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In This Issue |
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JHSC 3-day
Training
February 3-5, 2009
Saint
John (E)
February 10-12,
2009
Moncton
(E), Dalhousie (F),
Edmundston (F)
February 17-19,
2009
Fredericton
(E)
February 24-26,
2009
Miramichi
(E), Moncton
(E)
March
3-5, 2009
Saint
John (E)
March 10-12,
2009
Campbellton
(E), Moncton
(F),
Saint-François
(F)
March 17-19,
2009
Florenceville
(E),
Fredericton
(E)
March
24-26, 2009
Moncton
(F),
Tracadie
(F)
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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Did you know |
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Hand
washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of
infectious diseases, including the flu. Click here for
information on influenza prevention and protection from New
Brunswick’s Department of Health. For a copy of WorkSafeNB’s hand
washing poster, call 633-5660. Click here
to view the poster.
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Stakeholder Profile
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Click
here
to read about Dan Ferris, an injured worker who didn't back
down.
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| Subscriber Infomation |
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Received WorkSafeNB
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ABOUT
E-NEWS:
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bridge the gap between WorkSafeNB's website and
Contact, our print-edition newsletter, which is published twice a
year.
WorkSafeNB E-News will provide you with timely
access to the kind of health and safety news you need to protect
your workers, your co-workers and yourself.
FEEDBACK
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please don't hesitate to hit 'reply' and tell us what you think!
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| WorkSafeNB and Canada Revenue
Agency enter into information sharing
agreement
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Canada
Revenue Agency (CRA) and WorkSafeNB (formerly
the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission) have
entered into an agreement to share business information. This data
is being shared to ensure that all New Brunswick employers
required to register with WorkSafeNB and CRA are, in fact,
registered. When all employers are in full compliance with federal
and provincial laws, there is fairness to all, and everyone is
working from a level playing field.
Section
241(4) of the Income Tax
Act, amended in 1999, provides the CRA with the authority to
disclose taxpayer information to provincial government bodies.
Section 12 of the Workplace
Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) Act permits
WorkSafeNB to enter into information-sharing agreements with other
levels of government.
A joint
CRA-WorkSafeNB letter outlining the registration requirements was
sent to employers whose information appears with only one of the
organizations. The letter asked the employers to contact the
appropriate organization to confirm that they are registered or to
begin the registration process. If attempts to contact these
employers are unsuccessful, WorkSafeNB will register and assess
premiums for these employers, based on the information available
through CRA records.
Employers
required to register will be assessed and required to pay
WorkSafeNB assessment premiums, plus arrears.
For
information contact WorkSafeNB Assessment Services at
506
632-2820, or toll-free at 1 800
222-9775.
| WorkSafeNB urges New
Brunswickers to use snow
sense
|
We
can see it, we can feel it – winter is definitely here. And
with the cold temperatures, snow and ice, workers face
additional hazards, and must be more
vigilant.
Snow
can bring with it a lot of joy, but also a lot of pain when
you have to drive in it and shovel it. Shovelling
snow is a strenuous exercise, and can be hard on the heart
and back. So before picking up the shovel do some warm-ups
to loosen up the muscles, and don’t over-exert
yourself.
Begin shovelling slowly to avoid placing a sudden demand on
your heart, pace yourself and take breaks as
needed.
The type of
shovel you use is also important – it should be lightweight
(no more than 1.5 kg or three pounds) and the blade should
not be too large. A
smaller blade will require you to lift less snow, putting
less strain on your body.
Protect
your back from injury by lifting correctly. Stand with your
feet about hip width for balance and keep the shovel close
to your body. Bend from the knees (not the back) and tighten
your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Avoid twisting
movements; if you need to move the snow to one side
reposition your feet to face the direction the snow will be
going.
Wearing
the proper clothing in winter is only common sense, but it
is especially important for those who work in the cold, in
industries such as construction, trucking, farming and
logging, where the potential for hypothermia and frostbite
is greater. It is an employer’s responsibility to ensure
that workers are properly attired and supervised when
working under extreme cold.
WorkSafeNB’s Risk Alert,
Surviving the
Cold, provides excellent tips on how to work safely
in the cold, including how to prevent and detect cold
stress, and the proper clothing and personal protective
equipment required.
The
snow and cold weather also present a bigger risk for slips,
trips and falls, which account for a high number of claims.
Good housekeeping practices, such as ensuring drives and
walkways are cleared and sanded, and mopping up any spills
or melted snow indoors will reduce the risk of slips, trips
and falls. For those who spend a lot of time working
outdoors, the proper footwear is essential, and the non-slip
tracks that can be hooked onto boots are a good
idea.
Snow
and ice significantly increase the danger on our roads, so
pedestrians and drivers alike must exercise extreme caution.
Visibility is considerably reduced and roads become more
treacherous, so it’s important to reduce speed and drive
only when absolutely necessary during bad weather. You can
check road conditions on the Department of Transportation’s
36 web cams located throughout the province, or by calling
their toll-free, 24-hour line at 1 800 561-4063. If you must
go out in bad weather, bring a cell phone and make sure you
have an emergency
kit. For more information on winter driving, click here
for valuable tips from the Insurance Bureau of
Canada.
Drivers
should ensure their tires have good treads, and should never
mix tires, as different
tread patterns, size, and construction can compromise
vehicle performance and safety. Since tire pressure drops in
colder weather, affecting both safety and fuel consumption,
check your tire pressure often.
It
is important to remove all snow and ice from your vehicles,
and make sure to keep your fuel tank full, as well as other
fluids (windshield wash and
anti-freeze).
WorkSafeNB
urges all New Brunswickers, whether at work, on the roads,
or at home, to make a resolution this year to think and act
safely. (Click here
to view our Working in the Cold news
release)
| PETL Minister proposes
improvements to pension
benefits
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Post-Secondary Education,
Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault
introduced proposed changes to the pension benefits
section of the Workers' Compensation Act in the legislature December 10. Workers’
compensation legislation recognizes the fact that a
workplace injury may affect a worker’s ability to
contribute to retirement income, and therefore
provides pension benefits in addition to wage loss
benefits.
If the changes are adopted, the
percentage of wage loss benefits that WorkSafeNB will
be required to set aside would increase to 10 per cent
from five per cent. The proposed increased pension
benefit would come into effect this year and apply to
eligible workers turning 65 on or after January 1,
2009.
The changes will be retroactive to 1993,
giving those eligible workers their pension benefit
calculated as if it had been accruing at a rate of 10
per cent from the start of their eligibility period.
Roberta Dugas, chair of WorkSafeNB’s
board of directors, said she is pleased with the
government’s quick response to the recommendation that
the pension benefit for injured workers be improved.
"The people who will benefit from the proposed
changes are the injured workers who need help the
most, and this improvement will provide them with
financial security in their retirement years," Dugas
said. "And while this year’s downturn in investment
returns means that the board faces challenges in the
years ahead, the board’s responsible financial
management over the past several years has allowed
WorkSafeNB to improve the pension benefits," she said.
Q: Section
47 under General Regulation 91-191
states: “An
employee who may be required to use respiratory
protective equipment shall co-operate in
attaining an effective fit of the equipment and,
in particular, be as clean-shaven as is
necessary to ensure an effective facial seal.”
Could you explain what
“clean-shaven” means;
how clean-shaven does a worker have to
be?
John
Smith*
Moncton,
NB
*Name
has been changed for privacy
purposes.
A: “Clean-shaven”
means being clean-shaven where the respirator
seal meets the facial skin. The fit is important
to keep contaminants out and to ensure an
effective seal is maintained during use. Since
respiratory equipment is often required in
emergency situations, when there is not time to
do repeated fit tests, WorkSafeNB advises
employers and employees that an employee should
be freshly clean-shaven when performing any work
that may require a respirator for the task or
for rescue.
When
uncertain, the workplace should consult with the
respirator supplier/manufacturer to determine
where the boundaries of the respirator seal lie
to help determine the facial area to be
clean-shaven.
Note:
The Regulations prescribe the minimum
requirements for safety. The CSA Standard
(Z94.4-93) cited in the regulation requires that
a competent person be appointed as the "program
administrator", to administer and oversee the
respiratory protection program. As determined by
the standards of the trade or trade
associations, the program administrator may
prescribe certain additional requirements for
safety, beyond
the minimum regulatory requirements. These
requirements must be respected for a successful
respiratory protection
program.
If
you have a question for Ask us! please forward
to beverly.stears@ws-ts.nb.ca. | |
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Date of
Accident: |
December
9,
2008 |
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Injury
Type: |
Puncture
to
hand |
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Hospitalized:
|
No |
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Industry:
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Construction
/
Carpenter |
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Location: |
Southeast |
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Notes: :
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Worker
shot himself in the hand with an air-nailer while
installing spindles on a
handrail. |
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