Sarnia-Lambton

Contact

171 Kendall Street
Point Edward, ON N7V 4G6
(519) 337-4627
(519) 337-9442
Email: sarnia@ohcow.on.ca
Website: http://www.ohcow.on.ca

Staff

Director:
James T. Brophy, PhD

Doctors:
Abe Reinhartz, MD
Warren Teel, MD
Jim Mackenzie, MD

Industrial Hygienist:
Nora Maher

Occupational Health Nurses:
Jenny Schieman
Kelly Brown
LaRose Lambert
Mary Falconer

Occupational Health Research Coordinators:
Margaret Keith, PhD
Therese Hutchinson

Ergonomist:
David Mijatovic

Administrative Assistants:
Shelley Delaney
Ann Tanner
Steve Baker

Sarnia-Lambton Local Advisory Council Members

Sarnia-Lambton 2004 Highlights

The major highlight for OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton in 2004 was the granting by the WSIB of permanent status for the clinic. The Sarnia clinic is now a full-fledged part of OHCOW rather than a temporary agency. 

Public Events On-Site

There were several important public events held at the clinic. One was the public announcement of the permanent funding, attended by Minister of Labour, Chris Bentley, Mayor Mike Bradley, Caroline DiCocco, media, and members of the public.  

Another important outreach effort involved the production by clinic staff of large posters on a variety of occupational health and safety issues.  They were displayed and presented during a visit by Chris Bentley and Caroline DiCocco, MPP, prior to the funding announcement.  

The posters remained in place for public viewing.  In addition, the clinic hosted a public photo display, which spanned the width of the large meeting room.  It consisted of a series of photographs and narratives of victims of occupational disease.  The staff’s posters also remained on display.  The display was available for public viewing during regular clinic hours for approximately 6 weeks.  April 28^th activities included presentations in front of the memorial by the river and an open house at the clinic to view the photo display. 

On February 28^th, an RSI presentation and an intake clinic were held for the public at the clinic. 

A clinic physician and staff coordinated and/or participated in an educational event at the clinic for the first year medical class of 100 students from University of Western Ontario (UWO).  This was part of the UWO Ecosystem Health programme.  The presentation and activities included representatives of Bluewater Health, local workers, First Nations, and area politicians. 

Workers Health and Safety Centre health and safety classes were held at the clinic and participants were introduced the OHCOW services.  

Satellite Clinic Activity

Besides its home community, OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton provided a variety to services to clients in Wallaceburg, London, Chatham, Goderich, Walkerton, Strathroy and beyond. 

Medical

OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton physicians handled 711files in 2004 – a combination of new visits, return visits and chart reviews. There were 430 new registrants and more than 543 diagnoses.  

The majority of OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton’s cases are related to industrial disease rather than injury. Many of the diseases are asbestos-related; many are related to exposures to other carcinogens, neurotoxins, and respiratory pathogens. Other than the mesothelioma and asbestosis cases, which are clearly asbestos-induced, many of the associations are not straight-forward. There is new ground being covered on a regular basis as physicians and other staff gather and assess patients’ occupational histories, research relevant literature, and make links based on the best available scientific and medical knowledge. This exceptional research has the potential to make a contribution to the overall understanding of work-relatedness of disease. 

Physicians and staff supervised and mentored medical students from University of Western Ontario and University of Ottawa.  One of the medical students produced a fact sheet on outdoor workers and air quality. Another medical student participated in the Aamjiwnaang Health Study. A medical student from the University of Ottawa was supervised and mentored and participated in a research project on sex ratios on the local aboriginal reserve. 

An interesting case that occurred this year involved an asbestos exposed worker who was encouraged by a clinic doctor to undergo an exploratory procedure.  The worker was diagnosed with a treatable cancer that, had it been left undiscovered, may not have resulted in such a favourable outcome. 

Another case of interest involved an airline worker with mesothelioma who was left without any treatment options.  One of the OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton doctors referred the patient to a surgeon at Princess Margaret Hospital where a large tumour was successfully removed. She is now undergoing radiation treatment.  

Clinic staff participated in intake clinics for Dow workers, firefighters, and workers in Wallaceburg. 

Inquiries

312 staff activities related to inquiries were logged in the database. They included a very broad range of inquires and inquirers.

One interesting inquiry emerged out a presentation given by the occupational hygienist to a group of workers at Port Elgin. A woman, who works around a conveyor belt where there were significant electromagnetic fields, raised a concern about possible effects on fertility.   A thorough literature search of the issue was conducted.  The results were summarized and provided to the client, who then shared them with co-workers.

Group Projects and Research

A total of 136 staff activities related to groups was logged in the database and another 161 related to group cases. It should be noted that the day-to-day staff activities related to the clinic’s major research projects and committee activities are not necessarily logged. 

Major projects included:

a      An industry that supplies manifolds for the automotive industry with 286 full time employees at this plant represented by the CAW. Concerns about metal-working fluids were addressed in 2004 (work is ongoing around MWF-exposure related respiratory disease and further work is planned to assist with ventilation design). 

a      Appointment to the Industrial Pollution Action Team (IPAT) sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment, which resulted in a report and recommendations. 

a      Appointment to National Committee on Environmental and Occupational Exposures, which resulted in a report and recommendations. 

a      Participation in Refineries Framework Committee (national committee on refinery emissions) which resulted in a report and recommendations. 

a      A collaborative health and occupation/environment research project with the Aamjiwnaang First Nations which included consultation regarding a variety of issues and data collection methods, such as a health survey of all residents (still underway). 

a      The Walkerton community health study which was a collaborative research effort regarding the health of the community following the contaminated drinking water tragedy. 

a      Lifetime Occupational and Environmental Histories Research (LOEHR), a three year collaborative epidemiological case control study exploring possible links between breast cancer and occupation (still underway). 

a      Participation and consultation in a Health of Sarnia study, sponsored by the University of Western Ontario. 

a      A major asbestos disease screening project in collaboration with Princess Margaret Hospital. The surveillance project of cases with pleural plaques (lung markings cased by asbestos) is being co-ordinated and conducted by the OHCOW Sarnia-Lambton physicians and nurses. Over 600 current OHCOW cases with pleural plaques are statistically at a higher risk for developing lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. The physicians have researched available protocols and have partnered with Princess Margaret Hospital to offer CT scans in an effort to diagnose disease while at more treatable stage.  

There were also many group cases of an ergonomic nature, the majority of which we based in London, Ontario. Other group cases involved environmental issues and specific occupational health and safety concerns.

Outreach/Knowledge Transfers

There were 195 staff activities logged in the database for knowledge transfers. These included such activities as preparing publications, participating in media interviews, and giving presentations. Sarnia clinic staff wrote articles for the Sarnia Observer and published an article in the peer reviewed International Journal for Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH).  Substantive interviews were given to the Globe and Mail, National Film Board affiliates, the US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television, CTV, Sarnia Observer, and a host of local media outlets. 

Presentations included OHCOW promotion; issues related to the research projects; and such specific issues as air quality, noise induced hearing loss, breast cancer, refineries, hospital infections, etc.  Audiences included conference participants in British Columbia and Calgary, the Occupational Disease Advisory Panel of the WSIB, attendees of a local Seniors Health Fair, Bayer workers and management, the Lambton County Anti-Tobacco Coalition, and breast cancer prevention groups, among others.