OSHA Updates Recommend Workplace Health and Safety Practices

A new set of recommended practices for health and safety programs has been laid out by OSHA, intended to provide employers with a methodical approach to improving the health and safety of workplaces. With a new and easier to use format, the document has updated the 1989 OSHA guidelines, with supporting tools and resources to particularly help small and medium-sized …

Alberta Farm Coalition Plans to Lead the Way in Workplace Safety

Now that the Bill 6 consultation process is winding down, the coalition of Alberta agriculture groups, AgCoalition, is turning its focus back to advancing safety culture and QHSE on Alberta farms. Formed in January, the 29 farms in the coalition represent 97 percent of Alberta’s agricultural industry. Since January, AgCoalition has been kept busy in a consultation process regarding Alberta’s …

Alberta Health & Safety Conference – Improving Safety in the Workplace

The annual Alberta Health and Safety Conference kicked off yesterday, with more than 450 health and safety industry leaders in attendance, sharing their thoughts on health and safety related topics. Held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, the conference is a great source of health and safety education and an ideal place to share ideas and learn from health …

Partnership Aims to Improve QHSE in the Canadian Trucking Industry

The Canadian Trucking Alliance and Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety are partnering to enhance QHSE practices in the trucking industry. The overall goal of the partnership is to reduce and prevent injury and fatality rates, which continue to be an issue in the trucking industry, despite efforts to heighten health and safety. The memorandum of understandingsigned by both …

Developing a Healthy Safety Culture Is at the Heart of the Mining Industry

While the mining industry has been working towards enhanced safety practices and full compliance with safety standards by embracing innovative safety technologies, creating a culture focused on proactive health and safety has been essential in improving QHSE practices across the industry. The adoption and use of digital technologies and QHSE management software to mitigate safety risks has been on the …

Improving QHSE On Construction Sites With Virtual RealityTechnology

Researchers at the Institute for Computation in Engineering at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum are using virtual reality technology to create interactive training programs and improve QHSE practices on construction sites. Through this technology, workers can be trained, experience work site accidents and explore simulated work site environments with equipment noise and weather conditions. The researchers are studying the behavior and testing …

Workplace Injury Claims Nearly Double On Alberta Farms

Since January, when workplace compensation coverage became mandatory for farms, the number of injury claims from Alberta farm employees has nearly doubled. In the first half of 2016, the WCB received 395 claims from Alberta farm employees, of which 356 were accepted. Compared to the numbers from 2015, this is a sharp increase with nearly double the amount of injury …

Citations, penalties from inspectors reduce workplace injuries and improve QHSE

A recent study by the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto has found that workplace inspections resulting in citations and penalties for infractions have been key and effective in motivating employers to improve QHSE conditions, making workplaces much safer, and reducing the number of workplace injuries overall. Published in June, the study concluded that when an OHS officer or …

SmartSite Releases Cloud Based Software to Manage Safety at Construction Sites

Software startup SmartSite has recently released hardware and cloud based health and safety software to help manage QHSE processes at constructions sites, using sensors to track employee exposure to health and safety hazards. Designed to reduce site safety risks, the hardware/software combination will monitor air particles, hazardous substances, noise and vibration levels, and exposure to UV rays to ensure construction …

Improving Safety Culture Through Employee Engagement

A recent study has found that workplace cultures in which employees are engaged in their jobs and QHSE practices are not only more efficient and productive, but are also safer places to work overall. Gallup’s 2016 study — examining over 82,000 business units and 1.8 million employees in 230 organizations, across 49 industries and in 73 countries — shows that …