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Occupational health and safety (OH&S) programs – every workplace should have one, and in most Canadian jurisdictions, they are required. An effective health and safety program provides a clear set of guidelines for activities that, if followed diligently, can reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
The key to the success of the program is the manner in which it is implemented and maintained. To help you get started, CCOHS has developed a 134-page manual, Implementing a Health and Safety (OH&S) Program. This publication provides essential information, sample policies, procedures, checklists and guidance on the development, maintenance, and continual improvement of an OH&S program. You can use and customise the materials provided to create a program specific for your workplace.
Anyone who is committed to creating a healthy and safe workplace can benefit from Implementing a Health and Safety (OH&S) Program, including employers, owners, managers – and the organization as a whole. It can help organizations of any size to create an OH&S program with emphasis on effectiveness, compliance, diligence, and documentation, as well as to use their hazard assessments to prevent or reduce hazards and risks to employees. Lastly it will assist you in monitoring and improving your OH&S program. It is important to note that the information in this publication is based on best practice principles and techniques and is intended to provide guidance, rather than prescribe specific requirements. It is not intended as a legal interpretation of any federal, provincial or territorial legislation.
Ultimately an effective OH&S program can reduce workplace fatalities, illnesses and injuries and foster a workplace culture of prevention and awareness towards health and safety issues.
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Most businesses are ill-prepared for most disasters, particularly earthquakes. The goal of earthquake planning for business is to promote safety, minimize impact and assist in speedy recovery. Planning should be aimed at ensuring that employees, facilities and business activities are prepared to meet emergency conditions.
If you are a business owner, your employees are your most important asset and must be protected. Similarly, if you own a building, the well-being of businesses that reside within are tied to your economic interests. If these are disrupted in some way, that income stream may be interrupted or lost.
The objectives of earthquake planning are:
- To minimize potential for injury/death of employees and customers
- To evaluate and reduce hazards
- To reduce expenses caused by loss and liability
- To put tested procedures and equipment in place
- To plan for business resumption following an earthquake
If you subscribe to the SOS Medical Management Program call now to schedule your no charge 1 hour Earthquake Awareness Seminar. Don’t forget to check out our new survival kits at www.sostech.ca– just click on Product Catalog and click again on Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness.
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Geologists have mapped the recent earthquakes in California and Mexico and have found a pattern called the Mogi doughnut. The concept of mapping, originally from Japan, shows that earthquakes occur in a circular pattern over decades – building up to one very large quake in the middle of the doughnut hole. Geologists believe that the recent quakes in California and Mexico, combined with seismic events including the 1989 and 1994 quakes, could be the precursors to a far larger rupture. Experts have been predicting for years that it will happen – we just don’t know when.
The idea behind the doughnut is simple. Earthquakes in California are caused by tectonic movements in which the Pacific plate slides northwest relative to the North American plate. As the plates move, stress builds along both sides of the Earth’s crust. The stress casuses smaller faults at first, as they need less pressure to break and thus produces small earthquakes. As the stress moves to bigger faults that need more pressure to erupt, larger and larger earthquakes will happen until the “Big One” happens.
Whether the doughnut concept is true or not, the reality is that westcoast is shaking more than in recent years.
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A stroke can happen to anyone, from newborns, to children to adults. It is NOT an elderly person’s disease. Most people are unaware that the faster they have treatment, the better chances for full recovery.
Stroke is the #1 cause of disability, the #2 cause of dementia, and the #3 cause of death in Canada.
The Heart & Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yukon has launched a campaign to familiarize people with the five signs of stroke:
- rapid onset of weakness
- speech impairment
- vision problems
- sudden severe headache
- sudden dizziness
- fewer than 54 percent of British Columbians can name two of the five stroke warning signs
- About 1,500 people (one third of stroke victims) in B.C. die within a year of their stroke
- Dealing with the annual costs of strokes in B.C. costs roughly $330 million
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Just because you work in the office doesn’t mean that you can’t be injured on the job.
Office workers face the following possible hazards:
- slips, trips, and falls
- strains from sitting for long periods of time or working in awkkward positions
- strains from lifting awkward or heavy objects
- MSIs from performing repetitive manual tasks
- eye strain
- illness due to poor indoor air quality
- allergic reactions
- mental stress
- a possible fall injury from heavy items stored on the top shelf of a filing cabinet
- office machinery that catches on hair, fingers, etc;
- office equipment (paper cutters, staplers, pens) that can strike, jab, or cut
What office workers should do:
- ensure your workstation has adequeate leg room
- use a font size of 12 or more
- maintain a good sitting posture with your back fully supported; use arm and wrist supports
- stretch
- report spills leaks, loose tiles/carpet
- display emergency and first aid contacts
- be aware of building evacuation procedures
- know where the fire extinguishers are
- wear appropriate slip-safe footwear
- learn about your office health & safety committee
