The depoliticization of health and safety committees and representation: The Ontario case

Studies in several national jurisdictions have highlighted the limitations of joint health and safety committees and worker representatives in affecting change in working conditions. Using Canadian data, this article focuses on the argument that many health and safety committees and worker representatives have been captured or substantially controlled through the State’s promotion of an internal responsibility system framed around a technocratic partnership. The historical development of this framing is first understood within a political economic framework which highlights several major influences, followed by a field theory analysis which explains how these control relations are established by management within workplace settings.

Setting priorities: Testing a tool to assess and prioritize workplace chemical hazards

BACKGROUND: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training is obligatory for Ontario workplaces. The purpose of this training is to help workers understand the health and safety issues associated with using chemicals, including how to understand the information contained in the Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) that come with all chemicals. However, many workers still do not know how hazardous workplace chemicals can be and they find it difficult to objectively determine the level of hazard posed by the chemicals they use. OBJECTIVE: A team of researchers, unions, and health and safety associations created a tool for Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC) of small and medium-sized businesses to help them identify, assess and prioritize the health hazards posed by workplace chemicals using SDSs as the primary source of information. METHODS: The team recruited the JHSCs of six workplaces to pilot the usefulness of the Chemical Hazard Assessment and Prioritization (CHAP) tool. The CHAP tool helps workplaces rank their chemicals within one of five hazard levels using information contained in SDSs. RESULTS: Despite a difficult recruitment process, the participating JHSCs thought the CHAP process of assessing and prioritizing their workplace chemicals was useful. It raised their awareness of chemical hazards, increased their understanding of SDSs, and helped them prioritize their chemicals for improved control measures. CONCLUSIONS: Small and medium-sized businesses found the tool to be useful, but suggested that an electronic version would be easier to use.

Setting priorities: chemical hazard assessment and prioritization (CHAP): an intuitive excel tool

The purpose of CHAP is to assist small to medium workplaces and their Joint Health and Safety Committees to: 1. Better understand the hazards associated with the chemicals/products they are using; and 2. Prioritize the most ‘hazardous’ chemicals/products for additional assessment of the effectiveness of control measures which are currently in-place.

Setting priorities: chemical hazard assessment and prioritization (CHAP): an intuitive excel tool

The purpose of CHAP is to assist small to medium workplaces and their Joint Health and Safety Committees to: 1. Better understand the hazards associated with the chemicals/products they are using; and 2. Prioritize the most ‘hazardous’ chemicals/products for additional assessment of the effectiveness of control measures which are currently in-place.

Hot Topics in Safety for Pediatric Anesthesia

Anesthesiology is one of the leading medical specialties in patient safety. Pediatric anesthesiology is inherently higher risk than adult anesthesia due to differences in the physiology in children. In this review, we aimed to describe the highest yield safety topics for pediatric anesthesia and efforts to ameliorate risk. Conclusions: Pediatric anesthesiology has made great strides in patient perioperative safety with initiatives including the creation of a specialty society, quality and safety committees, large multi-institutional research efforts, and quality improvement initiatives. Common pediatric peri-operative events are now monitored with multi-institution and organization collaborative efforts, such as Wake Up Safe.

Assessment of the occupational health and safety system in local health centers in Metro Manila

The environment of health care workers (HCWs) is considered as one of the most hazardous settings due to the nature of their work. In the Philippines, this continues to be overlooked in terms of programs and services on occupational health and safety (OHS). One possible reason for this is the existing information gap on OHS which limits data comparability and effective monitoring and assessment of interventions. This study assessed the OHS system in 13 barangay health centers in a selected city using the 6 building blocks of a health system framework. Assessment was done through walk-through surveys, documents review, and key informant interview. Qualitative data from the interview were coded using NVivo while quantitative data were summarized using EpiInfo. Results showed that there remains to be gaps in terms of improving occupational health and safety in local health centers. In terms of leadership and governance, a general policy on OHS for all local health centers was found to be lacking and in effect, an absence of health and safety committees. In terms of financing, the lack of a separate budget specific for OHS programs and services was also found to be a limitation. As a result, there was no OHS personnel identified and only one staff had valid training on OHS among all 13 health centers. There was also no established information system for OHS in place. Only 2 out of 13 health centers have Safety Inspection Reports while only three have Workplace Environment Monitoring Report. Based on the results of the study, there is a general need for improvement in terms of the occupational health and safety system in the city where the health centers were situated. Among all the elements of the occupational health and safety system, the lack of an overarching policy on OHS resulted in the absence of health and safety committees, inadequate budget and worker specific services for OHS, lack of related trainings and workshops, and poor information and reporting system. Key messages Data on conditions of OHS systems in the local health center setting are limited, thus the study provides information on areas of improvement for health systems strengthening. There is a need for policies on OHS in the local health center setting to strengthen the system for improved service delivery, information management and financing for OHS.

Applying an Error Reduction Model to an Injury and Illness Prevention Programs- Steps to Improve an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS)

Implementing proactive steps to control workplace hazards is the key to an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). A model for an IIPP that incorporated error reduction techniques was developed by Rutgers through an OSHA Susan Harwood grant. A “user’s manual” outlining various strategies, techniques, and materials necessary to successfully administer and facilitate a sustainable IIPP and a one-day training course to assist practitioners implement the program, was developed as part of this program. A follow-up study with the 118 participants who attended the training showed that they were able to more effectively organize onsite safety committees, engage workers in the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) cycle, and develop peer mentorship programs. Latent issues including the lack of resources (time, staff, and funds) were seen as impediments to effective program deployment.