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SeasonalAllergiesT H E I C E P A G EIf you need to go out on days when it's windy,consider an air conditioned venue for youractivities. Take medications to treat/ prevent allergicreactions as recommended by your doctor.Spring time is typically adifficult time for peoplewho suffer fromallergies because of theincreased amount of dustand allergens in the air.As the snow melts, snowmould is uncovered andgrows. Spring cleaningand the start of the farming and gardening seasonalso contribute to allergy symptoms.Snow mould is a fungus that is found on top of grassafter the snow has melted away. It is one of thebiggest contributors to seasonal allergies. Once thesnow begins melting, the spores from the mould arein the air and anyone with sensitivity will developsymptoms. People may experience symptoms fromspring to late fall. Pollen from flowering plants andgrass are other allergens. Pollens are carried by thewind or insects.The symptoms of allergies include sneezing,itching, nasal discharge, congestion and dry andscaling skin. In severe cases, allergies can causeasthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of theairways.Allergies cannot be cured, but the symptoms ofallergies can be reduced by avoiding contact withallergens. Stay indoors during peak pollen hours(early to mid-morning). Clean your home frequentlyto avoid the build-up of dust and other allergytriggers. Keep the windows of your car and homeclosed. Wear a filter mask when mowing grass. Inthe fall, rake up and remove leaves to discourage thegrowth of snow mould over the winter. Change yoursheets and pillowcases often. Avoid hanging yourlaundry outdoors as it may collect pollen. Avoidhaving too many household plants as mould thrivesin wet dirt.ICE has a TD GroupRSP plan!Refer to Policy 3.4.18 ICEFUTUREBUILDER RSP.If you are eligible, ICE will match yourcontributions!To sign up, please contact Linna Roem at780-453-9664www.icenterprises.com Page 5

T H E I C E P A G EHealth and Safety MinutesGrande Prairie Meeting -March 13, 2013STANDING ITEMS3.1A) Review of RegionalHealth and SafetyMeeting Minutes -Section InternalIncidents (Injury,Health, PropertyDamage)Calgary: No minutesavailableSouth: No minutes availableEdmonton: January 6, 2013– Employee was going to aclient visit and travelledthrough a red light and struckanother vehicle.Incident investigation to becompleted.Recommendations:Review with the employeethe requirement to increasedue care and attention andto follow all traffic laws.Have the employeecomplete the next sessionof Mission Possible driversafety training.January 23, 2013 – Employeeshoveled front, side and backsidewalks of a residence withouttaking a break. Employee noted noill effects until the next morning.Incident investigation completed.Recommendations:Review and follow safe shovelingand back care ergonomicrecommendations as per informationavailable in Health and Safetybinder (i.e. push snow rather thanlift, use knees, move smalleramounts of snow at a time, takefrequent breaks to rest, requestassistance etc.)Review equipment at site (i.e. is theshovel an appropriate weight andsize? ergonomic model?) Replaceequipment if necessary for safety.Additional Recommendations:Shovel more often to lesson theamount of work being done. Stretchbefore and after shoveling the snow.January 24, 2013 – Client has alarge exercise ball at their residencefor their exercise requirements. Theemployee sat on the ball, lost theirbalance, fell off and struck theirhead on the floor receiving aninjury.Incident investigationcompleted.Recommendations:Client exercise equipmentto be stored awayimmediately after clientuse.Put a sign on the exerciseball “For X’s (client’sname) use only.”Review expectations reavoiding use of client’sproperty /exerciseequipment individuallywith staff member andreview this ongoing atteam meetings.Grande Prairie: NoneB) Review of RegionalHealth and Safety MeetingMinutes - (Near MissIncidents)Calgary: No minutes availableSouth : No minutes availableEdmonton: December 20 th ,2012 – The fire alarm systemwas activated in an apartmentbuilding where 3 ICEresidents live. Staffimmediately assisted clients toevacuate the building. The firedepartment responded to putout a small fire in another unitof the building. Once the firedepartment declared thebuilding safe, staff and clientsreentered the suite.Recommendations: None.Staff and clients did anexcellent job responding to thealarm as required to exit thebuilding.3.2 Evaluation of current InternalIncident Investigations for Injury,Health, Property Damage:No current Injuries3.3 Evaluation of current Near MissIncident Investigations: None3.4 Review of COR Audit andAction Items: Reviewed pages48-55. Discussed about gettingsome staff in each house trained forWorkplace Inspections not just theTeam Leaders.3.5 Review of MasterHazard Assessment andControl DocumentOther regions review & andrecommendations and regionalresponse to recommendations :Calgary – No minutes availableEdmonton: – Slip Trip and fallresource information wasreviewed for opportunities toenhance the ICE HazardAssessment and ControlDocument. Page 24 –Housekeeping (re slips, tripsand falls)Recommendations to add:Use “wet floor” signage to alertothers to hazard.Dry mop floorMop towards a dry exit toavoid having to walk over awet floor.Use mop heads that spread aminimum amount of water.For small spills clean uppromptly with paper towels.Reduce clutter /obstructions on floor space.South: No minutes available.Grande Prairie: Reviewed pages 16– 20, Use of stove/oven, staff useof household appliances, use of gasstove. No recommendations.3.6 Policy Review: 3.5.9 HazardAssessment Control Document4.0 OTHER BUSINESS4.1 Reviewed ICE pagearticle regarding PDDSafety Standards4.2 Discussed every housecompleting an EmergencyDrill in March.4.3 ICE page articles –snow mould.NEXT MEETING – April 11, 2013Page 6www.icenterprises.com