Last fall, I had a great time hearing about all the NAOSH Week 2010 winners at the annual awards ceremonies – and now it’s time to plan for this year’s activities.
Author Archives: Susan
A friend of mine – who I’ll call Jane – announced half-jokingly on Facebook that she “failed her graduated RTW.” I followed up and learned she had tried to do an early return-to-work (RTW) program, but was held back by pain.
In 2008, 2,419 road users died in Canada, down from 2,761 in 2007. I thought about why these numbers are down (but still too high) and it seemed to me we owe credit to the people who’ve been advocating for road safety.
After a workplace injury, the most basic activities can be a challenge – things like getting in and out of the house, using the bathroom, and going from room to room.
When I first downloaded the OHS Regulation app to my iPhone, I thought about how far this workplace safety regulation has come since I first looked at it. Once upon a time the Reg was in a big set of binders; now it’s accessible (and update-able) by touch screen on my phone!
WorkSafeBC’s Research Secretariat is funding part of a project by Pro-Active Safety Systems Technology Inc. to develop a proximity detector to protect workers around mobile equipment. “You get no second chance with mobile equipment,” said co-inventor Richard Shervey, an industrial electrician. “There’s no crumple zones and they’re made out of solid steel. When they hit you, most of the time the worst happens. All it takes is one second of inattention.”
Voice strain can be a problem for teachers, fitness trainers, sales people, and others who use their voices a lot at work. Yelling over background noise and trying to talk in a deeper pitch can damage our vocal folds – also known commonly as “vocal cords.”
Here in BC, companies are not required to buy earthquake supplies for their staff. But people should be prepared because they could be stuck at work for a few days if nearby bridges and roads are destroyed.
When you park downtown, in a city with bike couriers, please take a good 360-degree look around your car before you open the door. Many bike couriers have been “doored” – i.e., someone opened a car door suddenly in their path.
Hartland Landfill & Recycling Area, north of Victoria, BC, staged a mock chemical spill during NAOSH Week. They pretended an unknown liquid substance broke or spilled while it was being transported from somebody’s vehicle.
