Accident Prevention e-News
February 2009
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Volume 4/Issue 2/Feb 2009
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In this Issue:
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Reminder: forklift safety enforcement blitz
 Hazards involving forklifts and other lifting devices will be the focus of a Ministry of Labour enforcement blitz at industrial workplaces starting this month. To help firms prepare, IAPA has compiled an online resource package. But first, more about the blitz.
Thirteen workers died between 2003 and 2007 as a result of industrial incidents involving lift trucks, reach trucks, forklifts and tow motors, according to ministry statistics. During this period, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics showed the average forklift lost-time claim resulted in 67 days lost from work.
In total, 10,308 forklift-related incidents resulting in lost-time injuries occurred between 1996 and 2008, an average of almost 800 incidents a year.
These incidents were due to a number of factors, says Wayne De L’Orme, provincial co-ordinator of the ministry’s Industrial Health and Safety Program. These included:
- lack of preventative maintenance and load capacity examinations;
- lifting devices striking objects during operation such as racking systems; and
- workers being struck by forklift trucks, other lifting equipment and improperly-secured loads.
“Inspectors will take a “zero tolerance” approach to any contraventions found under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations,” says De L’Orme.
Blitz focus
Ministry inspectors will pay particular attention to industrial sectors where incidents most often occurred. These include:
- transportation
- automotive
- wood and metal fabrication
- food, beverage and tobacco
- chemical, rubber and plastics
- office and related services (employment agencies that supply non-clerical labour to industrial workplaces)
- retailers
- wholesalers
Ministry inspectors will also target workplaces:
- identified as being high-priority due to possible lifting devices and forklift hazards
- known to have highly hazardous processes and equipment
- where complaints have been received
- where there is a poor compliance history
“Many employers and workers see lift trucks as a routine, simple way to move materials,” says De L’Orme. “But, for anyone racing to meet production or shipping deadlines, improper operation of lift trucks can pose real dangers that can bring disaster in seconds. Excessive or improper loading and going too quickly are common time-saving strategies.”
Dr. Maurice Bitran, director of the ministry’s Occupational Health and Safety Branch, says inspectors will focus on the following key priorities:
- lifting device inspection and maintenance. Inspectors will check to ensure employers are maintaining equipment in good condition to prevent mechanical or operational failures, undertaking repairs as necessary and examining lifting devices, according to legislated requirements, to determine their load capacity
- operation of the lifting device by a qualified person. Inspectors will check to ensure workers have the training, knowledge and experience to operate lifting devices or, where workers are being instructed, that the workers are accompanied by a trained individual. Inspectors will review training records and question workers on their familiarity with the equipment being used in the workplace and possible hazards. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure workers operating lifting devices are up-to-date on required training
- safe work environment. Inspectors will ensure employers are taking every reasonable precaution to protect workers who are working in the area of forklifts and lifting devices. This may require the use of protective barriers, qualified signal persons, warning signs or other safeguards. The ministry recommends that employers conduct a comprehensive workplace assessment of vehicular and pedestrian traffic to determine the most appropriate safeguards to utilize in their workplace
“The Ministry of Labour is responsible for enforcing the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” Dr. Bitran says. “Orders and charges, resulting from the targeted inspections, may be used to ensure compliance. This includes enforcement aimed at preventing forklift and lifting device hazards.”
How IAPA can help
- Explore the list of online articles, free downloads, training courses and other resources compiled by IAPA
- Attend these lift truck sessions at Health & Safety Canada 2009 IAPA’s national conference and trade show taking place in Toronto April 20-22.
- Put Wheels Under Your Lift Trucks, Apr. 20, 3:30 p.m.
- The Use of Seatbelts for Lift Trucks, Apr. 21, 1:45 p.m.
Managing the 2009 business climate challenges
By Barbara G. Humphrey
 It is beyond debate that in 2009 employers are faced with challenging business conditions and shifting priorities in terms of labour and employment related issues. These priorities are neither unique nor unprecedented for those who remember the early 80s and early 90s.
Business context
The recessionary conditions many employers are confronted with in 2009 have the following implications for them and their employees:
- reduced access to credit
- demand for increased efficiencies
- demand for cost containment
- limited growth opportunity
- job-security concerns
- increased stress levels
Resulting challenges may trigger the following responses:
- restructuring activity (i.e., lay-offs, terminations, redeployment)
- erosion of confidence in employers
- increased statutory compliance activity (i.e., compliance with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, human rights applications…)
- increased risk of violence in the workplace issues
- increased presence of stress issues to be addressed(i.e., increased level of accommodation activity, need for EAP support)
There are defensive steps employers can take in the context of managing their responses. On a general theme, employers in 2009 have a heightened interest in prioritizing more timely and effective communications with employees. In times of uncertainty, the absence of timely and effective communications significantly increases stress, mistrust, pessimism and potential disengagement of employees. A discussion of additional responses and defensive steps follows.
Increased statutory compliance activity
Where employees and employment environments exhibit increased levels of insecurity, uncertainty and stress, workplaces are move vulnerable to the risk of behaviours that can trigger statutory compliance issues, i.e., complaints under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, human rights applications, and WSIB claims. In this environment, employers have a heightened interest in due diligence efforts to ensure the discharge of their obligation for safe, violence free workplaces and the delivery of meaningful equality rights guarantees (i.e., ensuring the absence of harassment, discrimination; responding appropriately to accommodation needs).
Increased risk of violence or threats of violence
We witnessed an extreme example over the holiday season when the CEO of a British Columbia company was shot to death by a former employee experiencing extreme stress levels as a result of his job loss, deteriorating health and loss of spouse. While such circumstances are extreme, the job insecurity issue, job pressures and financial pressures facing an increasing percentage of employees in 2009 is likely to increase stress levels and the risk of problematic behaviours.
Employers have a significant responsibility for the prevention of violence and the removal of violence from the workplace. Given the heightened risks that the economic climate of 2009 presents, employers have an interest in heightened diligence in the prevention of the risk of violence. Such diligence includes the following:
- implementing effective violence prevention strategies (e.g., introducing a violence prevention policy and conducting risk assessments)
- on-going monitoring for behaviours associated with the risk of violence or threats of violence
- ensuring timely and effective responses to all behaviours posing potential risks
- ensuring employees exhibiting stress levels impacting their functioning in the workplace are supported in securing the help they need
- dealing cautiously and empathetically with employees exhibiting visible stress related symptoms in the workplace
Heightened stress levels and risk of stress-related disabilities
The increased stress levels experienced by an increasing percentage of the workforce can confront employers with legal compliance obligations beyond responding to behaviours representing threats of violence. Where the stress evolves into clinical symptoms that impact the workplace participant’s behaviour and/or impair his/her ability to function in the workplace, employers can be faced with accommodation issues. In these circumstances, when responding to behavioural or performance delinquencies, employers must do so in the context of the duty to accommodate. A failure to do so leaves employers exposed to potential human rights issues and the risk of significant liabilities.
Given the expectation of increased levels of stress and the increased incidence of stress related ailments, employers have an interest in pursuing steps to position themselves to ensure compliance with human rights obligations to minimize the risk of human rights violations and liabilities.
Defensive strategies
- Ensure that supervisors and managers are sensitized to the potential for accommodation issues attending stress related ailments.
- Take steps to heighten supervisors’ and managers’ knowledge of the duty to accommodate in the context of psychological ailments that impact workplace behaviours, performance or attendance.
- Ensure you have in place the processes to respond effectively and compliantly to any accommodation issues that arise in connection with psychological disability issues.
Summary
The environment confronting employers in 2009 will impact the labour and employment obligations and risks that employers will be managing this year. Recognizing the issues and risks, and pursuing the defensive strategies can assist in positioning your organization for management of these issues in a manner responsive to your organization’s interests.
Adapted from an article published in Update, Stringer Brinsbin Humphrey’s electronic newsletter. Barbara Humphrey can be reached at bhumphrey@sbhlawyers.com or 416-862-1616.
Avoiding materials handling injuries
 Every worker who lifts or does other manual handling tasks is at some risk for musculoskeletal injury, warns the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Provincial statistics bear this out: almost one in four lost-time injuries in Ontario results from overexertion.
Are your workers at risk? Ask yourself these questions:
- Are work processes and workspaces designed to minimize overexertion injuries?
- Is mechanical equipment used to replace manual handling?
- Does the work environment help prevent overexertion injuries?
- Are good housekeeping standards that help prevent overexertion injuries set and followed?
- Are workers trained before they’re on the job?
- Are written job procedures to help prevent overexertion injuries clear, understood and available to workers?
- Are incidents that cause overexertion investigated to find and eliminate the root cause?
And are you complying with the law?
By law, lifting, carrying or moving must be done in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards to ensure that worker safety is not at risk. Furthermore, all equipment provided by the employer must be maintained in good condition. Specifically, section 45 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s Industrial Establishments Regulations (O. Reg. 851) states that
Materials, articles or things,
a) required to be lifted, carried or moved, shall be lifted, carried or moved in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards, including protective clothing, guards or other precautions as will ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of the material, articles or things does not endanger the safety of any worker
b) shall be transported, placed or stored so that the material, articles or things:
(i) will not tip, collapse or fall
(ii) can be removed or withdrawn without endangering the safety of any worker
Assessing hazards
To assess the hazards of manual material handling operations, consider the load, the task, the environment in which the task is performed, and the operator. When these factors interact with each other, they can create or eliminate hazards that result in injuries.
A load may be hazardous because of
- weight
- size
- shape (making it awkward to handle)
- coupling (type of grip on the load)
- slippery or damaged surfaces
- missing or inappropriate handles
- imbalance (i.e., changing centre of gravity)
The task or method of handling may be hazardous when it involves
- lifting or lowering
- repetitively
- quickly
- for extended periods of time
- while seated or kneeling
- immediately after prolonged flexion
- shortly after a period of rest
- an inability to get close to the load
- moving the load over large distances
- accuracy and precision required because of
- fragile loads, or
- specific unloading locations
- materials positioned too low or too high
- hazardous movements or postures (e.g., twisting, extended bending and reaching)
- multiple handling requirements (e.g., lifting, carrying, unloading)
Control measures
The best control measure is to eliminate the need for workers to perform manual handling tasks. Since this is not always possible, consider an approach that combines knowledge of engineering, environment, and human capabilities and limitations. Avoid focusing on only one risk factor, as this will not significantly reduce the injury rate.
Learn more about practical ways to reduce the risk of injury by downloading Manual Materials Handling, a free guideline from IAPA.
How IAPA can help
In addition to downloading the guide, take advantage of these offerings:
- Safe Lifting and Carrying, a 14-page free download that contains step-by-step instructions and illustrations on how to safely lift and carry common types of loads
- Back Safety 101 DVD-Based Training Package. Improve the work environments and implement ergonomic solutions. While the kit’s prime focus is the back, it can be easily applied to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) involving the neck, shoulders, wrists, legs, and other body parts
- Consulting services that range from targeted solutions to development of a comprehensive health and safety management system.
Also, watch for information on IAPA and CSA’s Second Annual Warehousing Safety Conference, scheduled for fall 2009, in upcoming issues of Accident Prevention e-News.
6 steps to accommodate mental health issues
By Derry McDonell
 Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
John had been increasingly absent, not very productive when he was at work, and openly resentful when questioned about it. His supervisor was thinking it might be time to say goodbye.
Then late last week, John phoned in and said his doctor had diagnosed him with a stress disorder and depression, mostly likely caused by his job, and that he should take some time off to recover.
The supervisor notifies the HR department, which places John on short-term disability leave, opens a disability claim for him, and asks for a medical assessment of his condition. John provides his doctor’s note, which recommends a psychiatric assessment. The doctor refers John to a specialist but John won’t be able to get an appointment for six weeks at the earliest. In the meantime, the doctor recommends he rest at home and prescribes an anti-depressant.
Now the HR department is concerned. If John’s disability was the result of a physical injury, they would try to get him back to work as quickly as possible, using a physical needs assessment and the firm’s return-to-work accommodation process. But this is different. John has a mental disability. What kind of treatment program is required and how long can we expect this to go on before John can come back to work?
Or can he? John’s doctor is suggesting that his job is causing his condition. But there’s nothing unusual about John’s job description, and at least a dozen other employees are doing the same job without a problem. Why should he be given special treatment? Won’t his co-workers feel resentful? What should the employer do now?
This story is based on actual cases. Too many cases involving mental health seem to arrive at the same impasse. Where to go from here? How do we get this employee back to work in a reasonable time frame and without incurring undue hardship to the firm, or risk to the employee or others? And finally, isn’t there a way of preventing mental disability claims from reaching this kind of standoff in the first place?
Of course there is. But first, an overview of the issue.
Mental illness in general costs Canadian employers $23 billion a year when you total up medical bills, disability claims and sick leaves. One study puts the annual cost of depression alone at $33 billion, making it more costly than back pain, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and other mental conditions.
And according to the specialists, it’s getting worse, due to a number of factors: increased job demands, reduced staffing levels, an aging workforce and family care issues. The current economic environment has added two other factors: layoffs and loss of income and benefits.
Bill Wilkerson, a former health insurance executive and co-founder and CEO of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health (www.mentalhealthroundtable.ca), says mental illness, especially depression, is now “as common as the flu.” One could argue, he says, “that since statistics show it affects up to 25 percent of the population at one time or another, depression is almost normal.”
The biggest roadblock to effective accommodation is the persistent stigma around mental illness itself. New research shows that the most common types are not only eminently treatable but the employee can be accommodated at work during the recovery period without undue hardship or risk to the employer.
Here are six practical steps for a workplace accommodation policy specifically designed for those with mental health issues. Each is based on the experience of people and organizations on the front line of the issue.
1: Dispel the myth
People with a mental illness often deny their condition and try to hide it. Some would sooner admit they had cancer than a mental illness. And who can blame them? At least with cancer, no one is going to tell you to “suck it up and get back to work,” or treat you like a leper in social situations.
This ignorance and prejudice can be overcome by education and training. What may come as a surprise however, is just how positively most people react when they finally get it.
That’s been the experience of Marla Simlett, senior EAP advisor for the Canada Revenue Agency, based in Ottawa. Since her group launched a national education and awareness campaign on mental health issues in spring 2006, its biggest challenge has been to meet the demand for more of the same.
The goal of the CRA education initiatives, says Simlett, “is to encourage people to view mental illness as an illness just like any other [because] people think it’s different from other health issues. We tell them it’s not and it shouldn’t be treated as such.”
The CRA campaign, developed jointly by management and union representatives, employs a combination of half-day workshops, lunch and learn sessions, fact sheets, and wellness fairs. Separate sessions are set up for supervisors, managers and union representatives. “They need to know how to deal with the people aspects,” Simlett says. “They get the same awareness training as employees [but] the discussion also deals with supervisory issues and problems and offers strategies and tips.”
Feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive, says Simlett. “Most people just want to know how they can help co-workers who have mental health issues,” she says.
The only serious problem the CRA program has encountered to date is meeting the demand for training. An interim solution, used and recommended by Simlett, is the Mental Health Works workshop series offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca). The CMHA site also contains a wealth of other useful information for anyone interested in mental health issues.
2: Examine your workplace
“If you have someone off on a disability claim who says the workplace is causing his or her condition, at least look at the job—the work space, physical environment and tasks—to see if any of those conditions do, in fact, exist,” says Bill Wilkerson. He points out that legal rulings have recently been leaning towards the disabled employee’s viewpoint on this matter, especially if the employer is relying solely on “general working conditions,” or “no one else has complained about this” as a defence.
In fact, as a preventive measure Wilkerson strongly recommends employers conduct an annual inspection of the workplace. “I call them depression screenings,” he says. Such screenings could include employee surveys and narrative feedback, as well as an examination of the psychosocial environment, and the corporate culture.
3: Keep it simple
Maintain a simple, straightforward approach based on two assumptions:
- people can have a psychological disability without being disabled
- it’s far better for everyone if the claimant is at work
This is the approach recommended and used by Liz Scott, principal at Organizational Solutions Inc., a firm that specializes in non-occupational disability and workers compensation claims management, and return-to-work consulting.
Scott recommends that the first step in dealing with a claim of mental illness is to examine the cognitive demands of the job and/or the individual: “What can this person do and how can the job be modified to accommodate it?”
“You don’t need to know a lot about mental health treatment systems and you definitely should not try to discuss their disease with them,” adds Bill Wilkerson. “When you have a mental illness, you’re unlikely to know it. So expecting employees to articulate their problems is unrealistic. They need an independent assessment for that.”
4. Get the help you need
Start with your EAP provider, if you have one. If you don’t, get one. Make sure the provider is prepared to give the employee a full assessment, including referrals to outside resources, not just a personal interview with an EAP counsellor.
Once the employee has been assessed and started a treatment program, consider how he or she can return to work.
First, make sure the EAP provider is aware of the job demands. Beyond that, use the same tools you would employ for a physical disability, with one exception: a cognitive needs assessment conducted by an industrial psychologist.
Discuss the return to work plan with the employee. Wilkerson advises, “Keep the focus on the job description and job performance. Ask the person, ‘What can you do without causing a reaction?’”
5. Maintain one team, one objective
It’s the employer’s duty to accommodate within the bounds of undue hardship. But what about the other people involved, or who may become involved—the union, human rights advocates, or the employee?
In Scott’s view, the key value question should be: “Is the employee getting appropriate treatment and care?”
Answering this question requires all parties to work cooperatively, especially where the workplace conditions may be a contributing factor. Bill Wilkerson points to Ontario Power Generation, which has an understanding with its major union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, that in these cases, “a cooperative effort to resolve the matter will begin and be exhausted before any due process (i.e., grievance or arbitration) occurs.”
As for the disabled employee, “there is a personal responsibility here,” says Wilkerson. “And it starts with the employee recognizing that while depression impairs your ability to cope, at no time should it impair your responsibility to deal with it.”
6: Watch out for bends in the road
No perfect treatment program exists for mental illnesses. The road to recovery, even with the best treatment plan available, may not be a straight line. However, “there’s no reason to feel that a relapse is a sign of defeat,” says Wilkerson. Just keep your eye on the ball and bear in mind that, under the right set of stressful conditions, “all of us are vulnerable to finding ourselves in the hands of the mental health system,” he says. “Even a job you like can cause you stress sometimes.”
This article is an excerpt from a longer article by Derry McDonell that will appear in the February/March issue of Accident Prevention magazine. Derry is a freelance writer with more than 20 years’ experience in OHS and human resources management issues. He was the founding editor of Canadian HR Reporter; mcdonell.derry@gmail.com.
How IAPA can help
- Attend these sessions at Health & Safety Canada 2009, April 20-22 in Toronto
- Guarding Minds @ Work: A Workplace Guide to Psychological Safety and Health, Apr. 20, 11:15 a.m.
- Forum on Mental Health, moderated by Michael Kirby, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Apr. 20, 1:45 p.m.
- Now You Know — So What Do You Do, Apr. 20, 1:45 p.m.
- Workload Unplugged: Strategies for the Overworked, Overloaded and Overwhelmed, Apr. 20, 3:30 p.m.
- Building Resilience in a Difficult Time, Apr. 21, 1:45 p.m.
- Changing Perceptions, Apr. 21, 11:15 a.m.
- The 911 of Surviving Stress in a Type ‘A’ World — 4 Critical Components of Staying Healthy Under Pressure, Apr. 22, 9:30 a.m.
- Access these and other free downloads from IAPA’s website:
- Work-Life Balance: A Strategic Business Issue (also offered as a 3-hour workshop or a 1-hour presentation, and available on-site, on request)
- Creating Healthy Workplaces, a comprehensive rationale for creating a physically and psychologically healthy work environment.
- Psychosocial Risk Management: What Every Business Manager Should Know
- Tap into healthy workplace consultation, training and programs
IAPA consultants can help your firm generate safety and performance advantages that result from achieving nationally recognized healthy workplace criteria. IAPA is an authorized provider of NQI Healthy Workplace courses and related materials, the NQI Progressive Excellence Program (NQI PEP) and related materials, and related services.
In the News
Free e-course demo — Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): Awareness
In conjunction with the launch of six new health and safety e-courses, IAPA is now offering a free demo e-course, Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): Awareness. MSDs are Canada’s most frequent type of lost-time injury, and the largest source of lost-time worker compensation costs.
All e-courses were developed by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Three of the courses, designed especially for the Ontario market, were developed in collaboration with IAPA. The courses include:
- Canada Labour Code, Part II: An Overview
- Federal Hazard Prevention Program
- Health and Safety Committees in the Canadian Federal Jurisdiction
- Joint Health and Safety Committees in Ontario
- Preventing Falls from Slips and Trips in Ontario
- WHMIS for Managers and Supervisors in Ontario
Two more courses will be available by spring 2009:
- Contractor Health and Safety in Ontario
- Health and Safety for Managers and Supervisors in Ontario
And more courses are on the way.
Most courses are one hour in length and provide introductory/basic information on the topic. They are intended to serve as springboards to IAPA’s more comprehensive offerings or as refresher training. One notable exception is Health and Safety for Managers and Supervisors in Ontario, a comprehensive, 8- to 10-hour offering.
The e-courses, delivered on-line via the learner’s computer and an Internet connection to IAPA’s website, offer numerous benefits:
- available on demand—you decide when and where training takes place
- flexible—learners work at their own pace, at their convenience
- quick and easy—bring employees up to speed quickly and easily
- cost-effective—spend training dollars on training instead of travel and hotels
- consistent—everyone receive the same information and instruction
- trackable—track and report on training activities and learner success
Learn more about course content and pricing, licensing and registration details.
Make the spring seat belt safety campaign work for you
Ontario’s 2009 Spring Seatbelt Campaign will run from April 15 to April 26. Take advantage of this public safety campaign to mount your own workplace campaign.
What do seat belts have to do with the workplace? Everything.
Motor vehicle collisions are the greatest single cause of traumatic workplace fatalities in Ontario. Between 2000 and 2005, vehicle crashes were responsible for an estimated 200 work-related deaths, accounting for more than 30% of all work-related traumatic fatalities.
This year’s campaign has two themes: buckling up, and booster seats. The latter may be less relevant to your workplace (unless many employees are parents of young children), but the former certainly is, from two perspectives.
1. Driving to, from, and on behalf of work. On an average day in Ontario, motor vehicle collisions will kill at least 2 people and seriously injure over 200 more. The Ministry of Transportation estimates the resulting direct and indirect social costs at $9 billion dollars per year.
Here are some sobering driving facts:
- your chances of getting into a collision are 4X greater when you talk on your cell phone
- in 2003, collisions involving distracted drivers in Ontario resulted in more than 14,000 injuries and 75 fatalities
- driving after 19 hours without sleep is like driving with more than half the legal blood alcohol limit
- driving drowsy can be as deadly as driving drunk
- speed is one of the biggest killers on Ontario's roads
- drivers who exceed the speed limit by 30 km/h or more are about 6X more likely to kill or injure themselves
- many people admit to speeding even though they know it's unsafe
- as your driving speed increases, your time to react decreases
2. Using seat belts in lift trucks. “Seat belts should be worn by all lift truck operators,” says IAPA principal consultant John VanLenthe. “The only exception is narrow aisle vehicles. For all other types of vehicles, they should be worn.”
“Lift truck seat belts protect the operator in the event of a tip over,” explains VanLenthe. “Without the seatbelt, the operator can be thrown from the vehicle and crushed or, more likely, jump out of the vehicle through gut instinct. Jumping out actually puts the operator at greater risk, so the seat belt will keep the operator inside the confines of the truck, the safest place to be.”
VanLenthe points out that wearing seat belts is required under the Ontario Ministry of Labour's Guideline For the Safe Operation and Maintenance of Powered Lift Truck in Industry. It's also required by CSA B335-04 Standard for Lift Truck Operation.
While neither the ministry guideline nor the standard are law, seat belt requirements are enforceable under three sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, says VanLenthe.
“Under section 25, the employer is required to ensure that protective devices or controls are put into place. Seat belts are exactly that—a protective device. So, the employer has a duty to provide seat belts and a right to establish a plant rule requiring that seat belts be worn while operating a lift truck. Section 27 requires a supervisor to ‘ensure that a worker uses or wears the protective equipment that the employer requires to be used or worn.’ This is no different from, say, safety glasses or safety footwear. Lastly, section 28 requires workers to ‘use or wear the protective devices required by the employer.’
“Therefore,” continues VanLenthe, “if the rule has been established and published by the employer, the standard is now enforceable by the ministry, and supervisors and workers risk penalties for violating it.”
Is there resistance? “Absolutely, especially when operators are constantly on and off the vehicle. But taxi drivers thought the same when car seat belts became mandatory. They yelled and they screamed, but today they wear them.”
Wear them or pay the consequences. For lift truck operators who resist wearing seat belts, the risk and consequence of not wearing might be their life.
Building a seat belt campaign
The Ministry of Transportation offers campaign suggestions and materials for your own campaign. Among the suggestions:
- Run a seatbelt count: tally seatbelt use at a key location, watching for any vehicles appearing to carry more occupants than seatbelts
- Develop or obtain educational material that outlines the risks and consequences of not wearing seat belts.
- Work with local radio stations to promote seatbelt safety : use the Seatbelt Committee of Ontario’s seatbelt audio public service announcements, for distribution to local or campus radio outlets, or for use in workplace announcements or events
- Hold a contest—buckle up contests, slogans, or public service announcements: set up contests among workplace departments on who can correctly buckle up a child in a booster seat. Partner with local police to act as judges
- Hold a seatbelt trivia game show: use background information on seatbelts to create the questions and material for a game show
Among the support materials:
- tip cards of seatbelt myths and facts
- “Buckle Up Ontario” Frisbees
- ministry child car seat publications: Child Car Safety Seat Installation Tips and Child Car Seats Quick Facts
For more information or to inquire about campaign materials, download the free 2009 Spring Seatbelt Campaign Guide (88 KB PDF)
How IAPA can help improve lift truck safety
- Explore these online articles, free downloads, training courses and other resources compiled by IAPA
- Attend these lift truck sessions at Health & Safety Canada 2009, IAPA’s national conference and trade show taking place in Toronto April 20-22.
- Put Wheels Under Your Lift Trucks, April 20, 3:30 p.m.
- The Use of Seatbelts for Lift Trucks, April 21, 1:45 p.m.
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