Photo credit: Eira M on Flickr

They did everything they were supposed to do – but something unexpected happened. An excavation crew hit and ruptured a gas line while replacing a water main in Coquitlam. More than 100 people were evacuated, buses were re-routed, and roads were closed.

The first question that came to mind, when I heard about it on CBC radio, was “Did they call first?” Did they get in touch with BC One Call – the province-wide non-profit organization that urges people to “call before you dig”?

As it turns out, they did call first.

“They did have the current information on site from BC One Call and they were using mechanized equipment within an appropriate distance from our pipelines,” said FortisBC spokesperson Kirsten Walker, quoted in this story in the Coquitlam Now.

“This particular pipeline is approximately 40 years in age. What we know is that it’s not on our mapping records… Really, it is a rare situation. Only less than one percent of our pipeline damages occur because of incorrect mapping records.”

From the Common Ground Alliance website

Keeping track of what’s underground

I emailed Kirsten to find out more. She said almost 99 percent of pipeline damages related to construction activity result from two key factors: either they didn’t phone BC One Call for the location of gas lines, or they didn’t follow safe excavation practices.

“It should be remembered that excavators dig around gas pipelines every day and the majority of them follow safe digging practices. These operators should be commended for their good practices,” Kirsten said via email, adding that these type of incidents are on the decline in BC. “This decrease can be attributed to a greater awareness of safe excavation practices and an increase in the use of BC One Call.”

BC has seen an overall decline in the number of third-party pipeline damages related to construction activity – with about 1,200 incidents in 2011, down from about 1,400 in 2009 and 2010.

Numbers still too high

Despite the improvements, there’s more work to be done. The BC Common Ground Alliance (which FortisBC is a founding member of) is a non-profit organization that tracks damage incidents and their primary causes. They see if the number of incidents is going up or down, and they look at why some educational campaigns for industry are more successful than others.

One such campaign is DigSafeBC, a travelling one-day seminar that “teaches construction workers, contractors, landscapers, irrigation technicians, railway workers, road crews, city workers, and anyone else who digs, how to avoid buried pipelines, cables, and other underground infrastructure,” reads the Alliance website.

More resources

In Metro Vancouver, call BC One Call at 604-257-1940. Elsewhere in BC, call toll-free 1-800-474-6886, or key *6886 on Telus & Rogers cell networks. You can also submit an e-ticket.

For more information on preventing contact with gas lines and other utilities, see WorkSafeBC’s publication Prevention of Damage to Buried Facilities in British Columbia (PDF 340kb).

Photo credit: Janelle on Flickr

Mike McKenna – executive director of the BC Construction Safety Alliance – gave the thumbs-up to a new app that lets employers and homeowners request clearance letters from WorkSafeBC via smart phone.

“This new app is of real benefit from a construction safety perspective because it allows the purchasers of construction services – like general contractors, business owners undertaking renovations, and residential home owners – to quickly determine if a contractor is registered with WorkSafeBC,” said Mike, whose organization serves more than 35,000 BC construction companies with 180,000+ workers.

“It demonstrates to the purchaser that the contractors’ workers are protected in the event they are injured on the job. For the contractor, it provides an efficient and timely method to demonstrate to potential customers that they are in good standing with WorkSafeBC… Any time this information can be obtained easily is a good thing.”

Photo credit: SpeakingofSafety on Flickr

In the past, employers and home owners requested clearance letters by phone or from a computer, which often meant going back to the office. If employers or home owners hire anyone who’s not registered and in good standing, they could end up liable for insurance premiums owing in connection with their projects.

Onus on home owners

Some homeowners don’t realize they are considered employers in certain situations when they hire people to work in their home, according to WorkSafeBC. This includes workers doing construction and repairs – along with gardeners, landscapers, nannies, companions, personal caregivers, and domestic workers.

“When you hire people to work in or around your home, always ask them whether they carry their own coverage. If they do, ask for their WorkSafeBC account numbers,” reads this information for homeowners at the WorkSafeBC website.

More info about the app’s release is available on the WorkSafeBC website – along with this story from the Canadian Safety Reporter: New mobile app offers quick contractor-liability clearance in BC

Thanks to Mike for sharing his comments on this new service. I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with the new clearance letter service – or anything else that speeds up the “getting started” process.

Belgrave Mill burns in 2010 in Oldham, England. Photo: Gavin Clarke on Flickr

It could be months before investigators know what started an explosion and fire that killed two workers and injured 19 on January 20 at the Babine Mill near Burns Lake, BC. One possible cause is combustible dust explosion, but it’s still way too early to know for sure.

This story in the Burns Lake District News takes an in-depth look at combustible dust, quoting Al Johnson, WorkSafeBC’s regional director, who says it’s too soon to conclude dust is the cause because there would need to be an ignition source for the explosion.

The story references a WorkSafeBC report from December 28, 2011, that says an unacceptably high concentration of pine wood dust was found in the mill basement. But it may be a long time before we know more. Right now, the community is mourning the death of two dads, along with all the other injuries to people and the uncertainty of their jobs.

Other mills taking stock

Crofton Pulp and Paper Mill is reported to be “watching to see what kind of safety lessons can be learned from the Burns Lake fire,” according to this story in the Cowichan Valley News Online HQ.

The story quotes mill manager Rob Belanger, manager of this mill which I once visited when I was a reporter on Vancouver Island in the 1990s. Belanger said their safety practices include a joint health and safety committee, a “multi-level safety program,” and a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule for all machines.

Image from WorkSafeBC Hazard Alert 06-06: Arc ignites sawdust in service panel

Dangers of dust

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says hundreds of workers have been killed or injured by dust explosions in past decades.

“They can seem like harmless substances – sugar, coal, wood dust, flour – however in certain conditions and across many industrial processes, dust from these – and other substances can become the fuel for an explosion,” reads the CCOHS website.

Health Canada uses the term “explosible” in its publication Hazard-Specific Issues – Dust Explosibility in reference to dust that can cause an explosion – to avoid confusion with the term “explosive” which refers to “dusts dispersed as a cloud and ignited.”

This video – from the US Chemical Safety Board – tells the story of 14 workers fatally burned in a series of sugar dust explosions in the US in February 2008.

More resources on combustible dust

Hazard Communication Guidance for Combustible Dusts – from OSHA

Arc ignites sawdust in service panel Injury Hazard Alert 06-06 from WorkSafeBC.

In case you’re thinking of joining the business-related social networking site LinkedIn – but haven’t checked it out yet – here’s an example of what it offers the safety community.

Once you sign up for LinkedIn (a basic account is free) you can join groups that focus on particular topics such as workplace safety. One such group, Occupational Health and Safety, has more than 2,800 members from around the world, including safety consultants and people from government departments, safety association, and safety product companies.

Just ask

An occupational health advisor at a UK factory posted this question to the group: “Can anyone recommend a back care/manual handling leaflet that would be appropriate to give employees following manual handling training? Any suggestions gratefully received.”

Image from WorkSafeBC

I suggested she check out Back Talk: An Owner’s Manual For Backs – available free online from WorkSafeBC. Okay, it’s not exactly a leaflet, but it’s still got a lot of great info and would work for people with computer access.

Another answer came from a senior safety specialist in South Carolina who suggested she try Back to Backs from Krames StayWell, a company that sells pamphlets in bulk for consumer health outreach. She suggested searching “back care” on the Krames site, where there are many more publications available on the topic.

A doctor of physical therapy in Florida agreed that Krames is good. He also suggested she search the titles at IMPACC USA, Saunders Group, and OPTP (Orthopedic Physical Therapy Products).

I noticed this same physician posted a suggestion on another question to this group, from a safety manager in Dallas who said, “Looking to initiate a pre-shift stretching program, anything you can share would be welcome.”

The Florida member posted a link to a program called Stretch It Out. Many others shared their personal experiences, and I decided to add my two cents by posting a link to Workplace Warm-ups and Stretches from FIOSA-MIOSA, which I wrote about at the beginning of this year.

Potential for answers

LinkedIn groups have a lot to offer, but it’s “buyer beware” when it comes to free advice. Many people use it as a forum for selling their safety products and consulting services, which may or may not be a good value, so you’ll have to rely on your best judgment, as you would in face-to-face interactions.

You’ll find a list of LinkedIn safety groups in this post – and I’d also like to know if you have any good sources for getting workplace safety information online. Add your two cents by commenting below. If you feel shy about it, you can always use a nickname and remain anonymous.

Photo credit: thenestor on Flickr

Last week I wrote about online resources that help employers with their return-to-work programs for injured workers – and now I want to tell you about one aspect of this program that deserves a post of its own: the Construction Nurse Line.

Phone access to nurses is becoming more popular – think of 811 and the Newborn Hotline – and now construction employers have their own nurse advisor service by phone, free of charge, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Judy Reilly, client services manager for WorkSafeBC’s Construction & Return-To-Work Services department, wants to make sure construction employers know the service is available – so this post is what YouTube fans call a “shout out” – just to spread the word on this great service, first offered to B.C.’s construction industry in June 2010.

The construction nurses will work with all parties – physicians, health care providers, employers, and employees – to facilitate safe and appropriate return to work planning. They advise on injuries, injury management, return-to-work issues, and claims.

So please help spread the word – and think about how this service might work in your own industry in your own jurisdiction. Do you have anything like this where you are?

BC construction employers can call 604 279-8155 in the Lower Mainland or toll-free elsewhere in the province at 1 877 633-6233.

Here’s a new online resource for simplifying the early return-to-work process for injured workers – originally made for construction but generic enough for employers in any industry.

The Injury Management Road Map was created by a team led by Judy Reilly, client services manager for WorkSafeBC’s Construction & Return-To-Work Services department. I gave her a call to see what employers can get from the new step-by-step guide for employers to follow when a workplace injury occurs.

Judy said the Road Map will help employers deal with the detours and unnecessary bumps in the road, and ensure that the RTW process is managed efficiently and effectively, allowing injured employees to remain at work or return to productive and appropriate work as soon as possible.

The online guide is most useful for small to medium employers who – unlike large employers – don’t have human resources staff on-site to manage RTW programs.

Having all paperwork ready

One useful form, for example, is the Stay-at-work/return-to-work planning form, which provides a typical list of limitations as a starting point for developing a custom return-to-work or modified duties plan. For example, the doctor could select “Limit long periods of walking or standing” or “Avoid jarring” as appropriate. The form can also be downloaded and customized with your own logo, etc.

Judy talked about this problem in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of WorkSafe Magazine. She said there’s 20 years of research that show it’s “misguided” for injured workers to stay home and rest until fully recovered.

“In general, our physical fitness can start to decline after one week of inactivity,” she told WSM. “So the longer an employee is off work, the longer it takes to get back to full capacity; and the less likely he or she is to return to the job.”

She said an injured worker can transition back into the workplace earlier and more safely when the employer takes immediate steps to accommodate the worker’s injury. Having the right paperwork on hand, when needed, can speed the RTW process, which benefits all.

“The employer can give the RTW package to workers, and tell them: ‘Talk to your doctor about modified duties and bring this back.’ It’s a proactive way that helps the worker and it’s even an education to the physician as they’re going through it,” Judy said. “From the employer’s perspective, they don’t have to create it themselves. It’s all there for them.”

Your experiences with RTW

What kinds of duties do you keep available for modified duties? Have you ever worked on modified duties yourself? Please share your story in the Comments below.

Photo of snow in Victoria courtesy of the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure

When the snow falls in Vancouver – as it has this January – the transit drivers have their work cut out for them.

They navigate challenging roads, where vehicles slide at odd angles, despite the City‘s good work clearing the streets. More passengers than usual line up at snow-lined bus stops, tracking mush into the aisles, taking extra time to get their fares out as they struggle with mitts and gloves.

One driver described an aspect of his job I hadn’t thought about. He wrote on Facebook: “I’m off to work. Tonite will be one of those nights where I got dozens of people just looking for a warm place to thaw out for a few minutes. I am glad I can help.”

Efforts from drivers like this are not going unnoticed. One passenger reported, via Facebook: “I found the bus drivers jovial and helpful – as always – but extra nice when it’s actually kinda stressful to drive in these conditions.”

@Translink on Twitter

Stressful indeed! Translink – employer of the bus drivers – posts regularly on Twitter, so I checked out their tweets to see if I could find out what it’s like for the hard-working bus drivers of Metro Vancouver. But mostly @Translink was updating passengers on things like “Skytrain is experiencing delays of approx 15 minutes due to a mechanical issue, Sorry for the delay.”

Photo credit: Presley Perswain on Flickr

I posted on Twitter, via @SpeakingofSafety: “I’m writing a blog post thanking bus drivers in the snow. It looks stressful to drive, but they seem very skilled. Kudos!”

The Translink employee writing on behalf of his organization responded: “Thank you for taking time out of your day to do that; they do work very hard especially on days like this.” Then he (or she) got back to the busy job of responding to individual’s complaints about their travels – like this one, in response to someone who tweeted “screw Translink” and said they’d been waiting 20 minutes: “Sorry you are waiting in the cold, where are you I can check for the closest 41?” came the reply.

Bus driver safety

I’m going to follow up on this with a story on bus driver safety. How do they prepare for driving in these conditions? How do they prepare for and deal with other safety issues, like violence?

If you’re a bus driver and you have a story to share about how you stay safe at work, please email me at susan@speakingofsafety.ca.

A new audio slideshow from WorkSafeBC explains what went wrong, including best practices for prevention. It reminds me of the union rep who visited young workers to talk about workplace safety and refusing unsafe work. I shared her story in which she said: “Some of them were kids who had never had jobs, and they were already saying: ‘Ya but if I start refusing work, he’s just going to get someone else to do it.’”

This attitude has to change, so let’s do all we can to support young workers – whether they’re your staff or your own kids. Links to resources are below the slideshow.

More info on young worker safety

The RaiseYourHand website, created for young workers, aims to “empower you and all young workers in BC to use the rights that will keep you safe on the job.”

The WorkSafeBC Young Worker portal – for workers, employers, unions, educators, parents, and youth community groups

The Young Workers Zone – from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Photo courtesy of the MB Labour & Immigration - Workplace Safety & Health Div. (via the CASA website)

Canadian Agriculture Safety Week is March 11 to 17, 2012 – and plans are underway for its launch in BC.

I talked with Diane Wreford of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, who told me what planners have in mind for the BC launch. It sounds really cool – and I’m hoping to go – but I won’t tell you til it’s finalized. Past launches have taken place in nurseries, fields, and potato processing plants in different provinces – and now it’s BC’s turn for the spotlight.

“We try to emphasize that whatever you do, safety should be first,” Diane said, describing how CASA and its partners are creating their safety resources based on requests from farmers who responded to an online survey from Farm Credit Canada.

It reports 85 percent of Canadian producers understand the importance of farm safety and 34 percent want training in the basics of preparing a safety plan for their operations. Now that plan is available for download on the CASA website.

“They all say safety is really important, but in fact only one in 10 has a plan,” Diane said. “And we’re saying: ‘Okay, you can’t really be serious unless you’ve committed yourself publicly – unless you’ve got a real plan.”

Sharing resources

Diane said CASA shares lots of agriculture safety resources from BC and Ontario.

“They’re the two provinces that have very well-supported farm safety groups and they have the expertise and financial support to come up with great resources,” said Diane, adding that CASA also shares resources created by funding from the federal government – Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

New agriculture safety resources will be on the CASA website soon – so check it out – and stay tuned for news on the BC launch.

Can you spot 6 dangerous work habits in this photo challenge from WorkSafe Magazine?

The current issue of WorkSafe Magazine features a landscaping scenario in its popular photo challenge, “What’s Wrong With This Photo?”

The staged photo includes at least six hazardous work habits (possibly many more), and your challenge is to identify them and submit your answers to WorkSafe Magazine by January 30, 2012. Your response may be printed in the next bimonthly issue and your name will be put into a draw for a small prize. You can even play online.

Speaking of arborists, I saw an unusual tree incident recently in my neighbourhood. The tree was deemed dangerous because a water pipe had broken beneath its roots, creating potential for it to topple.

Arborist falls tree that needs emergency removal because a major water pipe broke under its roots, S.Main photo

Arborists showed up and climbed the 60-foot tree in beside a townhouse complex and a busy street, with lots of electrical wires above. School children and passers-by stood outside the cordoned-off safety area and watched one of them climb the tree and slice off its branches with a small saw held in the air by ropes.

The worker wore fall protection, eye protection, and other PPE described in the WorkSafeBC publication Safe Work Practices for Certified Utility Arborists: Tree-care work near power lines (PDF 6mb).

What I saw that day looked like a safe operation, unlike the dangerous situation staged in “What’s Wrong With This Photo?” – which you can visit online and try now.

Good luck!