNING. 4 PROJECT INITIATION. 5 PROJECT EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION. 5 Project Objectives. 5 Project methodologies. 6 Work breakdown structure. 8 Risk management 11 Summary schedule. 12 Summary Budget. 13 Project flowchart 14 PROJECT CONTROL AND MONITORING. 14 PROJECT OUTCOMES AND RESULTS. 15 PROJECT REFLECTION AND LESSONS LEARNT. 16 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK AND CONCLUSION. 16 REFERENCE LIST 18 Abstract. The ‘Back injuries prevention and safe lifting practises in JIM’S CLEANING’ project has attained sizeable progress in raising responsiveness on safe lifting practises. In close collaboration with the project stakeholders, JIM’S CLEANING has managed to develop functioning affairs and capacity building amongst important authorities. In concert with the encouraging response and maintenance offered to the project in the preliminary period, it is advised that the project builds on the fundamentals laid and the achievements made to date. Back injuries caused by accidents during work time have become a key dilemma for JIM’S CLEANING business and other business institutions every time and again. They have become an expensive and drag-back problem in many ways. Accidental back injuries are to blame for thousands of hours of lost productivity in places of work and millions of dollars in lost returns. If you add health related costs, that including employee reimbursement claims and medical care that includes a range from simple first aid to key surgeries, and the expenditures incurred by the World’s business and industries makes them slug behind. Such kind of accidents have seen an increased number of people have their productive years and potency cut short as a result of back injuries and poor lifting practises. Introduction and Scope statement. In this final report, I aim to make available an intensive summary of my knowledge in managing the general operations of JIM’S CLEANING. This final report focuses on highlighting the key issues that have come up during the whole project period, as well as during the assessment of the developed solutions and implemented in response to such issues. Work-related injuries take place every day in workplaces. These injuries frequently arise because new employees are not properly inducted and trained in the appropriate work dynamics. One way to put a stop to workplace injuries is to set up appropriate work measures and train all staff in safe and professional job methods. Initiating appropriate work safety measures is one of the benefits of this project as it tries to initiate and discover on hand or probable job hazards and coming up with the best way to achieve the work and to decrease or eradicate these hazards. Better work methods decreases expenses ensuing from worker non-attendance and workers’ reimbursement leading to improved output. It is imperative to put into consideration that the work measures illustrated in this project report are relatively biased and tend to lean towards the dynamics of JIM’S CLEANING and do not inevitably take account of all hazards, or protections for related jobs in the industry at large. PROJECT OVERVIEW/PLANNING. The back injury prevention and health safety project by JIM’S CLEANING is dedicated to provide its employees with the safest workplace conditions, taking into deliberation the state legislative necessities, as per the current Australian Standards in industry best practice. Safety, therefore, is regarded as the core value of JIM’S CLEANING. The company has conceptualized the project’s dream by developing firm guiding principles on safety, as shown in its health and safety policy that aims to protect not just the lives of the client, but more importantly of the employees. The company believes that the recognition of this project heavily relies on the intensive efforts of all stakeholders, hence regular communication and coordination is strictly observed throughout the company. The company provides appropriate orientation and training to its new employees for them to understand their responsibilities and modes of operation in the business. In addition, the company also ensures that it is able to follow the performance of their employees through the firm implementation of one-on-one on-field monitoring. Through this scheme, the company is able to realize operational excellence as the employees are required to submit weekly reports on safe work methods and risk management. The management of JIM’S CLEANING therefore has given their full backing to the project of back injuries prevention. A project team is put in place and given the mandate to fully implement the project and integrate it with the company’s current safety and health policies in order to achieve a satisfactorily project to all stakeholders. The project team then goes in to business and formulates a proper project implementation plan that takes into consideration all the possible circumstances and consequences that may arise. The highlights of the project plan include; Project initiation. Project overview. Project implementation. Project control and monitoring. Project outcomes. Project reflection. Conclusion. PROJECT INITIATION. As a result of increasing cases of back injuries in JIM’S CLEANING, the management felt it would be beneficial to all stakeholders that including the employees that initiating a back injury prevention project would cure the business from its consuming burden of having to pay high insurance premiums and making do with a small staff as a result of others having taken sick leaves. It is this rude awakening that the company felt this type of project should take off with immediate effect. PROJECT EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION. Project Objectives. 1). Identifying causes of back injuries- The project aims to fully exhaust all avenues of identifying causes of back injuries in work places and how both employers and employees can tackle this issue. 2). Sourcing out ways of avoiding back injuries- The project aims to point out ways which both the company and its employees can lessen cases of back injuries and convey important safe lifting and health care programs amongst the concerned parties. The training offered could go a long way in creating a much undisturbed and somewhat conducive operational atmosphere for both the company and the workforce. 3). Identifying ways to reduce amounts of insurance premiums- High levels of back injuries and poor lifting methods bring about higher rates of insurance premiums. If the premium rates are high, it is both the employers and employees who suffer in the long term. The employer suffers in that they are forced to incur extra costs by paying the high rates for insurance premiums while the employees suffer in that they sometimes suffer negative life changing injuries which end up decapitating them for the rest of their lives. 4). Identifying methods of sensitizing both the employers and employees on the benefits of safe lifting and back injury preventions methods. These methods can go a long way in educating the stakeholders on ways of safe lifting and back injury preventions. This could be done through use of posters in work places and generally training the employees on safe lifting and issuing a directive on safe lifting. Project methodologies. Taking into account The National Safety Council 1990 "industrial accident specifics", job related accidents caused injuries to the back more than any other body parts that were studied during the1989 research study. It was noted that back injuries were responsible for twenty-two percent of all the reported cases. All industry stakeholders, including employers, workforce, customers and the economy in general are all enormously affected. (Daltroy, L.H., Iversen, M.D., Larson, M.G., Lew, R., Wright, E., Ryan, J., Zwerling, C., Fossel, A.H., Liang, M.H. (1997). A controlled trial of an educational program to prevent low back injuries. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 337, Number 5, 322-328.) Guidance, education and preventive methods in work surroundings are not only a requirement for the wellbeing and safety of the workforce; they are also a legal obligation. Most countries’ labour laws require that employers meet the terms of the safety principles and policy in the place of work or they face huge fines. The aspect of plummeting the causes and frequency of back injuries in the places of work is not only critical for the well being of the workforce but also for the economic well-being of the business. As an employment prerequisite, each worker has the duty to work and act carefully on all jobs, at all times. An individual’s responsibility is to the business, their family and to an extent, themselves. (Amdam, R. P. (2010). Insights into the Sustainable Growth of Business. Bradford: Emerald Group Pub.) It is very essential for a business like JIM’S CLEANING to make available a secure and healthy work environment. There are numerous situations where the regulations do not always comprise a specific situation hence you have to take time to constitute a level playing status and put into practice one’s own intelligence and education in order to carry out the task at hand without any injury incidents. . Any employee contributing to an injury has to explain what caused the injury thus the employer will be able to comprehend the reason and thwart any potential similar injuries. It is referred to as safety counselling. Counselling serves two essential roles: 1) To give details on how the worker contributed to the injury, hence getting to know what went wrong and how to go about the predicament. 2) To put into a document the actuality that the business is concerned about the safety of all workers and takes the necessary action to guarantee that injuries can be avoided through training. Safety counselling is not planned as a punitive action. It is simply a training means to make workers aware of what they did wrong and the procedures that should be taken to avoid similar injuries. With such kind of measures in place should an employee continue demonstrating hazardous activities or continue to defy safety regulations then punitive action would be justified. Businesses have a responsibility to all members of staff to completely implement all safety regulations, policies and measures. For those workers who ignore safety, the management has a responsibility to adjust these hazardous manners. Each business has its own policies concerning punitive action, but in the industry generally, punitive action for safety violations is to some extent common. (Gorman, G. E. (2000). Collection management. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.) Work breakdown structure. In the initial part of the job safety analysis, one has to list each and every step of the job in the order of happenings. After the listing of potential hazards, they have to be reviewed in order to determine if the job can be performed in a different manner so as to eradicate the hazards. If better and enhanced work steps can be put into use, record every fresh step. Elaborate on precisely what the employee wishes to be familiar with in order to carry out the work by using the new method. A job safety analysis very much reduces accidents in the workplace, but its impact is seen when it is reviewed and well-run from time to time. Even if there are no changes made to the dynamics of a job, dangers that were not detected in previous analysis could be detected. Whenever a business deems it fit to review a job hazard analysis, training employees in the new job measures is a mandatory task. A job safety analysis can effectively be used to guide new employees on job dynamics. In order to achieve a positive return to work principle, a rehabilitation program should be set up and comprise of not only treatment, but also training, education and orientation while not forgetting job adjustments as required. An effective back injury conditioning program ought to include a number of steps, such as: 1) Steadily walking on a track without predispose at speeds varying from 1.5 to 3.0 miles per hour. 2) Gentle swimming in a pool under well heated conditions ranging between 80 to 86 degrees. 3) Cycling on a stationary bicycle is an exercise that could turn out to be helpful if appropriate body position is attained. 4) Suppleness exercises need to be based on each patient's requirement. The significance of appropriate flexibility cannot be undermined. At present, flexibility and support workout for the low-back trunk rotations are vital. The aim of muscle training is to develop relative strength gains in all key areas, particularly those concerned with the performance and hold up of the back area. At the point where a patient has attained a satisfactory point of conditioning, the patient is slowly introduced to work replication tasks. These tasks are only done under the physical therapist's care, using growing levels of opposition up to a level needed for the job. At all periods, correct forms and methods are established and put into practise. Notwithstanding the fact that medicine incessantly develops fresh and enhanced treatment tools, the treatment of low back injuries to this date is not clear cut than it were 20 years ago. It is also acknowledged that way of life practice can add to the occurrence of these injuries, thus treatment should take account of improving everyday life behaviour. (Landgraf, S. (2005). Student reflection journal for student success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.) Ultimately, a job safety analysis should take place and made accessible to every member of staff. Once you have preferred a job for analysis, talk about the methods with the employee doing the job and clarify its intentions. Explain clearly that you are researching on the job itself and not focusing on the employee’s work performance. Engage the workers in all areas of the study, from reviewing the situation steps and measures to evaluating probable accidents and suggested solutions Risk management In present day management of the back injury patient, both reflexive and aggressive treatment is essential. The treatment program should not only return the patient to work, but also create responsiveness about avoidance of potential injuries. Each business is different, with different dealings, principles and resources thus one must consider the organizational structure and background to check if there is a specific program for any reason as to why the organization should not be a contributor in the treatment and rehabilitation process of an injured employee. It is against the doctors principle (in medical profession) to consent to a non-physician to dictate the medical treatment procedure. In case of an injury, it is essential that the medical doctor and the business management both realize what the treatment is all about, the amount of support that is required, what kind of rehabilitation procedure is required and the best possible way in which the business could take part for the maximum effectiveness of the whole rehabilitation procedure. (Raelin, J. A. (2000). Work-based learning: The new frontier of management development. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.) Businesses must always get involved from the start of the rehabilitation process to the end. Part of the process and an important one is to keep in touch regularly, with the injured employee. This is always disregarded more often than not despite being an essential part of the healing and rehabilitation procedure. Evidently the aim is to provide specialized care for the injured employee and ultimate return to work; however, to be practical, the businesses also have a duty to the shareholders and the workforce to decrease costs, where appropriate and practicable since employee compensation cost reduction is a worthy and likely target. Businesses like JIM’S CLEANING have a fear of workers skiving through the deception of citing back injuries as a means of getting time off from work. This type of behaviour may be a standard routine for a particular employee. In this type of situation, the business will consult the doctor and look at the best possible options to curb such behaviour even though there are privacy regulations and other principles that may prevent this option, but it is worth a chance of trying for the best interests of all related parties. The business administrators could talk to the medical doctor about the company’s fears; and perhaps the doctor could give some explanation in relation to the treatment procedures, or even better tell the administrators a way of curbing this type of malice. (University of Technology, Sydney & Loyola University of Chicago. (2008). Gateways: International journal of community research & engagement. Broadway, NSW: University of Technology, Sydney.) Summary schedule. The following table shows the summary schedule for Jim’s cleaning company. Gantt chart showing project progress. Summary Budget. The majority of the cost of the implementation of safety lifting and health project in JIM’S CLEANING company, including maintenance and implementation of the whole project will probably be at a relatively manageable price. The company will be able to obtain many of the physical workings at a cut-rate price. Budget 2013 Budget 2014 Budget deviation Percent change (%) Scrubbing machine $ 52,000 $ 58,000 6,000 11.538 Ladder 20,000 22,000 2,000 10 Instructional administration 150,000 182,000 32,000 21.33 Personal equipments for handling hazardous substances 40,000 44,000 4,000 10 Handicapped instruction 10,000 16,000 6,000 60 Debt services and transfers 270,000 140,000 130,000 48.148 Computer activities 25,000 34,000 9,000 36 Employees benefit 300,000 378,000 78,000 26 Transportation 200,000 250,000 50,000 25 The summary budget caters for approximate values for the year 2014 since the research studies by the marketing team have predicted that the company’s financial figures will move forward. Project flowchart PROJECT CONTROL AND MONITORING. It is very ethical that the project team ensures the project undergoes this very important stage. By monitoring the project and checking on it excesses the team project realized that it was very necessary for the team to access more funds for the training of the staff as it turned out that some of the staff had no or very little knowledge on back injury prevention and safe lifting practises. It is this situation that compelled the team to hire a highly professional expert on this field in order to facilitate the proper induction of new employees and train the current crop of employees. The project team conducted risk management tests in order to unearth any vulnerability that the project may undergo so as to formulate new techniques to curb such threats. This was done by taking a group of employees on a practical field work assignment and the studies showed that not all employees were up to the task with the new techniques they had learnt. This prompted the project team to come up with the idea of pinning charts and posters at the workplace to act as reminders to the employees. A written test was also given out to the staff to gauge their understanding of the whole training process. The test showed that most of the employees were headed for the right direction and that the whole project would soon turn out to be a success. A project performance report was compiled, factoring in all the good and the bad experiences witnessed by the project so far and forwarded to the company management. The management was satisfied with the ongoing work. PROJECT OUTCOMES AND RESULTS. Reduced injuries and cases of back pain at work. Since the project is fully implemented, and has seen its main aim achieved, that is to reduce incidents of back injuries and safe lifting. Cases of back injuries have reduced greatly and even exceeding the expected number. This has gone down by a massive 77%. Huge amounts of money saved from cases of employee compensation and reduced insurance premiums as accident cases are now reduced to a zero-level or manageable level. The amount the business has managed to save has also been overwhelming; we have realized $65,000 exceeding the expected $50,000. More levels of employee satisfaction as they witness the change in modes of operation since their health situations and safe lifting methods are catered for by the company administration. This situation has seen the levels of employee attendance at work rise from a paltry 16% to an encouraging 67%. PROJECT REFLECTION AND LESSONS LEARNT. It is very advantageous to have and acquire technical skills on safety health and back injury prevention. Initiating an effective and clear communication plan amongst employees and management of JIM’S CLEANING. Effectively managing all the parts of the whole project. With the successful implementation of this safe lifting and back injury prevention project, the huge task now lies with the company’s administration to maintain and improve on these standards. With time, the company has to adjust its health and safety specifications in order to accommodate the changing market situations. A good project needs cooperation from all stakeholders for its successful implementation SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK AND CONCLUSION. To draw attention to the fact that safe lifting and back injury avoidance is every employee’s accountability would almost without doubt hit the nail on the head. It is evident that not all employees would be willing to agree to this responsibility hence it becomes the company’s administrations duty to implement safe lifting regulations in the areas of work. Evidences have proved that effective training in safe lifting methods are very essential and can be very helpful in back injury prevention. The most effective method of back injury evasion is keenness, teamwork, training and enforcement of lifting methods on a day to day basis.( Kari-Pekka Martimo, Jos Verbeek, Jaro Karppinen, ,Andrea D Furlan, Esa-Pekka Takala, P Paul F M Kuijer, Merja Jauhiainen, Eira Viikari-Juntura.(2008). Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling; BMJ, Vol 23,336, 429-431) Taking part in correct work out sessions and good dietary methods are also valuable prevention methods. In our case, the administration of JIM’S CLEANING must hit the nail on the head and offer sufficient training and support for back injury avoidance, including safety health therapy and punitive action for workers who carry on lifting in an insecure method. Every employee must then realize that this is a company directive to all employees regardless of whatever position they are assigned to, thus they have to strictly follow it since the directive cuts across all members of staff. It is an intricate endeavour, but it will reap huge dividends in the long run. (Ho, B. T., Netto-Shek, J.-A., & Chang, A. S. C. (2004). Managing project work in schools: Issues and innovative practices. Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall.) To highlight that safe lifting and back injury avoidance is each person’s accountability would almost certainly hit the nail on the head. It is obvious that not all employees would be willing to agree to this responsibility hence it becomes the administrations duty to implement safe lifting regulations in the place of work thus it is labelled as a failure on the part of the company’s administration since most employers tend to believe that there is nothing that can be done about the occurrence of back injuries in the places of work. Evidences have proved that effective training in safe lifting methods are very essential, combined with back technicalities and familiarity of how the back operates can go a long way to back pain and injury prevention. Back hold up belts has their place, but they are not the only solution. The most valuable technique of back injury avoidance is training and enforcement of proper lifting methods on a day to day basis.( Kari-Pekka Martimo, Jos Verbeek, Jaro Karppinen, Andrea D Furlan, Esa-Pekka Takala, , P Paul F M Kuijer, Merja Jauhiainen, ,Eira Viikari-Juntura.(2008). Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling: systematic review. BMJ, Vol 23,336, 429-431) Attending correct works out sessions and having good dietary methods are also valuable prevention methods. In our case, the administration of JIM’S CLEANING must hit the nail on the head and offer sufficient training and support for back injury avoidance, including safety health therapy and punitive action for workers who carry on lifting in an insecure method. It is for sure that the management of JIM’S CLEANING would consider punitive action as the last thing but if an employee is not willing to collaborate in this enormous attempt, and then the management has no option. Every employee must lift safely. The management recognises that it is an intricate endeavour, but it will give huge dividends in the long run. (Ho, B. T., Netto-Shek, J.-A., & Chang, A. S. C. (2004). Managing project work in schools: Issues and innovative practices. Singapore:) The whole project costs quite some money to invest in but the investment is worth it considering the amount saved in terms of employee reimbursement and insurance premiums. The time and work input put in by the employees also rewards them greatly in terms of health status. If you happen to ask those employees who at some point had back injuries or anything related to that, they would advice you participate in correct work outs and undertake back and safe lifting training seriously because the substitute would just not be worth it. All you one needs to do is take care of the back, keep it in good shape, practise safe lifting at all times and with familiarity of back mechanisms one can always find a safe way to lift anything. (Verbeek JH, Martimo KP, Karppinen J, Kuijer PPFM, Viikari-Juntura E, Takala EP Manual (2011). Material handling advice and assistive devices for preventing and treating back pain in workers (Review). (Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 6.) REFERENCE LIST Amdam, R. P. (2010). Insights into the Sustainable Growth of Business. Bradford: Emerald Group Pub. Daltroy, L.H., Iversen, M.D., Larson, M.G., Lew, R., Wright, E., Ryan, J., Zwerling, C., Fossel, A.H., Liang, M.H. (1997). A controlled trial of an educational program to prevent low back injuries. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 337, Number 5, 322-328. Gorman, G. E. (2000). Collection management. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Ho, B. T., Netto-Shek, J.-A., & Chang, A. S. C. (2004). Managing project work in schools: Issues and innovative practices. Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Kari-Pekka Martimo, Jos Verbeek, Jaro Karppinen, ,Andrea D Furlan, Esa-Pekka Takala, , P Paul F M Kuijer, Merja Jauhiainen, ,Eira Viikari-Juntura.(2008). Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling: systematic review. BMJ, Vol 23,336, 429-431 Landgraf, S. (2005). Student reflection journal for student success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Raelin, J. A. (2000). Work-based learning: The new frontier of management development. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. University of Technology, Sydney & Loyola University of Chicago. (2008). Gateways: International journal of community research & engagement. Broadway, NSW: University of Technology, Sydney. Verbeek JH, Martimo KP, Karppinen J, Kuijer PPFM, Viikari-Juntura E, Takala EPManual (2011). Material handling advice and assistive devices for preventing and treating back pain in workers (Review). Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 6. Read More