OHCOW

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

Partners in Prevention Northeastern Regional Conference (Sudbury)
2024-06-20 07:00 - 14:30 (America/Toronto)
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.

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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.
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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

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

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.

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!
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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

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! 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

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 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

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

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

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

Mental Health Week
2024-05-06 08:00 - 2024-05-10 17:00
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

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

MAYDAY MAYDAY! Webinar (Week 1)
2024-05-01 10:30 - 12:00
Activating Knowledge for Workplace Mental Health
May 1, 2024 10:30am – 12:00pm ET

1. Making a Difference: Knowledge Activism on a Community Scale
Speaker: Sylvia Boyce, United Steelworkers Canadian National Office, Health, Safety & Environment Department Leader

2. Knowledge Activism Research and Implications for Workplace Mental Health
Speaker: Dr. Alan Hall, Honorary Research Professor, Memorial University

3. Research into Practice: Applied Knowledge Activism and Tool Development
Speaker: John Oudyk, MSc, CIH, ROH, Occupational Hygienist, OHCOW

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May is Speech and Hearing Month
2024-05-01 08:00 - 17:00
Each year, Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) dedicates the month of May to raising public awareness about communication health. We work to highlight the importance of early detection and intervention of communication disorders and the role that our members and associates play in helping people communicate.
Go to Site

Day of Mourning
2024-04-28
For Those Who are No Longer With Us
Now an international observance as a day of mourning for workers killed, injured or made ill by their job, the declaration of April 28th as the Day of Mourning began here in Canada. In 1984, unions in Sudbury, Ontario, adopted the day as one to publicly acknowledge workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The Canadian Labour Congress held its first day of remembrance in 1986. The date of April 28th was chosen to reflect the anniversary of the day Ontario passed the Workers’ Compensation Act in 1914.
Day of Mourning

Noise Awareness Day
2024-04-24
Join individuals and organizations around the globe in celebrating the 29th Annual International Noise Awareness Day, April 24, 2024. Help raise awareness of the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health and quality of life, and inspire positive action in your workplace and community.
GO TO WEB PAGE

Spring into ACTion Health and Safety Forum
2024-04-19 08:30 - 13:00
Free Hybrid Event!
Pre-Registration is required for both: Virtual & In-Person
Carpenters Union Local 93, 8560 Campeau Drive, Kanata
Informative, Effective, Applicative

OHCOW and Guest Speakers
Light Refreshments Provided

See Itinerary and Register
All are welcome, including colleagues, committee members and anyone interested in Occupational Health and Safety!
Sponsored by: ODLC Health & Safety and Environment Committee,
OHCOW Local Outreach Committee (LOC)
For more information, please contact:
jennifer@ottawalabour.org or cbaker@ohcow.on.ca

World Parkinson's Day
2024-04-11
People living with Parkinson’s can learn to live well, often for many years after a diagnosis. For every challenge that comes while living with Parkinson’s, people can often find new perspective, patience and opportunities they didn’t know were possible. But to truly live well with Parkinson’s, it’s important to:

Get support with managing symptoms through medication, speech and physical therapy
Develop coping strategies and mental health support by accessing counseling and support groups
Incorporate exercise and wellness supports to stay active and connected to others

GO TO WEB PAGE

World Health Day
2024-04-07
Around the world, the right to health of millions is increasingly coming under threat. Diseases and disasters loom large as causes of death and disability.
Conflicts are devastating lives, causing death, pain, hunger and psychological distress. The burning of fossil fuels is simultaneously driving the climate crisis and taking away our right to breathe clean air, with indoor and outdoor air pollution claiming a life every 5 seconds.
The WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All has found that at least 140 countries recognize health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021.
To address these types of challenges, the theme for World Health Day 2024 is ‘My health, my right’.
Go to Website

Parkinson's Awareness Month
2024-04-02 08:00 - 17:00
Living well with Parkinson’s is possible – Parkinson Canada marks Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April

Asbestos Awareness Week
2024-04-01 08:00 - 2024-04-07 17:00
Asbestos Awareness Week was established by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization to provide information and promote measures to prevent deadly diseases related to exposure. See resources from OHCOW about the hazard of Asbestos.
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Pebra/Ventra Plastics In-Person Info Session (also at 3:45pm)
2024-03-26 09:00 - 11:00
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Time:
9:00am (also at 3:45pm)
Agenda:

OHCOW Team and Partners Introductions
Medical and Exposure Updates
Reproductive Questionnaire
WSIB Claim Process
Q&A

Location:
Peterborough Lions Banquet Hall and Meeting Centre
347 Burnham St. Peterborough, ON K9H 1T5
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jessica Montgomery at 1-613-218-7345 or peterborough@ohcow.on.ca

OEH Seminar: Understanding and Managing Heat Stress in the Workplace
2024-03-22 12:00 - 13:00
Speaker: Andre Gauvin, OHCOW
A discussion of the dangers of heat stress in the workplace and how to prevent it.
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Occ-COVID Year 5: Managing Mask Madness - Benefits, Challenges & Solutions
2024-03-15 13:30 - 15:00
A key tool in the fight against aerosol hazards, but much maligned and misunderstood. Review latest research, controversy & new CSA standard
Covid has waned again after a seasonal surge, yet other respiratory diseases are hanging on, and the next variant climb might be just around the corner. The pandemic certainly is not over, and continues to impact workplaces large and small. Masks and respirators have been key tools in worker protection and infection control for decades, yet they have become objects of ridicule and extensive mis-information.
They remain important for personal protection and source control, and we need to understand their efficacy and use parameters to maximize their effectiveness in our illness prevention toolkit.
Join new guest, Dr. Mark Ungrin (an interdisciplinary biomedical researcher and associate professor at the University of Calgary) as he frames his Scientific American opinion piece: Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn’t, the latest research supporting respirator value in illness prevention and the challenges we face in implementing them as an effective control amidst the noise and fatigue.
Then welcome back popular past speaker, respirator scientist Dr. Simon Smith, as he introduces the draft of CSA Standard Z94.4 Selection, use and care of respirators (New Edition) that is currently posted for public comment. It has been updated to incorporate insights from the Covid experience, and is open for feedback until Monday, March 18th. Learn about the fundamentals of the standard, the key proposed changes, its application to workplaces and then provide input if you so desire.

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World Kidney Day
2024-03-14
A global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys. Let’s keep our kidneys healthy!

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Brain Awareness Week
2024-03-11 08:00 - 2024-03-17 17:00
Brain Awareness Week is the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Every March, participants host imaginative activities in their communities that share the wonders of the brain, and the impact brain science has on our everyday lives.
Event organizers include colleges and universities, hospitals, medical research facilities, K-12 schools, advocacy groups, outreach organizations, professional associations, government agencies, corporations, and more.
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