Canadian Occupational Safety

6 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com WORKPLACE NEWS Canadian workplace fatalities lowest since 1999 I n 2015, 852 workers died on the job across Canada, the lowest number since 1999, according to recently released statistics from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada. Two-thirds (65.6 per cent) of these fatalities were due to occupational disease, the remaining one-third due to injury. The fi ve industries with the highest number of fatalities were construction industries (186), manufacturing (177), govern- ment services (113), transportation and storage (74) and mining, quarrying and oil wells (52). When it comes to injuries, 232,629 lost-time claims were accepted across Canada in 2015. This fi gure has been steadily decreasing since 2000. The most lost-time claims were accepted in health and social services (41,111). "This is one of the largest workforces in terms of size, so it is expected that injuries would be higher than smaller sectors," said Henrietta Van Hulle, executive director, health and community services, at the Public Services Health and Safety Association in Toronto. The nature of the work also makes health-care workers more susceptible to injuries. "Health-care workers are not working with inanimate objects where typical controls can be applied. Patients are unpredictable and are all different. One control measure will not work with every patient they encounter," added Van Hulle. Rounding out the top fi ve industries with the most lost-time claims were manufacturing (33,013), construction (26,015), retail trade (26,005) and transportation and storage (15,538). Manitoba injured more workers than any other jurisdiction, with its lost-time injury frequency (per 100 workers) coming in at 2.99 for 2015. Rounding out the top three were British Columbia, with a rate of 2.22, and Saskatchewan at 2.04. The safest provinces were Ontario, with a lost-time injury frequency of 0.85, followed by New Brunswick (1.15) and Alberta (1.25). Young worker safety has improved signifi cantly. In 2015, 15 young workers (aged 15 to 24) died on the job compared to 38 in 2014. "It is amazing to see how parents, students, business and government leaders are more engaged in protecting our future leaders. This new leadership is helping to build a strong momentum for safety culture," said Rob Ellis, founder of MySafeWork. "Young worker lives are being saved. The challenge to all leaders is can we reach the goal of zero fatalities to young workers? That will be the day when all families in Canada will celebrate." Injuries among young workers are slightly declining with 30,207 lost-time claims in 2015, compared to 30,582 in 2014. Elementary teachers' union wants violent incidents addressed T he Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) released a call to action to address the lack of support for students facing behavioural issues, which can lead to violent incidents in the classroom. Among its recommendations, ETFO is calling on the government to adequately fund spe- cial education programs, set up inter-ministerial supports to build capacity for children's mental health services and support school board compliance, such as reporting of incidents and training related to occupational health and safety. Education workers have one of the highest levels of lost-time injuries caused by workplace violence, according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board statistics. Elementary school teachers have more than twice the rate of these lost-time injuries as secondary teachers. "We need to ensure school environments are physically and psychologically safe to ensure optimal teaching conditions and learning outcomes for students," said ETFO president Sam Hammond. The union said there is a "critical need" for more special education teachers, educational assistants, psychologists, behavioural therapists, school support counsel- lors, child and youth workers and speech language pathologists The ETFO is calling on school boards to reinforce the lead- ership role of superintendents and principals in making health, safety and well-being a priority for everyone in the school community. It said ongoing health and safety training for these leaders must be a school board priority. "There must be an effective system in place for staff to report health and safety concerns, including incidents of workplace violence, followed by prompt investigation by principals and superintendents. This is the most effective way for assuring that prompt and effective actions will be taken for early intervention and the avoidance of future harm," the ETFO said. First responders fi ght to establish PTSD presumption M embers of the Union of Canadian Cor- rectional Offi cers and the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) are calling on the provincial and federal governments to adopt a pre- sumption for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for fi rst responders. This comes on the heals of a report of the Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that recommended such a pre- sumption, published in October. As workers' compensation laws vary across Canada, more and more public safety offi cers are asking for a national plan on operational stress injuries. Since 2012, fi ve provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan) have amended their legislation to establish the presumption that PTSD is a workplace injury among fi rst responders, removing the burden to prove a connection between a worker's diagno- sis and his job. However, New Brunswick's legislation limits the presumption specifi cally to police offi cers, fi refi ghters and paramedics. "Correctional offi cers are fi rst responders behind the walls. Because we're always out of sight, it is often diffi cult to recog- nize the traumatic impact of events that occur in the context of our work", said Jason Godin, national president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Offi cers. Correctional offi cers are exposed to traumatic situations on a daily basis, and more than 25 per cent of these workers are suf- fering from PTSD, according to Tema Conter Memorial Trust. The same percentage applies to paramedics, followed by 17.3 per cent of fi refi ghters and 7.6 per cent of police offi cers. By comparison, the organization found PTSD affl icts 9.2 per cent of the general population. Tema Conter Memorial Trust reported 48 fi rst responders died by suicide in 2016. In Nova Scotia, MLA David Wilson fi rst introduced legis- lation allowing emergency responders to be automatically covered by workers' compensation in October 2014, but it died on the order paper. Wilson reintroduced the legislation on Oct. 14, 2016. "This time, the bill must pass. It is unacceptable that the very same people that put their lives on the line to protect us, can't receive the care they need, when they need it," said Jason MacLean, NSGEU president. The Union of Canadian Correctional Offi cers and NSGEU want the support of all government representatives across the country, and they say a PTSD presumption could change the life of thousands of correctional offi cers and other fi rst responders. "The bottom line is public safety offi cers' rights should be the same, coast to coast," said Jeff Wilkins, Atlantic regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Offi cers. Lisa Jennings could not agree more. In 2014, she launched a grassroots lobby group called You Are Not Alone PTSD BC to push for a presumptive clause for fi rst responders in British Columbia. On her website, Jennings gives several examples of how fi rst responders support the community and, ultimately, asks for legislation to support them in return. "Anyone who has chosen a career in emergency services will tell you it is a drive to serve our communities. Some describe their work as a calling or a passion, can't imagine doing any- thing else," said Jennings, herself a former paramedic. "Given all we do for our communities, I ask you: Who will be there to take care of us in our time of need?" assistants, psychologists, behavioural therapists, school support counsel- lors, child and youth workers and speech language pathologists The ETFO is calling on school boards to reinforce the lead- must be a school board priority. "There must be an effective system in place for staff to report health and safety concerns, including incidents of workplace violence, followed by prompt investigation by principals and superintendents. This is the most effective way for assuring that prompt and effective actions will be taken for early intervention and the avoidance of future harm," the ETFO said. the Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that recommended such a pre- As workers' compensation laws vary across Canada, more and more public safety offi cers are asking for a national plan on operational stress injuries. Since 2012, fi ve provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan) have amended their legislation to establish the presumption that PTSD is a workplace injury among fi rst responders, removing the burden to prove a connection between a worker's diagno- sis and his job. However, New Brunswick's legislation limits the presumption specifi cally to police offi cers, fi refi ghters and "Correctional offi cers are fi rst responders behind the walls. Because we're always out of sight, it is often diffi cult to recog- nize the traumatic impact of events that occur in the context of

• Cover