CASE STUDY Electrical Safety Case Study An employee

CASE STUDY

Electrical Safety Case Study An employee was using a steam-cleaning unit to clean carpets in a restaurant. The unit was located in a van and the restaurant provided power via an extension cord. Sections of the insulation protection of the power cord were damaged. The damaged lead came in contact with carpet that had become wet during filling from the water tank in the van. The employee stepped on the carpet and was electrocuted.

Ergonomics Case Study An employee was required to stand at the concierge desk for a continual period of 4 hours. There was no provision for seating or a variety of work activities because his main role was to direct patrons to other staff members for the service required. He complained of sore back and sore feet at the end of his shift. The pain became worse as the shift progressed.

Hazardous Substances Case Study A musician, playing at a reception lounge, was on a scheduled break and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. He slipped and fell in the loading dock area on a mixture of water and caustic-cleaning agent that was used as a cleaning agent. There were no signs warning of the risk. He was unaware that he had been exposed to the chemical mixture. He was taken to hospital suffering from third degree burns to his face, back, arms and buttocks.

Manual Handling Case Study Peter worked as an electrician in the maintenance/grounds section of a large hotel. While the work was varied, the positions in which he found himself were usually constrained, awkward and required stretching. After six years, he had to give up the electrical work in favour of a position that involved little work on ladders, at heights or in confined spaces. The reason for his career change was continuing, extreme pain in the lower back.

Noise Case Study Mary worked as a bar attendant in a local hotel, for four nights a week. Local bands played during her shift. When she finished work, she usually had a headache, felt irritable and experienced ringing in her ears. Mary’s family often complained that she turned up the volume of the television and that she often misunderstood conversation. She rarely socialised because she feels isolated. She can no longer hear the birds singing or the rain. Mary has become withdrawn, nervous and miserable.

Screen Based Equipment Case Study An accounts clerk in a hotel finance department suffered from an occupational overuse syndrome (OOS) injury as a result of undertaking accounting activities. His symptoms included eye fatigue, head and neck aches, numbness and tingling in his wrists and forearms. The accounting activities required all data entry to be completed by 6 o’clock, however the clerk did not receive the documents until after 2 o’clock. This required an extended period undertaking a repetitive task and established unrealistic and urgent time frames. He was unable to take a rest break or alternate duties due to the workload and urgency of the activity and was required to maintain constant visual attention to the VDU screen.

Shiftwork and Fatigue Case Study Due to insufficient staff, a chef in a busy a la carte restaurant was required to work a double shift. Halfway through his second shift, the chef lost concentration and allowed foodstuffs to catch fire. Due to his state of fatigue, he accidentally threw water onto the burning oil, which increased the intensity and spread of the fire. Emergency services were called and the chef received superficial burns to the arms, hands, neck and face.