Canadian Occupational Safety

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 7 Workers with disabilities report greater OHS vulnerability A ccording to a new study by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) in Toronto, workers who identify as having a disability are more likely to be exposed to workplace hazards. Additionally, they are more likely to face inadequate occupational health and safety (OHS) protections. "Basically, they get hit with a double whammy," said Curtis Breslin, lead author of the study. "We found they reported more haz- ards in the jobs that they worked and… even when they seem to be working comparable jobs to people without disabilities, they still have this, what we call, OHS vulnerability." IWH has developed a 27-question OHS Vul- nerability Measure that determines whether a worker is vulnerable to occupational health and safety risks at work. The survey asks questions on four vulnerability dimensions: • exposure to workplace hazards • access to organization-level protective polices and procedures • awareness of rights and responsibilities related to health and safety • workplace culture and support. Nearly 2,000 workers completed the ques- tionnaire. Respondents were asked whether they suffered from a long-term physical or mental condition or health problem that reduces the amount or kind of activity they can do at work. Individuals who reported a work-related physi- cal or mental injury or illness in the past year were excluded from the sample because the researchers felt a recent injury may impact their perceptions of the OHS vulnerability factors. More than one-half of the respondents who were "sometimes" or "often" disabled at work were exposed to hazards, compared to 41 per cent of those without a disability. Respondents who identified as having a dis- ability were 66 to 70 per cent more likely to report vulnerability due to hazard exposure com- bined with inadequate policy and procedures, the study found. Respondents with disabilities were also nearly twice as likely to be vulnerable to hazard exposure and lack of empowerment. "Empowerment is a very interesting one," Breslin said. "Do they feel they have input in the safety climate and safety policies and pro- cedures in their workplace? Do they feel they have input into the joint health and safety com- mittee? That can really pick up on a number of things." When it came to vulnerability due to OHS awareness, a statistically significant link was found for workers who were "sometimes" disabled at work, but not for those who were "often" disabled. Awareness refers to workers not only understanding their rights and respon- sibilities to a safe workplace, but also having an awareness of the hazards they may face. The report hypothesizes that such vulnerabili- ties may be related to the fact that people with disabilities are more likely to hold low-skill, tem- porary jobs, which are associated with greater hazards and a weaker safety culture. The report also notes that when individuals with disabilities hold comparable jobs to those without, there can be a poorer job fit — due to lack of appropriate accommodations — that opens those individu- als up to safety risks. Accommodations could be as simple as allowing more time to finish a task or purchasing speech-to-text software for indi- viduals with learning disabilities. Breslin recommends supervisors and OHS managers review the kinds of disabilities or limitations that may be common in their workplace. "There's the idea of universal design, engi- neering out the hazard, that helps everybody, including people with a disability," he said. "It's making another push for the basics to really just get those hazards out of the workplace so that everybody's safer." There are reactive and proactive ways to keep workers safe from accidental exposure on the job. Pugash said that in the potential case of an officer being exposed, they could count on Toronto EMS to act diligently and swiftly to provide care, but stresses the importance of carrying nal- oxone, the antidote for opioid overdoses and exposure. Naloxone blocks the effects of the opioids and reverts the situation, preventing an overdose. The antidote is often referred to by its brand name, Narcan. MacDonald echoes the importance of naloxone training and carrying around the antidote, but adds that in order to keep a safe work environment, there needs to be a culture of awareness to the problem. "Whether you're law enforcement or a health-care provider, the best way to keep on top of things is to know about them as they impact other jurisdictions and before they come to yours," he said. "You can always learn from others." Furlan recommends wearing the proper safety garments including masks, gloves and protective clothing to prevent direct contact with powdered and often fatal forms of opioids, especially when dealing with a person who is under the influence of an opioid. Last December, Halifax police started donning hazmat suits, respirators and double gloves when responding to crime scenes were deadly opioids were suspected. The Justice Institute of British Columbia launched fentanylsafety.com to outline safe work pro- cedures for handling opioids for first responders. Some recommendations include: understanding your organization's policy on handling opioids; knowing the signs of exposure and being aware of individuals who exhibit those signs; treating all unknown substances as if they contain or are fentanyl; and knowing how to administer naloxone. Alexia Kapralos is the videographer and assistant editor for Canadian Occupational Safety. ASSE swaps out 'engineers' for 'professionals' in name change T he world's oldest professional safety society, founded over 100 years ago, will adopt a new name following a membership vote that was overwhelmingly in favour of the change. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will officially become the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) in June when it unveils a redesigned website in conjunction with its Safety 2018 conference in San Antonio. The switch was approved by 74 per cent of voting mem- bers. The association has 37,000 members globally. "Our members have clearly voiced that the American Society of Safety Professionals better reflects our diverse membership," said ASSE president Jim Smith. "Engineers made up our entire membership when we were formed, but today the occupational safety and health profession encompasses many disciplines." The organization was founded as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors in 1911 as a result of a tragic factory fire that killed 146 garment workers in lower Manhattan. It was the deadliest industrial disaster in New York City history, and led to reforms that improved workplace safety. The society's name shifted in 1914 to ASSE. Research conducted in 2016 with ASSE members, cus- tomers and stakeholders across the globe indicated that an updated brand with a clearer vision would better reflect the organization's current membership and position it for growth. The study also found that a new name would help eliminate confusion about who could join the society. "Our members have always decided who we are and what we're all about," Smith said. "Workplace safety is constantly evolving, so our society must adjust as well to remain strong and relevant while growing our profession." Kathy Tull, president of the Canadian Society of Safety Engi- neering (CSSE), said the announcement has renewed interest from CSSE members to look at whether the society's name accurately reflects its membership demographics in Canada.

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