Public Service Commission

Corporate Health and Safety - Tips

Addressing Indoor Air Quality in Your Office
  • Don't block air vents or grills. The effects of downward drafts can be minimized by redirecting air flow or relocating desks.
  • Locate photocopiers, laminators and heat producing equipment in well-ventilated areas.
  • Identify if your office area is not being regularly cleaned to an acceptable standard.
  • Ensure that plants are properly watered and maintained. Cold coffee and tea poured into the plants can set up an ideal climate for growth of moulds or fungi.
  • Store food properly to prevent spoilage.
  • Clean up all water spills and promptly report any water leaks to your supervisor.
  • Ensure that portable humidifiers are regularly cleaned and a bacteriacide is added occasionally.
  • Try to identify the type of unpeasant odours ie) sewage, chemical, etc.  This identification could help in locating the source.
  • Document health symptoms you feel may be related to your office environment for at least one week. List information including work location, nature of symptoms, date and time of onset of symptoms.  If health problems persist for longer than one week, check with your doctor.
  • Communicate all air quality concerns to your supervisor.  Your supervisor can then contact your building facilities manager to arrange a ventilation system assessment and take corrective action where required.

Top

Tips for Safe Business Travel

  • Don't leave your name exposed on your luggage.
  • Ask for a room located in an area of the hotel where you feel at ease.
  • If someone overhears your room number, you may ask to have it changed.
  • Never let your baggage out of your sight when checking in or out.
  • Stay with the individual who takes your bags to your room.
  • Whenever you go to your room, look around to ensure you are not being followed, and use the deadbolt and chain to prevent forced entry.
  • If you are going down the hall for ice, don't prop the door open behind you.

Top

The Healing Powers of Ice
  • Ice can kill pain almost instantly! It helps to prevent infection, control bleeding and swelling, and costs almost nothing.
  • Use ice as an anesthetic before removing slivers or receiving an immunization shot.
  • Rubbing a thermos bottle containing ice water across arms, forehead, and the back of the neck provides relief from intense summer heat.
  • Ice constricts blood vessels and reduces bleeding, bruising, swelling, pain and damage to surrounding tissues.
  • Ice helps prevent infection by keeping germs dormant while refrigerating but not freezing damaged tissues. Do not add salt to ice. This can cause frost bite.  The ice cube will work sufficiently and safely by itself

Top

Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMI)

Most repetitive motion injuries affect the hands, wrists, elbows, neck, and shoulders. Legs, hips, ankles, feet, and backs can also be affected. Work-related repetitive motion injuries arise from ordinary arm and hand movements such as bending, straightening, gripping, holding, twisting, clenching and reaching. Continual repetition involving force, speed, awkward positioning, and little time for recovery is most damaging. Heat, cold, and vibration can also be contributing factors. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tension neck syndrome are some of the most common repetitive motion injuries.

Pain is the most common symptom associated with repetitive motion injuries. In some cases there may be joint stiffness, muscle tightness, redness and swelling of the affected area. Some workers may also experience sensations of "pins and needles," numbness, skin colour changes, and decreased sweating of the hands.

We do not have reliable estimates of the number of repetitive motion injuries in Canada. In British Columbia, over half the industrial disease claims are due to repetitive motion injuries.

This article has been adapted from the OSH Answers section of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety web site (see link below).

Top 

Wrist Rest or No Wrist Rest?

Wrist rests are foam rubber or gel-filled devices used to support wrists while typing or when using a computer mouse. Controversy surrounds the use of wrist rests.

Wrist rests can put a lot of pressure on the undersides of the wrists which may cause carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) to develop. They also alleviate tension in the neck and shoulders thus reducing the injuries to those parts of the body.

Personal preference is a very significant factor for determining whether or not to use a wrist rest. Workers who choose not to use them while actually performing their tasks may opt to use them to create rest breaks between tasks. A workstation which is adjusted to the individual is essential. A wrist rest will not solve problems if the workstation is poorly designed in the first place.

This article has been adapted from the OSH Answers section of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety web site (see link below).

Top

Noise: How Loud Is It?

Here's a list of some common workplace and recreational sounds. Keep in mind that noise-induced hearing loss results from a combination of high sound levels and extended periods of exposure to sounds above 80 to 85 dBA. Protect your hearing when involved with these types of activities.

Work Related Noise
 chain saw operations   up to 125 dBA
 jack hammer  102 - 111 dBA
  skil saw   88 - 102 dBA
 hammer   87 - 95 dBA
 backhoe   84 - 93 dBA

The noise levels change with distance from the source and with operation mode.  The noise from a gradeall earthmover is 94 decibels from 10 feet away. The noise is only 82 decibels if you are 70 feet away.

Recreational Noise

 car stereos  up to 154 dBA in the car
  rifles  143 - 170 dBA
  motorcycle  80 - 115 dBA
 powerboat    60 - 96 dBA
 clubs or discos  91 - 96 dBA +

Although most noise-induced hearing loss results from excess noise exposure over a period of time, a single exposure to a very loud noise (like gunfire) can cause permanent hearing loss. Hearing hazards also exist at home - saws, drills, power equipment, lawn mowers, leaf or snow blowers and hedge trimmers can all expose you to excess noise. Use hearing protection at home when operating noisy equipment.

Environmental Sounds

 Heavy traffic   78 dBA
 Thunder clap   120 dB
 Whisper at 5 feet   30 dB
 Leaves rustling in breeze  20 dB

Top

Have You Identified a Health and Safety Problem at Your Workplace?

Follow these steps to correct the problem:

  • Identify and describe the problem accurately, including all relevant details.
  • Report the problem to your supervisor who may be able to correct the problem promptly through procedural/policy changes. Otherwise, s/he may contact Highways & Public Works to initiate a work request for the required building maintenance activities.
  • Inform your workplace Health and Safety Representative/Committee Member of your concerns. They can determine jointly, with management, the most effective corrective action to take.
  • The supervisor or worker may require additional assistance or expertise in solving health or safety problems. Help is available from the Corporate Health & Safety Consultants in the Staff Development Branch. Call Terry at 667-8144 or Ralph at 667-5963.
  • Follow-up to ensure that a solution has been identified and implemented. Check to see if the corrective action has removed the hazard. If not, report this to your supervisor.

Top

Safety Quiz

Top

Canadian Occupational Health & Safety Web Site

  • OSH Answers
    Information on repetative motion injuries and wrist rests.

top

Safety Quiz

top

Contact Information - Corporate Health and Safety Consultants


Email:  Terry Demianenko 
Phone:  867-667-8144          or

Email:  Ralph Shopland 
Phone:  867-667-5963