Canadian Occupational Safety

38 Canadian Occupational Safety | www.cos-mag.com TOOLS OF THE TRADE PRODUCTS & SERVICES The latest OHS innovations and industry updates IRSST releases new horizontal lifeline guide The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) in Montreal has updated its technical guide Protecting Against Falls from Heights – Horizontal Lifeline Design and launched a related mobile app. This new version of the guide reflects amendments made to the Quebec Safety Code for the Construction Industry that require a lanyard, which connects a worker's safety harness to the anchoring system, to be equipped with an energy absorber. It proposes a new analytical method for designing horizontal lifeline systems, which was put through 42 dynamic tests of falls from heights to study the influ- ence of a number of parameters (span, anchorage flexibility, cable diameter and deflection) on horizontal lifelines, as well as through digital simulations and double validation. The app can be used to design horizontal lifeline systems, also called flexible continuous anchor- age systems. The new tool offers a user-friendly way to calculate cable tension and deflection for fall arrest purposes, as well as the clearance required in relation to the cable. The app can also be used by prevention officers to check the compliance of an existing system, but it does not replace the expert opinion of an engineer, IRSST says. "Even though under Quebec regulations, workers exposed to a risk of falling 3 metres or more must be secured, around 6,000 falls from heights occur every year in Quebec, and many of them are fatal. The guide and application will help engineers test the validity of their systems or certain working assumptions at the pre-design or design stages or in the field," says Bertrand Galy, an IRSST researcher and co-developer of the app. "Prevention officers and (OHS) inspectors will also be able to use the guide and app to pre- validate installations. These resources could also be used in fall prevention training sessions." Rite-Hite addresses loading dock dangers inside and out To mitigate the multidimensional dangers facing workers at loading docks, Rite-Hite has introduced two new products to its Rite-Vu Light Communication Systems family: Pedestrian-Vu for the dock's interior and Approach-Vu for its exterior. Inside the dock area, Pedestrian-Vu uses motion-sensing technology to trigger a bright blue light that projects onto the dock leveller when it detects material handling equipment or a pedestrian's presence inside the trailer. Pedestrian-Vu also works in conjunction with Dok-Lok products to alert any dock worker or forklift that enters an unsecured trailer. The blue light flickers as an audible alarm alerts the unsuspecting dock worker that she has entered an unsecured trailer, while the external light system simultaneously changes to red, warning the truck driver that there is activity inside the trailer. Outside the dock opening, from a fixed location above the dock door, the new Approach-Vu sensor detects the motion of a tractor-trailer backing into a dock position. A visual and audible alarm located on the Dok-Lok vehicle restraint alerts dock workers and pedestrians of the impending danger. This multi-sensory alert system is particularly important because ambient noise often masks the sound of a cab's noisy engine, which can be 70 feet or more from the back of the trailer. App-created custom insoles available through wellness program Wiivv Wearables, a Vancouver and San Diego-based con- sumer technology company that creates custom-fit footwear products through its app, has launched an employee well- ness program for workers on their feet. The launch follows a successful pilot program with the Pacific Northwest's North Shore Rescue team, where Wiivv donated 40 pairs of custom fit insoles to the volunteers. In extreme mountain and canyon conditions, this team of more than 40 skilled volunteers routinely assists police, ambulance and fire services, the RCMP, the BC Provincial Emergency Program and the State of Washington in more than 130 search and rescue operations per year, as well as during civil emergencies. "On an average call, we can spend anywhere from one hour to three days on our feet. We are constantly on the go in some of the toughest conditions, including ice-covered rocks, wet and muddy slopes and hanging from helicopters on a longline. We stay on the job until it's done, which means we rely on our feet to keep us going the entire time," says North Shore Rescue training officer Scott Campbell. "We don't have time to feel pain." Wiivv's North America-wide employee wellness program is designed for health care, hospitality, first responders and other industries that have a high potential for foot, leg and back pain and injury from repetitive use and single incidents. Organizations can now offer Wiivv insoles to their employees as part of their corporate wellness offering. Designed to support the body's biomechanics from the foot up the kinetic chain to the lower back, Wiivv's custom fit 3D printed insoles have been designed to relieve foot pain, foot fatigue, joint discomfort and plantar fasciitis. In industries where people work on their feet, pain-free team members are likely to be more productive, with less absentee- ism due to pain and injury, the company says. "We wear the best quality boots while we're on a call, however, since we are working in such extreme conditions, it really takes a toll on our bodies. Wiivv insoles really help cushion our feet from the constant pounding they take," says Campbell. "Personally, I've noticed that my knees don't hurt as much and my lower back pain from a reoccurring injury is starting to subside." Wiivv's award-winning foot capture app for iOS and Android is behind the insoles' customization. Using more than 200 data points on each foot captured by the Wiivv app and any smartphone camera, Wiivv's technology allows computer algorithms to pinpoint the unique length, width and arch height of each person's unique feet, creating insoles with an accurate, customized fit. "We're committed to supporting first responders and other workers — from baristas and construction workers to doctors and nurses — who have to perform in environments where they're on their feet all day and the demands on their bodies and health are high," says Shamil Hargovan, Wiivv's CEO and co-founder. "We're thrilled with the positive feedback we receive from employers and workers about how Wiivvs help improve their day-to-day performance while reducing injuries and time off due to pain." Xcavator grinding wheel redesigned with Comfort Max technology Walter Surface Technologies has introduced the Xcavator with Comfort Max technology, a uniquely engineered grinding wheel that reduces grinding time while increas- ing operator comfort and overall plant productivity in industrial metalworking applications. The Xcavator integrates the latest advancements in Type 27 depressed centre grinding wheels. By incorporat- ing Comfort Max technology at the hub of the wheel, it helps minimize vibration and provides operators with more comfortable, ergonomic working conditions, without sacrificing performance and safety. "Grinding is one of the toughest, most demanding tasks in the metalworking industry because of the excessive noise, dust and vibration," says Marc Brunet-Gagné, product manager of bonded abra- sives at Walter Surface Technologies in Pointe-Claire, Que. "With Comfort Max technology, the new Xcavator reduces operating vibrations by up to 15 per cent when compared to its predecessor. This allows for a smoother, more comfortable grinding experience, which helps to reduce fatigue and vibration-induced pain in the hands and arms of the operator — all without sacrificing performance." Tested on some of the world's hardest metals — including tungsten carbide and tempered steel — the Xcavator helps ensure optimal power transfer from operator to working surface. It also features Walter's UHR (ultra-high removal) multi-layer manufacturing technology to prevent edge flaking, keeping the wheel symmetrically round for added safety and longer life.

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