A challenge of our time is that workplace fatality and injury rates have remained consistent for the past 25 years (AWCBC, 2017, Table 22). According to Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada statistics, since 1993 approximately 1000 workers have been killed on the job every year. The human and financial costs of these failures are high, so major incident reports are produced as means to guide how industries and corporations need to move forward on education, learning and safety as a whole. Questioning what these reports actually say is a necessity in terms of adult education for safety, but there is little in the literature that shows any focus in this area. Yet these reports are important because what they tell us, or do not, guides the future. Using critical discourse and content analysis, my study explored primarily one major accident report – The Report of the BP U.S. Refineries Independent Safety Review Panel (2007) – written in response to the 2005 BP Texas City Refinery accident. I chose this as it is very comprehensive report, available publicly, and is similar to many that have been produced. Findings show that on one hand, the Baker Panel actively worked to hold BP accountable for the accident, calling out the company for poor training programs and leadership staffing, indiscriminate cost-cutting and lack of investment, as well as tolerating unrealistic production pressures. In various ways, the panel named capitalism’s and profit over safety as problematic. However, the report also perpetuates a rigid, narrow view of leadership, bases its recommendations in part on the ‘myth’ of a safety culture, does not recognise workers’ knowledge, does not appear to understand or suggest anything around the importance of informal learning and mentions little about the important concept of mentorship. Further, it maintains a technical-rational status quo, supporting, even promoting, the existence of a ‘traditional’ corporate infrastructure framework that oppresses workers and inhibits their safety. / Graduate

It was hypothesized that group industrial accident rates would be negatively related to job satisfaction. An employee opinion survey measuring satisfaction with various aspects of the job was administered to 1,577 non-exempt (hourly) field workers in 36 district offices of a Texas petroleum services company. Factor analysis of the survey revealed five interpretable sub-scales (factors) measuring five aspects of job satisfaction. Internal consistency reliability for each of the sub-scales and for the instrument as a whole was high (.83 or better). For each of the 36 districts, group accident rate for a six month period was determined. A correlational analysis was then done between district accident rate and the district satisfaction score for each factor and for total satisfaction. None of the correlations were significant.

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Background: Firefighters have a high risk of injuries or illnesses, which can result in workplace absences. Considering the unique occupational context of firefighting, firefighters may require unique disability management strategies to promote a successful and timely return-to-work. Objectives: To explore the facilitators, barriers and complexities of return-to-work for firefighters, and the current strategies used to promote return-to-work for firefighters. We also explored generic return-to-work strategies as they are applicable to all occupations. Methods: For the integrative review, we searched databases, grey literature and online resources to identify strategies, facilitators and barriers of return-to-work for firefighters. We used qualitative methods for the other studies, including interviews about return-to-work processes. For second and third studies, we used interpretive descriptions to analyze the interviews with disability management professionals. For the fourth study, we used qualitative descriptive methods to analyze the interviews with career firefighters. Results: We identified return-to-work strategies barriers for firefighters from our review including occupation-specific exercises and return-to-work readiness assessments. For the second study, disability management professionals discussed the need for accurate medical documentation and communication with stakeholders to identify suitable modified duties and return-to-work plans. In the third study, disability management professionals identified that firefighters required standard and firefighter-specific return-to-work principles, including prioritizing the recovery process over a timely return to modified duties. In the fourth study, firefighters agreed that rehabilitation was important because they must be physically able to perform their firefighting tasks. Firefighters disliked sedentary modified duties. Conclusions: The return-to-work process for firefighters may be complex due to their unique occupational context, and disability management professionals should implement occupation-specific strategies with standard strategies. It is important for disability management personnel who are not aware of the unique occupational context of firefighting to collaborate with firefighters to identify firefighter-specific return-to-work strategies. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Firefighters have dangerous and demanding jobs. They have a high risk of injury or mental health issues. Firefighters might need to take time off work when they are not feeling well. The goal of my thesis is to identify strategies used to promote a safe return-to-work for firefighters. The four studies found both generic and firefighter-specific strategies were used to help firefighters return-to-work. Doing modified tasks at work promotes a faster return-to-work, but firefighters do not like the desk work assigned to them. Boring desk work can cause firefighters to go back to their firefighting work before they are recovered, causing re-injury. Recovery is important as firefighters need to be physically able to do their dangerous work. Firefighters need job-specific rehabilitation to recover from their injuries. It might be harder to get firefighters with mental health issues to return-to-work. Disability managers should use gradual plans to avoid triggers in the workplace. We recommend that disability management professionals work with firefighters to identify creative solutions to help plan return-to-work, using a mix of generic and firefighter-specific strategies.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Technology: Environmental Health, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Work related injuries are of major public importance and have adverse economic and social impacts. Forestry work is one of the most hazardous occupations worldwide and accounts for a large proportion of occupational injuries. Employers frequently train workers in the proper and safe use of equipment, however the efficacy of these programmes are seldom rigorously evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of health and safety training in reducing injuries among forestry workers in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A descriptive study was conducted among 300 Kwa-Zulu Natal harvesting contract workers. A questionnaire to assess the efficiency of health and safety training was administered. A retrospective review of the injury register and medical records of employees who sustained work related injuries, fatalities during 2009–2013 was done. The company injury data for harvesting contractors from 2009- 2013 reported 3 fatalities and 68 lost time injuries during post commencement of training. About 23.3% workers reported injuries during the study period. Slip, trip and fall injuries were the most reported cause of injuries. Almost 95% of respondents reported that they had received health and safety training at work, with 84% reporting satisfaction with the quality of training received. A decreased prevalence of work related injuries was reported post training. The health and safety program was successful in increasing workers awareness and responsibility of health and safety issues. On- going specific job training, sustained work place inspections and adult learning for supervisors will improve health and safety of workers and reduce injuries in the forestry industry. / M