Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/358700
October 2013 23 colleague. Many people will remember the case of Lori Dupont: She was a nurse at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ont., who was killed at the workplace in 2005 by ex-boyfriend Marc Daniel, who was a doctor at the same institution. Consider the way the shift to in-home care affects safety for health providers as well. They run the risk of car accidents as they travel from house to house. A mat in a patient's home could cause a trip. A snow-covered walkway could cause a slip. Henrietta Van hulle remembers well the trou- ble one community care worker experienced at a patient's home: the caregiver actually fell through the stairs, they were in such poor condition. "In a hospital, you own the building, you can design it to make it ergonomic or to control fi re and other risks," says Van hulle, health-care sector lead at PSHSA. That's not the case in homes. "And that's one of the reasons slips, trips and falls are highest among community care workers." For the most part, though, trouble stems from the people part of the job, instead of equipment issues or the physical environment. Discussing compensation claims related to health care, Stephen Symon, public sector manager with WorkSafeBC in Vancouver, points out: "The one thing they have in common is they are all around providing care for the patient. That is dif- ferent from other sectors, where you're dealing with dangerous equipment." TOO MUCH WORK, TOO LITTLE TIME For health providers, mental stressors may be even more diffi cult to deal with than physical challenges. The quick pace and unpredictable nature of their work leaves many feeling overwhelmed. A 2010 study on Ottawa-area hospitals found that hospital staff suffer from role overload. They have too much work, not enough time and insuffi cient help. High levels of role overload lead to absenteeism, poor productivity and low commitment to work, found The Etiology and Reduction of Role Overload in Canada's Health Care Sector. The study consisted of a survey of 1,396 employees, along with in-depth interviews with 150 health-care workers. What's the solution? In a word: control. Workers need to be able to regulate the factors that lead to too much work. But control can be diffi cult to achieve. In hospitals, for instance, patients arrive unscheduled. Emergen- cies can occur at any time. If the team is short-staffed, members have to work faster, ever mindful of strict safety procedures. The Ottawa hospital study suggested preparation makes a world of difference. Referring to the study's participants, researchers said: "Planning, organizing and setting priorities increased the amount of control they had over the situation by reducing the unexpected, expanding the amount of time available and facilitating focus and decision-making." MORE HEALING HANDS No question, control is important. But when the workplace is chronically understaffed and overworked, lack of control is more of a symptom than a cause. According to CFNU, governments and health organizations need to boost health-care staffi ng levels if they really want to improve safety. In a study released in June, CFNU said that in 2012, the rate of absenteeism for full-time nurses was 7.7 per cent — 55 per cent higher than the average for all other occupations. According to the PSHSA, health practitio- ners lose 50 per cent more workdays than the average Canadian worker. Viruses, muscle injuries and mental health challenges from stress can all keep health workers away from their jobs. Silas sees a connection between role over- load, high absenteeism and safety risks. Nurses are rushed, and that causes them to make mistakes that can lead to injuries. Nurses increasingly have to work alone, which means they may not have help to turn a patient or deal with violence. In order to genuinely improve safety for health practitioners, organizations must increase staffi ng levels, Silas says. Other- wise, the harmful cycle involving high stress, absenteeism, risk of injury and mental health problems will continue. She adds that nurses, doctors and Resources from health-focused organizations can help nurses, physicians and paramedical staff stay strong in their tough work environments. Here are four useful tools: occupational health and safety specialists also should make use of resources and tool kits offered by PSHSA and others. But ultimately, one of the best ways to ensure that health facilities and services are safe for patients is to ensure they're safe for health workers fi rst. As Silas simply puts it: "We need to prioritize health and safety for the professionals providing health services." Stefan Dubowski is a freelance writer based in Ottawa. He can be reached at dubowski@stiffsentences.com. 3 4 3. Community care training PSHSA has eight new web tutorials for community care workers. These free, online programs cover challenges specifi c to care in non-institutional settings, including matters such as driving, kitchen hazards, and slips, trips and falls. Access the tutorials at http://pshsa.ca/elearning. PSHSA also offers classroom courses for topics such as MSDs, fall prevention and working in the heat. Learn more at http:// pshsa.ca/training. Additionally, PSHSA has assembled a list of resources to help com- munity care organizations comply with the Ontario Ministry of Labour's safety inspec- tion blitzes for 2013 and 2014. See the resource list at http://pshsa.ca/healthcare_blitz_resources. 4. Safety at Work centre for the health care industry WorkSafeBC has an entire website with resources to help prevent accidents and injuries in health care: www2.worksafebc. com/portals/healthcare/home.asp. The site includes information about violence pre- vention, chemical and physical hazards, patient handling and ergonomics. Videos, courses and statistics reside here as well. M Cordick c G l o v e & s a fe t y 13T5GPU PU COATED PALM What is ? 13T5GN NITRILE GRIP www.mccordick.com EN388 4,5,4,3 EN407 X,1,X,X,X,X EN388 4,5,4,2 Taeki5 ® developed in Europe has been created with total protection in mind. Taeki5 ® is the only yarn on the market able to give a complete pallet of properties in a multitude glove and PPE designs including sleeves and garments. Where other fibres will fail, Taeki5 ® will be there to give you the complete properties and protection for you Hand, Arm and Body. 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