Work Environment
Your work environment includes factors such as:
Noise
Lighting
Temperature
Indoor Air Quality
A safe and healthy work environment is good for your workers as well as your business as it improves job satisfaction, productivity and reduces costs related to absenteeism, turnover, workers’ compensation, and medical claims.
Learn more about the importance, benefits and how to improve your work environment using the following topic-specific resources:
NOISE
We all experience sound and noise in our daily life, normally at a safe level that does not damage our hearing.
However, sound can be extremely harmful when at too high a frequency and when experienced over a long period.
Learn more about the types of noise, noise limits and the effects of prolonged exposure to high levels of noise with our wide range of resources:
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) Audiogram Calculator
Updated August 2021
Designed to assess values based on the worker’s audiogram to clarify if their NIHL meets the minimum requirement for establishing a NIHL claim with the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
Noise – Its Effects and Methods to Reduce Exposure
A presentation
Presented by James Miuccio, MSc, CIH
Occupational Hygienist
Doing Something About
Workplace Noise
An infographic presenting the types and effects of noise, control measures and goals, as well as the benefits of noise control.
Learn more about NIHL on our Noise-induced Hearing Loss page.
LIGHTING
Proper lighting in your work space is essential to both your health and safety.
Insufficient or improper lighting can cause eye strain leading to headaches, even migraines.
It can also cause accidents due to poor visibility.
Use the following resources to learn more about the importance of workplace lighting:
Office Ergonomics – Lighting
A section of our Office Ergonomics Reference Guide is devoted to the topic of lighting including the various types of lighting, dealing with glare, work surfaces, etc.
Office Ergonomics – An application standard for workplace ergonomics*
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z412-17
The objective of this Standard is to apply ergonomics to enhance user health, safety, and well-being and to optimize system performance in order to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses or to reduce the severity of harm related to occupational activities in offices.
Hazards / Ergonomics / Lighting – A Resource Listing*
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
A listing of resources including Factsheets, e-Courses, Posters and Podcasts, all related to workplace lighting.
The American National Standard Practice for Office Lighting*
Illuminations Engineers Society, 1997
(ANSI/IESNA RP-1-1993) ANSI/IES-RP-7-1997
Health and Safety Guidelines: Computer Ergonomics:Workstation Layout and Lighting*
Ontario Ministry of Labour, 2004
* Third party resources
TEMPERATURE
Heat / Cold
Workers are often employed in environments, both inside and outside, which may involve exposure to both cold and hot temperatures.
Understanding the health risks involved with working in extreme temperatures can help employers protect their workers.
From heat stress and sun stroke to hypothermia and snow shovelling, we cover a wide range of health effects with valuable resources:
Are You Ready for Winter?
Working in the Cold
Ergonomics and Snow Removal
A presentation that provides information on working in the cold including thermoregulation, acute and chronic health effects, hypothermia and prevention controls. It also provides ergonomic information related to snow shoveling including preparing yourself for the task, picking the right shovel, snow weight and use of a snowblower.
NEW!
Cold Stress Calculator
An Excel-based tool created as a simple means for determining what precautions should be taken to protect workers from cold stress-related adverse health outcomes.
Heat Stress Awareness Guide
An in-depth guide to help employers and worker learn how to prevent heat stress by summarizing the causes, symptoms, and treatment of heat-related illness.
Humidex-based Heat Response Plan
A simplified way of protecting workers from heat stress which is based on the 2009 ACGIH Heat Stress TLV® (Threshold Limit Value®) which uses wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) to estimate heat strain. These WBGT’s were translated into Humidex.
Learn more about Working in Heat / Cold Extremes
INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ)
“Sick Building Syndrome”
Indoor Air Quality is an important component of your work environment.
Poor indoor air quality can lead to headaches, fatigue, eye, nose, throat and skin irritations as well as the spread of colds and the flu.
It can also be responsible for Building-Related Illnesses (BRI) such as Legionnaires’s Disease, Pontiac Fever, Aspergillosis, SARS, Tuberculosis, Rubeolla.
Use the following resources to learn more about the causes, effects, and prevention of Sick Building Syndrome by improving indoor air quality using the following resources:
Doing Something About Indoor Air Quality
A presentation by John Oudyk, MSc, CIH, ROH, OHCOW Occupational Hygienist, covers thermal comfort, ventilation, contaminants, investigation techniques, personal health factors, stress and prevention resources.
AirAssess
A free app that reviews answers to questions about your work environment, symptoms, workplace stress levels and allergies and provides ideas to help you and your workplace take action on these air quality issues.
From Our Partners
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
POSTERS/INFOGRAPHICS
Working in the Heat
Heat-Related Illness: Watch for Signs
Keep Your Cool
PUBLICATIONS
Working in Hot Environments: Health and Safety Guide
FACTSHEETS
Humidex Rating and Work
Cold Environments – General
Cold Environments – Health Effects and First Aid
Cold Environments – Working in the Cold
Hot Environments – Control Measures
Hot Environments – Health Effects and First Aid
Humidex Rating and Work
Temperature Conditions – Cold
Temperature Conditions – Hot
Temperature Conditions – Legislation
Government of Ontario
WEB PAGES
Working Outdoors
Managing Heat Stress at Work
Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO)
TOOLKIT
Heat Stress Awareness Guide
Heat Stress Awareness Poster
Heat Stress Awareness Wheel Tool
