Minutes - BC Regional Union Safety & Health meeting

Attending:

• Bob Jackson
• Monique Bakker
• Mel Dureen
• Jason Komaromi
• Wayne Little
• Floyd Knelson
• Chuck Leach
• Bill Pleming
• Thomas Gallagher
• Steven Chesser
• Mandi Schubert
• Gail Jewsbury
• Sam Weiss
• Kelly Megasi
• Joy Hennen (Chair)
• James Little (Staff H&S Rep)

Previous minutes accepted as reviewed. Bob Jackson, Jason Komaromi M/S.

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The BRUSH Committee will be meeting on January 23, 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel, 1128 West Hastings Street, 5:00 p.m. in the Harbour Side II room. Those that can not attend in person are welcome to join in on the discussion via teleconference  - please contact James Little for details.

We will be launching our brand new BC PSAC - H&S Website and Interactive Forum

Tentative Agenda Items

• BC PSAC - H&S Website and Forum
• The new Ergonomics Regulation XX update
• Regulation XIX Hazard Prevention amendment to include Violence
• Succession Planning
• Report from the PSAC National H&S Rep’s Meeting
• H&S Logo Contest

The BC Fed Health & Safety Centre promotional video is now available on the WorkingTV website. Please have a look by clicking here.

Good news!

The Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations - part XIX (Prevention Program) was finally amended to include additional requirements regarding the employer’s obligation to consider ergonomics considerations when developing their prevention program.

See amendments to the regulations.

In the News: Fatigue - The Foe You Don’t Want to Know at Work

Did you know that exhaustion is one of the most common health complaints
for Canadian workers, especially women? Working hard may be admirable, but
when our efforts start to affect our productivity and our safety, it’s time
to stop, regroup, and relax.

Read More

Hazard Alerts: Seafarer Safety

Lifesaving tips for commercial fishermen The lure of the sea makes fishing
an appealing profession in many ways, but safe work practices are as
important on the water as on land. A few simple precautions could have
saved these two fishermen’s lives.

Read More

OSH Answers: MSDS - A Safe Read

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is one of the most important ways that
health and safety information about a chemical product is communicated from
the manufacturer to the workplace. In Canada, an MSDS must be provided for
every material that is controlled by WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials
Information System) and anyone who works with the product must have access
to the information in that potentially life-saving document. So - read up!

Read More

Partner News: Pushing, Pulling, Lifting and Lowering

Almost all work requires the use of the arms and hands and or, the legs, so
it is no surprise that overusing and over exerting these limbs can lead to
painful or disabling injuries known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Find out who is teaming up to offer a one-day workshop - “Pushing, Pulling,
Lifting, and Lowering” - to discuss manual materials handling from a
variety of perspectives and what can be done to reduce MSDs. Save the date:
March 4, 2008!

Read More

CCOHS News: Health and Safety Committees

New e-course tailored to the Canadian federal jurisdiction If you work for
a federally regulated employer, a new e-course from CCOHS can teach you the
purpose and duties of a health and safety committee, how to respond to
concerns about workplace hazards, how to conduct workplace inspections, and
more. Find out more about Health and Safety Committees in the Canadian
Federal Jurisdiction.

Read More

Upcoming Events:

Formation en mati re de santŽ et de sŽcuritŽ pour les gestionnaires et les superviseurs
Vancouver, BC
Les 6 et 7 fŽvrier

Hamilton, ON
Les 11 et 12 fŽvrier
Les 14 et 15 avril

SantŽ et sŽcuritŽ pour les gestionnaires et les superviseurs de compŽtence fŽdŽrale
Vancouver, BC
fŽvrier 5
Ottawa
mars 10
Edmonton, AB
mars 11

Pousser, tirer, lever, abaisser : Un atelier sur la manutention manuelle des matŽriaux dans le lieu de travail
Mississauga, ON
mars 4

Full Event Calendar

About the Health and Safety Report:

The Health and Safety Report, distributed by the Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is a free, monthly service providing
the latest information and resources to those with an interest in workplace
health and safety.

Visit us on the web

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CCOHS welcomes your comments and concerns. You can contact us at: CCOHS,
135 Hunter Street East, Hamilton ON Canada, L8N 1M5 1-800-668-4284 or
clientservices@ccohs.ca

Via Joy Hennen, Health & Safety Rep on the BC Regional Council

Some interesting earthquake-related information received as a result of an inquiry initiated by the CEIU Regional H&S Committee …

PWGSC funded a series of shake table tests at UBC back in the late 1990’s to test how various office components behave in earthquake scenarios of increasing magnitude. In addition to computer components, bookcases and file cabinets, we also tested the performance of panel hung workstations. Specifically, we tested a Teknion workstation and a Corcan workstation to see whether they would provide adequate coverage for someone doing Drop Cover Hold. Both workstations performed very well.

(The computer-generated events included recreations of the Northridge and Kobe events, as well as “designed” earthquakes of other magnitudes. The simulations also included both lateral and upward thrust motions.)

It was observed that both workstations moved laterally as a result of the lateral motion of the stronger “earthquakes”. As I recall, on one occasion the Corcan unit moved about six inches (it was much heavier than the Teknion, which may have been a factor, but an engineer would be able to provide a more scientific explanation.) The shake table’s deck had been carpeted to recreate a typical office environment, and we surmised that the carpet helped to limit the displacement of the workstations.

It was suggested that in an office environment of several interlocking workstations, the likelihood of lateral displacement would be even further diminished. (There was only room for one workstation at a time on the deck, so this theory was not tested.)

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Dear Sisters and Brothers:

The B.C. Federation of Labour is pleased to announce that the BC Fed Health & Safety Centre is continuing the Occupational Health & Safety and Labour Education Program into the 2007/2008 school year.

For the past four years, the Centre has been training young workers from various affiliates to facilitate high school sessions across the province.

In 2003, the B.C. Federation of Labour and the BC Teachers’ Federation introduced this Program to prepare young workers to talk to the students in the high schools about their rights in the workplace. Since then, over 30,000 high school students have participated in the workshops, and over 40 young union members have been trained to deliver these workshops. The success of the Program is due to the commitment and passion of these young facilitators.

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via BC Federation of Labour

The WCB has introduced new regulations this year aimed at improving safety for late night retail workers working alone. The regulations include a risk assessment for workers working alone who are at risk of violence, and prepayment of gas. There will also be requirements for employers to ensure the safety of workers by separating workers from customers with a barrier such as a locked door, and to have two people on during the late night hours.

• Email the WCB and tell them you support tougher laws to protect late night retail workers.

WCB will be holding public hearings in June 2007 to review these regulations. For more information visit the BC Federation of Labour.

“Farmworkers are Canada’s forgotten workers. They work in the fields and harvest the crops that feed us. They work in slave-like conditions for 12-14 hours a day and are paid piece rate. They travel in overcrowded buses to the fields or live in converted chicken coops. Many suffer chronic health problems because of exposure to pesticides during every working day.” - CFU spokesman Charan Gill, June, 1994

When farmworkers in British Columbia’s fertile Fraser Valley started organizing in the 1970s, the main issues were low pay, poor housing, unsafe working conditions, exclusion from labour and safety legislation, lack of childcare and racial discrimination. Those are still the major issues today for the 28,000 workers in the fields.

• Related: New regulations important step to protect farmworkers from employer abuse, says Sinclair, but they remain second-class citizens
• Related:BC farmworkers deserve protection not exploitation

Just outside Vancouver, considered one of the world’s “most livable” cities, farmworkers, mostly immigrants from Punjab, India, and most of those women, work long hours in the open fields harvesting the food we eat. They work in the third most hazardous industry in the province, behind logging and mining. The mortality rate is seven times higher than in the manufacturing sector.

Read (lots) more at www.vcn.bc.ca/cfu/

Sisters and Brothers:

In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress, and its affiliated Unions, including the PSAC, established April 28th as the National Day of Mourning to honour workers killed or injured on the job.

At that time, according to the official figures listed by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), 744 workers were listed as having died from workplace injuries. In 2005, the last year that the AWCBC has released statistics for, 1,097 workers were killed on the job due to workplace injuries.

However, we know that these statistics are grossly underestimated and that the real number of deaths resulting from occupational illness and disease, and other workerplace factors are never included in these official statistics, as it is extremely difficult to prove that deaths that are caused by occupational disease, such as cancer, are caused by exposure to hazards in the workplace.

Since 1984, it is estimated that more than 19,000 workers have been killed on the job and more than 20,000,000 workers have been injured while at work.

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Relatives, unions decry declining standards.

Did Amarjit Kaur Bal, Sarabjit Kaur Sidhu and Sukhwinder Kaur Punia die in vain? The results from a meeting held March 15 in downtown Vancouver may determine the answer to that question.

• B.C. Fed submits recommendations to improve working conditions & safety of BC farmworkers
• Read a history of BC farmworkers

Family members of farmworkers killed in the roll-over accident of an overloaded labour contractor’s van last week and leaders of the B.C. labour movement met on the morning of March 15 with Minister of Labour Olga Ilich and Minister of Agriculture Pat Bell in Vancouver. They presented a comprehensive list of 30 proposals to remedy safety and employment standards abuses in B.C. fields and greenhouses. The submission to the ministers also calls on the government to strike down a controversial memorandum signed by the BC Liberals and the province’s large agricultural organizations, which critics say has paved the way for lax enforcement of safety and employment standards protections in the industry.

Read more at thetyee.ca.

CPP/OAS Processing BC/YT Service Area Workplace Safety & Health Committee Meeting Minutes January 29th, 2008 10:30 am

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

• Sarah Burns Co Chair CEIU October 17th, 2007
• Crystal Stephens CEIU
• Crystal Anderson CEIU November 27th, 2007
• Donna Lloyd CEIU
• Heidi Fraser CEIU
• Mandi Schubert (acting for Sarah Burns) CEIU
• Tina McKechnie Recorder November 27th, 2007

• (Chair)Kim Bergh Director
• (Co-Chair)Gwen Kinakin SDM DSB

AGENDA ITEM

1. Call to Order

2. Review Minutes of December 18th, 2007

• Previous minutes approved.

3. New Business

3.1 First Aid Stations and Attendants:

• Gwen and Sarah, as co-Chair/ First Aid attendant, to hold a meeting this Thursday to do a complete inventory of all the first aid kits and complete the kits as per regulations.

3.2. Workplace Inspections

• Motion to include workplace inspections as a standing item approved.
• Inspections are up to date.
• Items identified in January’s inspection;
• * “Do not use” sign removed from plumbed in coffee maker in 2nd floor kitchen. Coffee maker sprays hot water from spigot.
• This coffee maker has been deemed unnecessary and will be removed on the next plumber’s visit after the Union AGM.
• * Dishwasher - Mandy has contacted the service person at Sears to fix the broken hinge. Until the hinge is fixed, staff will have to hand wash dishes. There may be a motion to buy a new dishwasher at the the Feb 27 AGM.
• * Recommendation to have another co-ordinated effort to do another large scale clean up in May.
• * Fifth Floor Lunch Room furniture not a union responsibility. Couches blocking the door to First Aid Room. Wellness Committee responsible for couches.

3.3. Eyewash Stations

• Not yet removed.

3.4. Committee Membership

• Call out for new members.
• Identify new Management Back-up
• Another back up co-Chair will be identified upon Mandi’s resignation.
• Mandy to put up new sign
• Tina to BF in April
• Gwen to touch base with Wellness Committee.
• Gwen to speak with Don
• Mandi to put out call
• Kim to identify

3.4. Hazardous Occurrence Incident Report

• No incidents were reported this month.

4. Tip of the Month

• January – Sarah Burns provided a tip on how to safely shovel snow.
• February – Crystal Anderson will provide a tip of the month.

5. Round Table

• Mandi: Mandi wanted clarification for Team Leaders regarding responsibilities/Liabilities for ergonomics.
• Response: Team Leaders should talk to their bosses and look at link to policy on Indemnity for Public Servants. Mandi to advise concerned team leaders that extent of responsibility is due diligence.
• Crystal Anderson: Crystal noted that she called the building 1-800 number with regards to garbage in the stairwell in early January and the response was swift. Within 20 minutes, 3 people had shown up at her desk to resolve the matter. The stairwells have been clean since that time.
• Tina: Nothing to report.
• Mandi: Mandi inquired about the lack of No Smoking signage on the front of the building.
• Response: This is an issue for Jan Gillis through the building committee. It was further noted that the rear of the building was where the problem lay. There has been good compliance with no smoking in the back, but there has been a problem with people leaving cigarette butts on the ground since the ashtray was removed.
• Gwen to share link and send msg out to mgrs.
• Tina to email Jan Gillis

Meeting adjourned at 11:00 pm

6. Next Meeting : Tuesday, February 19th ,, 2007 at 1:30 pm

CPP/OAS Processing BC/YT Service Area Workplace Safety & Health Committee Meeting Minutes December 18th, 2007 1:00 pm

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

• Sarah Burns Co Chair CEIU October 17th, 2007
• Crystal Stephens CEIU
• Crystal Anderson CEIU November 27th, 2007
• Donna Lloyd CEIU
• Heidi Fraser CEIU
• Tina McKechnie Recorder November 27th, 2007
• Pete Bowering Guest

• (Chair) Kim Bergh Director
• (Co-Chair)Gwen Kinakin SDM DSB

AGENDA ITEM

1. Call to Order

2. Review Minutes of October 17th, 2007

• Previous minutes approved.

3. New Business

3.1 First Aid Stations and Attendants:

• There is no need to have first aid attendants at off-site according to Canadian EnviroOSH legislation.
• A crossover between First Aid Attendants and Building Emergency Organization is needed.
• Meeting to be convened with First Aid Attendants to check First Aid kits are stocked as per regulations, arrange for procurement of supplies, and to establish willingness to continue service.
• More rigour to be brought to First Aid Attendants regarding maintaining inventory in First Aid Kits and manning First Aid Stations.
• Recertification costs must be built into the budget piece for next year.

3.2. Fire Drills

• Pete Bowering spoke to the committee about two incidents.
• The fire drill of Oct 18. (see November 27th minutes for detailed report)
• The practice fire drill on October 18th, 2007 was successful.
• Numerous building issues were raised and Profac is tracking these. Follow up will be shared.
• The false alarm on November 22nd
• This was an unexpected full evacuation due to a false alarm, triggered by building maintenance on the 4th floor.
• Other alarms were noted, and in one instance, some people evacuated the building when the test alarm rang for more than 5 seconds. Normal notification procedure had not been followed in this instance because of the absence of some of those who were to transmit the message.

3.3. Workplace Inspections

• Declutter and clean went well.
• Some pieces around signage and floor maps still to be addressed.
• The November and December inspections have been completed according to schedule. Observations sent out today and attached below.

3.4. Eyewash Stations

• No need for eyewash stations as there is no identifiable hazard. Kim and Sarah, as co-chairs, agreed that they could be removed.

3.5. Committee Name

• The name will remain Occupational Safety and Health Committee for ease of identification, noting that the emphasis is equal on safety and health. Pete to speak with F.A. attendants &
• Gwen/Sarah re FA meeting and kit inventory. Gwen – advise Director

4. Hazardous Occurrence Incident Report

• One hazardous occurrence was reported by Jan Gillis on November 22, 2007. The individual twisted a knee on the stairwell during the evacuation drill. This individual was appointed as a mobility impaired person and Lab 1070 was sent to RHQ.

5. Tip of the Month

• December – Heidi will provide a tip in the near future.
• January – Sarah Burns will provide a tip of the month.

6. Round Table

• Crystal Stephens: no concerns
• Crystal Anderson: inquired about procedures for issues of mess in the stairwells and was told to contact the building service desk for any cleaning or maintenance concerns.
• Donna: no concerns
• Tina: no concerns
• Meeting adjourned at 1:40 pm

9. Next Meeting : Tuesday, January 22ndth ,, 2007 at 1:30 pm

PSAC members want better health, safety and environmental regulations and more rigorous enforcement

PSAC members must make use of every forum available to speak out against deregulation and the implementation of measures that weaken their health and safety protection and their environment.

This was one of the messages heard at the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) National Health and Safety Conference held in Ottawa from January 19 to 21, 2007. PSAC National President, John Gordon, told delegates that “Canadians need a government that responds to the public’s needs, not to the desires of large corporations. We all need quality public services provided by our unionized members, who enjoy good health and safety protection. It’s our challenge, but it’s also our right,” he added.

• You can also read John Gordon’s speech at the Conference.
• See some pictures of the Conference.

More than 300 PSAC members attended the Conference, the theme of which was “Regulation Works”. Together union members devised strategies to: counter the federal government’s push to scale down occupational health and safety and environmental regulations; improve enforcement of health and safety legislation to better protect workers; and, dispel the myth of the careless employee. Members also debated resolutions some of which will be forwarded to the Alliance Executive Committee for action and the rest will be forwarded to the next PSAC Triennial Convention.

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Health and Safety Level II

This advanced Occupational Health & Safety Course has been designed to allow workplace Health and Safety committee members, worker representatives and activists to develop tools, resources and strategies to tackle more complex Health and Safety issues in their workplaces. The course will take place March 9,10,11 at the Hilton in Burnaby.

• Apply online for this course (deadline: Feb 9th)
  

The course will explore the general concepts of legislation relevant to the safety field and through a comprehensive review of the Canada Labour Code Part II, will set the tone for introducing the concepts of workers’ compensation, safety regulation, due diligence, consultation and enforcement.

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The BC Federation of Labour is seeking young workers (18-30 years old) to facilitate workshops in high schools about workplace health and safety. The goal of this Project is to educate workers and students about Occupational Health and Safety hazards and solutions and thereby contribute to preventing injuries, illnesses, diseases and deaths in BC workplaces. We currently seeking to identify young workers who are interested in facilitating these workshops.  The goal is to have a diverse group of facilitators from across the province.

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The British Columbia Federation of Labour (BC Fed) is offering numerous upcoming Occupational Health and Safety Educational opportunities. These courses are single day events at a cost of $85.00. The following is a list of courses being offered

Registration forms can be obtained through the BC Fed’s website or by contacting James Little at the BC PSAC office. For further information, please visit the BC Federation of Labours Occupational Health & Safety Education Resource Center.

2007 PSAC National Health and Safety Conference - “Regulation Works!”

Conference objectives

• The objectives of the 2007 PSAC National Health and Safety Conference are:
• To outline the current government and employer agenda which includes deregulation and to demonstrate how it will affect our health, safety and environmental rights.
• To develop a union agenda to counter the move towards deregulation of health, safety and environmental protections and employer voluntary compliance.
• To expose the misrepresentation behind the current “behavioural-based safety programs” being promoted by employers which rework the classic “blame the worker” theory.
• To develop union tactics to counter the “myth of the careless worker”.
• To examine the current state of enforcement of health and safety legislation in order to develop union-based strategies that will better protect workers.

The conference will take place January 19-21, 2007 in Ottawa. The registration deadline is October 5^th and the resolutions submission deadline is October 20^th.

Visit the national website for more information, and to register online.

As per the AEC decision with respect to the Steering and Resolutions Committees for the 2007 National Health and Safety Conference, this serves as the call for proposed names to sit on the above-mentioned committees.

Members interested in participating on these National H&S Conference committees should forward their application c/o the REVP BC Office, #302-5238 Joyce Street, Vancouver, V5R 6C9. Fax 604 430 0194.

The deadline for receipt by that office is May 11, 2006.

While the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill flies at half-mast on April 28, workers observe a moment of silence in remembrance of those workers killed or seriously injured on the job.

The National Day of Mourning was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991, eight years after it was launched by the labour movement in Canada. The Day of Mourning has since spread to over 80 countries around the world. Here is a list of Day of Mourning events in BC (pdf).

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