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Be Barrier Wise Video
online or over the phone (778.328.8000). Visit OHSAH's website to download a sample clip and to
find out more about this resource.
Resource of Interest:
WorkSafe Sam
This month, WorkSafeBC unveiled the WorkSafe Sam "Stretch Prompter".
While being fun, sleek, and entertaining this desktop tool also has the potential to prevent
a variety of workplace injuries related to eye and muscle strain. This software provides office
workers with a rich bundle of stretching tips. WorkSafe Sam is available for download from
WorkSafeBC website free of
charge.
Do you have news for the Health & Safety Update?
Email your stories, comments and suggestions to: update@ohsah.bc.ca
WorkSafe Sam
This month, WorkSafeBC unveiled the WorkSafe Sam "Stretch Prompter".
While being fun, sleek, and entertaining this desktop tool also has the potential to prevent
a variety of workplace injuries related to eye and muscle strain. This software provides office
workers with a rich bundle of stretching tips. WorkSafe Sam is available for download from
In this issue:
Successful Grant Submission: Occupational Asthma
Project Update: Reducing Workplace Injuries among CHWs
Latex Database
OSHTip of the Month: Joint Health and Safety Committees
Mental Health in the Workplace: Resources
New Year - New Look
This
year, the Health and Safety e-update returns with a new look. We hope
that this makeover will bring you a more eye-pleasing reading
experience while preserving the familiar content layout for your
convenience. We look forward to hearing from you; please send your
feedback to update@ohsah.bc.ca .
Top
OHSAH Website Feedback
OHSAH
would like to get your feedback on our website. Our website survey will
be up until January 31, 2006. We would like to hear what you like about
the site, and what you think could be improved. Please take a moment to
fill out this short survey about our website.
Top
Successful Grant Submission
WorkSafeBC
(The Workers' Compensation Board of BC) is funding a proposal by OHSAH
and its partner- University of British Columbia School of Occupational
and Environmental Hygiene (SOEH-UBC). The grant will finance a
year-long study to develop methods which will identify why healthcare
cleaners develop asthma at work and how this can be prevented. It is
expected that this study will enable OHSAH and SOEH-UBC to develop a
full-scale project to identify ways to control or prevent occupational
asthma risks.
Top
Project Update: Reducing Workplace Injuries among CHWs
The
ongoing Community Healthcare initiative involved a series of
interventions since 2003 to address the high injury rates among
Community Health Workers (CHWs). The most successful among these were
education and training, a risk assessment tool (RAT), and a mechanical
lift equipment registry.
Steering
committee members and other project participants met in October and
November 2005. The main purpose of these meetings was to update the
RAT, which is primarily used by supervisors for early recognition and
mitigation of injury risks. The revised resource will be made available
to project participants in January 2006. Other related resources, such
as the Resource Guide for the RAT, the CHW Handbook, and the Community
Health Worker and Supervisor training modules, are also being updated.
To learn more about this as well as other projects, visit the OHSAH website .
Top
Latex Database
Due to the increased incidence of latex sensitivity amongst staff and patients and the desire to Did you know that...
7% to 17% of healthcare workers have a latex allergy, much higher than the rate of 1% found in the general population.establish a "latex-safe" work environment, OHSAH and the health authorities have worked in partnership to develop an online database to ensure that healthcare workers can find, at a glance, which products or supply items contain latex and which ones are latex free. Research is also underway to identify latex free alternatives. The Latex Database contains 12,000 products and is constantly updated.Click here to see Latex Database at work.
Top
OSHTip of the Month: Joint Health and Safety Committees
Any
organization that has more than 20 employees is required by Workers'
Compensation Board Regulations to establish and maintain a Joint Health
and Safety Committee (JHSC). An effective JHSC can make all the
difference when trying to create a healthy and positive atmosphere in
your workplace.
OHSAH offers a variety
of resources that can help you establish a functional JHSC. If you
would like find out how to increase the effectiveness of your JHSC you
can download our JHSC literature review . In addition, OHSAH offers workshops
to joint committee members. Other resources include handy JHSC tools,
such as a sample of JHSC meeting minutes, JHSC checklist, JHSC
recommendation form, and others.
Visit OSHTips to learn more about this and other health & safety tips.
Top
Mental Health in the Workplace: Resources
A
recent report from the BC Auditor General confirmed that mental health
problems are increasing in healthcare workplaces. Fortunately, there
has been recent energy at trying to find solutions:
www.bottomlineconference.ca .
Top
WorkSafeBC
(The Workers' Compensation Board of BC) is funding a proposal by OHSAH
and its partner- University of British Columbia School of Occupational
and Environmental Hygiene (SOEH-UBC). The grant will finance a
year-long study to develop methods which will identify why healthcare
cleaners develop asthma at work and how this can be prevented. It is
expected that this study will enable OHSAH and SOEH-UBC to develop a
full-scale project to identify ways to control or prevent occupational
asthma risks.
Top
Project Update: Reducing Workplace Injuries among CHWs
The
ongoing Community Healthcare initiative involved a series of
interventions since 2003 to address the high injury rates among
Community Health Workers (CHWs). The most successful among these were
education and training, a risk assessment tool (RAT), and a mechanical
lift equipment registry.
Steering
committee members and other project participants met in October and
November 2005. The main purpose of these meetings was to update the
RAT, which is primarily used by supervisors for early recognition and
mitigation of injury risks. The revised resource will be made available
to project participants in January 2006. Other related resources, such
as the Resource Guide for the RAT, the CHW Handbook, and the Community
Health Worker and Supervisor training modules, are also being updated.
To learn more about this as well as other projects, visit the 7% to 17% of healthcare workers have a latex allergy, much higher than the rate of 1% found in the general population.establish a "latex-safe" work environment, OHSAH and the health authorities have worked in partnership to develop an online database to ensure that healthcare workers can find, at a glance, which products or supply items contain latex and which ones are latex free. Research is also underway to identify latex free alternatives. The Latex Database contains 12,000 products and is constantly updated.
- New resources by the Conference Board of Canada, the World Health Organization, among others;
- New research by the Canadian Mental Health Associations' BC Division (CMHA BC), Watson Wyatt's Staying@Work survey, and upcoming through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research;
- New programs and initiatives including several pilot projects in BC targeting healthcare workers (
including one led by OHSAH ), a federal workplace project led by the new Interdepartmental Task Force on Mental Health and Mental Illness, and the Mental Health Works website and accompanying award-winning workshop, now running in Ontario and BC.
