Canada is on the verge of becoming the first country in the world to develop a national set of standards designed to protect workers from what they consider to be mental health injury in the workplace.

Mental health issues have been cited as the leading cause of short and long-term disability, affecting one in five workers. Nearly a quarter of Canadian workplaces have been deemed “psychologically perilous,” and a number of federal and corporate officials have provided up to $470,000 in funding to the Mental Health Commission to establish a voluntary set of best practices that could lead to improvements in workplace mental health.

The loss of work days and other disruptions to workplaces caused by mental health issues are estimated to cost the Canadian economy more than $50 billion a year. In the last five years alone, there has been a 700% increase in court-ordered damages awarded for workplace mental health injury. The recognition by the courts of a serious problem coincides with studies characterizing between 10 to 25% of workplaces as “mentally injurious.”

The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety will be voluntary for employers to adopt, and will provide them with tools to help with implementation.
The federal funds are being provided by Human Resources, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Beginning this fall, there will be a 60-day public consultation and it is hoped that standards will be ready for employers sometime next year.

A 35-year-old mine worker was killed in a workplace accident deep underground at Mosaic Co.’s Colonsay, Saskatchewan mine last week.

According to reports, the man was driving down a mine corridor when his vehicle flipped, which caused him to sustain serious injuries. Shortly after paramedics arrived on the scene at about 11:30 am, he was pronounced dead.

The mine site shut down operations following the incident, and Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) investigators were at the mine by 1 pm, where they remained for most of the afternoon. Investigators plan to look at whether everyone involved was following OHS regulations, and say their examination of the incident could take three months. The provincial coroner is also assisting the investigation.

The United Steelworkers union also plans to aid in the investigations, due to their concern over the fact that five Steelworkers have lost their lives on the job over the course of three weeks – two in forestry and three in mining.

Alberta provincial officials are concerned by what many perceive as abuse of a voluntary safety accreditation program that entitles employers to earn rebates on their Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) premium and to bid on lucrative government contracts. To that end, the provincial government has announced that, beginning July 1, companies holding Certificates of Recognition (COR) will have to start explaining why they still have accidents and fatalities. Last year alone, 9,000 companies received CORs that entitled them to $77 million in WCB rebates.

Going forward, provincial officials will conduct reviews as soon after a workplace incident as possible. They will also change the COR program to include an employer review process if there is a fatality, serious injury or incident; if two or more stop work orders are issued within a 12 month period; or if ongoing OHS officer activity indicates possible health and safety issues. No company would be eligible for rebates when its COR is under review.

For the most part, officials admit that many COR holders have a generally solid safety record, and have developed effective safety programs. However, some companies seem to be more interested in the WCB premium rebates than with keeping their workplaces as safe as it should be. Those employers with a COR may be entitled to WCB premium rebates of around 3% each year, which can save the largest companies hundreds of thousands of dollars .

The re-examination of the program came after an auditor general’s report that suggested some abuse may be occurring. The Alberta Federation of Labour has gone so far as to call the program “an unmitigated failure,” claiming that the provincial government has been handing out certificates “like candy,” while making very little effort to determine whether employers actually deserved them.

There is also concern over the fact that, while so many companies have received rebates, the numbers don’t seem to be improving. While the overall number of hours lost due to injury has decreased in Alberta, the number of workplace fatalities climbed from 110 in 2009 to 136 last year.

Summer is upon us, and with the summer heat comes heat stress, which can lead to a number of ailments, including (from mildest to most severe) heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Working through hot conditions stresses the body’s cooling system. When the hot summer temperatures combine with such factors as hard physical work, dehydration, fatigue, or other medical conditions, the result can be illness, disability and even death.

While younger and more physically fit workers tend to be less likely to have problems, the fact is, heat stress can lead to problems for anyone of any age, including the physically fittest. Workers with heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes and those taking medications are more likely to experience heat stress problems. In addition, workers who use diet pills, sedatives, tranquilizers can be at higher risk for heat stress. Drinks containing caffeine or alcohol can exacerbate the effects of heat stress, as well.

If you are a supervisor, keep an eye out for symptoms of heat stress among your workers, because the victims of these afflictions are often unaware of the symptoms, and their survival may depend on your ability to identify symptoms and seek immediate medical assistance. The symptoms of every stage of heat stress are as follows:

Condition Symptoms Proper Response:
Heat Cramps Painful muscle spasms and heavier than usual sweating Drink lots of water and rest in the shade or a cooler environment.
Dehydration Marked by a high level of fatigue, and difficulty moving. Drink lots of water (try to stay away from drinks with caffeine and/or sugar) and rest in the shade or a cooler environment.
Heat Exhaustion Marked by pale, clammy skin, heavy sweating, weakness and fatigue, nausea or dizziness. Can also cause blurred vision and/or fainting. The body temperature may also be slightly above normal. Lie down immediately in cool environment, remove any personal protective equipment and loosen clothing. If the symptoms continue, call an ambulance.
Heat Stroke Marked by hot, dry skin because the body stops sweating, red face, and high body temperature. It can also lead to collapse, lack of consciousness, convulsions, confusion or erratic behavior. Immerse worker in water, in the shade, and call for an ambulance immediately, because this is a life threatening condition.
Workers and supervisors have a responsibility to limit the effects of heat stress on the job.

Supervisors should:

• Prepare to allow 2-3 weeks for employees to get used to the summer heat. It often takes that long for a worker to become acclimated to a hot environment.
• If possible, move work around, so that heavier work can be done in the coolest part of the day. If a heat wave is only supposed to last for a couple of days, schedule lighter work for the hottest days.
• Try to reduce the workload by increasing the use of equipment on hot days, in order to reduce physical labor.
• Establish a schedule that allows for work and rest periods during hot days.
• Review with workers how to recognize signs and symptoms of heat stress disorders.
• Make sure you or someone else in the workplace is prepared to administer first aid if necessary.
• Know ahead of time who among your workers are “high risk” employees for hot work environments for extended time periods, and divvy up the work accordingly. Understand that individual workers vary in their tolerance to heat stress conditions.
• If possible, provide cooled rest areas, increase the number and length of rest breaks and provide plenty of cool drinking water near workers.

Workers should:

• Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress.
• Be sure to pace your work and take regular rest periods in shade or cooler environment.
• Use fans for ventilation and cooling, especially when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) or working around equipment that is hot.
• Be sure to wear lightly colored and loose clothing, unless you’re working close to equipment with moving parts.
• Reduce the physical demands of your work by using aides, such as hoists. The less you exert yourself, the better.
• Whenever possible stay shaded from direct heat by wearing a hat, and applying sunscreen.
• Above all, drink plenty of water. Do not wait until you’re thirsty. Drink before you’re thirsty. And be aware that sports drinks are not necessary, plain water works well.

With hot weather now upon us, workplaces have to protect their workers from the effects of heat stress. By doing so, everyone can prevent workplace injury, illness and even death.

The head of the Canadian Auto Workers, Canada’s largest private sector union, is sending out a warning to everyone that a large number of the country’s youngest workers are being asked to work in unsafe conditions. Not only that, but young workers often have no idea of their rights, including the right to refuse unsafe work, according to CAW president Ken Lewenza.

The warning comes in the wake of a $350,000 fine levied last week against retail grocer Metro Ontario for an Occupational Health and Safety Act violation that caused the death of a 17-year-old worker back in August 2009.

According to a Ministry of Labour investigation, the accident occurred at a Mississauga Metro store on Erin Mills Parkway. The young worker, a CAW member, had only been on the job for about three weeks when he was told to remove a box that had been stored on top of a drop ceiling. When the worker climbed up a ladder and stepped onto the ceiling, he fell through and suffered a fatal head injury.

According to statistics from the government of Ontario, each year more than 10,000 workers under the age of 25 are injured on the job and are unable to return to work the next day.

If you have ever used power tools or run a lawn mower for a while, you’ve probably felt the tingling that occurs in the hands. That tingling is a side effect of the vibration of the motor. Now, imagine if you have to use them day in and day out for a living.

A number of workers who use handheld power tools extensively in the course of their work are exposed to large levels of vibrations in their hands and upper arms, and those vibrations can have negative health consequences, if proper precautions aren’t taken. Among the most common possible health problems is hand-arm vibration syndrome which, over time, can cause some workers to lose sensation in their hands or even to lose dexterity altogether. Some workers develop an inability to distinguish between hot or cold surfaces. Others experience Raynaud’s Phenomenon, which is a discoloration in the extremities of their fingers.

The solutions to these problems, however, can be surprisingly simple. A recent study on soil compactors, for example, which are used extensively at construction sites, found that exposure to vibrations could be reduced by as much as 60% just by upgrading the seat. Likewise, making sure workers are properly equipped with anti-vibration gloves when they use power tools, especially large ones like jackhammers, can have a positive effect on a worker’s health and safety.

Workplace standards have also been developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for whole body vibration (ISO 5982) as well as for hand-arm vibration (ISO 10068). They are currently investigating an international standard for anti-vibration gloves.

Even though prevention remains the best medicine, experts caution against pushing workers beyond their capacity just to increase productivity. Companies shouldn’t disregard the long-term effects of excessive power tool use in the name of short-term financial gains.

Keywords: worker safety, power tool safety, workplace safety

An elderly driver who killed a flagger three years ago was issued a suspended sentence last week, and the sentence has managed to anger members of the province’s traffic control workforce.

The accident happened in February 2008, as a work crew was clearing ditches. Two flaggers were resetting the work site up after their lunch break. Terry Mitchell was standing at the far end of the curved road, communicating via radio with another flagger, when the driver of the car, 88-year-old Mellie Pool, ran into him. Mitchell was airlifted from the site of the accident, but died later that same day,

Besides being 88 years old, Pool is also legally blind, and his licence hadn’t been renewed since 2001 as a result of that blindness. Pool received the suspended sentence from a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 3. In addition, Pool received two years probation, a further 10-year driving ban and was ordered to perform 15 hours of community service.

As one could imagine, a number of road workers and supervisors are quite upset with the judge in this case. A few have suggested that the lightness of the sentence actually served to devalue the flagger’s life. Some have suggested that, at the very least, Pool should be required to wear an electronic device to monitor his driving, or that some other measures be taken to keep him off the road.

Alberta is promising to hire 30 new occupational health and safety officers over the next three years, in addition to the 16 officers already hired during the 2010-2011 fiscal year, so that by 2014, they will have 132 OHS officers, a 55% increase from the 86 officers they had early last year.

The goal is to improve what many consider to be the province’s woeful record on workplace accidents.  The inspectors will conduct on-the-spot inspections of workplaces and investigate serious accidents, as well as educate employers and workers on OH&S legislation.

The ministry will also divide the province into three enforcement regions instead of two. The old regions of north and south, which are currently divided near Red Deer, will become north, central and south, which will allow for a greater focus in northern Alberta, where the province is seeing the greatest industrial growth.

The provincial government also announced a series of focus inspections to take place this year. These inspections will take place in addition to their regular random inspections, and will focus on certain infractions. The first such inspections of forklifts were based on statistics regarding those pieces of equipment. The next focus will be on young and inexperienced workers.

While the Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents more than 140,000 workers, welcomed the announcement of additional officers, they note that Alberta is one of the most dangerous places in Canada to work, with its concentration of jobs in hazardous industrial sectors such as petroleum development, construction, processing and manufacturing, and that a lot more needs to be done. They remain skeptical of the promised hires, and they question where the money was coming from to pay for the inspectors, since the latest budget only allowed for a 1.5% increase for inspections.

The Federation has recommended that inspectors be given the power to issue on-site administrative fines and stop-work/stop-use orders when they discover violations. They would also like to see Crown prosecutors pursue charges against more workplaces that violate the Occupational Health and Safety Code. They note that 142 workers were killed on the job from 2006 to 2009, and the province prosecuted less than 3% of the employers involved.

Springside Paving & Construction Limited in Concord, Ontario was assessed a $100,000 fine for an accident that led to the death of a worker on July 13, 2009, after the company pleaded guilty to a violation of Ontario’s Regulations for Construction Projects last month. According to a statement from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, the company failed, as an employer, to ensure that a signaller assisted a vehicle operator if his view of the intended path of travel is obstructed or if a person may be endangered.

The incident that led to the fine occurred on July 13, 2009, as three workers were replacing an asphalt driveway and re-leveling an interlocking walkway at a residential property in Vaughan, north of Toronto. After disconnecting a trailer from a truck, one worker boarded the vehicle and slowly began reversing the truck toward the work site, and the vehicle ran over and killed another worker.

The company initially faced four charges, but three were dropped when the company pleaded guilty.

According to the MoL, between 2005-2009 a total of 40 workers died after being struck by construction equipment or the material they were handling, the MoL reports. Last summer, the MoL kicked off an enforcement campaign involving construction projects. During that campaign, inspectors issued 2,728 orders, 14.4% of which related to equipment, material handling and general storage. The campaign also led to 158 orders citing equipment maintenance or operation problems, and 76 orders noted improper handling or storage.

British Columbia Provincial Court Judge Terese Alexander has handed the United Steelworkers Union a victory in its fight to see that Weyerhaeuser faces criminal charges in the death of a B.C. sawmill worker more than six years ago, when she ruled that the union presented enough evidence to proceed.

The worker at the Weyerhaeuser sawmill in New Westminster, Lyle Hewer, died on November 17, 2004 when he walked into the bottom of a hopper that fed wood waste into a grinding machine, called a hog. The wood waste that had been wedged above him came loose and rained down on him, killing him.

A report by WorkSafeBC investigators noted that Weyerhaeuser management knew that unclogging the machine was very dangerous, since a worker had previously been injured doing it, but they did nothing about about the situation, out of concerns for costs. In fact, entering the machine from underneath was still common practice at the time of the accident, even though it violated safety regulations.

In 2007, WorkSafeBC levied a $297,000 fine against Weyerhaeuser for the accident, saying safety risks were ignored at the mill. At the time, the fine was the highest the workers compensation agency had ever issued.

Police also investigated the incident at the time, and recommended criminal charges against the company. The Crown concluded, however, that although it would be in the public interest to prosecute, it was unlikely that a prosecution would proceed. Because of this, the union launched its own private investigation, which led them to conclude that there was enough evidence to charge Weyerhaeuser with criminal negligence in Hewer’s death. When they present the evidence to the judge, she agreed.

The judge’s ruling means Weyerhaeuser will be issued a summons to appear in court, and the Crown will be forced to either decide to proceed with a charge or have the case dropped.