Occupational health and safety

After years of pushing the BC government to act, the BC Federation of Labour is pleased that the Minister of Labour has finally taken action on needed reforms to increase workplace safety and hold negligent employers accountable. Legislation was introduce February 10. “Increased enforcement and prosecution of negligent employers is fundamental to improving worker safety and compliance with the law,”...

The following letter from HSA President Val Avery was sent to members December 11, 2014 Dear member, Assaults on health care workers in Penticton and Kamloops have dominated the news this week. Incidents like these have become all too common in health care settings. It is time for action. I am calling on British Columbia's Minister of Health, Hon. Terry...

A National Survey on Domestic Violence The findings are shocking – one third of the respondents to a recent survey reported experiencing domestic violence at the hands of an intimate partner. More than half of those reporting abuse said that at least one type of abusive act occurred at or near their workplace. The most common types of abuse that...

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 By David Durning, HSA Senior OHS Officer Over the years, Canadian workers have fought for and gained important workplace health and safety rights. The diligent exercise of these rights is proven to be the most effective way of ensuring workplace hazards are controlled. These rights, enshrined in legislation and regulation, are: the right to know about...

Effective December 1, British Columbia will be in flu season, and HSA members who work in patient care areas in hospitals (ie, where patients are or are likely to be present) are reminded to be vaccinated against influenza or, alternatively, wear a protective mask during flu season. As in previous years, health care workers who work in patient care areas...

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 Nu Lu was frustrated. As a physiotherapist at Vancouver General Hospital, she needed to get her patients up and moving. The rehabilitation she and her fellow physios provide is important – if it didn't get done, the patients didn't get to go home. But many of them were on short oxygen lines attached to the wall...

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 By David Durning, HSA Senior OHS Officer Are you concerned about health and safety in your workplace? Do you want to be directly involved in making your workplace safer for you and your co-workers? Do you want to participate in union and employer sponsored training to learn about making your workplace safer? If you answered yes...

Ebola Backgrounder There has never been a case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Canada. In areas where Ebola is present, the virus can spread through: contact with infected animals contact with blood, body fluids or tissues of infected persons contact with contaminated medical equipment such as needles As long as appropriate precautions are taken, there is low risk of...

BY DAVID DURNING, HSA OHS OFFICER HSA’s Occupational Health and Safety Conference held in June provided a great opportunity for OHS activists to connect with each other, share information and plan for the future. Keynote speakers Dr. Joti Samra and Al Bieksa contributed significantly to a two-day event designed to provide tools, resources and planning opportunities for nearly 100 HSA...

In this issue: Reminder - HSA OH&S Conference – June 16-17, 2014 BC health employers ’application to reduce frequency of N95 respirator fit-testing is denied Domestic violence survey: Can Work Be Safe When Home Isn’t? Have you recently evaluated the effectiveness of your JOHS committee? BC Injured Workers Forum – Working Together for Full Compensation. Have you been exposed to...