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Hot enough for you?

Indoors - in foundries, steel mills, bakeries and smelters - extremely hot or molten material is the main source of heat. Summer sunshine plays that role in outdoor occupations, such as construction, road repair and agriculture. To the worker exposed to potential heat stress, the source is less important than the remedial steps to avoid heat stroke and other symptoms. And, whether working indoors or out, there comes a point when it is just too hot to work. Most people feel comfortable when the air temperature is between 20°C and 27°C and relative humidity ranges from 35 to 60%. Beyond that, it feels too hot. This situation isn't harmful as long as the body can adjust to the additional heat. However, very hot environments can overwhelm the body's coping mechanisms with serious, even fatal consequences. During heat waves, workers and employers should increase vigilance for heat stress and the telltale signs of rashes, dizziness, cramps and nausea as well as potentially fatal heat stroke. Our bodies like to maintain a constant inner temperature around 37 degrees. We perspire when body heat climbs above that temperature and shiver when it cools down too much. The key is to allow the body to cope. Proactive measures to avoid heat stress are straightforward.

• Water
• Acclimatization
• Rest breaks
• Monitoring

Knowing exactly when it is too hot to work is far less exact, and must take into account:

• Physical exertion
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Safe rest/work ratio
• Wind speed
• Clothing

The Threshold Limit Values for Heat Stress and Strain, produced by the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) offers guidelines to determine when the weather should have no effect on outdoor workers, when caution should be exercised and when work should be discontinued.

One of the most relied upon measures for indoor temperature determination is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, based on a blackened, hollow copper sphere exposed to the ambient environment. The special piece of equipment also requires calculations of a formula to account for air temperature, humidity, radiant heat from hot surfaces and air movement. While effective, this is only a guideline because individuals respond differently to heat.

Although there is no single regulation that signals how hot is too hot, one set of regulations is very clear: Employers have a responsibility to ensure their workers don't suffer from this kind of heat.

Hazard Alerts

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New warnings from provincial governments

Nova Scotia's Region of Queens faces five charges, including failing to ensure the safety of a pedestrian at or near the workplace, following the death of a 56-year-old man. The pedestrian apparently slipped during a snowstorm on February 8 and fell into a trench being cut for new sewer lines. The man fell through a barricade, landing in water at the bottom of the trench. Regional representatives appear in a Liverpool court July 7. Other charges include: failure to provide fences, guards, or barricades around the excavation and failure to properly cover the excavation. In British Columbia, the Workers' Compensation Board is issuing a safety bulletin after two workers were burned while a torch was being used to cut off the top of a metal drum. The 45-gallon metal drum exploded when it was pierced by the flame. The operator of the oxygen-acetylene torch thought the drum was empty and clean. He was not wearing flame-resistant clothing and received severe burns to his legs, arms, stomach, and face. A second worker received a burn to his left arm. An investigation found that the drum had not been properly cleaned before it was cut. Workers' Compensation Board B.C. is calling for the use of metal drums with removable lids for storing or disposing of material, company policies that prohibit the cutting of metal drums and a written safe work procedure if cutting is necessary.

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Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, a faulty piece of hoisting assembly is being blamed for the death of an oil rigger. The man was crushed when a 1,200-pound drill pipe dropped onto him as it was being maneuvered. WorkSafe Saskatchewan said that the twin clevis link used in a tugger hoisting assembly did not meet acceptable standards. It wasn't designed for overhead lifting and didn't meet the minimum, Grade 80 alloy-based steel required by regulations. The twin clevis link broke while the worker was underneath the pipe, helping to move it to a ramp off the edge of the rig floor. The investigation also found that only a cotter key kept a key pin in place and that a tail chain was too small to work properly with the twin clevis link. WorkSafe Saskatchewan is reminding employers in the oil rigging industry that they are required to take all reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the right tools, equipment and components are provided, used and handled correctly.

Full text of this alert

OSH Answers

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Mouse Talk: A useful tool made more bearable

The computer has proven to be a major time saver for navigating files and documents since its popularity skyrocketed in the 1990s. But using a mouse requires a person to make small, exact movements with their hand, fingers, and thumb. By positioning, traveling, scrolling and clicking the mouse again and again, the same small muscles can become tired and overworked. It can lead to discomfort, pain, and even Workplace Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs), such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Just as disconcerting is the placement of the mouse, usually to the top right or top left of the keyboard - the result of a lack of space and the fact that many workstations were built before the mouse became standard. The mouse is out of easy reach in this position and in order to use it, the person must reach their arm outward and forward and hold it there unsupported until their task is finished. This extended reach can cause problems for the neck, upper back, shoulder and mouse hand. CCOHS has a wealth of tips and solutions for both issues, available through the links below.

While researchers have not discovered what mouse design best helps prevent injuries from repetitive use, a battery-powered, cordless mouse is most recommended, because there is no cord to get in the way. Regardless, the mouse should fit the hand, be similarly shaped on both sides and offer buttons that respond to a light, but not too sensitive, touch. In addition, wrist rests should be avoided. Using a wrist-rest puts more pressure on the carpal tunnel in your wrist.

There are two inexpensive routes to solve the issue of mouse placement: Mouse platforms and shorter keyboards. When desk space is at a premium, mouse platforms put the mouse within easy reach. A mouse platform covers the numerical pad on the right side of the keyboard - which is rarely used in many office functions - and serves as a place for the mouse to sit. Because the mouse is on a platform, it is easier to avoid the tendency to wiggle it further and further away, which would increase the reach and cause muscle strain.

Shorter keyboards, usually without the numerical keyboard and arrows, allow the mouse to be placed closer in line with the shoulder and arm. The extra four inches gained with such a keyboard reduces sideways movements, making injury less likely.

Partner News

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Fast, thorough and comprehensive: IPCS INTOX Databank is free online

It's an important source of chemical information. And now it's available online for free. Funding for the free, online version of IPCS INTOX Databank has been secured for one year. The databank is an essential source of information for chemical emergencies. Users, primarily poison centres, can turn to it to identify a poison and its toxicity, likely clinical effects and appropriate patient management.

The databank information has been proven to help:

• Strengthen and enhance the services of Poisons centres around the world
• Prevent poisoning
• Save lives
• Minimize damage to health from toxic exposures

IPCS INTOX Databank is the result of a collaboration between CCOHS and the World Health Organization's International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). The IPCS, established in 1980, is a joint programme of the International Labour Organization, United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization. Its main roles are to establish the scientific basis for the safe use of chemicals and to strengthen national capabilities and capacities for chemical safety.   The IPCS INTOX Databank has also turned to more than 100 experts to bring their collective knowledge, expertise, and experience to the development of IPCS Poisons Information Monographs (PIMs) and IPCS Treatment Guides. The development of the monographs and guides represents a major undertaking by IPCS INTOX. Collections of documents contained in the databank also include:

• IPCS/EC Evaluation of Antidote Series
• IPCS International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
• IPCS Environmental Health Criteria monographs (EHCs)
• CCOHS CHEMINFO Database
• WHO/FAO Pesticide Data Sheets
• UK Poison Information Documents (UK PIDs)
• International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Summaries

The online version becomes free in July.

CCOHS News

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Job Safety Analysis Made Simple

Safety hazards are more apparent in some jobs than others. But all work carries inherent risk. It is more a question of how many and with what task they are associated.

Employers are responsible for determining job risks and preventive measures and often turn to Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to get the job done. Now, their work is about to get easier.

Job Safety Analysis Made Simple, a new, joint publication of CCOHS and the Labour Program of Human Resources Development Canada, introduces JSA and outlines two practical methods to identify hazards and develop safe working practices. The 36-page report is filled with sample worksheets, forms and processes that help the reader develop a JSA process customized to their particular workplace. It also details two commonly used methods for determining risk - Change Analysis and the Energy Barrier Approach - and accompanies the information with tips and commentary.

The publication lives up to its "Made Simple' name by breaking the JSA into small pieces. For the job of Transporting Dangerous Goods - one example in the publication -- the job is first broken into small tasks, such as inspecting packages and loading them. It then identifies potential hazards for each task. The sample points out the risk of toxic chemicals and leaks and spills during inspection. The next column addresses preventative measures. Steps listed to prevent exposure to toxic chemicals include:

• Ensuring packages have diamond-shaped safety marks to indicate type of dangerous good
• Ensuring packages comply with TDG regulations
• Ensuring the sender has WHMIS compliant MSDS

But this is just one example of many contained in Job Safety Analysis Made Simple, designed to illustrate the application of JSA.

Job Safety Analysis Made Simple is available in either English or French for $15.