Canadian Occupational Safety

6 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com WORKPLACE NEWS 30 Nova Scotia CEOs sign new health and safety charter T op executives from various businesses across Nova Scotia have committed to reducing inju- ries and occupational disease in their workplaces. Thirty CEOs, representing 75,000 employees, signed the Nova Scotia Health and Safety Leadership Charter, the fi rst of its kind in the province. The char- ter stands as a public declaration by the CEOs to improve occupational health and safety and strive to make the province the safest place to work in Canada. Some of the signatories include Michelin, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Power, Pratt & Whitney and PCL Constructors Canada. "We're signing the charter to raise awareness and encourage every business leader in Nova Scotia to make safety a priority," said Jason Shannon, COO of Shannex, which operates retirement living facilities and nursing homes across the Maritimes. "Safe workplaces are a right of every employee and something that should be at the top of business planning agendas." The idea came about in early 2015 after a small group of employers got together to discuss how they could make a difference in health and safety. They all agreed the fi rst step is getting commitment from CEOs and senior managers. "A CEO does not write safe work practices; a CEO's role is to set policy and set direction for the com- pany… (and) visibility demonstrate his or her beliefs that health and safety is the number 1 priority. And not just words on a document; it's got to be lived," said Harris McNamara, director of safety at Emera, an energy company based in Halifax. "That's how we start to create the positive safety culture." Charter members will share best practices so no one has to "reinvent the wheel" to implement health and safety programs. "We have businesses that are making great strides improving health and safety but there are some that are small- and medium- sized that don't have the resources," said McNamara. "If we can help move safety forward by saying 'We have a great contract- ing standard, a great training program for GHS' or some other program, we are happy to share." Five CEOs have volunteered to serve on the charter's steering committee, which will establish the goals and develop an action plan for the upcoming year. One area that could emerge as a priority is the health-care sector, said McNamara, as this industry has more injuries than any other in the province. "That's one area where we can look at who is having success. If one of our companies has a great program, maybe we can take it to these meetings, get other CEOs to say 'Maybe this is what we should standardize on,'" he said. Over the next few months, the steering committee will work to engage more Nova Scotia businesses and organizations, and will start implementing internal and external occupational health and safety strategies. Doctors allege injured workers re-victimized by workers' compensation agency T he Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) has released a report alleging that Ontar- io's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) ignores opinions and recommenda- tions from some health-care providers. "This report confi rms what injured worker advocates have been hearing for years — that the WSIB system is more interested in clearing its case load than supporting workers who have been seriously injured on the job," said OFL secretary-treasurer Nancy Hutchison. "These doctors are blowing the whistle on the WSIB's punitive practice of 'deeming' injured workers eligible to resume work when their treating physicians and medical professionals have clearly stated the opposite." The OFL said it hopes the report will force a formal investigation into the WSIB's treatment of medical advice and lead to systemic change. The report was produced with the assistance of six registered psychologists who originally raised the alarm about the WSIB's management of medical care and medical evidence as it relates to benefi ts recipients. While the report was not discussed with the WSIB in advance, the board has responded by saying it values the relationships it has with thousands of health-care practitioners across the province and relies on their professional- ism and expertise. The board said 92 per cent of injured workers are back at work within one year of their injury at full wages. Fewer than two per cent of claims are appealed, and in 2015, the fewest number of appeals were received since 1989. Two signifi cant scientifi c studies released earlier this year show the system is working on behalf of injured workers. The Work Injury and Poverty study by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) found "workers compensation benefi ts were an important part of the earnings that kept injured workers out of poverty." Another IWH study on benefi t adequacy compared the earnings and benefi ts of a large group of injured workers with permanent impairments to the earnings of a compara- ble group of non-injured workers over a 10 year period. The study found that the average earnings replacement rate for injured workers was 105 per cent of the non-injured worker group. Essentially, injured workers did better fi nancially than the comparison group of non-injured workers. Global safety professional capability framework to give clarity to role: INSHPO T he International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) has launched a worldwide capa- bility framework for occupational health and safety professionals. The result of three years of development and consultation across 11 countries with input from occupational health and safety professionals, educators and certifying bodies, the framework brings clarity to the generalist OHS role. The Global Capability Framework for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals describes the activities an OHS professional can be expected to undertake and the required underpinning knowledge. It also details the personal, professional and technical skills required for effective OHS practice along with performance criteria for each skill. This emphasis on skills addresses a gap often noted in technically oriented health and safety professionals. Vince McNeilly, president of INSHPO, noted that the framework will be integral to promoting high standards of practice for OHS professionals, helping employers make better hiring decisions and better understand the value of the profession. In the long run, greater professionalism will bring more job growth, better promotions, higher compensation levels and more senior positions. Eldeen Pozniak, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering representative on the INSHPO board and the incoming president of INSHPO, pointed out that the framework will assist in aligning the capabilities of OHS professionals and practitioners to the strategic business needs of organizations and industry sectors. As a result, this framework will assist in job design, recruitment and selection, performance management and career planning, she said. "On an individual basis, this capability framework helps us understand the capabilities required to work and identify any gaps in skills, knowledge and behaviours needed within a current position. It also allows us to identify the steps necessary for ongoing professional development," said Pozniak. The framework should also infl uence educational institutions in Canada and abroad, Pozniak added, as they look to develop or update their curriculum. INSHPO is the global voice for the occupational health and safety profession and acts as a forum for inter- national collaboration among professional organizations to improve health and safety at work. Created in 2001, INSHPO now represents the interests of 14 member organizations in 11 countries, including Canada. WORKPLACE NEWS Doctors allege INSHPO board of directors meeting in Perth, Australia, on Nov. 12.

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