There is little doubt that the way workplace safety managers throughout the construction industry do their jobs has been forever altered by technology in recent years. The proliferation of tablets such as the iPad and smartphones such as the iPhone or the wide variety of devices using Google’s Android operating system, combined with major advances in cloud computing, have allowed them to manage workplace safety information in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

Construction companies are increasingly turning to cloud-based documentation and away from paper. By keeping documents in the cloud, supervisors in the field can load various types of data, notes and take photos of work using their mobile devices, and instantly send it to the “cloud,” to make it immediately accessible to everyone with an Internet connection.

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, having ready access to safety records is an important issue, particularly for construction companies who operate a number of different sites. By storing documents and data in the cloud, everyone has access to such information as inspection records whenever they need them.

While there are some advantages to paper systems, such as those times when inspectors request documents with original signatures, such documents can always be scanned and accessed anywhere with a cloud-based service.

But there are many advantages to a cloud-based system. If a worker shows up at a jobsite, supervisors can immediately find out whether or not they have the correct training to operate a particular piece of machinery, by searching the worker’s name. With a paper-based system, they’d have to flip through pages, or rely on someone to fax the information to them. If they wanted to see which workers at a jobsite have taken a particular training course, an electronic system can pull all of the records together into a report.

Another advantage to electronic storage, especially in the construction industry, is that everyone always has access to a pristine copy of everything. There’s no spilling coffee on an original, or watching a thunderstorm wipe out hundreds of pages of paper records. Also, most reputable cloud storage companies provide backups for electronic records, so there’s little fear of loss.

People are constantly moving around to different jobsites. Rather than carrying boxes of documents from site to site, managers can carry a tablet or smartphone and have access to every relevant document in the company, in searchable form. It is this convenience that demonstrates why more and more construction companies are giving up on paper records, and storing everything on the cloud.

Three workers at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa are reportedly okay after inhaling chemical fumes at the facility on the morning of May 27.

According to the mint, chemical vapours were apparently released from the waste water treatment system at the refinery. A spokesman for the mint said the workers, aged 51, 58 and 35 were immediately taken to hospital to be checked out and were released hours later. Two of the men were exposed when they rescued their co-worker by pulling him away from the fumes.

A hazardous materials team determined there was no need to evacuate the entire building, and the area where the fumes were released was isolated and ventilated. An Ottawa fire department spokesman later said there was no danger to the public because the fumes were contained. Normal production continued at the mint in all non-affected areas, including public tours.

Meanwhile, the cause of the incident is under investigation.

Four British Columbia high school students have won awards in WorkSafeBC’s 6th annual student safety video contest.

This year’s contest featured the theme “Overexposed! What you may not see can kill you,” which focused on hidden hazards that can turn out to be deadly. The theme was chosen in order to educate young workers that exposure to some hazards today can have an impact later in life.

In all, the competition featured 42 submissions received from 19 schools and 145 participating students. The contest was open to all high-school students, with a teacher providing project supervision and final approval of the video. The entries were judged based on their impact, their safety message, original creative concept, and technical execution. Judges also considered how well they provided a youth perspective on workplace safety, and how well safety messages targeted young workers and their peer groups.

The first place team in each category will share $500, with their school receiving another $2,000. The second place teams each win $500, and $1,500 for the schools, and the honourable mention team receives $500.

The winners are:

Grades 8–10
First Place: Noise, by Port Moody Secondary School
Second Place: Why endanger your life?, by Ladysmith Secondary School

Grades 11–12
First Place: Open your eyes, by Penticton Secondary School
Second Place: A mouldy surprise, by Chatelech Secondary School (Sechelt)
Honourable Mention: Distraction, by Chatelech Secondary School (Sechelt)

The winning videos can be viewed here. After last year’s contest, more than 10,000 YouTube visitors saw the winning videos.

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.