6 minute read
Digging deeper to help high-risk industries
Worksafe saskatchewan, the partnership between the saskatchewan WCB and the ministry of Labour relations and Workplace safety, has challenged its traditional approach to fatalities and serious injuries. the 2019-2021 three-year fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy reflects the complexity of these issues.
By worksafe saskatchewan
workSafe Saskatchewan (WorkSafe), the partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, has challenged its traditional approach to preventing fatalities and serious injuries by focusing on high-risk industries and occupations.
From 2010 through 2018, the Saskatchewan WCB accepted 354 fatalities for Saskatchewan workers who died while on, or as a result of, their job. Approximately 2,500 Saskatchewan workers are seriously injured every year. The province’s serious injury rate has remained flat for the past several years, although it dropped marginally to 2,243 in 2020. “From 2010 through 2018, Saskatchewan had an average of 39 workplace fatalities and roughly 2,500 serious injuries every year. Our new approach looks to tackle both of these complex injury trends,” says Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the WCB.
The statistics over that nine-year period reinforced what leadership at the WCB already knew – a new approach was required to stem the tide of injuries and fatalities in the province. This is why WorkSafe Saskatchewan launched its three-year Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy in December 2019 to hone in on the industries and occupations where the bulk of fatalities and serious injuries occur. “We need to better understand the root causes of those injuries,” says Mooney.
Asbestos exposure, motor vehicle crashes, firefighter cancer exposure, and falls from heights are among the leading causes of work-related deaths in the province. The serious injury priorities are in the industries of health care, transportation, construction and manufacturing, and also focus on the first responder occupations.
A number of impactful initiatives are underway to reduce fatalities and serious injuries, some of them include:
• Improving general asbestos awareness and abatement controls. From 2010 to 2018, approximately 37 per cent of fatalities were from occupa-
tional diseases. In 2021 (up to June 30), that percentage is up to 50 per cent, with the addition of COVID-19 to the list of occupational diseases. Asbestos-related cancers and firefighter cancers remain the top two. In 2019, WorkSafe launched a broad-reaching awareness campaign to inform residential and commercial construction workers about the risks of asbestos exposure. The campaign, “Asbestos kills. It’s best to test”, which was relaunched in May 2021, is designed to build awareness of the risks associated with asbestos exposure and reinforce the importance of testing before starting any renovation or demolition project.
• Reducing the risk of motor vehicle crashes. Motor vehicle crashes remain one of the top acute-related fatalities. WorkSafe Saskatchewan and
SGI launched a partnership to develop online resources for the Work-
Safe website aimed at reducing the risk of motor vehicle crashes. The two organizations compared collision data to determine the contributing factors most likely to cause motor vehicle crashes with injuries or deaths.
For example, driving, and especially speeding, on gravel roads is three times more likely to cause a work-related collision. WorkSafe worked with Saskatchewan Roughrider Dan
Clark on an awareness video, telling his story of surviving a serious crash on a gravel road.
• Improving firefighter cancer pre-
vention controls. Between 2010 and the end of 2018, 23 per cent of occupational disease fatalities were firefighter cancers. In 2019, WorkSafe partnered with Jim Burneka Jr. of Firefighter Cancer Consultants, who inspected 15 Saskatchewan fire stations to identify ways the stations could step up cancer prevention efforts. A follow-up survey was distributed to career firefighters and identified several areas for improvement, including the use of personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus for all personnel at the scene of a fire. An awareness video will be developed to educate firefighters about safe work procedures that can help prevent future firefighter cancers.
• Identifying barriers to wearing
fall protection. Falling was the fifth leading cause of workplace fatalities in 2018. Overall, the number of falls from heights has slowly declined to 751 in 2020 from 1,067 in 2010. In 2019, WorkSafe held focus groups with construction workers, supervisors, and safety personnel to better understand the challenges around wearing fall protection. The gaps were channeled into an awareness campaign with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association. A fall protection
Want peak performance from your water supply system? Wish you had access to a diverse team of experts with over 60 years’ experience?
Does rain fall?
We have the answers. Visit saskwater.com/industrial-overview
training standard will also be developed through this partnership and is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2022.
• Identifying the riskiest trucking
tasks. From 2010 through 2018, transportation, couriers, and commercial buses accounted for 7.75 per cent of all serious injuries. In 2020, 167 serious injuries were recorded in the transportation industry (including trucking), marking a slight decline from previous years (175 in 2019). To date (end of June) in 2021, that number is down to 40. WorkSafe partnered with the Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA) and identified 13 tasks that most often lead to injury (moving freight and securing loads are in the top five). Using this information, the STA developed a training course to help workers perform the tasks more safely. • Improving access to mental health resources. Exposure to traumatic/stressful events is a common cause of serious injury, including psychological injury claims among first responders in cities, towns, villages, rural municipalities, and government ministries. These two rate codes were in the top six for serious injuries from 2010 to 2018 and remain among the top codes. Working with the Saskatchewan First
Responders’ Mental Health Committee, WorkSafe helped launch new mental health resources for first responders, their families and employers, which are available at www.saskfirstrespondersmentalhealth.ca. WorkSafe has also partnered with the
Edmonton Police Service to provide training for first responders re-integrating into the workforce to police forces across Canada. WorkSafe, through a partnership with Dr. Joti Samra, has also launched an online Psychological Health and
Safety Resource Centre.
While the WCB and WorkSafe are busy implementing the various initiatives within the Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy, they are also looking towards the future. That future includes the next iteration of the strategy, which will run from 2022 through 2025.
The consultation process should be completed by the end of 2021, with the updated strategy to be released in the summer of 2022.
Read more about WorkSafe’s Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy, including the latest statistics tracking the impact of the strategy, at www.worksafesask.ca/prevention/serious-injuries-and-fatalities/. l
Poorly designed transfer chutes reduce the productivity of your conveyor system — and may increase the chances of costly downtime.
Call us today at 800.332.2781 or visit our website for more information on transfer chutes and many other products and services.
TRANSFER CHUTE DESIGN FOR POTASH MINING AND PROCESSING
The transfer chute is a critical piece of equipment in mining, quarrying, and other material handling operations. Considering all factors up-front will result in a transfer chute design that aids, rather than restricts, production. You need a manufacturer that pays careful attention to the properties of the material being conveyed — with an expert understanding of how it moves through the transfer chute. From the design stage forward, West River will help you produce a solution that fits your needs.
West River Conveyors + Machinery Co. are specialists in material handling solutions for mining and other bulk material handling industries. We design and manufacture a range of terminal equipment that increases productivity and improves operations.
8936 Dismal River Road • Oakwood, VA 24631 800.332.2781 • Fax: 276.259.5252
