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Category: Occupational Health And Safety
COVID-19 and our Safety Measures
COVID-19 and our Safety Measures
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MLTSD Inspections in 2020
MLTSD Inspections in 2020
In 2020, inspections by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (formerly the Ministry of Labour) will be focused on the lack and misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE on work sites. In 2017, 7483 orders were issued for the lack of PPE on work sites. This was the second highest number of violations in construction for 2017. As a result, from January to March, 2020, the Ministry’s inspectors will be checking to see that the right PPE is being used on jobs, including PPE such as respiratory devices; hard hats; boots; hearing, skin and eye protection; high visibility clothing and face shields.
PPE should be provided to workers wherever there are health or safety risks that cannot be controlled in other ways. The Ministry inspectors will focus on ensuring that the right PPE is available and is being used.
More information on the inspection schedule can be found on the Ministry site.
Click here or contact us for more information.
Cannabis Legalization and Workplace Rules
Cannabis Legalization and Workplace Rules
With Canada Legalizing Marijuana, is Cannabis legal at work in Ontario? Not exactly!
Recreational cannabis in the workplace is still illegal after the October 17 legalization change, however there are some rules around medical cannabis in the workplace.
If you’re an employer, you also are required to address workplace hazards under Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) as well as know the rules for medical cannabis.
Employees and workers who can’t safely perform their jobs may present a hazard to themselves or to others in the workplace, and workers also have a duty to perform work safely and report any hazards they are aware of to their supervisor or employer.
There are additional rules, including those around commercial driving and where recreational usage is allowable.
We provide carefully crafted policies you can adopt or adapt to help your business quickly comply with the new requirements and avoid pitfalls of not being properly prepared.
Contact us to learn more.
Working towards COR™?
Working towards COR™?
COR™ (Certificate of Recognition) is an accreditation supported by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA). This program requires construction organizations to develop safe workplaces and consistent practices. The program not only will save your company money by reducing your injury rate, worker compensation premiums, legal risks, property damage and lost productivity, but will also give you access to clients who are increasingly requiring their suppliers have COR™ certification.
F.A.S.T. Rescue can assist you in achieving COR™ accreditation from setup to final qualification. Contact us for more information.
Ontario rewards Employers with a Health & Safety Management System
Ontario rewards Employers with a Health & Safety Management System
Organized, systematic approaches to health & safety have been shown to increase worker awareness and participation in safe practices. This in turn, has reduced workplace injuries and illness. Similar programs in Europe and Japan have resulted in a decline in workplace accidents.
On November 22, 2019, the Ontario government announced a pro-active initiative, Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers. This initiative recognizes and financially rewards employers who have successfully implemented an occupational health & safety management system in their workplace. The incentives, estimated at $140 million, are open to all employers in Ontario, regardless of size or sector and will come in the form of WSIB rebates over a three year period.
Building on the provincial program, WSIB is launching their own Health & Safety Excellence program. The provincial program will target those employers who have already implemented a health & safety program while the WSIB program is aimed at encouraging employers without an existing program to adopt one.
Jump start your Safety Management System by contacting us.
Workplace First Aid Kit Changes
Workplace First Aid Kit Changes
Workplace First Aid Kit requirements in Canada presently differ by province and territory. The CSA Group has been reviewing these requirements with the aim to standardize First Aid Kit requirements across Canada. These new kits will be designed to “scale up” depending on the number of workers. F.A.S.T. Rescue will inform our clients when this change is in effect and will offer add-ons for any kits that will require an upgrade.
Click here for the present first aid kit requirements for your province.
What You Need To Know About Staying Safe While Working In Extreme Heat
What You Need To Know About Staying Safe While Working In Extreme Heat
When you think of dangerous jobs, you might think of firefighting. You might think of being a pilot. Maybe you think of something more technical, like welding.
Those are all dangerous jobs, and all of them involve heat in some way or another. And it’s very likely your job can involve heat, especially if you work outside and the climate changes unexpectedly.
You might think it’s tornados. Fires. Hurricanes. But the biggest weather-related danger to people in the United States is actually extreme heat. Every single year, hundreds of people sustain injuries from working in extreme heat, or even die.
Athletes, too, particularly need to watch out for heat-related illnesses. Before they can even realize it’s happening, they can become dizzy and faint. That’s all due to exertional heat stroke, or EHS.
Heat Related Illnesses
Heat stroke and exertional heat stroke are both very serious illnesses that can occur when working in extreme heat.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is what happens when your body’s core temperature goes about 40°C. This extreme rise in temperature of the body makes it so your body is no longer capable of regulating itself. The signs start to show when a person acts disoriented or confused. They can also faint. Heat stroke can put someone at risk for permanent damage. It could result in brain, heart, or kidney damage. Sometimes, it can even be fatal.
Exertional Heat Stroke
When someone is experiencing exertional heat stroke, it doesn’t necessarily need to be extremely warm outside. Athletes are the people who most frequently deal with exertional heat stroke. The high temperatures in their body is caused by their own physical exertion. People who work in labor outside can also be very susceptible to this type of heat stroke.
Heat Exhaustion
This is generally what someone will experience before it leads to full heat stroke. The person will sweat excessively, which means their body is still able to cool itself down from the heat. They can still experience confusion and exhaustion, and if not treated immediately, can result in heat stroke.
Heat Cramps
When your body is lacking in electrolytes, it can result in cramping of the arms, legs, or stomach. A person experiencing heat cramps needs to rest and hydrate, which will alleviate the symptoms.
How to Stay Safe in Extreme Heat
All heat related illnesses are preventable. The more informed you are about heat illnesses when you’re working in extreme heat, the safer you’ll be. Awareness is the number one thing that’s going to prevent people from getting heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or any other type of illness from exposing the body to too much heat.
Obviously, the best way to avoid heat illnesses is to stay out of the heat. But if you’re working in a hot environment, it can’t be avoided. If you can, increase your exposure to working in heat gradually. Instead of working the full eight hours of the day in the sun, spend some time getting used to the heat and ramping it up until you can safely work the entire day. Many cases of on the job illness occur because workers haven’t taken the time to acclimatize themselves to their conditions.
You might know exactly what we’re going to say, but hydrating your body is of the utmost importance. Drink water every fifteen minutes when working in extreme heat. Even if you’re not thirsty, it’s important to drink to keep your body hydrated before you start feeling that thirst, which means you’re on your way to being dangerously dehydrated.When you’re working somewhere hot, always plan ahead.
If you and your company need a plan, F.A.S.T. Rescue can help teach you the ropes and provide a safety course that will allow you to work in the heat without contracting any of these illnesses.
Ways To Make Workplace Safety Training More Exciting
Ways To Make Workplace Safety Training More Exciting
When you hear the phrase “Workplace Safety Training,” do you jump for joy? The answer is probably not. In fact, it’s probably more of the opposite of that reaction. Workplace safety training can often be a very boring topic, and seem like just another chore for you to have to go through in your business as an employee or an employer.
Yet you know the importance of getting your employees trained effectively, efficiently, and comprehensively. But everyone knows that information is easier to retain when it’s presented in an easily digestible manner that people will actually enjoy.
Here’s how to get the most of your employee’s workplace safety training.
Have a Conversation
If you’re doing a presentation about workplace training or simply guiding your employees through a safety lecture, don’t do so without allowing a place for feedback. Most studies report that the education that attendees yield from lectures is relatively low. On the other hand, when you incorporate room for interaction into your presentation, retention of the topic is increased.
When you’re preparing to train your employees on safety, structure the event so you’re having a conversation with your workers. Instead of talking at them, you can talk with them, and they will feel more engaged.
A Little Incentive Never Hurt
If you used a rewards-based program as an incentive for employees to complete their training, they’ll have a whole new level of motivation associated with their task.
You can turn the training into a friendly competition, based on who can complete it in the shortest amount of time, who can score the highest on the tests, or who can answer the most questions.
You can use a gift card as a reward, or just bragging rights that they did the best. You can even offer an extended break to the person who performs the best.
Use Roleplay
Getting your head into the game with roleplay is a great way to increase retention of materials and allow the training to make a lasting impact. When you assign roles to your workers, you can act out real-life scenarios that may arise on the job. This way, your employees can engage in kinetic learning and have already been walked through a potential dangerous situation. That way, if the dangerous situation did actually arise, they’ve already experienced a similar scenario and will remember how to react.
Use Multimedia
Wherever possible, incorporate ways for your employees to interact with the information that you’re giving to them. Depending on your work situation, you can make video games that simulate situations that they might encounter, or use quizzes to keep them paying attention to the presentation at hand.
The closest you can get to simulation a real-life situation that you’re describing, the better. Not only does this make your presentation more fun, it gives workers some experience dealing with potential situations.
Get it at F.A.S.T.
You knew we were going to go there. Yes, when you do your workplace safety training with F.A.S.T., you’re getting all that exciting workplace safety training. You might have thought that the word “exciting” and “workplace safety training” couldn’t be used together in the same sentence, but we’ve got your back for engaging safety seminars of all types.
We make safety a way of life, not just a one-time training session that your employees are going to be likely to forget. We offer all measure of safety and training solutions for your business, and can consult with you to create the most effective training session possible.
Private Workplace Training
Private Workplace Training
If you run a business, you’re well aware of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. You know, the labor law that says each employer needs to furnish their employees with a workplace that’s safe from physical hazards. And that employees must go through a workplace safety training program.
So you know you’ve got to train your employees on their safety. But are you doing the best that you can?
What Does OHSA Require?
OHSA was enacted to cover workers and protect them from safety and health hazards that might arise on the job.
It puts procedures into place for employers to be required to have a plan in case of workplace hazards. It enforces these laws, which helps create a safe workplace for employees, because employers may not have done so voluntarily in the past.
It details what to do in case of harassment, toxic substances, how to follow codes of practice, the duties of employers, and more.
You can read about the requirements of OHSA in their entirety.
So What Do You Do?
You’re aware of OHSA. So you know you need to provide your workers with safety training. There’s a lot of options out there for you to choose from. Many people might want to turn to an online training program to get the work out of the way, but online training has been proven to be much less successful than working with someone face to face.
E-learning can provide employees with the bare minimum of what they need to learn. But the information doesn’t stick in their heads as well as it does with in-person training.
Learning the safety elements in the actual field instead of learning them online provides a hands-on experience your employees wouldn’t get otherwise. It makes your program more credible, your employees even safer, and your company reputation more reputable.
In-person training sessions also eliminate the ability of your employees to slack off and miss vital information that will help keep them safe. They can ask questions specific to your business and be prepared for incidents particular to your work environment.
Private Workplace Training
F.A.S.T. private workplace training offers you any possible type of training you could need. We cover every element of the workplace safety world. Forklift training, First Aid & CPR, Fall Arrest, Spill Response, Event Coverage – there’s workplace training program for it all. Learning these safety measures effectively is critical to an employees safety and success, and it’s not something to be taken lightly.
Online Training
If you absolutely can’t work with in-person training, we’ve still got options for you with online programs. We cover everything from chainsaw safety to trenching and shoring with our online safety videos.
Whatever your need is, F.A.S.T. Rescue has just the thing to cover all the safety information out there.