Kimber and Tucker Safety Coordinators

NEWSLETTER
Winter, 2023

Date: January 1, 2023

Attention: Current Safety Clients

Again this season, Kimber and Tucker have a few announcements relating to your Safety program. Please take a few minutes to review the following, initiated as part of our continued commitment to effectively coordinate your current Safety requirements.

WCBNS- Serious Injury Reporting *

It’s your duty to report serious injuries. A serious injury or incident is one that endangers life or causes permanent injury.

You must notify the Occupational Health and Safety Division at the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration whenever a serious injury happens at your workplace. Call or send the notice in writing within the following guidelines:

Fatalities- Immediately.

Serious Injury- As soon as possible, within 24 hours:

• Unconsciousness
• Fracture of the skull, spine, pelvis, arm, leg, ankle, wrist or a major part of the hand or foot.
• Loss or amputation of a leg, arm, hand, foot, finger or toe.
• Third degree burn.
• Loss of sight in one or both eyes.
• Asphyxiation or poisoning.
• Any injury that requires admission to hospital.
• Any injury that endangers life.

 

Serious Incident- As soon as possible, within 24 hours:

• An accidental explosion
• A major structural failure or collapse of a building or other structure.
• A major release of a hazardous substance.
• A fall from a work area where fall protection is required by the regulations.

 

Report:

Phone: 1-800-=952-2687 or 902-424-5400 (email: ohsdivision@novascotia.ca)

 

WCBPEI- Serious Injury Reporting **

Employers on PEI are reminded that all serious injuries must be reported to the Occupational Health and Safety Division of WCBPEI. A serious workplace injury is defined as an accident at work that:

• Is or may be fatal.
• Results in a loss of a limb.
• Produces unconsciousness.
• Results in a substantial loss of blood.
• Involves a fracture.
• Involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand, or foot.
• Consists of burns to a large portion of the body.
• Causes the loss of sight in an eye.

 

In the case of a serious injury, it is an offence to disturb the scene of the accident before the OHS Officer arrives, except to prevent further injury or damage. Report serious workplace injuries to the WCB director of OHS within 24 hours. This can be done by calling the 24-hour emergency number (902-628-7513), or giving written notice to the WCB director of OHS. If the workplace has a JOSH Committee, it must also be notified.

WorkSafeNB- Serious Injury Reporting ***

In the event of an accident, injury or industrial disease at a jobsite within New Brunswick, you must:

• Provide or pay the cost of immediate transportation from the injury site to a medical treatment facility.

• Notify WorkSafeNB IMMEDIATELY to report the following incidents:

 

• A loss of consciousness.
• Amputations.
• Fractures (other than fingers or toes).
• Burns requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment.
• Loss of vision in one or both eyes.
• Deep lacerations requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment.
• Worker admission to a hospital as an in-patient.
• Fatalities.
• Any accidental explosion or exposure to a biological, chemical or physical agent, whether or not a person is injured.
• Any catastrophic event or equipment failure that results, or could have resulted in an injury.

Immediate notification can best be made by calling 1-800-222-9775, indicating: the location; name of person injured, if applicable; employer name; contact person; and, brief description of the incident.

In addition to the above, if the employer is insured under the Workers’ Compensation Act, a report of Accident or Occupational disease (form 67) must be sent to WorkSafeNB within three days of receiving notification of the accident, when an injury results in medical cost, Wage loss or the injured worker is unable to perform the regular work duties beyond the accident date.

WorkSafeNB : Consultation- JHSC Meeting Minutes Requirements ***

WorkSafeNB has a legal obligation to review the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and its corresponding regulations every five years. This year marks the first review under this obligation.

WorkSafeNB’s board of Directors is proposing changes to the OHS Act, the Administration Regulation 84-26 and General Regulations 91-191. While many of these proposals focus primarily on housekeeping items, the board is particularly interested in a proposal that would require employers to maintain JHSC meeting minutes for a specified amount of time, rather than requiring JHSC’s to send meeting minutes to WorksafeNB.

NBCSA: Internal Audit Paperwork ****

Beginning in 2023, for NBCSA due diligence purposes, audits will not be accepted from Safety Consultants, they will have to be signed off and submitted from a company employee. Also, COR companies will be required to maintain a COR Prime (person who has obtained certificates in all 6 COR courses). Please review your training records and schedule any required Training to avoid any issues in 2023.

WCB of PEI: Asbestos Management Requires Specific Safety Measures **

As the post-tropical storm Fiona clean up continues, the WCB reminds employers and workers that they are required to follow the specific safety measures related to asbestos management. While asbestos is no longer used in residential and commercial building construction, it can still be found when renovating, restoring and demolishing older buildings.

In PEI, Occupational Health and Safety regulations require asbestos to be identified and abated in a safe manner whenever renovation, restoration or a demolition project is undertaken. This work needs to be performed by a qualified asbestos abatement contractor, after having obtained an Asbestos Notification Permit from the OH&S Division of the WCB. These regulations apply to Island based and non-Island based companies when the work is being conducted in PEI.

4 Winter Weather Hazards *****

In Atlantic Canada, most of us have started to notice the effects of winter. The cold weather, ice and snow creates a number of safety and liability management challenges.
Ensuring your company is prepared for winter hazards and risks should be an integral part of your larger emergency response planning and procedures. The following are the 4 key hazards associated with winter weather:

Slips Trips and Falls (STF’s)
STF’s are the most common incident resulting in loss-time injuries. Winter is peak season for STF injuries. To make matters worse, your company can be liable not only for worker STF injuries, but those suffered by visitors and even members of the general public at your site.

Snow and Ice Removal Hazards
You must make arrangements to ensure that snow and ice is immediately and safely cleared away after storms and bouts of freezing weather.

Hazards to Buildings and Building Systems Problems
Snow accumulation and freezing temperatures create the risk of roof collapse and freezing pipes. The former occur when the weight of the snow and ice load is greater than what the building was structurally designed to handle; pipes burst when the fluid inside turns to ice.

Fleet and Vehicle Hazards
Hazardous road conditions caused by winter weather often create traffic delays, closed roadways and vehicular accidents. Wet and slippery road conditions increase stopping distances and reduce traction and visibility. In addition to your worker’s health and safety, these accidents can adversely impact your auto insurance and WCB rates.

Electrical Accidents: Leading Causes *****

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the leading causes of electrical accidents are as follows:

• Drilling and cutting through cables.
• Using defective tools, cables and equipment.
• Failure to maintain clearance distances.
• Failure to de-energize circuits and follow lockout/tagout procedures.
• Failure to guard live parts from accidental worker contact.
• Unqualified personnel working with electricity.
• Improper installation/use of temporary electrical systems and equipment.
• By-passing electrical protective devices.

 

Electrocution is one of the most common hazards across construction sites. Identifying electrical hazards can help raise awareness of the risks, their severity, and how it can harm workers.

2 Fatalities in Excavation and Trenching Incident *****

On Monday August 8th, 2022, a large trench at a construction site in Ajax, Ontario, caved in, burying two workers and injuring two others.

Hazards associated with trench work and excavation are recognized and preventable, yet injuries and fatalities associated with these hazards continue to occur. Regulations and consensus standards describe engineering controls, protective equipment, and safe work practices to minimize hazards for workers during trench work and excavations.

Trench fatalities are a serious problem in construction. Bureau of Labor statistics data show that about 25 workers are killed each year in trench-related mishaps.

Prior to any excavation, trenching, or shoring activities, you must take specific steps to setup the site to avoid the accidental disruption of utilities, and assure the stability of adjacent structures. Engineered controls and precautionary measures must be adopted. You may need to ensure your safe access into and out of the excavation and avoid the hazards of contaminated atmospheres, falling materials, and the collapse of excavation walls. Protective systems may need to be introduced. Awareness and preparedness are critical priorities for protecting everyone.

The Importance of AED’s in Your Organization *****

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the second leading cause of death in Canada, taking more lives than motor vehicle accidents, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer combined.

SCA happens to some person in Canada every 12 minutes, sometimes workplaces.

The victim’s chances of surviving the experience improve dramatically if there is a first aid device capable of restarting the heart called an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at the site.

A Near Miss Is Not a Lucky Break *****

A Near Miss is a chain of events that very nearly results in property damage, serious injury, or death, but not quite. The official definition of a Near Miss is “an unplanned event that had the potential to result in an injury or physical damage”.

75% of all accidents are preceded by one or more near misses, according to the National Safety Council.

If your company is trying to reduce the number of injuries and accidents with property damage and other incident-related loss, it makes sense to measure and manage your near misses.

 

 

Safety Footwear Stats and Facts *****

Protecting employees’ feet with good industrial footwear cuts lost work hours, improves productivity, heightens morale, and reduces injuries.

A good safety footwear program begins with not just selecting a new pair of shoes or boots, but also addressing all the walking and working surfaces that employees are going to be exposed to and assuring that they are in the best condition possible. In the hazard assessment process, safety and health managers should consider the kinds of operations within a facility, the processes being used, the tasks being performed, environmental conditions, and the nature of any chemicals in use.

Protecting Your Lungs*****

It is common for workers to perform duties that are not in the healthiest environments. Educating workers on the importance of Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment is fundamental in protecting them against harmful inhalants. Respiratory hazards cause illnesses like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. Although each illness has their own causes, common hazards for them include automotive exhaust, machine fumes, sawdust, chemical vapors, or smoke.

While every work environment is different, prolonged exposure to hazards endangers everyone in the workplace. Often, the effects of hazards are not immediately clear because many illnesses develop and worsen over the years. Proper Respiratory PPE, and an understanding of what PPE is needed in your workplace is the best method of prevention.

New Safety Coordinator: Glen Gardiner

We wish to announce the addition of Glen Gardiner to our Team of Safety Coordinators. Glen has a long and extensive history in the construction industry, spanning over 38 years. Glen holds a Certificate in Occupational Heath and Safety from his studies at the University of New Brunswick, as well as an interprovincial Certification for HSE from HSE Integrated. Based in Charlottetown, Glen is currently supporting and advancing Safety programs for clients based on PEI.

Regards,

Nevin

References

• *          Excerpts taken from an article located on Province of Nova Scotia website.
• **        Excerpts taken from an article located on WCBPEI Information guide.
• ***      Excerpts taken from an article in WorkSafeNB website.
• ****    Excerpts taken from email received from the NBCSA
• *****  Excerpts taken from articles from OHS insider/ Institute for Work and Health