Adaptive Clothing Resource Guide
From
the WHO...
Lessons learned
On July 2nd, the
World Health Organization (WHO) issued an update detailing the lessons
learned from the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
which occurred earlier this year in China.
News
from Around the Province
Interior
Health recently received just under $1 million dollars from
the WCB to reduce injuries to workers in Home and Community Care. Read
about their plans on page 3 of their
Fraser
Health employee Valerie Schall recently received an award for
educating staff and patients on the harmful effects of tobacco.
Do
you have news for the Health & Safety Update?
Email your stories,
comments and suggestions to update@ohsah.bc.ca
MSDS Database
New Easy-to-use Search Page
Homecare
Update
Improving the Health and Safety of Community Health Workers
Funded
Research
OHSAH Working in Partnership
OSHTIP of the Month
Work Culture Literature Review
* Readers Survey *
Your opinions are important to us!
OHSAH is conducting a reader survey for the Health & Safety Update. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of the Update and what changes and topics you would like to see in the future. In appreciation of your support, several lucky respondents will receive an OHSAH lanyard, pen, and notepad.
New
easy-to-use search page
A new
easy-to-use search page is now available to access the over 6500 MSDSs
stored in OHSAH’s MSDS database.
You can search for an MSDS by product or manufacturer via the internet.
This free service can help you reduce the time and effort needed to find,
establish, and maintain a MSDS library. If you cannot find a MSDS, we
welcome new MSDS requests from BC Healthcare. Members can also login to
view MSDSs under specific facilities or departments.
Have MSDS questions? Please send an email to msdsrequest@ohsah.bc.ca.
Improving
the health and safety of homecare workers
Community health workers (CHWs) face many occupational risks, including working alone, having little control over their worksites, and pressure to perform tasks quickly.
OHSAH, in collaboration with unions and management, developed a CHW risk assessment tool, which helps employers identify hazards, including musculoskeletal injuries, biohazardous waste, and violence. An accompanying resource guide suggests ways to reduce risks, prevent injury, and promote CHW safety. Both the risk assessment tool and the resource guide are in the final stages of evaluation and should be widely available in winter 2005.
A Train-the-Trainer program is also in development. This program will train managers on risk identification and control measures for all areas of health and safety. Managers can then train their staff.
Learn
more about OHSAH's
OHSAH working in partnership
OHSAH was recently part of two successful grant applications to the Canadian Nurses Advisory Committee (CNAC):
- In partnership with Fraser Health and Healthcare Benefit Trust (HBT) - An Integrated Approach for Responding to Aggressive and Excessive Behaviours in Complex Care Settings ($40,000)
- In partnership with Provincial Health Services Authority and Vancouver Coastal Health – Enhancing Infection Control Education to Nurses in Rural & Community Practice ($38,300)
OHSAH is also working on a project funded by the
The research team is now developing a workplace assessment form and a questionnaire, which will be used for data analysis. Dissemination is set to begin this fall.
Learn more about
Work Culture Literature Review
Workplace culture can affect both the quality of work life and the quality of care within a healthcare facility. Understanding the effects of work culture on employees is an important step towards safeguarding workplace health and safety. Find a literature review of work culture in healthcare in the OSHTips section of the OHSAH website.
Visit
Tel: (604) 775 - 4034 or toll free (800) 359 - 6612
Fax: (604) 775 - 4031
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