October 2014 3
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October
Pandemic planning
Lone workers
Working at heights
OHS legal update
Mental health
And the 2014
Canada's
Safest
Employer
award goes
to...
Stay tuned for the November
issue to nd out which
companies took home the
hardware at our Canada's
Safest Employers gala. This year
saw even more awards with the
addition of a new psychological
safety category.
Visit www.safestemployers.com
for details
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Safety Tip: Suspension Trauma
How to prevent this potentially
fatal condition when a worker is
suspended in a harness after a fall
Creating effective JHSCs
Laura Yourkin, Town of Innis l in
Ontario, says to include the com-
mittees during times of change
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FROM THE EDITOR
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Train-the-editor
a
few months ago I completed the mandatory health and safety training that all Ontario employees were
required to complete by July 1. While my job puts me in a position where I could have conceivably taught
this basic awareness training, I was pleasantly surprised by it.
The online training, provided by the Ministry of Labour, covered important points that all workers need to under-
stand such as the right to refuse unsafe work, the duties of employers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
and common workplace hazards. The training included personal stories of people who had been injured on the job
or who had lost a loved one due to a workplace accident. These testimonial videos really drove the message home
that everyone needs to take health and safety at work seriously.
When I was at Enform's Petroleum Safety Conference in Banff, Alta., earlier this year, Charlie Morecraft shared
his personal story that certainly reminded everyone in the audience to not take shortcuts on the job. (See page 8 for
Morecraft's story.)
As a side note, I noticed you could not fast-forward through the videos in Ontario's mandatory training. This is
an excellent feature that I think all training should have. While technology has its upsides, it does lend itself well to
employees taking shortcuts. Make sure any online health and safety training offered in your company doesn't allow
fast-forwarding through videos or important slides.
In my organization, where the vast majority of employees are in desk jobs, the training was overseen by human
resources (HR) personnel. They made sure all workers completed the training and vigilantly sent out reminder emails.
This is just one example where HR and safety intersect. In companies more diverse and inherently dangerous than
mine, it's important both departments work well together to ensure workers receive the health and safety training they
need. COS training columnist, Glyn Jones, outlines how safety can work effectively with HR to develop employees'
knowledge, skills and abilities on page 14.
I also recently completed fi rst-aid training with CPR and AED components. As a new member of my company's
joint health and safety committee (JHSC) — a perfect fi t for the editor of COS, don't you think? — I thought it was
important for me to brush up on my skills. There have been several recent changes to CPR, such as no longer taking
the time to fi nd the victim's pulse and the option for compression-only CPR. The changes are more effi cient, effec-
tive and user-friendly. If you have not taken a fi rst-aid course since 2011, I highly recommend you do because many
changes have been put in place since then.
The course also covered how to use an AED. They are so simple; I do not feel intimidated by the box on the wall
anymore. If I needed to use it, I would feel comfortable doing so. I also learned how to respond to a stroke, heart
attack, seizure, diabetic episode and various allergic reactions in the course. It's amazing how much information
is covered in one day, but I really do feel more prepared. I would encourage you to offer complimentary fi rst-aid
courses in your company — you may be surprised by the uptake you get. Many employees are interested in taking
this course not just for on-the-job safety, but also for use in their homes as well. One co-worker of mine took the
course because she had injured herself with an X-Acto knife at work, while another took it because she is a fi rst-time
mom and has a toddler at home.
Ontario is also implementing new training for JHSC members in 2015 (see story on page 7) so it looks like there
is even more OHS training — also known as research for COS — in my future.
Amanda Silliker, Editor
amanda.silliker@thomsonreuters.com
In the August/September 2014 issue, the article on page 18 titled "Breathing for 2" inaccurately stated powered air-
purifying respirators (PAPRs) protect workers against carbon monoxide exposure. The type of respirator that would
offer this protection is a supplied-air respirator.
