'You can't see particles that go into your lungs and create a whole bunch of damage'
Ensuring the safety of workers on the job is not simply about putting machine guards in place or installing fall protection systems, says one safety expert.
While incidents such as falls and equipment malfunctions often dominate workplace safety discussions, health-related risks are dangerously overlooked, says Cindy Schiewek, director of Health & Safety Services and Strategy at Workplace Safety North (WSN), in an interview with Canadian HR Reporter.
WSN is a not-for-profit health and safety association funded by the Ontario government,
Schiewek is calling on employers—particularly those in natural resource sectors—to enhance their hygiene monitoring practices, as many harmful workplace exposures continue to go undetected.
“A lot of people forget about the health in health and safety,” she says. “We're talking about health hazards, and those are things that you're exposed to that can impact things like your respiratory system, like your auditory system—all these different things that may not be as headline-catching as a traumatic injury.”
According to Statistics Canada (StatCan), in 2022, chronic lower respiratory diseases—such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma—accounted for 12,462 deaths, ranking as the sixth leading cause of death nationwide.
Also, Health Canada has estimated that air pollution contributes to roughly 14,600 premature deaths annually in Canada. These estimates are based on exposure to ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone.
Industrial hygiene monitoring
Schiewek describes industrial hygiene monitoring as a vital process that helps assess workers’ exposure to harmful particles and environmental conditions using specialized instruments.
In the industries serviced by WSN—including mining and forestry—noise exposure is a near-universal hazard. However, other threats are also prevalent, says Schiewek.
“You can't see particles that go into your lungs and start to sliver into your lungs and create a whole bunch of damage inside your respiratory system. You can't see noise.” she says.
“When we talk about the importance of being able to monitor, that's about being able to actually understand the degree of exposure so that you have a much better idea of what actual protective measures you need to put into place.”
Schiewek stresses the need for measurement and analysis, noting that most of these particles are invisible, making hazards difficult to detect without proper tools.
The air people breathe has a lot of effects on their body. So, it only makes sense that people should be inhaling air of good quality, Patrick O’Neil, president of tech company mCloud Technologies, previously told Canadian HR Reporter.
Budget constraints and lack of internal capability
While certified industrial hygienists exist to conduct high-level monitoring, Schiewek says many hygiene risks could be mitigated through basic training and low-cost tools in-house—eliminating the need to hire expensive external consultants.
“There’s definitely a big gap in people being able to do this themselves,” she says. “A lot of times, occupational hygiene hazards won’t get touched because employers think, ‘It’s too expensive... I can’t pay that amount to have someone come in and test.'"
The expense of doing what employers have to do after the inspection is also an issue for employers, she says.
Recently, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in Ontario partnered with WSN and the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) to lead a proactive campaign aimed at enhancing hygiene monitoring practices and reducing exposure to harmful workplace hazards.
WSN has developed a suite of specialized training materials and will work directly with employers and workers through hands-on coaching and real-time use of hygiene monitoring equipment. The initiative aims to build capacity in workplaces, enabling front-line teams to actively identify and mitigate exposure risks.
“This collaboration is about empowering Ontario workplaces to take proactive control of the invisible health hazards workers face every day,” says Mike Parent, president and CEO of WSN. “We’re proud to lead this important work alongside our health and safety partners.”
Workers want both a clean and disinfected workplace, according to a previous report.
Best practices for HR leaders, employers
For HR professionals and safety managers, the path forward includes practical, implementable best practices, says Schiewek. Equip staff with the right tools and knowledge, build monitoring into everyday routines, and never overlook what can’t be seen, she says.
“To keep people physically safe, you want to make sure that those who are looking after individuals in a supervisory role understand safety hazards, but also have health hazards right. And levels of awareness need to be raised.”
It’s also important, she says, for employers to challenge people “to not just think of the things you can see, but to think of the things that you can't see.”
That means “holistically assessing your workplace environment for the risks that can physically hurt people and can hurt their health as well,” she says.
