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OHCOW OHCOW
  • Occupational Illness
    • COVID-19
    • Silica Control Tool
    • Illnesses
    • Prevention
    • Exposures
    • Occupational Disease Cluster Investigations (ODCI)
      • McIntyre Powder Project
      • General Electric Peterborough
      • Dryden Weyerhaeuser Recovery Boiler #4
      • Neelon Casting
      • Rubber Workers Project
      • Ventra / Pebra Plastics
  • Ergonomics/Injury Prevention
    • Musculoskeletal Disorders
    • Prevention
  • Workplace Mental Health
  • Worker Perspective
    • Temporary Foreign Agricultural Worker (TFAW) Program
    • Workers’ Rights and Responsibilities
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events Calendar
    • OHCOW Events
      • Occ|tober Webinar Series
      • Global Ergonomics Month
      • Occ-COVID Conversations
      • Spring Into Action
      • Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Day
      • Mayday, Mayday!
  • Apps, Tools and Calculators
  • VIEW ALL RESOURCES
    • Webinars (Recorded)
    • Info Sheets
    • e-Learning
    • Posters / Infographics
    • Podcasts
    • Guides / Handbooks
    • Papers / Reports
    • Videos

Contact Us

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Contact Us

Answers and Information

 

OHCOW can provide information to workers in Ontario who have questions about occupational health and hygiene and/or concerns about their workplaces. 

Toll-free phone: 1-877-817-0336

In-person visits are by appointment only.

Contact information for OHCOW clinics, including phone numbers and emails, is available using the Clinics information listing below.

Contact our general email using the form:

Online E-mail Form

Clinic Locations Across Ontario

 

Ontario is divided into regions with their own OHCOW clinics.

For addresses, emails and more details about each clinic, use the links below.

Toronto

Hamilton

Ottawa

Sarnia

Sudbury

Thunder Bay

Windsor

Toronto Office/Clinic

1090 Don Mills Road, Suite 606  SEE MAP
Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3R6

EMAIL: toronto@ohcow.on.ca

Tel: 416-510-8713
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336

Fax: 416-449-7772

Toronto Clinic Catchment Area

Toronto; East from Hwy 10 and 124 to Hastings County;  North to Gravenhurst and east along Hwy 118 to the Hasting County western Border.

Major Communities Served:  Markham, Barrie,  Brampton (east of Hwy10), Lindsay,  Midland , Mississauga (east of Hwy 10), Orillia , Oshawa, , Penetanguishene, Peterborough,  Toronto and Wasaga Beach. Shared servicing Areas with Hamilton include: Collingwood, Creemore, Orangeville, Brampton and Mississauga.

Provincial Office

Chief Executive Officer
Michael Roche

Chief Operating Officer
David Wilken

Accounting Manager
Sha Bai

Information Technology Coordinator
Anthony Lee

Provincial Office Coordinator
Jennifer Hayde

Communications Coordinator
Lisa Wilder

Team Members (Clinic)

Client Service Coordinators
Maria Vieira, Koleen Tanguilig

Ergonomist
David Mijatovic, MHSc, CCPE, CPE

Occupational Hygienists
Sonia Lal, MSc, CIH, CRSP, Shirly Yan, BSc, BSS, MPH

Occupational Health Nurse
Cheryl Rook, RN, COHN(C), COHN-S, CRSP, DOHS, Georgia Pollard

Occupational Health Physicians
Dr. Pravesh Jugnundan, MD, FCBOM, FACOEM, CCFP, CIME, MRO, DOH, Dr. Michel Schofield, MD, MSc, Dr. Donald C. Cole, MD, DOHS, MSc, FRCP(C)

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Catherine Petch
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
Toronto LOC Chair

Inderdeep Sidhu
Workers United Canada

Monia Kosciejew
Prevention Link

Andrew Falotico
ATU

Joe Bishop
Teamsters

 Manjit Parmar
CUPE

Eddy Grisolia
retired OWA / community member

Loreen Gale
ETFO

 Lisa Barker
CUPE

 John Lawrence
CUPW

Diana Periera
PSAC/CEIU

Pamela Boniferro 
Dufferin Peel Education Resource Worker’s Association

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities available on the About us page.

Hamilton Clinic

21 Hunter Street East, Suite 200.  SEE MAP
Hamilton, ON L8N 1M2

Tel: -905-549-2552
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 905-549-7993

EMAIL: hamilton@ohcow.on.ca

Hamilton Clinic Catchment Area

Niagara Peninsula: West including London/St. Thomas (Hwy 4 is the dividing line with the Windsor clinic), North and east along Hwy 4,7 and 119 then through Moorefield, Teviotdale and Mt. Forest up Hwy 6 to Owen Sound then east to Collingwood; South and East along Hwy 124 and 10 to Oakville, Mississauga. Hwy 10 is the dividing line between the Hamilton and Toronto clinics.

Major communities include: Guelph, Kitchener/Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, Brantford, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Port Colborne, and Burlington.

Shared servicing areas with the Windsor/Sarnia Clinics include: Port Stanley, St. Thomas, London, Stratford, Mount Forest, and Owen Sound .

Shared servicing areas with the Toronto clinic include: Collingwood, Creemore, Orangeville, Brampton and Mississauga.

Team Members

Executive Director 
Valerie Wolfe, BSc (Eng), DOHS, CRM

Client Service Coordinators 
Janet Latimer
Marilyn Lee-Hannah, BA

Physicians
Dr. Mike Pysklywec

Ergonomist
Dr. Daryl Stephenson

Occupational Hygienists
John Oudyk CIH, ROH,
Murray Lawrence
Masood Ahmed

Occupational Health Nurse
Michelle Tew, RN, BScN, DOHS, COHN(C)

Community Outreach and Program Coordinator
Eduardo Huesca

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Leigh Kittson, Hamilton LOC Chair, Teamsters Rail

Vivienne McDougall, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Courtney Salomons, Workers’ Compensation Representative for UFCW Locals 175 & 633

Bruce Allen, Community, Niagara District Labour Council

Roxanne Bond, ATU, Brantford District Labour Council

Rob Butler, Community

Phil Hames, PWU

Ron Wells, USW

Jody Jones, OFL

Peter Page, Hamilton District Injured Workers Group

Gillian Surette-Robinson, UWHH

Kevin Waycik, Hamilton Firefighters

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities.

Ottawa Clinic

1545 Carling Ave., Suite 110.   SEE MAP
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9

Tel: 613-725-6999
Toll free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 613-725-1719

EMAIL: ottawa@ohcow.on.ca

Ottawa Clinic Catchment Area

Major communities include: Ottawa, Kingston, Cornwall, Belleville, Hawkesbury, Alexandria, Chalk River, Petawawa, Rockland, Smith Falls, Embrun, Morrisburg, Winchester and more.

Team Members

Executive Director
Kimberly O'Connell, M.Sc.(A), CIH, ROH, CRSP

Client Service Coordinator
Jennifer McMillan
Cheryl Baker

Hygienists
Kevin Hedges, PhD., MAppSc, BSc, DipEd, COH, CIH
Todd Irick, M.Sc., CIH

Occupational Health Nurse
Tracey Feener-Snow, RN COHN(C)

Occupational Health Physician
Dr. Robert Bourgault, Dr. Mike Wills, Dr. Elisabeth Hobden

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Laura Lozanski, Ottawa LOC Chair, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 225

Cheryl Baker, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

David Chezzi, OHCOW President and Chair of the Board

Ana Bettencourt-Dasilva, CUPE 503 H&S coord

Lee-Anne Feltham, Ottawa LOC Vice-Chair, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)

Christopher Gervais, WHSC

Paul LaHaise, Algonquin College

Louise Lanctot, Cornwall District Labour Council

Sean McKenny, Ottawa District Labour Council

Olivier Melanson, CUPE

Kim Monette, Ottawa LOC Recording Secretary, Workers Health & Safety Centre

Kimberly O’Connell, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

Nancy Ripley, Leeds and Grenville Labour Council (Brockville)

Debbie Scrivens, Community Representative

Erin Smith, Labour WSIB Representative – Local 503

Ben Treidlinger, Renfrew Labour Council

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities.

Sarnia Clinic

171 Kendall Street   SEE MAP
Point Edward, ON
N7V 4G6   

Tel: 519-337-4627
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 519-337-9442

EMAIL: sarnia@ohcow.on.ca

Sarnia Clinic Catchment Area

Southwestern Ontario, West of London/St. Thomas, from Lake Erie to Lake Huron including the Bruce Peninsula.

Major communities include: Windsor, Leamington, Blenheim, Chatham , Rodney, Sarnia , Wallaceburg, Strathroy, Goderich, Walkerton, Listowel, Kincardine , Hanover , Port Elgin, Wiarton, Stokes Bay , and Lion’s Head. Shared servicing areas with the Hamilton Clinic include; Port Stanley, St. Thomas , London , Stratford , Mount Forest and Owen Sound.

Team Members

Executive Director
Mark Parent

Occupational Health Nurse
Kelly Brown

Ergonomist
Andrew Flanagan

Occupational Hygienist
Krista Thompson

Occupational Health Physicians
Dr. Warren Teel, MD
Dr. Cynthia Arnold, MD, CCFP(EM), FCF

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Sandra Kinart, VOCV (Victims of Chemical Valley)

Michele LaLonge-Davey, VP CUPE 1238

Kim Marshall, WHSC

Ted Hext, UNIFOR

Kristina Lee, Community Member

Chad Hogan, LIUNA

Blair Allin, Boilermakers Local 128

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities.

Sudbury Clinic

432 Westmount Ave, Unit AB      SEE MAP
Sudbury, ON P3A 5Z8   

Tel: 705-523-2330
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 705-523-2606

EMAIL: sudbury@ohcow.on.ca

Sudbury Clinic Catchment Area

North Eastern/Western Ontario, Sudbury

Major Communities Served: Barry’s Bay, Bracebridge, Cardiff, Chalk River, Deep River, Elliot Lake, Gravenhurst, Haliburton, Hearst, Huntsville, Kapuskasing, Killaloe, Madawaska, Manitoulin Island, North Bay, Parry Sound, Petawawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, and Wawa.

Team Members

Executive Director
Kimberly O'Connell M.Sc., CIH, ROH, CRSP

Client Service Coordinators
Sheila Patterson
Brittney Ramakko

Ergonomists
Trevor Schell, MSc, BSc, CCPE
André Gauvin HBSc, CK

Occupational Health Nurse
James Barrett, B.Sc.N.

Occupational Health Physicians
Dr. Abe Reinhartz, Medical Consultant

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Andréane Chénier, Sudbury LOC Chair, CUPE

Michel Seguin, Secretary, Conseil Scolaire Catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO)

Courtney Lesse, CROSH- Center for Research in Occupational Safety and Health

Scott Florence, Sudbury Workers Education & Advocacy Centre (SWEAC)

Jessie Metelka, Community member

Pat Striewe, Community Member

Sean Staddon, United Steelworker 6500 (USW)

Tina Rinta, USW 2020

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities.

Thunder Bay Clinic

2813 Arthur St. East, Suite 102     SEE MAP
Thunder Bay, ON  P7E 5P5     

Tel: 807-623-3566
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 807-622-5847

EMAIL: thunderbay@ohcow.on.ca

Catchment Area / Major Communities Served

Atikokan, Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Nipigon, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Terrace Bay, White River (north up Hwy.631 to Hwy.11 then to James Bay following the Nagagami, Kenogami and Albany Rivers to James Bay).

Team Members

Client Service Coordinator
Jennifer Hill

Ergonomist
Dwayne Fuchs, R.Kin.

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Diane Parker, Thunder Bay LOC Chair, ONA

Audrey Gilbeau, Nokiiwin Tribal Council

Chris Nicholas, Summit Pipeline Services

Eugene Lefrancois, Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group

Rod McGee, Ontario School Board Council of Unions

Vicki Kristman, Lakehead University

Janet Patterson

Jules Tupker, Thunder Bay Health Coalition

Catherine Hicken, OWA

Go to the LOC One-pagers on the OHCOW Team's Roles and Responsibilities.

Windsor

3129 Marentette Avenue, Unit 1    SEE MAP
Windsor, ON  N8X 4G1     

Tel: 519-973-4800
Toll Free: 1-877-817-0336
Fax: 519-973-1906

Email: windsor@ohcow.on.ca

Windsor Clinic Catchment Area

Southwestern Ontario, West of London/St. Thomas, from Lake Erie to Lake Huron including the Bruce Peninsula.

Major Communities Served: Windsor, Leamington, Blenheim, Chatham, Rodney, Sarnia , Wallaceburg, Strathroy, Goderich, Walkerton, Listowel, Kincardine , Hanover , Port Elgin, Wiarton, Stokes Bay, and Lion’s Head. Shared servicing areas with the Hamilton Clinic include; Port Stanley, St. Thomas , London , Stratford , Mount Forest and Owen Sound.

Team Members

Executive Director
Mark Parent

Client Service Coordinators
Kathy Mayville, CMS

Ergonomists
Melissa Statham, BHK MHK, CCPE

Occupational Health Nurse
Ivan Bauer, B.Sc.N.,R.N.

Occupational Hygienists
James Miuccio, BSc MSc CIH

Occupational Health Physicians
Dr. Joslyn Warwaruk MD, MFCP

Local Outreach Committee (LOC) Members

Scott Richardson, UNIFOR, Local 444
Ergonomic Coordinator

Norbert Wenzel, OFL WSIB Appeal Representative
PSAC/ODRT

Barb St. Pierre, ONA

Judy Lund, Management/Community

Doug Boughner, UNIFOR HS&E Coordinator, Chrysler LLC

Larry Girard, WOHIS

Cathy Baker-Wiebenga, UNIFOR Local 127
Financial Secretary, Treasurer

 

Tish Glenn, CUPW 630, President

Jon Binns, Grievance Coordinator

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VIEW PAST ISSUES

CASE 1: Spray Painting Hazards at a Window Fabrication Facility

Background

OHCOW was asked  by worker and management representatives to conduct a hazard assessment at a manufacturing facility. The concern was potential exposure to contaminants encountered by workers when spray painting windows. The issues were:

  • the type of PPE available to workers: respiratory, hand and skin protection
  • ventilation in the spray painting area
  • the composition of cleaning and painting products
  • work practices such as the number of workers allowed in the spray booth
  • elevated exposure risks during maintenance tasks such as changing the spray booth exhaust filters.

Intervention

An OHCOW Occupational Hygienist carried out extensive information gathering with location personnel through phone calls and email exchanges. This information included interviews, photos, videos, and  product Safety Data Sheets. A walk-through occupational survey of the facility and the spray painting area was conducted by the hygienist and worker-certified JHSC representatives, a regional EHS manager, two spray painters, and the spray-painting area supervisor. Observations and discussions during the tour formed the basis of recommendations for the paint-spray activities including ventilation and PPE considerations.

The workers’ respirators, gloves and whole-body suits were evaluated for appropriateness of selection, use, care, and maintenance.  Smoke tubes were used for qualitative measurement of airflow/ventilation effectiveness in the cleaning (with acetone prior to paint application), paint mixing and spraying area.  Information on maintenance procedures (e.g. spray booth air filter change-out) through discussions with workers, supervisors and the regional health and safety manager.

Well-known safety resources were used in the hazard assessment for the booths, including the text  ACGIH Industrial Ventilation – Manual of Recommended Practice for Design.

OHCOW Impact

OHCOW’s observations and applicable technical references demonstrated that, to minimize exposure, only one worker at a time should be in the walk-in spray booth. Enhanced PPE protection consisting of more efficient respirators, gloves and whole body suits was also advised. These recommendations were agreeable to all parties.

Message from the CEO

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CASE 1: Spray Painting Hazards at a Window Fabrication Facility

Background

OHCOW was asked  by worker and management representatives to conduct a hazard assessment at a manufacturing facility. The concern was potential exposure to contaminants encountered by workers when spray painting windows. The issues were:

  • the type of PPE available to workers: respiratory, hand and skin protection
  • ventilation in the spray painting area
  • the composition of cleaning and painting products
  • work practices such as the number of workers allowed in the spray booth
  • elevated exposure risks during maintenance tasks such as changing the spray booth exhaust filters.

Intervention

An OHCOW Occupational Hygienist carried out extensive information gathering with location personnel through phone calls and email exchanges. This information included interviews, photos, videos, and  product Safety Data Sheets. A walk-through occupational survey of the facility and the spray painting area was conducted by the hygienist and worker-certified JHSC representatives, a regional EHS manager, two spray painters, and the spray-painting area supervisor. Observations and discussions during the tour formed the basis of recommendations for the paint-spray activities including ventilation and PPE considerations.

The workers’ respirators, gloves and whole-body suits were evaluated for appropriateness of selection, use, care, and maintenance.  Smoke tubes were used for qualitative measurement of airflow/ventilation effectiveness in the cleaning (with acetone prior to paint application), paint mixing and spraying area.  Information on maintenance procedures (e.g. spray booth air filter change-out) through discussions with workers, supervisors and the regional health and safety manager.

Well-known safety resources were used in the hazard assessment for the booths, including the text  ACGIH Industrial Ventilation – Manual of Recommended Practice for Design.

OHCOW Impact

OHCOW’s observations and applicable technical references demonstrated that, to minimize exposure, only one worker at a time should be in the walk-in spray booth. Enhanced PPE protection consisting of more efficient respirators, gloves and whole body suits was also advised. These recommendations were agreeable to all parties.

After consultation with product suppliers, OHCOW provided updated information on the potential hazards of the substances used. The Safety Data Sheets at the facility were out of date and some were incomplete. OHCOW applied up-to-date scientific research to determine the nanomaterial content and carcignogenic classification of the materials.  Their findings were consistent with the use of the precautionary principle and the implementation of a high level of engineering (ventilation), administrative (proper use of the walk-in spray booth – only one user at a time) and PPE (HEPA/organic vapor respirators and full skin protection).

Recommendations were made to minimize exposure when workers changed the spray booth air filters, including better ventilation and PPE.  Detailed recommendations for air monitoring methods were provided based on the assessment.

Heat Stress Toolkit Overview

95% Confidence Interval (CI)

95% Confidence Interval (CI) is a range of values (upper and lower) that you can be 95% certain contains the true mean of the population.

Relative Risk (RR)

The relative risk is a comparison of the risk of getting lung cancer for those exposed to diesel exhaust compared to those who have never been exposed to diesel exhaust – for example, if the relative risk is 1.5, it means that for the cumulative diesel exhaust exposure entered into the calculator, the risk associated with that exposure is 1.5 times higher than the background risk of lung cancer for those who have not been occupationally exposed to diesel exhaust.