Nov2014

Worksite NEWS

VOLUME 22 NUMBER 11 Canada’s premier occupational health, safety and environment E-Magazine

November 2014

RESPONSE TIME COMMUNICATIONS Even though police, paramedics, and firefighters are equipped with many tools to help them do their jobs, the ability of different departments to work together continues to challenge teams who are stationed kilometres apart, across several jurisdictions.

New initiative of the Canadian Safety and Security Program allows fire-agency information to be shared on the Canada-wide Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System site in real time: circles indicate earthquakes; waves indicate flooding; light bulbs indicate power outages.

Interoperability is exactly the type of challenge that the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP) aims to

tackle. CSSP is a federally funded program that supports the development of science and technology solutions to public safety and security challenges.

Over the past three years, CSSP has created an informationexchange solution to address a critical capability gap: first responder interoperability and multi-agency situational awareness. This solution is the Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System, referred to as MASAS. Using common technologies based on open national communication standards, MASAS makes it possible to connect different departments' systems, allowing them to exchange real-time, location-based incident information

relevant to emergency managers and first responders.

With this system, responders can share data such as flood plains, fire perimeters, natural hazard alerts, evacuation zones and search areas.

In short, MASAS collects and distributes information capable of reaching a large audience within seconds. Picture a Google Maps layout to which information can be uploaded by hundreds of users, displaying the exact location of an incident. Anything that may be of help to responders, from temporary road closures to weather alerts, also appears on MASAS – with the use of different icons.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Employee Engagement and What You Can Do to Increase It

By James R Clark If you have employees you need to be concerned about employee engagement. Ensuring that your workforce is happy and engaged with the organisation is vital if good productivity and low attrition are to be maintained.

What can you do to keep engagement high and retain staff?

Good employee engagement is not just about paying high wages, giving extra holidays and some beanbags in the staff canteen. Companies that excel at engaging with their staff take this very seriously and will invest time and money to make sure their staff want to come to work and are happy when they get there.

Promoting good engagement levels encourages loyalty and can help ensure that staff stay with a company long term. When an employee feels valued and engaged they are more likely to work harder and more productively.

Some steps that can be taken to increase engagement are: Survey the employees, ask what they think and quantify this. By having a base to work on you can measure increases in employee engagement easily. Surveys will also throw up areas that may need improvement that can sometimes be less obvious.

Communicate with the workforce. Good communication in both directions is healthy and goes toward helping staff feel that their views are considered worthy. Workers who are included in decision making processes are more likely to get behind decisions and take ownership.

Have fun at work and make it a place you want to be at. No one wants to work in a company who have a dull image.

People will not stay where they feel unhappy and a dull outlook will have staff leaving in droves.

Worksite NEWS

Published by Morrow Communications Inc. Toll Free: 1-888-430-6405 HEAD OFFICE 3216 - 108A Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6J 3E2 Ph: 587-412-0173 Publisher/Editor Jeff Morrow publisher@worksite-news.com Associate Editor J.D. Greene Contributing Writers Lakeland Simms Barbara Semeniuk, Erik David Kristian Jay

Be the best not just average. When it comes to looking after staff organisations that offer terms and conditions which are market leading tend to be the ones that have big engagement scores. Settling for the industry average on holiday entitlement, pay, perks means that more than half your competitors can offer more. Be the leader and you will attract the best talent and retain them.

Ask those who leave where it went wrong and what went well. Leavers leave for a reason mostly. It could be salary, lack of prospects or the job was just not for them but there is a reason. Conducting an exit interview can mine information which can be used to improve things for the employees who remain.

Investing in good relations will reap rewards through increased retention and more productive staff.

James R Clark is a HR Professional, Blogger, Daddy, Husband, Dog Owner and Tech Geek. James writes on many subjects and has his own blog where you can find out more about James R Clark.

the Canadian armed forces. And to Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, who knowingly put himself in harm's way to ensure the safety of Parliamentarians and the sanctity of Parliament, and to all of the police, paramedic and security officials who, at the first sign of trouble, reflexively ran towards the danger in an effort to help rather than instinctively run away from it.

Each one is a true Canadian hero. My heartfelt thanks go out to each one of them, as do my thoughts and condolences for the family and friends of the two heroes we lost this week.

While we must all remain vigilant, our democratic will is strengthened by the knowledge that we will fight these terrorist acts at every turn and will defeat those who use violence and hate to advance their political objectives.

Patrick Brown, MP- Barrie, ON

First Responders praised for rising to the occasion The recent lockdown in Parliament for over seven hours, while police, military, security and EMS officials put themselves in the line of fire, renewed my deep appreciation and respect for our first responders and for our open and democratic system of government.

Our first responders and military personnel put themselves at risk each and every day in order to keep the rest of us safe and to preserve our cherished democracy. As the tragic events in Quebec earlier this week demonstrate, they are even exposed to risk when not on duty.

On days such as yesterday, we are reminded of the debt of gratitude we owe to them – to those courageous individuals such as Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who were murdered by terrorists just because they proudly wore the uniform of

Front Lines

E-mail your Letters: publisher@worksite-news.com Front Lines

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SAFETY IN THE OILSANDS

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EMERGENCY RESPONDERS

Response Communications from...page 1 In an effort to provide the best possible situational awareness, MASAS relies on its users to input desired content into their own systems – information that can then be fed into MASAS and viewed by other connected agencies.

Although this national project still operates as a pilot, MASAS' membership has doubled since 2012 when there were about 250 agencies using the system. Now, more than 500 agencies across Canada are accessing MASAS, from local fire departments to federal agencies such as the Department of National Defence and Health Canada.

MASAS also provides regional situational awareness by pulling together information from several agencies in a region. This means that different departments can learn about what is happening in a nearby town and see up-todate incident information. Should additional resources be required, the requested team can quickly become aware of the situation while preparing to respond, improving its overall response efforts.

Emergency responders rely on a dispatcher to inform them of local incidents and to direct their services. Fire services respond to routine calls every day, but what happens when a car crashes on a busy highway involving a school bus, a transport truck containing hazardous materials, and half a dozen other drivers? The call comes in and a response team of firefighters will rush to the accident site. But are any routes closed? Are there other incidents in close proximity?

What other agencies will be deployed? These concerns, among many others, can be alleviated with the help of MASAS. Although this interactive and collaborative tool has already increased national situational awareness, there is still room for improvement. While MASAS has huge potential for the responder community, few first-response agencies use MASAS for day-to-day operations because it has been difficult to integrate local information into the system. That has changed.

Empowering 'True' First Responders

By Kat Anderson When one hears the term 'First Responder,' the images that most often come to mind are of brave Firefighters carrying people out of burning buildings, or the blaring sirens of an Ambulance racing to a motor vehicle accident. These brave men and women put themselves into harms way routinely, to help and protect people during emergencies. With their training and experience, they are able to quickly assess any situation, make decisions based on the resources available to them and effectively deal with the incident.

Rarely however, are these Community First Responders on the scene of an incident when it first happens. In fact, most of the time they are three to five minutes away, or in the worst case scenario, as long as three to five days. The True First Responders are those civilians who are in close proximity to the event when it occurs and are in a position to assist. In a building or facility these True First Responders are the building management and staff, security officers, tenant floor wardens and ordinary occupants that are able to help.

The policies and procedures that the True First Responders initiate prior to the arrival of the authorities can dramatically influence the outcome of an emergency.

Depending upon their actions, this effect can either be positive or negative. The odds of having a positive outcome

One of the leading sources of situational awareness information is the public, and the first electronic record of most incidents is a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. Automating the sharing of certain types of CAD information through MASAS can bring an incident to the attention of the greater public-safety community in seconds instead of minutes or hours, and eliminates the need for additional human resources.

Supported through the CSSP, the Kelowna Fire Department in British Columbia partnered with the FDM Software Group (its CAD provider) to develop software to link its CAD system to MASAS. This allows Kelowna firefighters to use MASAS for both local and national situational awareness. Connecting these two systems through a standard interface allows the department to rapidly see all incidents that require the involvement of multiple agencies – also known as high-crisis scenarios.

All clients using the FDM dispatch system have the opportunity to do the same.

“Our challenge before the FDM-MASAS system was implemented was the time it took to relay real-time information to other first responders and stakeholders in an emergency,” says Brian Moore, dispatch supervisor with the Kelowna Fire Department and deputy emergency program co-ordinator with the Central Okanagan Regional Emergency Program.

“Once the Regional Emergency Operations Centre was opened, it typically took 15 to 90 minutes to become aware of the magnitude of an incident or event. Now all we do is turn on the lights and fire up MASAS. Everyone now knows what everyone else is doing. It's making a tremendous difference in our planning, response and recovery for planned and emergency incidents of all sizes.”

As Moore also noted, a key secondary benefit is the significant reduction in repeat telephone calls, emails, faxes and reports required to relay situational awareness information that could be more openly shared at once with all users.

It has now become apparent to the public safety and securities communities that MASAS helps responders from all services co-ordinate a fast, effective response.

Over the last year, key MASAS developments have been of particular interest to fire services. In 2013, the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources Wildland Fire Reporting System was integrated with MASAS, as was Selkirk's Wildfire System for Yukon, both automatically posting around-the-clock incident

information to MASAS. Last year, MASAS began publishing Ontario's open wildfire event information and using data from Environment Canada. As a result, MASAS can now inform firefighters of wind speed and direction – valuable information for firefighters planning what to do at the scene of an incident.

Natural Resources Canada has recently begun to provide MASAS with near-real time, satellite-derived flood information of areas in crisis requiring a national emergency response. These projects, and others underway, demonstrate the potential for integrating existing department features or information services with MASAS to increase first-responder situational awareness – providing public safety and security agencies with a better picture of what is happening on the ground. With the addition of live CAD data into MASAS, the picture is more complete. With this connection established, other fire, paramedic, and police services can now use MASAS to improve their daily operations.

In consultation with experts across Canada, a national situational awareness system like MASAS has become a reality and the benefits are apparent: enhancing information sharing, improving co-ordination, and eliminating the duplication of efforts – overall resulting in a more organized and effective response.

The CSSP continues to work with responders to improve interoperability and address key challenges for all responders, including fire services. A key element of the CSSP's success is its Communities of Practice (CoPs), which bring together experts from various public safety and security domains to share knowledge and experience.

Their combined expertise helps the CSSP develop projects and activities that address the real needs of responders on the ground.

The Fire CoP includes fire-service leaders, researchers, and members from industry who have joined to discuss specific challenges for the fire services, such as the need to identify common practices and improve how firefighters alert communities. These priorities are driven by the need to provide the best possible education, training, equipment, and information to first responders, and to increase interoperability and collaboration among the services. By working closely with first responders to better understand their operations, the CSSP can ensure that projects like MASAS address the needs of these communities and that the results of the research are transitioned into useable products and information.WSN

are directly related to the quality of the emergency response plans, training programs and tools provided to the True First Responders.

It is important that the building owner or Property Managers realize that a comprehensive Fire and Life Safety program containing detailed emergency procedures is for the benefit of the True First Responders. They must be given procedures, training and support so they are able to manage an emergency event until the Community First Responders arrive. While for most incidents the emergency response time may be only a few minutes, during a largescale event, such as an earthquake, hurricane or regional disaster, the response time may be up to several days. With the right procedures and training, the True First Responders should be able to effectively manage the situation during that time.

An effective Fire and Life Safety program consists of four pieces; the first is a comprehensive Fire Safety or, better yet, Multi-Hazard Plan and its accompanying manuals that provide detailed descriptions of the roles and responsibilities, as well as standard operating procedures, for each member of the emergency management team.

While a Fire Safety Plan is mandatory by law, it only provides emergency procedures in the event of a fire, while a Multi-Hazard Plan is all-encompassing and much more effective in preparing people for a multitude of emergency situations.

At the corporate level these procedures should be rolespecific with the ability to scale to the severity of the event and also reflect inter-connective support and coordination

to their facilities, dependants, suppliers, tenants and the community. For inter-connectivity to be successfully realized, the corporate facilities and managed buildings must have plan continuity, using the same system, capability, and nomenclature. This fact was recognized by jurisdictions across North America that have adopted the Incident Command System (ICS) as a cornerstone to their emergency management policies. This integrated system establishes a uniform set of procedures that all emergency responders at every level will use. They will have the same preparation, the same goals and expectations and most importantly they will be speaking the same language. At the facility and corporate level, having everyone executing from the same play book is essential to a successful outcome.Once the Fire and Life Safety Plan is put together, it's time for training. This second piece of the puzzle is vital to the program's effectiveness. The training, exercising and testing of the plan and the True First Responders on a continual basis is imperative or the plan WILL FAIL. Training can be relatively generic for general occupants, but it needs to be role and site-specific at the facility level. Corporate level training will also need to be role-specific to be effective. Training need not be difficult to plan and implement as online programs are now available for both cost-effectiveness and time-efficiency.

The third piece of an effective program is a way in which to maintain a current plan and communicate with others during an emergency. eSoftware can provide you with an easy and extremely effective way to manage your plan and ensure it is up-to-date. WSN

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ELECTRICAL SAFETY

SaskPower Launches World's First Commercial Capture and Storage Process The world's first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) process on a coal-fired power plant officially opened October 2nd at Boundary Dam Power Station in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Premier Brad Wall, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Greg Rickford, Saskatchewan Economy Minister Bill Boyd, and SaskPower President and CEO Robert Watson were on hand to officially open the project.

“Over the past six years, Saskatchewan has become a global hub of innovation, especially in agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and now carbon capture and storage,” Premier Wall said.

“This project is another Saskatchewan first. The rest of the world is very interested to learn how they too can produce environmentally sustainable coal power.”

When fully optimized, SaskPower's new process will capture up to a million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road. The power unit equipped with CCS technology will continue to use coal to power approximately 100,000 Saskatchewan homes and businesses. The captured carbon dioxide will be used for enhanced oil recovery, with the remainder stored safely and permanently deep underground and continuously monitored. “ Today's announcement – a world first - demonstrates Canada's leadership in developing clean energy technology,” said Minister Rickford. “Saskatchewan's Boundary Dam project is a prime example of Canadian expertise helping reduce emissions, while growing the economy.”

The launch was attended by more than 250 people from more than 20 countries representing governments, industries and media.

“The opening of this new SaskPower plant reinforces the great innovation and development that can take place if you have strong investment and partnerships from the government and industry,” said U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). “From my more than a decade working at Dakota Gasification in North Dakota, and from visiting the construction of the SaskPower facility just over a year ago, I understand just how important it is that we look to the future in how we harness our energy. Coal is a key resource in both Canada and the U.S., and through the development of clean coal technology, we can create North American independence and energy security, while also reducing emissions. We need to develop more clean coal plants to make that possible, and in the U.S., we can learn from the steps Canada has taken to find a realistic path forward for coal.”

“This project is important because it is applicable to about 95 per cent of the world's coal plants,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said. “As nations develop emission regulations, they will come to us to see how we continue to provide affordable coal power to customers, but in an environmentally sustainable way.”

Attendees at the event toured the facility and learned how they can access SaskPower's expertise and knowledge to develop their own CCS initiatives.

Electrical knock-offs focus of new Bill The federal government has proposed a bill to protect Canadians from dangerous electrical products.

Bill C-8 a.k.a. the Combating Counterfeit Products Act (still to get through Senate.

Counterfeit expert Lorne Lipkus of Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP said Canada has fiannly falen in line with other guarded nations that have recognized the dangers associated with imported electrical knock-offs.

“Many people, including myself, believe that [Bill C-8] will have a positive effect—primarily because our existing laws are so inferior to other countries that any change will be positive!—but that [Bill C-8] could have, and needed to go further to really be effective,” noted Lipkus.Noting the various dangers of counterfeit goods and the passing of Bill C-8, industry minister James Moore said, “I am pleased to see the passage of Bill C-8 by the House of Commons with all-party support. Canadians are now one step closer to having a modern, effective protection regime at our borders”.

Bold words, but not so fast. Apparently, we could have—and should have—done better. Lipkus explains “had the government adopted the unanimous recommendations of the two, all-party parliamentary committees, Canada could have had a much more robust anti-counterfeiting regime”.Industry Canada says Bill C-8 will create a system to allow trademark and copyright owners to submit a Request for Assistance to Canada Border Services Agency. Through this system, rights-holders would request that border officers detain commercial shipments suspected of containing counterfeit goods, thereby enabling the trademark owner to begin civil proceedings in court.To support this process, border officers will be further authorized to furnish certain information about shipments and their importers to the rights-holders. Rights-holders wishing to take part in the Request for Assistance system will assume certain costs associated with shipments being detained by border officers.The bill also allows trademark owners to seek legal recourse before counterfeit trademarked goods are sold in the marketplace. Specifically, rights-holders will be able to seek civil remedies for the manufacture, distribution and possession with intent to sell counterfeit goods.Translation from Lipkus: “It increases the ability of IP rights-holders to have access to information from Customs so they can proceed with civil action against importers of counterfeit products. It gives customs officers ex officio power to detain counterfeits, and my understanding is that the positive obligation will be on IP-holders to proceed with expensive court actions if they want to ensure the counterfeit goods are seized/destroyed... failing which, the counterfeits will enter Canada”.So, as an IPholder, unless you're ready for expensive legal action, get ready for those counterfeits to hit the shelves.Finally, Industry Canada says Bill C-8 will ensure that selling, distributing, possessing, importing or exporting counterfeit goods for the purpose of trade will be prohibited and subject to fines and possible jail time. In addition, new criminal offences for possessing and exporting counterfeit goods for the purpose of trade will be added to the Copyright Act, which would allow the RCMP to seize counterfeit goods.“Canadians are now one step closer to having a modern, effective protection regime at our borders,” boasted Moore but, as Lipkus points out, “any system is only as effective as the willingness of the government to properly train and fund those responsible for its implementation”.“I look forward to the swift passage of this bill through the Senate,” added Moore.

“Canadians support it. Our market will be safer with it. And criminals will get the message: 'Canada is not open to your kind of business'.”“Still, it will be nice to have something, because something is better than nothing,” Lipkus concedes.WSN

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TRUCK DRIVER SAFETY

Green Light Given to Safety and Enviro-friendly Technology AMTA is heartened by the recent announcement of the national adoption of boattails, tri-drive tractors and extended B-trains.

“Efforts of Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and its provincial partners have netted results and we are looking forward to working with Alberta Transportation to implement the changes soon,” says David Brunet, Director, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, AMTA. The considerable effort made by Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) over several years has paid off with the approval of new safety and environmentally friendly technologies on heavy truck and trailer configurations in Canada.

The Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety National week approved amendments to standards for the weight and dimension limits of heavy vehicles under the Memorandum of Understanding on Interprovincial Weights and Dimensions (MOU). The changes harmonize nationwide the adoption of aerodynamic, emission-reducing “boat tail” devices on heavy trucks; tri-drive configurations which increase traction and payload for trucks in heavy-haul sectors; and B-train tractors with longer wheelbases to accommodate technologies which are required to meet heavy truck air quality and GHG emissions mandates while also improving driver wellness and fatigue management.

Under terms of the MOU, provinces and territories permit vehicles which comply with the harmonized weights and dimensions standards to travel on designated highways in each jurisdiction.

“CTA applauds the efforts of the Task Force on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, the Council of Deputy Ministers and Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety for moving these issues forward and looks forward to their adoption in regulation across all Canadian jurisdictions at the earliest opportunity,” says CTA's Geoff Wood.

Specifically, the amendments to the MOU include: The addition of the Tridem DriveTractor – Semitrailer Configuration as a new MOU category.

Increasing the allowable dimension limits of aerodynamic devices on rear of trucks and trailers from 0.9 m to 1.52 m, which harmonizes regulations within Canada as well as with those in the U.S. and supports the trucking industry in improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

Adopting the Canadian Trucking Alliance's proposal to increase in the overall length limit for B-train double trailer combinations from 25 m to 27.5 m, which is necessary to fit engine emissions reduction equipment and alternative fuel systems (eg. LNG), accommodate safety impact devices such as “moose bumpers,” as well as reduce driver fatigue and improve driver comfort by allowing larger sleeper berths.

The one outstanding element with regards to B-trains is to implement into regulation the full tractor wheel-base allocation as proposed by CTA. The Alliance is hopeful that all jurisdictions will continue to work with CTA and its provincial association partners to make this happen. WSN

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SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE

Question mark on medical marijuana and the workplace Laws pass but the jury still out Julie Carter is well aware of the burgeoning movement to legalize medical marijuana. It's debated at jobsites. It's splashed across headlines. It's discussed among safety professionals.

And no matter your stance on the issue, one thing is certain: It's not going away anytime soon.

“I think it's going to be a hot-button issue for some time yet because things are changing so rapidly,” said Carter, director of environmental, health and safety at Roy Anderson Corp., a Gulfport, MS-based construction company. “As a corporation, we are maintaining that we have the right to a drug-free workplace. Those are our policies, period.”

Yet when it comes to recent medical marijuana laws and what they might mean for workplace safety, the predominant punctuation is a question mark. The language of each law varies, leaving all parties involved having to navigate a legal maze when it comes to employers' and workers' rights.

So far 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, and two of those states – Colorado and Washington – had passed laws permitting the recreational use of marijuana. All of those laws stand in contrast to federal law, which prohibits marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance in the same category as LSD, heroin and ecstasy.

The federal government has said it will not prosecute people who abide by their state's marijuana laws. As to whether employers can ban its use by workers – including those with prescriptions to use medical marijuana outside of the workplace for chronic diseases and conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease – the answer depends on each state and its courts.

In some states, including Washington, Oregon and Michigan, judges have ruled on the side of employers. In other states, including Minnesota, Arizona and Delaware, lawmakers have added specific protections for workers with medical marijuana prescriptions, shielding them from adverse action by employers based solely on a positive test result.

“There are a lot of layers to it,” said Vance Knapp, a lawyer who represents employers in Colorado and Arizona for Denver-based Sherman & Howard LLC. “What we're seeing is sort of a hodgepodge of rules and regulations from state to state to state.”

Safety implications Marijuana is a mind-altering drug that contains more than 400 chemicals, according to the Drug Enforcement

Functional Alcoholics

By Racks Jackson An alcoholic often brings a grim picture to our mind of a person, whois homeless, penniless, or a vagabond without family or friends.

This is a stereotypical picture prevalent in the society and also reinforced by movies and media. But there are a good percentage of alcoholics, who do not conform to these criteria; they are the 'functional alcoholics.'

Who are functional alcoholics?

They are high performers in terms of professional success, relationships and social achievements. They give an appearance of a normal person because they haven't been affected by consequences of their abuse or dependence.

These people, though they drink but they haven't lost it completely in layman's language "not hit the rock bottom."

The statistics from various researches confirms that about 20% of alcoholics belong to this category. A functional

Administration. One of those chemicals, THC, is believed to be the main cause of psychoactive effects as it travels from the bloodstream to the brain.

For a crane operator, pipe fitter, welder, truck driver or anyone else in a safety-sensitive position, the drug can pose dangers. The shortterm effects of marijuana include distorted perception; loss of coordination; and problems with memory, learning and problem-solving, according to DEA. Workers should treat medical marijuana the same as other prescription drugs such as Vicodin or Percocet, which can impair mental and physical abilities and affect worker safety, said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a senior economist with Santa Monica, CA-based nonprofit research institute RAND Corp. Workers also should know the rules of their state and their employer, particularly if they are subject to Department of Transportation regulations or if their employer has federal contracts – both of which can supersede protections in state laws.

Other variables exist, such as a wide range in potency levels of THC in different types of marijuana. Someone who ingests marijuana that has a higher THC content may become more impaired and, in turn, less safe.

“We're not talking about a single substance when we talk about marijuana,” said Pacula, who serves as co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. “It's the equivalent of saying 'alcohol' and encompassing hard liquor with low-alcohol-content stuff. We need our laws and policies to be more mindful of that.”

Meanwhile, many safety professionals have become more diligent about observing employees during stretch-andflex drills, lunch breaks and other encounters.

“In some of the states where medical marijuana is legal, we have been increasing our awareness and making sure that we look at our employees,” Carter said. “Get a visual on them. [Be aware] if they seem not on their game, if they seem distracted – for any reason, but especially for that. We have this saying. We call it, 'Eyes on hands, mind on task.'

When you're stoned, you've got none of that going on.”

Employers' rights versus workers' rights If an employer can prove a worker is impaired on the job, then that employer can take action regardless of the residing state.

But what if a worker shows no impairment but tests positive for marijuana? Does the employer have the right to

fire that worker as part of its drug-free workplace policy?

Knapp's short answer consists of two words: “Yes, but …”

His long answer covers a slew of recent court cases, most notably Colorado's Coats v. Dish Network. The plaintiff in that case, Brandon Coats, is a quadriplegic licensed to take medical marijuana. After Coats failed a drug test, Dish Network fired him from his job as a customer service representative. Coats sued the company, but the state's Court of Appeals sided with Dish Network. At press time, the case was pending in the Colorado Supreme Court.

“I've been advising my clients that you can have a zerotolerance drug policy in your workplace, but there is that risk that there's going to be litigation,” Knapp said. “The issue for employers, especially employers who are engaged in safety-sensitive activities, is that they have to be concerned about, 'Can I still discipline an employee that has trace amounts of THC in their bloodstream?' … When it comes down to the particulars of what you can or cannot do under your particular state law, that's when you really need to contact your employment counselor.”

Employers have been doing exactly that in Minnesota, which in May became the 22nd state to legalize medical marijuana. On the surface, the language in Minnesota's law might make it the most employee-favorable law in the country, said Dale Deitchler, a Minneapolis-based attorney who specializes in labor law with Littler Mendelson.

“In states where employment is not addressed, employers have the upper hand,” Deitchler said. “In states where employment is addressed, there's no clear-cut winner coming out of this, and companies are going to have to understand that if there's a legal challenge, they're going to have to make new law.” WSN

alcoholic can be a movie star, doctor, engineer or entrepreneur... They are complacent to their addiction; their families are ignorant about the degree of their problems and hence,unknowingly enable their addiction.

Functional alcoholics generally dwell in a world of denial, until a catastrophe in terms of ill health, problems with law or relationships strikes them.

They generally tend to rationalize their drinking as part of celebrating their success or as stress busting technique.

Most alcoholics have similar story to tell, it starts with social drinking and gradually they develop tolerance to the amount of alcohol they consume.

To get the same buzz, they need to consume more and more.

Functional alcoholic, like other alcoholics also spend time obsessing about alcohol, procuring it and finding reasons to consume it. They do get intoxicated like other alcoholics but not incapacitated by it. But, due to large quantity that they consume they soon start exhibiting cognitive impairment and organ damage.

They are the missed cases in terms of addiction treatment

and seldom seek help even when things have taken a turn for the worst.

The following strategies are recommended for the families of functional alcoholics: * Try talking to the addicted individual about the problems and only initiate the conversation when the person is sober. * Do not be sarcastic or negative towards the addicted person; instead positively reinforce their abstinence. * Stop enabling addiction by giving excuses for their behaviour, absenteeism from work or social commitments. * Treatment needn't always be voluntary; you can force the person to seek help. * Do not ignore your own mental health. Join AL-ANON, support group or see a therapist to ventilate your feelings. * Last but not the least never give up. Keep trying and don't lose hope.

Racks Jackson is a content writer who associated with Tulasi Health Care and here he explaining about Functional alcoholics. If you want to know more about De addiction, Visit de addiction treatment.

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TRAFFIC SAFETY

Infotainment systems meshed to smartphones may worsen problem Just because you can talk to your car doesn't mean you should. Two new studies have found that voiceactivated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems may be making the distracted-driving problem worse.

The systems let drivers tune the radio, send a text message or make a phone call while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel, but many of these systems are so error-prone or complex they require more concentration from drivers, not less, say studies released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah.

One study examined infotainment systems in some of the most common auto brands on the road: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai and Mercedes. The second study tested the Apple iPhone's Siri voice system to navigate, send texts, make Facebook and Twitter posts and use the calendar without handling or looking at the phone. Apple and Google are working with automakers to mesh smartphones with infotainment systems so drivers can bring their apps, navigation and music files into their cars.

The voice-activated systems were graded on a distraction scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing no distraction and 5 comparable to doing complex math problems and word memorization.

The systems were tested by 162 university students and other volunteers in three settings: a laboratory, a driving simulator and in cars while driving through a Salt Lake City neighbourhood.

Apple's Siri received the worst rating: 4.14. Twice, test drivers using Siri in a driving simulator rear-ended another car.

Chevrolet's MyLink received the worst rating — 3.7 —

among the infotainment systems. Infotainment systems from three other automakers — Mercedes, Ford and Chrysler — were rated as more distracting for drivers than simply talking on a hand-held cellphone.

The systems with the worst ratings were those that made errors even though drivers' voice commands were clear and distinct, said David Strayer, the University of Utah psychology professor who led the two studies.

Drivers had to concentrate on exactly what words they wanted to use and in what order to get the systems to follow their commands, creating a great deal of frustration.

An infotainment system might recognize a command to change a radio station to “103.5 FM,” but not “FM 103.5” or “103.5,” he said.

Siri sometimes garbled text messages or selected wrong phone numbers from personal phone books, Strayer said. During one test, Siri called 911 instead of the phone number requested by the volunteer driver and the driver had to scramble to end the call before it went through.

“When these systems become more complex, like sending text messages or posting to Facebook, it pushes the workloads to pretty high levels and may be dangerous while driving,” Strayer said.

The studies contradict claims by automakers, pitch the voice systems as a way car buyers can safely enjoy social media and connectivity. Safety advocates say drivers assume such systems are safe because they are incorporated into vehicles and are hands-free.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates vehicle safety, has issued voluntary guidelines to automakers for dashboard systems and is working on similar guidelines for cellphones and voiceactivated systems.

“Infotainment systems are unregulated,” said Deborah Hersman, president of the National Safety Council and former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.WSN

Think you know all about winter?

Winter can be beautiful – especially when a fresh layer of snow covers the ground. But if you drive for work, that beauty means danger on the road. Freezing temperatures, rain, snow, black ice, fog, and reduced daylight hours are just a few of the elements that winter throws our way – sometimes in a single workday. In fact, during the winter months, the number of casualty crashes due to driving too fast for the conditions nearly doubles from almost 121 in October to over 234 in December.* If you drive for work full time or part time, make sure you're up to the challenge: * Prepare yourself: Decide if you really have to go. If you do, plan your route ahead of time by listening to the radio or visiting DriveBC.ca. Give yourself lots of time so you're not rushing to your destination. * Prepare your vehicle: Use four matched winter tires with the winter logo and check your tire pressure at least once a month. Do a pre-winter check-up on your vehicle and report any concerns to your Supervisor. Keep your gas tank full to avoid condensation and the freezing of your fuel lines. Carry a winter survival kit. * Drive for the conditions: Allow extra time for work travel so you're not rushing. Reduce your speed and increase the distance between you and vehicle in front. Avoid sudden movements – accelerate and brake slowly. Learn how to drive for different conditions like snow, ice, rain, and fog. * If you become stuck or stranded, stay in your vehicle for warmth and safety and follow company procedures.

Know before you go.

Before heading out in challenging conditions decide if the trip can be delayed.

If you must go: * Visit www.DriveBC.ca for current road conditions. * Visit www.ShiftIntoWinter.ca for tips on ways to prepare yourself, your vehicle, and how to drive safely on winter roads.

Whether you're driving for work or pleasure, the above tips will increase your winter driving safety.

Feel free to forward them to friends and family.

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November 2014

Page 12

VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE PSYCHOPATHS AMONG US

Signs of domestic abuse warning for employers said the company nurse quickly implemented a plan based on the company's procedures. The company separated the two by scheduling them to work different shifts. Staff helped the woman connect with a shelter, notified her supervisor and brought in a trainer to teach employees about recognizing and preventing domestic violence. Ms. Leigh said the company did not fire the offender for fear of escalating the situation. Fortunately, it proved to be the right call.

If these cases seem shocking, so are the statistics surrounding domestic violence. In 2009, Statistics Canada said that 46,918 incidents of spousal violence were reported to police, including 65 spousal homicides, which accounted for 11 per cent of all homicides in Canada that year.

Another StatsCan report, the 2009 General Social Survey, found that nearly 1.2 million Canadians aged 15 and older reported being physically or sexually victimized by a partner in the preceding five years.

While experts say it's preferable to have some training before approaching someone at work whom you suspect to be affected by domestic violence, you Glenn French may be able to initiate a conversation if you are President/ The Canadian Initiative on Workplace Violence trusted. Ms. Leigh said the conversation should begin with non-judgmental statements based on changes Following my earlier article entitled "Workplace Violence: A Roadmap for Prevention", you've observed in someone's behaviour. You might I will over the next few months, focus on each one of the critical components of a say you've noticed the person has been late for work, or appears to have an injury. Then wait patiently for Violence Prevention Program. Keep in mind when drafting your policy that you should an answer. consult the legislative requirements in the jurisdiction where your operations are “Be someone who cares. If you're not a friend, then located be they provincial, federal or territorial. be a citizen, a neighbour,” Ms. Leigh said.

Every organizationshould have in place a workplace violence prevent policy, which is In Ontario, the move to recognize domestic violence accessible to all employees. This document is the foundation of an employer's violenceas a workplace issue got a boost in 2010 when Bill prevention program. The policy should—at a minimum—communicate an 168 amended the Occupational Health and Safety organization's commitment to preventing workplace violence, provide an overview of Act to define violence as a workplace hazard and its violence-prevention program, and establish clear standards of behaviour that apply named domestic abuse as a form of workplace to all employees, managers, contractors and clients. violence.

At a minimum, your company policy should include: “The bill creates a positive obligation on employers 1. The purpose of the policy. to conduct risk assessments and to take steps to 2. A definition of workplace violence in precise, concrete language, keeping in mind that violence can come from protect workers from domestic violence in the customers, students, co-workers to name just a few workplace,” employment lawyer Daniel Lublin said.

3. A statement reflecting the organization's zero tolerance for any acts of violence.

Marylin Kanee, director of human rights and health 4. The scope and application of the policy, covering employees at all levels including contractors, customers, equity for Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto, said the students, and other individuals pertinent to your circumstance. hospital has long had formalized policies and 5. Outline in clear terms the responsibilities of all stakeholders under the policy. procedures to handle domestic violence. Its resources 6. Outline the processes in place to both prevent and report incidents of violence. include a website, mandatory e-learning programs 7. Emphasize the importance of reporting of all incidents, ensuring confidentiality, and protection from reprisals. and a bi-annual symposium.

8. Reinforce the organization's commitment to advise employees of potential risks.

For workplaces looking to establish similar protocols, Ms. Kanee advises appointing a co9. Outline procedures for investigating and resolving complains. ordinator, and assessing your organization's 10. Reinforce the organization's commitment to support victims of violence in the form of protection and support capabilities. “You don't want to be scrambling when a services. situation arises.”

11. Clearly outline the consequences of policy violations.

A good starting point is to outline your company's 12. Make a commitment to violence prevention training and education for employees at all levels of the organization. policies and procedures. “Give a definition of 13. Where appropriate, cross-reference other related policies, such as sexual harassment, and disability management, domestic violence, lay out who has responsibility, and etc. who they report to,” Ms. MacQuarrie said.

Once you have established you policy, most jurisdictions require that you post it in a conspicuous location, such as Then outline practical steps. “At minimum, it would an Occupational Health and Safety Bulletin Board, or some other location where it is easily accessible. Further, we outline safety, planning, and risk assessment strongly recommend that you develop your policy in consultation with your Occupational Health and Safety procedures. Develop a safety plan that looks at the Committee, or Safety Representative. Employees should be involved in the prevention program from the very safety of employees and co-workers, clients – beginning to ensure their buy-in and cooperation. everyone.

Remember, your Workplace Violence Prevention Policy is the foundation of your Violence Prevention Program. We Procedures also need to consider what will next look at how to conduct a workplace hazard assessment which will form the basis of your procedures. accommodations you can make available, things like For further information on Violence Prevention, visit us on line at www.workplaceviolence.ca flexible scheduling, and ideally paid but [also] unpaid leave,” she said.

Ms. MacQuarrie emphasizes the importance of linking with community support agencies. “Every employer doesn't need to be an expert in domestic violence … Every police service has a domestic violence co-ordinator, and there are shelters in every community.”WSN

According to those who work with victims of domestic violence, it's vital that employers take steps to protect employees from such abuse and deal quickly with those who are accused of it. The best approach, they say, starts with educating employees about the risk factors and warning signs of domestic abuse, establishing clear policies and procedures to deal with both victims and the accused, and reaching out to community agencies for assistance.

Barb MacQuarrie, community director of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at the University of Western Ontario in London, cites an incident in which a woman was stalked by her partner as a good example of what to do.

The employer contacted an outside agency for help and did a risk assessment to gauge the potential for the violence to escalate, understanding that the most dangerous time for the victim is often right after she leaves the relationship. The company created a safety plan for the employee, gave her time off, and encouraged her to get a restraining order that included the workplace. That situation eventually de-escalated.

Things were more complicated for an Alberta company that employed both the victim of domestic assault and the perpetrator, her husband, who had tried to strangle the woman.

Shannon Leigh, a training and business development associate with the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters,

Workplace Violence Prevention: Policy Development

www.workplaceviolence.ca

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SAFETY IN THE OILPATCH- Emergency Response

Drilling workers safety record bodes ill for public health Mike Soraghan, E&E reporter Worker safety is perhaps the only place where the oil and gas industry's safety record can be lined up next to other industries and compared.

It's gotten better, but with a fatality rate that topped coal mining's in 2012, drilling stacks up badly.

Public health and worker safety experts say that's a bad sign for people living amid frack tanks, rigs and truck traffic that come with the country's drilling boom.

"If managers are saying we don't have time for a safety meeting, they're likely to say the same thing about controls to keep environmental violations from happening," said Adam Finkel, a former Occupational Safety and Health Administration official now in academia.

A research paper from the Colorado School of Public Health earlier this year observed that the explosions and chemical releases that kill and injure workers also jeopardize those who li e and work nearby, but in different ways. Workers are closer and exposed to higher concentrations of toxic chemicals at well sites. But the people who live nearby can be exposed around the clock for years.

"If you live there, you've got the opportunity for long-term cumulative exposure," said professor John Adgate of the Colorado School of Public Health, co-author of the paper.

"The longer exposure duration means the cumulative effect may be substantial."

The oil and gas industry's fatality rate in the past 10 years ranges from bad to very bad. But there were early signs of a sharp improvement in 2013, as rampant growth settled.

An investigation of the drilling industry's worker safety record and what it means for those living amid the boom.

From 2003 to 2010, according to the Labor Department, 823 oil and gas extraction workers were killed on the job -- a fatality rate seven times greater than the rate for all industries.

The 2012 fatality rate for oil and gas extraction was a record 24.2 deaths per 100,000 workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (EnergyWire, Aug. 23, 2013). That was more than double the rate of construction worker deaths, higher than coal mining and even above that of the notoriously dangerous agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector.

The pace of fatal accidents slowed in 2013, even as employment went up. But BLS did not generate a 2013 fatality rate for oil and gas. It was certainly lower, but it's not clear by how much. The fatality rate for the mining sector, which includes drilling, dropped from 15.9 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2012 to 12.2. That is substantially higher than construction and nearly four times higher than the all-industry rate.

"It's still a long way to go, but we're headed in the right direction," said R. Dean Wingo, who retired in January 2013 as assistant regional administrator in the Dallas office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "They don't like this black eye for the fatalities they've had."

Despite the statistics, industry leaders say oil and gas wells are safe for the people who work on them and those who live near them.

"We take seriously our responsibility to produce oil and natural gas in a safe and reliable way that protects our workforce and protects the environment at the same time," Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the industry's largest trade group, said in a 2013 speech in Washington, D.C. But the view from closer up can be less rosy.

"It's a highly hazardous industry," said Dennis Schmitz, a safety trainer with 15 years of

experience in the oil field and chairman of the MonDaks Safety Network, a group of safety officials from companies drilling in the Bakken Shale. "We don't have a very good safety record."

Asked more recently about the industry's safety record, API spokesman Brian Straessle said, "Folks in the oil and natural gas industry care deeply about the health and safety of our colleagues and employees because safety is a core value."

Linking site safety with public health Some worker safety experts reject the idea of linking worker exposure to public health and the environment. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, for example, has specifically rejected any efforts to link the results of its studies of toxic vapors at work sites to health effects on those who live nearby.

"I think there are definitely people out there that would like to say, 'Oh, how does it relate to risk for public health?'" said NIOSH researcher Eric Esswein, who led the study. "Well, it doesn't, because that's not the research we do."

Adgate, who is chairman of the Colorado school's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, said public health experts and worker safety experts often contain themselves in their own "silos."

But Adgate notes that studies of workplace exposure have often served as a starting point for setting pollution limits for the general population.

"This has been an issue as long as I have been in this field -- how you relate occupational standards to community air pollution standards," he said.

Others have found correlation between environmental and worker safety records at companies.

Finkel, who was OSHA's administrator for the Rocky Mountain region until 2003 and now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, built a model showing that companies with a lot of environmental violations were at higher risk for workplace safety violations. Finkel said the theory can work both ways.

On average, OSHA found workplace conditions more than five times more severe at the environmental "problem sites" than at sites U.S. EPA did not see fit to inspect.

The model also incorporated data on violations of fair wages and other rules. He and his colleagues are also working to incorporate other factors, such as a company's credit scores, debt and ownership changes.

Asked whether worker safety was a valid means of comparing oil and gas to other industries, Independent Petroleum Association of America spokesman Jeff Eshelman said it is the "only comparison of industries' safety record" with which he was familiar.

The clearest example of a danger to both production workers and well site neighbors may be hydrogen sulfide, often called "sour gas." It's a well-known killer in the oil field, and complaints are increasing as the country's drilling boom drives into populated areas.

Sour gas poisoning has killed at least five oil and gas workers since the beginning of 2013.

One of those was in North Dakota, where oil from the Bakken Shale is known for being exceptionally "sweet," or low in hydrogen sulfide.

But, as with other forms of oil field pollution, health experts say they grapple with a lack of solid information on the threat.

Even though it's a lethal hazard that's been a concern for decades in the oil field, Adgate said there isn't much scientific or medical literature about hydrogen sulfide's effect on workers or communities. "There is remarkably little published data," Adgate said.

Worksite NEWS November 2014 Page 15

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ERGONOMICS & THE HEALTHY WOKPLACE

Active Workstation

The office environment can contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle at work

By Elizabeth Simpson April Pace was at her desk reading health studies at Eastern Virginia Medical School when she came to this conclusion: "Sitting is killing me."

During the past year, she'd reviewed a slew of reports on the effects of a sedentary lifestyle - like higher rates of diabetes and heart disease - which moved the education coordinator at the school's medical library to action.

She stood up.

And bought a treadmill desk for her office.

Since then, she's spent about half her workday either walking or standing at her desk.

"I noticed an improvement from day one," said Pace, who also teaches a class on evidence-based medicine at the school. "It's energizing. And once you start walking, you don't want to go back to sitting."

Across campus in Andrews Hall, Dr. Karen Remley is pacing through emails, PowerPoint presentations and research. She averages 20,000 steps a day at her treadmill desk.

"For me, finding time to exercise has always been difficult, so this works for me," said Remley, who directs the school's community and global outreach center. "I lost 10 pounds.

I can run up the steps faster. It's a way to work exercise into your daily routine without thinking about it."

These "active workstations" are popping up in offices across the country. Sedentary office jobs have been tagged as a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Instead of planting crops or chasing down deer for dinner as they did in the old days, people are punching keys, pushing paper and using cellphones.

Companies are looking for ways to improve the health of their employees with gym discounts and on-site exercise rooms. The active workstation idea, while growing, is still fairly limited in use, and the jury's out on exactly what works.

Google, Microsoft and some big-name hotel chains have purchased them for common areas so deskbound employees can take a break from sitting but still make phone calls or read documents. A couple of things have kept the idea from sweeping the workplace. The price tag is one issue - Remley's cost about $1,400.

So far, studies on active workstations have been mixed. For instance, a University of Iowa study last year found when stationary bikes were offered as an alternative to desk chairs, only 19 percent of employees still used them after four weeks.

One complaint? Knees hitting the desks.

But other studies support them. A study published in May in the journal Obesity followed 36 employees who tried treadmill desks for a year. It found they lost an average of three pounds over the year, with overweight people losing more.

An online forum, "Office Walkers - Working @ 100 calories per hour," lets treadmill desk users discuss their active workstations together.

One post wrote, "If you're walking on your treadmill minding your own business and suddenly the power goes out, you can almost get whiplash! Yikes!"

"I just joined because I was so sick of sitting!" said another.

Remley says it's not for everyone, but it works for her. She sees the concept as another tool to improve health not just in people's personal lives, but also at their workplaces.

America found itself in an obesity epidemic for many reasons - sedentary jobs, poor eating habits, hunching over electronic devices - and it will take a range of options to pull the country back.

Remley's move away from the traditional office chair started during her previous job as Virginia health commissioner, a position she held for five years. It was a busy job with a lot of meetings, drives across the state, long hours and working lunches.

She gained 20 pounds.

Early last year, she decided to try a standing desk and loved it. She resigned the commissioner's post in October after objecting to new abortion regulations, and moved

back to Virginia Beach to take a job at EVMS. As a Christmas gift, her family bought her a treadmill desk.

After she began working at the medical school in March, EVMS President and Dean Richard Homan let her set it up in her office.

"It provides a role model," Homan said. "We're in the health profession, and we're trying to improve the health of patients and our workforce, so the more we provide encouragement, the better off we are."

Remley uses different speeds depending on what she's doing. If she's reading documents, for instance, she goes 2 mph. Intricate use of a mouse, say putting together a PowerPoint, requires a slower speed. Once she started using it, she craved more time on it.

And it wasn't just about moving more, it was also about focus.

She found the cadence of walking helped her organize her thinking and "get in the zone."

She keeps the speed to a level where, as she puts it, she doesn't glow.

Pace started using her treadmill desk in January. Before, she'd sometimes experience tingling in her fingertips and fatigue if she sat at her desk too long. Those symptoms have gone away.

There's definitely a learning curve, she said. "At first I had a lot of typos," but she's adjusted to walking and working.

Local health advocates laud the idea of moving more at work, but they say it doesn't necessarily take special equipment. Eileen E. Ciccotelli, vice president of the Virginia Business Coalition on Health, said the organization has materials for a program called "Instant Recess 10-Minute Break" geared toward getting people moving during the workday.

And Amy Paulson, who coordinates the Healthy Hampton Roads initiative, said if she and her co-workers are in a meeting longer than two hours, they take the session "for a walk" outside the building.

Peter Schenk, president of LifeSpan, one of the companies that make treadmill desks, said people shouldn't view the product as a workout machine - the top speed is 4 mph - but rather, as an alternative to sitting. He said his company started more than a decade ago but began selling treadmill desks only in 2011. The company doesn't reveal its sales numbers, but the treadmill desk has become its most popular product.

About 60 percent of LifeSpan's customers are companies and 40 percent are individuals, he said. LifeSpan is developing a system that allows several employees to walk and work together in conference rooms. People tend to think only edgy dot-com companies and CEOs with corner offices use them, Schenk said, but LifeSpan's customers range from freelancers to software developers and lawyers.

For Remley, a treadmill desk is just one of many tools that can improve the public's health.

"It's not perfect for everybody," she said. "I think what I'd like to see is more people trying it out, so you can measure the work product. My bet is that for most people, it would improve it."

Elizabeth Simpson, 757-446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com

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HEALTH & WELL-BEING

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POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

REEFER MADNESS MOUNTIE STYLE RCMP’s denial ends in suicide

By MATT MERNAGH

J

ust a few weeks ago I was teaching RCMP Cpl. Ron Francis how to vaporize his medical marijuana.

He promised to check back in, but we never had another virtual session. He was found dead in his Kingsclear First Nation, New Brunswick, home on Monday, October 6, apparently a suicide.

Tossed aside by RCMP brass because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and publicly bullied by Conservative parliamentarians for marijuana medicating, Francis emailed long after the media had lost interest in a “pot-smoking Mountie.”

We connected by sharing war stories about the side effects of antidepressants and how overwhelming sudden weed fame can be. We discovered a strong mutual respect for each other.

The heroic act of outing himself as a pot user was intended to draw attention to a dramatic lack of PTSD services and a cop culture of “suck it up, buttercup.”

Francis said, “I shouldn't hide my medical marijuana from the public.”

His courage was catchy. He empowered people nationwide who hide their cannabis from loved ones and employers. It's precisely the kind of courage prohibitionists fear and thousands of Canadians emailed him positive encouragement. Many privately outing themselves and writing at length about their own PTSD battles.

By all accounts Francis was a courageous officer.

Starting in 2007, he began trying different medications to deal with his PTSD and came to cannabis only when all else failed. He received a prescription to smoke weed, which he said calmed his symptoms. Francis spent years trying to cope by using prescription pills.

“It was hard for me to accept medical marijuana at first,” he told me.

Enlightened by cannabis healing, he hatched a brilliant plan to use pot's huge popularity to smoke out Mountie denial around PTSD. He smoked openly the first time while on duty and in uniform, attracting national headlines as well as the wrath of his superiors. It was after a Remembrance Day ceremony.

I t was ganja genius: the force had to address PTSD issues frontline officers face and publicly respond to his medpot puffing.

“I was told by the psychologist hired by the RCMP I was better off taking marijuana than Ativan because of Ativan's side effects. The RCMP should argue with the psychologist, not me.”

But had RCMP provided better mental health services, our pot-smoking mountie may never have gone public.

“I wanted these [mental health] issues addressed within the RCMP,” he told me.

Since 2006, 31 retired or active RCMP officers have

committed suicide. Cleverly and quietly, Francis used his unique situation to educate skeptical higher-ups on the force about the effects of PTSD. His personal battle motivated him hugely.

He demanded officers receive more time off to heal, more access to services and more say in which duties they are assigned when returning from leave for PTSD-related illness. But the RCMP placed him in the major crimes unit when he came back from his leave.

“My job was to catalogue human remains and drive them around the province. I was still healing from PTSD. It wasn't a place for me to be.”

Disabled Canadians medicating in the workforce need to be accommodated, but RCMP brass never thought to put a vaporizer in a basement and hide Francis.

Instead, when Francis went public with his condition, he says “the hammer came down.”

He was placed on medical leave, and forced to return his uniform in November 2013.

As the story was gaining momentum something weird and crazy happened.

RCMP officers showed up at his door in December 2013 with a form that allowed them to hold him under the Mental Health Act for 72 hours, reportedly because he might hurt himself or someone else.

He got into an altercation with the officers and was charged with two counts of assaulting fellow officers and one count of resisting arrest. Officers used a stun gun to

subdue him. He was held for 30 days to determine if he was fit to stand trial.

His lawyer suggested the RCMP motive was to remove his client from the media spotlight. Released, the RCMP returned to Francis's home weeks later after Francis called in distress. Suspecting alcohol, officers charged him with breaching a bail condition. Another altercation broke out in which Francis allegedly pushed one officer and grabbed another by the shirt. He was charged with two more counts of assault.

Francis's messaged me weeks before his three-day trial was set to begin. He was looking forward to presenting what happened and wanted people to know the officer he gave a bloody nose too had a personal beef.

He would eventually plead guilty to two counts of assault and, in exchange, have the other charges dropped. His sentencing was scheduled for November 3.

The incident left tremendous emotional damage, he told me last summer. By then he had fallen off the media's radar, but he was looking forward to justice.

He committed suicide before his sentencing date.

Francis's commanding officer is asking media not to speculate about his death, but it's more important than ever to examine events via a coroner's inquest.

BC's coroner's office has set out to investigate a Mountie suicide – why not New Brunswick's?

Matt Mernagh is a longtime medical marijuana activist.

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WORKSAFE BC

Can Canadian Health Care Workers Refuse to treat Ebola Patients? MAYBE!

By Dr. Brian Goldman Hospitals across the country are working hard to make sure they're ready if a patient with Ebola walks through their doors. But some health care workers think they should have the right to refuse to treat anyone with the virus. You might be surprised to know that in some cases, they may just have the law and professional ethics on their side.

Though to this point in time we have no patients in Canada with Ebola, the issue of work refusal has already come up. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, and others said nurses have raised concerns across Canada.

Jane Sustrik with the United Nurses of Alberta said a number of front line nurses there have told the union they lack proper training and equipment to look after Ebola patients without the risk of getting the disease themselves.

According to media reports, at an internal meeting at Alberta Health Services, the issue was taken seriously enough that the health authority said that if health care workers refuse to treat a patient with Ebola, they could face disciplinary action. Nurses in Quebec have raised similar concerns.

And they're not the only health care workers to do so. Housekeepers at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario reportedly reportedly to clean up the room of a patient with suspected Ebola.

The most obvious reason why nurses are concerned about contracting Ebola is that they are among the health care workers who spend the greatest amount of time in close, repeated contact with patients. It's no wonder nurses feel vulnerable, since the first two health care workers to contract Ebola in North America are nurses. Nurses I talked to said they were stunned by the news that a second nurse at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas contracted Ebola; so was the US Centers for Disease Control director, who said the CDC is rethinking its approach as a direct result.

Here in Canada, Alberta dealt with a possible Ebola patient hospitalized in Edmonton.

The patient - who was isolated appropriately - tested negative for the virus. Still, nurses there reportedly said they were not given correct information about wearing protective respiratory masks.

By virtue of the amount time they spend at the bedside, nurses may have a lot more opportunity than other health professionals to contract Ebola. But they aren't the only ones. Housekeepers are also at potential risk. We've seen in West Africa that MDs have also contracted Ebola while caring for infected patients. During the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS back in 2003, I know anaesthesiologists and respiratory therapists who got infected while caring for patients with SARS. Is it legal for health professionals to refuse to treat patients with Ebola? The answer may surprise you.

A 2010 paper written for members of the Ontario Nurses Association or ONA says provincial legislation gives health care and other workers a limited right to refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisal provided there are circumstances where the worker has reason to believe there is danger. For instance, they can refuse to work with any equipment or device that the worker is to operate or use that is likely to endanger himself or herself and others.

The worker can't refuse if the job is what they do ordinarily. So, a lab technician can't refuse to handle a blood sample from a patient with an infectious disease but could refuse to handle the sample if the suspected virus is highly infectious and if proper protective clothing and equipment are not provided. Clearly, that exception has bearing in cases of Ebola.

The 2010 ONA report says that there was at least one case during SARS of a nurse exercising her right to refuse to care for a SARS patient until she demonstrated that she could properly don the N95 respiratory mask.

A recent statement from Federal Minister of Health Rona Ambrose said the Minister had spoken with representatives from national nursing associations, and had emphasized that it is imperative all front line health care workers have guidance and information to deal with Ebola.

It's clear that the provinces and the federal government are pouring resources into Ebola preparedness which in an effort to demonstrate that they are protecting not only the public but front line health care workers who are essential in treating Ebola patients. In my opinion, the minister's statement is also an attempt at heading off any discussion about refusal to treat patients with Ebola.

Clearly, hospitals must put in place methods to protect health care workers from the threat of Ebola. That means they must provide adequate gowns, disinfectants, and other equipment.. Hospitals must also train health care workers on proper procedures for handling safely patients with suspected Ebola. More than that, our public institutions must be out in front of this issue.

For instance, Ontario has designated 10 hospitals as Ebola referral centres. Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health recently issued a directive expanding and improving training for health care workers and provide additional personal protective equipment. The new measures also state that two nurses at each hospital will now exclusively care for any confirmed Ebola patient at all times under the supervision of qualified management staff.

Those nurses will be banned from caring for other hospitalized patients.

Let's hope these precautions work. As we have seen in the US, the CDC is re-evaluating its infection control procedures for health care workers in light of what happened at Texas Presbyterian Hospital. The more uncertain authorities are about the effectiveness of methods of protecting health care workers, the less right they have to demand that health care workers care for Ebola patients.

Dr. Brian Goldman hosts White Coat, Black Art on CBC Radio One. His new book The Secret Language of Doctors is published Harper Collins Canada Limited.

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WORKSITE DIRECTORY

Acorn Safety P.O. Box 3527 City of Industry, CA 91744 Contact Robert Bowles Ph: (775) 284-7212 Fax (626) 961-2200 bbowles@acorneng.com Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) Head office: #101, 225 Parsons Road SW Edmonton, AB T6X 0W6 Tel: 780-453-3311 or 1-800-661-2272 www.safestart-safetrack.com Fax: 780-455-1120 or 1-877-441-0440 Executive Director: Dan MacLenna edmonton@acsa-safety.org Calgary: #101, 292060 Wagon Wheel Link Rocky View, AB T4A 0E2 Tel: 403-291-3710 or 1-800-661-6090 Fax: 403-250-2852 or 1-877-258-5881 calgary@acsa-safety.org Fort McMurray: Nomad Inn Hotel 10006 MacDonald Avenue Fort McMurray, AB T9H 1S8 Tel: 780-715-2157 Fax: 780-715-1684 fortmcmurray@acsa-safety.org Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry 9th Flr, 10808-99 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5K 0J5 Ph: (780) 427-5585 Fax: (780) 427-5988 Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) 3660-Blackfoot Trail S.E. Calgary Alberta T2G-4E6 Ph: (403) 214-3428 Alberta Specialty Services Ltd. Rear Bay 4, 2705 5 Ave NE Calgary, AB T2A 2L6 Ph: (403) 225-2759 Toll Free: (877) 347-5588 Fax: (403) 253-4560 info@albertaspecialtyservices.com

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Ph: (780) 791-1230 cict@telus.net www.cict.ca Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) 14920-118 Ave Edmonton, Alberta T5V 1B8 Ph: (780) 454-6181 Fax: (780) 451-3976 www.clac.ca BC Construction Safety Alliance #400, 625 Agnes Street New Westminster, BC V3M 5Y4 Ph: (877) 860-3675 Fax: (604) 636-3676 Contact: Alicia Brady abrady@bcsa.ca www.bccsa.ca Creative Wellness Solutions PO Box 3061 Tantallon, NS B3Z 4G9 Ph: (902) 820-3096 Toll Free: (877) 480-9355 Fax: (902) 820-3097 Contact: Dr. Lydia Makrides info@wellnesssolutions.ca CTK Safety Consulting 79 Eastbrook Way E Brooks, Alberta T1R 0H9 Ph: (403) 501-5686 Cellular: (403) 363-9304 Fax: (403) 793-8030 ctksafety@telus.net Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta 11235 120 Street Edmonton, AB T5G 2X9 Ph: (780) 450-1777 Contact: Pat Barnes bpbarnes@telus.net Electrolab Training Systems PO Box 320 335 University Ave Belleville, ON K8N 5A5 Canada Ph: (800)267-7482 Fax: (613) 962-0284 Contact: Claire Stewart cstewart@electrolab.ca

Enform Safety and Training 1538 - 25 Avenue NE Calgary, Alberta T2E 8Y3 Ph: (800) 667-5557 Fax: (403) 250-1289 Contact: Tanya Plimmer tplimmer@enform.ca Grant MacEwan University PO Box 1796 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2P2 Ph: (780) 497-5796 Fax: (780) 497-4593 GRB College of Welding 9712—54 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Ph: (780) 436-7342 Fax: (780) 436-7344 grb@grbwelding.com www.grbwelding.com Institute for Work & Health 481 University Avenue Suite 800 Toronto, ON M5G 2E9 Canada Phone: (416) 927-2027 x 2131 Fax: (416) 927-4167 gpalloo@iwh.on.ca www.iwh.on.ca ITF Association 40 Scenic Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T3L 1C2 Ph: (403) 241-8443 Contact: Tes Bewick KnowledgeWare Communications #204, 20475 Lougheed Hwy Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 9B6 Contact: Ron McNutt Ph: (800) 893-9333 info@kccsoft.com Manufactures Health & Safety Association (MHSA) #201 292060 Wagon Wheel Link Rocky View, Alberta T4A 0E2 Fax: (403) 279-1993 Toll Free: (888) 249-2002 Contact: Lorne Kleppe lorne@mhsa.ab.ca Moldex-Metric Inc. 10111 West Jefferson Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 Contact: John Ambrosio Ph: 800-421-0668

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Unique Products (E-Zee`Lock Outs) 16865 - 110 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5P 1G8 Contact: Pat Hanlon Ph: (780) 974-7039 Fax: (780) 444-0807 pat.hanlon@shaw.ca Work Authority 415 Thompson Drive Cambridge, ON N1T 2K7 Canada Ph: (416) 896-3525 Fax: (519) 740-6096 mike.thomas@workauthority.ca Worksafe B.C. Toll Free: 1-800-663-9509 www.worksafe.bc.com YOW Canada Inc. 1306 Algoma Road Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3W8 Contact: Marie-Chantale Perron Ph: 1-888-288-0489

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