risk assessments? - Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine

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COLUMNISTS 

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Norman A. Keith 

Ergonomics 

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Health and Wellness 

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Training 

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Global OHS 

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FROM THE EDITOR 

Putting a stop to workplace violence 

Our first issue 

in 2009 dealt 

with a very 

serious yet still underexplored 

topic in the 

Canadian occupational 

health and safety scene: 

workplace violence. 

Many provinces 

in Canada, 

including Alberta, 

British Columbia, 

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and 

P.E.I., already have language in their respective 

OHS laws pertaining to workplace violence 

protection, in varying degrees. Not to 

be outshined, Ontario recently introduced 

Bill 168 to amend the province’s Occupational 

Health and Safety Act to include protection 

against violence and harassment in the 

workplace. Even the federal government 

as recently as last year, added workplace 

violence-related provisions to the Canada 

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. 

Despite the regulatory interventions, 

workers continue to endure physical, psychological 

and/or emotional abuse in the 

workplace, not because legal protections are 

lacking, but simply due to the very nature 

of their job. Despite the legal obligations, 

the issue of effective prevention of workplace 

violence is something that all parties 

involved — government, industry associations, 

employers and workers — are still 

grappling with. 

Perhaps it’s the abstract nature of the 

violence hazard — as opposed to its more 

tangible counterparts like falls and slips, 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

machinery or electrical shock — that makes 

this violence beast more difficult to tame. You 

can tell a construction worker to wear fall 

arrest equipment when working on heights, 

but you can’t ask an emergency room nurse 

not to get near a patient. No one — but the 

most reliable psychic, if such exists — can 

predict if and when an encounter with a 

patient, a customer or co-worker would turn 

into an assault. 

Perhaps it’s why Ontario and the federal 

government took relatively long — certainly 

longer than the rest of Canada — to finally 

put out a piece of legislation that at the very 

least takes a crack at prevention of workplace 

violence. I spoke to Ontario Labour Minister 

Peter Fonseca earlier this year about the 

direction the province was taking in regards 

to this issue. At the time, the ministry was 

still in the process of evaluating the recommendations 

from a multi-sector consultation 

paper it issued last fall on measures that need 

to be taken to increase protection of workers 

against workplace violence. The inquiry 

into the Lori Dupont murder case, and its 

subsequent recommendations, were a huge 

influence on the province’s decision to reevaluate 

the Occupational Heath and Safety 

Act vis-a-vis workplace violence. 

Fonseca, in essence, told me that the last 

thing the ministry wants is to simply jump 

on the legislation bandwagon just because 

everybody else is doing it. He said, “We just 

don’t want words on paper. We want this to 

be able to — whatever way we move forward 

— that it does have impact within the 

organization.” 

In short, if we take the legislative route, 

The results are out and COS readers are happy! 

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? E-mail your letter to the editor at mdeguzman@clbmedia.ca 

or mail to: Mari-Len De Guzman, COS Editor CLB Media Inc. 240 Edward St., Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 

we need to make sure that it has teeth and 

it will make a difference. On the surface, Bill 

168 looks promising. It not only defines and 

addresses the traditional forms of violence in 

the workplace, but also extends its breadth 

by embracing the fact that domestic violence 

and harassment are equally serious and 

equally require preventive measures. 

I am not convinced that legislation is 

the ultimate key that unlocks the entire 

workplace violence prevention mystery. Just 

because it’s in place I don’t think assault on 

workers will suddenly stop and workplaces 

will be 100 per cent safer. But at least it compels 

employers to re-evaluate their workplace 

protection and violence prevention policies, 

if they even had any to start with. 

Legislation is not the solution, but it raises 

the stakes for employers and forces them to 

take a long hard look at this issue that had, 

in the past, been brushed under the rug 

so many times — until it claimed another 

victim. 

Mari-Len De Guzman 

Editor 

mdeguzman@clbmedia.ca 

WEBWATCH 

Connect with COS on Facebook 

and Twitter. 

Go to www.cos-mag.com and click on 

the Community Section to get a link to the 

COS Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Digital subscribers: 

Join COS Facebook here. 

Follow COS on Twitter here. 

More than 740 readers from all over the country responded to the COS 2009 Reader Survey conducted last June. COS is the preferred 

Canadian safety magazine for 87 per cent of our respondents, and a good information source on workplace health and safety 

for more than 76 per cent. 

More than 60 per cent of our readers rated the quality of our magazine content as either “above average” or “well above average.” 

Here are some of what our readers say about COS: 

“Excellent. Please keep the good work.” 

“Overall, I believe COS Magazine is a great source of various information regarding Safety....Keep up the excellent work!” 

“I feel your magazine offers a wide breadth of topics to satisfy a large portion of the safety community. Safety is such a diverse and 

dynamic topic - it is hard to satisfy all your readers’ needs in every issue. In the end, we’re all in this field (directly or indirectly) 

because we are passionate about safety. Keep the fire burning!” 

“I enjoy the well-rounded reporting on OHS subjects; my only complaint is that I don’t have the time necessary to get 

more out of the magazine.” 

“I’m generally very impressed with your services, and I especially like the option to have a digital edition. I work in an area that 

follows federal OSH policies and procedures, and I find that in general, many programs, definition, webinars, etc. come from a distinctly 

provincial viewpoint (particularly, Ontario). I understand that the majority of your customers will be provincial, and that 

Ontario is a shining light in OSH, but it would be good to more often see suggestions that I can directly apply to my workplace.” 

“I like the in-depth reporting on accidents, where you take us from the specific to the bigger picture.” 

“I think the magazine is good. (I) do not use the web site as I find a hard copy of the magazine makes me actually take time to read 

it. Articles and information are up to date and informative. When updates or changes in H&S are evident, there is usually an article 

printed in the COS magazine in a timely manner.” 

July/August 2009 3

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Volume 47 Issue 4 JULY/AUGUST 09 

Features 

16 

In too deep 

How thorough are your 

confined space risk 

assessments? 

By Michelle Morra 

Canadian Occupational Safety’s Editorial Advisory Board. 

Dave Rawana 

Health and Safety Director 

Coppley Apparel Group 

Pat Fryer 

Director 

Occupational Health & Safety Risk/ 

Management & Quality 

Centre for Addiction and 

Mental Health 

Glenda Palmer 

Safety Consultant 

Pat Evangelisto 

Health and Safety Consultant 

Compliance Safety Solutions 

Ian Bergeron 

Director, 

WCB and Safety 

Sayers & Associates 

18 

Manufacturing 

makeover 

How to create pain-free 

workstations 

By Vanessa Chris 

19 

Safety by design 

Office ergonomic injuries 

are no laughing matter 

By The Canadian Centre for 

Occupational Health and Safety 

Dave Gouthro 

Safety Manager, Atlantic Canada 

Lafarge Canada 

David Johnston 

Director, Safety and Health/Canada 

Office of Compliance and Ethics 

ADM Agri-Industries Company 

James Allan 

Allan Safety Management 

Columns 

10 

12 

13 

14 

TRAINING 

Eff ective safety management comes in fours 

By Alan D. Quilley 

COMPENSATION WATCH 

Cost transfer in compensation claims 

By David Marchione 

THE LEGAL CONNECTION 

Rebirth of due diligence? 

By Norm Keith 

THE HUMAN FACTOR 

Depression in the workplace 

By Dr. David Rainham 

Departments 

6 

20 

21 

22 

SAFETY FIRST 

Safety news from around the health and safety industry 

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 

Th e latest in health and safety products and services 

SAFETY LINKS 

Connecting you to innovations in health and safety products 

WEBWATCH 

15 

GLOBAL BEAT 

Let’s compare apples to apples 

By Adam A. Neave 

THE HEALTH PAGE 

Bite-sized pieces of wit and wisdom from the world of health and wellness 


You’ve got video! 

While reading COS, you’ll notice a video camera 

icon on some articles. Digital edition subscribers can click 

on this image to launch videos related to the stories. 

Featured video: COS Safety Tip of the Week: A weekly 

web series offering some common sense tips to help make your 

workplaces and your workers a little safer. 

More online 

Can’t get enough of COS news and features? Go online to fi nd 

full versions of all the stories in this issue, and more. 

Here’s a glimpse of what’s online now: 

Case study: Car parts builder shares safety success 

Arc fl ash in a fl ash 

Video Library: Canadian invention makes light of heavy lifting 

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Untitled-2 1 6/23/09 8:48:46 AM

SAFETY NEWS FROM AROUND THE HEALTH & SAFETY INDUSTRY 

SafetyFirst 

AIHA president 

says ACGIH 

‘alliance’ won’t 

lead to full 

merger 

The American Conference of 

Governmental Industrial Hygienists 

(ACGIH) and the 

American Industrial Hygiene Association 

(AIHA) will develop a “closer 

alliance” to create a more sustainable 

member organization and scientifi coriented 

organization. 

Although the alliance will allow the 

two organizations to cooperate more 

closely than before, the AIHA stressed 

that the initiative does not mean a 

merger or a move toward unifi cation. 

“We do not see this as a step to a 

full merger or unifi cation,” said AIHA 

president Lindsay E. Booher. “In fact, 

this strategic alliance provides both 

ACGIH and AIHA with appropriate 

autonomy while simultaneously giving 

us the opportunity to share resources.” 

Th e new alliance was announced 

at this year’s AIHce, held at the Metro 

Toronto Convention Centre from May 

30 to June 4. 

If approved by both boards and the 

ACGIH membership, it is hoped that 

the alliance will result in a sustainable 

member organization and a scientifi c 

oriented organization. AIHA will administer 

a single, U.S. IH membership 

organization. ACGIH will autonomously 

focus on practice standards 

and guidelines. Both organizations 

will share services that will manage 

costs, drive effi ciencies, and avoid duplication 

of eff orts, the AIHA said. 

“We believe that today, more than 

ever, ACGIH and AIHA must do more 

to work in a more strategic manner in 

order to ensure that our resources are 

utilized to the greatest degree possible,” 

said Jimmy L. Perkins, ACGIH 

chair. 

According to an AIHA statement, 

the ACGIH and AIHA agreed that 

forming a strategic alliance which 

builds on the strengths of ACGIH and 

AIHA is the key to the groups’ longterm 

success. 

Th e boards have appointed representatives 

to work with the chief staff 

offi cers to further plan implementation 

of the alliance terms. In the meantime, 

various communication vehicles 

will be put in place to seek input from 

the memberships of both ACGIH and 

AIHA, including a specifi c website 

devoted to the proposal (www.acgihaihaalliance.org) 

and town hall-style 

meetings by conference call. 

6 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com 

Government begins 

investigation on elevator 

fatality in Toronto 

By Mari-Len De Guzman 

It could take several months before 

the Ministry of Labour can get 

answers on what led to the fatal 

accident of Andrew Hill, the elevator 

technician who fell to his death 

on June 24 while trying to repair an elevator 

at the TD Bank Tower in Toronto. 

This is according to Wayne De L’Orme, 

provincial coordinator of the Ontario 

Ministry of Labour’s industrial health and 

safety program. De L’Orme declined to provide 

specifics of the investigation, but told 

COS that the length of the investigation 

would depend on “how technical the issues 

that we’re facing” are going to be. 

“We have up to a year before we can lay 

charges under the Occupational Health and 

Safety Act. I would say, just from my own 

personal experience, probably we’re looking 

at between three to six months before the 

investigation is finalized,” De L’Orme said. 

Hill, a Stouffville, Ont. resident and father 

of five daughters, reportedly fell 10 stories 

from the top of the elevator he was repairing 

shortly after it got stuck between the 42 nd 

and 43 rd floors of the TD Bank Tower, trapping 

eight people inside. 

The Ministry of Labour, was called to the 

scene immediately after the accident, and 

has since commenced full investigation of 

the incident. 

Under the Occupational Health and 

Safety Act, an employer is required to report 

a fatal accident to the Ministry of Labour 

immediately after the incident, said lawyer 

Cheryl Edwards, partner at Toronto-based 

law firm Heenan Blaikie. 

When conducting workplace accident 

investigations such as this, the ministry typi- 

cally initially gathers physical evidence from 

the scene, such as photographs and videos, 

and interviews people, possibly witnesses 

and representatives from the parties involved, 

said Edwards, who leads Heenan Blaikie’s 

national OHS and WSIB practice group. 

“They are going to be assessing whether 

there appears to have been a violation of the 

OHSA or the regulations. They are probably 

not going to be asking a lot of deep due diligence 

questions, but certainly they will, on a 

very preliminary basis, ask immediately for, 

for example, ‘What are the workplace policies 

and procedures that apply to this activity?’” 

she explained. 

Two main questions typically arise in 

workplace fatality investigations: one is on 

the employer’s safety policies and procedures, 

and the other is on the injured worker’s training 

records. 

Edwards advises companies involved in 

these types of government investigations to 

respond to all the orders and requests for 

information. Appointing a coordinator or 

a single point of contact, through whom 

all these requests for information will be 

handled, is a good idea, she said. 

“Someone needs to be tracking and keeping 

records of what is being said and what is 

being handed over in order for them to manage 

the situation and actually record what it 

is that’s being handed over,” Edwards said. 

Edwards said companies involved in a 

workplace accident should conduct its own 

independent incident investigation at the 

initial stages following the accident. 

“Because government investigators – and 

I don’t want to sound too critical – they will 

focus on what happened, but they will go a 

short distance down the road to ask about 

due diligence information,” Edwards said. 

By conducting its own investigation, companies 

can “dig a little deeper” and ask questions 

about its own due diligence procedures. 

All the information gathered, if positive, 

can then be handed over to the Ministry of 

Labour to aid in its investigation. 

As to the elevator incident in Toronto, 

De L’Orme said it’s going to be a “fairly complex 

investigation” as other agencies are also 

conducting their own inquiry, including the 

Technical Standards and Safety Authority. 

De L’Orme, who has worked at the 

Ministry of Labour since 1991, said this kind 

of workplace fatality is “fairly rare.” 

The last similar fatality occurred in 

London, Ont. in March 2005. Jim Sandford 

Jr. was seriously injured and later died 

when an elevator platform he had been 

working on rammed into the top of an 

elevator shaft at free-fall speed. 

“I guess it does point out the hazards 

associated with the job and the need 

for everybody to always be cognizant of 

health and safety hazards in the workplace,” 

said De L’Orme. 

Social networks evolve as disaster communication tools 


U.S. researchers are urging corporate 

emergency and safety 

managers to start rethinking 

the value of popular online social networking 

sites as an eff ective communication 

tool during a disaster or emergency. 

At the 19th World Conference on Disaster 

Management held in Toronto on 

June 21 to 24, Jeanette Sutton, research 

coordinator at the University of Colorado 

Natural Hazards Center, said social 

media is going to “revolutionize” communication 

during a crisis. 

“Public offi cials can’t stop it. Th ey 

It’s a fairly rare thing, but I guess it does point out 

the hazards associated with the job and the need 

for everybody to always be cognizant of health 

and safety hazards in the workplace. 

can’t control it. So the best they can do 

is to fi gure out a strategy so that they can 

start interacting with it,” Sutton pointed 

out. 

Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are 

among the fastest growing social networking 

sites on the Internet today. 

Facebook currently has more than 200 

million members, according to a March 

2009 report from Th e Nielsen Company. 

Social networking and blogging sites now 

account for almost 10 per cent of people’s 

Internet time, the report said. 

Sutton and a colleague, Leysia Palen, 

a computer scientist at the University of 

Colorado, have started studying the use 

of online communication networks in 

disaster situations since 2007, aft er the 

shooting incident at Virginia Polytechnic 

Institute. According to their research, 

by the time the names of the victims 

were released to the public the next 

day, the online community on Facebook 

had already put a name to each victim. 

She said these new kinds of “citizen 

communication tools” are changing the 

way information are put out to people, 

“It’s no longer top-down communication; 

it’s communication where the public 

has to be a part of the conversation. 

It’s happening whether we want it or 

not,” Sutton said.

Safety campaign shuts off live electrical work 

By Larissa Cardey 

A 

day on the job for electricians can 

be risky business, but the risk is 

even higher if they’re performing 

live work on energized electrical equipment. 

Th at’s why the Electrical Safety Coalition 

of Ontario has launched its Just Don’t 

Ask campaign with the goal of stopping the 

demand for live work, in order to prevent 

serious injury or death. 

Just Don’t Ask campaign poster 

Th is is “a real problem in the industry” 

because of both the employer requesting 

electricians and electrical workers to 

work live and because within the electrical 

workers’ culture, many have “grown up 

working live,” says Scott McKay, manager 

of strategic alliances for the Industrial Accident 

Prevention Association, a coalition 

partner. 

Bob O’Donnell, executive vice-president 

of the Greater Toronto Electrical Contractors 

Association, says he has learned 

from workers about situations where clients 

expect them to do live work when it’s 

not necessary, just because it’s more convenient 

and less costly than shutting the 

power off . 

“It might be inconvenient for some to 

turn the power off , but the inconvenience 

of having a shutdown for three or four days 

if something went wrong is signifi cantly 

greater.” 

As well, if something goes wrong while 

working live, contractors are responsible 

and this could put them out of business, 

he says. 

Th e campaign’s purpose is to “change 

the expectations that contractors will work 

live,” he says. 

According to statistics provided by the 

coalition, 80 per cent of electrical workers 

have worked live on sites that they identi- 

fi ed as being a high or above average risk. 

Seventy-six per cent identifi ed that the 

circuits they were working on were not 

disconnected, and yet, 44 per cent of these 

workers felt they could do this work without 

injury or serious harm. 

Between 1998 and 2007, there were 70 

occupational-related electrical deaths in 

Ontario alone. 

Th e campaign’s launch took place June 

12 at the Centre for Health & Safety Innovation 

in Mississauga, Ont. where 

speakers from the fi ve coalition partners 

emphasized the importance of “deenergizing 

and trying to create a whole 

new culture where we don’t ask workers 

to work live, and if workers are asked to 

work live, they don’t accept that,” McKay 

says. 

Th e Electrical Contractors Association 

of Ontario, Electrical Safety Author- 

ity, Electrical and Utilities Safety Association 

and the International Brotherhood of 

Electrical Workers Construction Council 

of Ontario are also part of the Electrical 

Safety Coalition. 

Th e campaign includes a series of posters 

and an authorization form, which lists 

precautions employers must take if they 

are asking electricians to work live. 

It might be inconvenient for some to turn the 

power off, but the inconvenience of having a shut 

down for three or four days if something went 

wrong is significantly greater. 

READER PANEL: ONLINE TRAINING 

Th ere are “some exceptional circumstances” 

in which it’s necessary to do this, 

but it can be done safely, McKay says. People 

who work on high voltage power and 

utility lines have to work live, states the 

campaign’s media release. 

Th e authorization form’s list includes a 

reference to Z462, a new Canadian standard, 

which gives “very strict requirements” 

about how to work live and what 

protective equipment must be worn, Mc- 

Kay explains. 

Th e posters and form are available to 

download from the coalition’s website and 

the form will also be available through the 

partner organizations. 

While each organization will be promoting 

the campaign, “what we hope would 

last is this authorization form,” which is a 

standard one that can replace homemade 

forms that are out there, O’Donnell says. 

It will enable everyone involved to be 

properly prepared and might even make 

the client think twice about requesting live 

work and instead fi nd another way, he explains. 

However, the campaign won’t be without 

challenges. 

McKay acknowledges that it’s “very diffi 

cult to change behaviours” on both the 

side of employers and on the side of electrical 

workers, but this is a starting point 

and the “ultimate goal is certainly zero – 

that no one gets killed or injured.” 

Formed in 2007, O’Donnell says the 

coalition was created aft er hearing about 

workers’ experiences, the near misses, 

situations where no injuries occurred, but 

where there was a loss of production, and 

because of the statistics showing the number 

of work-related electrical fatalities and 

accidents. 

Safety managers get personal 

Recent advances in technology, particularly on the Internet, 

have enabled many organizations to provide 

services to their employees in ways they have never 

been able to in the past. 

In our latest Reader Panel survey, we talk about the benefi ts 

of the online tool for delivering safety training to the employees. 

Despite the momentum online training has gained in general 

in recent years, many safety practitioners still prefer the 

personalized approach over the virtual option. 

More than 100 safety practitioners responded to our Reader 

Panel survey conducted in the month of June. One-third of our 

survey respondents do not provide online training to their employees. 

Close to 27 per cent said they have an 80/20 percentage 

split in favor of personal training in their organization. 

What are your organization’s primary 

motivators for offering online safety training, if any? 

(Please check all that apply) 

Cost savings 53.6% 

Improved retention 6.0% 

Ease of program delivery (e.g. employee base scattered 

across different locations) 75.0% 

Time saving 56.0% 

Better metrics and reporting 23.8% 

Management mandate 16.7% 

“Many of our training topics are techniques and are provided 

on the fl oor by ‘peer leaders’ — i.e. how to use a 

slider sheet, how to apply ceiling lift straps,” said 

one respondent. 

Another respondent said: “We have just 

used the online training about fi ve per cent. We 

would like to increase this.” 

Close to 10 per cent said 80 per cent of their 

trainings are done online and only 3.6 per cent have a 50/50 

split between in-person and online training off erings. 

Despite the low uptake on online safety training, majority 

of our respondents (74 per cent) said the online option’s ease 

of program delivery is a primary motivator for choosing to go 

with the computer-based model. 

Time-saving (57 per cent) and cost saving (54 per cent) are 

also among the top reasons for our survey respondents for using 

online safety training. 

“We have a huge geographic area with some large and many 

small sites. Online is more readily available and in this sense 

more cost eff ective,” wrote one respondent. 

Th e on-demand nature of online training is a big motivator 

for another respondent. “It’s diffi cult for staff to get away for 

scheduled safety trainings. Online programs can be accessed 

according to staff schedules.” 

Despite the advantages, the non-personal approach of online 

training remains as its weakest attribute, according to 58 

per cent of our survey respondents. Th e cost of setting up the 

online training system (i.e. purchasing computers and soft ware) 

came in second in our respondents’ list of online turn-off s. 

“Online training can only provide knowledge and does not 

off er practice with the application of the knowledge, practicing 

skills or problem solving,” observed one respondent. 

Another one wrote: “Some of the best information comes 

from interaction of fellow workers in the classroom. On line 

will never replace the person-to-person interaction.” 

Rating the eff ectiveness of online training in their own work 

environment, only 14 per cent said 

WEBWATCH 

For more of the results of this 

Reader Panel survey, go online at 

www.cos-mag.com. 

Digital subscribers: Click here 

to read the full results. 

the online tool was “very eff ective” 

for them, while majority, 70 

per cent, said the virtual tool is 

only “somewhat eff ective” in delivering 

safety training for their 

employees. 

July/August 2009 7

SAFETY NEWS FROM AROUND THE HEALTH & SAFETY INDUSTRY 

SafetyFirst 

B.C. truckers 

talk business 

By Larissa Cardey 

The Trucking Safety Council of British 

Columbia has created a draft 

business plan and is inviting its 

members to give their input. 

“We’ve determined that there needs to 

be an organization in British Columbia 

that’s dedicated towards addressing truck 

safety,” says Rob Weston, executive director 

of the council. 

In cooperation with WorkSafeBC, the 

council was created to be the occupational 

health and safety organization that will represent 

the province’s trucking industry, he 

says. 

According to the council, there are 10 

to 15 fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries 

each year in the trucking industry. Th is 

costs about $165 million in WorkSafeBC 

and Insurance Corporation of B.C. claims 

each year. 

“Th e business plan embraces programs 

and services and communications that basically 

don’t currently exist for the trucking 

industry,” says Paul Landry, president and 

CEO of the British Columbia Trucking Association, 

which sponsored the creation of 

the council. 

2008 Safety Leader 

Peter Hollet, Safety Manager 

Exterran Canada 

The COS 2009 Safety Leader Award is sponsored by: 


Th e plan outlines how the council is to 

be governed, staff ed, organized and funded 

for the next fi ve years. 

One of the main components is the Certifi 

cate of Recognition program, Weston 

says. 

Th e council has been approved by 

WorkSafeBC to be a certifying partner for 

a Certifi cate of Recognition program in the 

Do you know someone who should be the... 

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SAFETY 

Nominations are 

now open! 

Go to www.cos-mag.com and 

click Safety Leader to learn more 

and submit your nomination. 

Nominations close August 24, 2009 

The COS search is on for Canada’s outstanding 

safety leader for 2009. If you 

know or work with someone who deserves 

to hold this title, we need to hear from you. 

Our search encompasses all safety professionals 

who exemplify leadership and vision 

in the world of safety. A panel of judges 

will review the entries and the person they 

select will be featured in the COS November/December 

cover story! 

Former Safety Leaders include: 

2008 Peter Hollett, safety manager for 

Exterran Canada 

2007 Janet Sellery, health and safety 

manager for the Stratford Festival of Canada 

2006 Melony Erickson, director of quality, 

safety and human resources at Alberta Oil Tool 

VOLUME 46, ISSUE 6 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 



Peter Hollett’s people approach won the 

support of Exterran workers — and their vote. 

Meet the 2008 COS Safety Leader of the Year. 

Automation cuts RSI injuries � Health care woes � Workplace stress 

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SAFETY 

Dream 

Team 

The Festival Theatre. Photo by Kerry Hayes. 

TRAINING FOR TROUBLE: 

It pays to practice your emergency response and disaster recovery plans. 

VOLUME 44, ISSUE 6 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 



Meet Melony Erickson, the winner of COS magazine’s 

first Safety Manager of the Year Award! 

COS_DEC06_Final.indd COS_DEC06_Final.indd 11 

11/24/06 10:23:14 AM 

safety leader 7x10.indd 1 4/13/09 2:30:18 PM 

general trucking and moving and storage 

industries. 

“Th at program essentially provides incentives 

for employers to develop occupational 

health and safety plans and to monitor 

the performance of those plans over 

time,” Landry says. 

According to the business plan, these 

employers can get up to a 15 per cent rebate 

in WorkSafeBC premiums. 

Landry says this program will hopefully 

be running by the end of this year or early 

next year. 

Th e other main component is to provide 

specialized training and programs, which 

are “primarily … intended to raise the culture 

of safety within the trucking industry,” 

Weston says. 

While the trucking industry is “already 

pretty safe,” other safety factors, such as lifestyle 

issues, need to be considered, he says. 

“WorkSafeBC records show that there 

are more injuries not related to truck crashes 

… than there are to truck crashes themselves. 

So we want to look at things like falls 

and sprains and ergonomics.” 

Another service the council will off er 

is free safety consulting, which will give 

employers information and advice on how 

to improve health and safety in the workplace. 

Th ere will also be a truck safety forum 

to enable employers and workers to learn 

about current safety best practices and a 

speakers’ bureau that will allow industry 

representatives to share their safety success 

stories and lessons learned with other industries, 

their peers and the public. 

Employees and employers of WorkSafe- 

BC’s general trucking and moving and storage 

classifi cation units, were encouraged 

to give their input on the business plan at 

several town hall meetings held throughout 

July. 

Occupational health and safety services 

providers were also urged to give their feedback, 

Landry says. 

Th e business plan can be viewed at www. 

safetydriven.ca. 

Th e council will submit the fi nal business 

plan to WorkSafeBC in the fall for 

approval. 

Behavioural 

safety specialist 

discusses ‘new 

frontiers’ for 

safety at ASSE 

show 


SAN ANTONIO – Th e American 

Society of Safety Engineers kicked of 

its annual Professional Development 

Conference and Exposition in this 

city last June, with Canadian OHS 

legal expert Norm Keith heading a 

session that gave an overview of Canadian 

OHS laws. 

About 4,000 health, safety and environmental 

professionals attended 

the three-day ASSE event, which 

featured 225 educational sessions 

and 400 tradeshow exhibitors. Safety 

2009 was held from June 28 to July 1. 

Keith, a partner at Toronto-based 

law fi rm Gowlings, talked in detail 

about the concept of internal responsibility 

system as the basis for all 

health and safety laws in Canada. 

“When you look at occupational 

health and safety statutes across Canada 

you’re going to see duties and 

responsibilities assigned to specifi c 

stakeholders in the organization,” 

Keith told conference attendees. 

He discussed the aspect of worker 

rights – right to participate, right to 

know and right to refuse unsafe work 

– embodied in Canadian OHS laws. 

Keith also talked about the concept 

of due diligence defence. “Th e 

hard part of this defence is proving 

that you have taken all reasonable 

steps to prevent (workplace injury).” 

Corrie Pitzer, chief executive offi - 

cer at Burnaby, B.C.-based SAFEmap 

International, in another session 

discussed risk management and the 

“new frontiers for safety.” 

Pitzer, a behavioural safety specialist, 

said safety messages should 

“inspire” people into action by being 

simple, concrete, unexpected, credible 

and having a storyline. 

He also talked about how innovation 

is key in health and safety management. 

“We tend to solve the wrong 

problems with great solutions ... that 

is the fallacy of prevention.” 

Pitzer cited a recently passed legislation 

in British Columbia aimed at 

protecting lone, late-night workers 

at gas stations, by mandating prepayment 

of gas during night times. 

Th e legislation came as a result of the 

death of a young attendant who was 

killed while trying to prevent gas theft 

at a gas station where he worked. 

Th e problem with that solution is 

that while it did address one specifi c 

challenge for gasoline attendants, 

it might have also opened up these 

workers to new risks, including holdup 

and robbery, Pitzer explained.

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SAFETY EDUCATION IN THE WORKPLACE BY ALAN D. QUILLEY 

TRAINING 

Effective safety management 

comes in fours 

Getting real results from the whats and the hows of an integrated system (Part 1 of 2) 

I’ve been involved in health and safety 

management for over 30 years now. 

I’ve evolved my thinking and continue 

to learn about what needs to be managed 

and how those critical safety factors need 

to be managed. 

I’ve developed this view of safety 

management from seeing tens of thousands 

of worksites and companies. My 

model of safety management that I call 

the Integrated Safety Management System 

(ISMS for short…rhymes with prisms) 

comes from the observation of those many 

places, where people work and play. I 

didn’t invent this management system; I 

observed it over many years until it finally 

made sense to me. 

Everything is connected 

The most interesting thing that I’ve 

observed is that there are four critical factors 

that need to be managed and are present 

in every workplace and there are four 

critical ways in which those factors need 


COMPENSATION WATCH LEGAL CONNECTION THE HUMAN FACTOR GLOBAL BEAT 

to be managed. The success your company 

has in safety is linked to the degree 

in which you manage those critical Whats 

and Hows of the ISMS. 

I first described this model in my popular 

book The Emperor Has No Hard Hat 

– Achieving REAL Workplace Safety Results. 

These factors and methods are all connected 

together and they have a significant 

impact on all of the other factors and 

methods we use. If we do them all in an 

integrated and thoughtful manner we will 

get REAL safety results that we’re proud 

of. If we do these things poorly we will be 

frustrated and extremely unhappy with the 

results we get for our efforts. 

So as you join me on the journey to 

understand how to get real safety results, 

remember that all of these things are intradependent 

on each other and need to be 

managed as a whole. Fractionalizing your 

efforts will undermine them and in fact be 

the very reason you are reading this article. 

Your frustration with your lack of results 

Enforcing Human Rights 

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A clear explanation on how the new human rights system 

works and how it affects your organization 

“This is a comprehensive, thoughtful and invaluable guide to the new human 

rights system, which should be on the bookshelves of all those, particularly 

employers, who could potentially be responding to a human rights complaint.” 

Brian W. Burkett, Senior Partner, Heenan Blaikie’s Toronto office 

Specializing in labour relations and employment 

The Human Rights Code was recently amended to significantly change how 

human rights are protected, promoted and enforced in Ontario. 

This is a timely, straightforward guide to the changes. Written by 

authors renowned for their experience in this area, it is essential for 

anyone responsible for ensuring that their organization complies with its 

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accommodation and vocational associations. 

No other resource explains the new system in such a 

practical way 

Inside find analysis of the wide-ranging changes from the old to the new 

system – including the significantly changed roles of the: 

• Human Rights Commission 

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Also find an overview of the new Human Rights Legal Support Centre. 

Benefit from practical tools such as: 

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COS0409 

has driven you to seek out a solution. Well 

my friends, you have indeed found it. The 

beauty of this system is that it is already 

being managed in your company. You just 

need to start to align your efforts in an inte- 

Figure 1 

grated fashion. 

By thoughtfully and skillfully starting 

to think and act a bit differently, you will 

see different possibilities and certainly different 

results. As I tell all who will listen, if 

you do the things in this system in the ways 

prescribed, and you don’t get outstanding 

safety performance let us know, we’ll send 

out a team of scientists to see how you 

managed to mess this up! 

The Four Whats 

Let’s start with the four critical things that 

need to be managed well to get these safety 

results I’m promising. Remember that they 

are integrated and intra-dependent on each 

other. They indeed all have a dramatic 

effect on each other so they cannot be managed 

in isolation. Even if you wanted to, 

you would not be successful. It is because 

these factors are intra-dependent that they 

are in no particular order of importance. I 

haven’t given them priority numbers (Figure 

1). I have in fact linked them graphically 

because they are all very much connected. 

We could start anywhere so let’s start with 

company culture. 

Company culture 

Company culture is simply “the way it 

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Reader Panel • Hearing protection • Preventing slips and trips 


VOLUME 47, ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 



Code 

White White 

Workplace violence incidents are high 

in the health care sector. What’s being 

done to stop the abuse? 

COS_JAN_FEB09.indd COS_JAN_FEB09.indd 11 1/12/09 3:56:59 PM 

Name:____________________________ Job Title: _________________________ 

Company:___________________________________________________________ 

Address:____________________________________________________________ 

City:________________________ Prov: ______ Postal Code: ______________ 

Fax: _________________________ Tel: _________________________________ 

Signature: _________________________________ Date: ____________________ 

❏ 11 Agriculture 

❏ 21 Mining 

❏ 23 Construction 

❏ 311 Food 

❏ 312 Beverage & Tobacco 

❏ 313 Textile Mill 

❏ 314 Textile Products Mills 

❏ 315 Apparel 

❏ 316 Leather 

❏ 321 Wood Product 

❏ 322 Paper 

❏ 323 Printing 


What is the primary or MAIN business activity at this location? PLEASE “✓” ONE ONLY! 

❏ 324 Petroleum & Coal 

❏ 325 Chemical 

❏ 326 Plastic & Rubber 

❏ 327 Nonmetalic Mineral 

❏ 331 Primary Metal 

❏ 332 Fabricated Metal 

❏ 333 Machinery 

❏ 334 Computer & Electronics 

❏ 335 Electrical Products 

❏ 336 Transportation Equipment 

❏ 337 Furniture 

❏ 339 Other Mfg 

❏ 48-49 Transportation & 

Warehousing 

❏ 221 Utilities 

❏ 40-42 Wholesale Trade 

❏ 44-45 Retail Trade 

❏ 51 Information 

❏ 56 Business Services 

❏ 5413 Consulting Engineers 

❏ 61 Educational Service 

❏ 62 Health Care 

❏ 92 Government 

❏ Other 

COS subscription half page ad.indd 1 7/10/09 11:02:09 AM

is around here.” It is how your company 

thinks and acts as a group of people. It is 

the result of your collective thinking and 

actions (in some cases your inactions). 

In most companies, their desired state of 

culture is reflected in their Mission, Vision, 

and Value statements. The culture is created 

by your intentions and your actions. 

The gap between what we intend for our 

companies and what actually happens is 

manageable. 

There are extremely logical and practical 

ways in which to manage the factors that 

create our cultures. There are also some 

very impractical and frankly highly ineffective 

ways in which to do this. You’ve probably 

experienced some of those in your history 

of managing safety. Always remember 

that the culture is there at your company. 

The question is: Are you managing it with 

purpose and clarity? 

The “safety” component of your company 

culture is demonstrated by what you 

say about how you want safety and then 

by what you collectively do about it. The 

time and money you spend on safety is a 

measurable demonstration of your desire to 

actually create safety. 

Accountability 

Every company has an accountability system. 

In fundamental terms this is what is 

measured as important and what happens 

when I do or don’t do what is important. 

The critical question here is: What is held 

important to us here at our company and 

how am I motivated to do the important 

things and dissuaded from doing the things 

that aren’t desired by our company? 

What gets measured gets done, what 

gets rewarded gets results. Holding people 

positively accountable to do the things that 

create “safe production” makes it much 

more likely that you’ll succeed in achieving 

world-class safety results. Managing this 

factor poorly will just as assuredly result in 

frustration and unintended results. Holding 

people accountable for the wrong things 

can get people injured and killed. 

This is the fundamental reason that some 

companies fail to get the safety results they 

truly want. They have inflicted upon themselves 

a safety management system that 

doesn’t fit their culture. They have bought 

into an audit system that doesn’t measure 

how they do business. They artificially do 

safety tasks that are in addition to the way 

they do their work. Therefore, they are 

doomed to failure. Great companies getting 

world-class safety results wouldn’t dream 

of doing something “for the audit.” It’s silly 

and counter-productive. Who wants to be 

working against themselves? That’s what 

buying into an off-the-shelf safety management 

system does. 

OCCUPATIONAL 

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Safe environment 

This is simple enough; the tools, equipment, 

materials and work environment that 

we supply and manage have a huge impact 

on what happens to us. The more we manage 

these things the better our results. 

Using the wrong tool or an inappropriate 

piece of machinery will predictably result 

in an unintended consequence. 

The materials we use in our business 

have a huge impact on our health and 

safety and need to be constantly managed. 

The work environment in which we 

do our work or provide our services also 

impacts our results. Managing this factor 

can improve our results in measurable 

ways. Look carefully at the hardware your 

company uses. If this part of the ISMS 

model isn’t right, then fix it! 

Safe behaviours 

Much of what has been written and “sold” 

as behaviour-based safety (BBS) is neither 

practical nor logical. I hesitate to use 

the term myself, since it’s had such a bad 

delivery in a lot of experiences. In ISMS, 

safe behaviour is not a program; it’s not a 

package of observation cards. It was once 

described to me by one very dissatisfied 

client of a “famous” BBS provider as the 

“intravenous BBS drip.” “In ten years they 

will STILL be here inflicting their brand of 

manipulating humans on us.” 

Managing the safe behaviour component 

is as simple as developing an understanding 

of how humans act and why they act in 

certain ways. We behave, not in a vacuum, 

but for some very logical and manageable 

ways. The best safe behaviour management 

comes from doing this with people 

and not to them. Help people understand 

why they do what they do and to manage 

the factors that will help. As efficient as it 

sounds, to do the planning and execution 

of safety programs with a small group of 

employees without the engagement of ALL 

your employees and contractors, just isn’t 

effective. 

As you can probably see, the four Whats 

of ISMS are forever linked. “The way it 

is around here” drives our behaviour; the 

tools and equipment we decide to use have 

a huge impact on the safety outcomes. 

What we are held accountable for drives 

our behaviours. These four critical factors 

are logically linked. 

Next issue: the Four Hows we need to 

manage the Four Whats. 

Alan D. Quilley is the author of The 

Emperor Has No Hard Hat – Achieving 

REAL Safety Results and the president 

of Safety Results Ltd., a Sherwood Park, 

Alberta OH&S consulting company. You 

can reach him at aquilley@safetyresults.ca 

When disaster strikes: 

Is your company ready? 

A roundtable on emergency 

preparedness 

Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, in 

partnership with the Industrial Accident Prevention 

Association, is putting together experts in 

emergency management and disaster preparedness 

for an intelligent discussion of issues that confront 

Canadian organizations when preparing, maintaining 

and implementing an effective corporate emergency 

management system. 

Watch for our September-October 2009 

issue for event recap and highlights. 

For information about the roundtable speakers contact: 

Mari-Len De Guzman at mdeguzman@clbmedia.ca 

For sponsorship 

information 

contact: 

Kathy Liotta at 

kliotta@clbmedia.ca 


Roundtable.indd 1 7/7/09 11:31:30 AM

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT IDEAS BY DAVID MARCHIONE 

TRAINING COMPENSATION WATCH 

Cost transfer provision provides relief 

in workers’ compensation claims 

Employers should explore application when third party is involved 

In December 2008, I provided some 

information on different cost saving 

strategies that employers can use in 

workers’ compensation claims. One of 

those provisions was the ability to transfer 

the costs of a claim to a negligent third 

party where they were responsible for the 

occurrence. 

Although workers’ compensation in 

Canada is based on a no-fault system for 

workers, employers are held financially 

responsible for incidents that result in 

injuries to workers. The cost transfer provision, 

which is available in most provinces, 

may result in all of the costs of a workplace 

injury, illness or fatality being removed 

from an employer, thus having a significant 

impact on that employer’s experience 

rating and overall workers’ compensation 

premiums. The possibility of cost transfer 

should be explored wherever a third party 

is involved in the incident. 

Many of us interact with other workers 

throughout the day. Think about the construction 

worker on a residential construction 

project. They often work in close proximity 

to workers from other companies. 

Those who travel for work are at risk from 

being involved in motor vehicle accidents 

with both members of the public and drivers 

from other companies. Even those of 

us who work in controlled environments 

often have third party contractors enter 

our workplaces to perform different tasks 

throughout the day. 

In order to be successful in a cost transfer 

application, an employer must prove 

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on a balance of probabilities that the third 

party employer or its workers were negligent 

and caused the incident to occur. 

Negligence is defined as doing some- 

thing a reasonable person would not do 

in similar circumstances, or failing to do 

something a reasonable person would do in 

the circumstances. The availability of this 

provision reinforces the need for a thorough 

investigation of the incident in order 

to determine the root cause and the role of 

all parties leading up to the occurrence. 

LEGAL CONNECTION THE HUMAN FACTOR GLOBAL BEAT 

The applicant in this process must be 

able to show that there was a relationship 

between the parties, that one party owed a 

duty of care to the other, and that an injury 

The potential to transfer the costs of a claim is a 

strategy that should be considered whenever a 

third party is involved in an incident. 

occurred due to some breach of that duty 

of care. To demonstrate this, employers can 

rely on many pieces of information, including 

police reports, witness statements, 

documented procedures, training records, 

weather reports and any other information 

that will help make their case. The opposing 

party in these matters is generally given 

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the opportunity to respond to the case 

against them, providing evidence as to why 

they should not be held responsible for the 

incident. 

After reviewing all available information 

in these matters, the compensation board 

will make a determination as to the degree 

of negligence of the third party employer 

or their workers. It will then apportion the 

degree of negligence based on its findings. 

In cases where the third party employer 

is found to be entirely at fault, 100 per cent 

of the costs may be removed, thus relieving 

the employer of the financial responsibility 

for the incident. 

The potential to transfer the costs of a 

claim is a strategy that should be considered 

whenever a third party is involved in an 

incident. As an employer, be sure to include 

as much information as you can about the 

incident with your initial incident report, 

including the name of the other employer. 

Discuss the possibility of cost transfer 

with your workers’ compensation claims 

representative to determine whether it is 

possible and what information might be 

helpful in supporting your case. The potential 

savings in case of a successful cost transfer 

application are too great to overlook. 

David Marchione is an OHS consultant 

and paralegal with Gowling Lafleur 

Henderson LLP in Toronto, specializing in 

workers’ compensation matters. You can 

contact him at david.marchione@gowlings.com 

or through the company’s website, 

www.gowlings.com/ohslaw. 

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SAFETY AND THE LAW BY: NORM KEITH B.A., L.L.B, CRSP 

TRAINING COMPENSATION WATCH LEGAL CONNECTION 

TRAINING 

Rebirth of due diligence? 

Alberta Appeal Court takes a fresh look at the Dofasco decision 

A 

recent decision of His Honour 

Judge Hillier, in R. v. Lonkar Well 

Testing Ltd. provides a refreshing 

look at the defence of due diligence in occupational 

health and safety prosecutions. 

Lonkar Well Testing Ltd. (Lonkar), 

which was convicted of one count of violating 

Alberta’s Occupational Health and 

Safety Act at trial, had the conviction overturned 

on appeal on the basis that it had 

established the second branch of the due 

diligence defence. 

Although the prosecution relied on the 

decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario 

in Dofasco, the Alberta Appeal Court judge 

distinguished the Dofasco decision. By 

way of background, I commented on the 

Dofasco decision in an earlier article in COS 

entitled, The Death of Due Diligence. 

The Dofasco case has been used by a 

number of prosecutors, both in Ontario 

and across the country including Alberta, 

to secure a conviction. 

The decision in Lonkar now addresses 

the context of the Dofasco decision and, 

in this writer’s view, properly reinstates 

the defence of due diligence as originally 

intended by the Supreme Court of Canada 

in the Sault Ste. Marie decision of 1978. 

The Lonkar case involved a tragic set 

of circumstances in a workplace. A young 

worker died when he asphyxiated in a 

well testing trailer in northwestern Alberta. 

The trial court held that the deceased performed 

work that he was expressly not told 

to do, and warned about the hazards by his 

supervisor. 

Interestingly, the worker was known to 

be a reliable safety conscious worker, and 

had never before deviated from his instructions. 

The trial court held that the deceased 

also told co-employees what they were not 

supposed to do. 

However, contrary to his training 

instructions and his own statements to others 

at the job site, the worker undertook the 

task of taking apart piping that ultimately 

exposed him to a lower oxygen level, which 

either caused or contributed to his death. 

On appeal, Judge Hillier of the Queen’s 

Bench, sitting as an appeal court judge in 

Alberta, held: 

“I am very mindful that the standard 

of review on this aspect of the decision is 

overriding and palpable error. I am also 

mindful of the policy reasons which underlie 

decisions finding employers liable where 

employees engage in unwise or foolhardy 

acts to accomplish their work. 

However, were that approach to extend 

to all truly bizarre and unforeseeable acts 

by employees, the result would render 

employers, insurers of worker safety and 

the legal regime would be one of absolute 

liability. 

Although cases of bizarre and unforeseeable 

acts are exceedingly rare, in 

my view the unlikely and inexplicable 

scenario which resulted in Audit’s tragic 

death falls squarely within that category.” 

Further, in reviewing the Dofasco case 

Justice Hillier said: 

“In Dofasco, the accused admitted that it 

had not equipped a machine with a guard 

as specifically required by regulation. 

Logically, an employer who has breached 

a specific positive obligation mandated by 

regulation must provide a compelling rationale 

to support a finding that it, nonetheless, 

took all reasonable care to ensure the safety 

of workers. In the present case, however, no 

breach of a legislatively mandated safety 

precaution or industry standard was found. 

It fell to the trial judge to determine, in the 

absence of any specific regulatory breach 

giving rise to the tragedy, whether Lonkar 

The decision in Lonkar now addresses the 

context of the Dofasco decision and, in this 

writer’s view, properly reinstates the defence 

of due diligence as originally intended by 

the Supreme Court of Canada. 

had probably taken such steps as were reasonably 

practicable in the circumstances to 

ensure Audit’s health and safety. 

Excerpts from Norm Keith’s article entitled: Death of due diligence 

… Absolute liability 

Employers are now reasonably asking, has the law changed, and is the 

employer the insurer of worker health and safety? If there is an accident and 

a worker is injured, does it mean the employer is at fault under the OHSA? 

A thorough review of the origins of the OHSA leads me to a different conclusion. 

Ontario and Canadian OHS laws are based on the internal responsibility system, not 

on “absolute liability” injury tax model, where the mere occurrence of a workplace 

accident involving injury to a worker results in liability. The OHSA, with its legal duties 

under Part III, requires many stakeholders to share responsibility of worker health and 

safety, including workers. Clearly, the Provincial Legislature did not pass the OHSA to 

make it an offence per se for an employer to have a worker injured at work. 

The court went on to apply its view of the OHSA to the facts of this case. First, the 

court said, “Employees do not deliberately injure themselves. The requirements for 

guarding of machinery are to protect employees in the workplace from injuries due 

to both inadvertent and advertent acts”. In other words, the guarding requirement is 

intended to protect workers from intentional and negligent actions of workers. 

Secondly, the court said, “…the worker here did not disobey the work instructions 

to spite or injure the employer. He did so because the work practice specified did not 

readily accomplish its task with light gauges of steel stock such as they were processing 

on the day in question …The employees could have pulled the roll of steel off the 

mill. That was the specified procedure, but it would have meant delays and curtailed 

production…the injury he suffered was a result of his deliberate act, but it was an act 

done in furtherance of productivity in the work undertaken for the employer and not 

for any other reason.” 

The court said that the worker’s disobedience was done to benefit the employer. 

The court appears unable to conceive the remote possibility that workers take short 

cuts, workers are sometimes lazy, and workers sometimes break rules to benefit 

themselves. Arbitral jurisprudence as well as real world experience inform of that 

aspect of human/worker nature. 

Thirdly, the court held that, “To suggest that the responsibility for the injury, pain 

and suffering rests squarely on his shoulders would be unfair because defects in the 

process for performing the work in question and the absence of a physical guard 

contributed significantly to the accident.” This finding of the court seems to suggest 

that the OHSA has established a bindery system 

WEBWATCH 

Read the full article on Death of 

Due Diligence online at 


Digital subscribers: Launch 

the article here 

of liability, i.e. either the employer is guilty or 

the worker is guilty. That, of course, is inconsistent 

to a review of the stakeholder duties in 

Part III of the OHSA and the internal responsibility 

system. 

THE HUMAN FACTOR GLOBAL BEAT 

The decision in Lonkar is clearly based 

on the specific facts and circumstances of 

that case. However, in upholding the standard 

of due diligence set by the Supreme 

Court of Canada in Sault Ste. Marie, Justice 

Hillier said: 

“However, in assessing on a balance 

of probabilities whether Lonkar took all 

reasonably practicable steps in this case 

to ensure the safety of Audit, one must 

approach the problem on the basis of the 

facts which existed prior to the occurrence. 

I have found that if one places oneself in 

the shoes of a reasonable person prior to the 

occurrence, there was no more than a very 

speculative basis for the safety precautions 

identified in the trial judge’s decision. In 

my view, the trial judge erred in concluding 

that Lonkar did not take reasonable care in 

the circumstances of this case.” 

Finally, due diligence defence is based 

on an effective OHS management system, 

as demonstrated by the excellent safety 

program of Lonkar. An effective OHS management 

system has, at minimum, an OHS 

policy, effective risk assessment, written 

safe work procedures, effective training of 

supervisory and worker staff, communication 

of the worker’s right to refuse to do 

unsafe work, periodic safety reminders by 

supervisors or professional safety staff, and 

a regular review or audit of the OHS performance 

of a company. 

These elements, together with an effective 

commitment to OHS excellence by 

senior management, will usually result in 

a company and senior management being 

able to rely upon the second branch of the 

due diligence defence. 

The Lonkar decision, and its interpretation 

of the Dofasco decision, do not contradict 

each other, but are reasonable application 

of the Supreme Court of Canada’s 

decision in Sault Ste. Marie. 

An ongoing emphasis and priority on 

occupational health and safety training and 

auditing is critical for ensuring an effective 

OHS management system and a successful 

defence based on the second branch of the 

due diligence defence. 

Although Judge Hillier’s decision in 

Lonkar is not necessarily a ‘rebirth’ of due 

diligence, it is a refreshing review and 

application of the defence as set out by the 

Supreme Court in Sault Ste. Marie. 

Further, its review and application of the 

Court of Appeal for Ontario’s decision in 

Dofasco identifies the limits of the decision 

in that case. In short, due diligence is alive 

and well as a defence to OHS charges across 

Canada. 

Norm Keith leads the national OHS 

practice at Gowling Lafleur Henderson 

LLP. You can reach him at (866) 862-5787 

ext.85699 or by email at Norm.Keith@ 

gowlings.com 

July/August 2009 13

A FOCUS ON ERGONOMICS, HEALTH & WELLNESS BY DR. DAVID RAINHAM 

TRAINING TRAININGG COMPENSATION WATCH 

“Believe me, every man has his secret sorrows which the 

world knows not — and often times we call a man cold, 

when he is only sad.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Not sleeping well? Having trouble concentrating? 

The future looks grim? Don’t have fun any 

more? Like many people in your workplace you 

might be stressed, but these symptoms are signs of something 

more serious: Depression, a condition that is unpleasant, 

often disabling and even fatal if left untreated. It 

badly hurts everyone: the sufferers, their families and their 

employers. 


LEGAL CONNECTION 

Depression in the workplace 

We’re not talking about a passing mood or a personal 

weakness. This is a major, but treatable illness that can 

strike anyone from the loading dock to the boardroom, 

and outstanding performers with no apparent worries are 

not immune. 

Depression is more than normal sadness after a loss, it’s 

a physical condition in which low levels of chemicals, such 

as serotonin and norepinephrine, interfere with the function 

of the ‘mood centre’ of the brain. Severe depression is 

like a grey fog blanketing one’s life, sapping energy, taking 

away joy, and making it very difficult to function normally 

for any length of time. You can’t just ‘pull yourself together’ 

or ‘snap out of it’. 

Depression is common, affecting 17 per cent of people 

at least once. It’s sneaky too, as only 50 per cent of it is 

detected, even less is treated, and it often recurs. It’s twice as 

common in women and peaks at age 25 to 34 years old. 

Symptoms 

A well-known sign of depression is sadness and crying. 

But often, sufferers don’t seem particularly sad. Common 

symptoms, which for proper diagnosis must be present for 

more than two weeks, include: 

• Fatigue • Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary 

activities • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making 

decisions • Hopelessness • Insomnia, anxiety and irritability 

• Feeling guilty, worthless, helpless • Weight or 

appetite changes • Low sex drive • Thoughts of death and 

suicide • Chronic aches and pains, especially back pain 

Effects and costs 

Employers ought to be thinking and talking about depression. 

Left untreated, the costs are three times as high as the 

treatment costs: absenteeism, reduced job performance and 

lost earnings due to suicide. 

Depression threatens the very skills needed in today’s 

rapidly changing workplace, where most jobs don’t need 

brawn but knowledge, concentration, the ability to learn, 

work with other people and cope with frequent change. 

Depression, more than most illnesses, severely impairs 

these kinds of skills. 

One large company found that short-term disability 

costs from depression (average of 40 days) are almost as 

high as heart disease and low back pain (average of 37 days 

each) and far more than high blood pressure. 

Employees with depression were among the most likely 

to go back on disability, and over a three-year period, pharmacy 

inpatient and outpatient costs for depression were 

highest by far, three times more than for hypertension. 

Recognizing the signs 

The causes of depression vary and are often combined. 

There may be a family history of depression or just chronic 

dissatisfaction and pessimism. Deeply buried, painful emotions 

such as anger, fear, guilt, and childhood abuse or 

neglect may set the stage. 

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Can poor working conditions directly cause depressive 

illness? It’s uncertain, but excessive pressure, lack of control 

and feedback, major changes and the threat of layoffs can 

combine with other stresses, such as financial, marital and 

children’s problems, to make depression more likely. 

People are at risk if work is boring and repetitive, if skills 

are unused, if they have an incompetent or bullying boss 

and they are subjected to ‘office politics’. 

It’s more common among the poor, and those with 

chronic illness. Women suffer depression more than men, 

possibly because of hormones and brain chemistry, burning 

out from a constant ‘caregiver’ role in life, or holding 

anger inside. 

Once diagnosed, 80 per cent of depression responds 

well to treatment, but the big hurdle is getting it diagnosed, 

because of the sneaky ways depression can show itself. If 

you have an employee who is increasingly: underperforming, 

‘not themselves’ or taking more time off work, then 

someone in management should take the time to ask 

some general questions about how things are going for 

them. They will not likely come right out and say they’re 

depressed, but they may have enough symptoms for you to 

suggest a doctor’s appointment. 

The big danger in depression is suicide. It’s vital that 

your employees know to get urgent, expert help if they 

are experiencing feelings of isolation, loss of hope for the 

future, or intense, recurrent suicidal thoughts. Remember, 

depression is not a sign of weakness or insanity — in fact, 

taking the steps needed to recover may well give us an 

opportunity to grow stronger and eventually have a happier, 

more fulfilling life. 

What can employers do? 

In times of intense competition, no business or institution 

will be successful if it ignores the physical and mental 

health of its employees. Key actions that employers can 

take are: 

1. Promote and maintain awareness of depression as 

a common, destructive but treatable illness. 

2. Attempt to provide meaningful work, feedback, praise 

and rewards, and eliminate bullying or unfair management 

styles. 

3. Put physical and mental wellness high on the list of priorities, 

with regular assessments of worker’s stress levels 

and sources of stress, and provision of the means for them 

to take action to stay in balance with them. 

4. Have a good EAP in place so that depression can be 

diagnosed sooner, and more effectively treated without 

unnecessary delay. 

Dr. David Rainham is the founder of Optimum Health 

Centre in Waterloo, ON, specializing in stress, weight/nutrition 

and pain management. You can contact Dr. Rainham 

by calling 519-897-3670 or you can visit the company web 

sites at www.stresswinner.com or www.optimumhealth.ca. 

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Hellberg_COS_April09_v2.indd 1 3/13/09 1:08:58 PM

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON OH&S BY ADAM A. NEAVE, BASC (OHS), CRSP, CHSC 

TRAINING TRAININGG COMPENSATION WATCH LEGAL CONNECTION THE HUMAN FACTOR 

Let’s compare apples to apples 

How much does Canada’s fatality rate really weigh on an international scale? 

Editor’s note: Adam Neave recently 

joined our roster of esteemed columnists 

at COS and will be providing 

commentary on the international OHS 

scene. As always, your comments and 

suggestions are welcome. 

If I received a loonie for every time I 

heard or read that Canada has one of 

the worst occupational fatality rates in 

the world, I may be well on my way to early 

retirement. 

But is it really that bad compared to those 

of other countries? It certainly looks that 

way according to 2005 statistics provided 

by the International Labour Organization 

(ILO), shown in Table 1. 

It doesn’t take a statistician to quickly 

point out the differences in the way these 

Country 

countries identify work-related deaths and 

report them to the ILO. The sources of ILO 

data vary a great deal between countries. 

For example, the following footnote accom- 

Country Year 

Reported Fatality Rate 

(per 100,000 workers) 

Reported 

Fatalities 

panies the Australian ILO dataset: “excl. 

Victoria and Australian Capital Territory”. 

The U.S. and the U.K. have similar footnotes 

attached to their ILO fatality rates. 

Canada is the only country in this group 

that doesn’t have a single footnote in relation 

to its ILO-reported fatality rate. 

Perhaps we should hear it straight 

from the horse’s mouth. When data is 

gathered directly from the Association 

of Workers’ Compensation Boards of 

Canada (AWCBC), Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA), Safe 

Work Australia (SWA), and the Health and 

Safety Executive (HSE) Table 2 shows how 

it will look. 

Certainly the ILO data wasn’t painting 

the full picture for Australia and the U.K. 

The SWA report, Work-related Traumatic 

Injury Fatalities, Australia 2004-05, published 

in 2008 states, “To date, the exact 

number of people who die as a result of 

work-related activities in Australia has not 

been accurately established.” This is due to 

the need to cross reference three separate 

datasets in order to estimate the number of 

occupational fatalities. 

But it still looks like Canada has one of 

the worst fatality rates. What gives? Further 

investigation of these rates reveals several 

major differences in the methods used to 

calculate them. One of the major disparities 

in the way these rates are determined is 

the inclusion/exclusion of deaths resulting 

from occupational diseases. 

Canada is one of the few industrialized 

Source of ILO Data 

Canada 6.8 Insurance Records 

United States 4.0 Census 

Australia 2.0 Insurance Records 

United Kingdom 0.6 Inspectorate Records 

Table 1: Fatality rates as reported by the ILO database LOBORSTA 

nations to include deaths resulting from 

occupational diseases in its total number 

of reported fatalities. Of the 1,097 fatalities 

in Canada in 2005, 557 (51 per cent) 



Data 

Source 

Canada 2005 1097 6.8 AWCBC 

United States 2005 5734 4.0 OSHA 

Australia 2004/05 405 3.5 SWA 

United Kingdom 2004/05 618 2.8 HSE 

Table 2: Fatality rates as reported by the respective data sources 

were attributable to occupational diseases. 

Asbestos-related diseases alone accounted 

for 340 (31 per cent) of the total fatalities. 

The U.S. and the U.K do not include 

deaths resulting from occupational diseases 

in their total number of fatalities. 

According to HSE estimates, approximately 

4,000 deaths per year in the U.K. are asbes- 

Country Year 

Reported 

Fatalities 



Data Source 

United States 2005 5734 4.0 OSHA 

Australia 2004/05 405 3.5 SWA 

Canada 2005 540 3.0 AWCBC 

United Kingdom 2004/05 618 2.8 HSE 

Table 3: Fatality rates (excluding occupational disease fatalities in Canada) 

tos-related. That’s a far cry from the 618 

reported fatalities used to calculate their 

fatality rate. 

If Canada were to exclude deaths from 

occupational diseases in the calculation of 

its fatality rate, Table 3 shows how the data 

would actually look. 

Now that seems a bit better, doesn’t it? 

Other discrepancies worth noting in 

the way that countries calculate their fatality 

rates are the class of workers covered 

(insured, employed, self-employed) and 

the inclusion/exclusion of deaths resulting 

from motor vehicle accidents. Canada’s 

fatality rate, for instance, does not include 

the deaths of non-insured agricultural 

workers. 

Readers interested in learning more 

about the problems with comparing 

fatality rates internationally should refer 

to, 5 Deaths a Day: Workplace Fatalities 

in Canada, 1993-2005 by the Centre 

for the Study of Living Standards; and 

Fatal Occupational Injuries – How does 

Australia compare Internationally? by the 

National Occupational Health and Safety 

Commission. Both are available free of 

charge via the Internet. 

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not pleased 

about how many occupational fatalities 

occur every year in our country. There 

are still far too many workers dying from 

work-related deaths in Canada and the 

increasing trend in the number of fatalities 

over the past decade — even though 

GLOBAL BEAT 

asbestos-related deaths are the primary 

cause for it — is disturbing. We can do 

more as a nation to help prevent occupational 

fatalities. 

But the point here is that comparing 

fatality rates internationally is like comparing 

apples to oranges in almost all cases. 

Canadians should be proud of the way 

that our workers’ compensation systems are 

able to collect and record data. We should 

also be satisfied by our national commitment 

to reporting our records accurately at 

international levels. 

Asbestos-related deaths could begin 

their decline sometime in the next five to 

ten years, which will help bring Canada’s 

fatality rate more in line with those of other 

countries. Until then, anytime someone 

tells you that Canada has one of the worst 

fatality rates on the planet, tell them to 

compare apples to apples. 

Adam A. Neave is the OHS Instructor for 

the OHS Diploma Program at The College of 

the North Atlantic in Doha, Qatar. He can be 

reached at adam.neave@cna-qatar.edu.qa 

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Untitled-1 1 7/7/09 11:22:41 AM

CONFINED SPACE 

deep 

How thorough are your 

confined space risk assessments? 

By Michelle Morra 

In 

When confined space rescue trainer John 

Kenyon met with representatives from the 

communities of Yukon after a workplace 

fatality had occurred, each representative 

brought his or her gas detection equipment. 

Taking a look at each one, Kenyon 

noted that many of these life-saving devices were quality instruments 

made by reputable manufacturers. 

“But none of them worked,” he says. Some of those municipal 

safety reps had monitors that were still in their original box and 

had never been used. Others used theirs daily without realizing the 

sensors had expired up to two years prior. 

“There’s a myth out there that says, ‘I have a gas monitor, 

therefore I’m all right,” says Tim Morrison, risk management and 

confined space expert and president of SafetyScope Inc. He says 

companies often invest in these life-saving instruments without 

understanding that they have a shelf life, and that the electronics 

inside tend to drift and routinely need to be recalibrated. 

Testing what’s in the air is not the only safety consideration 

for a confined space. Ventilation is essential. A thermometer and 

hydrometer can alert workers to extreme heat, humidity or cold. 

Depending on the confined space and its hazards, workers might 

need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as head, 

hearing, foot or respiratory protection – bearing in mind that the 

bulkier the PPE, the more awkward for the worker to enter or exit 

a confined space. Rescue equipment, such as a harness and lifeline, 

are other essentials. 

Gases are not the only hazard in a confined space. Workers 

may be at risk of entanglement, slipping or tripping, poor visibility, 

extreme temperatures, exposure to explosive gases, exposure 

to biological hazards, drowning in liquid, suffocating in a solid 

matter (such as grain in a silo), being struck by a falling object, or 

being bitten by a snake or a poisonous insect. They 

might also be exposed to gases that their instru- 

mentation is not designed to detect. More than 

one-third of confined space fatalities, Morrison 

says, occur after a gas detector said the space was 

safe to enter. 

Each confined space is unique. Only by identifying 

and understanding every potential hazard, 

from every conceivable source, can workers know 

what safety gear and protective equipment to use, 

how to use it, and how to safely perform a rescue. 

With more attention to this critical stage, workers 

in confined spaces – and their would-be rescuers 

– are more likely to survive. 

Leave nothing to chance 

In 2003, a barge moored in New Westminster, B.C. 

was undergoing maintenance. When a supervisor 


too 

working inside a compartment in the hull failed to show how 

up for coffee, two workers went to check on him and never ver 

returned. Two others followed and never returned, though ugh 

one took a moment to phone 911 before losing consciousousness – and dying – inside the compartment. Four of fthe the 

workers died from oxygen deprivation. The other employee oyee 

and a rescuing firefighter were injured, but survived. 

“It’s a phenomenon in confined spaces that not just one dies,” says 

Kenyon. “A confined space has this magnetism to draw more victims 

into it… and with every incident, we injure first responders.” 

In British Columbia, he says, of the 460 fire departments only 38 

or so are career departments. The rest are comprised of volunteer firefighters 

in small towns who just barely receive enough training to drive 

fire trucks and put out fires, let alone respond to unknown hazards in 

industrial confined spaces. The City of Toronto, too, has a shortage of 

confined space rescuers. 

“Toronto fire services has 3,200 firefighters,” Morrison says. 

“Seventy-two of them are trained in confined space rescue, and even 

those who are trained often can’t get to you fast enough.” 

Companies should not rely on calling 911 in a confined space 

emergency. Not only do responders endanger their own lives when 

not trained or equipped for the hazards, they cannot always arrive in 

time to save a worker. 

Every company where people are likely to work in a tank, boiler pit, 

sewer, silo, pipeline, or other confined space not meant for continuous 

occupancy needs its own rescue plan. Since retiring from fire services 

last year, Kenyon has kept busy with his company, Dynamic Rescue, 

which provides confined space rescue services and trains workers and 

first responders in confined space entry and rescue. 

Facilities personnel at Vancouver Coastal Health have long 

been aware of confined space hazards and safety procedures. But 

when they hired Kenyon and his team, they identified all spaces 

considered “confined” and potentially 

hazardous and underwent extensive 

New CSA standard training and rescue drills. 

When COS caught up with the hos- 

The Canadian Standards 

pital’s assistant chief engineer Martin 

Association is introducing 

Gotel, his team had just inspected six 

CSAZ1006, Management of Work manholes, a task that set the “game 

in Confined Spaces, the first pan- plan” in motion. Workers wore har- 

Canadian standard that addresses nesses and other PPE, set up a tripod 

design and engineering control and winch and ventilated the area. 

measures, identification of con- When all was clear, they entered the 

space but stayed in constant comfined 

spaces and subsequent hazmunication 

with the permanent hall 

ard identification, assessment and 

watch rescue person. 

control to enable safe entry. The “We always have a person stand- 

document is due for publication in ing there,” says Gotel, “not just some- 

the winter of 2009/2010. 

one available by radio. There’s always 

someone, and that person is con- 

Photos courtesy of John Kenyon at Dynamic Rescue Systems

tinually monitoring the environment with the 

gas monitor.” 

After procuring the necessary equipment and 

learning the drill, facilities staff adapted well. 

“Doing it on a regular basis becomes very, 

very normal,” says Gotel. “In most cases, to prepare 

yourself for a confined space entry, to do 

your assessment, to have your rescue team and 

everything in place, doesn’t take a lot of time.” 

He has heard the horror stories and knows 

that ignoring protocol, even just once, can kill. 

“When you think of it, I could nip into this 

manhole, the guy could have a sniffer on the 

outside, and I’ll just shoot into there to check 

something. Okay, but what if I have a heart attack 

in there? What does it take to do it right?” 

Who can assess the risk? 

A confined space related injury or death often 

results from an unusual set of events, or a hazard 

that doesn’t show up on a hazard assessment. 

Industry needs better assessments. 

People have died in confined spaces deemed 

perfectly safe in a hazard assessment done in a 

hurry, by someone unqualified, or that used a 

generic checklist not tailored to the workplace. 

Kenyon once visited a chemical plant where 

welders worked in a stainless steel tank that an 

engineer eng had deemed “low hazard.” 

“Meanwhile they were using argon, which 

is an inert gas that displaces oxygen. There 

have been cases of welders dying of argon 

exposure,” he says. 

Confined spaces can harbour a number of 

chemicals c that the average gas detector will not 

detect. d “Particularly any type of vault that’s in 

the th ground with pipes or cables running miles 

in every direction,” says Kenyon. “These vaults 

end en up being catch-alls for substances people 

might m not even be considering. Naturally occurring 

rin methane gas sometimes seeps into the vaults 

that tha way.” 

But not everyone would know that. Who, 

besides bes Kenyon, Morrison or a chemist, is quali- 

fied to thoroughly assess the hazards in a confined 

fin space? Safety laws tend to say a “qualified, 

competent com person” is someone who has adequate 

training and experience in the recognition, evaluation 

and control of confined space hazards. 

Kenyon recommends that this person conduct 

the assessment in conjunction with an employee 

who is intimately familiar with the worksite 

and tasks. And for that worker to be qualified, 

Morrison further suggests that mentoring be part 

of his or her training. 

“A hazard assessment requires both theoretical 

knowledge and on-the-job experience,” he says. 

“There has to be some formal experience, as well 

as mentoring. Just because you’ve taken a course 

doesn’t mean you can make those grey area calls. 

Courses don’t provide someone looking over your 

shoulder to make sure you’ve done it correctly.” 

At Vancouver Coastal Health, the workers 

who learned from the experts have gained their 

own expertise, at least in terms of being qualified 

to work safely in a confined space and, if necessary, 

able and ready to respond in an emergency. 

“When I go in there to do this work, the last 

thing I have to worry about is being trapped 

somewhere and no one getting me out,” says 

Gotel. “I’ve got full support. I know if anything 

happens to me I’ve got a team of people who can 

get me out of there.” 

Michelle Morra is an award-winning journalist 

and former editor of COS. You can reach her at 

writemorr@yahoo.ca. 

What it takes for a safe rescue 

A confined space risk assessment by a competent, qualified person will help 

determine which equipment is necessary to ensure the safety of workers and 

rescuers. The following list of suggested equipment, provided by John Kenyon of 

Dynamic Rescue Systems, Inc., will outfit four rescuers and provide rope systems 

appropriate for all confined spaces. 

4 Sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): 

Nomex or flame resistant coveralls 

NFPA Rescue Harness - 1 Carabineer, 10’ personal Prussik, 24’ red 1” webbing 

Gloves (rescue) 

Helmet Rescue NFPA 

Eye protection 

Intrinsically safe lighting (flashlights) – headlamps 

Personal Kit Bag 

Rescue System: 

Software 

3 300’ lengths of ½” static kern mantle rope – in rope bags 

3 Rope bags, Black c/w side pocket, blue, red all with windows 

4 30’ lengths 1” tubular webbing (4000 lb) Green 

8 24’ lengths 1” tubular webbing (4000 lb) Red 

4 12’ lengths 1” tubular webbing (4000 lb) Blue 

4 12’ Omni Slings 

4 Utility Belts 

2 30’ lengths 8mm accessory cordage, Red 

4 10’ lengths 8mm accessory cordage (Prussik) Yellow 

6 6’ lengths 8mm accessory cordage (Prussik) Green 

6 5’ lengths 8mm accessory cordage (Prussik) Blue 

Hardware: 

12 Large Carabineers. NFPA, 9,000 lbs locking 

2 Extra Large Carabineers. NFPA, 12,000 lbs locking 

1 Rock Exotica Swivel 

1 Tri Link 

4 Single Sheave Rescue Sheaves NFPA Prussik Minding Pulleys (3” PMP) 

2 Double Sheave Rescue Pulleys NFPA (3” PMP) 

1 NFPA Brake bar rack c/w Hyperbar 

1 Petzl ID Descender 

1 Tripod 14’ min (Surety, Skedco, DBI) 

Respiratory Protection: 

1 Supplied air respirator systems (NFPA) (Air Systems Pak 4) 

4 Escape- pak (Entry team and backup) (prefer the Draeger Colt) Ea 1800.00 

4 200’ Airlines breathing air quality 

4 Plastic bins for airhose and com-lines 

Victim Packaging 

1 Spineboard (PVC) 

1 Sked stretcher 

1 Spider harness for victim packaging 

1 Wrap-Evac Harness for Confined Space Rescue 

Communications Equipment: 

1 Con space communications system, (intrinsically safe) 

4 Rescuer, attendant, talkbox and 

4 200’ lines for each airline 

Ventilation Equipment: 

1 Explosion proof blower 

2 15’ duct lengths 8” conductive ducting for bonding & grounding 

1 Duct canister for above ducting 

1 Saddle duct vent 90 o elbow for saddle vent 

Atmospheric Monitoring: 

4 Gas atmospheric monitors (CO, LEL, O 2 , H 2 S) or monitor specific to hazard 

Draw pump (built in preferred) 100’ sample hose 

Golf Ball Retriever 

Note: This list is recommended for a rescue team as per NFPA 1670 and NFPA 

1006 to an operations level. The technician level requires more equipment such as 

chemical protective suits, a decontamination system, personal medical monitoring, 

an understanding of other types of monitoring devices like chemical strips, 

Photo Ionization Detectors, Flame Ionization Detectors, and more. Industrial 

teams may choose to use cable winch devices, as they are less training sensitive but 

more specific to certain types of confined spaces. 

Source: Dynamic Rescue Systems, Inc. 

July/August 2009 17

ERGONOMICS 

Manufacturing 

makeover 

Creating pain-free 

workstations 

By Vanessa Chris 

If you’re like most manufacturers, you probably 

approach ergonomic issues on an ‘as 

needed’ basis. If there’s been an injury or a 

recurring problem on one of your lines, for 

example, you’ll take care of it. Otherwise, 

ergonomics doesn’t often find itself on the 

top of your ‘to do’ list. 

According to Shannon Buchner, president 

of Working Environments Inc., a Windsor, Ont.-based 

firm providing ergonomic solutions to manufacturers, it’s 

a scenario most of her customers find themselves in. 

“Most manufacturers are very reactive when it comes 

to ergonomics,” she says. “I’d say only about 50 per cent 

have been proactive and consulted an ergonomist before 

coming through our door.” 

The thing is, most companies would be well served in 

making sure their plant floors are more ergonomically 

sound. According to the WSIB, musculoskeletal disorders 

from ergonomic issues in the workplace account for 42 

per cent of all lost time claims. This translates into 42 per 

cent of lost time claim costs and 50 per cent of all lost 

time days. 

Remedying the problem doesn’t always have to cost 

a lot, either. In many cases, a company-wide education 

program is enough to ensure employees are implementing 

proper ergonomic practices and identifying potential 

ergonomic risks in their day-to-day activities. Creating an 

ergonomics committee made up of members of the purchasing, 

manufacturing and administrative departments 

can also act as a watchdog to ensure potential hazards are 

fixed before becoming WSIB claims. 

To get started on your company’s ergonomic makeover, 

here are a few simple steps to follow. 

1. Reorganize reach zones 

‘Awkward posture’ is one of the most commonly cited 

reasons for musculoskeletal injuries — and it can arise 

from virtually any plant floor activity. 

The majority of plant floor workers store their tools, 

or commonly used materials, in places beyond their 

immediate reach — typically in bins behind or in front of 

them. Similarly, the height of the employee can affect their 

ability to operate machinery, since many manufacturing 

equipments are built for taller statures, forcing smaller 

people to physically extend themselves to operate them 

properly. 

While these factors can easily go unnoticed, over time 

they can lead to serious muscle injuries. 

“Continuously reaching forward for your tools requires 

the use of extra shoulder muscles,” says Nancy Gowan, 

president of Wallacetown, Ont.-based ergonomic consultancy 

firm, Gowan Consulting. “If you’re reaching behind, 

you tend to twist your back instead of moving your feet, 

and that can lead to back problems.” 

Items that require access on a regular basis should be 

situated in the ‘simplest reach zone’. This means that an 

individual’s elbows should always be at their side while 

reaching for these objects. Items that require access less 

frequently — say no more than one-third of the day — 

should be placed in the next reach zone. When reaching 


for them, an individual’s elbows might move, but not 

above their chest. 

Items that need to be accessed occasionally can be 

situated in a place that requires the individual to reach 

their arm all the way out and perhaps lean forward a bit, 

although they should never be placed beyond the length 

of the individual’s fingertips. 

Ensuring the appropriate tools or parts are in the 

appropriate reach zones takes a bit of organization and 

forethought. There are also a variety of products out 

there that can aid in the process. For example, there are 

a number of lifting and tilting devices on the market that 

can make workstations and machinery more adjustable, 

so they can be accessed by individuals of any height or 

stature. There is also a variety of lightweight flooring out 

there, so shorter individuals can easily pull it out when 

they’re working on a conveyor, for example, and then tuck 

it away when they’re not using it. 

Buchner says choosing appropriate shelving units that 

easily fit into a specific workstation is also important. The 

bins shelved on these units should be tilted, or feature lids 

that flip downward, so picking items out of them requires 

little to no reaching. For certain workstations, she says 

creating a ‘cockpit’ type of set-up has proven to be rather 

popular — where a section of the work bench is cut out so 

the worker is closer to their tools and machinery. 

2. Minimize straining forces 

In ergonomics, the concept of ‘forces’ usually includes 

any activity that involves pushing, pulling or lifting on 

a regular basis. In a typical manufacturing workstation, 

employees may find themselves lifting heavy dies onto 

machines, or transporting heavy parts onto dollies. 

As a rule of thumb, pushing is always better than pulling 

and both of those activities are better than lifting. In 

general, lifting things above shoulder level on a regular 

basis isn’t a good thing, and the activity should be reduced 

as much as possible. 

This can be done by setting up a workstation with 

adjustable line rollers. These racks can easily be aligned 

with a specific machine, so heavy objects — such as dies 

— can effortlessly roll along and slide into place. 

Ensuring forklifts, power walkies, trollies and other 

tools are readily available to employees will also go a long 

way in preventing unnecessary lifting. If employees think 

it will be easier — or faster — to lift something rather than 

grab a forklift, they likely will. 

If something has to be lifted, make sure your employees 

know and utilize proper lifting techniques. Stretching 

before lifting, and asking for help with awkward or 

heavy loads, can minimize injuries. Taking an organized 

approach to various tasks — so lighter and heavier loads 

are varied — can also eliminate the strain on the body. 

3. Add some extra padding 

Standing on a concrete floor for hours on end can 

wreak havoc on an individual’s body — namely their feet, 

knees and back. And while anti-fatigue matting has been 

used since the 1920s to prevent these injuries, there are 

now newer — and more proven — products out there. 

“What most people don’t know is that there are different 

types of matting out there. We offer newer options 

with ergonomic studies attached to them — so they’re 

proven to prevent injuries,” says Buchner. 

Employees whose duties require them to travel the 

plant floor might be better suited to anti-fatigue matting 

that attaches to an individual’s shoe. This tends to work 

better than padded insoles, which often wear out quickly. 

Extra padding or protection should also be used on 

machines that tend to vibrate. Anti-vibration gloves or 

coverings for machine parts will reduce the likelihood of 

vibration-related stress or injuries. 

4. Switch it up 

Tasks that require endless repetitive movements tend 

to cause injuries because individuals are using the same 

muscles, day in and day out. One way of averting this type 

of strain is by implementing a ‘job rotation’ system. 

By allowing employees to spend a few hours at a variety 

of workstations throughout the day, you’re not only 

enabling them to use different muscles, but they will be 

more cognitively engaged and less likely to make a mistake 

due to fatigue. 

Encouraging workers to perform specific stretches 

every hour also saves time and injuries in the long run. 

“Many manufacturers are worried that stretching 

reduces production,” says Gowan. “The truth is, simple 

stretches between cycles improve productivity, quality of 

work, morale and they alleviate pain and fatigue.” 

The difficulty in implementing ergonomic practices 

in a manufacturing environment is that, unlike in office 

settings, every manufacturing workstation is different. 

If your company has been experiencing a lot of musculoskeletal 

injuries in recent years, consider hiring an 

ergonomist to do a thorough assessment and analysis 

of your manufacturing lines. While the assessment and 

resulting solutions might cost a bit more money, it can 

save you a lot more down the line. 

Vanessa Chris is an award-winning journalist based in 

Toronto. You can contact her at vachris@rogers.com

Safety by 

design 

Office ergonomic injuries 

are no laughing matter 

By The Canadian Centre for 


(CCOHS) 

Chances are if you work in an 

office, it’s nowhere near as 

dramatic as TV’s The Office. 

Compared to the hijinks that 

go on at the Dunder Mifflin 

regional office, your office life is 

most likely a bit mundane. The 

risks of getting hurt appear low 

when you’re simply sitting in front of a computer, moving 

a mouse and sending emails and the like. 

Still, no matter how harmless these activities may 

seem, they can set the stage for injuries that can develop 

over time — especially for those who must sit in front of 

the computer and type for hours on end each day. 

Office workers may suffer injuries of the wrists, back, 

neck, shoulders and elbows. And it may begin to affect 

other muscles, joints and nerves in general. These conditions 

are known as Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD). The 

costs for both the worker and the employer are significant. 

MSDs rarely originate from one event or particular 

factor. They generally develop over time from a variety 

of circumstances. Some are work-related and beyond the 

workers’ control, while others, such as individual work 

practices, do allow workers some control. 

A poorly designed workstation may pose undue physical 

stress on the worker. These factors include awkward 

posture, use of force, repetitive movements, or a combination 

of these. 

The workplace design should enable the employees to 

carry out work in comfort and safety while allowing them 

to make voluntary changes in the working posture. To 

achieve this, the design should factor in the types of tasks 

performed, the work station design and the chair. 

Design factors 

Take into account the anticipated tasks. Does the work 

require frequent visual or manual movement? Visual tasks 

place tension on the neck, trunk and pelvis so that the eyes 

can maintain the required vision for a duration of time. 

Reduce the strain by properly positioning the visual tasks, 

and shortening the time spent on tasks. 

Also consider movement. For light tasks, wrist and arm 

support may help. For heavier tasks, it might help to arrange 

the work surface below the employee’s elbow height. 

Workstation components, including the desk, computer 

and chair all affect the worker’s body position and should 

make it possible to work in a balanced body position. It 

should also allow for frequent changes between a variety 

of body positions. 

When it comes to chairs, employers should look for a 

fully adjustable model that can accommodate the majority 

of workers. Only consider chairs with controls that allow 

for easy adjustment of the seat height and tilt, as well as 

the backrest height and angle. 

A word of caution: “Just because a chair is labeled as 

ergonomic doesn’t mean it’s going to work for all your 

workers, nor is one chair going to fit all the different types 

of tasks performed at your organization,” says Andrew 

Drewczynski, ergonomist at the Canadian Centre for 

Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). 

Drewczynski recommends that all workers take their 

prospective chair for a test drive. “At CCOHS our staff 

members try out their chairs under real working conditions, 

at their workstation, to ensure they’re comfortable 

and suitable for their job functions.” 

Set-up tips 

Here are some more practical suggestions for workers to 

keep in mind when they’re at their workstations: 

• See not squint. Glare on the computer monitor is a 

major culprit of headaches and stiffness. Not only do we 

squint, sometimes we will actually sit in an awkward position 

to avoid the glare. Set up your monitor so there is no 

reflection from lights or from windows. 

• Read not strain. Often the computer screen is farther 

away than where you would hold a book to read, but not 

far enough away for the “long distance” vision part of 

your glasses. Having task-specific computer glasses may 

help reduce eyestrain or ask your optometrist for more 

information. 

• Sit not slouch. Posture is extremely important. Become 

a “fly on the wall” and pay attention to how you sit and 

perform tasks. Do you hold the phone between your ear 

and shoulder? Maybe you sit in a slouch. These postures 

can put strain on your back, neck and shoulder muscles, 

and can also cause headaches. Try to sit up straight, and 

get a headset for your phone. 

• Stretch not stiff. People who sit most of the day at a desk 

often complain about being stiff and sore. It actually takes 

effort for the body to maintain one position for a long 

time. “Don’t forget to take frequent short breaks,” advises 

Drewczynski. “Aim for five minutes rest every 60 minutes. 

Find other tasks to do that don’t involve sitting at your 

computer, or simply get up and stretch.” 

• Mouse not misery. While it is a handy gadget, a computer 

mouse can cause all sorts of pains and aches. Be sure 

your mouse is positioned in the right place for you; try to 

put it in front of, instead of beside, the keyboard. Use the 

shortcut and function keys on the keyboard instead of the 

mouse whenever possible. And avoid using the mouse for 

long periods of time. Take frequent breaks even when you 

feel fine. 

• Light not might. Be kind to your keyboard — excessive 

force is generally not a good idea. Most often, force is a 

problem for workers who have to lift or place objects, but 

even sticky keyboards can make you use more effort than 

you need to. Be sure your equipment is in good working 

order, and type lightly. 

• Pace not race. Deadlines are a way of work life, but in 

general, too fast a work pace does not allow the body time 

to recover between repetitive or forceful movements — it 

can increase the risk of developing an injury. Both management 

and employees should determine a good pace for 

the office. Figure out reasonable work quotas, schedules, 

goals and timelines. 

• Don’t risk that wrist. Wrist rests can be both a blessing 

and a curse. On one hand, it is known that leaning 

the wrists on a wrist rest or the edge of the desk for long 

periods can put a lot of pressure on the undersides of the 

wrists. This may cause conditions such as carpal tunnel 

syndrome (CTS) to develop. On the other hand, evidence 

shows that wrist rests can ease tension in the neck and 

shoulders. 

• Address the stress. Stress can come from many sources. 

Sometimes it’s a deadline; sometimes it’s more chronic. 

Laughing is one of the easiest and best ways to reduce 

stress. Take several deep breaths or stretch breaks throughout 

the day. Gain control of your situation. Use 10 minutes 

at the beginning of each day to prioritize and organize 

your tasks. Be realistic with your colleagues and yourself 

about what you can accomplish. 

Refi ne the design 

Effective job design is neither a one-way nor a one-time 

task. Gather and review feedback from employees. No 

matter how well thought out the workstation design, there 

is usually a need for individual tailoring. 

Worker involvement is key. Consult with them on an 

ongoing basis, and together look for ways in which you 

can refine workstation design to be even more effective, 

safer and healthier. 

More information about ergonomics can be found on 

the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s 

(CCOHS) website at www.ccohs.ca. 

July/August 2009 19

THE LATEST IN HEALTH AND SAFETY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 

H&S PRODUCTS 

Snap! 

Sperian Protection Group’s Uvex brand of safety eyewear 

has launched the Uvex Seismic sealed eyewear. 

Th e Uvex Seismic is a breakthrough in ergonomic, 

adaptable design combining comfort and high performance 

protection against 

impact, sun, wind, dust 

and debris, Sperian 

said. Th e adaptive 

design can be worn 

with snap-in temples 

or headband and with or 

without the cushion-lined 

sub-frame. Workers can now 

adapt to their environment and address a range of hazards—grinding, 

chipping, shaving and sanding—with 

the Uvex Seismic. It off ers wearers a contemporary, 

fl exible design with a range of comfort and adjustability 

features for all-day wear. Soft nose pads conform to 

a variety of facial profi les and minimize slippage. Th e 

high-quality foam sub-frame provides cushioning and 

protection from fi ne particles. Padded temple tips deliver 

behind-the-ear comfort, while the fl ame-resistant 

headband adjusts for an excellent fi t. Th e Uvex Seismic 


meets ANSI Z87.1-2003 (High Impact) standard with 

and without the cushion-lined frame, and is certifi ed 

to comply with CSA Z94.3 standards only when worn 

with cushion-lined frame. 

www.sperianprotection.com 

Welder-ready seating 

Synetik Design Inc. has developed what the company 

claims as the fi rst complete range of ergonomic seats 

for welders. Th ese chairs are fi t for work tasks from the 

ground to 55 inches high, seating or 

unusual work positions such as 

kneeling or lying. Th e chairs offer 

an eff ective solution for any 

welding application, the company 

said. Th e chairs feature kneepads 

and a stool which allow users to 

work comfortably in a kneeling 

position. Th e ergonomic design reduces 

pressure sensations felt in the knees, ankles 

and lumbar region, allows users to vary work position 

quickly and easily, and reduces fatigue by limiting muscular 

eff ort, the company said. 

www.synetik-di.com 

GAS DETECTION & CONFINED 

SPACE PROTECTION 

Wall on guard 

Th e Guardian, from CEA Instruments, is a newly expanded family of 

wall-mounted, continuous gas monitors available for carbon monoxide, 

hydrogen sulfi de, oxygen, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, 

hydrogen chloride, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, hydrogen, and many 

others. Standard features include digital display, NEMA 4X enclosures, 

output relays, and multi-level audio and visual alarms. Th e Guardian controller 

is available with up to four remote sensors which are fast responding 

and unaff ected by temperature and humidity changes, the company said. A 

system test button, local danger alarm indicator and fault alarm assures 

proper operations. Th e unit is easy to install, operate and maintain. 

www.ceainstr.com 

Gas detection on demand 

Industrial Scientifi c’s new MX4 iQuad is able to detect from one to four gases, and 

is the latest addition to the company’s line of iNet-ready gas detectors. iNet off ers an 

alternative to buying and maintaining gas detectors, the company said, by providing 

a soft ware-based service that enables visibility into gas detector alarms, exposure 

and usage. It keeps gas detectors working without costly and time-consuming 

maintenance. With iNet, the customers do not have to buy the gas detectors. Instead, 

they subscribe to iNet gas detection service. Using the MX4 with iNet, subscribers 

avoid the common problems of owning gas detectors, while enjoying MX4’s reliable 

and user-friendly features. Th e MX4 is small, rugged and simple to use. A rubber 

overmold covers its polycarbonate housing to protect the MX4 from high-impact 

bumps and drops. 

www.indsci.com 

CO2 detector 

Th e EX-5165 sensor/transmitter from ENMET Corporation features 

an infrared sensor which can be supplied calibrated for the detection of 

carbon dioxide in ranges available from 0-500 ppm to 0-100 per cent by 

volume CO2. Th e NDIR sensor can continuously monitor high concentrations 

of CO2 and operate in an anaerobic environment, the company 

said. Th is sensor/transmitter provides an LCD of the gas concentration and 

has three LED alarm point indicators. It is approved for location in Class I, 

Division 1, Groups B, C and D atmospheres. It features 4-20 mA output and 

non-intrusive calibration. Th e EX-5165 is a 24 VDC loop powered transmitter 

that provides a 4-20 mA output which can be connected to a PLC or any one of several 

controllers available from ENMET Corporation. 

www.enmet.com 

X for ‘extreme’ 

Th e H.L. Bouton Company, Inc.’s new XFC (extreme fashion and comfort) 

9100 safety spectacle features a lightweight nylon half-frame and a 

unique single lens design. Th is spectacle includes soft fl exible ribbed rubberized 

temple tips for secure fi t, ribbed rubberized nosepiece, and hardcoated 

eight-base curve polycarbonate lens. Th e XFC 9100 is available with 

black or crimson frames. Th e lens choices are clear, smoke, amber, mirror, 

TrueView and Clear Polynium Plus. Its specially engineered lens design 

provides maximum defence, while protecting in comfort. Impact defying, 

polycarbonate lenses protect eyes from 100 per cent of harmful UV radiation. 

Th e XFC 9100 meets ANSI Z87.1 standards. 

www.hlbouton.com 

Curves and colour 

MSA’s new Custom TechnaCurv Harness has a patented 

curvilinear comfort system that combines curved 

neck and torso webbing with an adjustable Y Back 

D-Locator pad, the company said. Th is moves the 

shoulder webbing away from the neck, preventing 

chaffi ng and providing greater comfort. Additional 

features include bright orange webbing for greater 

visibility, visco-elastic shoulder padding that automatically 

adjusts to your body, and Sorbtek fabric that wicks 

moisture away from the body. 

www.msanet.com 

DVD for aggressive drivers 

A new aggressive driver training DVD program entitled, Emotional Wreck, 

has been released by Coastal Training Technologies 

in Virginia Beach, Va. and it’s now being 

distributed in Canada through Belleville, 

Ont.-based Electrolab Training Systems. 

Th is new DVD program takes a sobering 

look at what constitutes aggressive driving, 

what contributes to it and how one 

driver’s acts can cause a “domino eff ect” of 

bad decisions that may lead to “road rage” 

and tragedy. Aggressive driving accounts for 

one-third of all crashes and two-thirds of all 

fatal car crashes, killing almost 1,500 people 

and costing approximately $40 billion each 

year. Th is new DVD program targets the 

causes and eff ects of aggressive driving, the 

psychological traps we all fall into when we’re 

behind the wheel, and how to apply safe driving practices to avoid or defend 

against aggressive driving, according to Electrolab. To arrange a free 

preview of the DVD, please call 1-800-267-7482. 

www.electrolab.ca 

It’s a keeper! 

Gear Keeper’s new Retractable Industrial Tool Lanyard is a tool safety device 

ideal for contractors, electricians, linemen and phone technicians – 

even for workers observing at the 

foot of the drop. Th e Gear Keeper 

Retractable Industrial Tool Lanyard 

is engineered specifi cally to 

provide reliable, versatile access 

to the gear you need at your fi ngertips 

when on the job. It can be 

used for a wide variety of tools 

such as wrenches, hammers and 

pliers, the company said. Innovative 

features of this handy device 

include a tough Nylon/Spectra 

line built for high strength and 

durability as well as a strong stainless steel coil spring mechanism housed 

inside stainless steel hardware — providing reliable performance for years 

of rugged abuse on the job. Th e unit is available in two models — each built 

specifi cally to protect a variety of tool weights from a full-range drop. Th e 

RT4 model is designed to handle tools up to 16 oz. and provide users with 

minimum retraction force (3 oz.) while allowing the tool to extend a full 

36 inches. Th e RT3 model is ideal for slightly heavier small tools as it can 

grasp onto tools weighing up to 32 oz., and provides 12 oz. of retraction 

force while reaching out for up to 42 inches. 

www.gearkeeper.com

FOR YOUR INFORMATION 

Do you want to know more about any product advertised in this issue of COS? Here you’ll find the information 

you need to make the right connections! Every advertiser is listed, along with several ways that you can get in touch. 

Whether you phone, visit a website or send an e-mail, getting the information you need has never been easier. 

ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE ADDRESS ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE ADDRESS 

Best Glove 21 www.bestglove.com 

Canada Law Book 10, 23 www.canadalawbook.ca 

Danatec Educational Services 5 www.danatec.com 

Debolt Data Depository 12 www.deboltdata.com 

Fisher Safety 4 www.fishersafety.ca 

Hellberg Safety 14 www.hellbergsafety.ca 

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH 

AN AD IN SAFETYLINKS 

email Kathy Liotta; 

Kliotta@clbmedia.ca 

For more than 50 years, 

Best Glove Manufacturing Limited 

has been an innovative leader in researching, 

developing, manufacturing and supplying 

quality hand protection 

to industrial workers and 

professionals of all fields. 

An innovative pioneer, 

Best Glove boasts an 

impressive list of firsts in 

glove technology. 

1-800-565-BEST (2378) 

@e-updates 

Sign up for the COS e-updates 

to get the latest information on 

workplace health and safety right 

at your fingertips. 

Go to www.cos-mag.com 

to sign up for the free 

COS e-update today! 

Kee Safety 12 www.keeguard.ca 

Master Lock Canada 14 www.safetyseries.com 

MSA Canada 15 www.MSANET.com 

North Safety Products 2 www.northsafety.com 

Scott Health & Safety 24 www.scotths.com/atcos 

Sperian 9 www.uvex.us 

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION 

Light and free 

UniTech Services Group’s MAXAIR Powered Air Purifying 

Respirator (PAPR) provides superior respiratory protection anywhere 

workers may be exposed to heat stress or contaminated 

air, the company said. Its proprietary design provides complete 

protection from airborne particulates and splashes. UniTech 

is the exclusive authorized nuclear industry distributor of the 

NIOSH-approved powered air-purifying respirator. MAXAIR 

system features a helmet, disposable HE fi lter, fi lter cover, and 

choice of disposable cuff or shroud. LED visual safety indicators 

display real-time information on remaining battery life and airfl 

ow. Compared to traditional PAPRs, MAXAIR is 33 per cent 

lighter, making it more comfortable to wear for longer periods. 

Its patented hose-free design allows for increased freedom of movement and prevents workers from 

getting caught or snagged on objects in the work area. 

www.unitech.ws 

Going strapless 

Faceseal Technologies has released a new adhesion facemask that aims to address the shortcomings 

and limitations of conventional respirators that are held in place by straps, 

rubber bands and nose clips. Th e Fitseal Adhesion Filtering Facepiece Particulate 

Respirator (FFPR) represents a breakthrough in personal respirator 

technology, said the company. Co-developed by Canadian and American scientists 

and medical experts, this one-size-fi ts-all respirator is held in place by 

medical-grade adhesion technology that conforms and seals to the wearer’s 

face, signifi cantly reducing inward and outward leakage between the mask 

and the face. Th e Fitseal N99 off ers at least 99 per cent fi ltration effi ciency 

against solid and liquid aerosols that do not contain oil, the company said. Th e 

structure and materials are designed for comfort, allow for easy breathing as well as clear speech, and 

can be worn comfortably for up to eight hours. 

www.facesealtechnologies.com 

Model masks 

New antimicrobial respirator mask technology has been introduced by Nexera Medical, 

Inc. (Nexera). Considered the model for next-generation respirator masks, Nexera’s 

SpectraShield 9900 and SpectraShieldTM Plus FFP3 Antimicrobial Masks (SpectraShield) 

begin to kill bacteria and viruses immediately on contact, and have tested 

fi ltration performance equivalent to a N99 or greater. Th e SpectraShields are available 

in both adult and children’s sizes, and give public health offi cials and fi rst responders 

the best available protection against viruses and diseases, Nexera said. Canadian 

health authorities have approved the mask to be reused for up to 28 days, and it recently 

received regulatory approval in the EU as an antimicrobial FFP3 respirator, the 

company added. 

www.nexeramed.com 

July/August 2009 21

BITE-SIZED PIECES OF WIT AND WISDOM FROM THE WORLD OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

HEALTH PAGE 

What wine goes with chicken wings? 

Answer: none! 


COMPILED BY NATHAN MALLETT 

It’s not Miller time – It’s merlot time… or at least it should be, say health experts. Researchers 

in Denmark have found that people who drink wine are more likely to have a healthier diet 

than those who prefer to chug cold ones. Th e study, which was published in the British Medical 

Journal, tracked the food consumption habits of tens of thousands of Danish shoppers over 

a six-month period and categorized subjects based on their alcoholic beverage of choice. Th e 

researchers found that customers in the “wine only” group tended to buy a lot more fruit and 

veggies and low fat cheese, milk and meat, than their beer-drinking counterparts. On the other 

hand, those who favoured the fermented hops were more likely to eat more prepared and processed 

foods, as well as chips, pork, sausage and a variety of foods high in saturated fats. 

Benefi ts of bonding 

The ubiquitous “girls’ night out” may actually offer women more than just a few hours 

of laughs. According to a study from the University of Michigan, the simple act of 

spending time “bonding” with a bunch of BFFs can boost women’s sense of well-being, 

while measurably reducing levels of anxiety in the body. Researchers found that among 

college-aged female test subjects who were paired up and asked to perform activities 

that elicited feelings of emotional closeness, there was a noticeable increase in subjects’ 

levels of progesterone, a stress-busting hormone associated with motherhood and 

pregnancy. “Many of the hormones involved in bonding and helping behavior lead to 

reductions in stress and anxiety. Now we see that higher levels of progesterone may 

be part of the underlying physiological basis for these effects,” said UM researcher 

Stephanie Brown. The findings of the study are published in the June 

2009 issue of the journal Hormones and Behavior. 

Rub a dub dub 

Bosses in the U.K. may soon be telling their staff to hit the showers … but in a good way, all in the name 

of boosting productivity and reducing workplace stress. According to the British newspaper, Th e Daily 

Telegraph, four businesses in that country noticed an increase in employee performance when staff 

members took mid-day showers. Th e study, conducted by a bathroom fi xture manufacturer, tracked the 

businesses (a restaurant, lingerie company, architect fi rm and an ad agency) for eight weeks. According 

to the researchers, employees recorded a 16 per cent increase in productivity, while 23 per cent said they 

felt better at work. “As well as helping me get a fresh perspective on things, I found it to be a great pickme-up 

on days when I felt tired,” remarked one of the employees who took part in the study. “[It] gave 

me some peace and quiet, being away from the ringing phones in the offi ce and it was great for mulling 

over ideas,” said another worker. 

Medicine 

at warp speed 

Your local emergency room may soon look more like the sick bay on the Starship 

Enterprise if a new gadget developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

catches on. Th e agency’s Science and Technology Directorate is currently testing its 

latest creation, the Standoff Patient Triage Tool (SPTT). Th e portable unit can measure 

pulse, body temperature, respiration and other vital signs in only a few seconds 

without actually touching the patient. It reportedly even works from a range of 40 

feet. Th e developers say that Star Trek fans will immediately recognize the SPTT’s 

resemblance to Doctor McCoy’s “tricorder”, a futuristic device the sci-fi physician 

used to instantly examine patients in the 1960s TV series. Th e real-life version of 

the technology uses something called laser doppler vibromitry to remotely collect 

medical data. A DHS spokesperson said the equipment will allow medics to quickly 

assess a room full of victims of an accident or disaster in moments via remote control. 

Traditionally, collecting vitals required a hands-on examination that could take 

between three and fi ve minutes per person. “We thought, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be nice 

if a responder could have a technology to take vital signs quickly from fi ve to 40 feet 

away?’” said Greg Price, director of the project. Th e device is expected to be rolled 

out to emergency personnel in the next few years. 

Attention shoppers…. 

I won’t expect your supermarket to be an ally in your struggle to lead a healthier lifestyle. According to research 

from New Zealand, grocery stores are more likely to entice shoppers to fill their baskets with sugar-filled, calorierich 

foods and drink than healthier all-natural alternatives. The study looked at 1,500 supermarket beverage discounts 

and promotions in that country over a one-month period. It found that grocers were less likely to cut prices 

on nutritious drinks, but frequently slashed the cost of products that were high in fat, sugar or calories. “Given the 

influence discounts can have on what shoppers purchase, supermarkets could promote healthy options by discounting the 

products that are nutritious and contain less saturated fat and added sugar,” said Claire Hewat, chair of a dietitians association 

in neighbouring Australia. Hewat’s association is on a campaign to fight obesity by pushing government and the food industry 

to make healthy food choices more affordable and available to consumers. The study was published in the journal Nutrition and 

Dietetics.

CA062 

Industrial workplace protection 

for committed professionals 

Conducting Administrative, 

Oversight & Ombudsman 

Investigations 

Gareth Jones 

This is a ground-breaking, hands-on guide to 

conducting investigations of any kind that sets out the 

eight principles that underlie effective and credible 

investigations, discusses common problems that may 

arise and how to avoid them. 

Perfectbound • 460 pp. • April 2009 • $85 

P/C 0966010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-488-4 

Human Resources Guide to 

Preventing Workplace Violence, 

Second Edition 

Norman A. Keith and Goldie Bassi 

This fully updated second edition provides practical 

guidance on issues such as what constitutes 

workplace violence, types and sources of workplace 

violence, the cost of workplace violence to individuals 

and organizations. 

Perfectbound • Approx. 260 pp. • September 2009 • 

Approx. $75 • P/C 0969010002 

ISBN 978-0-88804-490-7 

Labour Relations Board 

Remedies in Canada 

Second Edition 

Jeffrey Andrew 

A comprehensive book that covers the remedial 

orders issued by the federal and provincial labour 

boards. If you are involved in negotiating remedies, 

are a member of a labour relations board or a part 

of a union, this resource will be an indispensable 

reference tool for you. 

Looseleaf & binder • $199 

Releases invoiced separately (1-2/yr) 

P/C 0404032000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-480-8 

A Practical Guide to 


and Workers’ Compensation 

Compliance in Alberta 

Norman Keith and Adam Neave 

A unique resource written by leading experts in 

occupational health and safety, this book will provide 

an overview of the occupational health and safety 

internal and external responsibility systems in 

Alberta. It also introduces the workers’ compensation 

system and effective management strategies. 

Perfectbound • 174 pp. • 2007 • $72 

P/C 0172010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-460-0 

Enforcing Human Rights 

in Ontario 

Mary Cornish, Fay Faraday and 

Jo-Anne Pickel 

For a 30-day, no-risk evaluation call: 1.800.263.2037 

Canada Law Book is a Division of The Cartwright Group Ltd. Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. 

The Human Rights Code was recently amended to 

significantly change how human rights are protected, 

promoted and enforced in Ontario. This is the first 

book to outline how the new human rights system 

works, written by lawyers renowned for their 

experience in the area. 

Hardbound • 336 pp. • March 2009 • $98 

P/C 0301010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-485-3 

Human Resources Guide to 

Workplace Investigations 

Janice Rubin and Christine Thomlinson 

This book discusses the “dos” and “don’ts” of 

conducting workplace investigations. It addresses 

issues such as, why conduct a workplace 

investigation, who should conduct an investigation, 

the investigation process and the investigation report. 


P/C 0141010000 • ISBN 0-88804-443-7 

The Law of Dismissal for Human 

Resources Professionals 

Howard Levitt 

Provides a complete account of virtually every issue 

you may face as an HR professional or executive, 

during a dismissal. Through Howard Levitt’s 

practical tips, charts, checklists and strategies you’ll 

gain the clear-cut, easy-to-follow guidance you need 

to meet the demands and conquer the challenges of 

dismissal and avoid liability. 


P/C 0174010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-464-8 

Workplaces That Work: 

A Guide to Conflict 

Management in Union and 

Non-Union Work Environments 

Blaine Donais 

A practical guide to dispute resolution in both the 

union and non-union workplace. It offers quantitative 

solutions to managing workplace conflict through 

tools such as the Testing Instrument for Fairness 

Systems among others. 

Perfectbound with CD-ROM • 362 pp. • 2006 • $89 

P/C 0143010000 • ISBN 0-88804-445-3 

COS0709

risk assessments? - Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine

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