National Nurses' Week
2024-05-06 - 2024-05-12
Dates and theme
National Nursing Week is May 6-12, 2024, and this year’s theme is Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow.
https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/news-events/national-nursing-week

Mental Health Week
2024-05-06 08:00 - 2024-05-10 17:00 (America/Toronto)
A Call to be Kind
We all have the capacity to be compassionate, and we know that doing so can make an enormous difference. This year’s Mental Health Week is centered on the healing power of compassion. In a world plagued by suffering, we emphasize that kindness is equally intrinsic to our humanity. Join us from May 6 to 12, 2024 to explore how compassion connects us all.
Visit the CMHA Mental Health Week page

Safety & Health Week (NAOSH)
2024-05-06 08:00 - 2024-05-11 17:00
About Safety and Health Week

Safety and Health Week, which takes place this year from May 6-11, is an ideal time for employers, employees, partners, and the public to focus on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home, and in the community.

GO TO SITE

World Asthma Day
2024-05-07
In celebration of World Asthma Day 2024, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has selected the theme of “Asthma Education Empowers”. GINA emphasizes the need to empower people with asthma with the appropriate education to manage their disease, and to recognize when to seek medical help.
Go to Site

MAYDAY MAYDAY! Webinar Series (Week 2)
2024-05-08 10:00 - 12:00
International COPSOQ Survey Network Research Stories
May 8, 2024 10:00am – 12:00pm ET
Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire users share valuable insights and experience in identifying workplace stress factors around the world == Offering insights of interest to all those striving to improve health and well-being in their research or practice.

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Hosted by members of the COPSOQ International Network
A) Fatima Junaid (New Zealand): Co-creation or adaptation: COPSOQ to fit the needs of the commercial fishing sector of NZ.
B) Anna Novikova (Russia) “Online Data Collection: Validating the COPSOQ Questionnaire”
Speakers: Anna Novikova, PhD, Senior Researcher, Vasiliy Shirokov, Professor , Scientific Head of the Institute of General and Occupational Pathology
C) Philippe Kiss (Belgium) Organizational level health based cut-off points for psychosocial work environment factors
Unlike benchmarks, cut-off points are health-based reference values and refer to a relevant health outcome. This enables researchers to distinguish between positive and negative effects on health. Group level cut-off points should be used in an organizational context. From a preventive point of view the use of an early indicator of reduced well-being is indicated. The aim of this study of191 organizations (26558 subjects) was to determine cut-off points on an organizational level based on the prevalence of high need for recovery.
D) (Türkiye) Association between psychosocial risks and eating quality and physical activity
Authors: Marwa Ali Ahmed Doufani (1) and Yucel Demiral (2)
1) Yeditepe Univ. Institute of Health Science, MPH programme, Turkiye & Primary Health Care Institute, Libya
2) Dokuz Eylul Univ. Medical Faculty, Dept. Public Health, Turkiye

Mayday Mayday Webinar Series (Week 3)
2024-05-15 10:30 - 12:00
3. Activating Knowledge: WMH Research Initiatives
Learning from academic research, and applying the latest knowhow and survey results to policy and practice recommendations for workplaces

May 15, 2024 10:30am – 12:00pm ET

NOWW IS THE TIME: Northwestern Ontario Workplace & Worker Health Cohort Study (NOWWHS
Speaker: Dr. Vicki Kristmann, Professor, Lakehead University; ON Research Chair in Injury & Disability Management; Director & Senior Scientist, EPID@Work Research Institute

Understanding Work-Related Suicide
Speaker Dr. Steven Bittle, Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa

MORE INFO AND REGISTER

Global Accessibility Awareness Day
2024-05-16
The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments.
The GAAD Foundation

The GAAD Foundation was launched in 2021 to mark GAAD’s 10th anniversary. Its mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement.

What is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility refers to the ability of people with disabilities/impairments to independently consume and/or interact with digital (e.g., web, mobile) applications and content. Take a look at WebAIM’s The WebAIM Million, for a current snapshot of trends and issues regarding web accessibility.
GO TO SITE

Mayday! Mayday! Considering Key Issues: Violence, Pain & Surveys
2024-05-22 10:30 - 12:00
Violence & Harassment + Opioid Harm are key workplace issues and therefore targets of Ontario’s Prevention Works Program + Survey success
REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE

Agenda:
Workplace Violence Risk Assessments – New and Improved Tools
Speaker: Kristy Cork, CRSP, Specialized Consultant – Healthy Workplaces, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)

Pain/Management role in Opioid Harm Reduction Program
Speaker: Kathy Martin, Coordinator, Research, Stakeholder & Public Relations, Mental Health and Wellness Specialist, Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)

How important is it to use a “valid” questionnaire to measure workplace stress?
Speaker: John Oudyk, MSc, CIH, ROH, Occupational Hygienist, OHCOW
For more information visit: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/ohcow-events/mayday-mayday/ plus see OHCOW’s Workplace Mental Health resources at: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/workplace-mental-health/ and https://stressassess.ca/. For any questions or an inquiry into OHCOW services email ask@ohcow.on.ca

National AccessAbility Week (NAAW)
2024-05-26 08:00 - 2024-06-01 17:00
Join us in celebrating National AccessAbility Week this year! OHCOW is committed to inclusivity and accessibility. National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Canadians with disabilities, as well as to promote accessibility and inclusion in all aspects of life. At CCRW, we understand the importance of inclusive workplaces and a work environment that embraces diversity, and we are dedicated to advocating for equal opportunities for everyone.
National AccessAbility Week takes place from May 26 to June 1, 2024, under the theme of “Forward Together: Accessibility and Inclusion for All”.
The week provides an opportunity to mark the important contributions made by Canadians with disabilities, and to put a spotlight on the leadership of those who work tirelessly to make our country more accessible and disability inclusive.

Mayday, Mayday Activating Knowledge by Supporting Tools & Services
2024-05-29 10:00 - 12:00
Building new, innovative and practical solutions for workers and workplaces is a key goal of OHCOW & its partners. Learn, engage & begin!
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Building new, innovative and practical solutions for workers and workplaces is a key goal of the Ontario Prevention System. Learn & begin!

A new tool to assess job-based risk of psychological harm
Speaker: Tegan Slot,Manager, Workplace Wellbeing, Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)

A new tool to assess Workplace Violence in the Education Sector
Speaker: Chris Arsenault, Director, Health, Safety & Wellbeing, Education and Specialized Services, Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)

JobAssess – accurately and efficiently capture the 4 critical domainsof any job.
Speaker: Daryl Stephenson – Ergonomist – OHCOW Hamilton

For more information visit: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/ohcow-events/mayday-mayday/ plus see OHCOW’s Workplace Mental Health resources at: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/workplace-mental-health/ and https://stressassess.ca/. For any questions or an inquiry into OHCOW services email ask@ohcow.on.ca

Injured Workers' Day
2024-06-01
On June 1 every year, injured and ill workers, advocates, and labour activists gather in cities across the province to mark Injured Workers’ Day. However it is not officially recognized by the province of Ontario. Read about efforts in support of Private Member’s Bill 118, put forth by Sudbury MPP Jamie West. to get the day officially noted here.
Read the statement from the Ontario Federation of Labour commemorating Injured Workers’ Day here.

Canadian Men's Health Week
2024-06-10 - 2024-06-16
Each year, the week leading up to and including Father’s Day is Men’s Health Week — an excellent opportunity to reflect on and raise awareness about the importance of the health and well-being of Canadian men. Some organizations such as The Canadian Men’s Health Foundation designates the entire month of June as Men’s Health Month. In 2017, The provincial government started a partnership with the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation to promote healthier lifestyles for men. In 2021, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research published information about the health of boys and men in Canada, looking at mental health and wellness, violence, disease, accident rate, and physical activity.
Unfortunately, according to Public Health Canada, many Canadian men are not achieving their optimal health. In fact, on average, they live four fewer years than Canadian women, for a number of occupational and non-occupational reasons.
In the workplace, it is known that men are less likely to seek support for mental health, depression and emotional distress. In 2023, research was done specifically on the mental health of workers in the skilled trades, and found a connection between physical safety on the job and mental health.
OHCOW’s Mayday, Mayday Webinar series, has featured sessions on mental health in male-dominated trades, such as the 2023 webinar, Crisis Planning for Worker & Responder Mental Health.

Additional resources:
Government of Canada
Canadian Mental Health Association

Partners in Prevention Eastern Regional H&S Conference (Ottawa)
2024-06-11 07:00 - 14:30
Location:
Ottawa Conference & Event Centre
100 Coventry Rd.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1K 4S3
Ahead of the Curve
Includes a trade show (OHCOW will have a booth) and conference.
The pace of change has grown considerably and so has the way we work. Rather than worrying about what the future of work holds, we need to prepare organizations, workplaces and employees to embrace change and be future ready.
Leaders need to be proactive, staying ahead of the curve by developing change ready cultures where workplaces are engaged, employees succeed, and businesses thrive. Stretching our imaginations and tapping hidden potential to new innovations and technologies in health and safety – workplaces are looking to the future to build meaningful work that will continue to enhance performance while protecting people and building strong communities.
Join us at Partners in Prevention Eastern and get ready to embrace change. With a common purpose of protecting people, promoting healthy workplace cultures – together we can contribute to businesses success while strengthening the social and economic fabric of the communities we serve.

MORE INFO AND REGISTER

occ-Covid Webinar: New Risk Assessment & Clean Air Solutions
2024-06-14 13:30 - 15:00
Layered prevention strategies in public congregate settings, using tools to assess risk, monitor, and clean air, are critical for future health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released the Airborne Risk Indoor Assessment Tool (ARIA) and stated in the supporting publication ” One of the learnings from this pandemic has been that we must reshape and redesign the building environment, while focusing on optimizing indoor ventilation and therefore, the air we breathe” (WHO 2024).
ASHRAE Standard 241, “Control of Infectious Aerosols”, now provides requirements to clean the air. Using carbon dioxide monitoring “real time” as a surrogate to assess the quality of the air, will further indicate triggers and interventions required to clean the air.
In addition, researchers from the University of Bristol have shown how carbon dioxide increases a virus’s lifetime in the air. Plus, Ambient carbon dioxide concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aero stability and infection risk (Haddrell et al. 2024).And with global warming it is more important than ever that we monitor indoors, CO2, temperature and humidity.
As interventions are assessed, more attention is being given to upper air UV to disinfect the air, which if done safely can independently add another air cleaning method to the space.
This webinar, hosted by Kevin Hedges CIH, COH will discuss the recent WHO risk assessment, and how important it is to monitor indoor air for CO2, temperature and humidity.
We are also excited to have Joey Fox PEng, return. Joey is chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OPSE), Indoor Air Quality Advisory Group. He will cover ensuring good indoor air quality, mitigating airborne diseases with ASHRAE 241 and use of UV.
Register today to learn and join the conversation!
The Conversation will be recorded and streamed on YouTube.
For more information and past events in the Occ-COVID series visit: https://www.ohcow.on.ca/events/occ-covid-webinar-series/
Visit OHCOW’s website for many still useful Covid Prevention resources including a Ventilation calculation tool and Checklist plus Mask Smart and Respirator Infographics
And Contact Us for more information about, and assistance in, protecting workers and workplaces from this deadly and pervasive occupational disease.
REGISTER

Partners in Prevention Northeastern Regional Conference (Sudbury)
2024-06-20 07:00 - 14:30
Holiday Inn Sudbury
1696 Regent St.
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 3Z8
Ahead of the Curve
Includes a trade show (OHCOW will have a booth) and conference.
The pace of change has grown considerably and so has the way we work. Rather than worrying about what the future of work holds, we need to prepare organizations, workplaces and employees to embrace change and be future ready.
Leaders need to be proactive, staying ahead of the curve by developing change ready cultures where workplaces are engaged, employees succeed, and businesses thrive. Stretching our imaginations and tapping hidden potential to new innovations and technologies in health and safety – workplaces are looking to the future to build meaningful work that will continue to enhance performance while protecting people and building strong communities.
Join us at Partners in Prevention Eastern and get ready to embrace change. With a common purpose of protecting people, promoting healthy workplace cultures – together we can contribute to businesses success while strengthening the social and economic fabric of the communities we serve.

MORE INFO AND REGISTER

National Injury Prevention Day
2024-07-05
Friday, July 5, 2024, will be the eighth National Injury Prevention Day in Canada to raise awareness about the devastating effects of predictable and preventable injuries. The goal is to educate others and help all Canadians live long lives to the fullest.
Let’s raise awareness around the importance of injury prevention and aid Canadians to live long lives to the fullest through education and advocacy. Health Canada recognizes this date as an official national Health Promotion Day.
Parachute Canada

International Self-Care Day
2024-07-25
On July 24th, help us celebrate International Self-Care Day and the importance of self-care to the health of Canadians and to the health care system.
Go to web page

Silica Control Tool Series
2024-08-22 12:00 - 13:00
Have questions about how to use the Silica Control Tool? Attend our Q&A Session August 22nd, 2024, to ask OHCOW’s hygienists and Silica Control Tool team about the tool! This will be the chance to ask all your questions and listen to other users’ questions to learn more about the tool.
Ask your questions live or email them beforehand here: silica@ohcow.on.ca.
More info:
https://www.ohcow.on.ca/occupational-illness/silica-control-tool-ontario/
REGISTER TODAY

Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month
2024-09-01
September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness month. Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF), is a disease in which the lungs become scarred (fibrosis). Over time, scarring destroys normal lung tissue. Eventually the lungs will not be able to provide the body with sufficient oxygen and will cause shortness of breath, especially when walking and exercising.
PF can be caused by working conditions. The OHCOW website has information about workplace hazards. When an interstitial lung disease includes scar tissue in the lung. One of the subgroups of interstitial lung disease is those that are related to occupational exposures (exposures that occur at work), referred to as “pneumoconioses”.
More Resources:
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Mcintyre Powder
Silica

Labour Day
2024-09-02
Labour Day is an annual day to commemorate the achievements of workers and to acknowledge workers’ movements that have fought for fair treatment and safe working conditions, both in the past and presently. It has its origins in the labour union movement, which advocated for workers’ rights at a time when employers had no responsibility to listen to the concerns of workers.
Labour Day began in Canada on April 15, 1872, a mere five years after Confederation. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly, the original central labour body in Canada, organized the country’s first significant ‘workers demonstration.
Read about the role Toronto Unionists played in the creation of Labour Day as a national holiday!

Suicide Prevention Day
2024-09-10
World Suicide Prevention Day is a chance for everyone to increase awareness about suicide: those impacted by a suicide attempt or loss, family and friends, charitable organizations, professionals, politicians, volunteers, and community members. The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) 2024-2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”. The aim of the theme is to raise awareness about the importance of changing the narrative surrounding suicide and transforming how we perceive this complex issue. Changing the narrative requires systemic change. It’s about shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support. ~ International Association for Suicide Prevention
OHCOW’s annual Mayday, Mayday Webinar Series addresses workplace mental health with real life stories from workers and up-to-date research and commentary from professionals in the field of mental health.

World First Aid Day
2024-09-14
World First Aid Day is a global observance held on the second Saturday in September. It was instituted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2000 and has been celebrated each year ever since.
The term “first aid” refers to the help available to anyone with a sudden injury or illness. Its main purpose is to preserve life and prevent exacerbation of the condition. This is not always done by medical staff. In emergency situations, ordinary people often have to provide first aid to save someone’s life. First aid does not require prior knowledge and can be improvised. However, if a first aid person does not know what to do, they may hurt themselves rather than help. This is why the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies encourages everyone to receive basic first aid training or at least educate themselves using all available reliable sources.
World First Aid Day aims to raise awareness of how first aid can prevent injuries and save lives in crises and everyday situations, as well as enhance access to first aid. The events and activities on this day focus on first aid training. Each year, a new general theme for the day is chosen, and participants are encouraged to plan events around the current year’s theme.
Recent polling by the Canadian Red Cross shows that nearly 40 per cent of Canadians say they have been in an emergency situation where they have had to perform first aid; however, only 18 per cent are currently certified. so ensure you have the skills needed to save lives when an emergency happens.
Info about first aid courses:
Canadian Health Care Provider Training Institute
First Aid 4U

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
2024-09-30
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Global Ergonomics Month
2024-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
Global Ergonomics Month is an international outreach campaign promoting human-centred design through the science, application and profession of ergonomics or human factors. These disciplines are focused on optimizing overall system performance and human well-being by proactively designing work and work systems that improve efficiency, productivity, health, safety and comfort.
Stay tuned for more info.

Global Ergonomics Month

Women's History Month
2024-10-01 00:00 - 23:59
October is Women’s History Month in Canada, a time to celebrate the women and girls from our past, and our present, who are contributing to a better, more inclusive Canada.
Stay tuned for more info.
https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/womens-history-month/2023-theme.html

Mental Illness Awareness Week
2024-10-06 08:00 - 2024-10-12 17:00
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada.
CAMH MIAW Page

Workplace Bullying Awareness Week
2024-10-13 08:00 - 2024-10-19 17:00
Workplace Bullying Awareness Week

Workplace and Academic Bullying is a worldwide problem. Together our unite voice, is the solution.

Small Business Week
2024-10-13 08:00 - 2024-10-19 17:00
“Ontario’s small businesses are the backbone of communities across the province. From family-owned corner stores to brand new start-ups, everyone knows a small business that has made a difference in their community. This Small Business Week, we celebrate the over 400,000 small businesses in Ontario and their more than two million hard-working employees.”
-Ontario Web site.

Small Business Week is an opportunity to celebrate the big ideas that contribute to our communities and bring attention to the challenges that inhibit their growth and innovation.
Ontario Chamber of Commerce

BDC Small Business Week is an annual entrepreneurship event that the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has organized for 45 years. Every year, more than 10,000 entrepreneurs gather to learn, network and celebrate Canada’s dreamers and doers.
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Occ|tober and Beyond Webinar Series 2024
2024-10-31 12:00 - 13:30
12:00pm – 1:30pm EST
Occ|tober & Beyond: Occupational Illness and Disease Prevention

OHS Prevention Works
OHCOW’s annual Occ|tober Webinar Series begins with an overview of the occupational illness prevention activities by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of Ontario, and Health & Safety System Partners, including OHCOW. This session will review current initiatives to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control workplace hazards, and addressing the question of: How do you quantify exposures that you have prevented through good initiatives?
Speakers: Dr. Joel Moody – Chief Prevention Officer, MLITSD; Dr. Tracy Kirkham, Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Silica Control Tool Panel (Meghan Friesen, Holly Houston, Cait Wittke, Shirly Yan)

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Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
2024-11-01 08:00 - 2024-11-30 17:00
For the month of November, OHCOW makes a special acknowledgement of the connection between incidents of hazardous exposures in the workplace and pancreatic cancer.
Don’t miss a session of our Occ-tober and Beyond Webinar Series!
Stay tuned to our social media channels and check back for more information and links to relevant resources from OHCOW and our partners.
See the national website for more information.
