Phoenix84
Senior Associate
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:03:59 GMT -5
What hazards exist in your workplace? In other words, what specifically could cause illness, injury, or death?
Also, what, if anything, do you do about the hazards? And what is the liklihood of something happening in the first place?
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Nazgul Girl
Junior Associate
Babysitting our new grandbaby 3 days a week !
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Post by Nazgul Girl on Feb 10, 2014 14:09:46 GMT -5
Weird coworkers and (some) weird bosses are the biggest hazard in my workplace. Seriously !
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grits
Senior Member
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Post by grits on Feb 10, 2014 14:10:10 GMT -5
Mold in the buildings, toxic substances on things we handle, biohazards, murder, stoned people almost killing you with their vehicles, being shot or stabbed, being brutally attacked by vicious animals, and just about anything else you can dream up. All of them have happened, and some more than others.
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Phoenix84
Senior Associate
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:14:28 GMT -5
Weird coworkers and (some) weird bosses are the biggest hazard in my workplace. Seriously ! What do you mean? Are the weird bosses and weird co workers causing stress related illness? Anyways, I thought you were retiring because your bosses were being jerks about taking vacation.
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Phoenix84
Senior Associate
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:15:23 GMT -5
Mold in the buildings, toxic substances on things we handle, biohazards, murder, stoned people almost killing you with their vehicles, being shot or stabbed, being brutally attacked by vicious animals, and just about anything else you can dream up. All of them have happened, and some more than others. Dang dude, what do you do?
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The Captain
Junior Associate
Hugs are good...
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Post by The Captain on Feb 10, 2014 14:15:47 GMT -5
I guess a file cabinet could fall over on me if I rock it hard enough. Other than the occasional crazy/homeless person trying to sneak into the building for who-knows-what I feel pretty safe at work.
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chen35
Senior Member
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Post by chen35 on Feb 10, 2014 14:17:03 GMT -5
We don't have fire sprinklers, which I think is weird. I don't think the chances of having a large fire are high, but it could happen.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 14:17:36 GMT -5
I think I work in a pretty safe place, they seem pretty proactive in preventing accidents or injury right down to replacing all our chairs every few years to make sure we're comfy. Now they're starting to install ergonomic desks that raise up so we can stand if we want as well.
Despite the move towards lead-free electronics, there is a lot of lead on the production floor, but enough precautions are taken that I didn't worry about even when I was pregnant and running the SMT machines with solder paste.
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chen35
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Post by chen35 on Feb 10, 2014 14:19:22 GMT -5
I think I work in a pretty safe place, they seem pretty proactive in preventing accidents or injury right down to replacing all our chairs every few years to make sure we're comfy. Now they're starting to install ergonomic desks that raise up so we can stand if we want as well. Despite the move towards lead-free electronics, there is a lot of lead on the production floor, but enough precautions are taken that I didn't worry about even when I was pregnant and running the SMT machines with solder paste. I want a desk that raises! that would be so nice!
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Feb 10, 2014 14:20:20 GMT -5
What hazards don't exist in my workplace is probably easier to answer. I got chemicals that are carcinogens, teratogens and can cause all sorts of fun stuff to go wrong with various body organs. They can also burst into flames, explode or cause deadly gas depending on what you're mixing. We're a BSL-2 lab which means bacteria is around someplace. We don't work with anything super serious but you could get sick if you're immune compromised in anyway and get exposed. I deal with body fluids, which are supposed to be screened but you never know. Following proper OSHA and biosafety handling procedures will keep you safe, but a lab is most definetly not a place for stupid people.
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Feb 10, 2014 14:22:44 GMT -5
Staplers, paper cuts & rolling chairs are about the extent of it. A coworker once got herslf tangled up in her phone cord & tripped.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Feb 10, 2014 14:23:33 GMT -5
Mold in the buildings, toxic substances on things we handle, biohazards, murder, stoned people almost killing you with their vehicles, being shot or stabbed, being brutally attacked by vicious animals, and just about anything else you can dream up. All of them have happened, and some more than others. Dang dude, what do you do? I think grits works for the US Postal Service. I work in an "open" (nonsecured) office building that anyone can (and does) walk into. We've had some odd solicitors come in, and I don't mean odd just in the sense of what they are selling, either. We've had our share of strange people working in the building, too. One who got drunk, showed up here on a late Saturday night (the doors are locked from midnight to 6 a.m.) and smashed in an exterior glass door to get to his office. The hallway was an ocean of broken glass and twisted metal bits.
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doxieluvr
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Post by doxieluvr on Feb 10, 2014 14:23:38 GMT -5
Mold in the buildings, toxic substances on things we handle, biohazards, murder, stoned people almost killing you with their vehicles, being shot or stabbed, being brutally attacked by vicious animals, and just about anything else you can dream up. All of them have happened, and some more than others. Sounds like you work at the post office..lol
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 8, 2024 16:13:39 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 14:24:18 GMT -5
paper cuts, stapler accidents, pen ink toxicity syndrome and other office related injuries. The company I work for does ironwork, though, and that is actually dangerous. We had a fatality a few years ago.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Feb 10, 2014 14:25:13 GMT -5
Uh... messing up your back moving/unpacking boxes. Boxes of puzzles and books can get reasonably heavy. Other than that I can't think of anything. Getting robbed I guess. I stand behind a register most of the day, so some addict with a gun could come in here anytime and shoot me for the few hundred bucks in the register.
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comom1
Familiar Member
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Post by comom1 on Feb 10, 2014 14:26:19 GMT -5
Jet engines are the biggie. There's also a lot of ground equipment moving near us and you won't hear it so you need to keep your head moving around. There are chemicals, fumes, lavatory waste, heights, heavy bags and, this time of year, snow and ice. You just have to be hyper-aware of your surroundings all the time. I've seen what happens when you walk behind a running engine or in front of a tractor. It isn't pretty. I've been spared seeing someone ingested into an engine, but I've seen pictures of the aftermath. Pay attention and know the rules on hazardous materials and waste. Those two things should keep you fairly safe.
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swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Feb 10, 2014 14:26:29 GMT -5
a really pissed on criminal defense client, and paper cuts.
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doxieluvr
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Post by doxieluvr on Feb 10, 2014 14:27:15 GMT -5
Probably the biggest risk at my work is lead exposure. We have blood drawn every 6 months for monitoring. Then of course any normal office accidents could happen. Maybe an employee could go on a shooting rampage, but thats about it.
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grits
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Post by grits on Feb 10, 2014 14:27:22 GMT -5
Mold in the buildings, toxic substances on things we handle, biohazards, murder, stoned people almost killing you with their vehicles, being shot or stabbed, being brutally attacked by vicious animals, and just about anything else you can dream up. All of them have happened, and some more than others. Dang dude, what do you do? Deliver the mail. Last November, a carrier was found shot to death in Landover Maryland. A carrier was shot ,while being robbed, just days before Christmas in Boston. A female carrier in Beaumont Texas was beaten up by a gang of teenaged girls when she refused to let them have the keys to her mail truck. You can find more and more of this stuff on the web.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:28:20 GMT -5
What hazards don't exist in my workplace is probably easier to answer. I got chemicals that are carcinogens, teratogens and can cause all sorts of fun stuff to go wrong with various body organs. We're a BSL-2 lab which means bacteria is around someplace. We don't work with anything super serious but you could get sick if you're immune compromised in anyway and get exposed. I deal with body fluids, which are supposed to be screened but you never know. Following proper OSHA and biosafety handling procedures will keep you safe, but a lab is most definetly not a place for stupid people. I know what you mean. One of our scientists works with hydroflouric acid in the dark. For those of you who don't know, HF will kill you if you come into direct contact with it.
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on Feb 10, 2014 14:28:23 GMT -5
Mainly other peope. I work for the county mental health agency and we serve chronic and persistent mentally ill. We have some security/safeguards, but not much. I also spend a great deal of my time working in clients homes. Most are in very bad neighborhoods with a great deal of drugs/gangs/criminal activity. I just try not to think about it, or I'd never be able to do my job. Seriously though, in 20+ years working in the same type of work, I can count on 1 hand how many times I felt seriously threatened or at risk. I'm sure there have been many times I've been in a much more dangerous situation or environment than I realized at the time.
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Cookies Galore
Senior Associate
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock
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Post by Cookies Galore on Feb 10, 2014 14:29:03 GMT -5
I get a lot of paper cuts. Card stock hurts like a mofo! Coworkers are constantly baking or purchasing treats to share, so I run the risk of getting fat. We joke about asking "what can you bake?" during interviews.
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swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Feb 10, 2014 14:30:28 GMT -5
Mainly other peope. I work for the county mental health agency and we serve chronic and persistent mentally ill. We have some security/safeguards, but not much. I also spend a great deal of my time working in clients homes. Most are in very bad neighborhoods with a great deal of drugs/gangs/criminal activity. I just try not to think about it, or I'd never be able to do my job. Seriously though, in 20+ years working in the same type of work, I can count on 1 hand how many times I felt seriously threatened or at risk. I'm sure there have been many times I've been in a much more dangerous situation or environment than I realized at the time. I do home visits too for my kid clients.
Yeah, some of those places are scary.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 10, 2014 14:31:56 GMT -5
What hazards don't exist in my workplace is probably easier to answer. I got chemicals that are carcinogens, teratogens and can cause all sorts of fun stuff to go wrong with various body organs. We're a BSL-2 lab which means bacteria is around someplace. We don't work with anything super serious but you could get sick if you're immune compromised in anyway and get exposed. I deal with body fluids, which are supposed to be screened but you never know. Following proper OSHA and biosafety handling procedures will keep you safe, but a lab is most definetly not a place for stupid people. , Only we're a micro lab too, so we have huge vats of bugs around that are getting processed. A good immune system is necessary to work where I worked. It's also why its a very bad idea for me to go back to work there, I just cannot handle that level of exposure to microbes without fearing for my hips.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Feb 10, 2014 14:33:59 GMT -5
I work in an office... so the biggest threat to my safety would be my coworkers. Seriously though: There are all sorts of warning labels on things... like the one on the vending machines that show if you rock them back and forth - the machine might fall over onto you and crush you! The paper cups by the coffee makers say "Caution! Contents Hot!". And then there's the electrical panels near the freight elevators that loudly proclaim "Arc Flash and Shock Hazard" in orange and black. There's some warnings on the printers too... like it's not a good idea to use a metal letter opener to unjam a paper jam. I have used bug spray on the office plants - the bug spray came with all sorts of 'hazard warnings'.... thankfully I'm past my childbearing years.
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Phoenix84
Senior Associate
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:34:33 GMT -5
You can have injuries in a traditional office setting. Ergonomic issues are common, sore eyes, back, neck, carpel tunnels ect.
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sarcasticgirl
Junior Associate
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Feb 10, 2014 14:36:03 GMT -5
an associate who thinks they should be partner.
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grits
Senior Member
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Post by grits on Feb 10, 2014 14:36:07 GMT -5
I work in those scary neighborhoods. I've been there when murders went down, all kinds of stuff. I have been sexually harassed, and groped so many times I can't even begin to count them all, both genders. I have been stalked by three diff peeps. I have to wear baggy clothes, and long shirts to cover everything to help keep them at bay. It does work part of the time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 14:37:11 GMT -5
I work in those scary neighborhoods. I've been there when murders went down, all kinds of stuff. I have been sexually harassed, and groped so many times I can't even begin to count them all, both genders. I have been stalked by three diff peeps. I have to wear baggy clothes, and long shirts to cover everything to help keep them at bay. It does work part of the time. But it will be all worth it when they only cut your pension by half when you retire.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Feb 10, 2014 14:40:52 GMT -5
I work with radioactive material, so I am exposed to ionizing radiation. Though my annual dose is always less than 10% of the regulated limit. I'm not worried about it, but in theory, my risk of getting cancer is high, though comperable or less than other normal workplace hazards.
The vast majority of the time, I work in an office. But I do have to move heavy stuff on occassion, stuff like lead filled instruments, lead, NORM (rock) samples, waste drums ect. I could always throw my back out doing that. For example, just a couple of weeks ago I had to roll around a 285 lb. drum filled with waste.
Once a month, I have to go outdoors to take measurements. Sometimes I have to do it in bad weather. I have fallen on the ice doing a survey before, but never really gotten hurt.
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