JHSC 3-day Training
April
15-17 – Miramichi (E), Moncton (F),
Saint John (E), Sussex (E)
April
22-24 – Florenceville (E), Moncton (E), St.
Stephen (E), Tracadie (F)
May
6-8 – Bathurst
(E), Moncton (E), Saint John (E), St. Stephen (E), Woodstock
(E) May
13-15 – Bathurst
(E), Moncton (E), Saint Quentin (F)
WHMIS (1/2 day)
April
8 – Bathurst (E), Moncton
(E), Saint John (E), St. Stephen (E), Woodstock (E)
April
9 – Caraquet (F),
Fredericton (E)
April
10 – Edmundston (F),
Moncton (F),
Sussex (E)
E
indicates workshops given in English
F
indicates workshops given in French
Click
here
or call 1 800 222-9775 for more information.
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National
Day of Mourning remembers workers killed on the
job
In
2007, eight workers lost their lives in New Brunswick.
That’s eight families whose lives will forever be
changed, marred by tragedy. It’s all the more tragic
when you know these deaths could have been prevented –
because injuries are no accident!
And
while eight workers were killed on the job last year,
many more were injured or became ill. The WHSCC asks all
New Brunswickers to mark April 28, the National Day of
Mourning, by observing a moment of silence, wearing a
black ribbon or lapel pin, attending remembrance
ceremonies, or lowering flags to
half-mast.
The
National Day of Mourning is observed April 28
because
it was the day the third reading took place for the
first comprehensive Workers’ Compensation Act
(Ontario 1914) in Canada. The first Day of Mourning was
observed 24
years ago by the Canadian
Labour
Congress; it is now observed in more than 100
countries worldwide.
Please
keep safety in mind not only as you mark this very
important day, but every day. By doing so, you honour
the memory of those workers killed and injured on the
job.
For
a listing of Day of Mourning activities, click here.
North
American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH)
Week
North
American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week
focuses the attention of employers, employees, the
general public and all partners in occupational health
and safety on the importance of preventing injury and
illness in the workplace and at home. This year, NAOSH
Week will be celebrated from May 4-10, with the theme
“Safety & Health: Start today! Live it every
day!”
NAOSH
Week evolved from the Canadian Society of Safety
Engineering’s (CSSE) Canadian Occupational Health and
Safety Week, which had been observed from 1986-1996.
When labour representatives from Canada, the United
Sates and Mexico discussed workplace safety during the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks in the
mid 90s, the idea for a tripartite celebration was born.
The CSSE was approached to support and expand their COHS
week into a North American wide program, and the plan
for NAOSH Week was implemented between 1997-2000. Since
then, the CSSE has sponsored NAOSH Week with the support
of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)
and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and
Safety.
Activities
and events will be held in communities, businesses,
schools, colleges and universities throughout North
America to demonstrate and distribute key safety
information, and highlight occupational safety "best
practices" to help prevent accidents. Post your NAOSH
Week events at the NAOSH Week website for your chance to
win a prize valued at $180. For more on NAOSH Week,
visit: www.naosh.ca.
Foot
Injuries Are No Fun
What
can be the harm of wearing running shoes or sandals at
work? After all, your job as a custodian is not
particularly dangerous, is it?
Your
work has many risks of foot injury. Dropping even a
small item such as a tool or a bucket on your foot can
do a surprising amount of damage. Stepping on a sharp
object such as broken glass is another possible source
of injury.
A
foot injury may not seem like a big deal until you have
one. Crushing injuries, fractures, punctures, cuts and
even damaged toenails can keep you from walking and
working for days, weeks or months. In fact, a foot
injury can be permanently disabling. Minor foot injuries
have escalated into fatal infections. Your
toes and feet can be injured on the job in a number of
ways:
- You
could step on a board with nails sticking up, and
puncture the sole of your shoe and your foot.
- Sharp
objects could cut into your feet, or you could slip or
fall and sprain toes and feet.
- Dropping
tools or loads on feet is a hazard that could smash a
toe.
- You
could be moving heavy boxes on a handcart and roll the
cart over a foot and crush it.
- Temperature
extremes can cause frostbite or blisters. You could
also burn a foot with hot liquids.
Click
here to read
more
In the Courts
David
Brewer
pleaded guilty on March 20 to a charge under the OHS
Act for failing to ensure that the power to
electrical equipment was de-energized before allowing an
employee to work on it. His apprentice was instructed to
drill into a live panel to apply labels; when his drill
bit contacted the lug, there was an arc flash, and the
apprentice received 2nd degree burns to his face. Brewer
was fined $400, plus a victim surcharge of $80. Brewer
was a supervisor for FCC Engineering at the time of the
incident but has since joined another
firm
Break
4 Logging
pleaded guilty on March 11 to one charge under the
OHS Act, General Regulation 91-191, for failing
to ensure that a machine is placed in a zero energy
state by a competent person, made inoperative, and
locked and tagged out before an employee is to work on
it. The company’s directors were fined $500, plus a $75
victim surcharge.
McCain
Foods Limited
pleaded guilty on March 17 to a charge under section
9(2)(a) of the OHS Act for failing to ensure that
the necessary systems of work, tools, equipment,
machines, devices and materials were maintained in good
condition and of minimum risk to employees when used as
directed. McCains was fined $4,000, plus a victim
surcharge of $800.
Ask Us
Q: Is
wearing a baseball cap under a hard hat
acceptable?
John
Smith*
Saint
John, NB
*Name has been changed for privacy
purposes.
A: Regarding
protective headwear in
New Brunswick workplaces, we cite ANSI Z89.1-1997 or
equivalent, which must meet both the standard and the
manufacturer’s requirements.
ANSI
standard ANSI Z89.1-1997, referred to in both sections
40(1) and 40(2) of the General Regulation 91-191, is
silent when it comes to the wearing of baseball caps
under hard hats. However, section 40(1) of the General
Regulation 91-191 allows for the option of using
headwear that conforms to a standard offering equivalent
or better protection, and section 40(2) of the General
Regulation 91-191 allows for the option of using
protective equipment that is appropriate to the hazard
and conforms to a standard offering equivalent or better
protection
While
New Brunswick legislation does not cite the most recent
CSA Standard on Industrial Headwear, CSA Standard Z94.1
– 05, a review of the standard states, in section 5.7.4,
“Because baseball-style caps will interfere with the
ability of a suspension to work properly during an
impact, they should not be worn under protective
headwear”.
It must be noted that the use of the term
“should “ in the CSA Standard indicates a
recommendation, or that which is advised but not
mandatory.
Section
38(1) of the General Regulation 91-191 states that
employers are responsible to ensure that employees are
instructed and trained in the proper use of the
protective equipment they are required to use.
Furthermore, under section 38(2)(a) of the General
Regulation 91-191, employees must use the personal
protective equipment that is required in accordance with
the instruction and training
received.
The
training manager of one protective headwear manufacturer
and distributor indicated that when training users they
condemn the wearing of baseball-style caps under
protective headwear as they could affect the ability of
the suspension to work properly during impact.
Therefore, unless the workplace can demonstrate in
writing that the manufacturer of the hard hat allows the
wearing of ball caps under the protective headwear,
employees are not allowed to wear baseball-style caps
under protective headwear.
If you have a
question for Ask us! please forward to stearsb@whscc.nb.ca.
Recent Accident Reports
Date of
Accident: |
March
6,
2008 |
Injury
Type: |
Respiratory |
Hospitalized: |
No |
Industry: |
Refinery
/ Multiple
trades |
Location: |
Southwest |
Notes: |
A
sulphur fire forced the evacuation of an area of
the refinery; during evacuation four contractors
were briefly exposed to S02 (hydrogen dioxide)
gases. |
More
accident reports...
|
|
Publications Who's
the Boss
pamphlet (revised)
Appointment The
WHSCC is pleased to welcome Keith Rogers to
the board of directors, as an employer representative. Rogers
replaces John Mahar, who died in
December.
As
founder, and owner/operator of D.M.K. Marine Services Ltd. in
Saint John, Rogers brings many years of experience in small
business to the table. He lives in
Rothesay.
Did you
know? Accident
frequency for focus firms in New Brunswick decreased by 15% in
2007, from 14.4 accidents per 100 workers in 2006 to 12.2 in
2007. Focus firms are individual workplaces identified by the
WHSCC for focused attention, based on their accident record
and the accident history of their industry
group. Profile
Bill
Nichol is a WHSCC health and safety officer, recently profiled
in the Canadian Society of Engineering's (CSSE) newsletter,
contact. Click here to
read the
interview.
Interesting
Link Do
you know a person, organization or program that deserves to be
recognized for outstanding achievement in the safety field?
Nominations are being accepted for the SafetyXChange’s 2008
Saxcies™. Categories include: Safety Hero of the Year, Safety
Trainer of the Year, Best New Safety Product, and Safety
Program of the Year. For more information, click here.
April is... National
Physiotherapy Month National
Oral Health
Month
Events April
21-23 IAPA Conference & Trade Show:
Health & Safety Canada 2008 Toronto,
ON
April
25 Safety Matters @ Work: Workplace
Health and Safety Conference 2008 Charlottetown,
PE
April
28 National
Day of Mourning
May
4-10 NAOSH
Week
June
1-4 Canadian
Public Health Association 2008 Annual
Conference Public Health in
Canada: Reducing Health Inequalities Through Evidence and
Action Halifax,
NS
June
15-18 AWCBC
Congress Edmonton,
AB
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have your health and safety event posted in this newsletter,
please e-mail stearsb@whscc.nb.ca
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