NATIONAL
Times NORTH THOMPSON THE
DAY OF MOURNING APRIL 28 • 2009 North Thompson Star/Journal & The Clearwater Times
NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING, Monday, April 28, 2009
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Is Today the day you die at work? Over 1,000 Canadian workers are dying every year. In Canada, four workers die each day. The number of people killed at work each year in Canada has risen for the past 15 years. This is in contrast to almost every other OECD country where the incidence of workplace fatalities is declining. In 2007, according to the latest report from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 1,055 people lost their lives at work. That’s four people every work day. Dead because their workplace was not safe. Dead because they got injured. Dead because they got cancer. Dead because they were attacked. Four people every day who never come home again. Dead because their employer failed to ensure they were safe at work. In addition to these workers killed at work, there are many oth-
ers where the death goes unreported if they die of a disease unrecognized as an occupational disease. The need for enforcement The number and rate of workplace fatalities in Canada, even from accidents, is unacceptably high. We have failed to make progress in reducing the number and rate of workplace deaths. We have some of the best health and safety laws in the country, yet the number of workers that lose their life continues to increase. In many jurisdictions, the monitoring of labour and safety standards has been drastically cut back, or even replaced by “voluntary” industry compliance. Canada can do much better. Canada needs to enforce the law and save workers’ lives. Enough is Enough. It’s time to enforce the law and bring employers who kill to justice.
It’s time for the provinces and territories to appoint special prosecutors to lay charges against employers when their actions cause death or serious injury. More inspectors must be hired to ensure employers comply with the law. It’s also time for all governments to enact new regulations that deal with known dangers in today’s workplaces, including workplace violence, exposure to toxins and carcinogens, repetitive stress injuries and injuries caused by poor ergonomics, workplace harassment and stress. Any workplace death or injury is preventable. Thousands of men and women, some as young as 15, have needlessly had their lives taken over the past 25 years by their employers. How many more of us have to be killed before governments finally take action? Day of Mourning Statement 2009 Is today the day you die at work? Twenty-five years ago, the
Canadian Labour Congress declared April 28 a National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job to raise awareness of the thousands of workers whose lives were forever changed by injury and the hundreds who died every year. In 1990, Parliament passed the Workers Mourning Day Act to formally recognize April 28 as a “day of mourning” across Canada. Today, April 28 is observed around the world as a day of remembrance and a day of action to improve workplace health and safety. Unions and workers are leading the way toward stronger laws that force employers to observe better workplace practises. In many countries, lives are being saved from needless ruin as employers comply and workplace deaths and injuries decline. Sadly, Canada is not one of those places. Over the past 25 years, successive governments have pledged their support to workers
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and their unions. They announced new workplace health and safety laws and regulations - some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, they have failed to provide the resources needed to enforce those new laws. This is the reason why Canada’s workplaces claim a growing number of lives every year: the laws are not enforced, so reckless employers are allowed to carry on without consequence. Enough is enough! It’s time to enforce the law and bring employers who kill to justice. It’s time for the provinces and terri-
tories to appoint spe- sands of men and women, some as cial prosecutors to young as 15, have lay charges against needlessly had their employers when lives taken over the their actions cause past 25 years by death or serious their employers. injury. More inspecHow many more of tors must be hired us have to be killed to ensure employers comply with the law. before governments It’s also time for finally take action? This April 28, all governments to remember those enact new regulawhose lives have tions that deal with been taken. Mourn known dangers in them. Think of the today’s workplaces, families and friends including workplace left behind. Think violence, exposure to toxins and carof the employers cinogens, repetitive who got away with Two to serve and you stress injuries andlocations manslaughter injuries caused murder. Get angry. OPENby 8AM • MIDNIGHT • 7 DAYS A WEEK poor ergonomics, Be outraged. Then SAHALItake SAFEWAY workplace harassaction to force ment and stress. the lawmakers and Any workplace the legislatures to death or injury is change their ways. preventable. Thou-
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NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING, Monday, April 28, 2009
North Thompson Star/Journal & The Clearwater Times
NATIONAL
Times NORTH THOMPSON THE
DAY OF MOURNING APRIL 28 • 2009
Dealing With Workplace Safety Of all the crises that managers must deal with in the workplace, accidents and medical emergencies are by far the most common. Many accidents are due to worker error or dangerous procedures. However, many other emergencies are unavoidable. In 1993, three professors studied 15 years of OSHA data to determine the most common causes of job-related injuries and fatalities: Robert F. Sherer, James D. Brodzinski and Elaine A. Crable, “The Human Factor,” HRMagazine, April 1993. The most significant factor in injuries were employee errors, followed by equipment insufficiencies and procedure insufficiencies. The professors suggested that all three
of these factors could be addressed with better training, and outlined the following steps to help prevent accidents: * Identify and eliminate high-risk activities * Design jobs with current and anticipated workers in mind * Tailor safety-training programs to your employees * Empower employees to engage in accident prevention and job design * Treat accidents as performance errors * Establish behaviorbased safety-management programs * Train supervisors in confrontation-management skills * Change mundane routines * Empower employees to be responsible for
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their equipment * Establish an ergonomic approach to workplace design * Develop training programs based on behavior modeling * Develop programs to eliminate workplace illiteracy * Establish multilingual training programs
* Top management support and involvement * Job-specific preemployment physicals for certain job classes * A written policy statement of the com-
pany’s commitment to safety and what the the company expects of its employees, given to all employees * A safety committee with the power to enforce compliance with
safety rules * Input from line employees on safety matters * Regular safety inspections of the workplace * Realistic goals for
Once prevention measure are in place, managers should determine what their policy is for dealing with accidents and medical emergencies. Once managers create a policy, they should review it with legal counsel and their insurance company.
OSHA requires that first aid be available to workers at all times, either by having someone trained in first aid on each shift or by being within seven minutes of a hospital. Part of an accident policy should address how the operation will ensure that someone trained in first aid is working each shift. This person should know what to do in emergency situations and also know what NOT to do, because some actions could increase an operation’s liability.
To help prevent accidents, a safety program should have the following elements:
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accident reduction, with progress closely monitored and reductions rewarded * Supervisor-level accountability for accident reduction * A modified-duty program to return injured employees to work sooner * Signs, contests, rewards and health fairs to create a heightened sense of safety awareness among company personnel * Training, retraining and more retraining
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Managers should make sure that an accurate record is kept of each accident and medical emergency. A member of management should obtain statements from any witnesses and carefully examine the accident site. If a slip or fall was involved, the manager should ask what type of shoes the victim was wearing, whether the person had any physical disabilities, what the weather was and what the lighting was like. All of this information should be recorded in an incident report. This report can help an operation defend itself against a liability suit in court.
North Thompson Star/Journal & The Clearwater Times
NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING, Monday, April 28, 2009
NATIONAL
Times NORTH THOMPSON THE
DAY OF MOURNING APRIL 28 • 2009
Slip and Fall Accidents in the Workplace How Small Business Owners Can Protect Themselves from Accidents that Occur in their Place of Business
The majority of all accidents in the workplace are “slip and fall”. Most of these occur on the same level, while the remaining result
from falls from a height, such as ladders or stairs. To prevent these falls, you first have to understand how they happen. Common causes of slips include oily or wet surfaces, spills, weather hazards and loose rugs or mats. Similarly, “trips” frequently occur in the workplace, mainly caused by obstructed view, clutter, poor lighting, wrinkled rugs or carpeting, uncovered cables or wires and uneven
steps or walkways. To prevent many of these slip and fall or tripping accidents, make it a habit to walk through your business and check for hazards, such as cracking floors, uneven walkways, obstacles, open file cabinets, etc. Since many accidents occur due to slips or trips, it may be necessary to replace or recoat your flooring. If walkways are uneven, you might want to
consider replacing your entire flooring to create a more even, level walkway. In the absence of a total replacement, you can avoid slippery surfaces by installing install mats, abrasive strips or any material that creates friction. Replace any loose or cracking floor tiles, level out any uneven walkways, remove common obstacles placed on the floor, secure all rugs and carpets to the floor, cover
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all cords and wires that run across walkways, close any opened doors or cabinets and be sure to replace any light bulbs and faulty switches to ensure proper lighting. Also, make it a business policy for both you and your employees to clean up spills immediately, clearly mark all wet areas and sweep and mop all debris immediately.
Please work Safe The Times Times NORTH RTH THOMPSON
NOR TH THOMPSON
THE E
As a small business owner, there’s no scarier nightmare than a customer or employee being involved in an accident in your place of business. But the nightmare doesn’t end there. The true horror lies in what happens next: receipt of a letter from an attorney or a civil complaint alleging your liability and seeking compensation. But perhaps the true nightmare of it all lies in one simple realization - the situation might have been prevented or avoided if you routinely followed some standard safety procedures.
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NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING, Monday, April 28, 2009
North Thompson Star/Journal & The Clearwater Times
NATIONAL
DAY OF MOURNING
Times NORTH THOMPSON THE
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APRIL 28 • 2009
How to Prevent Workplace Accidents Accidents occur for many reasons. Understanding why an accident happens is the first step in prevention. Unsafe acts cause four times as many accidents and injuries as unsafe conditions. This list will cover seven behaviors that can cause workplace accidents. Over Confidence: Having confidence is a good thing but being over confident can be dangerous. Thinking “it can never happen to me” is an attitude that can lead to im-
proper procedures or methods used while working. Ignoring Safety Procedures: Failing to observe safety procedures can endanger all workers. Rules and procedures are in place for a reason and it’s important for them to be followed. Having a casual attitude about safety rules leads to danger. Shortcuts: As we try to be more efficient we tend to take shortcuts that can lead to unsafe conditions and increased chances for injuries. Will
implementing a time-saving idea compromise safety? Is it worth it? Not having complete instructions when starting a task: Many times a worker will be shy or intimidated about asking for better instructions and will just try to “wing it” instead of knowing exactly how to do things correctly. New employee training is a must to prevent accidents. Don’t just assume that everyone knows how to do his or her job correctly.5 Poor House-
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keeping: A well maintained work area sets a standard for all. Poor housekeeping creates all types of hazards and sets the stage for accidents. Good housekeeping encourages pride and a safe environment. Mental Distractions: Doing a task safely requires mental attention. Things that distract a person from work creates a hazard and can pull focus away from tasks at hand. It’s important to stay focused and leave problems at home. Even casual conversations can be distracting. Pre-Planning: Not thinking through a process to complete a task can be a hazard. Being hasty and just starting on a job without giving a thought to what how to go about it can be asking for problems. Remember the saying, “Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan.”
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Honouring National Day of Mourning
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April 28 National Day of Mourning is also known as Workers Memorial Day.