Mind your steps!

13 listopada 2014

The topic for today is „accidents at work”.

Task 1
Read the text below to get the general idea:

People spend one third of their entire life at work so it is understandable that they need to feel there as comfortable and secure as possible. By law, employers are obliged to create safe working conditions for their employees and , if necessary, they have to provide them with protective clothing. In addition, the superiors are also responsible for making sure that all equipment and machinery used in the company is serviced regularly and maintained accurately. Moreover, it is also their duty to assess potential risks that might be encountered by their workers and to take care of their health and welfare in the workplace. On the other hand, the employees themselves must also take reasonable care of their own safeness and healthiness. If both parties do not cooperate effectively, multifarious occupational accidents may happen.
It has been reported by the International Labour Organization that more than 337 million accidents happen for many reasons at work every year, leading to more than 2.3 million deaths annually. Falls from heights, slips on staircases or trips on pavements are listed as most frequent physical injuries and they constitute more than 50% of serious incidents. Traffic collisions, acute poisoning, animal attacks, handling and commuting accidents are very common, too, but in some countries, for instance in Greece, transportation occurrences are included in a separate category, and therefore not treated as work-related accidents.
Although many workplace accidents have relatively minor consequences, others can result in serious mental or physical injuries or cause long-term diseases. It is also said that some trades are more accident prone than others. Statistically, severe incidents happen more frequently at construction sites than in less dangerous locations, such as offices, for example. Nevertheless, everybody should follow company health and safety procedures to assure that their workplace is secure enough to provide good working conditions.

Task 2.
Study the text carefully and answer the questions below:

1. How much time on average do people spend at work?
……………………………………………………………………………..
2. What kind of working environment should be ensured by employers?
……………………………………………………………………………..
3. Who is usually responsible for risk assessment in a company?
……………………………………………………………………………..
4. Whose duty is to provide workers with appropriate clothes?
………………………………………………………………………………
5. What are employees accountable for at a workplace?
………………………………………………………………………………
6. What are most typical occupational accidents?
………………………………………………………………………………
7. What else can happen at work?
………………………………………………………………………………
8. Which work-related occurrences are treated as doubtful in some countries?
………………………………………………………………………………
9. What sort of consequences are most often caused by workplace accidents?
………………………………………………………………………………
10. Can you list two more results accidents may have on people’s life?
………………………………………………………………………………

Task 3.
Watch the video ‘’ Accidents – facts and statistics‘’ and gap fill the sentences below. The first letter of each word has been given:

1. The most common injuries are: (t) …………………, (s) ………………… and (f) ………………………
2. Accidents resulting from (e) ……………………. incidents or manual (h) ………………………. and (l) ……………………….. are also very common.
3. The following industries are considered the riskiest to work in: (a) ………………………., fishing, (c) …………………………… and long-distance (l) ………………. (d) …………………………
4. The (p) ………………….. you live can also affect the risk of accidents.
5. Employers can reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents in five steps. In the first one it is critical to identify (h) ……………………… and (i) ………………………… at risk.
6. In the second phase employers need to list all risks based on (s) ……………………. and (p) ……………………………; then they are supposed to (p) ………………………. them in order of importance.
7. In step three employers are expected to introduce relevant (m) ……………………. that would (p) ……………………….. previous accidents from happening again.
8. Step four requires from employers a regular (r) ………………….. of (s) …………………….. procedures.
9. In the final step employers would have to make sure that they (r) …………………….. all accidents to Health and Safety Executives.
10. To finish with, have a safety (h) ………………………… for your staff in your company.

KEY TO EXERCISES

Task 2.

1. How much time on average do people spend at work?
………One third of their entire life……………..
2. What kind of working environment should be ensured by employers?
………Safe, healthy and comfortable………..
3. Who is usually responsible for risk assessment in a company?
………The employer…………..
4. Whose duty is to provide workers with appropriate clothes?
………The employer……………
5. What are employees accountable for at a workplace?
………Their own and their colleagues’ safeness and healthiness……………
6. What are most typical occupational accidents?
………Falls from heights, slips on staircases and trips on pavements………………
7. What else can happen at work?
…………Handling injuries, transportation accidents, animals’ attacks, poisonings ………
8. Which work-related occurrences are treated as doubtful in some countries?
………Commuting accidents………………………………
9. What sort of consequences are most often caused by workplace accidents?
………Mental or physical injuries, long lasting diseases or even deaths ………
10. Can you list two more results accidents may have on people’s life?
………Financial losses, emotional strains, permanent disability, work loss, career breakdown………

Task 3.

1. The most common injuries are: (t) ……TRIPS…, (s) ……SLIPS…… and (f) ……FALLS……
2. Accidents resulting from (e) ……ELECTRICAL……. incidents or manual (h) ……HANDLING…. and (l) ……LIFTING….. are also very common.
3. The following industries are considered the riskiest to work in: (a) ……AGRICULTURE……., fishing, (c) ……CONSTRUCTION…… and long-distance (l) …LORRY…. (d) ……DRIVING……
4. The (p) ……PLACE….. you live can also affect the risk of accidents.
5. Employers can reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents in five steps. In the first one it is critical to identify (h) ……HAZARDS… and (i) ……INDIVIDUALS…… at risk.
6. In the second phase employers need to list all risks based on (s) ……SEVERITY……. and (p) ……PROBABILITY…; then they are supposed to (p) …PRIORITIZE…. them in order of importance.
7. In step three employers are expected to introduce relevant (m) ……MEASURES…. that would (p) ……PREVENT….. previous accidents from happening again.
8. Step four requires from employers a regular (r) ……REVIEW.. of (s) ……SAFETY….. procedures.
9. In the final step employers would have to make sure that they (r) ………REPORT….. all accidents to Health and Safety Executives.
10. To finish with, have a safety (h) ……HANDBOOK… for your staff in your company.

LEKCJA DO POBRANIA:

Mind your steps

Set 28 Mind your steps- KEY