This is my last post of the year. Here’s 2017 in review, with my top moments from the year. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. See you in 2018. 

Photo credit: “Naloxone” by Jeff Anderson is licensed under CC BY 4.0

I’d like to thank everyone for speaking of safety with me in 2017. Thanks to all my readers and to all the experts who shared their knowledge with me throughout the year.

Here’s a recap of four posts I felt very strongly about during the past 12 months. Each one is important to me for different reasons.

Can occupational first aid attendants administer naloxone?
It is beyond sad to see how fentanyl is killing people of all ages and social groups. Naloxone is a life-saving drug that can counteract fentanyl’s toxic effects.

Anyone in B.C. can administer naloxone if they have the training, so obviously this applies to OFAs. It’s more likely an OFA would use naloxone on a member of the public than on a worker. People might need naloxone in schools, malls, airports, sports centres, nightclubs, and anywhere else groups gather.

What’s right about safety in your workplace?
I believe it’s important to look at “what’s right?” instead of just “what’s wrong?” This applies to workplace safety and to life in general. Seeing what’s right gives us a chance to feel grateful. Acknowledging what’s right is positive reinforcement that makes people feel appreciated.

I talked with safety leader Ron Gantt about the concept of Appreciative Investigations after he spoke about it at the BC Construction Safety Alliance’s Bridging the Gap construction safety conference. He said we have a lot to learn from looking at what’s working well in a safety program. “You not only learn about stuff that could prevent accidents, but you also get to understand what is actually working in your organization, which is not something you think about often.”

Video: Safety leaders inspire students in trades program
In this video, two WorkSafeBC officers, who were “women in trades before it was very friendly for women in trades,” visit the Women in Trades Training program at Okanagan College. One part of the video that stood out most for me was when a student talks about being the one to speak up when you see unsafe work. That takes a lot of courage sometimes! She said: “Maybe everyone else in the work crew is feeling unsafe about it too, so you can be the one to step forward and say ‘This is an unsafe act.’”

Nanaimo’s first female fire chief talks about workplace safety
I enjoyed speaking with fire chief Karen Fry, who encourages other women to consider a career in firefighting. But young women often doubt they have enough physical strength for it, she said. “You definitely have to be able to hold your own but I think that people are sometimes too hard on themselves.”

That’s it for now! Please let me know what you would like to hear more about in 2018.

Share this safety message: