Occupational Safety and Hygiene for Disabled Employees
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Mobility
- The difficulty to quickly respond in due time (including the difficulty to avoid a
coming danger), increased risks of falls and collisions due to mobility disablements, mobility
difficulties in irregular passages like stairs, slopes, path with obstacles, increased danger
of injury by vehicles and inability to perform certain necessary actions in order to work
safely, physical weakness that prevents safe work, difficulties in escaping in response to
an emergency case.
Mental disability -
The following examples specify hazards of disabled people:
1. Times of unexpected deterioration of the employee’s health significantly reduces his
ability to work safely;
2. Increased sensitivity and difficulty in maintaining attention in conditions of noise and
crowdedness;
3. Damage of the memory, alertness and concentration due to the use of certain psycho-
active medications (most medications do not have side effects that damage one’s
alertness);
4. Inability to maintain attention and concentration for a long time (increased need of
recess and rest at work);
5. Difficulty (sometime) to obey authority and instructions and sensitivity to criticism;
6. Difficulty (sometimes) to maintain communication with colleagues, which may have
implications on the safety at work;
7. Lack of concentration due to harassment by others;
8. Difficulty to function under pressure with achievements and output.
It is necessary to handle each risk that is marked as “High” and if possible, also each risk
marked as “Medium”, as long as the cost is reasonable and practical. Ask yourself if you have
taken the measures required by the law, and how it is acceptable in your industry or field
to handle the problem you identified. If necessary, decide what else can be done in order
to reduce the risk. Make a list of operations for implementation and mark them according
to the risk level. Handle the severe problems as first priority. There are simple and available
technological measures that may solve these problems.
Cooperation with the disabled employee
Job safety analysis of work stations should be conducted with the involvement of the disabled
employees. Such involvement prevents:
1. Mistaken assumptions regarding the disabled people, which lead to discrimination or
bad routines.
2. Employees hiding their disability due to their fear of losing their jobs, which may endanger
their safety and health.
