OHCOW

Mayday Mayday Webinar Series (Week 3)
2024-05-15 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Toronto)
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.
GO TO PAGE

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.
LEARN MORE

International Women's Day
2024-03-08
Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity.
IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid.

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World Hearing Day
2024-03-03
World Hearing Day is an annual global advocacy event for raising awareness regarding hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care, and calling for action to address hearing loss and related issues. Each year, this event is celebrated on 3 March, covering a specific theme on which the World Health Organization and its partners carry out activities based on this theme.

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RSI Day Webinar Series - Week 4
2024-02-29 10:00 - 12:30
WEEK 4
Thursday February 29
10:00 am – 12:30 pm EST
Knowledge@OHCOW: Products & Tools for Workers & Workplaces

Office Ergonomics Learning Modules
Office ergonomics is more important now than it has ever been before in our efforts to decrease and/or eliminate musculoskeletal disorders. Many workplaces do not have the financial resources (or time) to correctly train their workers in ergonomics, and specifically to identify and correct office set-up and use challenges. Building on the popular Office Ergonomics Ergo Reference Guide, the Office Ergonomics e-Learning Course breaks down the key ergonomic principles of workstation components into modules that allow users to progress at their own pace, while learning how to recognize, assess, and control the ergonomic hazards related to computer work wherever it is done.
SPEAKERS:
Melissa Statham, Ergonomist – OHCOW Windsor
Dwayne Fuchs, Ergonomist – OHCOW Thunder Bay

Part 2: Revised and Updated Office Ergo Calculator, Anthropometric Calculator, Keyboard Short Cut Tutorial, and Cold Stress Calculator
While these tools were presented during previous RSI Day Webinars they have undergone significant revisions from their initial excel based format to both web and APP based programs This session aims to demonstrate the features and updates of these tools including the ability to import anthropometric data into the Office Ergonomics Calculator.
SPEAKER:
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist – OHCOW Sudbury

Part 3: Introducing JobAssess, a New Job Demands Analysis Tool
Building on the Job Demands Analysis (JDA) Excel Tool introduced last year, OHCOW has now developed a web (and soon App) version that will allow workplaces to capture a comprehensive list of the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental components of jobs within their organization. The tool can be accessed by phone, tablet, or computer to assess a job in real time, and thus streamline the process of capturing associated demands. Users can download the results for their own use, or create a database account to save, build from and compare numerous assessments – a valuable prevention tool for workplaces of any size.
SPEAKERS:
Daryl Stephenson, Ergonomist – OHCOW Hamilton
Andrew Flanagan, Ergonomist – OHCOW Sarnia
David Mijatovic, Ergonomist – OHCOW Toronto

REGISTER FOR FEB 29 SESSION

Worker Particulate Exposure & Heart Disease: Case Study on McIntyre Powder
2024-02-26 12:00
Reviewing clinical experience & current research on critical CVD particulate hazards, and related opportunities for prevention.
In Canada, heart disease is the second leading cause of death, with 1 in 12 Canadians over the age of 20 living with a diagnosis. Smoking, unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity are well-known risk factors. However, occupational and environmental exposures are also becoming increasingly recognized as important. Join Dr. Andrew Zarnke PhD, and Dr. Sandra Dorman PhD, as they explain the health effects of the inhalation of fine particles in the workplace, and the associated contribution to heart disease using McIntyre Powder as a case example.
Host: Dave Wilken, OHCOW, Chief Operating Officer
Speakers:
Dr. Andrew Zarnke PhD, OHCOW, Project Director
Dr. Sandra Dorman PhD, Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH), Director
Register today to learn and discuss the implications!
The webinar will be recorded and streamed on FaceBook.
Visit OHCOW’s website for more Illness Prevention information and resources, including the McIntyre Powder Project.
Register Today!

RSI Day Webinar Series - Week 3
2024-02-22 10:00 - 12:30
WEEK 3
Thursday February 22
10:00 am – 12:30 pm EST
Cost/Benefit: Understanding Financial & Psychosocial Harm
Part 1: Ergonomics Intervention Cost-Benefit Calculator
This presentation will review the business case for ergonomics, and demonstrate a simple method for cost-justifying ergonomics projects. Links to several freely available cost-benefit models will be shared.
SPEAKER:
Rick Goggins, Ergonomist
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Part 2: Ontario’s Cost Calculator and Related Resources
Building on the previous presentation, this session focusses on the development and use of Ontario’s Cost Calculator along with an introduction to other helpful resources by the Centre for Research Excellence on Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).
SPEAKER:
Jacklyn Kurt – CRE MSD
University of Waterloo
Part 3: Measuring Workplace Stress Among RSI Day Participants – 6 years later
In 2018, RSI Day participants were introduced to StressAssess, a tool for measuring psychosocial conditions in a workplace, completing and reviewing the results of the survey live during the session. We thought it would be interesting to repeat the survey 6 years later to see if anything has changed. Please fill out the survey here and attend for a real-time update, and in the process we’ll refresh your memory regarding the usefulness of StressAssess as a workplace mental health and injury prevention tool in workplaces large and small.
SPEAKER:
John Oudyk, Occupational Hygienist
OHCOW Hamilton
REGISTER FOR FEB 22 SESSION

RSI Day Webinar Series Week 2
2024-02-15 10:00 - 12:30
WEEK 2
Thursday February 15
10:00 am – 12:30 pm EST
Clinical Lessons on Key Musculoskeletal Disorders
Part 1: Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain affecting approximately 2 million people a year. This session examines the anatomy, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and prevention of this disorder at work.
SPEAKERS:
Pravesh Jugnundan, Physician – OHCOW Toronto
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist – OHCOW – Sudbury
Part 2: Improved and Systematic Physical Demand Analysis in the Workplace
Worker safety and productivity are crucial elements in the workplace. The application of ergonomics and the identification of connections between workers and assigned tasks have contributed to a reduction in worker injuries and discomfort, yielding positive effects on productivity, and lowering costs. It is not uncommon to observe workers in the workplace exposed to awkward body postures, repetitive motions and forceful exertion that lead to musculoskeletal disorders, resulting in operational delays.
Physical Demand Analysis (PDA) is a widely recommended tool for documenting the physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of essential and non-essential tasks. However, limitations exist in using the content generated in current PDA practices for risk identification and assessment, with limited functionality in providing modified work to proactively mitigate risk.
Three aspects of PDA implementations are discussed — risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation —aiming at the development of modified work within the return-to-work program. Ultimately, this research can contribute to the design of job tasks and work environments with the overarching goal of promoting health, safety, and productivity in the workplace.
SPEAKER:
Xinming Li (Sherry Li) – Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta
Part 3: Epicondylitis
Epicondylitis is a musculoskeletal disorder affecting the elbow with an overall prevalence in the general population reported to be between 4% and 7%. This disorder is more commonly referred to as golfer’s elbow (medial aspect of elbow) or tennis elbow (lateral aspect of elbow). This session examines the anatomy, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and prevention of this disorder at work.
SPEAKERS:
Daryl Stephenson, Ergonomist – OHCOW – Hamilton
Michael Pysklywec, Physician, OHCOW – Hamilton
REGISTER FOR FEB 15 SESSION

International Conference on Mental Health in the Workplace
2024-02-14 08:00 - 2024-02-16 17:00 | Metro Hall, 55 John St, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 0C4, Canada
Mental Health in the workplace is key to every organization’s overall productivity and the wellbeing of its employees.
delegates from different countries will learn from their Canadian counterparts on how to deal with Mental Health challenges at the workplace.
We will be hosting Human Resource Managers and organisation directors, CEOs and company executives from different fields of expertise. Delegates will attend workshops hosted by Canadian experts on Mental Health after which they will attend networking sessions and a closing dinner. The Canadian Mental Health Policy Framework has been built over 100 years. This will be an opportunity for delegates to compare notes and shorten the learning curve.
Upon their return home, delegates will aid all activities that will make this conference’s objectives a reality by improving the Mental Health conditions at their respective workplaces.

RSI Day Webinar Series
2024-02-08 10:00 - 13:00
OHCOW is pleased to announce the return of our free annual international event focussed on Repetitive Strain Injuries and their prevention. Now in its 25th year, OHCOW’s RSI Day program continues to translate the knowledge and experience of our professional staff and guest speakers to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Due its ever-expanding audience, this year’s event will again be held virtually, as a 4 week webinar series over the month of February.
GO TO OHCOW RSI DAY PAGE
WEEK 1
Thursday, February 8
10:00 am – 12:30 pm EST
Focus on Workers: 25 year History & Opioid Harm Reduction

Part 1: The History of RSI Day
Learn about the origin, implementation and importance of RSI Day over its 25 year history.
SPEAKER:
Catherine Fenech – RSI Day Founder

Part 2: Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Opioid Misuse
Construction work is demanding, and physical injury and disability is prevalent among workers. Painful musculoskeletal health conditions, compounded by a lack of access to adequate sick leave (to aid recovery), and a culture of prioritizing productivity over health concerns, have contributed to the problem. This presentation delves into the root causes of chronic pain, including the impact of RSIs, in relation to the overall mental and physical well-being of construction workers. The construction sector has one of the highest rates of prescription opioid use in Ontario’s economy, which is detrimental to workers and to the industry. Managing chronic musculoskeletal pain safely is key to improving health outcomes for workers.
SPEAKER:
Carmine Tiano, Director of Occupational Services
Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario

Part 3: Opioid-related harms among Ontario workers
The opioid crisis continues to grow in Canada, however current health surveillance systems that monitor opioid-related harms have limited or no employment information. The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS), designed to detect work-related disease in a large cohort of formerly injured Ontario workers, was recently expanded to identify opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. In this presentation, Dr. Jeavana Sritharan and Dr. Nancy Carnide will share findings from analyses of these data, including the occupational groups found to be at highest risk for opioid-related harms. They will also share the newly launched Opioids and Work Data Tool, which is an interactive data visualization tool used for exploring cases and rates of opioid-related harms among Ontario workers.
SPEAKERS:
Jeavana Sritharan, Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC)
Nancy Carnide, Institute for Work and Health (IWH)
REGISTER FOR FEB 8 SESSION

World Cancer Day
2024-02-04
World Cancer Day is a day which unites people around the world to raise awareness of cancer and to support those living with cancer.
Governments around the world are called on to promote health equity, enhance cancer service accessibility, reduce disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, to finally close the care gap.

See OHCOW’s page about Work Related Cancer:
Work-Related Cancer

Go to the World Cancer Day Page:
https://www.worldcancerday.org/

Heart Month
2024-02-01 08:00 - 17:00
February is Heart Month.
Stay tuned for Webinars and other resources about the topic of preventing heart disease and recognizing hazards for heart disease in the workplace.
For more information, go to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation web page.
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/
