Other Educational Resources

This booklet is designed to provide general guidance for employers and employees about how to prevent back injury as a result of lifting and moving patients and residents. It may be useful in settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, board and care homes, and during the provision of home health care. Some of the benefits of back injury prevention include
de-creased injuries and costs, as well as increased efficiency and employee morale.  The practical suggestions in this guide are focused on orderlies, attendants, nurses,
nursing assistants, and others who actually lift and move patients and residents.  The information was developed with the help of individuals and institutions in the health care field that have found effective ways to prevent back injuries.
This guide discusses how to:

• Understand the scope of the back injury problem.
• Analyze the workplace to find work activities, equipment, and related factors that may contribute to the development of back injuries.
• Identify and implement improvement options.
• Evaluate the results.

This document was developed with the help of farm labor contractors (FLCs) and agricultural safety and health professionals to provide general guidance for employers and employees about preventing work-related injuries and illnesses.  The biggest challenge is to give this vital information to all your supervisors and workers and to ensure that they clearly understand the job hazards before starting a new crop or task. Information described in this guide also applies to growers who directly hire their own crews. Each section, including the checklists and fact sheets, can be used individually. Fact sheets and checklists may be reproduced as handouts and distributed during employee training.

This guide has six sections that address farm labor contractors’ main concerns:

• Section 1. Background Information
• Section 2. The Required Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)
• Section 3. Worker Training
• Section 4. Employers’ Obligations Under the Law—The Cal/OSHA Program
• Section 5. Fact Sheets and Checklists
• Section 6. Other Available Assistance

This Confined Space Guide has been developed to explain the hazards of confined space work and to assist employers in establishing and maintaining an effective confined space program. By implementing such a program, both employers and employees will
be able to:

• Recognize, evaluate, and control confined space hazards.
• Save lives and protect employees from job-related injuries and illnesses.
• Promote safe and effective work practices.
• Reduce preventable workers’ compensation losses.
• Comply with the law.

The focus of this brochure is harmful stress that arises from work situations, as opposed to stress that is generated by an employee’s personal life.

Harmful workplace stress has been associated with:

• Jobs that demand a lot from the employees while allowing them little control over how the job is performed
• Work environments that are unsafe and/or uncomfortable
• Organizational practices that exclude employee participation or input.

This brochure offers suggestions for reducing the potentially harmful effects of
work-related stress on employers and employees.

A Practical Approach for Improving the Workplace This booklet offers a simple, hands-on approach to workplace ergonomics that can work regardless of the size of your organization. It is designed for owners, supervisors, and employees as they work toward improving their workplace.

     I. How Ergonomics Can Help
     II. Ergonomics and Your Workplace
     III. Improving Your Workplace
     IV. Resources

This publication was prepared by Cal/OSHA for use by workers, employers, supervisors, job stewards, and safety personnel. It is meant to serve as a quick field reference. It summarizes selected safety standards from the California Code of Regulations, Title 8, that pertain to the construction industry.

Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations was developed to ensure a safe and healthful work environment for the California workforce by setting minimum standards for workplace safety and health.

This booklet is designed to be useful to all employees and is particularly targeted to owners and employees of very small businesses of less than ten employees. It includes photographs of people in actual working situations, a poster highlighting problem tasks common to small wholesale/retail establishments, and improvement suggestions. Five additional posters targeted toward small businesses in auto repair, restaurants, cosmetology, and dental and medical offices can be ordered. The booklet, and posters provide general guidelines about ergonomics and safety awareness,
recognizing early warning signs of musculoskeletal
disorders, and a simple outline on the process of ergonomic improvements.

This guide is designed to help employers and employees understand the requirements of the hazard communication regulation by providing a simplified and clear overview of the major program elements.

For easy reference, this guide is separated into seven main sections: