Canadian Occupational Safety

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 3 Contents of Canadian Occupational Safety are copyright © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. HST/GST # 89717 6350 RT0002 QST # 1019064405 TQ0005 Canada Post – Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement 40065782 International Standard Serial Number 0008-4611. The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, colour transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts or other materials must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Canadian Occupational Safety is published six times yearly by Thomson Reuters Canada Limited, 2075 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 Telephone 416-649-9926 Fax 416-609-5840; www.cos-mag.com Issue dates are February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, December/January. Subscription price: Canada: $69 plus tax; US: $69,International: $96 Canadian Occupational Safety makes every effort to ensure accuracy in all items reported, but cannot accept responsibility for the representations or claims made by sources used. Top health and safety trends for 2018 COS blogger Dave Rebbitt looks into his crystal ball for his annual health and safety predictions column. Take a look at what he thinks the big topics will be for the upcoming year. Do you agree with his list? Are there some hot-button issues he missed? Let us know in the comments section for the article. We always love to hear from you! www.cos-mag.com/trends2018 Safety MVPs We are looking for safety's most valuable players. Nominations are now open for the 8th annual Canada's Safest Employers awards. Do you have what it takes? www.safestemployers.com Webinars The COS webinar library is filled with on-demand topics, such as mental health, safety culture, fall protection and ISO 45001. The one-hour sessions are delivered by health and safety experts from across Canada. Keep watching for new topics added regularly. www.cpdcentre.ca/cos Follow us: @cosmagazine Join our group: Canadian Occupational Safety Subscribe: Canadian Occupational Safety Subscribe: Safety Tips for Workers Health&Safety Q&A We have launched a brand new video series called Health&Safety Q&A where experts answer your most pressing questions. In the first video of the series, an OHS specialist from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety answers the question: How do I know if it's harassment? www.cos-mag.com/HSQAharassment Human rights vs. safety How do you accommodate a worker's religious rights or medical conditions if they're conflicting with safety? Neena Gupta, partner at Gowling WLG, offers her advice. www.cos-mag.com/humanrightsvideo DIRECTOR, MEDIA SOLUTIONS, CANADA Karen Lorimer karen.lorimer@thomsonreuters.com 416-649-9411 PUBLISHER Todd Humber todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com 416-298-5196 EDITOR Amanda Silliker amanda.silliker@thomsonreuters.com 416-649-9502 ASSISTANT EDITOR - VIDEOGRAPHER Alexia Kapralos ART DIRECTOR Steve Maver PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Pamela Menezes pamela.menezes@thomsonreuters.com 416-649-9298 ADVERTISING: SALES MANAGER Paul Burton paul.burton@thomsonreuters.com 416-649-9928 MANAGER, MEDIA PRODUCTION Lisa Drummond lisa.drummond@thomsonreuters.com MARKETING MANAGER Robert Symes rob.symes@thomsonreuters.com CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR Keith Fulford keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com 416-649-9585 COLUMNISTS Legal Cheryl A. Edwards and Norm Keith Professional Development Glyn Jones Safety Culture Dave Fennell CUSTOMER SERVICE Tel. 416-609-3800 (Toronto)/ 1-800-387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax 416-298-5082 (Toronto)/ 1-877-750-9041 (outside Toronto) customersupport.legaltaxcanada@tr.com CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY'S EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Guy Chenard, CRSP, C.E.T. Safety Consultant Dave Gouthro, CRSP, CHSC, CHSO Occupational Health & Safety Consulting David Johnston, CRSP Director, EHS, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Ltd. Eldeen Pozniak, CHSC, CHSMSA, CRSP, Director, Pozniak Safety Associates Inc. Laura Rourke, EHSS manager, Tigercat Industries Dan Strand, CRSP, CIH, ROH Director, Prevention Field Services, WorkSafeBC AMANDA SILLIKER FROM THE EDITOR visit us online cos-mag.com THOMSON REUTERS CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY ON NOW ONLINE EXCLUSIVES LATEST VIDEOS Printed in EMPLOYERS SAFEST 2018 CANADA'S On guard M y mother is the strongest person I know. Not only has she overcome countless personal struggles throughout her life, but she also persevered through a 30-year career with Correctional Service Canada (CSC), working day in and day out with offenders of all types. In 1985, my mother was one of the first four women guards (now called correctional officers) hired at the federal Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick. It was very hard for her at first; she was met with resistance from both inmates and male co-workers. After just two months on the job, she was doing her rounds and was punched in the head by an offender. She was off work for a few days and her male colleagues had a bet going on whether or not she would come back to work. Well, the joke was on them because she came back, stronger than ever, and ultimately had a very successful career with CSC before retiring a few years ago. While she spent the majority of her career as a parole officer, she still speaks with a heavy heart about everything correctional officers have to endure. The feeling that still sticks with her is walking into the prison every morning (or night) and having no idea what the shift would bring. Correctional officers often have several concerns rushing through their minds before they get to the front gates: Will I have to cut down an inmate who hung himself in his cell? Will a co-worker be taken hostage? Will the offenders grab at me during the rounds? Of course these instances don't happen every day, but they do happen and the anxiety of the unknown is hard to shake. The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers has launched a campaign to increase awareness around the mental health issues correctional workers face and lobby for better workers' compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder, which is the main focus of this issue's cover story (see page 14). The union put together a gripping video on a day in the life of a correctional worker for the campaign. I was glued to my computer screen for the entire 30 minutes. It was the first time I truly understood what my mother had to go through, and I encourage all of you to watch it. Just search "Working on the Edge" on YouTube. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that it's not just correctional officers who struggle with mental health issues. Everyone who works with offenders — parole officers, administrative support, community corrections workers — have very difficult jobs and are at a higher risk of mental health issues than the general public. This issue also takes a look at the emerging topic of 3D printing. As health and safety professionals, it's not enough for you to have a handle on the current risks your workforce faces. You need to keep your finger on the pulse of emerging trends. No doubt some of you already have 3D printers at your workplace and for those who don't, you just might one day. Small desktop versions of these printers are becoming more widespread, yet they do pose some health concerns for workers. Read all about them on page 24. Also in this issue, Linda Johnson explores what has gone wrong in Ontario's construction industry. Despite many government initiatives, fatality and critical injury rates are increasing. This story idea actually came from a reader, so if you ever have an idea for an article, feel free to send me an email. Amanda Silliker, Editor amanda.silliker@thomsonreuters.com WEBINAR SERIES

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