O C C U P A T I O N A L

V O L U M E 2 7 • N U M B E R 2 • M A Y 2 0 0 4

M A G A Z I N E

KNOW THE CODEVIOLENCE • HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

WWW.WHS.GOV.AB.CA WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY WEB SITE

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 42

P e r s p e c t i v e

T he long-term care industry continues to witnessescalating injury frequency and severity ratesthroughout Alberta. Over the past two years, however,

the Shepherd’s Care Foundation has tried to reverse thetrend in injury numbers, severity and costs.

Data for the long-term care industry identifiesmusculoskeletal injury, and specifically back injury, as theprimary incident type. These injuries, estimated at 72 percent of incidents and 83 per cent of costs, are directlyrelated to the increased care needs of residents. We arefinding that our residents are heavier and frailer (needingmore assistance). It is not uncommon for caregiving staffto do as many as 100 resident moves per day.

As well, long-term care demographics show an agingworkforce. At Shepherd’s Care, over 40 per cent of employeeshave worked in long-term care for nine years or more. Thecombination of an aging workforce and a frailer resident isa recipe for injury.

The preferred control for hazards lies in engineering outthe risk. For Shepherd’s Care, this means substituting safermethods such as using mechanical equipment. As well, wehave introduced special techniques, education, orientation,training and inservice. Canadian research into zero lift, two-liftand mechanical lift policies has compellingly proven thatthey reduce back and musculoskeletal injuries dramatically.

Shepherd’s Care has implemented new programs involving:

• training and education in ergonomic lifts, transfers and repositioning techniques

• improved physical conditioning of caregivers

• increased supervisory follow-up and assessment toensure staff competency

• increased reporting of investigation into incidents

• improved control of potential risks

Keys to the Shepherd’s Care programManagement leadership and organizational commitment.The first step is for senior management to commit theorganization to a strategy for reducing musculoskeletalinjuries. This commitment, which was initiated throughthe board of directors, includes the empowerment of ourintra-disciplinary health and safety committee, and aconsiderable capital investment.

Hazard identification/assessment/control. We began using a new hazard assessment tool that facilitated hazard

identification and assessment, thus enabling hazardcontrol and reducing or eliminating the risk of injury.

Engineering methods. Engineering controls include thearrangement, design or alteration of the physical workenvironment, and the use of equipment or specializedmaterials. Engineering controls at Shepherd’s Care includeceiling track mounted lifts, portable lifts, new beds (bothelectric and manual) and transfer belts.

Inspection. Ongoing formal and informal inspection ensuresthat correct methods are utilized, staff competency hazardassessments are current and appropriate controls are in use.

Employee orientation and training. All new employeesundergo an introduction to back care, including a liftingassessment. Orientation affords the opportunity tochange the culture, beginning with new incomingemployees, by setting expectations. We have developed aphysical demands analysis (PDA) for each position toensure employees are capable and aware of the expectations.As well, ongoing training in back care forms part of ourregular educational programs.

Incident investigation. Investigating injuries or near misseshelps prevent further related injuries. Staff are activelyencouraged to report incidents and identify all potentialpreventive actions. Completed incident investigation resultsare communicated to employees.

Other initiatives include a health and safety newsletter, a best practices committee, expansion of modified workprograms, the addition of a health and safety component toannual performance appraisals and ongoing revision ofpolicies and procedures.

The resultsBefore 2000, the Shepherd’s Care Foundation did littletracking of workplace injuries. We now track theseinjuries as they happen, and this data provides a base fromwhich to begin. Over the past three years there has been aconsiderable decrease in WCB claim costs – $114,943 in2000, $81,743 in 2001 and $42,068 in 2002 – and thenumber of musculoskeletal injuries has been minimal.

John Pray is the President of Shepherd’s Care Foundation.

[Watch for an article about lifting and handling loads in the September issue.]

by John Pray

Shepherd’s CareTackles Escalating Back Injuries

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 3

M A G A Z I N E

O C C U P A T I O N A L

An Alberta Human Resources and Employment publication

Managing Editor – Wally BaerEditor – Anita Jenkins

Occupational Health & Safety Magazine is published three times a year, in January, Mayand September. Magazine policy is guided by the Occupational Health & Safety MagazineAdvisory Board, which includes members representing both industry and government.

Membership on the Occupational Health & Safety Magazine Advisory Board is open toany resident of Alberta with knowledge and experience in the field of health and safety,and an interest in communicating health and safety information to the public. Anyindividual interested in joining the Board should submit a letter of application to themanaging editor of the magazine. The Board meets three times a year in Edmonton. Boardmembers do not receive remuneration or reimbursement for expenses related to meetings.

Occupational Health & Safety Magazine Advisory Board members:

Chris Chodan Alberta Human Resources and EmploymentCommunications

Rick Ennis Christensen & McLean Roofing Co.Lloyd Harman Alberta Forest Products Association

Dianne Paulson Alberta Construction Safety AssociationKarl Pedersen Alberta Human Resources and Employment

Workplace Health & SafetyCorinne Pohlmann Canadian Federation of Independent Business

James Wilson Workers’ Compensation Board-Alberta

If there is a discrepancy between statements in this publication and the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act, or its Code or Regulation, the Act, Code or Regulation takesprecedence. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views orpolicy of Alberta Human Resources and Employment or the Government of Alberta.

Copyright is held by the Government of Alberta. Reproduction of articles in their entiretyis permitted. A reproduced article must include: the author’s name; title of the article; andthe full name of the magazine with its date, volume and issue number. For permission toreproduce excerpts of an article, please contact the magazine’s administration office.

Subscriptions are available without charge by calling 1-866-415-8690. When notifying usof a change of address, send an address label or subscription number with the newaddress. The magazine is also available as a PDF file on the Internet atwww3.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/publications/ohsmag.asp.

Letters to the editor. We welcome response to articles or information published in thismagazine, as well as suggestions for future articles. We will print letters to the editor asspace permits. The editor reserves the right to edit letters.

Publication Mail Agreement No. 40062521

Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:

Circulation DepartmentAlberta Human Resources and EmploymentWorkplace Health & Safety and Employment Standards Compliance10th floor, South Tower, 7th Street Plaza10030 - 107 Street, Edmonton AB T5J 3E4Email: whs@gov.ab.ca

Phone: 1-866-415-8690Fax: (780) 644-5424

Design and layout by McRobbie Design Group Inc.Printing by Quebecor World EdmontonISSN 0705-6052 © 2004

contentsP e r s p e c t i v e

2 Shepherd’s Care Tackles Escalating Back Injuriesby John Pray

E r g o t i p s

6 That Hurts! Contact Stress at Workby Ray Cislo

S p e c i a l S e c t i o n

K N O W T H E C O D E

8 It’s Time to Stop Violence at Workby Norma Ramage

11 Work Site Hazards and ControlsGetting It Right and in Writingby Nordahl Flakstad

14 Emergency Preparedness and Responseby Allan Sheppard

S t o r i e s

16 Rig Technician Apprenticeshipby Bill Corbett

20 Work Safe Alberta Web-Based Projectsby Kerry Tremblay

M u c h M o r e

4 News & Notes

18 The Last Resort – Recent Convictions

19 Partnerships News

22 Web Watcher

22 Real World Solutions

23 Workplace Fatalities

N e w s & N o t e s

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 44

Image courtesy of Dow Chemical Canada Inc.

Maintenance turnaround project at Dow

KEEPS SAFETY FIRST

A fter almost a year and a half of planning andpreparation, Dow Canada’s Western CanadaOperations manufacturing site in Fort Saskatchewan

is kicking off a six-week maintenance turnaround project atits Hydrocarbons Products production facility. Plans are toshut down the HCP facility in late April in order to conductmaintenance, reliability, environment, and health andsafety projects. This significant undertaking will require450,000 hours of work and an additional 1,000 contractpersonnel to complete.

“As always, safety is our number one priority during allproject activities,” says Shawn Griffiths, HCP productionleader at the Dow Western Canada Operations site. “Dow is committed to providing everyone on the projectwith all the knowledge and understanding of policies,procedures and expectations they need to achieveexcellence in safety performance.”

Dow’s safety program focuses on providing projectpersonnel with essential skills and resources so they cantake ownership of their own safety and the safety of theircoworkers. Workers use tools like Dow’s behaviour-basedperformance model to look at safety behaviours, identifyactivities and areas that could be improved, and implementchanges to continue meeting safety expectations.

Dow strives to create a Target Zero workplace – one withno injuries, no illnesses and no environmental incidents.Dow’s employees have made significant progress towardsthis goal and have helped their company maintain its statusas an industry leader in safety performance.

For more information, go to www.dowcanada.com.

NAOSH WeekMay 2-8, 2004

NAOSH Week activities will be held in many communitiesthroughout Alberta May 2-8. The purpose of this annualevent is to focus the attention of employers, employeesand the general public on the importance of preventinginjury and illness in the workplace and encouraging newhealth and safety activities.

For details, go to www.naosh.ca.

5

N e w s & N o t e s

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4

Changes Introduced by Bill C-45by David Myrol

Bill C-45 has introduced several changes into ourcriminal law. (Although the Bill became law in Canadawhen it received Royal assent on November 7, 2003, mostof the changes came into force on March 31, 2004.)

The most dramatic of these changes is the creationof a new legal duty in s. 217.1: for the first time in ourcountry, anyone who directs work now has a legal dutyto take reasonable steps to prevent physical harm fromoccurring to anyone else as a result of the work. Abreach of this new legal duty will not automaticallyresult in a conviction for criminal negligence. TheCrown must still prove beyond a reasonable doubt thatthe breach of duty represented a “marked andsignificant departure from the standard of areasonably prudent person in the circumstances.”

In other words, there must be more than a merefailure to meet the minimum standards set out in theOccupational Health and Safety Act. There must beevidence of a complete disregard for, or indifference to,the duty itself.

Other major changes:

• a broadening of the kinds of “organizations” thatare subject to the law, such as corporations, firms,partnerships, trade unions, municipalities and otherrelated associations

• an expansion of the ways in which the Crown canprove that an organization had the necessary guiltymind to commit the offence in question

All of these changes make it “easier” for theprosecution to prove criminal negligence against acorporation or individual. However, it is still by nomeans “easy” to do so.

David Myrol was a Crown Prosecutor responsible for occupationalhealth and safety legal issues until December 31, 2003. He isnow with McLennan Ross in Edmonton.

John PetropoulosMemorial Fund

Have you seen the TV message from Work Safe Albertafeaturing a police officer who didn’t make it home one day?There is a real person behind this vignette – Constable JohnPetropoulos of the Calgary Police Service, who died in theline of duty in September 2000. Constable Petropoulos waskilled by a fall while investigating a break and entercomplaint. He stepped onto a false ceiling that did not havea safety railing in place.

The John Petropoulos Memorial Fund has been set up toencourage and challenge people to effect positive change inthemselves and the world around them.

For more information, send an e-mail to jpmf@telus.net or callShannon Lyons at 403-263-2744.

Heads Up campaign in its sixth yearThe Heads Up campaign, now in its sixth year, strives toget the workplace safety message out – especially to youngmales (18 to 34) who are new to an industry and/or new toa work site. The campaign includes radio commercials,posters in bars, restaurants and work sites throughoutAlberta, and articles in employers’ magazines.

In 2003, nearly 52,000 inexperienced workers were injuredon the job in Alberta, and eight died of work-related injuries.“These are not just statistics,” says Guy Kerr, President andCEO of Workers’ Compensation Board-Alberta. “They are ourchildren, spouses, friends and neighbours.”

For more information, go to www.wcb.ab.ca.

No OH&S training for mostCanadians in a new jobUsing data collected by Statistics Canada during the 1999Workplace and Employee Survey, an Institute for Work &Health researcher found that just 19.8 per cent of workerswho had started with a new employer in the past sixmonths had received either occupational health and safetyor orientation training. Only 16 per cent of those who hadbeen with a new employer for six to twelve months saidthey had received either type of training. Eighty per centof young workers (those under age 25) reported they hadnot received either type of training.

For more information about IWH and its research, go to www.iwh.on.ca.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 46

C ontact stress happens when force is concentratedon a small area of the body, pinching or crushingtissue and causing discomfort and often pain. You

experience contact stress, for example, when the edge of awork surface digs into your forearm or wrist, when ridgesand hard edges on tool handles dig into your hand, andwhen you use your hand, foot or knee as a hammer. Thesides of the fingers, palms, wrists and forearms, elbowsand knees are most susceptible to contact stress becausein those areas the nerves, tendons and blood vessels areclose to the skin and underlying bones.

When you rest some or most of your body weight on asmall portion of your forearms, elbows, knees or thighs,the resulting highly concentrated forces may be enough torestrict the movement of tendons and cause inflammation,restrict the flow of nutrient and oxygen-carrying blood inthe blood vessels, or bruise the muscles.

Avoiding injuryThe sharp edges of tables and workstations can often becovered with soft padding, and some workstations comeequipped with leading edges that are already rounded orhave padded inserts.

For most people, tools that have grooves for the fingersdon’t work well because the grooves are either too big ortoo widely spaced. The resulting pressure ridges acrossthe hand can damage nerves or create hot spots of pain.Grooves along the length of the handle, which are intendedto prevent slipping, can also cut into the hand and createpressure ridges, especially if the tool is in continuous use.If a grooved handle is the only choice available, ensure thatthe grooves are many, narrow and shallow.

Workers should avoid continually using the base of thepalm of the hand or the knee as a hammer. For example,carpetlayers often use the knee repeatedly to install carpets,and in doing so are at high risk of injury.

Other suggestions:

• Redesign workstations or work processes to eliminatecontact stress.

• Avoid resting against sharp edges, or try to havethem rounded.

• If a part of the body must rest against a sharp edge,pad the edge or pad yourself to better distribute forces.

• Spread contact forces over a greater surface area tominimize tissue injury. For example, increase the sizeand length of tool handles.

• Wrap handles with tape or soft, grippy materials.

• Cover hard armrests with foam.

• Consider using wrist and mouse rests at computerworkstations.

Ray Cislo, P.Eng., B.Sc.(H.K.) is a safety engineering specialistat Workplace Policy and Standards, Alberta Human Resourcesand Employment.

THAT HURTS!Contact Stress at Work

by Ray Cislo

✷

E r g o t i p s

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 7

KNOW THE CODE

Since the Code requires a number of significantshifts in the way Albertans do their work, wehave made it the major focus of this special issue.In the following pages you will find articles on thethree elements of the Code that apply to all worksites and that require written documentation:

� violence

� hazard assessment and control

� emergency preparedness and response

Each of these articles provides an overview ofsome of the issues involved in complying with thenew Code, which came into effect on April 30,2004. As many of our readers will have alreadydiscovered, the OHS Code Highlights and OHS CodeExplanation Guide (both available at the WorkplaceHealth & Safety Web site, www.whs.gov.ab.ca)are excellent sources of detailed information.

Note that the Code has 39 parts with 796sections. The following articles refer to bothparts (or chapters) and specific sections withinthese parts.

How often do we have this much change in the legislation?”

That question from a member of the magazine’s advisory board

aptly describes where we are in workplace health and safety in

Alberta today. The introduction of the Occupational Health and

Safety Code means change of a magnitude that has not been seen

in this province for a couple of decades. Or even longer.

“

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 48

I n recent years domestic violence,once accepted and kept hidden,has come into the open as

behaviour that is unacceptable intoday’s society. Now workplace violenceis following the same path, coming outof the shadows and becoming thesubject of government regulation.

Sections 390 and 391 of theOccupational Health and Safety Code(Part 27) require employers to:

• recognize and assess workplaceviolence as a hazard

• develop a policy and procedureson potential workplace violence

• communicate the organization’spolicy and procedures related toworkplace violence

• instruct workers on recognizingworkplace violence

• develop appropriate responses toworkplace violence

• develop procedures for reporting,investigating and documentingincidents of workplace violence.

The underlying principle of theseregulations is to recognize violenceas a workplace hazard that is coveredunder Occupational Health andSafety legislation. “The Code sendsa message that violence must be

treated like any other hazard in theworkplace, such as chemicals andnoise,” says Sharon Chadwick, bestpractices specialist, Alberta HumanResources and Employment.“Employers are responsible forassessing the hazard and puttingcontrols in place to prevent illnessor injury due to the hazard.”

Defining workplace violenceMany Albertans believe workplaceviolence is something that doesn’thappen here, but it does, says HeatherGray, a workplace violence consultantwith Edmonton-based TAMA Inc. “A lotof people think of news stories aboutpeople coming into the workplacewith a gun and shooting their formerboss. But lots of other things go onthat don’t make the news, and theycan be just as profoundly devastating.”For example, one employee mightpunch another, or there might beharassment and verbal threats.

Studies show that some groups ofworkers are more at risk for violence –people who work in bars andnightclubs, health workers, teachers,convenience store staff, taxi drivers,government inspectors, security staff –but Gray says workplace violence canoccur anywhere, even among white

collar professionals. She points outthat a study released in 1998 by theInternational Labour Office identifiedCanada as one of the world’s frontrunners for workplace violence.

Exactly what is workplace violence?The Occupational Health and SafetyCode defines it as “the threatened,attempted or actual conduct of aperson that causes or is likely to causephysical injury.” That can cover a widerange of actions, from a major assaultto shoving a person and making themfall, or threatening in such a way theperson is afraid further action is“likely” to cause physical injury.

Gray uses a wider definition thatincludes harassment, insults andverbal threats. She points out thatwhen employers create a workplaceviolence policy they can go beyond therequirements of the Code, and alsonotes that harassment is coveredunder Human Rights legislation. “Butdon’t get caught up on where theincident fits in legislation,” Gray says.“Just identify the incident and dealwith it.”

Workplace violence often involvesmore than just employees, says RossArrowsmith, senior security advisorwith the Workers’ CompensationBoard-Alberta. There is customer

by Norma Ramage

It’s Time to

violence, “a tough one becausenobody wants to lose a customer,”and stranger violence, such as fareswho rob a taxi driver. Domesticviolence can move into theworkplace as well, says Arrowsmith.“Traditionally we think of domesticviolence as a personal issue, butwhen it walks in the door in theform of one spouse looking foranother at the job site, it becomesthe employer’s problem.”

Code requirementsNo matter what form workplaceviolence may take, the Code lays outspecific steps for dealing with it. Thefirst is creation of a policy. Arrowsmithsays the more comprehensive thepolicy, the more confidence employeeswill have in it. Many companies use theterm “zero tolerance” in their policies,but Arrowsmith advises against it.“It sounds great and tough, but ifthat’s all you say, it can backfire andscare people away from reporting anincident because they don’t want to seesomeone fired.” On the flip side, if anemployee expects an incident will endin termination and it doesn’t, he or shecan lose confidence in the policy.

Communication is anotherrequirement of the Code. Most experts

say that, in addition to making thepolicy readily available to employees,employers should post it in a waysimilar to the notices seen in hospitalemergency rooms. Gray alsorecommends sending letters tocustomers that clearly state yourworkplace violence policy.

The Code requires employers todevelop appropriate responses, whichinclude training managers and staffin recognizing incidents and dealingwith them. Much of the informationavailable is from the U.S., but theWorkers’ Compensation Board-Albertaoffers help for employers through itsPreventing Violence at Work programintroduced in 2001 (see sidebar, page 10).

A critical part of the WCB course(like most courses on workplaceviolence) is recognizing the earlywarning signs. Some of these are:

• threatening behaviour

• inappropriate statements

• veiled threats

• radical changes in behaviour

• an escalation in complaints aboutthe job or a particular employee

• constant arguments on the phonewith a spouse

• signs of distraction or increasedinability to cope with work

• a sudden tendency to quietness orkeeping to themselves by formerlysociable people

However, both Arrowsmith and Grayagree that these are only some of thepre-incident indicators, and thereforeencourage people to follow their owninstincts. “Employees may be tooquick to dismiss warning signs,” saysArrowsmith. “In doing so they maybe missing their only opportunity toprevent the situation from escalatinginto violence.”

The Code also requires employersto have written reports about seriousincidents of violence and the follow-upactions taken. These reports must beavailable for occupational healthand safety officers when required.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 9

Violence must betreated like any other hazard in theworkplace, such aschemicals and noise.”

“

STOP VIOLENCE AT WORK

KNOW THE CODE

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 410

However, not all incidents will be investigated by these officers,and the onus is on employers to take appropriate action. “It’salso important that employees report incidents,” says Chadwick.“If there are 10 different threats by a person and nobody reportsit, then the eleventh person doesn’t know there’s a problem.”

Some incidents of workplace violence end up in the handsof the police. Assault and uttering a threat are Criminal Codeoffences, says Sgt. Marty Fulkerth of the Calgary PoliceService’s Crime Prevention Unit. But even if it isn’t clearly aCriminal Code offence, Fulkerth encourages individuals andcompanies to report it to the police “so that this informationis on the police system if the situation escalates in the future.”

Talking about itTo Arrowsmith, the most important action any employer cantake is to bring the topic of workplace violence out into theopen and encourage employees to talk about it. “We have toget people to understand that it can happen anywhere. It’s atough subject to talk about, but all of us have to get morecomfortable doing this.”

Experts agree that more and more people are talking aboutit. Like domestic violence, incidents of workplace violencearen’t numerically increasing. What’s increasing is society’sawareness of it and, thanks to legislation like the OHS Code,a willingness and ability to do something about it.

Norma Ramage is a freelance writer and communications consultantliving in Calgary.

WCB-ALBERTA’S

Preventing Violence at Work program

WCB-Alberta offers half-day Preventing Violence at Work workshops at itsCalgary and Edmonton offices, and has plans to hold similar workshops inLethbridge and Red Deer. Because of heavy demand, the WCB offers on-sitepresentations only to larger groups, but it has developed a step-by-stepworkbook and video. Workbook topics include creating a policy, workplace riskassessment, staff training and strategies for dealing with workplace violence.

For more information, including course dates, go to www.wcb.ab.caand follow the links. Or contact Ross Arrowsmith, phone (403) 517-6003,or e-mail ross@wcb.ab.ca.

Charles Harder (standing) and Dick Bevan (sitting)deliver a Preventing Violence at Work workshop.

Image: Workers’ Compensation Board-Alberta

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/publications/pdf/vah001.pdfPreventing Violence and Harassment at the Workplace (Govt. of Alberta)

www.oshforeveryone.org/ntnu/hazards_prev/social/violence_new.html?noframe List of resource URLs on workplace violence

www.workplaceviolence.ca/home.html The Canadian Initiative on Workplace Violence, a social research organization

cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2003/11/13/256770-cp.html News article (“Alta. employers responsible for workplace violence”)

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

For contact information, see page 20.

Videos

Workplace Violence 29 min.Different types of violence, their causes, how to protect yourself andyour co-workers, and why reporting workplace violence is extremelyimportant. (VC 0274)

Workplace Violence: It’s Everybody’s Business 19 min. Different types of workplace violence situations and typical componentsof a workplace violence prevention program. (VC 0348)

Violence: Keeping It out of the Workplace 12 min. Preventing violence in the workplace by recognizing that violence is a real problem, and one that is preventable. Highlights include earlywarning signs and how to diffuse hostility, developing a “crisis plan,”contributing organizational factors and suggestions for increasingawareness. (VC 0339)

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 11

KNOW THE CODE

Getting It Rightand in Writing

WORK SITE HAZARDS AND CONTROLS

Put it in writing! Remember that phrase. The Occupational

Health and Safety Code now requires employersto identify worksite hazards, assess them and specifycontrols to deal with them. And, an added twist:everything must be written down.

At some workplaces the Code requirements willmean major changes in procedure while for othersit will mostly mean business as usual. For example,Edmonton-based Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd.already documents hazards and controls as an integralpart of their safety practices. “With the new Code,our approach to safety will stay the same,” says JimMcElveen, Waiward’s safety and loss controlmanager. “The Code will require a new awareness ofaccountability and responsibility, but there will be no fundamental change.”

Even before the new Code came into effect, Albertaemployers were required to inform workers ofworkplace hazards and to eliminate or control them.That obligation remains under Part 2, Section 7 ofthe new Code. However, employers, in cooperationwith employees, must now conduct a proactivehazard assessment, prepare a written report on theresults and date the report. Provincial occupationalhealth and safety officers can requisition suchreports, and employers who fail to meet the reportingrequirements may find themselves in non-compliance.

John Brogly, chair of the Construction OwnersAssociation of Alberta Best Practices Committee,believes there is tremendous benefit in having writtenreports. “If it’s just done mentally or verbally,” he says,“there is no way of telling whether it’s been done.”

Flexibility built inThe introduction of the new Code followed extensivepublic and industry consultation, starting in the late1990s. These discussions confirmed that flexibility inthe requirements for hazard assessment and controlis important because the hazards and the means ofdealing with them vary greatly among, and evenwithin, work sites. For instance, the hazards facing areceptionist, as well as the responses to those hazards,can differ greatly from those encountered by amachine operator working just meters away in afabricating shop.

For larger work sites, including constructionprojects, hazard assessments may occur at severallevels. A tier-one assessment could cover an entireplant or project and involve personnel who are ableto assess hazards and suggest plant or project-widecontrols. Tier-two assessment could entail portionsof a plant or part of a construction project, say, the installation of a large vessel. The workers andsupervisors involved would assess existing orpotential hazards and recommend controls.

by Nordahl Flakstad

Finally, small crews or evenindividual workers might “walkthrough” a specific task to conduct a field level risk assessment.

Hazards or conditions that havethe potential to cause injury come inmany guises – chemicals, electricityand biohazards among them. Just astypes of hazards vary, so do risk levels(high, medium or low). Low-riskhazards can’t be ignored, but theymight not require the same responsesas high-risk situations.

Some employers and employees mayworry about the timing of reportsunder the new Code requirements.But, just as the Code doesn’t serve upa one-fits-all checklist of hazards, itdoesn’t set timetables for assessments.Employers are expected to completeassessments at “reasonably practicalintervals.” Furthermore, assessmentsshould take place when introducingnew or changed work processes, andwhen work starts at a new site. Thismeans mobile workers such as line

crews might adjust their hazardassessment if they switch locations orthe weather changes.

Filling in the blind spotsSpotting hazards isn’t always easy.Routine, repetition and familiarity canleave hazards ignored or overlooked.For instance, an office worker may notconsider an uncomfortable chair oropen filing-cabinet drawers as hazards.Similarly a scaffolder, alert to risk offalling, may ignore ongoing danger tohis fingers as he repeatedly poundswith a heavy hammer.

Brogly, says it is particularlyvaluable to have written hazardassessments that use a field level riskassessment approach. Dow Chemical,where Brogly works, uses somethingcalled pre-task analysis. Otheremployers have similar field level riskassessment programs, sometimeswith different names. When startinga shift or a new task, Dow employees(and other on-site workers) mustidentify and record tasks, along with

anticipated hazards and how they willdeal with them. All workers on sitemust carry a standardized field levelrisk assessment sheet. Spot checks ofemployees and contractors ensurethat these sheets are completed. Suchconfirmations also offer excellentopportunities to give workers positivefeedback and to fill in “blind spots”in their hazard assessments.

Workers who change tasks may haveto update their sheets several times aday. Meanwhile, Dow’s office workersare expected to spend a few minutesweekly checking for hazards in theirwork areas and recording them ontheir field level risk assessment sheets.

Employers can delegate someoneto conduct periodic formal hazardassessment through physical inspection(walking around the workplace), taskanalysis (breaking down processes todetermine specific hazards) or processanalysis (identifying hazards at variousstages of a procedure). Lessons can alsobe learned after an incident occurs, butthat’s certainly not a preferred methodof hazard assessment.

Information from hazardassessments and about recommendedcontrols must be shared with employees.This could be through safety andtoolbox meetings, posters, notices,newsletters and other appropriatemethods of communication.

“Being aware of hazards on anongoing basis is everyone’s

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 412

RESUME WORK

LOOK AROUND &

IDENTIFY HAZARDS

ASSESS & RECORD RISKS

CONTROL RISKS

Employers, in cooperationwith employees, mustnow prepare writtenreports on hazardassessment and control.

responsibility,” notes Sharon Chadwick,best practices specialist with AlbertaHuman Resources and Employment.

Safety consultants can help withhazard assessments but workplacescan’t depend only on “outside” experts.Usually front-line workers are the oneswho are most familiar with the hazardsassociated with specific procedures,processes and equipment.

Controlling hazardsHazard assessment and “appropriate”controls go hand in hand. The best wayto handle a hazard is to eliminate it.Sometimes that can mean taking anaction as straightforward as moppingup a spill, picking up a cord off thefloor or tightening a screw onvibrating machinery. If such stepsdon’t solve the problem, thenemployers and workers need to look forengineered solutions. The vibratingmachinery might be replaced withquieter equipment or isolated within asound barrier. If that’s impractical,there might be an administrativesolution such as rotating workersthrough the area to minimizeindividual noise exposure or using

personal protective equipment such asearplugs. Engineered solutions can’talways be installed immediately butshould certainly be a long-term option,particularly when expansions,renovations or process changes take place.

“Hazard assessment and control isthe foundation of any health andsafety program,” states Chadwick. “Itshould be the way you do your work,not an add-on.”

Nordahl Flakstad is an Edmonton writer andcommunications consultant.

Note: See also the article in this issue aboutWork Safe Alberta Web-based awarenessprograms. One of these programs deals withhazard assessment and control.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 13

KNOW THE CODE

FIELD LEVEL RISK ASSESSMENTCOMPANY NAME DATETASKS HAZARDS PLANS TO ELIMINATE/CONTROL

STOPand THINK

SEE IT AGAIN forthe FIRST TIME

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.coaa.ab.ca/safety/safetyhome.htm Construction Owners Association of Alberta FieldLevel Risk Assessment materials (Choose FieldLevel Risk Assessment)

www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdfFive steps to risk assessment, U.K. Health andSafety Executive

www.ucd.ie/safety/code/hazardcntrlindex.htmExample of hazard identification and controls(University College Dublin)

www.hazardcontrol.com/coreprinciples.htmlCore Principles of Safety Engineering andHazard Control

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

For contact information, see page 20.

Videos

Performing a Job Hazard Analysis 19 min.Basic principles and techniques for performingaccurate and useful job hazard analysis in avariety of industrial settings. Deals with risks toemployee health and the environment as well asto employee safety. (VC 0259)

Inspecting for Hazardous Conditions 21 min. Familiarizes first-line managers with hazardousconditions commonly occurring in industrialsettings, and provides general guidelines andtechniques for organizing and maintaining aformal program of local area, hazard-specificinspections. (VC 0260)

Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Hazards 13 min. Examines the available options for controllinghazards and suggests strategies to be used inall workplaces. Topics covered includeelimination, substitution, administrativecontrols, engineering controls and personalprotective equipment. (VC 0291)

It isn’t rocket science, but it is important – and theOccupational Health and Safety Code requires it.

Emergency Preparedness and Response hasn’t been inthe Code before (Part 7, added in October 2003), and it is oneof the shortest parts (just four sections covering a bit morethan one page). But that doesn’t mean you can ignore thissection or take it lightly, since it deals with life-and-deathsituations that could happen almost anywhere. And have.

In the Code “emergency preparedness” and “emergencyresponse” deal with incidents that require evacuation orrescue. Fire is the first example that comes to mind formany people. It could also be a flood, a violent storm, a gasleak or explosion, a chemical or biological spill or release,a nearby derailment or highway accident involvinghazardous materials, a hostage taking, or any otherunpredictable and unexpected critical incident.

Unlike the hazards that are part of some industrialenvironments, emergencies as envisioned in Part 7 canhappen anywhere. No workplace is immune. There can be no better reason than that for the Code to require anEmergency Response Plan for every workplace – and foroccupational health and safety officers to enforce therequirement rigorously.

Code requirements for employers are simple andstraightforward (Section 115, with interpretation):

• Have a plan and keep it up-to-date.

• Consult with workers on the plan’s content.

• Put the plan in writing.

• Share the plan with all workers.

• Identify workers who have special responsibilities.

• Train workers who have responsibilities for their dutiesand provide them with appropriate protective clothingand equipment.

• Repeat training and drills as appropriate.

For their own safety and security, workers should:• Find out if their employer has an emergency

response plan.

• Read the plan and know where it is kept, in case they need to refresh their memory.

• Know their personal responsibilities under the plan.

• Make sure they are properly trained and equipped to carry out their responsibilities.

• Take every opportunity to provide input to the plan.

The basic contents of an emergency response planinclude (Section 116):

� a list of potential emergencies

� procedures for dealing with such emergencies,including a clear description of the emergencyresponse organization

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 414

by Allan Sheppard

EMERGENCYPreparedness &

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 15

KNOW THE CODE

� the location of and operational procedures foremergency equipment

� training requirements

� the location and use of emergency facilities

� fire protection requirements

� alarm and emergency communication requirements

� first aid services required

procedures for rescue and evacuation

designated rescue and evacuation workers, with provisions to ensure they know their roles and responsibilities

additional provisions that are appropriate to your site

The Code pays particular attention to designating andtraining workers (Section 117) and equipment (Section 118).

Kenn Hample, a safety team leader at Alberta HumanResources and Employment, points out that basic provisionsshould include a procedure for “counting noses” to ensurethat everyone in the workplace has been accounted for andthen taking action when anyone is or might be missing.

Paul Riopel of Emergency Response ManagementConsulting, Ltd. notes that evacuating the workplace maynot be the correct response to extreme weather eventssuch as tornados. The best thing may be to retreat to adesignated safe place within the building or, if the work

site is outdoors, a previously identified shelter area.Emergency response procedures would normally include acall to 911 for municipal or provincial emergency servicessupport, Riopel adds, and it should provide for briefing andhanding responsibility to those crews as appropriate.

Many workplaces already have a written fire response planand periodic drills to make sure workers know what to doand how to do it. Most organizations will probably be able tomeet Part 7 of the Code by modifying their fire plan for otheremergencies after conducting a hazard assessment thatidentifies events that could happen and helps determinehow best to deal with them.

The important thing is to do it. Now. And then to keepdoing it.

Allan Sheppard is as freelance writer and researcher who lives in EdmontonResponse

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.ocipep.gc.ca/ep/index_e.asp Government of Canada

www.ccep.ca/ Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness

www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/ema/ Emergency Management Alberta

www.aepp.ab.ca/index.htm Alberta Emergency Preparedness Partnership

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

For contact information, see page 20.

Videos

Building Evacuation 12 min.Factors to consider in developing and implementing a successful emergencyevacuation plan for a building. Basic principles covered are individualresponsibilities, types of emergencies, evacuation and the role of wardens. (FVC 182)

Bomb Threat Strategy 15 min. Suitable for all staff who may become involved in a bomb threat incident,this video examines the nature of bomb threats, search procedures, planningfor and assessing threatening situations, prevention measures and evacuationprocedures. (FVC 181)

Fire Prevention and Safety 15 min. Shows employees how to prevent fires and what to do in case of fire. (FVC 263)

How to Select and Safely Use Portable Fire Extinguishers 15 min.Discussion of the two common mistakes. Also covers factors to consider whendeciding whether to fight a fire, size and type of fire extinguishers, classes of fire,and proper procedures in using fire extinguishers. (FVC 197)

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 416

A drilling rig can be a hazardous place for theunskilled, untrained or unwary worker. Huge piecesof pipe are continually being moved or are being

operated by powerful motors. The potential for beingstruck, jammed, caught or wrenched by this equipment isexacerbated by the fast-paced, around-the-clock nature of arig, often working in the depths of an Alberta winter.

“It’s a very unforgiving environment,” says Bruce Jones,president and chief executive officer of Calgary-basedSeamans Drilling Ltd. “Everything we touch weighs a coupleof thousand pounds, and the input horsepower to drive thisequipment can be in excess of 1,000 horsepower.”

There is proper operating and safety training for rigworkers throughout the Alberta drilling industry, but thistraining is neither formalized nor standardized. It variesfrom company to company, and sometimes even from rigto rig. But that will soon change. The Canadian Associationof Oilwell DrillingContractors is nowworking with AlbertaLearning to designan apprenticeshipprogram for oil and gas well rigtechnicians, and it is hoped that thisstandardized program

RIG Technicianwill provide a career path that produces better-trained rigworkers and a safer rig environment.

“It’s especially challenging in today’s environmentbecause of how quickly we have to ‘make hole’,” says Jones,who is the chair of the rig technician apprenticeshipcommittee. “With the apprenticeship program, we will beable to provide a better formal training background for ourpeople, both on the job and in the classroom.”

Under the proposed program, which could be in placeby the fall of 2005, a trade designation would be compulsoryfor three progressively advanced levels of rig workers:motor hand, derrick hand and driller. To become certifiedat each level, an apprentice would have to complete anestimated 1,500-hour training period. Four-fifths of thattime would be spent in on-the-job training under anexperienced journeyman and the remainder in aclassroom. From a general safety perspective, trainingwould include standard courses in WHMIS, dealing withhydrogen sulphide, fall protection, working in confinedspaces and spill response.

The more industry specific training would includerigging and slinging, tubulars, hydraulics and rig movesand set-ups. (Consider that just leveling a rig involvesusing hydraulic jacks weighing up to 100 tons.) Not alltraining will focus on the rig site. The Canadian Associationof Oilwell Drilling Contractors also hopes to address arelatively high occurrence of motor vehicle incidents.

Other industries withstandardized trainingprograms have seentheir overall incidentrates improve.

by Bill Corbett

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 17

involving rig workers moving to and from leases, often on rough roads and in winter conditions.

“Alberta Learning has found that other industries withstandardized training programs have seen their overallincident rates improve,” says committee member CindySoderstrom, the CAODC’s research coordinator. “Our ratehas been improving the last few years, but we’d like to seeit continue to improve.” (See sidebar.)

Communication skills will be a key component of thestandardized training program, so senior workers will beable to train junior rig hands in safe operating procedures.Training for the entry-level positions of lease hand and floorhand (roughnecks), which are traditionally high-turnoverjobs, will not be covered in the apprenticeship program.

Bill Corbett is a Calgary writer.

APPRENTICESHIP

• 15 per cent of the upstream oiland gas industry’s lost-time claimsfrom 1998 to 2002 were from thedrilling of wells.

• The drilling sector’s lost-time claimrate fell from 5.0 per 100 personyears in 2000 to 2.7 in 2002.

• For the upstream industry as awhole, the most common injurieswere sprains, strains and tears,with the back suffering thehighest number of injuries. One-third of incidents involvedworkers being struck by objectsor overexerting themselves whenmaneuvering objects.

• Vehicles were involved in 11 percent of the lost-time claims.

• While the industry’s overallincident rate was fairly low, theinjuries tended to be serious, withone-quarter requiring more than50 days off the job.

LOST TIME CLAIMS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 418

T h e L a s t R e s o r t

EMPLOYERMorgan’s Transfer and Roger’s Repair and Welding

INCIDENTOn May 16, 2002, an explosionoccurred in Grande Prairie at a shopleased by Morgan’s Transfer when acontract welder employed by Roger’sRepair and Welding was performingmaintenance work on a tanker trailer.There were no injuries, but thebuilding was severely damaged.

FINESBoth Morgan’s Transfer and Roger’sRepair and Welding were fined forfailing to ensure that hot work not beperformed in a location whereflammable substances are present[section 185(2)(a)(ii), General SafetyRegulation].

Morgan’s Transfer was fined $1,000plus a victim surcharge of $150.Roger’s Repair and Welding was fined$1,000 plus a victim surcharge of $150.

Both companies also agreed to sponsorPetroleum Industry Training Servicecourses on Detection and Control ofFlammable Substances. Morgan’sTransfer agreed to sponsor coursesvalued at $10,000 and Roger’s Repairand Welding agreed to sponsor coursesvalued at $5,000.

EMPLOYERBurlington Resources Canada Ltd.

INCIDENTOn March 17, 2002, at the BerlandDehydration Facility locatedapproximately 65 km southwest of FoxCreek, a worker was fatally injuredwhen overexposed to hydrogen sulfidewhile attempting to clear an

obstruction in a discharge line on apiece of equipment.

The company was found guilty offailing to a) conduct a hazardassessment for working alone and b) establish an effective means ofcommunication [section 14.1(2)(a) and(b), Occupational Health and SafetyAct]. Two Burlington Resources CanadaLtd. workers were found guilty ofdisturbing the scene of an accident[section 18(6), Occupational Healthand Safety Act].

FINESBurlington Resources Canada Ltd. wasfined $5,000 plus a 15 per cent victimsurcharge, and was required to pay$100,000 to the Job Safety SkillsSociety. Burlington Resources employeeBrian Plontke was fined $4,000 plus a$600 victim surcharge. Employee JohnVeldhuis was fined $2,000 plus a $300victim surcharge.

EMPLOYERARC Resources Ltd.

INCIDENTOn November 5, 2001, a supervisor wasfatally injured in an explosion of acontrolled product on a well site 20 kmsouthwest of Drayton Valley. The workerwas struck by components of a coiltubing unit in a piping system.

FINEARC Resources Ltd. was found guiltyof not ensuring that workers receiveeducation, instruction or trainingwith respect to a controlled product[section 24.1(c), Occupational Healthand Safety Act].

ARC Resources was fined $30,000 plusa victim surcharge of $4,500.

EMPLOYERCrispin Energy Inc.

PRIME CONTRACTOR Red’s Oilfield Services Ltd.

INCIDENTOn March 14, 2001, two Red’s OilfieldServices Ltd. workers were replacinga hatch from a tank at a CrispinEnergy Inc. lease site located innorthwest Alberta. The 400-barreltank was one-quarter full of oil andgas drilling wastewater that wascontaminated with oil and gascomponents. The workers could notremove four of the sixteen boltsholding the hatch to the tank, andtherefore used a grinder to grind offthe remaining four bolts. A spark fromthe grinding process ignited gasesinside the tank, and an explosion blewthe tank apart. One worker was fatallyinjured after being hurled 30 metresacross the lease site. The other workerreceived burns to his face.

FINESCrispin Energy Inc. was found guiltyof not ensuring that the employer wascomplying with the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act and regulations[section 2(5), Occupational Health andSafety Act] and of not ensuring thatwork was being performed bycompetent worker(s) [section 14(2)(a),General Safety Regulation]. Red’sOilfield Services Ltd. was foundguilty of not ensuring the health andsafety of workers [section 2(1)(a)(i),Occupational Health and Safety Act].

Crispin Energy inc. was fined $80,000plus a $12,000 victim surcharge. Red’sOilfield Services Ltd. was fined $75,000(the victim surcharge was waived).

Reporting on RECENT CONVICTIONSunder the Occupational Health and Safety Act

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 19

IGA, management is committed to health and safety, andthe employees are actively involved in supporting it.

In December 2003 the Petroleum Services Associationof Canada became the first petroleum association to gain aCertificate of Recognition for their own operation. PSAC wasthe first association to require all of its member companieswith operations in Alberta to either have a COR or provideevidence that they were working toward one.

Hazard Assessment and the OHS CodeThe new Code requirement that all employers assess andcontrol hazards (see article on page 11) will not be a problemfor participants in the Partnerships in Health and Safetyprogram. Hazard assessment and control has been part of oursafety management system ever since the program began 15years ago. For an example of a hazard assessment, visitwww.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/partners/publications/pdf/building.pdf.

OTHER SOURCES of assistance in completing hazard assessments:

• Contact any of the 15 Certifying Partners,www.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/partners/certpartners.asp

• Use the Work Safe Alberta Information SharingNetwork, www.worksafely.org

• Phone the Contact Centre toll free at 1-866-415-8690.

• Ask a Workplace Health & Safety expert for help by e-mail, www.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/expert

• Check www.worksafely.org and/or your local phonedirectory for the names of health and safety consultants.

Partnerships in Health and Safety is a province-wide injuryprevention program sponsored cooperatively by government,labour and industry.

The Partnerships program offers:

• tools to implement a health and safety management system

• guidance in applying for a Certificate of Recognition (COR)

• the potential for premium refunds from the Workers’Compensation Board-Alberta

For more information, call (780) 427-8842 or toll free 310-0000.Or visit us on the Web: www.whs.gov.ab.ca/partners.

New Partners in Health and SafetyWelcome to the Alberta Restaurant and FoodservicesAssociation, the Environmental Services Association ofAlberta, the Job Safety Skills Society, the Propane GasAssociation of Canada Inc., Rogers Sugar Limited and theSmall Explorers and Producers Association of Canada.

There are now 66 Partners in Health and Safety. Each ofthese companies and agencies has an exemplary health andsafety management system and is recognized as a leader intheir industry. Through a Memorandum of Understanding thePartners commit to taking a proactive role with the Albertagovernment’s Workplace Health & Safety staff in promotingworkplace health and safety throughout Alberta. In return,the Partners receive public recognition for their efforts.

Walking the Talk at Rogers SugarRogers Sugar Ltd., one of the most recently named Partnersin Health and Safety (see above), and the Alberta Associationfor Safety Partnerships jointly supported the goals of WorkSafe Alberta by offering a seminar called “Planting theSeeds for Farm Safety” in Taber on March 11, 2004. Theseminar was designed to heighten awareness of health andsafety among local growers of beets, canola and potatoes, aswell as those who provide services to regional farmers.

The topics covered at the seminar included WHMIS,electrical safety, confined space entry, trenching andemergency response. Other major sponsors of the seminarwere McCain Foods Canada, Lamb-Weston Division ofConAgra Limited, Canbra Foods and Aquila Networks Canada.

Rogers Sugar Ltd. operates a sugar beet processing plant inTaber that produces granulated and liquid sugar. The plantalso dries the leftover beet pulp, which has a high nutritionalvalue, and sells it across western Canada for livestock feed.

Groundbreaking Certificates of RecognitionOn December 15, 2003, Rob Feagan, Manager ofPartnerships, presented the first Certificate of Recognitionfor an independent IGA retail store to Scenic Square GardenMarket IGA (Hartek Holdings) in Lethbridge. OwnersKatrina and Dallas Harty and their staff are extremelyproud of their health and safety management system andother initiatives they have developed and implemented atthe store. And rightly so. At Scenic Square Garden Market

NEWSPartnerships

Wo r k p l a c e H e a l t h& S a f e t y ( WH S )

Contact Workplace Health & Safety any timeFor occupational health and safetyinformation and assistance, or to orderWorkplace Health & Safety publications,phone the Contact Centre at 1-866-415-8690 orvisit the Workplace Health & Safety Web siteat www.whs.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/expert.

Sign up forWorkplace Health & Safety news

To be notified by e-mail of all new WorkplaceHealth & Safety Web site postings, sign upfor a FREE subscription service throughwww.worksafely.org.

Alberta Government Library Labour Building SiteTo review the large selection of occupationalhealth and safety information materialsavailable through the Alberta government, goto www.gov.ab.ca/hre/library.

To borrow materials, either contact your locallibrary and make your requests through theinter-library loan system or visit the AlbertaGovernment Library, Labour Building Site, at this address:3rd floor, 10808 - 99 AvenueEdmonton, AB T5K 0G5

Library phone (780) 427-8533Audio-Visual Services phone (780) 427-4671

To reach either of the above numbers toll-freein Alberta, dial 310-0000 followed by the areacode and phone number.

Fax (780) 422-0084

Workplace Health & Safety is a division of AlbertaHuman Resources and Employment and falls under thejurisdiction of Minister Clint Dunford.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 420

INFORMATION SHARING NETWORK

O ften workers are hurt on the job because they don’tknow there is a danger or don’t know how to prevent aproblem. Sometimes, workers or employers don’t know

or understand the legislation that provides information onpreventing incidents that might cause injury or death.

It can be an imposing task to find the answers, or even askthe right the questions.

That’s the rationale behind the Work Safe Alberta InformationSharing Network Web site, launched February 23, 2004. Searcherscan go to the site (www.worksafely.org) to get information on orresources for any safety topic, from the nuts and bolts of settingup a program to the names of industrial hygienists practicingin their area.

It’s also why safety experts from various industries aroundthe province came together to lend their knowledge and insightto the project. The network is – and will develop further into –an information clearinghouse and networking tool for anybodywho wants or needs to know more about safety on a work site.

“It’s a virtual library,” says Peter Dunfield, senior loss advisor atSyncrude Canada Ltd., who was a member of the subcommitteethat helped design the network. “It’s not populated fully withinformation yet, but it will be. It’s fabulous work,” he says.Dunfield explains that a worker, a supervisor or an owner shouldbe able to get into the site and find information on, for example,back injures and programs. He is excited about the conceptbecause this is a uniquely Alberta product that will “createvenues of free-sharing of information across all sectors.”

Right now, the network has links to information bulletins,how-to advice on setting up everything from health and safetycommittees to training programs for new workers, a safety-relatedevents calendar and a consultant directory.

Melinda Yiu, a technical communications specialist withAlberta Human Resources and Employment who is working on

WORK SAFE ALBERTA HAS LAUNCHED two new Web-basedprojects to help Albertans find province-specific safetyresources and information. Both of these projects havebeen developed through teamwork. Representatives ofindustry, safety associations, labour and governmenthave worked together to understand the need, collectthe required information and develop effective ways ofgetting the information out to Albertans.

the project, says that the next step is to get a discussionforum up and running. It won’t be a live chatroom, but itwill be a place where people can ask questions on safetychallenges, and post solutions they have found.

While current information on the site is mostly from theprovincial government, Yiu says this will change as thenetwork partners get their information into a formateveryone can use. The government’s role here is to administerand host the network, not to fill it with information. Materialposted on the site will come primarily from industry.

This network will help everybody as it develops, says LloydHarman, director of health, safety and loss management atthe Alberta Forest Products Association. “Its strength willcome over time. An employer will be able to click on a topiclike ‘new employee orientation’ and get enough informationto develop an orientation program quickly.” Harman saysthat the network needs associations as well as employee andemployer groups to make information available for posting.Right now, he says, there are “tons of people” who don’tknow where to go or who to talk to when hunting for goodinformation to make a safety program work.

This network will help fill that gap.

AWARENESS PROGRAMSThree new, down-to-earth Web-based programs from WorkSafe Alberta are designed to be viewed either by workerssearching on the Internet for their own information or aspart of a customized work site awareness program. Theprograms are narrated and moderated by Will B. Safe, ananimated talking triangle with a nose shaped like a map ofAlberta. Will B. takes the learner through the information,gently points out the next logical move within the programand occasionally acts as a marker token and cheerleaderduring short board games/quizzes.

The topics of the programs, available atwww.worksafely.org, are:

� the Alberta occupational health and safety legislation

� hazard assessment and control, and

� incident investigation

Alexis MacMillan of Christie Communications, the companycontracted to develop the programs, says it was a challenge todesign the contents and graphics in a non-threatening andinformative manner that would appeal to a broad base of

learners. However, MacMillan notes, “New technology andprogramming techniques have allowed us to put thesecomplex programs on the Internet.”

Twelve different industry and labour groups, rangingfrom construction to hospitality, were represented on theteams that pulled together the content and approach forthe programs. The team members believe the programs willhelp Alberta workers and employers to better understandsafety issues and practices.

Robin Duke, assistant business manager for theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 424,was a member of the committee that worked on thelegislation program. A computer novice with 35 years ofindustry experience, Duke says the programs will helpraise young people’s awareness of health and safety issues.Years ago, he explains, workers just accepted that people werekilled every year while doing certain jobs, but expectationsand methods of work have changed. Web-based training ishelping to change the perceptions of what level of risk isacceptable. Duke says these new programs will help traineesgoing through the union’s 10-week pre-apprenticeshipprogram to become better employees when they find jobs.

Teri Sunde-Clay, manager ofthe Alberta Hotels SafetyAssociation, says members ofher association felt they hada great deal to contribute tothe program on hazardassessment and control.While this program is quitegeneral, the association (and,she hopes, other associationsand industries) will use theformat as a jumping-off pointfor industry-specific training.One of the considerationsemphasized throughout thedesign, Sunde-Clay says, wasthat many of the workers andowners who use the programswill not speak English as theirfirst language.

Kerry Tremblay is a Calgaryfreelance writer specializing insafety and training.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 21

Work Safe AlbertaWEB-BASED PROJECTS by Kerry Tremblay

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 422

What improvements have you made at yourworkplace? If you’ve found a solution worth sharing,please send it to ray.cislo@gov.ab.ca

LIFTING HEAVY, AWKWARD OBJECTSTHE PROBLEMLifting heavy, awkward objects such as metalcastings, pipe, and sewer and storm grate covers can cause back injuries.

A SOLUTIONUsing a lever arm with its mechanicaladvantage, you can lift and move thesetypes of objects with relatively little effort.

BENEFITSWorkers can avoid possible back injury, and do so byusing simple and relatively inexpensive equipment.

TIPPING MATERIALS FROM DRUMS AND TUBS

THE PROBLEMWhen workers repeatedly empty drums or tubs ofmaterials such as flour, cement, sand or plastic beadsinto process equipment, they may be doing unnecessarylifting and lowering, making jerky movements andexerting high forces in awkward postures.

A SOLUTIONA mechanical drum tipper eliminates the need tohandle the drum or tub.

BENEFITSBy eliminating all manual lifting and lowering ofthe drum or tub, this solution greatly reduces thepossibility of worker injury.

W e b W a t c h e r

by Bob Christie

A NEW FOCUS: staying closer to homeShortly after the January issue of this magazine came out, I received a call from a local supplier who delivers health andsafety courses, largely using the Internet. His quite reasonablerequest for a listing of his site and its course materialsreinforced my recent thoughts about the direction thiscolumn should be taking.

For several years I have been promoting sites from the fourcorners of the world. Although this approach made sense whenthe Web was a new resource, it may be giving somewhat shortshrift to good tools that are built locally. So now I am planningto turn my attention to reviewing local organizations andcompanies who send me their site information. No guaranteesabout whether I give you a brickbat or a bouquet, but I dopromise an honest review from both the technical and contentperspectives. If you wish me to review your offerings, send mea note at bob@christie.ab.ca. If you have already asked me toinclude you (and many have) please send the informationagain, as some of the details may have changed.

One other thing. If you want a search undertaken on aparticular topic that you think may be of interest to others inthe community and are not in a tearing hurry, feel free to ask.I will do what I can with 300 words three times a year.

International sites that may be of interest to Alberta safety professionalsThis is a VERY partial list. I cherry picked from the first 160of over 7.6 million sites my search engine found using a verybroad search.

US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration, www.osha.gov/

Health and Safety Executive, www.hse.gov.uk/

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

National Occupational Health and Safety Commission(Australia), www.nohsc.gov.au/

Environmental, Health and Safety FREEWARE,www.ehsfreeware.com/

Osh.net Gateway for Safety and Health Information Resources,www.osh.net/

Bob Christie is a partner at Christie Communications Ltd., a multimediadevelopment company in Edmonton.

R e a l W o r l d S o l u t i o n s

Work-related incident fatalitiesOctober 2003 - January 2004Most work-related incident fatalities that fall underprovincial jurisdiction are investigated by WorkplaceHealth & Safety. In general, highway traffic, farm, diseaseor heart attack fatalities are not investigated.

The following fatalities have been or are beinginvestigated.

A 49-year old painter fell from a rolling scaffold whilepainting a ceiling. Another worker was moving therolling scaffold around the work area with the painteron top when one of its wheels slipped into a shallow pit,causing the scaffold to topple. The painter was killed bya fall of 4.9 metres on to a concrete floor.

A 35-year-old contract operator at a small satellite oilbattery was found lying on the ground near a watertank. There were indications that the worker was goingto change a gasket. The cause of death appears to beH2S poisoning.

A 51-year-old worker in a pre-cast concrete plant wasbeneath a 1457 K load suspended from a bridge crane.The load fell from the hook and landed on the worker,causing fatal injuries.

A 48-year-old rig manager with 25 years of experiencein the industry was sprayed with steam and receivedburns to 75 per cent of his body while checking theoperation of a boiler on a service rig. The rig was notworking due to cold weather, and in such cases it wasstandard procedure to fire up the boiler every 12 hoursand check the water levels. The worker was kneelingdown by the feed pump when the ball valve on the

blow down line (immediately under the boiler)separated. The worker succumbed to his injuries as aresult of complications.

A 17-year-old labourer who had been in the work forcefor only three months died in an incident involving ahay bale de-stacker. The worker climbed into themachine, and it started moving, trapping the worker’shead between a moving beam and a fixed beam.

A 32-year-old labourer died in hospital two days after aworkplace incident involving a tow cable between twobulldozers. The worker was removing the tow cable whenthe lead bulldozer moved, pinning the worker’s head.

A 60-year-old bridge project manager was hit by alarge piece of steel and fatally injured while inspectinga pile-driving operation. The piece of steel broke off adrop hammer when it contacted a pile.

A 52-year-old aggregate manager with more than 20years of experience was killed while driving a quad ATVon a gravel pit trail. The vehicle hit an obstruction andthe worker was thrown from the vehicle, hitting hishead on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet.

A 38-year-old worker was killed, on a snowy day withreduced visibility, while driving a 3/4 ton truck on aforestry road. At a blind bend in the road, the worker’struck collided with a semi-trailer traveling in theopposite direction.

A 27-year-old owner/operator of a log haul truck andtrailer was fatally injured while driving his loadedvehicle to a sawmill. The load shifted forward andcrushed the cab when the truck/trailer went off theroad at a corner.

W o r k p l a c e F a t a l i t i e s

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MAGAZINE PUBLISHES WORKPLACE FATALITIES TO REMIND READERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY.

The information is not a final investigation report. In many cases investigations are continuing. Final investigation reports are filed at the Alberta Government Library - Labour Building Site and can bereviewed there or on the Workplace Health & Safety Web site at www.whs.gov.ab.ca under Fatalities.

An occupational fatality refers to the death of a worker caused by a work-related incident or exposure.

To protect personal privacy, the fatality descriptions do not include the names of the deceased.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 0 4 23

Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:

CIRCULATION DEPARTMENTAlberta Human Resources and Employment

Workplace Health & Safety and EmploymentStandards Compliance

10th floor, South Tower, 7th Street Plaza10030 - 107 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5J 3E4

E-mail: whs@gov.ab.caPublications Mail Agreement Number 40062521ISSN 0705-6052 © 2004

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