High five for safety sets Guinness World Record • Workplace safety top of mind for workers: Survey • Metal detectors being installed at N.S. courthouse • Youth video contest
High five for safety sets Guinness World Record
VANCOUVER — Josh Dueck, a Paralympic medallist who was injured in a workplace accident, broke the Guinness World Record for the most high fives by any individual in 24 hours. He slapped hands with 9,307 people, far surpassing — or, in his words, “crushing” — the previous record of 3,131 set in 2008. Dueck’s record was part of WorkSafeBC’s Raise Your Hand campaign — an annual initiative to increase young workers’ understanding of their safety rights and how to stay safe at work. Young workers in B.C. are more likely to sustain an injury than workers aged 25 years and older, the agency said.
Workplace safety top of mind for workers: Survey
CHICAGO — Nearly 9 in 10 employees in the United States say safety is the most important labour standard. More than eight of 10 workers — 85 per cent — rank workplace safety first in importance among labour standards, even ahead of family and maternity leave, minimum wage, paid sick days, overtime pay and the right to join a union, according to a new study from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. The study, Public Attitudes Towards and Experiences with Workplace Safety, draws on dozens of surveys and polls conducted by NORC. NORC’s analysis sought to gain a picture of Americans’ experiences with workplace safety issues. The study was done for the Public Welfare Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., which supports efforts to improve workers’ rights.
Metal detectors being installed at N.S. courthouse
HALIFAX — Following workplace safety complaints by Crown attorneys, Nova Scotia announced it is installing a permanent walkthrough metal detector at the Dartmouth Provincial Court. Provincial Courts in Halifax and Dartmouth are the two busiest in the province. The province said the volume of hearings has doubled in Halifax and Dartmouth since 2005. In March, Crown attorneys filed a complaint with the Department of Labour over what they called lax security at courthouses in the Halifax area. The complaint, filed by the Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys Association, said the lack of security created an “unacceptable hazard” for anyone in the building.
Youth video contest
REGINA — WorkSafe Saskatchewan is sponsoring a student video competition to raise awareness about workplace safety among young workers. Almost $5,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs, with money being awarded to both the winning student and the school. More than 6,000 workers in Saskatchewan between the ages of 15 and 24 are hurt on the job and an average of two are killed every year. The contest is open to students in Grade 9 through 12 and the deadline for entering is April 15, 2011. For more information, see www.worksafesask.ca/Youth-Video-Contest.
VANCOUVER — Josh Dueck, a Paralympic medallist who was injured in a workplace accident, broke the Guinness World Record for the most high fives by any individual in 24 hours. He slapped hands with 9,307 people, far surpassing — or, in his words, “crushing” — the previous record of 3,131 set in 2008. Dueck’s record was part of WorkSafeBC’s Raise Your Hand campaign — an annual initiative to increase young workers’ understanding of their safety rights and how to stay safe at work. Young workers in B.C. are more likely to sustain an injury than workers aged 25 years and older, the agency said.
Workplace safety top of mind for workers: Survey
CHICAGO — Nearly 9 in 10 employees in the United States say safety is the most important labour standard. More than eight of 10 workers — 85 per cent — rank workplace safety first in importance among labour standards, even ahead of family and maternity leave, minimum wage, paid sick days, overtime pay and the right to join a union, according to a new study from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. The study, Public Attitudes Towards and Experiences with Workplace Safety, draws on dozens of surveys and polls conducted by NORC. NORC’s analysis sought to gain a picture of Americans’ experiences with workplace safety issues. The study was done for the Public Welfare Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., which supports efforts to improve workers’ rights.
Metal detectors being installed at N.S. courthouse
HALIFAX — Following workplace safety complaints by Crown attorneys, Nova Scotia announced it is installing a permanent walkthrough metal detector at the Dartmouth Provincial Court. Provincial Courts in Halifax and Dartmouth are the two busiest in the province. The province said the volume of hearings has doubled in Halifax and Dartmouth since 2005. In March, Crown attorneys filed a complaint with the Department of Labour over what they called lax security at courthouses in the Halifax area. The complaint, filed by the Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys Association, said the lack of security created an “unacceptable hazard” for anyone in the building.
Youth video contest
REGINA — WorkSafe Saskatchewan is sponsoring a student video competition to raise awareness about workplace safety among young workers. Almost $5,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs, with money being awarded to both the winning student and the school. More than 6,000 workers in Saskatchewan between the ages of 15 and 24 are hurt on the job and an average of two are killed every year. The contest is open to students in Grade 9 through 12 and the deadline for entering is April 15, 2011. For more information, see www.worksafesask.ca/Youth-Video-Contest.
