Download - EVERY WORKER - Your health and safety partner · EVERY WORKER 3 EVERY WORKER 2014 HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL FEATURES 4 A theory of incidents: You are your brother and sister’s keeper

2014 HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL

MINISTRY OF LABOUR 2014 Enforcement of new mandatory

health and safety training

RESEARCH NEWSHigh risk for new workers

an ongoing issue

CANADIAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATIONHow does the new national

workplace safety training standard affect you?

HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARD WINNERS

GLOBAL MINE RESCUE CONFERENCE

HAZARD ALERT POSTERS

EVERY WORKER

A THEORY OF INCIDENTS: YOU ARE YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER’S KEEPERDr. Peter Strahlendorf discusses the Internal Responsibility System

2 workplacesafetynorth.ca

President’s message

Renewing our commitment to workplace safety

Welcome to 2014! I love a fresh start and look with hope to the year ahead and the opportunities it will bring.

If you make only one resolution this year, I hope it’s to make workplace safety your priority. Each and every individual – from owner to CEO to supervisors and workers – is responsible for health and safety on the job – that’s the heart of the culture of safety known as the Internal Responsibility System (IRS). This issue of Every Worker takes a deep dive into the IRS and the concept that you are your brother and sister’s keeper.

My first order of business as an employer this year is complying with the new 2014 regulation that requires health and safety awareness training for every worker and supervisor in Ontario. To show our passion for workplace health and safety, every employee and every manager at Workplace Safety North will complete the mandatory awareness training by March 31. You technically have until July 1, but why wait? When it comes to health and safety, there’s no time like the present.

For all the changes a new year will bring, three things will stay the same at Workplace Safety North:

1. Our commitment to making workplaces safer. Please use the lifesaving information on the pages of this magazine to renew your commitment to a safe and healthy workplace.

2. Our support to vulnerable workers and workplaces. New and young workers in Ontario are four times more likely to be injured on the job during the first month of employment. Find out what you can do about it on page 12.

3. Our commitment to continuous improvement: the emphasis on standards and the province’s call to support delivery of effective occupational health and safety training will benefit everyone. Read about how training standards affect you on page 14.

I hope you learn something new in this issue of Every Worker that you can use to make your workplace safer in 2014. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Candys Ballanger-MichaudPresident and CEOWorkplace Safety [email protected]

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Editor: Meg ParkerDesign: Brant Schewe

WORKPLACE SAFETY NORTH

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EVERY WORKER2014 HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL

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3EVERY WORKER

EVERY WORKER 2014 HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL

FEATURES

4 A theory of incidents: You are your brother and sister’s keeper

8 Enforcement of new mandatory health and safety training in 2014

12 High risk for new workers an ongoing issue

14 How does the new national workplace safety training standard affect you?

18 Global mine rescue conference wraps up with field trip to Sudbury

23 Health and safety excellence in Ontario workplaces recognized by Workplace Safety North

HAZARD ALERTS — PLEASE POST

17 Mining Sector

Wheel rim assembly failures

19 Forestry Sector

Beware the chicot danger zone

21 Paper, Printing and Converting Sector

Work safely around guardrails – never reach through or over top

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8

12

14Want the latest health and safety news for Ontario’s forestry, mining, and paper, printing, and converting sectors delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to monthly e-newsletter Every Worker by visiting workplacesafetynorth.ca > Publications or e-mail [email protected]


A theory of incidents: You are your brother and sister’s keeper

Occupational health and safety expert Dr. Peter Strahlendorf discusses the Internal Responsibility System

Strathcona Paper employee Teresa Hall Ebbers and Workplace Safety North consultant Jerry Traer.

5EVERY WORKER

Have you ever walked by a potentially hazardous situation – like a puddle on the floor – and done nothing about it? Perhaps you assumed it was someone else’s responsibility or maybe you spoke up and nothing was done. You’re not alone, according to occupational health and safety expert Dr. Peter Strahlendorf.

During a health and safety conference hosted by Workplace Safety North, Strahlendorf spoke with WSN about the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), along with other health and safety issues in Canadian workplaces. With degrees in biology, environmental studies as well as a doctorate in law, Strahlendorf has consulted in the areas of occupational and environmental health and safety since 1983, and is currently a professor at Ryerson University’s School of Occupational and Public Health.

Who can cause an incident? Anyone.

The theory behind workplace injury, illness, or fatality is that they are symptomatic of a larger problem within the workplace system. There is a domino effect regarding responsibility, writes Strahlendorf in his 2001 article The Internal Responsibility System for Occupational Health and Safety Canada magazine:

If a worker makes a mistake and causes an accident, we can see how very often there was a prior failure of a supervisor to train, coach, observe, job plan, motivate, and so on. So, if the supervisor can be said to have caused the accident in part, then we can see that frequently the manager did not properly select and train the supervisor, or did not develop programs needed by the supervisor, or did not properly allocate resources or staff the workplace.

Where the direct causes of an accident involve unsafe conditions, tools, machines, processes and structures, we can often bypass the worker and supervisor in our causal analysis and see the failure of the mid-level to senior manager to properly apply design standards or allocate resources.

Managers cause accidents; they just cause them in different ways than workers and supervisors. However many layers there are in an organization we can see a causal connection back to the accident. Presidents cause accidents. They can fail to lead, to set policy, to ensure a proper delegation of authority, to inspire a proper safety culture, to design a workable organizational structure or to allocate resources.

To really drive down risk you would not just focus exclusively on the CEO because some accident causation chains will commence at stages later in the sequence. You would not focus only on the worker because the causes sometimes lie higher up.

Who can cause an accident? Anyone. Who can take steps to prevent accidents? Anyone. Who should be taking steps to prevent accidents and exposures? Everyone. Who should be responsible for health and safety in the organization? Everyone. And that is the basis of the IRS in accident theory.

The culture of safety, known as the Internal Responsibility System is one in which each and every individual – from owner and CEO to supervisors and workers – is responsible for health and safety on the job.

“There’s always something to talk about in terms of reducing risks; it’s part of the role of the supervisor to encourage people to speak up.”


“Everyone at all levels takes the initiative on health and safety,” according to Strahlendorf. “As well, everyone is obligated to report unresolved concerns upward and to respond properly to the unresolved concerns of others.”

Artificial separation of safety from work

Reporting a health and safety problem instead of fixing it, Strahlendorf explains, is usually the result of poor labour relations and general misunderstandings in the workplace – typical symptoms of a poor Internal Responsibility System.

To demonstrate what the IRS is not, Strahlendorf shares a story about common workplace winter doormats. “I remember a workplace near Toronto where over a period of time people coming through the main lobby were reporting the wrinkled rugs as a trip hazard,” he says. “They’d walk through the lobby and go to their desk, go online to company sites and report this tripping hazard. I think there was something like 29 reports over this period of time and not a single one of those persons actually stopped to straighten out the rug – it was one of those rugs that, in the winter you tap your boots on as you’re coming in, so they kind of get wrinkled.

“And that always struck me as really a clear example of a very poor safety culture where, ‘I work and someone else does safety, and my only involvement is to report’...that’s not the first thing you should do,” says Strahlendorf. “You should ask whether it’s something that’s already within your job, your procedure, the workstation; if you can solve the problem safely, do it. I’d say nine times out of ten that is the size of the problem – people see something that already belongs to them. So, yes, you’ve got to report things, but that’s not your first thought.”

How many times do you walk by?

What does it mean when the same health and safety issues keep cropping up month after month? There are plenty of examples where an item is noted on a monthly inspection checklist with recommendations to clean it up, says Strahlendorf and “if you go back and look at all the monthly

reports in the last year or so, you’ll find the same item there every month.

“So, every month, they note this problem and they recommend they clean it up – and they clean it up. Everybody feels they’re doing a great job, it’s all positive, but really, that contravention or hazard is there 27 days out of 30 all the time. Nobody is saying: ‘Well, why are we seeing this there? Why aren’t the people in this area seeing it, recognizing it, or doing something about it?’

“You think you’re successful because you’re dealing with the observed contravention or hazard, but the real issue is why are you seeing it? You’re seeing the same thing repeatedly. It keeps coming up, well –why, why, why? You have to ask. If everybody’s supposed to be doing health and safety 100 per cent of the time, how many people actually know that problem is there? How many times do they walk by? And, very importantly, why?”

Top excuses for avoiding workplace safety issues

The reasons we avoid dealing with a workplace safety issue are as varied as the workers says Strahlendorf as he runs through a laundry list of reasons for passivity: “You talk to people and they don’t feel it’s in their territory; they don’t feel it’s their responsibility; they think it’s someone else’s job; they don’t have enough time; somebody would get mad at them if they took the time to fix this problem; they would offend somebody if they raised this issue – there could be dozens of reasons why people don’t react to things they see in the workplace.” If you’re not addressing those problems, you’re contributing to the problems. Strahlendorf is adamant communication is the key, and encouraging openness about safety is at the heart of the IRS.

“There’s a number of influences there, I think, in some workplaces it’s a labour-management thing. Health and safety isn’t separate from labour management. People think it’s subject to debate and argument between labour and management – not to say there isn’t some aspect of that. But if you think that way: ‘It’s management’s job,’ ‘I work

Dr. Peter Strahlendorf at 2013 Mining Health and Safety Conference in Sudbury.

7EVERY WORKER

and management is supposed to make this workplace safe for me’ – that leads people to think all they have to do is to report it to management or report it to the committee without actually doing it themselves. There’s an artificial separation of health and safety from work; the two are viewed as separate.

“You sometimes see another influence. There are some – some – health and safety professionals selling themselves and the program: let me help you, bring me any problem you have. They’ve got to be careful about that because you could be encouraging people to unload their problems on you. So, these people – well-motivated, well-intentioned and very keen, may actually be undermining the health and safety engagement of individuals.

“And, quite aside from the labour relations bias, even when it’s not there, you can see some people on health and safety committees – they don’t really understand the role of the committees, they think it is their job to find hazards and deal with complaints. They don’t really see their job as an advisor, consultant, watchdog, and auditor. And there are some reasons for that.

“I remember in the 1990s, there was certified committee training that actually told committee members that you are the IRS and it is your job to find hazards for people. So all those people take that training, go back to the workplace and say, ‘Bring me all your problems.’ Then people unload on them and that becomes the accepted norm, ‘All I have to do is refer to them and they will take it from there.’ That’s how it began. Again, well-intentioned – it’s a misunderstanding that leads to less personal engagement rather than more.”

Poor safety indicative of other problems

Research has shown that a strong IRS correlates with a lower incident rate, which means improved productivity. “When we’ve done IRS audits before, the ones that have very bad scores turn out to be ones with lots of other problems, too,” notes Strahlendorf. “You’ve got bad labour relations, people not talking to each other for something that happened years ago; people carry grudges for a long

time. They’re generally mad and resentful; you’re certainly not going to be engaged positively with other people...”

“When you see an IRS that isn’t functioning well, it’s a set of people problems and those are problems about proper communication. Some people aren’t skilled or trained on how to interact with other people and they start right in an accusatory, blame-fixing way and put people on edge. So, there isn’t that trust and cooperation.”

‘No problem’ is a problem

“It’s very difficult to talk about causes of an accident or why some hazard or contravention’s been there for some time without getting into who’s at fault. Our brains are wired that way, I guess,” Strahlendorf adds. “Those are all skills, and you actually have to confront the issue about speaking up. People in groups are often silenced for a number of reasons. They don’t speak up. You have to confront the reasons why they won’t speak up, you want people to speak up.

“I’m reminded of an accident – an airplane accident – where they had the transcript from the cockpit of an Asian airline and there were some cultural differences there. You could hear the subordinates – the co-pilot and navigator – trying to tell the pilot – the captain – there was a problem maybe you should look at. They didn’t come right out and say: ‘You’re headed into the side of a mountain,’ ‘You’re wrong, we need to change course,’ because they couldn’t culturally challenge the superior in the organization, whereas, in a different culture, people would be more inclined to speak up.

“Sometime supervisors think that everything’s fine – nobody’s bringing any problems to them. The little slogan, ‘No problem is a problem’ – if people aren’t bringing issues, then they aren’t engaged. There’s always something to talk about in terms of reducing risks, it’s part of the role of the supervisor to encourage people to speak up.”

“When you see an IRS that isn’t functioning well, it’s a set of people problems and those are problems about proper communication.”


Enforcement of new mandatory health and safety training in 2014Government offers free workbooks and resources to

help employers prepare for new legislation

9EVERY WORKER

Is your organization prepared to meet the new mandatory workplace health and safety training standards becoming law in 2014? This in-depth look at the new training requirements for the province of Ontario will help your organization be well prepared before the deadline.

Overview: Evolution of health and safety laws

Ever since the 1884 Ontario Factories Act, laws regulating health and safety in Ontario have steadily evolved. A recent turning point was the tragic workplace incident on Christmas Eve 2009 in Toronto where four construction workers lost their lives and another was seriously injured when the high-rise scaffold they were using collapsed. The Ministry of Labour (MOL) appointed an Expert Advisory Panel – made up of province-wide representatives from organized labour, employers, and the academic community – to review Ontario’s occupational health and safety system.

In December 2010, the panel released its report with 46 recommendations – one of which was mandatory health and safety awareness training for all Ontario workers and supervisors. All of the recommendations in the Dean Report can be found in Bill 160, Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, which will become law in 2014. However, training guides are available now to give employers and trainers a view of the minimum training requirements – particularly for supervisors.

2013-2014 legislative elements that most directly affect employers

The report recommendation for mandatory health and safety training is the one that most directly affects employers. Organizations must ensure all workers and supervisors receive entry-level workplace health and safety training including rights and responsibilities and the role of the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Although the majority of employers understand optimum workplace safety is associated with optimum productivity, statistics continue to show new and young workers in Ontario are still four times more likely to be injured on the job during the first month of employment than at any other time. New workers include both young workers aged 14 to 24 years, as well as those aged 25 and older who have been on the job for less than six months, or assigned to a new job.

A study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) found there is a persistent higher injury risk for new workers. These findings, noticeable over a ten-year period, suggest workplaces need to do more to ensure new workers get the training and supervision they need.

Increasing awareness of workplace health and safety

To create the new training material, a working group was drawn from the province’s four main health and safety associations with diverse sector expertise from health care to mining, the Workers Health and Safety Centre, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, along with the ministry’s own policy and development branches. The materials were tested with worker and employer focus groups and then piloted in workplaces.

There are currently a number of free resources companies can access online to comply with the new legislation taking effect July 1, 2014. A mandatory poster, training guides and workbooks for companies are all available from MOL and Service Ontario – both online and as printed hard copies, as well as e-learning modules.

Timelines for inspection and enforcement

The MOL prevention poster is already mandatory in the workplace with inspectors enforcing compliance as of October 1, 2012. Enforcement of the mandatory training program will begin July 1, 2014.

Equivalency training programs and record-keeping

Many employers already offer training and awareness programs that meet or exceed the MOL mandatory training requirements. An equivalency checklist is being prepared by the ministry to help employers determine if their programs qualify. Either way, employers need to keep records to confirm worker participation in mandatory training or its equivalent.

“There is the provision that if they have training of their own or from an HSA [Health and Safety Association], that meets or exceeds the objectives of the MOL programs, they will be in compliance,” says John Levesque, with program and product development at Workplace Safety North, and member of the working group that helped develop the new training material.

“So, it’s mandatory in the sense that workers and supervisors will have to participate in either the MOL training or an

“It’s basically legislative awareness, and the course acquaints workers and supervisors with the Act and the regulations.”


equivalent version of it and keep of record of it. If a Ministry of Labour inspector walks into a workplace once this new regulation is in force, the employer will have to show some record of their workers and supervisors having taken that training or the equivalent.

“It’s basically legislative awareness, and the course acquaints workers and supervisors with the Act and the regulations. That’s basically what this training is all about: Telling people there is an ‘Occupational Health and Safety Act’ and it includes a number of duties for workers, supervisors, and employers.

“The free workbook is a really good information resource on top of being a training manual,” adds Levesque. “I believe the hope is workers and supervisors will hang on to this booklet, and if they’re ever in doubt about something, they can refer to it.”

What’s in the new training workbooks?

The workbooks – one for supervisors and one for workers – provide straightforward information regarding workplace health and safety. Both offer context on the

importance of worker health and safety; raise awareness by listing the most common workplace hazards in Ontario; and provide a comprehensive contact list of provincial health and safety resources.

Top 5 workplace hazards in Ontario

The training material raises awareness with clear descriptions and examples of the most common hazards in Ontario workplaces:

1. Repeating the same movements over and over, especially if you are in an awkward position or you use a lot of force. Think of someone who bends down all day, or someone who lifts heavy things over and over again, especially above the shoulders or below the knees.

2. Slipping, tripping or falling. Think of something as simple as spilled coffee on the floor, a cluttered work area, or a raised platform with no guardrails.

3. Working near motorized vehicles. Think of being hit by a dump truck that is backing up on a work site…or someone getting hit by a forklift truck on a loading dock.

11EVERY WORKER

4. Using or working near machinery. Over the years, many workers have been killed or seriously injured by the equipment they operated.

5. Workplace violence. It can and does happen in many workplaces. In fact, Canada rates fourth worst with respect to workplace violence and harassment.

Top 4 safety questions to ask when you start a new job

1. What are the hazards of this job?

2. Is there any special training needed for this job?

3. Do I have the right protective equipment for this job?

4. If I have any questions about safety, who do I ask?

You are your brother and sister’s keeper

The mandatory training program reinforces the Internal Responsibility System, the safety philosophy that emphasizes one’s duty to speak-up and help resolve safety concerns in the workplace. In other words, always be looking out for the health and safety of yourself and your co-workers.

Training session at Workplace Safety North in North Bay, Ontario.

EXCEED NEW TRAINING REGULATION REQUIREMENTS

Take advantage of WSN training solutions that not only meet but exceed the requirements of new Regulation 297/13 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act regarding mandatory health and safety awareness training for all Ontario workers.

Offered in locations across Ontario or delivered in your workplace, WSN training courses go above and beyond the new 2014 legislative requirements.

• Act and Mining Regulations – One-day course

• Act and Industrial Regulations – Half-day course

• The Competent Supervisor – Two-day course

For more information, please contact your local consultant-trainer, call customer care toll-free in Ontario 1-888-730-7821, or visit workplacesafetynorth.ca.


Do you remember your first job? How long did it take you to get the hang of it? Whether delivering newspapers or pizzas, babysitting, or working at the local corner store or fast food restaurant, the first month of any new job is a challenging time. You’re learning the ropes, meeting new people, and there’s a lot to learn. Do you remember any close calls with machinery, traffic, stairs, irate co-workers, or slippery floors?

In a changing, highly-competitive and technology-driven economy, our workforce is constantly adapting and evolving. The pace of work has become faster and more stressful, and the notion of permanent work is declining. With many workplaces downsizing, there’s a trend toward hiring casual and temporary workers.

Workers may change jobs four to five times in their lives, and they need to stay on top of their own professional development.

High risk for new workers an ongoing issuePay special attention to safety training for new workers

13EVERY WORKER

In terms of workplace health and safety, these economic realities have a negative and disturbing effect on new and young workers, according to the Institute for Work & Health (IWH).

First month at work can be deadly

When you’re new on the job – whether it’s your first or your third job – you’re at an extremely high risk for workplace injury and illness. Why? Because you’re unfamiliar with the terrain, processes and culture.

• New and young workers in Ontario are four times more likely to be injured on the job during the first month of employment than at any other time.

• Between 2006 and 2010, 34 young workers died in work-related incidents, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics, and more than 46,000 young workers received injuries serious enough to require time off work.

• New workers include both young workers aged 14 to 24, as well as those 25 and older who have been on the job for less than six months, or assigned to a new job.

Stories like the one about David Ellis are a tragic reminder of the importance of health and safety training for new and young workers. David had just finished high school and took a temporary job in a bakery to save up for university in the fall.

In the summer of 2000, the 18-year-old was removing cookie dough from an industrial mixer when the machine was activated. He was drawn into the mixer and died six days later of massive head injuries. It was his second day on the job. If David were alive today, he would have been 32. His family has created a foundation and often speak publicly at events and schools to help educate others about the importance of workplace safety and training.

Newness – not youth – is key risk factor

After motor vehicle incidents, workplace injuries are the second leading cause of death among young people in Canada. With intensive efforts at raising youth awareness, the good news is the Ontario youth injury rate has declined steeply – so much so, it has converged with the adult rate.

While Ontario claim rates for work injury and illness have been declining, workers who are new on the job still remain at much higher risk for injury than experienced workers. This finding underscores the importance of workplaces paying special attention when any worker is new in the job.

A study by the Institute for Work & Health found there is a persistent higher injury risk for new workers. The higher risk among new workers was noticeable over a ten-year period, suggesting workplaces need to do more to ensure new workers get the training and supervision they need.

“The higher injury rate among new workers is a persistent problem,” says Dr. Curtis Breslin, the IWH scientist who led the research and co-authored the paper. Rather than a snapshot, earlier research was extended over a ten-year period from 1999 to 2008, examining the association between work injury and length of time on the job.

Two main research findings

1. Risk highest first month on the job

Over a 10-year period, the risk of work injury for new workers has consistently remained higher compared to those employed at a job for more than one year. Risk is especially high during the first month on the job, with over three times the risk of injury compared to workers with more than a year’s job experience.

2. Older – not younger – workers at highest risk

The risk of work injuries among new workers is greater among older workers, men, and those in the goods sector, which includes construction and manufacturing, among others, states the IWH study. The age-based findings are striking, says Breslin. While all workers have a high risk of injury in their first month, the risk is highest for workers over 45 years of age. Injury rates for young workers have been converging with adult rates.

“The key risk factor is newness, not youth,” says Breslin. New workers may be at greater risk on the job due to a number of things, including a lack of experience and inadequate safety training. Contemporary work trends are also making the problem worse.

“The growth of precarious forms of work means more temporary employment, a higher proportion of workers with shorter job tenure, and higher rates of job turnover,” he says. “If frequent job changing continually puts a worker at high risk, then job turnover becomes a potential health and safety issue.”

How to help new workers

Companies can reduce risks to new workers by developing an effective safety management system and promoting policies and practices that reduce job turnover, encourage permanent employment and improve job security. Another study found only one in five Canadians receives safety training in their first year of a new job. Researchers also propose increasing new workers’ knowledge of their workplace by ensuring they get proper safety training and supervision. This is now the law in Ontario and will be enforced as of July 1, 2014.

“The key risk factor is newness, not youth.”


How does the new national workplace safety training standard

affect you?Committee chair Dylan Short walks us through CSA Z1001 for planning and maintaining consistent safety training standards

15EVERY WORKER

Every year, Canadian businesses invest in health and safety training for their workers, but there has never been one consistent national guideline on what that training should consist of, or how training programs should be managed.

With the release of a new national voluntary occupational health and safety (OHS) training standard from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), businesses of all sizes now have a basic framework to follow.

While there will always be workplace safety situations unique to specific regions and occupations in Canada, the new national OHS training standard allows companies to invest their limited resources wisely by having a clear, simple resource that provides the essentials of managing a health and safety program.

Why a national safety training standard?

Diverse training practices and inconsistent training provider credentials created a real need for a national, consensus-based standard on the management of occupational health and safety training and safety-related job qualifications.

Built as a tool for Canadian companies, the standard was designed as a best practices document to help employers evaluate and choose training providers, and at the same time help training providers meet client expectations. CSA provides a framework for the development of training over time, and the standard package includes annex documents and checklist tools that can be utilized immediately.

This standard provides a consistent national guideline for OHS training practices throughout Canada, and helps organizations approach due diligence and Internal Responsibility Systems (IRS) in a consistent manner:

•Consistentevaluationofpotentialtraining

•Helpwiththeselectionandevaluationoftrainingproviders

•Audittrainingandqualificationprogramsforcompliancewith a nationally-recognized standard

•Trainingorganizationscandemonstratecompliancewithprinciples of the CSA standard

•Regulatoryauthoritiesabletorefertoanationally-recognized standard as the basis for training accreditation systems

“Any standard that’s out there has elements in it that are able to inform organizations on how to focus their efforts” says Dylan Short, CSA committee chair. “I’ve worked in organizations where, many times, it’s difficult to figure out, ‘Where do I start? Where do I go? What do I do?’ The CSA standard gives you a framework to look to, to be able to accomplish your tasks.

“And you may look at the CSA Z1001 standard and say, ‘That’s not for me, it’s too much.’ And that’s OK, depending on where you are in your continuum of your overall process

development…It gives you a framework to be able to have that process of development over time. So you could look at it and say, ‘I would like to, five years from now, conform all of our course design elements to meet the CSA standard. And over time, we’re going to build to that.’ It gives you a structure to work with,” adds Short.

“The other component is the annex. There are a number of tools in there ready to take out and apply the next day in your organization. Things like a training matrix where I can say, ‘With my supervisors today – do we train them on all these elements? And if not, is that because it’s an oversight? Is it because it’s an omission or we made an active decision?’

“If it’s an active decision, fantastic! If it’s an oversight, it’s a way to inform yourself and say, ‘I never considered that before. How might we be able to do that? How can we improve some of our programs to do that?’

“New workers: the same type of thing; health and safety committee members, or health and safety representatives – look at the elements and say: ‘Am I doing this? Is it by omission, or because I’ve made a decision?’ It’s a way for you to do a gap analysis for your organization, to say, ‘How’s our training working? What works well? What additions can we make?’”

Overview of CSA Z1001 OHS training standard

The standard defines training as “any structured activity with measureable outcomes provided by trainees to gain, improve or retain specified knowledge, skills, and abilities, or influence attitude.” Having measureable, documented results is key for training activities and can include something as simple as a signed attendance list as part of an organization’s safety talks.

Informative documents and checklists included

The annexes provide a number of tools that can be applied immediately, and allow organizations to perform a ‘gap analysis’ of their own health and safety training. This is especially important in determining whether any activities have been overlooked.

1. Training for health and safety committees, and health and safety representatives

2. Supervisor training

3. Sample supervisor training matrix

4. Sample trainee evaluation form

5. Sample training assessment survey form

Does the new standard apply to you?

The training standard is voluntary, and was developed to help all employers and occupational health and safety professionals including educational institutions and trainers, course and seminar developers, regulatory authorities, and program auditors.


PLA

N

DO CHECK

AC

T

PLAN

DO CHECK

ACT

PLAN

DO CHECK

ACT

TRAINING MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION

• Management of Training• Define Roles & Responsibilities• Determine Processes to Identify Training Needs & Objectives• Establish Training Program• Manage & Administer Program

ESTABLISHING & MANAGEMENT OHS TRAINING PROGRAM

• Program Needs Assessment• Program Design & Development• Program Implementation• Program Evaluation• Documentation & Records

DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING OHS TRAINING COURSE

• Training Course Needs Analysis• Training Course Design• Training Course Development• Training Course Delivery• Evaluation Tools & Techniques• Documentation and Records

Diagram courtesy of Dylan Short

“As a voluntary standard it is exactly that: a leading practices guiding document,” notes Short. “The only way a CSA or other standard actually becomes compulsory is if it’s referenced by legislation. An example of that could be, in Ontario, things like the performance requirements for hard hats are referenced in regulation in Ontario to the appropriate CSA standard; same for eye protection and foot protection.

“The Z1000 series is not generally something that is adopted by regulation. I hope that the framework of the Z1001 training standard is one that is going to be adopted by a number of regulators. The intention was to be a guide or tool for business, for organizations to be able to build the management of training within their organizations. There are elements that hopefully will inform processes for regulators, but it really isn’t intended to be something that is referenced by regulators.”

Applicable to any size of business, sections four to seven of the standard are intended more for larger operations. Smaller organizations can create a safety training matrix using a spreadsheet document, while larger companies would need formal tracking software to maintain safety training records.

A basis for provincial training provider standards

The Ontario Ministry of Labour is currently developing a standard for Ontario training providers, including health and safety associations such as Workplace Safety North. The provincial standard, which is expected to come into force in 2015, will not be as comprehensive as the CSA standard. However, it will establish minimum requirements for development and delivery of Ministry of Labour-approved health and safety training programs in Ontario.

Short sees this provincial standard as a significant step training organizations can take on the road to ensuring they conform with the CSA standard.

Benefits of new national training standard

A high-performing workplace safety program gives employers a competitive advantage. Not only is a safe working environment good for morale, it also ensures fewer

disruptions and delays in production and services, which translates to happier customers and a healthier bottom line.

“Virtually every organization is in a highly-competitive environment,” says Short, “so, it’s my job to support that because, at the end of the day, if we want to be risk-free and absolutely safe, we can do that, it’s called: ‘Closing the business.’ That’s generally not an option, though, because business is inherently about taking ‘aware’ risks. You take a risk that ‘I’m able to develop a product that’s better than my competitors’ or fills a niche, or deliver a service that’s better or fills a niche.

“And to do that in a way that’s sustainable to keep that advantage, part of that is making sure we can keep our people safe, well-informed, well-rewarded, it’s part of that package. So, health and safety to me is just like HR [Human Resources] or finance or other back office, it only exists there to support the organization.”

Workplace Safety North is reviewing the standard and how it might apply the framework to its training and consulting services for Ontario’s mining, forestry, and paper, printing, and converting sectors.

“We’re going to be looking at the framework in anticipation of the provincial standards currently in development,” says Candys Ballanger-Michaud, CEO. “This is an example of one standard that has been nationally endorsed, and we anticipate will form the framework for what will come.

“This is part of WSN’s journey,” she explains, “And we’ll be working toward ensuring our training services and products conform to the relevant standards.”

Is there a North American standard in the future?

With increasing globalization, it may only be a matter of time until the national standard is absorbed or utilized by a larger group. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z490-1 Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental Training was the seed document for the CSA standard, which leaves the opportunity for potential collaboration in the future.

17EVERY WORKER

WHAT HAPPENED?

In May 2005, a crane operator was fatally injured when a tire exploded as he was walking nearby. He had just finished his shift and walked towards two co-workers to offer assistance with a tire they were installing on a crane. When the tire exploded, a ring from the wheel assembly flew off and struck the man in the head instantly causing his death. The two men on both sides of the tire were not injured in the explosion.

In July 2000, one worker was fatally injured and one was critically injured while inflating the tire on a utility tractor. The tire was mounted on a three-piece rim. One of the workers was standing in the path of the trajectory when the tire exploded. In a similar incident in November of the same year, two mechanics were injured – one fatally and one critically – while working to remove an inflated wheel assembly from a haulage truck. The multi-piece rim failed, propelling the tire off the axle and striking the two workers.

WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

Multi-piece rim and wheel failures have been responsible for numerous deaths, injuries and lost-time incidents in mines, pits, and quarries in Ontario. Despite this, workers may not recognize the hazards or take them for granted. Incidents often happen during maintenance, when tires are being inflated or removed from vehicles while still inflated.

HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

Each company should have a program for maintenance on tires and rims. As a minimum, each program should include:

• Risk assessment to identify hazards on each tire and rim assembly.

• Assessment to ensure maintenance and inspection practices are adequate.

• Training and refresher courses for maintenance workers on how to recognize wheel and rim hazards and the proper procedures for wheel and rim assembly removal.

• Procedure to clean and inspect wheel assemblies whenever they are removed from a vehicle.

• Procedures to follow manufacturer’s recommendations when handling tires.

See Section 107.1 of Regulation 854 for Mining and Mining Plants to see what the law says.

Wheel rim assembly failures

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MINING SECTOR

1.888.730.7821 workplacesafetynorth.ca WSN_News


Global mine rescue conference wraps up with field trip to SudburyFirst time international conference hosted by Canada

Candys Ballanger-Michaud, Workplace Safety North President and CEO, welcomes delegates to the sixth biennial International Mines Rescue Body (IMRB) conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

More than 200 delegates from over 20 nations attend the first day of conference proceedings.

Conference proceedings include the review of recent mine rescue incidents and the sharing of knowledge and information among delegates so countries can learn from each other’s experiences.

Delegates from the International Mines Rescue Body conference pose with members of Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations mine rescue team, with the famous Sudbury ‘Big Nickel’ in the background.

International mine rescue delegates had the option of making a three-day side trip to Sudbury to tour area mines. Here, the delegates arrive at Vale’s Creighton Mine in Sudbury, the deepest nickel mine in Canada and home to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNOLAB).

19EVERY WORKER

WHAT HAPPENED?

On December 13, 2011, an experienced 68-year-old skidder operator finished clearing a trail, and as he exited the skidder, a birch chicot fell and fatally struck him. Exactly one year and one week later, on December 20, 2012, a skidder operator was pulling logs from a woodlot and the load hit a standing tree. The tree immediately fell and a 21-year-old worker was unable to escape its path. Since 2009, there have been 47 ‘struck by’ injuries in the Ontario logging industry.

WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

The leading cause of death and serious injury to people cutting timber is still the most obvious one – being hit by a falling tree. A chicot is a tree that has either become dry or rotten for various reasons, either from normal aging or special conditions such as species extinction, climate, insect infestation, disease, or human activity. Chicots present a tremendous hazard in the woods and need to be treated with respect.

These trees are dangerous because they are brittle and unpredictable. A gust of wind, vibration from equipment, a heavy snowfall or removing adjacent trees is often all that is needed for branches to fall suddenly from these trees, causing great harm.


If you enter a work area or work within the danger zone of a chicot, hang-up, or freestanding tree, you are exposing yourself to the danger of an uncontrolled falling tree and contravening legislative requirements to remove chicot hazards.

During harvesting, chicots must be safely lowered to the ground prior to felling in the vicinity. If a chicot is selected to remain standing for the purpose of a wildlife tree, then no trees can be harvested within its vicinity, i.e. a radius equal to at least the height of the surrounding stand.

Chainsaw and skidder operators in a logging operation must be certified in the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities mandatory Cutter-Skidder Modular Training Standards course. They must also receive workplace specific training by their employer in all aspects of the work they perform, including policies and procedures for safe felling of problem trees and other cutting hazards that might arise when working alone.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In the past two years, two Ontario workers were killed by falling trees.

• Chicots – or dead trees – are notoriously unstable, and known as “widow-makers.”

• A gust of wind, vibration from equipment, heavy snowfall, or freezing and thawing soil can suddenly cause a chicot to fall.

• The law says all chicots in the danger zone must be safely lowered to the ground before you begin harvesting trees.

• If a chicot is left standing, trees in the immediate danger zone may not be harvested until the hazard is removed.

• Chainsaw and skidder operators must be certified in MTCU Cutter- Skidder Modular Training Standards course.

Beware the chicot danger zone

PLEASE POST

FORESTRY SECTOR



Workplace Safety North is pleased to report the Northern Ontario Safety Group (NOSG) Workplace Safety and Insurance Board rebate for the 2012 program year is 4.12 per cent (out of a possible six per cent), which totals $1.4 million.

“This is the thirteenth year in a row, since its inception, that the Northern Ontario Safety Group has enjoyed a financial rebate," says Rose Bedard, WSN Prevention Services Assistant - Safety Groups. “And more importantly, participating firms had significant reductions in the frequency and severity of lost-time injuries.

“In 2012 alone, the NOSG reduced its lost-time injury frequency by 14.29 per cent from the previous year, and lost-time injury severity was reduced by an impressive 23.80 per cent. This significant year-after-year impact on the elimination of workplace injuries really shows how the Safety Group program helps companies develop a significantly healthier and safer workplace.”

For more information, please visit safetygroups.ca.

Northern safety group shares in $1.4 million rebateParticipating firms show significant reductions in frequency and severity of lost-time injuries

Health and safety information on the go.Any device. Anytime. Anywhere.

workplacesafetynorth.ca is mobile friendly :)WSN now has a mobile-responsive website that works on any mobile phone or platform. To view the site, simply type workplacesafetynorth.ca into your device's browser.

2014 UPCOMING HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENTSJanuaryMinistry of Labour Safety Inspection Blitzes: • Mining - Locking and tagging in mine hoisting plants• Industrial - Construction

FebruaryMinistry of Labour Safety Inspection Blitzes:• Mining - Locking and tagging in mine hoisting plants• Industrial - Warehousing

February 28 International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness DayMarchMinistry of Labour Safety Inspection Blitz – Industrial: WarehousingMarch 15 mining sector deadline for WSN Workplace Excellence Award submissions for April conference plaque presentationApril April 8-10 Mining Health and Safety Conference April 28 National Day of Mourning MayMay 4-10 North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) WeekJulyJuly 1 deadline for WSN Workplace Excellence Award submissionsJuly 1 deadline for Ministry of Labour mandatory health and safety awareness trainingSeptemberWSN annual general meeting, President’s Awards

21EVERY WORKER

Source: WorkSafeBC

WHAT HAPPENED?

A machine tender was found pinned in the ingoing nip point of a press. He died from massive crush injuries.

WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

There was no witness to this incident. At the time of the incident the paper machine was about to start up following a paper break. The presses were still running and the paper was being prepared for start up. Guardrails were in place around the paper machine. It is unclear how the victim fell into the nip point of the press. He may have been reaching into or over one of the guardrails.


A worker at risk of falling certain distances must be protected by a guardrail system or, if guardrails are not practical, by a travel-restraint system, fall-restricting system, fall-arrest system, or safety net. In many cases guardrails are the most reliable and convenient means of fall protection, but they must be respected.

• Provide written safe work procedures to each worker and do not rely exclusively on the “buddy system” to train workers.

• Review job safety breakdown for each worker on a regular basis and update any deficiencies.

• Reinforce guardrail safety requirements and monitor to ensure that all workers follow these requirements.

This information is part of an archival collection from Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia.

Work safely around guardrails – never reach through or over top

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PAPER, PRINTING AND CONVERTING SECTOR



WSN launches ‘Erase the Hazard’ video campaignSafety video series focuses on top four workplace hazards

Workplace Safety North is releasing a new collection of educational workplace safety videos that take a fun, quirky approach to ‘erasing’ perennial workplace hazards.

The videos are part of our commitment to embracing the changing world of technology and communication.

Developed in consultation with field staff, the short animated videos offer tips for workers and employers alike on preventing falls, sprains and strains, motor vehicle incidents, and machine-related injuries – the province’s top four hazards.

“They’re intended to inspire discussion and action in the workplace to help prevent injuries and to ultimately reduce the human and financial toll workplace injuries take,” says Megan Waqué, Stakeholder Communications Specialist at WSN.

Please watch and share the videos as they are released, and use the videos in toolbox meetings, at your occupational health and safety meetings, or to get the kids thinking about safety before they start their summer jobs. Discover and share the January 2014 release Falls: Erase the Hazard on YouTube.

Erase the HazardErase the Hazard

workplacesafetynorth.ca/falls

People are falling; statistics are not

Falls are a leading cause of workplace injury and death. Did you know 80 workers are injured every day because of a fall? That’s one every 20 minutes!

Watch the new safety video and feel free to share, post and use in your safety meetings and discussions to help raise awareness in your workplace – you could save a life!

www.youtube.com/WSNpromos

23EVERY WORKER

Health and safety excellence in Ontario workplaces recognized by Workplace Safety NorthKidd Operations Glencore and Kruger Inc. Packaging celebrate at annual general meeting

On September 19, 2013, Workplace Safety North hosted their annual general meeting in North Bay, Ontario. The evening also included the inaugural President’s Awards, honouring companies with top safety records in their sectors.

President’s Award Winners

MINING: Kidd Operations: A Glencore Company

WSN staff with mining sector safety award winners Kidd Operations Glencore, from left: Shawn Connors, Guy Lamb, Candys Ballanger-Michaud, Sam Barbuto, Rick Farrell, Tom Semadeni (holding award), Ed Pieterse, Perry Harvey and Bill Shaver.

PAPER, PRINTING AND CONVERTING: Kruger Inc. Packaging

WSN staff with paper, printing, and converting sector award winners Kruger Inc. Packaging, from left: Dan Suess, Joe Oleiro (holding award), Candys Ballanger-Michaud, Rick Moriarty and Bill Shaver.

Workplace Excellence Award Winners

Earlier in the year, 20 companies received a Workplace Excellence Award, recognizing workplace excellence in health and safety.

Alex MacIntyre & Associates, Kirkland Lake, ONAuRico Gold Young - Davidson Mine, Matachewan, ONBoart Longyear, Haileybury and North Bay, ONCementation Canada Inc., North Bay, ONDMC Mining Services, Richmond Hill, ONDomtar, Dryden Mill, Dryden, ONGoldcorp Red Lake Gold Mines, Balmertown, Red Lake, ONImerys Talc Canada Inc., Timmins, ONJ.S. Redpath Ltd., North Bay, ONKidd Operations: A Glencore Company, Timmins, ONBarrick Williams Mine, Marathon, ONBlack Hawk Drilling Ltd., ON contract via Smithers, BCKirkland Lake Gold Inc., Kirkland Lake, ONKruger Inc. Brampton Division, Brampton, ONSCR Mines Technology Inc., Sudbury, ONSudbury Integrated Nickel Operations: A Glencore Company, Sudbury, ONTechnica Mining, Sudbury, ONTembec - Kapuskasing Operations, Kapuskasing, ONThe Central Group, Mississauga, ONTonolli Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A WORKPLACE EXCELLENCE AWARDAvailable to all clients with predominant business activities in WSN rate groups, the awards program allows companies to complete an easy-to-follow assessment of their current health and safety programs and monitor their progress each year.

Deadline is March 15: For more information or to download the self-assessment document, please visit workplacesafetynorth.ca > Consulting > Workplace Excellence Awards Program

Register online todayWorkplace Safety North's acclaimed Mining Health and Safety Conference will be held April 8 to 10, 2014, in Sudbury.

The annual conference for employers, managers, Joint Health and Safety Committee members, health and safety personnel and anyone interested in safety will feature a range of speakers, knowledgeable on mining and health and safety topics, networking opportunities, as well as a trade show and other attractions.

Plan to join us at our 2014 Mining Health and Safety Conference, and watch our website for additional details as they become available.

For more information, please contact Megan Waqué at (705) 474-7233 ext. 250 or [email protected]

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE 2014

WORKPLACE SAFETY NORTH

April 8 - 10, 2014 HOLIDAY INN, SUDBURY ON

1.888.730.7821 workplacesafetynorth.ca