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/358706
8 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com PEOPLE&PLACES DAVE FENNELL HONOURED AT CSSE Dave Fennell was awarded the 2013 Safety Professional of the Year Award at the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE)'s professional develop- ment conference in Montreal in September. He has been a member of CSSE for more than 26 years. Fennell is a senior safety advisor at Imperial Oil Resources in Calgary and a senior technical professional for safety for the ExxonMobil Production Company. He belongs to a small, select group of safety professionals from around the world who research and develop innovative and new safety technology, prac- tices and techniques. He has a diploma in civil engineering technology and is a graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton with a degree in environmental sciences. He has been involved in research projects on risk tolerance within his organization and has lead industry research projects in the development of protective clothing. He is a regular pre- senter at conferences across North America. "(Fennell) is a long time member and a huge supporter of the CSSE at the chapter and national level," said CSSE. "His commitment to give back to other safety professionals with his knowledge, skills and experience is appreciated, recog- nized and welcomed throughout the CSSE community." NEW OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE RESEARCH CHAIR Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB) in Saint John, N.B., has established the fi rst endowed occupational medicine research chair in Canada. Anil Adisesh will serve as the inaugural J.D. Irving Limited research chair in occupational medicine. He comes to the position from the national Health and Safety Labora- tory in Buxton, England, and is an internationally recognized researcher and clinical physician. In addition to research, Adisesh will develop curriculum to ensure graduates have a strong knowledge of recognizing, managing and preventing workplace illness and injuries, collaborating with govern- ment, industry and labour to establish better workplace safety and well-being. Adisesh assumed the chair in June 2013 and will hold the position for fi ve years. Occupational medicine focuses on promoting, creating and maintaining healthy workplaces free from preventable workplace illnesses and injuries. Good businesses know that companies that promote and protect workers' health are among the most successful and competitive, said DMNB. "The work of the chair in medical education, research and clinical service provision will be important in providing practical tools in the real world of work in the Maritimes and contributing to creating healthy workplaces in Canada," said Adisesh. HEALTH & SAFETY NEWS By Amanda Silliker T he Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) has announced a number of new initiatives that will enhance the fairness of the WCB's expe- rience rating system for workers and employers, and strengthen injury and illness prevention in Manitoba, it says. These initiatives are part of a response to a report released earlier this year by Paul Petrie, an external consul- tant tasked with reviewing the impact of the WCB assessment rate model on fair compensation for workers and equitable assessments for employers. "Mr. Petrie's report, along with other recent reviews on workplace safety and health in Manitoba, make it clear that, while we have made progress ensuring our system meets the needs of work- ers and employers, we still have room to improve," said WCB president and CEO, Winston Maharaj. NEW COMPLIANCE UNIT A compliance unit is being formed at the WCB that will add staff, resources and provide a focus on investigating allegations of claim suppression. The new compliance framework will be informed by the WCB's research on claims suppression which was initi- ated in late 2012 and funded through WCB's Research and Workplace Inno- vation Program. The researcher has already reached out to stakeholders through surveys and focus groups and is currently analyzing the results. When complete, this research will be the most concrete review of claim suppression ever undertaken in Manitoba and potentially the most detailed review of claim suppression ever undertaken across the country, said WCB. Additionally, the WCB is currently reviewing its administrative penal- ties related to claims suppression with a view to seeing those penalties increased. ASSESSMENT RATE MODEL CHANGES The WCB is looking at ways to improve its rate model so that it prioritizes prevention and strengthens system accountability by ensuring employers are rewarded for safe workplaces and limiting fi nancial incentives that focus on minimizing claim cost, which may lead to claim suppression. The WCB has asked key stakeholder bodies to name representatives from labour and employers to take part in an advisory group to review a number of proposed changes to the rate model. The proposed changes include narrowing the upper and lower limits of the rate range and reducing the speed at which an employer's rate can move within the range. The proposed changes will simplify the model while making it easier to communicate and more understandable for employers, said WCB. The WCB will also be undertaking a comprehensive review of the assess- ment rate model over the course of the next 18 months. WORKER ADVISOR OFFICE CHANGES A serious injury support worker posi- tion has been created at the Worker Advisor Offi ce. This position will pro- vide free and confi dential services to injured workers who have suffered a serious injury and their families who require assistance when dealing with the workplace safety and health and workers' compensation systems. RETURN-TO-WORK REVIEW The WCB considers returning to work to be an integral part of the recovery process. It is currently undertaking a review of customer service and return to work in case management, with the goal to enhance the overall return to work experience for Manitoba workers. CLAIM REPORTING CAMPAIGN At the end of July, the WCB launched a new public awareness campaign that encourages workers and employers to report workplace injuries to the WCB. The campaign encour- ages people to call the WCB's claim reporting phone number when injured at work. It also includes ads targeted at employers to remind them that they must report all work- place injuries and makes this information more accessible to all workers, including those who speak English as an addi- tional language. OUTREACH TO VULNERABLE WORKERS As part of its outreach to vulnerable workers, the WCB has created bro- chures, stickers, posters and videos in 22 different languages as well as materials and videos for English as an additional language instructors to present in a classroom setting. Additionally, the SAFE Manitoba partnership recently launched more than one dozen language pathways on its website to provide access to trans- lated publications for non-English speakers. DELL WINS WELLNESS AWARD The Health Project — which recog- nizes organizations in the United States for health promotion and well- ness programs — announced Dell as the winner of its 2013 C. Everett Koop National Health Award. "Employers share the goal of improving the health and well-being of workers, so that individuals can enjoy long and productive lives, avoid disability and perform at their best," said Ron Goetzel, president and CEO of the Health Project in Washington, D.C. "Dell's efforts demonstrate that, when done right, evidence-based health promotion and disease preven- tion programs not only make workers healthier, they can also produce a positive return on investment." In 2004, Dell launched a comprehensive wellness and health- improvement program, branded "Well at Dell." Since its inception, the program has created a culture of well-being that encourages a healthy lifestyle for team members and their families, while mitigating health-care cost increases for the company. Well at Dell provides substantial fi nancial incentives designed to engage and reward participants who monitor, maintain and improve their health. Along with annual health screenings and quarterly wellness challenges, the program provides resources such as telephone and on-site lifestyle coaching for health-risk reduction, condition management programs, on- site fi tness and health centres, as well as virtual wellness offerings. In the past year, more than 80 per cent of team members and 45 per cent of their spouses or domestic part- ners have participated in the health improvement and wellness programs. WCB Manitoba tackles claims suppression