As our readers know, safety is a primary concern at AMS. Every new employee undergoes OSHA-based safety training. This includes monthly safety walks through the warehouse, conducted in English and Spanish, pointing out any potential for an accident or injury.
Employees are urged to communicate any safety concerns they have to their supervisor. They are also given monthly financial bonuses for having no lost time injuries in the warehouse. And, with regard to lost time injuries, we are proud to say that AMS comes in far below the national average.
The safety of our employees is a top priority. We know that injuries can happen in a warehouse, and we’re dedicated to preventing all injuries with rigorous safety training.
World Day for Safety & Health
While we know about safety measures in the US and the work of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) we know very little about how other countries look at the safety and health of workers. Let’s take a look.
April 28 is a commemoration created by the UN: the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Like all commemorations, it is a campaign to bring awareness and promote safe, healthy and decent work conditions.
Quoting from the National Day Calendar [LINK] we see the following:
“By far the greatest proportion of current work-related deaths, 86 percent, come from disease. An estimated 6,500 people a day die from occupational diseases, compared to 1,000 a day from fatal occupational accidents. 317 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product each year.”
The International Labor Organization points to climate change [LINK] as a cause of injuries: “As climate change intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals.”
Climate Change, Occupational Safety & Health
According to the UN [LINK], climate change is having a serious impact on human health and the world of work (see the ILO quote above.) The UN adds to that risk list cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders.
The ILO and the UN have integrated climate concerns into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practices, and they are asking for collaboration between governments and social partners.
“The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.”
The report goes on to say, “As employers we are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is safe and healthy. As workers we are responsible to work safely and to protect ourselves and not to endanger others, to know our rights and to participate in the implementation of preventive measures.”
Emerging Risks
According to the UN report there are new and emerging occupational risks. Keep in mind that this report is international.
*New technologies and production processes, e.g. nanotechnology, biotechnology
*New working conditions, e.g. higher workloads, work intensification from downsizing, poor conditions associated with migration for work, jobs in the informal economy
*Emerging forms of employment, e.g. self-employment, outsourcing, temporary contracts
*They may be more widely recognized through better scientific understanding, e.g. the effects of ergonomic risks on musculoskeletal disorders.
*They may be influenced by changes in perceptions about the importance of certain risk factors, e.g. the effects of psychosocial factors on work-related stress.
Worker’s Right to Safety
Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy working environment. The UN asserts that governments, employers, and workers must actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment and we agree. At AMS we have a strong focus on safety and we appreciate the efforts of OSHA, the ILO and the UN to improve worker safety at home and around the world.
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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to putting People and Planet before profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.