Download PDF - College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta

at issueReducethe RiskUnderstanding OccupationalHealth & SafetyThere is an increased focus on improvinghealth professional’s understandingof workplace safety. High injuryclaims by those employed in Alberta’shealth service industries shows more education,programs, and partnerships arenecessary to keep nurses safe. However,LPNs who understand their responsibilitiesunder the Occupational Health andSafety Act can help reduce these rates, byprotecting themselves and others.There is always risk of injury in nursing.According to “Occupational Injuries andDiseases in Alberta” (Government of Alberta,Summer 2010), within the HealthService sector:• The occupational group in whichLPNs are categorized “AssistingOccupations in Support of HealthServices” had twice as many claimsas the next highest group, “NurseSupervisors and Registered Nurses”.• Employees in the Long Term Careindustry had the highest lost-timeclaim and disabling injury rates.• Claims for infectious and parasiticdisorders are 12 times the averagecompared with all other sectors.• A high incidence of sprains, strains,and tears, especially to the back,accounted for 65% of all reportedinjuries. This is 2.4 times greaterthan the average for all sectors in theprovince for lost-time claims.The purpose of the Occupational Health& Safety (OH&S) Act is to ensure a safeand healthy workplace through legislation,ensuring compliance, and providingeducation to employees and employers.Employers are responsible to tell employeesabout any workplace hazards, andprovide steps to avoid injury. This willinclude creating and implementing policiesand procedures regarding workplacesafety and injury reporting, WHMIS instructions,and providing Material SafetyData Sheets (MSDS) for hazardous substances.Employees are responsible for obeyingthe health and safety rules for the job,and report any safety concerns to theiremployer. “You can’t be disciplined orfired for following the rules of the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act”, statesthe “Occupational Health and Safety Act- Worker’s Guide” (2009: Governmentof Alberta, Employment and Immigration)OH&S’s purpose is quite different fromthe Workers’ Compensation Board. TheWCB provides workplace insuranceand rehabilitation services for injuredworkers.LEARN MOREThe Government of Alberta provides alarge number of resources for workers toeducate themselves about workplacesafety at www.worksafely.org:• eLearning Programs:Short interactive videos describing anumber of OH&S initiatives. Startwith the “Alberta OHS LegislationAwareness eLearning Program”.• Books, Bulletins & Manuals: Readthose oriented to the health serviceindustry such as “Overview of BestPractices in Occupational Health andSafety in the Healthcare Industry” or“No Unsafe Lifts”, an importantinitiative designed to reduce thenumber of back injuries amongstnurses and care workers.• Video Library: Check out titles like“Be Sure...Be Safe: Safety in theHealthcare Workplace” which usesreenactments to show the hazards ofworking alone in the communitywith aggressive clients and needleuse.• Guidebooks: Guidebooks explaincomplex legislation in simplerlanguage. Try “Occupational Healthand Safety Act - Worker’s Guide”and “Working Alone Safely: A Guidefor Employers and Employees”.• OH&S Magazine: Current andpractical articles about preventinginjury, safety tips, and OH&S newsis released three times per year.Learning more about these issues can beused as a part of an LPN’s annual continuingcompetence commitment. SeeCompetency Code C-13 “Safe WorkPractices” and C-14 “Safety Reports andDocumentation” from the CLPNA’s“Competency Profile for LPNs – 2ndEdition”. nThis article was funded by an Occupational Health & Safety grant, “Increasing OH&S Knowlege Base in Regulated Health Professionals”.care | SUMMER 2011 27