Free Safety Tips that Work

January 2012

Safety Blitz for February

Ministry of Labour will blitz workplaces across Ontario, looking for hazards involving manual materials handling that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Ministry inspectors will target workplaces in the construction, health care, industrial and mining sectors.

December 2011

Flu season and employer responsibilities

As an employer you have the responsibility to protect the health and safety of your workers.

This means protecting your workers from infectious diseases including flu. There are many free resources in your community to help you as an employer.

As an employer you can meet this obligation by

Educating employees on the prevention of flu
Communicating flu clinic dates in your area
Reminding employees about the need to wash or sanitize hands

November 2011

WHMIS changing to Globally Harmonized System of Classification GHS.

The communication of hazards will become more standardized.

The key elements of training, labeling and communicating essential information through data sheets will be required.

The changes will be to:

the pictograms to communicate a hazard
MSDS requirement will change SDS-Safety Data Sheets which will have additional requirements
full scope of changes is not yet finalized
will cover all chemical substances and mixtures
new labeling requirements
responsibilities for the employer will not change
new classifications will be added

October 2011

Foot health in the workplace

Injuries, foot and back pain and fungal infections can be some of the complaints that people can experience at work.

Preventing Injuries can be resolved by good housekeeping on the job site and by wearing appropriate foot wear for the job. Safety shoes come in many styles that protect workers working in a variety of conditions. When you purchase safety boots or shoes make sure they are the right shoes for the work that you do. In Canada there is a standard for safety shoes CSA Standard Z195-09.

Safety boot tips.

Have 2 pairs of boots so you can allow one pair to completely dry between wearing. This will help to reduce your chances of developing fungal infections.
Wear white socks to prevent dyes from causing irritation.
If the shoe is damaged purchase new boots.
Wear boots with the laces tied to the top.
Have boots properly fitted to ensure that the heel is secure and the toes have room to move.
Clean and examine your boots for wear frequently.
If your feet sweat excessively purchase boots made of natural materials instead of synthetics.

September 2011

Preventing Violence in the Workplace

Sad news for a small local business in the Schomberg area where it appears an employee has killed 2 of his co-workers. A prevention strategy for the protection of workers in Ontario was brought into law in on June 15, 2010. The strategy includes risk assessment, prevention, education, risk reduction and communication. For further information about Bill 168 click here. For assistance in developing your program in Ontario call Jennifer today.

August 2011

Documenting first aid at work

Keeping good records of incidents, accidents, near misses and when first aid is administered is required in workplaces in Ontario. Employers must keep a record of all accidents. The record will include a description of the accident, the date and time of the occurrence, the names of witnesses, the nature and exact location of the injuries to the worker and the date, time and nature of each first aid treatment provided. Along with a first aid report the employer needs to investigate an accident that resulted in an injury as part of their prevention strategy, as well as, to obtain information that could be required if the injury results in a WSIB claim.

July 2011

Workplace Safety Inspection Preparation

Part of a good health and safety program at work is to regularly inspect the workplace for hazards. Workers who are trained to do inspections and managers should participate in doing the inspection. To prepare for an inspection the participants should review first aid reports, accident incident and or near miss reports, understand the risks associated with the tasks in that area, know what practices are being done to reduce hazards from engineering controls to personal protective equipment. Speaking to the people who are working in that area can help the inspector to gain valuable information for the inspection. One tool to use that helps to keep the process on track is a checklist that has been developed for the risks of the workplace.

Inspections should become part of the written documentation that workplaces keep. The reports should be completed and submitted to the employer's representative along with recommendations for any areas of concern. The employer should reply in writing when there is a Joint Health and safety committee within 21 days.

June 2011

Hard Hat Safety

Hard Hats have an expiry date. To find this information either check the date that the hard hat was purchased or that was first worn. Date the inside of your new hard hat to keep track of its age. Most hard hats will only be expected to last 4-5 years. To be sure check with the manufacturer. Protect hard hats from UV Light and heat when not in use. Solvents and paints can reduce the life of a hard hat.

May 2011

Safety for office workplaceDo I need a safety program if I have an office? Answer-Yes!

Safety is mandatory in any business that hires employees. As an employer you must review your business for risks and plan to reduce or eliminate risks. In an office the risks could be for musculoskeletal injuries such as: Carpal tunnel syndrome and back injuries, workplace violence, slips trips and falls. Plans should be made for what to do in the case of an emergency, such as fire, medical emergency or natural disaster. There should be a way to communicate safety information to employees. Employees need to have a process to express their safety concerns and for safety issues to be resolved in a timely manner.

If you need help getting you headed in a safe direction please contact me for guidance.

April 2011

Manager and Supervisor Safety Training When you hire employees you enter into a contract to provide safe working conditions. All members of the workplace have a role to play in safety.

There are many resources both fee for service and free to help you as an employer become knowledgeable in your role and responsibilities. become familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations in your province. In Ontario the Act and regulations are available online. Check for any additional legislation that may cover your industry sector. A good publication I found online was developed by Worksafe BC called Managing Safety from the Supervisor�s Perspective in PDF format. While it is specific to BC's legislation the fundamentals of safety and responsibility are universal.

March 2011

So you are hiring a young worker? According to a Ministry of Labour of Ontario "Workers in their first 4 weeks on a new job are up to 4 times more likely to be injured than at any other time on the job"

There are many free resources to parents, teachers, students, and employers to ensure that the young workers they hire will have the basic safety information. In Ontario these include:

Passport to safety Health and Safety 101
Work Smart Ontario for employers
Surviving the summerEric Olivieri storyas told online and video through the IAPA website.
Top 7 dangers to young workers in British Columbia as reported by WorksafeBC
Information and posters from Workplace Health, Safety & Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador

Whether it is your child or someone else's, prepare young workers and provide mentoring while they are learning their jobs. Entering the workforce is an exciting time and sometimes in an effort to please or being afraid to ask questions, young workers can make poor choices. Let make sure that everyone's sons and daughters come home from work safely. Remember how you felt on your first job? Be a safety legend in the eyes of your young employees; they'll remember you for it.

February 2011

A Ministry of Labour Inspection A Ministry of Labour Inspector arrives at your business, what do you do?

The Ministry of Labour inspector is there to ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. They could be there to investigate a complaint, accident or work refusal. Provide the inspector with all documentation requested. They may speak to workers, supervisors and business management and owners or ask to see equipment operating. In the event that they find that there are issues with compliance they may write an order to comply and give a time frame in which the corrections shall be made. They may advise the employer that they will return to ensure that changes have been made or ask that the changes be made and documented in writing and reported back to the ministry.

Should you, as an employer, have specific questions about an inspection please contact the Ontario Ministry of Labour or speak to a health and safety consultant to find out about your business obligations. We can assist with helping you to understand the order and help you comply. For those who would like to avoid a ministry inspection have a good safety program that encourages worker participation, where workers concerns are addressed and complies with the legislation is an attainable goal.

January 2011

Machine Guarding This month we will review nip hazards and the prevention of injury. When a process or machine is in operation all exposed moving parts shall be shielded or guarded to prevent access to a moving part. On December 20, 2010 the Ministry of Labour in Ontario fined a company $80,000 for an injury that occurred because of a pinch point hazard.

Methods to control pinch point hazards:

Eliminate hazards by reviewing equipment and processes and make changes that remove the hazard.
Use engineering controls and install guards or shielding to prevent contact with a pinch point hazard.
Implement administrative controls such as worker training, procedures for safe operation of equipment.

Using administrative controls as a means to prevent injuries is not the best method of preventing injuries. It leaves most of the control up to the worker who must adhere to the safe procedures when using equipment. It leaves room for error.

When purchasing equipment purchase equipment that will not introduce hazards.

For those of you working in the agricultural industry here is a fact sheet by the Farm Safety Association to review machinery hazards.

Information about identifying a pinch point hazard is published by Worksafe BC; this Hazard Recognition Booklet is available in a PDF format online to download.

December 2010

Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) is the means to stop any movement or flow of energy by means of electrical, chemical, hydraulic, thermal, pneumatic, mechanical and gravitational energy. Lock-out means that a machine, tool, pipe, electrical circuit etc. is not able to start or transmit energy when it is being worked on. When a machine is locked-out, starting it should be impossible. All forms of energy must be locked out, blocked or released to ensure that machinery or equipment does not turn on or move during installation, repair or maintenance. Lock out tag out protects the worker who is repairing, inspecting or installing the equipment from injury and workers who may inadvertently attempt to use equipment that is damaged or under repair. A lock out tag out procedure should be a written procedure with a checklist to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to protect workers.

Examples of lock out are:

Compressed air tool would have the air line drained of any pressure and disconnected or blocked from the air source.
An electrically operated tool would be disconnected and have a means of making it impossible to plug in the cord.

Lock out means the machine or equipment cannot be operated - intentionally, by using the switch, or by mistake because some energy was left in the system.

Tag out means some way of identifying to other workers who has locked out the equipment or process, when they locked it out and why it was locked out.

November 2010

First Aid When you have employees you are required to plan and prevent injuries. First aid in the workplace is specifically outlined for Ontario's employers under the WSIB Act Regulation 1101. This legislation details the following:

Who is qualified provider to deliver this training, and
What training is required, and
How to set up a program, and
What first aid equipment is required, and
Who pays for training and equipment, as well as many other information including reporting requirements.

October 2010

Machine Guards Over the years I have known many people who have lost fingers and toes due tools they use at work or at home. Sometimes these accidents are caused by people removing machine guards or altering equipment. The manufacturer puts guards on machinery to protect the operator from moving parts, blades, pinch point hazards and from keeping clothing, objects and operators safe from hazards. Use checklists to identify potential hazards. WorkSafe BC has a free checklist to analyze moving equipment in the workplace for hazards.

September 2010

Farm Safety Farmers and farm workers can create safer working conditions by analyzing their risks to injury and implementing safe practices and processes to prevent injuries. The Farm Safety Association publishes a booklet called the Agricultural Safety Audit Program this tool was developed specifically to assess and address the risks that are unique to the agricultural industry. The ASAP booklet which acts as a self assessment guide is available free online or by contacting the Farm Safety Association.

FCC's Ag Day in Canada produced the following 2 videos on hazards on the farm Part 1 and Part 2.

Excellent video Finch Farm - Health and Safety Makes Good Business Sense Take 10 minutes and watch this!

Jointly the Farm Safety Association, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Labour have produced Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines for Farming Operations in Ontario. The can be found here.

August 2010

Ladder Safety Every year in Ontario many people's lives are permanently changes because of injuries because of unsafe practices and unsafe equipment. Risks include: falling from a ladder, ladders falling on people,objects falling from ladders to name a few. A couple of suggestions to reduce your company's risk is to implement a scheduled written maintenance program for ladders and ladder safety training for workers. A policy and procedure can be helpful since it will put in place controls to ensure safe practices and equipment. Worksafe BC produced this good informational video on ladders.

July 2010

Back Safety We found some useful short videos on back safety for you to watch.
Learning how to lift safely Credit Valley Hospital's Think before you lift video.
Video on manual handling safety from Channel 1

June 2010

Fire Safety You have a fire extinguisher in your workplace and at home. You check it approximately every 30 days to make sure it hasn't been tampered with and that it is "in the green zone". Many local fire departments have training programs for a nominal fee. New Tecumseth Fire department charges $10 per person to be trained on the use of a fire extinguisher. Let's hope we never need to use one but learning how to use it before you need it makes good sense.

Barrie Fire Service has an online video about home fire safety. Contact your local Fire Department and find out about the services in your area.

Fire Extinguisher Training Video 6 steps to checking a fire extinguisher and 4 steps to using a fire extinguisher by Anything Goes Productions.