Health and Safety ReportVolume 17, Issue 01

Everyone at work follows hockey except Samar. Having grown up in India, he’s a diehard cricket fan. No big deal right? Except that there’s a wear-your-jersey event next week, a pickup team is being formed, and his manager promoted the person who went to the Canucks game with him. In an increasingly diverse work landscape, is your organization rising to the inclusion challenge for the psychological health and well-being of all your workers?

Diversity defined

Canada is increasingly diverse. In the last 20 years, the percentage of those aged 60 years and over who were working has nearly doubled, reaching 26% in 2017. Women aged 15 years and older represented nearly half of the labour force in 2016. Almost 14% of people aged 15 years and older report having a disability. 1 in 5 workers in Canada belongs to a visible minority group. In 2018, for the first time, Statistics Canada offered survey respondents a third gender option in addition to male and female.

These background factors can influence how people work. For example, depending on where workers were raised in the world, they will likely have different ideas on how to work towards success and accomplishment, says cross cultural and diversity trainer and expert Dr. Lionel Laroche. What one considers great leadership qualities may not necessarily inspire another. Laroche also points out that workers who have grown up in hierarchical cultures with clear levels and ranks can see a situation or problem quite differently from workers raised in less structured cultures. Inclusive organizations are those that appreciate and value people because of the contributions their differences can make.

Diversity is often used interchangeably with inclusion but the two words are distinct. While diversity addresses the individual qualities and characteristics of workers, inclusion refers to the culture that values and respects those differences and allows workers’ skills and abilities to thrive. This in turn, can benefit the workplace in a number of important ways.

Inclusion, health, and safety

A psychologically safe and healthy workplace promotes workers’ psychological well-being and actively works to prevent harm from negligent, reckless or intentional acts. Researchers have identified a number of psychosocial factors, ranging from the way that work is carried out to the context in which work occurs, that impact workers’ psychological responses to work. When employees have a negative exposure to these factors, there is potential for the development of stress, demoralization, depressed mood, anxiety or burnout.

There is no "one-size-fits-all” method to developing a mentally healthy workplace since every organization is different. One action that is critical across all workplaces, though, is that everyone, at all levels of the organization - including the executive, managers, supervisors, health and safety committee, and workers – must get involved and support mental health initiatives. There is also a legislative requirement for employers to protect the mental and physical health of their employees.

It’s not just enough to bring a diverse workforce through the door. Organizations can benefit from the diversity of their workforce when they nurture the array of talents and perspectives available amongst their staff. In turn, this results in higher functioning teams, greater employee and customer satisfaction, increased morale and motivation, improved civility, respect and working relationships, and reductions in sick leave and turnover.

Employers set the tone

How do you ensure that people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives are genuinely welcomed and respected? Some specific actions that employers can take include providing diversity awareness training for everyone, plus diversity leadership training for managers and supervisors. Coaching and mentoring programs, buddy systems, peer to peer mental health first aid, and an open door culture can help increase the flow of communication and support. Review your communications, including your e-mails, notices and policies, facilities, and employee benefits. Are they inclusive?

There are also many small actions that we can all practice to foster a culture of inclusion at work.

Address people respectfully. Find out how co-workers would like to be addressed.  Avoid giving people nicknames or pet names as that can be seen as belittling and patronizing.

Avoid acronyms and jargon. This is insider language that could potentially exclude others. Acronyms can also alter the meaning of words, making it challenging for everyone to understand.

Keep an open mind. Stop yourself before you make an assumption. Find out the answer first-hand and avoid potential misunderstandings.

Include others. Look for opportunities to include others that you may not generally socialize with by acknowledging their birthday, inviting them to lunch, or asking for their input.

Use your voice. If you notice unfair treatment or inequity, speak up about it.

Making inclusion a priority throughout the organization, from policy and program development to small everyday actions, helps everyone feel valued and appreciated for being themselves and for the unique talents and skillset they bring to the workplace.

Lionel Laroche will discuss the changing workforce and how to bridge cultural diversity in the workplace at CCOHS Forum, taking place March 5-6 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Resources

• Healthy Minds at Work website, CCOHS
• Mental Health – Psychosocial Risk Factors in the Workplace fact sheet, CCOHS
• Mental Health: e-Course Package, CCOHS
• Guarding Minds at Work website 

International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day is February 29^th (this year February 28). As the only “non-repetitive” day of the year, it’s the ideal date to devote to raising awareness of repetitive strain injuries.  Here are some tips to help identify and avoid the patterns that can lead to these injuries.

What is an RSI?

Also known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), repetitive strain injuries (RSI) describe a family of painful disorders affecting tendons, muscles, nerves and joints in the neck, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, arms and hands. MSDs are the most frequent type of lost-time injury and the single largest source of lost-time costs in Canada.

Risk Factors

Gripping, holding, bending, twisting, clenching, and reaching – these ordinary movements that we naturally make every day are not particularly harmful in the activities of our daily lives. What can make them hazardous in work situations though, is the continual repetition of the movements. Other contributing work factors may include awkward postures and fixed body positions, excessive force concentrated on small parts of the body such as the hand or wrist, vibrations, a fast pace of work with insufficient breaks or recovery time, and psychosocial factors such as stress.

Generally none of these factors acts separately to cause MSDs. MSDs frequently occur as a result of a combination and interaction of factors. Over time these common actions can affect the muscles, tendons and nerves, resulting in pain, weakness, aches, tingling and numbness.

Tips for Employers

Eliminating hazards at the source is the most effective solution. Employers should focus on avoiding repetitive patterns of work through job design changes, such as:

• Automating tasks with technology and mechanization
• Rotating jobs and tasks
• Distributing work evenly between team workers
• Increasing the variety of tasks in a job

If the elimination of repetitive patterns isn’t possible then employers can use a number of prevention strategies:

• Workplace design: Fitting the workstation to the worker
• Assistive devices: Using carts, hoists, or other mechanical handling devices
• Work practices: Training workers, allowing rest periods, and giving workers more control
• Tool and equipment design: Providing proper tools that decrease the force and avoid awkward positions

Know the Symptoms

RSIs take time to develop so it is important to watch for the signs. Pain, joint stiffness, muscle tightness, redness, swelling of an affected area, numbness, “pins and needles” sensations, and skin colour changes are all possible symptoms of injury. Because most work activities require the use of the arms and hands, many MSDs affect the hands, wrists, elbows, neck and shoulders. However, work using the lower body can lead to MSDs of the legs, hips, ankles, and feet, and some back problems can also result from repetitive activities. The pain from these disorders can be felt during work or at rest.

Awareness of the causes of RSIs and developing a prevention program is essential. Inform and train workers, encourage early reporting of symptoms, and identify and control job-related risk factors.

CCOHS Resources:

• International RSI Awareness Day
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Musculoskeletal Infographic (PDF)
• Musculoskeletal Disorders Fast Facts Card
• Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) Prevention Manual
• Office Ergonomics Safety Guide
• Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) fact sheet
• Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) - Risk Factors fact sheet

Snow Removal: Know the Hazards

Snow removal operations can be hazardous work with the potential to cause serious injuries or fatalities. Danger for workers is increased when removing ice or snow from rooftops and other building structures such as decks. Hazard awareness is important but so is your employer’s responsibility for your safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a new resource on snow removal worker safety. The document identifies major hazards, employer responsibilities for worker safety, as well as worker rights.

Guidance includes: prior to beginning work, employers should check for worksite hazards, limit roof access for snow removal, train workers on the signs of cold stress, and ensure that powered equipment is used according to the manufacturers' instructions.

Links:

Snow Removal: Know the Hazards (PDF), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

CCOHS also has helpful information:

• Snow Shovelling fact sheet
• 10 Scoops of Snow Shovelling Safety Health and Safety Report
• The Scoop on How to Safely Shovel Snow Podcast

This month’s featured podcasts 8 Tips to Make Your Health and Safety Committees Effective and an encore presentation of Focusing on Repetitive Strain Injuries

Feature Podcast: 8 Tips to Make Your Health and Safety Committees Effective

The success of a joint health and safety committee depends partly on how well the committee meetings are organized and conducted. CCOHS shares 8 tips to help make your health and safety committee meetings effective.

The podcast runs 3:09 minutes.  Listen to the podcast now.

Encore Podcast: Focusing on Repetitive Strain Injuries

CCOHS shines the spotlight on repetitive strain injuries: what they are, their symptoms and causes, and how they can be prevented.

The podcast runs 6:28 minutes. Listen to the podcast now.

CCOHS produces free monthly podcasts on a wide variety of topics designed to keep you current with information, tips, and insights into the health, safety, and well-being of working Canadians. You can download the audio segment to your computer or MP3 player and listen to it at your own convenience... or on the go!                                                        

See the complete list of podcast topics. Better yet, subscribe to the series on iTunes and don't miss a single episode. Listen on Spotify.

Be inspired by real stories of action at Forum 2019

Over the past decade, there have been significant changes to the nature of work, the workforce, and the workplace. What does the future of work look like and what does this mean for our health, safety and well-being? Forum 2019’s single session stream of 12 presentations and networking opportunities allow you to dive deeper into topics and connect with change makers and subject experts from across Canada.

Join us in Winnipeg this March, and gain cutting-edge insights from leaders representing government, employers and labour, on the workplace issues we need to be ready for. You will be inspired by stories of leadership, courage, innovation, and trust.

Learn from Fort McMurray’s retired Fire Chief Darby Allen‘s experience leading during a crisis and through one of the costliest disasters in Canadian history.

Join Audrey Gilbeau as she takes us on the Nokiiwin’s journey to “Our Respectful Community”, based on the Seven Grandfather Teachings.

Discover how Steve Tizzard helped make mental health a priority on the Hibernia Platform.

Registration is Filling Up

Secure your spot today to ensure you keep pace with The Changing World of Work. Register here to avoid disappointment.

The discounted rate at the Delta Hotels Winnipeg expires February 15, 2019.      

View details and book here.

Learn more: https://www.ccohs.ca/forum/