LP NAOSH Week 2020

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Regina LeadeR-Post

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SAFETY & HEALTH WEEK 2020 NAOSH Week public events cancelled due to COVID-19

Because of COVID-19, the Steps for Life Walk won’t be a community gathering in 2020. People can still show their support for families affected by workplace tragedy by planning their own individual Steps for Life activity. Register in your community, connect with a virtual team and share online with thousands of other Canadians. G E T TY I M AG E S

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted us all and changed the way we do things. As a result, traditional events and gatherings celebrating North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) across the province have been cancelled or postponed for 2020.

However, one of the most important aspects of Safety and Health Week is awareness. The goal of Safety and Health Week is to focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing illness and injury in the workplace, at home and in the community. During this time of COVID-19, that message has never been more crucial.

STEP UP: Plan your Steps for Life activity in May

BY NICOLE WILLIAMS

Suffering a workplace or work-related injury can be life-altering or even fatal. Workers and their families are left to deal with these unexpected changes, and Threads of Life is there to support them in their journey.

As a national chari ty, T h r e a d s o f L i f e helps families cope after someone they love suffers a work-related fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease. They offer information and peer support programs that are designed to help them handle their loss – whe ther it be the injured worker planning for the future or family members dealing with the death of a loved one. Steps for Life helps ensure that this charity is there for Canadian families when they need it.

“Steps for Life is the primary fundraiser for Threads of Life,” said Lynn Danbrook, Western Canada develop-

ment coordinator for Threads of Life. “On average, three people are killed on the job every working day or die due to a work-related disease in Canada, while many more are seriously injured. We need to make sure that the families affected will have support available to them, and we need to continue to promote health and safety on the job.”

Steps for Life fundraisers are usually held each year in-person in communities across Canada, including Regina and Saskatoon. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all this, causing organizers to take a new approach to this year’s event.

“Due to the pandemic, we can’ t hold our usual community gatherings,” said Danbrook. “Instead, we’re asking people to design their own activity and plan to do it any day in the month of May. They can wear their Steps for Life t-shirt from a previous year or anything yellow, and then join in

the spirit with others in their own city and across Canada.”

Pa r t i c i p a n t s a r e asked to register for free through the Steps for Life website, stepsforlife.ca, and select a location to ensure that their par ticipation counts toward their community ’s event total.

They can then submit their planned activities ahead of time and share their photos discussing why Steps for Life is important to them, using the hashtag #MyWhyMyWay. “We’ve already seen some great plans – people walking their dogs, riding their bikes, dancing, painting – all decked out in yellow,” said Danbrook. “It ’s been very inspiring!”

Although Steps for Life is designed to raise awareness about workplace safety and financial support for Threads of Life, organizers are more focused on increasing Canadians’ participation this year. “ Pa r t i c i p a t i n g i n Steps for Life gives people a chance to be part

of something positive during some pretty dark days,” said Danbrook.

“We’re really emphasizing participation this year, and if fundraising happens, that will be a wonderful bonus.”

Steps for Life is also grateful to have corporate sponsors who have chosen to continue their support of the event, despite the economic uncertainty that currently exists across Canada and around the world. “ We a r e s o h o n oured that our many partners and sponsors have stayed with Steps for Life this year, despite everything that has happened,” said Danbrook. “These companies and organizations are real leaders for health and safety both on a local and a national basis.”

For more information, visit the Steps for Life website or their s o c i a l m e d i a p a ge s : https://www.facebook. com/stepsforlifewalk/; h t t p s : / /t w i t t e r. c o m / t h re a d s o f l i f e c a ; a n d https://www.instagram. com/threadsoflifeca/.

THIS SECTION WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT STUDIO.

Safety is Our Business

thyssenmining.com

Workplace Safety is all of our responsibility Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees give everyone a voice and help employers maintain healthy, safe workplaces. Be informed, get involved and stay connected with your committee.

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Regina LeadeR-Post

SAFETY & HEALTH WEEK 2020 Together, we can keep our workplaces safe

BY PAT REDIGER

COVID-19 has turned the world of work upside down.

At home, employees are hunkered down in their kitchens or basements working on their laptops. On the frontlines, essential workers are carrying out their tasks while keeping a safe distance from customers and coworkers.

These are new ways of working. But they underscore what we all know: Employers and workers both play a role in ensuring health and safety at work.

“It’s important to remember that we all have responsibilities, regardless of where or how the work is being performed,” says Trevor Hall, director, human resources, Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).

“Employers need to work with employees in assessing, and responding to, the health and safety risks in their new, or altered, work environments.”

PR AC T I S E S A F E E RG O N O M I C S AT HOME

For workers who have been sent home to work, employers should ensure that they not only have the equipment they need to do their jobs, but that they also practise safe ergonomics. This includes checking posture regularly, addressing discomfort and making changes that allow the body to remain in a neutral position while performing tasks.

It’s also important for athome workers to take brief stretching breaks during the day and have a safety check-

Essential businesses operating during COVID-19 must take steps to ensure the health and safety of workers, including implementing physical distancing, putting a limit on the number of customers on the premises, staggering shifts and ensuring that staff who feel unwell stay home. G E T TY I M AG E S

list that takes into account lighting and other electrical considerations in their workplace set-up.

Essential businesses and services that remain open during the pandemic need to adopt even more robust health and safety precautions, says Hall. These measures include implementing physical distancing (ensuring people remain at least two metres apart), limiting the number of customers on the premises, staggering shifts and ensuring that staff who feel unwell stay home.

Employers must also be scrupulous about hygiene.

T hat means enhancing cleaning and sanitization of high-contact areas and ensuring public washrooms

are stocked with soap and paper towels. Staff should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, cough or sneeze into their elbows and avoid touching their faces.

Once employers have put controls in place (often with input from occupational health and safety committee members), they need to monitor them, making adjustments, if necessary.

“COVID-19 is a fluid situation and things are changing daily,” says Annette Goski, director, prevention, at the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board. “It’s important to keep up to date and make sure that clear communication is relayed to workers as organizations adapt to those changes.”

Like other organizations, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board is developing its own best practices in response to the outbreak. “We’re working with staff to identify and resolve new safety risks and challenges in workspaces that are often less than ideal and beyond our direct influence,” says Goski. “Employee safety is dependent on everyone doing their part.”

PRO T E C T I N G P SY C H O L O G I C A L H E A LT H

This is also a time to consider the psychological health and safety of all staff since many people are suffering anxiety and high stress levels due to potential job

To protect workers and the public alike, employers need to enhance cleaning and sanitization of high-contact areas.

GET T Y IMAGES

loss, working remotely and family pressures.

“During this outbreak, we’re so focused on protecting our physical health, but we also need to be mindful of protecting our psychological health,” says Goski. She recommends that employees have daily ‘check-ins’ with their team members, particularly if they’re working remotely. “It’s important for all to have someone they can reach out to and resources they can access.”

Employers may want to tap into the services of occupational therapists, ergonomists and other professionals who can provide virtual assessments and other assistance. It’s also a good idea to read the daily COVID-19 updates at saskatchewan.ca

and on Government of Saskatchewan social media accounts for regularly updated information.

As we adapt to the challenges of COVID-19, it is important to remember the lessons learned from this pandemic. Good hygiene practices need to continue such as 20 seconds of hand washing, and sneezing and coughing into your elbow – something everyone should always be doing. Companies will be more motivated than ever to make sure they have solid emergency preparedness and pandemic plans in place so they are ready for any future events that may occur.

Find additional resources for coping with COVID-19 at worksafesask.ca.

Mourn the dead.

Fight for the living.

Let’s remember the coworkers, the friends and the loved ones that were killed or injured on the job and those made ill from their work.

Workplace safety is essential for every job and for every worker.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how important the fight for workplace safety remains and the important leadership role of unions – past and present – in the fight for workplace safety.

Working together

to keep our communities safe

Shellina, Crisis Worker When times are tough, SGEU workers are there for you. Be there for them. #thankaworker

www.cupe.sk.ca

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Regina LeadeR-Post

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SAFETY & HEALTH WEEK 2020 Work safe while working from home pressure under your thighs.

Sure, you can do everything from your laptop while sitting on the wooden chair at your kitchen table, but you can’t do it without putting yourself at risk. Laptop designs can cause poor postures in the neck, shoulders and wrists. These postures can be made worse depending on where the laptop is positioned (e.g. in the user’s lap, on a surface that is too low or too high). Awkward postures can lead to pain, muscle strain and pinched nerves.

BY WORKSAFE SASKAT CHEWAN

As workplaces try to prevent the spread of COVID-19, workers may find themselves unconventionally working from home. While working from home has clear advantages, it’s important to remember that new work spaces can pose concerns.

Where you work and how you work is important to your health and safety. You should avoid working from couches or other soft surfaces that do not have a stable work surface and lack support for your back. Take the following ergonomic precautions when working from home.

1. CHE CK YOUR P O S T U R E R E G U L A R LY.

Maintain proper posture,

When working from home, it’s important to take ergonomic precautions to prevent discomfort and injuries. Maintain proper posture, ensure the small of your back is supported and take frequent breaks. G E T TY I M AG E S

paying careful attention to the positioning of your head, neck, spine, arms,

wrists, hips, thighs and feet.

Basically, ensure the small of your back is supported,

your shoulders are relaxed (not slumped and not elevated) and that there is no

2. DON’T IGNORE D I S C O M F O RT.

There are many reasons why computer users experience discomfort. At best, discomfort is an annoyance and can inhibit productiv-

ity. At worst, it can lead to injuries and/or disabilities.

It’s important to address discomfort and the possible causes of it as soon as possible.

3. TA K E Y O U R B R E A K S IN FULL.

Ta k e f r e q u e n t m i n i breaks throughout the day to give muscles and joints a chance to rest and recover. Your body wants you to move. Also be sure to take breaks in their entirety.

Don’t short-change yourself, especially during your lunch hour. You can use a simple clock or timer on the screen when you take a break. If you return to your desk after only 40 minutes, walk for another 20.

Source: www.worksafesaskatchewan.com

How to use protective masks and gloves the right way Personal protective equipment (PPE) is well-known and utilized often within the health care community and various other industries. It only is in recent months that personal protective equipment became something the general population learned more about as the COVID-19 outbreak took hold in the western hemisphere.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, PPE is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. PPE can include gloves, safety glasses, masks, earplugs, hard hats, respira-

cord to safeguard themselves against contraction of the virus. Gloves and masks are only effective if they are used in the proper manner. The following are some guidelines for proper PPE use.

G L OV E S

Gloves and masks are only effective if they are used in the proper manner. M E TRO

tors, or coveralls. In the medical community, PPE generally extends to gowns/aprons, respirators, face shields, and more.

Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-

vention were initially only advocating for the use of masks primarily for COVID-19 patients and the health care workers tending to them, many people began to use gloves and masks of their own ac-

The CDC says that gloves should fit the users’ hands comfortably. Gloves can only prevent the spread of pathogens if hand hygiene is performed before and after wear, states the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

To remove gloves properly, pinch the outside of one glove at the wrist without touching

bare skin. Peel the glove away from the body, pulling it inside out. Hold the glove just removed in the other gloved hand and dispose of it. For the remaining glove, slide your fingers inside the glove at the top of the wrist, being careful not to touch the outside of the glove. Again, turn the second glove inside out while pulling it away from the body. Dispose of the glove properly.

MASKS

Masks, sometimes referred to as respirators, also need to fit to be effective. Masks should be tight-fitting to the face. Clean hands and put on the mask, molding the mask

over the bridge of the nose and sealing it around the face. One strap should be high on the head, the other low around the base of the neck.

To remove the mask, tilt your head forward and pull the bottom strap over the back of the head, followed by the top strap without touching the front of the mask, says APIC. Keep straps tight during the removal process.

Don’t snap the straps or touch the front of the mask, as this can spread germs. (Directions provided are for N95 respirators. Other mask designs should be removed according to manufacturer recommendations). (Metro)

WorkSafe Saskatchewan is pleased to announce the winners of the

Workers and employers of Saskatchewan who are chosen for the awards make safety a core value for themselves and their workplaces.

Congratulations to the winners and the finalists.

The 2020 WorkSafe Saskatchewan Safe Employer Award winner is Northern Mat & Bridge Limited Partnership Yorkton, SK. The 2020 Safe Worker Award is Tasia Smith, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Regina, SK. The Safe Worker Award finalists are: • Dustin Bertsch, Black and McDonald Ltd, Saskatoon, SK • Dianne Addley, Canada Post, Saskatoon, SK

The Safe Employer Award finalists are: • Triple A Directional Drilling Ltd., Yorkton, SK • Pryme Iron Inc., Langenburg, SK