Training for GVTA JOHS Committee members

Hello H&S reps,

In case you have not received any information about training for the year, here is are the two days the District is offering: Feb 24 and March 9th.

The 24th date is the Pro D day (Tapestry Conference). This date works for CUPE but we do not usually attend on this day because it is a day for teacher professional development. We recommend the March date. It is a full day of training. The info is posted below:

March 9, 2017
Time: 8:00am until 3:00pm at SJ Willis - Auditorium
1. JOHS Committee Orientation from 8:00am-9:30am
2. Accident Investigation from 9:30am-10:30am
3. Asbestos from 10:45am-11:30am
4. Risk Assessment from noon-1:00pm
5. WorkSafeBC Legislation Changes from 2:00pm-3:00pm
6. Violence Prevention Protocol from 3:00pm-4:00pm

Please remember that as a JOHS Committee member you are entitled to 8 hours of training in a year. The District is responsible for the release time. If you take training, in place of what the District is offering, the District is also responsible for any travel costs, accommodation costs, the cost of the course and a per diem for meals. There is a process for requesting training stated in the Terms of Reference for your committee.

Be safe,
David

Slips, Trips and Falls

A small reminder that it is easy to hurt yourself in the workplace. Instead of a chair use a small step stool. Every school should now have them. If not, ask your Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee to order some.
Slips, trips and falls are very common place in schools. We urge every teacher to be careful and exercise the proper procedures for safety reasons.

Be Safe.

Water Quality

Welcome back Health and Safety reps to a new year. You no doubt returned to find signs up and water fountains bagged and tagged. While the District is moving as quickly as it can to remediate the problem in schools, it will take a few more months to remediate every school.

In the meantime here are some links to follow for more information and some FAQs that have come across my desk.
a) The District has posted information regarding the testing and results from each school here: SD 61. The map of the school is helpful in identifying troubled spots, however, does not indicate where in that school the spot is located. Your custodian will have a map. I suggest that the JOHS Committee obtain a map for teachers to view.

b) The filters installed by the District are of a high standard. Some fountains and staff room sinks have been fitted with the filters.

c) VIHA advice about using water (found here) recommends using cold water for cooking and drinking . Run the tap for 15 to 30 seconds before using.

d) Boiling water does not get rid of the lead. In fact it can increase the lead in the kettle as the lead accumulates as the water evaporates.

e) There is no health risk associated with washing your hands or brushing your teeth with the water.

f) Your custodian will flush the system each morning. Any spot that has a significantly higher than maximum level reading, the spot will be flushed more often.

g) Here are the recommendations from the company who undertook the testing:

1) If lead levels are below 50 mg/L replace taps and retest. If lead levels remain above 10 mg/L, add a filter. 

2) If lead levels are > 50 mg/L, replace taps and add filter. 

3) If still getting high lead after putting in filter and replacing taps, may need to replace fountain or do further investigation to determine source of lead contamination. 

Educational Leave

Health and Safety Reps are entitled to eight hours of educational leave each year to attend Board approved courses.The term Board refers to the Workers Compensation Board. Courses taken must be related to Occupational Health and Safety topics. An Occupational First Aid Course is not the same as a First Aid course. To be covered by the following Regulation, it must be Board approved.

Section 135:

(1) Each member of a joint committee is entitled to an annual educational leave totalling 8 hours, or a longer period if prescribed by regulations, for the purpose of attending occupational health and safety training courses conducted by or with approval of the Board.

(2) A member of the joint committee may designate another member as bling entitled to take all or part of the member's educational leave.

(3) The employer must provide the educational leave under this section without loss of pay or other benefits and must pay for, or reimburse the worker for, the costs of the training course and reasonable costs of attending the course.

You will notice in part 3 it states must pay wages, benefits, the cost of the course and any reasonable costs of attending the program. Reasonable costs is mileage, meals and hotel if needed. You would use the per diem amounts set out by the School District Policies.

The Terms of Reference for your JOHS committee sets out how to go about asking for training. The words come from the WorkSafeBC policy on establishing process for applying for training. You do need to inform your committee of your request for training. Presumably they will approve it. It is important that the approval goes into the minutes and the Committee informs Christine Merner of the request.
Should you committee not approve the request, you can send it directly to Christine for approval. If you need go through this process, please let me know so I can support you. As long as the course is Board approved, it should not be denied.

Be Safe,

David

May 1-7 Health and Safety Week

According to WorkSafeBC, here is a typical year in statistics for BC in Public School Districts. The data wascollect between 2007-2012.

Facts about Public School Districts

• 60 school districts
• 90, 500 workers
• just under 1,600 time-loss claims
• just under 45, 000 lost days of work
• over $7.2 million claims costs

Who is getting injured in Public Schools?

• 28% Maintenance/custodial workers
• 22% Educational Assistants
• 15% Elementary school teachers
• 11% Secondary teachers
• 24% others (includes principals, vice principals, bus drivers,...)

How are they getting injured?

• 30% slips trips and falls
• 28% overexertion injuries
• 11% struck by an object (of which 22% of the time the person was struck by a student)
• 8% acts of violence and force
• 23% all other accident types

Demographics of Injured Workers

• 59% female, 41% male
• 10% under 35 years of age
• 21% 35-44 years of age
• 42% 45-54 years of age
• 26% over 54 years of age

The Result of Violence in Schools

• 67% of public school workers were educational assistants
• 15% were elementary teachers
• 9% were secondary teachers
• Over 50% of the public school workers getting injured as a result of violence were 45 years of age or older and 89% were female

April 28 Day of Mourning

On 1991, the Federal Government legislated April 28th as a Day of Mourning to recognize those people who were killed or injured due to their work. This year the BC Labour Heritage Centre in conjunction with the British Columbia Teachers Federation, WorkSafeBC and BC Federation of Labour have created a educational package for schools to deliver the message about worker rights for new and young workers.


BC has the lowest age in which a child can enter the work force: 12 years old. The youngest in North America. These organizations want to make new and young workers aware that they run a greater risk of being injured on the job than workers in any other age group. The statistics are chilling.

• ​​In BC, an average of 27 young workers have time loss injuries every day.

• Every week, seven young workers are permanently disabled in BC

• Close to one third of all occupational injuries happen to young workers

• On average in BC, over 150 people are killed every year due to their work

• On average, approximately 1,100 workers across Canada are killed every year due to their work

We always argue for our own safety at work. Just like learning conditions, better and safer working conditions for us means better conditions for our students. Health and safety is everybody's business and it is important that we inform our students as well.

You can check out the resources at this link:  http://www.labourheritagecentre.ca/domschoolsproject/ 
Hold a minute of silence on April 28th. Put up posters or have students make them. Download some of the activities from the website such as the script to be read over the announcements. Let's lower the risks for young workers, our students.

Be Safe.

New concussion resource for teachers helps children and youth with recovery

News Release from the BCTF Health and Safety Division

Vancouver – BC Children’s Hospital is launching a new evidence-based tool for educators to help prevent, recognize and respond to concussions in the classroom.

The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online, free resource that school professionals can use to help children as they return to school after time off from a concussion or if they sustain a concussion while at school.

Outdoor activities and sports like hockey, soccer and football are a fun way for children and teens to stay active. But if an impact happens that involves a direct blow to the head or other part of the body, it can result in a brain injury known as a concussion.

Developed by the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia (UBC), the CATT provides educators with recommendations about classroom adjustments to help students as they recover and to avoid potential life-long complications.

After a head injury, a lot of ordinary things at school can bring back concussion symptoms. Stimulation from other kids in the classroom, loud noises on the playground, and the stress of school work can trigger headaches, nausea, dizziness and confusion.

Teachers can go to www.cattonline.com to find out about modifications they can make for a concussed student such as reducing reading and homework, shortening the school day or adjusting deadlines for projects and tests. The tool features short, five-minute videos with sports stars like pro hockey player Sidney Crosby that provide kids with tips about staying safe during play.

The CATT also has specific information for medical professionals, parents, players and coaches. Smartphone-accessible forms and tools help parents and coaches track symptoms in order to respond to a head injury and record information that may be helpful to medical professionals.

The resources in the CATT are updated on a monthly basis. The tool was developed based on the latest research and best-practice recommendations by researchers provincially, nationally and internationally, with funding from the Ministry of Health, Child Health BC and the BC Children's Hospital Foundation.

School Professionals can read specific information and attain resources at this link: http://educators.cattonline.com/

Are you ready for The Big One?

A few weeks ago, our area felt the effects of an earthquake whose epicenter was just off the inland coast of Southern Vancouver Island. Every year our staffs and students practice the ‘duck and cover’ procedure followed by an evacuation of the building. Yet when this one struck outside of school hours, I remained on my couch wondering what had happened. I did not duck and cover, even though I have practiced this procedure every year for over 21 years!

Perhaps it is the infrequent nature of earthquakes that we physically experience that causes us to hesitate. We wonder if it is an explosion, or a large truck passing by before hitting Google to see what happened. The telltale signs of a fire are easy to identify as are flooding, and power outages. The windstorms of November pointed out some gaps in the School Emergency Preparedness Guide in dealing with some of the calamities that can accost our worksites.

The School Emergency Preparedness Guide sets out the protocols for dealing with emergencies that may best the workplace. From Lockdowns to Earthquakes, procedures and protocols are identified. Your school will also have handbooks describing the procedures to follow in the event of one of these emergencies. Procedures change as well, so it is a good document to review by Joint Occupational Health and Safety committees. For instance, many sites still have search and rescue teams to go through the school once students have been evacuated in an earthquake scenario. Yet, that is no longer required for safety reasons. Only trained First Responders should enter a building after an earthquake. How many of you are still doing that job?

Maybe we wont react exactly as we are supposed to in an emergency situation, but we can be prepared. I encourage Health and Safety reps to check out the School Emergency Preparedness Guide to ensure your school is practicing the proper protocols. You can find the document on the Staff Portal at the District website. It is under Human Resources/Health and Safety page.

As for the gaps identified from the windstorms, the District Occupational Health and Safety committee is working to include those in the Guide as soon as possible.

Be Safe,

One More Form!

The latest Health and Safety bulletin just came out from the District Health and Safety office. It contained a good poster on First Aid. One thing missing due to space limitations was to fill out a Form 6a. 

I know in the heat of the incident it is the last thing you want to do. Time with your class is precious and the incident or injury seems minor. Yet completing a Form 6a is important. I wont regal you with a series of stories of people who ignored this step and then WCB refused to honour a later claim. Nor will I recount the little injuries that became big problems later on for employees. Suffice it to say, completing the form, even if you never have another issue stemming from the problem, is like an insurance policy. It establishes when the injury occurred. If you require time off, instead of using your sick time, it will be classified as WCB time and they pay for your absence. If rehabilitation or physiotherapy is required, WCB will pay for it.

Some members have encountered resistance or obstacles put in their face by WorkSafe claim adjusters. Unfortunately this has happened as WorkSafe is not always as supportive as it should be. If you have a claim denied or getting held up by WorkSafe please contact Diane Irvine at the BCTF office. Her contact info is dirvine@bctf.ca or call toll free 1-800-663-9163 and ask for Diane.

Filling out Form 6a also provides the District Occupational Health and Safety Committee with the ability to track trends of incidents / injuries that happen to the various employee groups. This review allows us the opportunity to target certain issues or investigate a particular worksite to create prevention strategies. One reason I am writing this post is due to the number of injuries sustained but no form 6a was completed. In some cases the injury was significant but no further medical assistance was sought out. 

Perhaps we teachers are a stoic bunch or we have a habit of putting the needs of others before our own. I implore you to not put off filing out the Form 6a. It might save your life!

Violence, Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace

Violence in the workplace can be a frightening experience for workers. We know that working with people, there is always a possibility of encountering violence, bullying or harassment. People are unpredictable. With adults, we expect mature behaviour but children are less sophisticated. Nevertheless, it is not the expectation that it is part of your employment. The Worker Compensation Act and WorkSafe BC were created to ensure that BC workers work in safe and healthy environments. As the BC Federation of Labour reminds us, "Violence is NOT part of your job."

If you have been humiliated, sworn at, spat on or hit at work, you have experienced workplace violence. Constant exposure to workplace violence, even the seemingly small stuff like the passing comments of parents, "the other teacher does it differently," for example, can wear you down over time. Constant exposure can have repercussions on your physical and mental health, as well as, your job satisfaction. Because of the implications for the employer, such as increased sick time and lower productivity, they have an investment in reducing and eliminating workplace violence.

Our District has now put into place several policies and programs to this end. Policy 4304, 4300.1, and 5131 and their accompanying Regulations clearly state the employer's commitment to staff safety. The Violence Prevention Protocol and new WCB Bullying and Harassment policy add teeth to any worker claim of violence, bullying or harassment. We have Collective Agreement language that set out the process for dealing with workplace harassment or sexual harassment. It is no longer tolerable for any worker to experience these actions anymore. Parents cannot shout, berate or intimidate us any longer. It is unacceptable. We do not have to accept threats, fouls language or physical violence from students regardless of age.

These concerns are relative to the worker. If the staff member felt threatened, intimidated or abused, then our processes can kick in. WorkSafe BC defines violence as, 

"the attempted or actual exercise, other than a worker, of any physical force sa as to cause injury to a worker, and includes any threatening statement or behaviour which gives a worker reasonable cause to believe that he or she is at risk of injury."

If it is worker to worker violence, another process comes into play. The bullying and harassment policy from WorkSafe defines it as the following,

"includes any inappropriate conduct or comment by a person towards a worker that the person knew or reasonably ought to have known would cause that worker to be humiliated or intimidated...”

    The definition is broader and includes the actions of colleagues, students, parents and administrators. Being directed or disciplined by an administrator is not harassment, unless it is done in an intimidating or humiliating manner.

 In our office, we do receive complaints of violence from students, but also threatening or intimidating behaviour by administrators, inappropriate remarks made by co-workers and strong-arm behaviour by parents. It is the vindictive email, the negative discussion of a teacher at a PAC meeting, unwanted innuendos by a co-worker or the "guys only" table in a staffroom.

    The most egregious complaints, believe it or not, are about the few principals who will humiliate teachers in staff meetings to suppress dissent, the placing of baby bottles in teacher mailboxes for those that complain, administrators who use homophobic remarks, comments about absences, paternalistic attitudes or gossip about a teacher to his/her co-workers to bring someone in line. It is about power: creating authoritarian or abusive environments to manage schools or to gain something from another person. It has to stop.

It is time to change this culture in our schools. We have the commitment from the Board of Education. We have a commitment from the new Superintendent to create a more respectful and collaborative atmosphere. We have the processes and protocols to deal with these behaviours and attitudes. Let's use them for our benefit. We have the right to a safe and healthy work environment. A safe workplace is everybody's responsibility, let's make it happen.

Welcome back to a new school year

A new school year and time to assure and assert your Health and Safety rights. First things first, however, does your school have an active health and safety committee? The committee should have fifty per cent representation from the employee groups of your school. This committee is a legislated requirement and therefore at least one GVTA member needs to be on the committee.

I don't wish to nag but it is important that we have representation on the committee. It is helpful if the name of the GVTA member on the JOHS committee is forwarded to the GVTA office. Carolina can then add it to the database. The health and safety email list is used to send pertinent information out to committee members.

In the coming month, the union will send out a report on the survey we asked teachers to fill out in June. There is some interesting information stemming from that survey already. While teachers are experiencing more violent behaviour, the number of Form 1 documents (Worker Statement of Incident) completed is considerably less. The need for more education for administrators and teachers is very evident.

The area of "violence in the workplace" will continue to be a major focus for me this year. The new regulations and policies on Bullying and Harassment are also a primary concern. There are clearer and more defined rules to protect workers and the education sector is quickly catching up. We are not trying to label students hazards, but you are entitled to a violence free workplace.

At an upcoming SURT (school union rep training) session, of which H&S reps will be invited, we will run a session on the Violence Prevention Protocol and Bullying and Harassment Policy. We will dissect the forms and processes to make the system less complicated or frightening.

Stay Safe

David Futter

End of Year Events

Karen Langenmaier, the BCTF Health and Safety Officer sent out this reminder on end of year events. It seemed appropriate to reproduce it here.

Hi all, I’ve had a few questions regarding WCB coverage in the event that a teacher is injured during a sports day or extra-curricular lunch time activity that are so popular at this time of year.

The short answer is "yes" teachers are covered.

However, the long answer is more important:

1. the event must be a school organized and sanctioned event.

2. the administrator must know and approve of the event.

3. there should be some paper work that confirms the above.

The reason for this is that in the event a teacher is injured, WCB has in the past tried to deny claims saying that the activity was on the teacher's own time and therefore not part of their work.  We know that extra-curricular, while not part of our "educational" work, is still part of an historically accepted practice that IS part of our work.  Just to make sure that all areas are covered however, make sure that the administrator knows of all the teachers taking part and sanctions the event.

Having said all this, the best advice we can offer is: remember how old you are and that even though that competitive fun edge comes out, your body won't respond as well as the students'. Don't push your physical limitations.  Prevention is way better than compensation!

Yours in health and safety,

Karen Langenmaier

May Madness

A    A warm welcome to Michael Colussi, the new Health and Safety Officer for the District. Michael has an extensive background in Heath and Safety. The GVTA looks forward to working with him to continue to improve health and safety in the district. 

     Be sure to send your month meeting minutes into the the District via Mr. Colussi or Dennis Dudley. We review the minutes, fire drill reports and inspections each month to see if  trends are developing that the District Committee needs to take action upon. 

     One area that can have an influence on health and safety is stress. The newly published research report by the BCTF called Worklife of BC Teachers cites the following as major stressors:

• feeling pressured by the demands of multiple tasks and limited time
• the complexity of the classroom, in terms of class size and class composition
• a lack of support for teachers in their efforts to meet students' needs
• a lack of support to deal with problematic student behaviour
• relationships with a small number of parents were difficult and strained
• reporting caused a periodic increase in stress
• inadequate time for preparation and marking     

     The causes and results of stress may be different depending on career stage, gender and age. Newer teachers, for instance, find the job insecurity stressful. Regardless of the cause, working under stress can lead to illness or cause one to become distract and thus pose a safety risk to themselves or others. Another area of stress that can occur is stress from a critical incident. Staff who are apart of or witness a critical incident can experience emotional or psychological symptoms which may impair their ability to perform well at work or outside of work. WorkSafe BC identifies the following issue as problematic. "After a critical incident, workers’ feelings about their jobs and the workplace can be seriously affected. Workers may become disillusioned with their workplace if they believe that their problems are not being taken seriously, or that they are not being given adequate support." (Coping with Critical Incident Stress at Work: 2002)

     Health and safety is everyone's business. Please look out for each other and speak up when you have a health and safety concern.

Be Safe!

Update: 911 issue

In conversations at the District Health and Safety meeting, it was agreed that the policy is out of date and needs updating. The new Occupationa Health and Safety Officer, Michael Colussi, confirmed that the existing policy is in contravention of Provincial Statutes regarding First Aid and First Responders.
A district teacher is a trained First responder and provides training in first aid. Kirk Doherty from Lambrick Park responded to my previous email about Emergency Calls with some very useful information. I have added it to this post for your reading as it is instructive. Here is his advice:

"As I'm sure you know, according to OHS Regulations (see below), a designated OFA attendant's authority for treatment of an injured worker trumps an administrator's authority (or district policy for that matter). As an OFA attendant, under no circumstances would I seek an administrator's approval to call an ambulance for an injured staff member. As the OFA, that decision is mine to make (unless the injured worker refuses medical treatment or there's someone present with  higher level of first aid certification).

Similarly, it is my understanding that lay rescuers (anyone who has taken a first aid course but is not a designated first attendant at the site) are protected by the Good Samaritan Act only if they act as a reasonably prudent person within the limits of their training. Every lay rescuer course I am aware of (and certainly the ones I teach) emphasizes the "call first" approach for serious medical emergencies and recommends that the rescuer call 9-1-1 if at all in doubt. A rescuer who waits for an administrator's approval to call an ambulance or calls an administrator to assist with the determination as to whether an ambulance is needed or not is not working within the limits of his or her training nor acting as a reasonably prudent person and could be placing themselves outside the protections of the Good Samaritan Act should things go badly.

With that in mind, a school administrator who insists on providing authorization for an ambulance in case of an injured worker would, I suspect, be playing with legal fire as there is nothing in her training which makes her qualified to determine whether an ambulance is needed or not. I can't imagine the district wanting to be exposed to this kind of liability in order to save the cost of an ambulance.

Finally, with respect to choices for staff members responding to another injured staff member, the choice should not be to call 9-1-1 then inform the school administrator or try to contact a school administrator, etc. for assistance with assessing the situation if unsure.  Rather, staff members responding to an injured co-worker should provide care within the limits of their training and experience (including calling 9-1-1 if deemed necessary by the first responder) and/or contact the designated Occupational First Aid Attendant (using procedures established for that particular worksite) if the injury/situation is beyond the scope of their training. 

Regards,

Kirk Doherty

Lambrick Park Secondary School"

 

Be Safe!

911 Calls

In case of emergency, call 911. Well maybe! It seems that a conflict arises between what citizens are told what to do and District Policy.
Recently, a staff member wanted to call for an ambulance to assist a staff member who was stricken by an ailment. In the following staff meeting the principal informed the staff that no one was to call an ambulance, but must call the administrator who will make the determination of whether an ambulance is needed.
This policy, created in 1975, goes against the training all First Aiders and First Responders. 911 was set up to provide every citizen the opportunity to get important assistance whenever they need it and everyone is able to access the service. Informing the office first, in the case of an emergency, can delay valuable time which may cause irreparable damage the the patient. Furthermore, to restrict access to the 911 service is a denial of a civil right! The Health and Safety chart devised by the District, states that one of the fist ways of responding to a health and safety issue is to call 911!
Through the District Health and Safety Committee, the GVTA is demanding a review of the policy and a clarification of the phrase, "Authorization must be by the principal or his delegate." We believe that this does not mean a first responder must wait to get permission from the office before calling 911. Every employee should have the right to call911 if in his or her assessment immediate support is necessary. Unofficially, the district has stated the term "or his delegate" means the person on the spot. However, this point is still ambiguous.
It is my suggestion that if in the assessment of the person who first responds to an emergency you have two choices: a) call 911, then inform the school administrator or b) call the office and get help in the assessment. If you cannot contact the school administrator, call 911 if in your estimation it is an emergency.
Please discuss the Board Policy 5141.3 at your next H&S meeting. Ask your administrator his or her position on this policy. I would appreciate being made aware of any decisions your committee makes or the position of your administrator. The next District Health and Safety meeting is on April 14.

Be Safe!

What the Heck is WHMIS?

We have all heard the term WHMIS and maybe the term MSDS. They are an integral part of worker safety in the workplace. Unfortunately many people outside of the site safety committees are aware of these two important aspects.
WorkSafeBC defines the purpose of WHMIS "...is to reduce injury and disease by communicating specific health and safety information about controlled products so the information can be used to reduce exposure to hazardous materials." To this end, WorkSafeBC publishes a list of six classifications. A product is classified then three elements are used to communicate health and safety information: WHIMS labels, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and WHMIS education and training programs.
In every school and work site, WHMIS and MSDS posters should be clearly displayed. During inspections we often find these posters displayed in the custodian's room. In fact they should be displayed on the Health and Safety bulletin board for all workers to see. Many times during school inspections we find products in classrooms, staff rooms and offices that are restricted by WHMIS regulations. Staff will bring in a cleaning product, for instance to ensure the cleanliness of an area. They get upset when we remove the offending product. However, if you keep in mind that the regulations are for your protection and the protection of ALL people in the work site, in this case students, you will appreciate the removal of the product. The school district will provide you with appropriate cleaning products for any surface you want cleansed. If an outbreak, such as the H1N1, a special bleach product will be used by the janitorial staff to disinfect the work site. If you are unsure of a product you brought in, always check with your custodian.

A reminder to all GVTA health and safety representatives, the training day for us February 9th at SJ Willis. The day will start at 8:30 and finish at 3:00pm. A lunch will be provided probably soup and sandwiches. The topic of the day will be inspections and an inspection of the site wil be done to allow practice of the skills presented. If you are unable to attend and another teacher wishes to go please send him or her. We have requested this training and want to get a good turnout. If you are attending please let Janet Langston know at jlangston@sd61.bc.ca.

As always, be safe out there!

David Futter

Tis The Season to be Safe

Decorations on the walls, paper everywhere, glue, sparkles, scissors, and solstice celebrations running amok and that is just Benula's office! The weather has been its usual self and we even had snow and ice. It is a beautiful time of year, but the safety issue are many.

It is a usual and tiresome refrain I know but please do not stand on chairs and tables to get to higher levels. Your school has step ladders and/or step stools. If there are no step stools in the school your health and safety committee can make a recommendation to order some. The chairs are not made to be stood on and some staff this year have been hurt as the chairs collapsed under the weight. Likewise with tables, which get used to stand on. When they are pulled to a wall, you end up standing on the edges of the table. The weight is not evenly distributed and they can tip over. A reminder that paper is for bulletin boards only and not the walls. The fire code only allows so much paper coverage in a school or classroom. It is frustrating I know, but better than having to tear it down under an order from the fire marshal.

Janet Langston and I met and reviewed all the health and safety minutes and school inspections. Some clear and definable issues popped out. Clutter and high storage being the most notable. Heavier items and boxes must be stored on lower shelves. Lighter stuff up higher. If it is not possible, have your custodian put in a requisition to have the items secured. Some school's' closets were overflowing, as were various old changing rooms and storage rooms. Have your principal order a bin from facilities. They will come and clean the area out for you for free!

And now a final health and safety message, watchout for low flying reindeer and overloaded sleighs. If you are hit  by Santa's sleigh or slip on a reindeer puck while at work, make sure you fill out a Form 6 and see a doctor. Paper cuts from rapid gift opening need to be cleaned and dressed by the school first aid attendant. If and when the final bell sounds on December 17th, please do not rush to the front doors, but depart through the nearest exit in an orderly manner.
Merry Christmas!

Be Safe!

INSPECTIONS 'R' US

As the end of October speeds towards us and the spectre of Halloween looms with the inevitable clean up of egged schools and sugar hangovers beseiging our students, let us remember that inspections are part of this yearly process.
Hopefully your committees have met and the minutes posted as well as being sent to Janet Langston. Part of the process of site based committees is to conduct at least one inspection of the school. It is nice if one was done near the beginning and one later on. I believe a notice to conduct an inspection by October 15, should have been sent by the District Health & Safety officer. The WCB Act requires the inspection to be done during the worling hours of the work site. This means that your inspection should be done during school hours, when the students are in session. If you do this prior to school starting or the end of day, you might miss the hazards that can cause injuries. There is release time for this inspection. Conducting the inspection in the morning or afternoon also helps get a different perspective on the conditions that can cause workplace hazards.
Another process is to mix upp the make up of the inspection crew. It does not always have to be the administrator and the janitor surveying the school. Sometimes it is noce to do a "specialty" inspection. Decide on just a few critieria to survey, intead of doing the whole school. This not only saves time but allows you to focus on items that might be causing reoccurring problems. Furthermore, have new members of the committee do an inspection with an experienced member.
Inspections are crucial for the safe environment of all workers on the premises as well as the students we serve. The information also helps the District Health and Safety Committee look at issues that maybe arising on a district level.
Be Safe.

End of September Already

How quickly time has passed and so many things are up and running. I am sure many of you are knee deep in district wide assessment, curriculum planning, staff meetings, team meetings and department meetings at your school and another meeting is the last thing on your mind.
A reminder to new committee members and experienced members alike, your school must have  a Health and Safety committee up and running before the end of the September. Before September is out, your committee needs to send the minutes of that first meeting to the District Health and Safety officer, Janet Langston. Hopefully your committee has organized an inspection for the coming weeks to ensure the worksite is a safe and health workplace.
Look to see if there are properly labeled cleaning products, boxes and storage containers are stored in a safe manner. Heavier boxes need to be on lower shelves or closer to the floor. Check to see if exits are clear or if there are items such as filing cabinet that might block the egress of room occupants if it fell over. Furthermore, as medical room supplies are replenished, due ensure that chemical ice packs are only used for field trips. Chemical ice packs that are one time use only must be disposed off after use. They are not meant to be reused or refrozen. These packages do breakdown and one teacher was serious burned as a result of an chemical ice pack leaking onto her skin.
Remember, your duty as a worker is to be aware of health and safety hazards and to report unsafe situation. Every worker is required to "...take reasonable care to protect the worker's health and safety and the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by the worker's acts or omissions at work..." (Worker Compensation Act: Part 161)
Be Safe.

New School Year 2010-2011

Greetings from your new 2^nd Vice President to a new school year. The bulk of my duties in this role are Health and Safety. I am your contact person if you are heving difficulties with health and safety issues in your place of work. The administration and then,  the health and safety committee in your school or work area are your first port of call if have a complaint. My role is to support the teachers when you are not getting action on your concern. I am also representing you with two other colleagues on the District Health and Safety Committee. This committee is an oversight agency that deals with trends, conducts worksite inspections and develops and institutes  policies and practices for safer worksites.

While my jurisdiction is teachers, in actual fact the law regarding Workers Compensation is more black and white. There are employers, ie, the Board of Trustees and there are workers. From the Superintendent on down to the principals, teachers secretaries, educational assitants, grass cutters and all other manner of empoyees of School District 61, we are all workers in the eyes of the law. While we might recognize some occupations as more hazardous than others, the manner of occupational hazard varies from job to job. It is only recently that occupations like nursing and education have had their own brand of occupational hazards brought to life. Teachers are prone to slips, falls and strains as much as the others. Some teachers work in classrooms that have traditional hazards like wood shops and home economic classes to name two, but increasingly teachers are exposed to other forms of health and safety issues like H1N1, violence and unsafe work environments.

The best thing about Health and Safety is the legislation. It brings about action and the regulations are not disputable. WCB can be brought in to write orders to resolve an issue if the employer does not remediate the problem. In many cases, the action is swifter than the grievance procedure. To his end, we will be looking to add Health and Safety items to the bargaining table this year. Many other locals have H&S clauses which can given added weight to the topics as violations of them bring in  the grievance produre as well as WCB.

It is incumbent on all of us as workers to look out for the health and safety of our fellow employees. From this viewpoint teachers, principals educational assistants and custodians are all in the same boat. Be safe!

David Futter