Worker Safety Awareness Training and Information

If you have people working at heights and performing work covered under the construction regulations, get ready to comply with a new training standard that takes effect April 1. The standard requires that people working at heights on construction projects receive training if they are using travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets, work belts and safety belts. A companion standard sets out requirements for training providers.

Measuring noise levels with an app on your smartphone or tablet: what could be simpler? But are the measurements accurate? Could these apps be too good to be true? WSPS eNews asked WSPS Occupational Hygiene Specialist Warren Clements for his perspective on these popular new applications.

It's Global Ergonomics Month, the perfect time to take action against sedentary lifestyles that could be making your employees sick and costing you money. And WSPS can help you do it.

The 2016 trial of a respected big box retailer following the death of a worker has raised fresh concerns over pallet safety. The worker died two weeks after he tripped on an empty pallet and hit his head. While this may be an isolated incident, it highlights the potential consequences of unsafe practices involving pallets.

A research project involving 4,300 workers at more than 50 workplaces has found that people who often use a forceful gripping and pinching motion could face a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.*

Workers' right to refuse work they believe to be unsafe to themselves or other workers is a mainstay of Ontario's Internal Responsibility System. At their best, refusals can draw attention to hazards not previously recognized, providing additional protection for workers.

Imagine this: one of your workers drops a 3-pound tool from a height of 20 feet. The tool hits a worker below with 336 pounds of force. Just 16 pounds of force can fracture a skull.

Luis Hernandez felt fortunate to land a job as a maintenance worker at a fast-service restaurant just three weeks after arriving in Canada. And while he acknowledges that his first employer did a lot of things right to keep him safe, more could have been done. But because Luis was new to the country he didn't feel it was his place to offer suggestions.

Results from a Statistics Canada health study offer disturbing findings regarding adult hearing loss.* Could you or your co-workers be among the 1 in 5 adults aged 19 to 79 who have mild hearing loss or more in at least one ear? Here's another: most people with measured hearing loss were unaware they had any hearing problems. Chances are, with time and continued exposure the problem will get worse.

Don't let emergency stop buttons and pull cords lull you into a false sense of security. They're the conveyor equivalent of the engine oil light on your car's dashboard: If the light goes on - or you're reaching for the emergency stop button - it may be too late.

Bill 70, passed in December, instantly caught the attention of Ontario's business community by enabling an accreditation process for companies with a health and safety management system. But how do you know if implementing a management system is right for your business?

For some employers, a new season means a fresh batch of employees who need orientation training to get them up to speed quickly.

New research suggests that the first six months after a workplace injury may be critical to an injured worker's ongoing mental health.

Ever try talking to someone who doesn't want to listen? You can't force conversation. However, you can create an environment in which positive, solutions-focused conversations occur, whether planned or spontaneous.

Collaborative robots are poised to take off in the next few years, says WSPS consultant Robert Vomiero. With built-in safety limits, sensors, and other safety functionality, "cobots" offer exciting benefits: they're able to work more closely with humans, can be cheaper and easier to integrate and maintain, and promise better cycle time and productivity. But this doesn't mean organizations anxious to embrace the new technology can rest easy when it comes to health and safety. Crushing and impact hazards remain, requiring special safety measures and a greater emphasis on certain aspects of your health and safety program.

One in five Canadians is likely to experience a mental illness at some point, yet fear of being judged is a major barrier to seeking treatment - a critical first step in returning to good health.

WSPS consultant Janet Bewers is a pragmatist. She knows that what workplaces need to do and what they're capable of doing right away are often two different things. So, she tailors her message to her audience.

Robot systems may seem complicated and mysterious, but working safely around them doesn't have to be, says WSPS consultant Robert Vomiero. He offers seven ways for operators to protect themselves while working with a robot system. They're all based on this fundamental principle: robot systems can't work in tandem with us. We have to work in tandem with them.

When employee stress levels start outweighing job satisfaction, it can wreak havoc on a workplace. Don't let that happen. Studies consistently show that taking a positive approach to psychological health and safety can generate measurable improvements in employee engagement, retention levels, productivity, and innovation and creativity. And there's a tool to help you stay on top of it.

Canada's Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) changed on February 11, 2015 to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). This new WHMIS is called "WHMIS 2015" and the original version is now referred to as "WHMIS 1988."

If retail and hospitality employers get their wish, this holiday season will be hectic and profitable. "For some businesses, particularly small businesses, Christmas makes or breaks their year financially," says Rodola Sibuma, a WSPS key account manager. But with high traffic and demand comes a faster pace and higher volume of work, the introduction of temporary staff into the workplace, and a need to keep extra inventory on hand - all of which can increase the risk of slips, trips, falls, strains and sprains, stress, and more.

WSPS is currently working with system and research partners on two new practical prevention tools that will help companies to address lifting hazards and identify vulnerable workers, says Illia Tchernikov, WSPS Program Lead, OHS Research.

"Great supervisors mean you have a great culture," says Greg Swan, health and safety officer for Ottawa Community Housing Corporation. Key attributes of great supervisors were the subject of a session Swan led at WSPS' national Partners in Prevention Health & Safety Conference & Trade Show. Here are some highlights.

As operations manager of BASF Canada's Windsor Paint Plant, Michael Helferty balances multiple management responsibilities all at the same time, but at WSPS' recent Partners in Prevention Health & Safety Conference & Tradeshow in Mississauga, he focused squarely on health and safety. In a fast-paced 90-minute session, Helferty shared a 6-step process for creating and sustaining a health and safety culture that helped BASF's Windsor plant achieve three years without even a recordable incident.

"Workers are a source of rich data that can be used for applying controls, correcting unsafe practices, and coaching and training," says WSPS consultant Norm Kramer. The best way to mine the data is to create an environment in which people feel safe speaking up, even when reporting a near miss or worse. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to access their experiences and ideas.

Seasonal heat and humidity is coming, if not here already. We've provided essential tips on how to manage this hazard and links to resources below, but more help is on the horizon. By the end of 2016, employers will have access to a new guideline for protecting workers from a number of extreme conditions, such as high heat and humidity, cold temperatures and severe weather.

"Non-routine work such as making deliveries to new locations can often be high risk," warns Janet Bewers, a WSPS business developer. "Lack of familiarity with the location is just one risk. Other variables include heavy traffic and poor weather conditions."

Don't be misled by the flippant labels. Repetitive strain injuries from overusing handheld electronic devices are just the latest in a long list of equipment- and task-related injuries that can cause painful and sometimes permanent damage to our musculoskeletal system, undermining our well-being and productivity. What's new is how these hazards are creeping from our work lives into our personal lives.

Industry estimates suggest that 5% of production capacity is lost each year to unplanned downtime. "This figure is conservative," says WSPS consultant Gord Leffley. While safety-related stoppages are just one type of unplanned event, even minor incidents can slow down or halt production.

You wouldn't wear protective overshoes to a fancy-dress gala, but those big unsightly galoshes that briefly turn a pair of pricey dress shoes into circus attire deserve more respect in safety-conscious workplaces. And they're finally getting it. The protective toe overshoe now has its own Canadian Standards Association standard - CSA Z334. The standard was published on January 1, 2015, and manufacturers have a year to comply.

If anyone in your workplace may be exposed to electrical hazards, CSA's newly revised standard Z462 - Workplace Electrical Safety can help you upgrade or set up an electrical safety program, "something many workplaces lack even though electrical incidents and injuries are often serious," says Francis Hardy, a senior safety specialist with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and a member of the CSA Z462-15 Technical Committee.

Jack Walton, owner of five Midas Auto Service and Tires stores in Markham, Newmarket, Oshawa, Richmond Hill, and Scarborough, is an all-in kind of guy. No half measures here.

From November 3 to December 14, the Ministry of Labour's Health and Safety Blitz initiative will focus on machine safety in the workplace. "Inspectors will probably apply a straight-forward approach to machine safety," says WSPS machine safety specialist Michael Wilson. "Are there guards in place? Are they, in fact, restricting access to hazardous motion? Are they being properly maintained?"

Cineplex Entertainment's national health and safety consultant was bitten early by the theatre bug. Or more precisely, the movie theatre bug. "My uncle used to own a movie theatre," says Jerry Mouchian, "and at the age of 10 or 11 I used to help by splicing film and setting up the projector."

Temporary workers may come and go, but protecting them is just as important as protecting your full time staff. At WSPS's recent national Partners in Prevention Health & Safety Conference & Trade Show, representatives of a human resources law firm, a temporary help agency, and a company that hires temporary workers shared best practices on how to keep these workers safe and protect your business from liability.

Many workers are required to travel as part of their job duties. They may travel for sales trips, service calls, conferences, client meetings, or even accompanying students on a field trip. Unfortunately, workers are sometimes injured while travelling.

Your safe employees may be your best ally in preventing risky behaviour among co-workers who are impervious to traditional injury prevention approaches, suggests research conducted by the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University's Western Transportation Institute.

Nail guns are powerful time savers, but can be as deadly as a weapon. Think about the training and licensing necessary before a person is permitted to purchase and operate a firearm for the purposes of hunting. How much training do we put into ensuring our nail gun operators are competent?

A recent video showing a Chicago subway train riding up an escalator after derailing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport graphically depicts what can happen when overtired workers fall asleep on the job. Organizational factors may have contributed. Media reports indicate the driver was often assigned erratic schedules as a fill-in in for other employees, and had clocked lots of overtime.

As of March 31, regulatory changes at Health Canada allow physicians and nurse practitioners to prescribe medical marijuana. No one expects a surge in users, but it's a timely reminder to include prescribed or approved medications in your drug and alcohol policy. Some medications are potentially intoxicating, or may cause nausea, drowsiness or other side effects that could compromise safety and productivity.

Sarah Jones had all the traits and more to be a successful camera assistant: organizational skills, communication skills, attention to detail, agility, and speed. Nevertheless, none could help the 27-year-old escape the path of an oncoming train.

This video summarizes a Research Exchange presentation, originally held in April 2012 highlighting the effects of shiftwork, including circadian rhythms, consequences of fatigue, health effects and strategies to optimize adaptation to shiftwork.