Image from WorkSafeBC’s Slips, Trips, and Falls: School – Stairs

Last year in BC, 6,500 workers were injured from slip, trips, and falls. This new video series from WorkSafeBC addresses this risk in a school setting, where there are many people moving through hallways and classrooms every day.

I sent a link to a teacher I know, and we talked about one video that shows a teacher standing on a wobbly chair, leaning over to pin something on the wall, and then crashing to the ground. It’s one of those tasks that seem like they will take “just a second”, so we take a risk – and often we get away with it. The more times we get away with it, the less seriously we take the risk, perhaps. But it only takes that one time.

“I’ve seen stuff like that tons of times,” he said, referring to standing on an unstable chair to put something on the wall. “I’ve done it at home and at school. We probably all have – but this video makes you think about it more, that’s for sure.”

In Canada, more than 42,000 workers are injured each year from fall accidents

“This number represents about 17% of the ‘time-loss injuries’ that were accepted by workers’ compensation boards or commissions across Canada,” reports the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, referencing statistics from Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 2011.

These risks are addressed in Slips, Trips, and Falls – one of the titles in WorkSafeBC’s ebook series, available for free from the iTunes Store and viewable on an iPad. It’s worth checking out, whatever industry you’re in.

Trevor Linden and yours truly – Susan Main, Speaking of Safety blogger – May 2, 2013 at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver, BC. FIOSA-MIOSA photo by Arne Huse

“Team sports and athletics naturally teach us about goal-setting. The best leaders broke the game down into sections and gave us a road map of where we want to be,” said Trevor Linden at the BC Safety Charter Round Table on May 2 in Vancouver. “Details and structure are what makes good leaders.”

The former Canucks captain – who now runs his own business, Club 16 – Trevor Linden Fitness – talked about good leadership as the key to team-building.

“What defines a good team? For me, it’s always about the culture,” Trevor said. “As independent business leaders, we have the ability to create that and eventually it becomes our legacy.”

About 150 delegates, from more than 60 businesses and organizations from across BC and around the world, attended this event hosted by FIOSA-MIOSA, the industry safety association for manufacturing and food/beverage processing.

The Charter’s purpose is to bring together CEOs who acknowledge that good health and safety management is an essential part of business. Those who sign are doing their part to “spread the message to as many leaders in the corporate world,” reads this description on the Charter web site.

The Charter, started in 2011 with 22 signatures, now includes 75 signatures after the latest Round Table. Charter signatories have a goal to get 150 of B.C.’s senior executives sign the Charter by 2015 – and at this rate, I’m sure they’ll have way more than that.

What’s in a signature?

I asked CEO Justin Williams to tell me more about what it’s meant to his company since he signed the Charter. His company, Williams and White, makes tools and machinery for maintaining saws and knives.

“People come in and I say, ‘Hey have you seen we’ve signed this?’” Justin said. “We treat it as one of our qualifications – one of our certifications. We signed the Safety Charter. We’re committed to safety. We believe in it and now we’re living it.”

He said he and his brother Matt, operations manager, introduced the Charter to staff and talk about it with vendors, clients, and anyone who visits their office.

“It’s made a big difference – and that’s because it’s front and centre. It’s become a talking point really,” Justin said. “That’s the big impact of signing this document. It takes 2 minutes – that’s two minutes to start this conversation.”

Thanks to FIOSA-MIOSA for having me as a guest and for all the work on this important project.

Photo credit: jkgreenstein12 on Flickr

Weekend DIY warriors are getting busy as the weather warms. We can go online and see lots of inspiring ideas for new sheds and fences – or maybe a bird house or new deck with raised beds for the flowers… (I love those websites!)

But before you get out there, please review Power Tool Safety, a WorkSafeBC video series in English and Punjabi. It covers safe use of nail guns and circular saws, and be warned: they are not for the faint of heart.

When I was researching this post, a friend told me a story from his childhood. His mom was rushed to hospital for stitches after his dad accidentally chainsawed her in the head while they were in their yard cutting a dead tree into pieces for disposal.

The saw had been stalling and then not stopping properly. The dad put down the saw, which then lurched forward and hit the mom in the head when she bent down to pick up a pile of branches. What a terrible shock for the kids when a neighbour called them back from the park! Thankfully the woman needed only a few stitches. It could have been so much worse – or even fatal.

My friend and I both agreed, talking about this family story so many years later, that they should have stopped as soon as the saw malfunctioned. Ah hindsight! But they were probably in a hurry to finish their job. They were absorbed in the task at hand and weren’t thinking about what could go wrong. That’s how it happens – how things can go terribly wrong – especially if we are frustrated by a task, excited by the outcome, or on too tight of a deadline.

Here’s a question to keep in mind before you start any project – at work or home: “Are you as safe as you think you are?” That’s the theme of NAOSH Week 2013 May 5 to 11, so please keep it in mind and discuss it with the DIY-ers in your life.

If you haven’t already, check out WorkSafeBC’s safety videos app. There have been nearly 14 million online views of WorkSafeBC safety videos, and with the app you can download videos to your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android smartphones and tablets and then watch them anytime, even when you don’t have an internet connection.

“The beauty of the downloading option is that workers and employers can watch the videos wherever they want – on a ferry, at a logging camp, at a construction site, or in the basement of a building,” says Gordon Thorne, manager of Product and Program Development at WorkSafeBC.

“If there’s no wi-fi or cell coverage, it’s not a problem – they can still show the videos as a part of their safety meetings, crew talks, or training sessions.”

WorkSafeBC’s 150+ videos, organized by industry and topic, are also helpful to WorkSafeBC’s prevention officers working with employers, says Gordon.

“If an officer has an idea about a specific safety issue at a worksite, he or she can download the relevant videos through the app, and show them to the employer and workers right at the jobsite. I’ve already demonstrated the app to a few officers and they’re quite excited.”

It’s amazing to see how the internet and its evolving technology can extend the reach of the safety message. WorkSafeBC started producing videos in 1986 – first available on VHS, then on disk – and they distributed about 250 videos on disk per year until they started putting videos online in 2006. As of March 2013, almost 20 percent of WorkSafeBC videos were watched on mobile devices.

Now WorkSafeBC has over 500 videos online and more subscribers to their YouTube channel than any other OHS organization – including the US government.

Visit WorkSafeBC.com for more information about the safety videos app, or watch the demonstration video. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

WorkSafeBC’s new series of free interactive ebooks makes it easier to access workplace safety information on the go, from any location, even without wireless access.

You can download WorkSafeBC’s interactive ebooks onto your iPad – and once you’ve downloaded them, you can access their content again without an internet connection. This allows safety officers, supervisors, and trainers to use these interactive images, videos, photo galleries, quizzes, and other resources from anywhere.

“Putting the ebooks on mobile devices gives employers, supervisors, and trainers greater access to safety resources, and gives WorkSafeBC one more way to share safety information that can help keep workers safe,” says Gordon Thorne, WorkSafeBC manager of Product and Program Development, in this announcement from WorkSafeBC.

One of the coolest features allows you to customize the ebook to meet your own training needs. You can add notes and highlight different portions of the material – adding info that’s relevant to your workplace. The interactive touch-screen may have more appeal for younger workers, who may be more likely to prefer info in this form instead of old-school print materials.

It’s exciting to see how technology like this makes it easier to share information from just about any where. Let me know if you’ve tried it – and tell me if you have any other new sources of free safety info online.

Other titles include:

• Asbestos in Older Homes
• Back Talk: An owner’s manual for backs
• Back Talk for Employers
• Buried Facilities
• Confined Space Hazards
• Dangerously Exposed: Exposure prevention for young workers
• Dementia: Understanding risks and preventing violence
• Electrical Safety
• Fall Protection
• Forklift Hazards
• Home and Community Health Worker
• Introducing WorkSafeBC Ebooks
• Lockout
• Preventing Falls in Residential Construction
• Return to Work: Healthy workers, healthy business
• What’s Wrong With This Photo?
• WHMIS: An overview
• Small Business and WorkSafeBC: Registration, responsibilities, and premiums
• Small Business and WorkSafeBC: Workplace incidents and the claims process

Photo credit: Phil Whitehouse on Flickr

I liked the term “risk reversal” when I read it in an editorial piece in the current issue of Occupational Health and Safety Magazine. Jerry Laws described research that showed an 18 percent savings in health care costs for workers over 65 – of which there were more than 7 million in the US in 2012.

He listed these biggest risks – that we can “reverse”:

1) Physical inactivity
2) Low fruit/vegetable intake
3) Smoking
4) Overweight/obesity
5) High blood pressure
6) High cholesterol
7) Alcohol abuse

Reversing the risks

These risk factors may be a reality for many, but it doesn’t have to be the case. We can change direction. Our lives can be better – for work and everything else we do (or wish we had enough energy to do).

Some solutions come from Dr. Delia Roberts of Selkirk College. During the past few years, I’ve written about her research and wellness programs for tree planters, ski hill operators, truck and transport workers, and more. Most recently, I’ve been working with the Trucking Safety Council of BC, who are hosting a conference/AGM on April 5 where Delia will describe her “Power Driving” program tested on 800 truck drivers in BC and the Pacific Northwest region of the US.

“Diet and exercise can help drivers to lose weight, lower their blood pressure, and improve blood sugar levels,” reads this story – “A new lease on life for drivers and equipment operators” – in TSCBC’s March 2013 newsletter.

By following healthier eating patterns and making other positive changes, these workers experienced improved performance at work and better quality of life in general. They were able to respond to an unexpected event 18 percent faster and more accurately when they followed healthier eating patterns. The difference was as much as three-quarters of a second, or 44 feet when travelling 55 kilometres per hour.

I’m looking forward to meeting Delia in real life at the TSCBC conference after writing about so many of her projects and communicating mainly via email. Stay tuned for an update.

Photo credit: Ben Pollard on Flickr

While April 28 has been designated the Day of Mourning, this year Vancouver’s Day of Mourning ceremony is Friday, April 26 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Jack Poole Plaza area at 10:30 a.m.

This annual ceremony is held in memory of people who died from work-related injury or illness – hosted by WorkSafeBC, the B.C. Federation of Labour, and the Business Council of BC.

Power of public memory

Beyond the ceremony, in our own communities, let’s honour these lost workers by telling their stories. We all know someone – be it a loved one or a guy we knew in high school – and it’s so sad, especially when they were relatively young with so many plans and dreams.

Let’s do our part, as individuals, to prevent similar tragedies by talking about people we knew. Remembering together will strengthen our resolve as individuals.

Order complimentary decals and posters to give out at your memorial event or dedicate a flower to a fallen worker at BC’s Day of Mourning website.

Check out the Weekly Toll for stories of individuals lost from workplace tragedies. This American website is run by United Support and Memorial for Workplace Fatalities, a support group for people whose family members died at work.

“We know and understand the devastation which takes place in the mind, body and soul and we strive to help you and others from having to go through both the grieving process and investigative process alone,” reads the USMWF website.

Power of understanding

Sharing personal stories and knowing that others care can be comforting when you lose a loved one. Online memorials, where people leave comments, are an amazing new forum that hasn’t existed before in this format. It’s a new – and valuable – way for people to voice their feelings, which can be very freeing. We suffer in similar ways after losing amazing people, and not everyone understands, so it’s comforting to find others who do.

In Canada, we have Threads of Life, an organization I wrote about in my post Supporting Families After Workplace Tragedy. They organize the Steps for Life walks in communities across Canada to raise funds for their programs. It’s May 5 at the start of NAOSH Week.

Photo credit: Michael Babcock on Flickr

The BC Trucking Safety Council reminds us to pay attention on the roads. It’s a simple message indeed – but many people still aren’t taking note.

A recent blog post, Distracted Driving a Concern, points out that distracted driving is the third leading cause of fatal road crashes in BC.

“Don’t be afraid to pull over on side of the road to deal with distractions like answering a phone call or looking at a map,” it says.”It’s important for BC residents and trucking companies to take steps against distracted driving and keep safe.”

Starting in February, the RCMP has been “targeting drivers who operate vehicles while using a handheld device,” according to this press release.

Police in BC have issued 105,972 violation tickets for use of handheld electronic devices since this practice was banned by law in January 2010. The fine is $167.

But fear of the fine is not enough to stop everyone. Anyone who travels around Vancouver has undoubtedly seen people texting away at the wheel. I even saw someone texting as they drove through a crosswalk recently – narrowly missing a mom pushing a baby stroller across the street.

“Twenty-five per cent of all vehicle crashes that occur annually in B.C. can be attributed to distracted driving,” reads WorkSafeBC’s Distracted Driving page on the Road Safety portal. “Occupational motor vehicle incidents are the number one cause of traumatic worker deaths in British Columbia; on average, 30 workers are killed each year.”

Numbers like this show we have much work ahead, despite the hard work of safety advocates. Please remember that driving requires all your attention – and make sure your friends, family, and coworkers take heed as well.

Refinishing a tub can be more affordable than buying a new one. But toxic chemicals can make the job fatal. Photo credit: Jeff Hart on Flickr. (Note: the tub in this photo is not known to be involved in any incidents described by this post.)

A new Hazard Alert from NIOSH, Dangers of Bathtub Refinishing was published in Feb 2013. The American Society of Safety engineers also wrote this blog post in March Methylene Chloride Hazards for Bathtub Refinishers.

Since 2000, 14 workers in the US have died while doing this job. When I saw the new alert, posted on Twitter, it reminded me of a tragic story I heard last summer.

A 52-year-old worker died in a small, poorly ventilated bathroom of an apartment while using methylene chloride as a stripping agent. He was found “slumped over the tub on his knees with his face in the tub,” according to NIOSH.

All the deaths “involved the use of paint-stripping products containing methylene chloride, a highly volatile, colorless and toxic chemical that is widely used as a degreaser and paint stripper,” reads the article in Medical News Today. An in-depth report on the incidents is available from NIOSH’s Fatality Assessment and Control.

Exposure to extremely high levels of methylene chloride can be fatal. You could survive if you got away from this source that can result in what is described as “effects on the central nervous system (CNS) including decreased visual, auditory, and psychomotor functions” by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

While this type of tragedy is relatively rare, there are many chemicals to be wary of. Please review these resources, and be cautious with what you work with.

WHMIS: The Basics and WHMIS at Work from WorkSafeBC.

WHMIS: An Overview – a new WorkSafeBC ebook for iPads (fyi you can see all the ebooks here and I’ll be writing about them soon).

Also see Pages 8 to 11 of the Paint safety primer from ACTSafe.

And these:

Icyocyanates in Industry

Paints and Solvents Checklist

Lead-containing paint

NAOSH Week is getting closer (May 5–11) , so here are a few more ideas on what you can do to engage your workers and the community in thinking about this year’s question: Are you as safe as you think?

I talked with Shane Lassam, the OH&S representative for the Public Works Department of Ladysmith, on Vancouver Island, to find out what his town did to win the Local Government category for NAOSH Week 2012.

Shane said it was a jam-packed week of activities and annual training – including fire extinguisher training, building evacuations, site inspections, OHS puzzles, calendar picture contest, and the Steps for Life Walk in memory of people who died at work. Funds from the walk are used to help families coping with loss of a loved one.

“We exceeded our goal of $500 and came in at about $700,” Shane said. “It’s an awesome representation from our staff and our community in helping to support families of workplace tragedies and to also bring awareness to our young workers about how important safety is in the workplace – a great way to give back to our community.”

Safety topics and video clips were sent to staff daily – many of which were from WorkSafeBC’s YouTube channel.

Staff reviewed elementary students’ safety pictures and chose winners for Ladysmith’s 2013 safety calendar. This was followed by a ring toss using Frisbee rings and traffic cones, with safety-related prizes underneath the cones (“more difficult than expected!” said Shane).

Downtown shops created window displays that publicized all the events supporting NAOSH week – getting the community involved. The local Kinsmen held a barbecue with entertainment from the Grade 8 band. Shane shared his thanks to everyone involved – and it’s really quite awesome to see how this community joined together to make a difference.

Thanks to Shane, and congratulations to Ladysmith!
<>
NAOSH Week 2013

NAOSH Week 2013 will be launched in BC on Monday, May 6, 2013 at noon at Shipbuilders’ Square in North Vancouver, beside Lonsdale Quay. Safety teams will demonstrate how to prevent injuries on land and save lives on the water, and Walter Gretzky will give a presentation on his own workplace injury.