New tool to help B.C. employers promote workplace wellness •Manitoba tool helps businesses measure cost of creating OHS program WorkSafeNB investigates workplace fatality • N.L.’s WCB conducting employer and injured worker surveys
British Columbia
New tool to help B.C. employers promote workplace wellness
Employers in British Columbia now have access to new tools to help them promote wellness in the workplace. The Canadian Cancer Society and the provincial government have developed tools and resources designed to address the different needs of small, medium and large businesses that include free assessment services and advice. Based on an organization’s needs, WellnessFits (wellnessfits.ca) offers online, email, telephone support and on-site consultations. The WellnessFits website offers comprehensive information on healthy eating, physical activity, healthy minds and being tobacco-free in the workplace to help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Almost 36 per cent of adults suffer from one or more chronic conditions and two in five Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime. Workplace wellness programs reduce sick leave by 28 per cent, employer health-care costs by 26 per cent and compensation and disability costs by 30 per cent, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Manitoba
Manitoba tool helps businesses measure cost of creating OHS program
A new tool developed by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) allows businesses in Manitoba to measure the costs and benefits of starting a workplace safety program. The planner guides business owners through the planning process and helps navigate the research and analysis employers require to develop a business case for health and safety programming, according to SAFE Manitoba. The tool includes instructional videos and a step-by-step approach that allows employers to store and update company information and create summary sheets to use when planning and making decisions on health and safety programs, the organization said. The tool allows employers to retrieve past incidents from their database and measure the costs of an event using the incident cost calculator. The program also includes a glossary of terms and examples of economic evaluations. The planner can be downloaded at: http://safemanitoba.com/new_safe_
leadership_tool_online.aspx
New Brunswick
WorkSafeNB investigates workplace fatality
WorkSafeNB is investigating a workplace accident that claimed the life of 36-year-old Luc St-Onge on April 4. St-Onge, a supervisor with Enseignes Pattison Sign Group in Edmundston, N.B., was cleaning on a flatbed trailer when a crate fell on top of him, injuring his head and neck. He was rushed to Edmundston Regional Hospital before being transferred to Moncton, where he died the following day, according to WorkSafeNB. Health and safety officers are investigating to determine how the accident could have been prevented and if there were any violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, WorkSafeNB said.
Newfoundland and Labrador
N.L.’s WCB conducting employer and injured worker surveys
The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of Newfoundland and Labrador will be conducting injured worker and employer surveys. The outcome of the surveys will be made public, and will help develop action plans and enhancements to client services, said the WHSCC. The surveys are a representative sample of injured workers and employers. Corporate Research Associates is the independent research company hired by the WHSCC to conduct the surveys. This year the WHSCC is conducting a general survey and a survey on early and safe return to work. Individual comments and answers will be confidential and will not be provided to the WHSCC. The commission will only be provided with a final report on overall survey results. Participation in the survey is not mandatory. For more information call (709) 778-1213.
