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Workplace Health & Safety Web site: www.whs.gov.ab.ca

they take your breath awayOxygen-deficient atmospheres . . .

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O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 22

P e r s p e c t i v e

by Dr. Herb Buchwald

OH&S 25 years agoOver the years, the Alberta government’s role in occupa-tional health and safety has developed hand in hand withthe province’s growing industrial base.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, with increasingnationwide concern about environmental and occupationalhealth and safety issues, responsibilities for oh&s were frag-mented under several departmental programs. There wasno legislated direction, little coordination and no identifi-cation of priorities. Recognizing this, in 1974 the Albertagovernment established the Gale Commission on IndustrialHealth and Safety to make recommendations on prioritiesand future directions for reducing the escalating number ofworkplace illnesses, injuries and deaths.

Based on this commission’s recommendations, in April1976 a consolidated Occupational Health and SafetyDivision was formed in the Department of Labour, to besupported by the new Occupational Health and Safety Act andregulations that became law in December of the same year.The commission focused attention on the following priorityareas:

• the worker and the work site• education• occupational health services• research and development• the inspectorate (government work site inspectors)• the role of management and unions

Has anything changed?Now, 26 years later, Alberta’s workplaces are again subjectto an escalating number of injuries and deaths that havereached unacceptable proportions. Is history repeating itselfor can there be some other reason for this trend? In myopinion, both old and new factors are at work.

The priorities of 1976 are still valid, and there is much tobe learned from reviewing them in the light of present-dayworkplace organization and practices. Admittedly, thelabour force and the number of workplaces have increasedsignificantly. Many workers are holding down more thanone job. The number of part-time and contract workers hasalso increased, while the number receiving some form oflabour union protection has been markedly reduced.

Research is desperately needed to identify the kind ofwork and the nature of the workplaces that give rise to thegreatest risks of injury and death. Death should not neces-sarily be the major determinant of priority for preventiveaction. Deaths represent only the visible tip of an icebergwhose base of debilitating injury, human costs and otherlosses largely remains unseen by the general public.Research needs to be extended to determine which preven-tive initiatives are likely to be successful in differentworking environments. Age, gender, education, trainingand experience of workers are factors that need to beconsidered.

The circumstances surrounding the cause and preventionof industrial accidents have many similarities to motorvehicle accidents. Education, operator experience, equipment design and maintenance, weather, visibility,individual habits and attention factors, as well as knowledge of the rules and regulations (law) and

enforcement of law, aresome of the variables thatplay a part in the genesisof an accident. Drivers (orworkers) have confidenceand belief in their owninfallibility and ability toavoid accidents. Howwrong they are!

Compliance works with educationThere is no doubt that a police presence ensures compli-ance with the law in most cases. The appointment of aCrown prosecutor to facilitate all prosecutions under theOccupational Health and Safety Act is a major step forward, asare the greatly increased penalties for violation of the Actand regulations. However, these are after-the-fact measuresgenerally applied to fatal and other very serious accidentsor habitual violators of the law. What needs to be done toprevent non-compliance with the law when workers are notaware of what the law says? Often workers are too intimi-dated by their employers and co-workers to find out whattheir rights and responsibilities are under the law.

Before 1980 there were between eight and 12 deathsannually resulting from the cave-in or collapse of unsafetrenches and excavations. In 1981 a vigorous campaign wasinstituted to eliminate these needless deaths. The campaignconsisted of education and extensive public information,followed by regular inspection of construction sites andknown excavation projects. Stop-work orders were issuedand followed up at all projects not in compliance with thelaw. Prosecutions were initiated against employers andworkers where there was clear evidence of persons workingin an unsafe trench or excavation. The campaign paid off:the number of deaths was reduced each year until therewere none by 1985.

The problem, of course, is the constant changing of work-places, employers and workers, so that the cautionarylessons and preventive measures may not be passed on fromone generation to the next. A constant renewal of effort isneeded. As the epilogue to the Gale Commission reported:“We found in Alberta a regrettable apathy towards thesubject [occupational health and safety] . . . . Overcomingthis apathy exhibited by worker and employer alike, is nodoubt one of the greatest problems facing us in the area ofoccupational safety and health. Education, closely linkedwith enforcement of well-rounded regulations, is only astart. Exposure to knowledge is of little use if willingness tolearn is lacking, and it has been shown time and again thatenforcement of good regulations is disregarded when thepoliceman is not evident.”

Much has been achieved during the past 25 years, butmuch more remains to be done for success to be maintained.

Dr. Herb Buchwald was assistant deputy minister of the OccupationalHealth and Safety Division at the Department of Labour in 1976. From1979 until he retired in 1988 he was managing director of the divisionthrough several departmental moves. For the last eight years he hasbeen a commissioner with the Appeals Commission for Alberta Workers’Compensation.

I was there!

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 3

M A G A Z I N E

O C C U P A T I O N A L

An Alberta Human Resources and Employment publication

Managing Editor – Wally BaerEditor – Juliet Kershaw

Occupational Health & Safety Magazine is published three times a year, in January, Mayand September. Magazine policy is guided by the Occupational Health & Safety MagazineAdvisory Board consisting of industry and government representatives.

Membership on the Occupational Health & Safety Magazine Advisory Board is open toany resident of Alberta with knowledge and experience in the field of health and safety,and an interest in communicating health and safety information to the public. Any individual interested in joining the Board should submit a letter of application to themanaging editor of the magazine (See below: How to contact us). The Board meets threetimes a year in Edmonton. Board members do not receive remuneration or reimbursementfor expenses related to meetings.

Occupational Health & Safety Magazine Advisory Board members:Chris Chodan Alberta Human Resources and Employment Communications

Bob Cunningham Propane Gas Association GroupDianne Paulson Alberta Construction Safety Association

Lloyd Harman Alberta Forest Products AssociationAlain Langlais Alberta Human Resources and Employment

Workplace Health and SafetyCorinne Pohlmann Canadian Federation of Independent Business

On occasion, this publication refers to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. In the event of a discrepancy between statements in this publication and theAct or regulations, the Act or regulations take precedence. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy ofAlberta Human Resources and Employment or the Government of Alberta.

Subscriptions to Occupational Health & Safety Magazine are available without charge by calling (780) 415-9948. When notifying us of a change of address, send an address labelor subscription number with the new address.Letters to the editor We welcome response to articles or information published in thismagazine, as well as suggestions for future articles. We will print letters to the editor asspace permits. The editor reserves the right to edit letters.Copyright is held by the Government of Alberta. Reproduction of articles in their entiretyis permitted. A reproduced article must include: the author’s name; title of the article; fullname of the magazine; the date, volume and issue number of the magazine. The magazineis available as a PDF file on the Internet at: www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/publications/ohsmag.htm. For permission to reproduce excerpts of any article, please contact the magazine’s administration office at (780) 415-9948 or whs@gov.ab.ca.

How to contact usOccupational Health & Safety MagazineAlberta Human Resources and Employment Workplace Health and Safety and Employment Standards Compliance10th Floor, 7th Street Plaza - South Tower10030 - 107 StreetEdmonton, Alberta T5J 3E4

(780) 415-9948(780) 427-0999 (For toll-free connection within Alberta dial 310-0000 before the number)whs@gov.ab.ca

How to get more occupational health and safety information

Look up the Workplace Health and Safety Web site at www.whs.gov.ab.caContact the Workplace Health and Safety Call Centre at 1-866-415-8690

Design and layout by McRobbie Design Group Inc.Printing by Quebecor World EdmontonPublication Mail Agreement No. 1528572ISSN 0705-6052 © 2002

contentsP e r s p e c t i v e

2 I Was There!by Dr. Herb Buchwald

S t o r i e s

6 It’s Just Differentby Anita Jenkins

8 Oxygen-deficient Atmospheresby Bill Corbett

10 Lockoutsby Nordahl Flakstad

16 Bringing Home the Hazardsby Debbie Culbertson

P r o f i l e

19 Dow Defies the Oddsby Norma Ramage

E r g o t i p s

14 Seven Myths About Back Painby Ray Cislo

M u c h M o r e

4 Happy 25th!

5 News & Notes

12 Record it Right, Report it Right

18 Real World Solutions

18 Web Watcher

20 Workplace Health & Safety (WHS)

21 Partnerships: Pullin’ Down the Rates

22 The Last Resort

23 Workplace Fatalities

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)Division, and responsible for the intro-duction of the new publication. “Oneimportant recommendation of theGale Report was the need for educa-tion and communication, particularlyof workers and places of work,” saysBuchwald of the decision to establish

a regular publication for allworkplaces, libraries, govern-ment departments and unionsin the province.

The OHS division includedan education branch responsi-ble for producing the newpublication, including itseditorial content and design.Under editor Jim Haughton’sdirection, branch staff choseand wrote the content featuring oh&s programs, regulations and incident information. “We took a lookat statistical information andproblem areas where therewere most injuries, such asfalls from heights or cave-ins oftrenches,” explains Buchwald,25 years later.

Joe Miller assumedHaughton’s responsibilities in1986. He remembers that inthe mid-1980s “there was adesire to expand the scope ofthe magazine beyond theemployer” to make it morerelevant to front-line oh&sprofessionals and workers.

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was an importantyear for occupationalhealth and safety inAlberta. The Albertagovernment, respond-ing to the 1975 Gale

Report, established a division devotedsolely to occupational health and

safety, and brought into legislation thefirst Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Following closely on the heels ofthese events, in early 1977 the firstissue of Occupational Health & SafetyMagazine was published.

Dr. Herb Buchwald was assistantdeputy minister of the new

1976Magazine!

“Since 1977, much haschanged in the work-place, but the one thingthat has not is the needfor communication about occupational health and safety.”Alberta Human Resources and Employment Minister, Clint Dunford

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 5

N e w s & N o t e s

The Big OneFirst Annual Health & Safety Conference of AlbertaNovember 19 – 21, 2002, Edmonton Inn, EdmontonThe Health & Safety Conference Society of Alberta, a non-profit associa-tion of health and safety associations, employer associations and otherpartners, is sponsoring the first annual Health & Safety Conference ofAlberta. The conference offers high-impact learning for practitioners,managers and consultants. It features a wide range of exhibitors and session topics, and high-profile keynote speakers.

Two days of presentations and a trade show of more than 50 exhibitorswill be followed by a day reserved for formal training sessions.

For more information, contact Dianne Paulson, (780) 453-3311 or 1-800-661-2272.

OHS Regulation — update Legal drafting of the new occupational health and safety regulation continues, with completion anticipated for this fall. The targetedapproval date of the new regulation has been delayed until the end ofthe year.

Completion of the three-year review of provincial occupational healthand safety regulations is a key initiative at Workplace Health and Safety.Regular review of the regulations ensures that the most appropriatetechnical and scientific standards are incorporated into the workplacesafety rules prescribed in the regulations. The review of each regulationis conducted through public consultation by a task force comprised ofemployer, worker and government representatives.

Bonus offer with workplace violence video The $15 video, “Concerned About Workplace Violence?”, produced byWorkers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB), comes with a bonusoffer: a 30-minute presentation by a WCB representative to help youdevelop a customized violence prevention program at your workplace. Inthe Edmonton and Calgary regions the presentation is offered at no cost;elsewhere, the cost will be confined to covering presenters’ expenses.

Call (780) 498-4822 for more information.

Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week! October 21 - 27, 2002 Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week has been designated to increaseawareness of the importance of healthy workplaces and to encourageCanadian organizations, large and small, to participate in comprehensiveworkplace health promotion, prevention and wellness strategies.

A comprehensive approach to workplace health includes conducting a thorough needs assessment, and developing an organiza-tional health plan and effective evaluation strategies. When used withinany organization, the comprehensive workplace health approach optimizes organizational productivity and employee well-being.

To find guidelines for implementing a comprehensive workplacehealth in an organization, see www.nqi.ca/english/index.html.

2002 Municipal Safety/Utility Workshop and Trade ShowNovember 26 – 28, 2002Red Deer Lodge, Red Deer, AlbertaWorkshop topics include a look at the soon-to-be-released General SafetyRegulation amendments, tools to apply the working alone legislation andoptions for locating underground utilities.

For more information, contact Al Coker at (403) 347-0324 oradcoker@shaw.ca.

Thus in 1986 the second generation ofthe publication emerged, transformedfrom a 12-page newsletter format intoa 24-page magazine with a full-colourcover.

Miller thoroughly enjoyed his 10years as the magazine’s editor andthen managing editor. “It was a funand generally rewarding thing to do,which brought a positive and thankfulresponse from readers.” He recalls anemployer once telling him that themagazine had prevented a seriousinjury when a worker rememberedsomething he’d learned from themagazine.

The magazine’s present manage-ment structure was implemented in1997 under Charlotte Moran, whofollowed Miller. She instituted anadvisory board of representatives fromindustry, labour and government toguide the choice of content for themagazine. “To me,” comments Miller,“one of the great advances wasputting in place an advisory board.For many years editorial had devel-oped internally, but the board helpedthe magazine develop a focus that wasappropriate.”

Over the last decade, there havebeen dramatic changes not only in theworkplace but in the oh&s industryitself. As Miller points out, “Most oh&sprofessionals worked in governmentwhen I first got involved; now I expectthere are ten times as many in theprivate sector. It’s become a realprofession.” Today, content inOccupational Health & Safety Magazinereflects the needs of the oh&s profes-sional, the industrial and officeworker, and the employer.

Wally Baer is the current managingeditor of the magazine and director ofWorkplace Health and Safety. For Baer,one of the biggest changes in oh&ssince the early days of the magazine isthat “occupational health and safetyhas become a broad societal issue.”

Baer is confident that as trendschange, Occupational Health & SafetyMagazine will continue to keepAlbertans informed. “While there’smore recognition that attitudes andbehaviours practised at home, on thehighway and at play follow us into theworkplace,” he says of today’s chal-lenge, “we can expect to see themagazine reflect this, as it continuesits tradition established over the past25 years of helping people to stay safeand healthy.”

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P recision Drilling, a rapidly expanding internationaloilfield services company based in Calgary, employsover 10,000 people and consequently manages a huge

amount of safety data. In the drilling division alone, 32,000safety meetings are held each year and approximately16,000 hazard observations are received from the field. Anadministrator at each operating centre collects informationfrom the 223 sites located in Western Canada. PrecisionDrilling has developed its own in-house software to handledata-tracking activities and produce the information needed to manage all aspects of its safety program.

In St. Isidore, François Allard, co-owner of Allard Logging,takes on most of the responsibility for promoting healthand safety to his two or three seasonal employees. The com-pany hired a consultant to develop a policy and proceduresmanual, and it pays for workers’ safety training. The rest,however, is up to François and his partner and brother,Pierre Allard. They personally maintain the machinery,ensure that workers maintain a safe environment, completethe forms and checklists, and keep the safety manual cur-rent. The Allards also keep the books, market the company’sservices and handle the many other tasks that most smallbusiness owners must somehow fit into their schedules.

So which of these companies faces a greater challenge? Isit more difficult to ensure that a staff of thousands is working safely within a complex company structure thathas many levels of management? Or to have direct personalcontact with employees but also be expected to meet standards that — some say — are designed with large companies in mind and may not fully recognize the uniqueneeds of a small operation?

When Occupational Health & Safety Magazine posed thesequestions to variously sized Alberta employers, the responses were both thoughtful and reassuring.

Large and in chargeAt Precision Drilling, because oilfield drilling is seasonal,staff turnover is high. Therefore, the company constantlyhas to deliver safety training programs to new supervisorsand new workers. “We have to offer continuous training tomeet the demand,” says Steve James, vice president, health,safety and environment for the company’s contract drilling group, who leads a staff of nine safety professionals.

As well, numerous amalgamations with smaller companies have presented the challenge of “bringingtogether different cultures,” as James describes it. The key

It’s Just DifferentIt’s Just Different

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 7

by Anita Jenkins

method of ensuring company-wide consisten-cy and continuous improvement, James says,is to stay focused. This is done by schedulingregular safety meetings and field visits (over1,000 visits in the year 2001 by operationsand safety staff).

“It takes time to change things,” Jamesobserves when asked about the pros and consof managing health and safety in a largeoperation. “But the positive thing aboutworking for a large company is the opportu-nities you have to provide leadership to thewhole industry.”

High staff turnover is often afactor in large companies’ healthand safety planning, particularlynow that Alberta’s economy isthriving and job opportunitiesabound. In high-risk industries,such as those that involve the useof powerful machinery, inherentrisk is complicated by staffturnover and by the employment of numbersof people who come from countries whereinjury or even death on the job is considerednormal. Keeping workers safe demands cre-ative and innovative methods of introducingworkers to safe work practices. One companyhas, for example, introduced a risk assess-ment database, behaviour-based safetyprocesses and a safety IQ program.

Small is beautiful, sometimes“A little bit of structure goes a long way,” says Wally Baer,director of Workplace Health and Safety. He’s talking abouthow important it is for small companies to have health andsafety programs, even when resources (money and time) areminimal. “An oh&s program doesn’t have to be onerous,”Baer says.

Others with more direct experience in small businesssometimes mention the red-tape barriers that provincialsafety regulations can create. Interestingly, though, most ofthe people we spoke with tended to agree with Baer’s obser-vations. Dan Kelly, vice president, Prairie region, of theCanadian Federation of Independent Business, even sees cer-tain advantages in being a small operation. “The people atthe top often work alongside their employees so they knowthe risks,” Kelly comments. “Being able to observe the situa-tion first-hand is a real benefit.”

Kelly has observed that there is a “growing understandingon the part of government that businesses of different sizesoperate differently.” He says this type of recognition isbecoming increasingly important since almost three quar-ters of Alberta’s businesses employ fewer than five peopleand 95 percent have fewer than 50 employees. In 1998,small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) accounted for 37per cent of total employment in the province.

One step the government has taken recently is to revampthe standards for the Partnerships Small EmployerCertificate of Recognition Program. SECORP, which enablessmall employers to meet industry standards (increasingly arequirement for subcontractors) through partnerships withsafety associations, industry groups and other agencies,now permits small companies with ten or fewer employeesto opt for self-assessment in the certifying process. Thisproject is going well, says Rob Feagan, the Partnershipsmanager at Workplace Health and Safety. Feagan hasobserved that people often make their first contact withSECORP because they want to bid on a project that requires

a Certificate of Recognition (COR). But then ayear or so later he hears them saying, “Hey, waita minute. This really means something.”

Still, some find it hard to meet safety stan-dards required for a COR. Kent Strandquist,owner of Kent’s Contracting, appreciates thevalue of safety, having lost a brother in the log-ging industry some years back. Even so, he says,his small company in Hillcrest that employs fiveor six people could not have done what is

required for certification if he had been just starting out.“It’s a lot of work to document everything,” Strandquistsays, “and it cost close to $2,000.” Furthermore, Strandquistdoes not believe that he is operating any more safely thanbefore. “Nobody has been injured in my company in years,”he says. “We are all friends, and we are all experienced.”

Dan Campeau, project manager and safety officer atPetro-Chem Fabricators, Edmonton, admits that his viewsmay be coloured by his past experience with a larger company and the fact that his company’s size (between 13and 16 employees) makes safety planning somewhat moremanageable. Nonetheless, Campeau says, even very smalloperations have to set a goal. “You are still a business person. You set your budget for the year, and setting up asafety plan is really no different. Striving for quality andproductivity and safety are all part of being a successfulbusiness.”

Bill Santrock, owner of Totem Welding in Edmonton,would like to see the audit process simplified, and he hasheard that this could happen. Nonetheless, no matter whatis required, “We’ll continue to do it,” he says. As he puts it,if one of his employees (currently between seven and 10 people) had a serious accident and he was not meeting thesafety standards, “I could be hung out to dry.” Allard echoesSantrock’s comments, on a different level. “What would myfamily do without me?” he asks.

Overall, the interviewees said, a life is a life and a limb isa limb, regardless of where you work. Safety is an integralpart of any type of business. Perhaps Lloyd Harman, directorof health, safety and loss management, Alberta ForestProducts Association, says it best. “It’s not harder or easierto offer an occupational health and safety program in alarge or small business,” Harman states. “It’s just different.”

Anita Jenkins is a freelance writer and editor living in Edmonton.

The size of your business doesn’t count when it comes to managing health & safety

“It’s not harder oreasier to offer anoccupationalhealth and safetyprogram in a largeor small business.It’s just different.”

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Hydrogen sulphide, carbonmonoxide and other toxic gasesget most of the publicity. But the

mere absence of a benign substancethat’s all around us can be just ashazardous.

An oxygen-deficient atmosphere caninjure or even kill workers, often withno obvious warning signs to theunaware. The good news is that byfollowing a few simple safety proce-dures, workers can safely handle anynumber of oxygen-deficient situations.

It’s the number one toxic hazard“Everybody talks about toxic hazardslike hydrogen sulphide, particularly inAlberta’s oil and gas industry. Butworldwide, oxygen deficiency isprobably the number one hazard,” saysGreg Rude, national sales managerwith Calgary-based BW TechnologiesLtd., a leading manufacturer of indus-trial gas monitors.

The reason is, there are many waysoxygen can be displaced or diluted,especially in confined spaces. And itdoesn’t take much of an oxygen deficitfor serious problems to occur.

The normal oxygen content in air is20.9 per cent, halfway between thegenerally accepted workplace standardof 19.5 to 23 per cent byvolume, under normalatmospheric pressure. Anoxygen-deficient atmos-phere occurs when oxygenlevels fall below 19.5 percent, at which point the airdoes not contain sufficientoxygen to support metabolism for anunlimited period of time.

At 17 per cent oxygen by volume, thesymptoms might simply be faster anddeeper breathing. But by 15 per cent,they can quickly progress to dizzinessand rapid heartbeat. Levels below 13per cent can lead to unconsciousnessand, around six per cent, to death.These are rough guidelines for theaverage healthy person at rest. They

can vary according to indi-vidual health (for example,whether one smokes), levelof physical exertion andaltitude.

The problem is, unlessone has a gas detector thatmonitors oxygen levels,there are no warning signs,such as odour or colour, that anythingis wrong. Often victims are too dazedor weak to help themselves or evensummon help. The situation canescalate tragically if a worker losesconsciousness upon entering anoxygen-deficient space and then hasseveral unwitting co-workers come toinvestigate or attempt a rescue.

Causes of oxygen-deficientatmospheresOxygen-deficient atmospheres typicallyoccur in confined, unventilated spaces,where an inert gas such as nitrogen orargon has displaced the oxygen.Usually this displacement is uninten-

tional, such as a leak or spillfrom a compressor, cylinderor other piece of equipment.Several years ago, an Albertaworker died after entering atrench where liquid nitrogenapparently escaped from afreeze-plug jacket used to

test a piece of exposed pipeline.Often, it doesn’t take much of a leak

to create a hazard. One litre of liquidnitrogen expands to nearly 700 litres ofnitrogen gas when warmed to roomtemperature. Liquid neon expands to1,445 times its original volume whenvaporized. “Even a small leak from atank has the potential to displace allthe breathable oxygen if the space isnot well ventilated,” says Ray Cislo,

by Bill Corbett

Signs and symptoms of oxygen-deficientexposure (% oxygen by volume)

15-19% Decreased ability to performtasks or work strenuously. Mayimpair coordination and mayinduce symptoms in those withcoronary, pulmonary or circulatoryproblems.

12-15% Deeper breathing (especiallyunder exertion), increased pulserate and impaired coordination,perception and judgment.

10-12% Further increase in pulse rateand rate and depth of breathing,further impaired coordination andjudgment. Lips slightly blue.

8-10% Mental failure, nausea,vomiting, ashen face, fainting,unconsciousness, blue lips.

6-8% May be fatal in 50-100% of caseswhen exposed for 8 minutes; 25-50%fatal after 6 minutes; and recoverylikely, with treatment, after 4-5minutes.

4-6% Coma in 40 seconds, followed byconvulsions, breathing failure anddeath.

Oxygen-deficient atmoThey take your breath away

The problem isthere are no warning signs,such as odour orcolour, that anything is wrong.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 9

safety engineering specialist withWorkplace Health and Safety. “If theconcentration of oxygen in such aspace is below 12 per cent, you havevirtually no chance if you enter itunprotected.”

Gases that are heavier than air orvery cold tend to collect at or nearfloor level or in low spots such astrenches, ditches or manholes. Escaped methane in an undergroundcoal mine, however, is lighter than airand can displace oxygen near the roofof a mine shaft. In either case, theseareas may contain little or no oxygen,while surrounding areas have sufficient oxygen.

Sometimes oxygen isdisplaced intentionally byan inert gas. A welder, forexample, might use anitrogen flush to purge anold gasoline storage tank ofoxygen to prevent a sparkcausing a fire or explosion(oxygen is needed to support combustion). Such a worker wouldobviously use a self-contained breath-ing apparatus or have a supplied lineof breathing air when operating inthis oxygen-depleted atmosphere.

Oxygen levels can also become defi-cient by means other than inert gases.Bacteria, for instance, use up oxygenwhen feeding on organic matter likeoil sludge in an old tank, mouldy

straw in a storage bin or waste in asewer line. Two Alberta children diedafter entering a root cellar whererotting vegetables had consumed mostof the oxygen. A rusting grain hopper,boiler, pipeline or storage tank alsoconsumes oxygen over time and canpose a risk if not ventilated. Of course,fire also consumes oxygen.

Beware the danger of ignoranceCompanies that routinely work inconfined spaces are generally wellinformed about the risks of oxygen-deficient atmospheres and take thenecessary precautions to avoid poten-tial hazards. “A possible exception is

the worker who has testeda confined space a hundredtimes and never seen a defi-ciency and then doesn’tbother to test it thehundred-and-first time,”says Mark Rice, a hygienistwith Workplace Health andSafety.

“Generally speaking, people whofrequently work in confined spaceshave the equipment and training toprotect themselves,” adds Cislo. “Thosewho do it infrequently or don’t under-stand there’s a potential hazard mightbe playing a bit of Russian roulette.”He recalls one person who enquired ifit was all right to store and carrynitrogen cylinders in a panel van that

served as a portable workshop. Asimilar example is that of a workerwho stored dry ice in a walk-in refrig-erator, unaware that the releasedcarbon dioxide was displacing oxygenin a climate-controlled unit that hadlittle outside air exchange.

Eliminating the hazardThe first defence against an oxygen-deficient atmosphere is to remove thehazard, such as a nitrogen cylinder,from a confined space. When usinginert gas systems, always provideadequate air movement and ventila-tion, such as an air exchange systemor exhaust or floor fans. Workersshould never enter, or work in, asuspected oxygen-deficient areawithout a source of supplied air —either a self-contained breathing appa-ratus or a supplied-air breathing appa-ratus, complete with an emergencybottle of air hooked to a waist belt.

The only way to detect an oxygen-deficient atmosphere is with monitor-ing, preferably with a device thatmonitors the oxygen continuously. BWTechnologies, for example, makes anumber of portable and fixed multi-gas monitors, which provide ongoingreadings of oxygen levels and instantlytrigger audible and visual alarmswhen levels fall below safe limits.

spheres

If the volume of oxygen in a spaceis below 12 percent, you have virtually no chanceif you enter it unprotected.

continued on page 22

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A t home, you probably wouldn’tattempt to repair wiring in anelectrical socket without

flipping the breaker switch to turn off the electricity.

Unfortunately, such wisdom doesn’talways transfer to the workplace,where it’s essential to use properlockout and tagout procedures toisolate or neutralize energy sourcesduring equipment repair, mainte-nance, testing or retooling.

The onus is on workers to uselockout and tagout to prevent inadver-tent operation of equipment beingserviced. That means controls — suchas valves, switches or push buttons andcircuit breakers — should have lockoutdevices to ensure they can be securedin the OFF position. While locked out,the control device should have asecurely attached tag stating who hasplaced a lockout, when and for whatreason. The tag should also include awarning not to operate the equipmentwhile it is locked out.

Lockouts and tagouts should extendto adjacent machinery if their opera-tion also endangers workers. When it’ssafe to remove the lockout device andtag, the worker who initiated thelockout is responsible for the proce-dure. Only in emergencies shouldsupervisors or others remove thelockout. Like toothbrushes, locks andtags shouldn’t be shared.

In another sense, however, lockoutsand tagouts are tag-team events. It’s alockout AND tagout — not an

EITHER/OR propo-sition, althoughfor ease the twooperations arecommonlyreferred to simplyas a lockout.

Alberta’s occu-pational healthand safety regula-tions requireemployers to have

procedures, training and equipmentneeded for effective lockouts.Supplying a road map is one thing;following it is another. Lockoutsdepend on workers respecting them.

With pressure to save time andmaintain production, it can betempting to skip lockouts to quicklysolve a problem — perhaps by jumpingup and freeing a piece of stuck lumberon a sawmill conveyor belt. Once thatjammed two-by-four is pried loose, theconveyor, if not locked out, may beback in business. Meanwhile, the millworker may not be as lucky if struckby a robot arm activatedonce the conveyor is moving again.

Some may considerlockouts mainly a case ofswitching off electricity.However, it’s important tolock out for pneumatic,hydraulic, steam, mechani-cal, thermal, chemical and otherenergy sources. Remember also torelease stored energy — by bleeding offvapours, liquids or compressed air;discharging batteries; waiting fortemperatures to go down or a spinningflywheel to stop; or by relievingtension built up in a spring or other device.

According to John Wettstein ofWettstein Safety Strategies Inc., ofEdmonton, organizations managelockouts related to their main activities reasonably well. However,they may fall short in other areas. For

instance, an electrical utility companylikely passes muster on its electricallockout procedures. Nevertheless, thesame company may be less effective inlockout of other energy sources, say,those involving pressurized gases orfluids. The reverse may apply for apipeline company. Both companies andindividuals familiar with their ownareas of expertise can forget to transferthe same cautionary procedures toactivities performed less frequently.

Certainly, Alberta’s oil-well-servicingsector realizes that lockouts requirevigilance on several fronts.

“In our case, there are just too manyrisks associated with not locking outboth electrical and rotating equip-ment,” says John Anderson, health andsafety manager with Grizzly WellServicing, whose 100 employees workthroughout Alberta and northeastBritish Columbia. For several years,Grizzly has equipped its change facilities with keys and locks colour-coded for each member of a servicecrew. Multi-clips on the locks ensure

that employees use theirown designated key tolock out equipmentthey’re working on.

Outside eyes can helpensure all bases arecovered. Len Cicero is thepresident of LencoTraining and Technical

Services, a firm that specializes inenergy control lockout procedures. Inaddition to training and testing clients’employees, the Burlington, Ontario,firm offers lockout audits consisting ofequipment and machine surveys toidentify all isolation points and allpotential power sources. Lenco thendrafts lockout placards that provideinstruction in locking out specificequipment.

To be effective, lockout policiesshould be clear, have management’sbacking and be supported by effectivetraining programs that ensure workers

LOCKOUTSLOCKOUTS

It’s important to lockout for pneumatic,hydraulic, steam,mechanical, thermal,chemical and otherenergy sources.

the Key to Shutting

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 11

understand their individual responsi-bilities.

Along with mistaken notions aboutlockouts applying only to electricity,it’s also wrongly assumed they onlyimpact authorized maintenanceemployees and not “affected” employees (workers in the area but notdirectly involved in the maintenanceor repair work) such as production oroperation workers.

“Lockout doesn’t just apply to themillwright or the electrician,” Ciceroinsists. In fact, production workers, ifretooling or cleaning equipment, maybe required to lock out equipment.They should be familiar with energycontrol measures and recognize theneed to respect lockout.

The need to lock out energy sourcesof equipment is not confined to largeindustrial settings. For instance, inade-quate or non-existent lockout proce-dures on dough-makers have led toserious injuries in small bakeries. Andthe recreational setting of a ski hillmay turn deadly when lockouts arenot followed. Locking out is as criticalon the farm, in food processing plantsand in auto repair shops as it is inlumber mills, at mines and on oil rigs.

Alberta regulations acknowledgethat while a company is checking theoperation of equipment, it’s some-times necessary to run the equipment.In such instances where a lockout isnot possible, it is vital those workingon the equipment remain in ongoingcontact — by phone or other means —with whoever controls the equipment.

One of the most important elementsof locking out is communication withother workers. Often, the controlcentre for the lockout is distant fromthe point where work on equipmentor material will take place. In a largeindustrial plant, the person lockingout equipment in the control roomcan’t see the operator of the equip-ment in another part of the facility.It’s not uncommon — for example, in

by Nordahl Flakstad

Employees should take the following six basic steps when performing a lockout. 1. Shut down the equipment.2. Check the moving parts to see if

they've stopped.3. Shut off and put on the correct lock at

each place where you isolate theenergy source. Do this in order. Neverskip a step. Fill out and attach a tag toeach lock as you go along.

4. Check it. Test circuits for electricity.Check that switches and valves areturned off and locked. Check gaugesfor zero pressure. Turn the operatingcontrols on to see if the main energy isstill getting through. Turn them offagain.

5. Neutralize the stored energy — releaseor block off all parts under tension orpressure, wait for temperatures to godown, disconnect, drain or ventwhatever is necessary to clean out thesystem.

6. Check it. Pressure gauges should bezero. Look for movement in the system.Listen for release of air or liquid.

Employers should:• Develop a lockout policy• Identify lockout situations• Develop lockout procedures• Train workers in lockout procedures• Enforce and update lockout policy

Based on information provided by theIndustrial Accident Prevention Association,Ontario

Falling ShortRemember, even when equipment islocked out, injuries may result from:• Not confirming the right piece of

equipment is locked out.• Not bleeding off or eliminating

stored energy.• Depending on someone else to place

or remove the lockout.

R e s o u r c e sthe case of power lines and pipelines —for the points at which valves are shutoff (isolation points) to be many kilo-metres apart.

“Communication is critical,” stressesJohn Wettstein, who believes well-defined protocols strengthen distancecommunication. When distance is anissue, lockout protocols should includedocumenting the sequence of theisolation procedures for shutting off apiece of equipment or flow of liquid.

Canadian reports don’t link injurystatistics directly to lockout failures.However, the U.S. Department of Laborestimates that its lockout require-ments avert about 120 American fatalities and 50,000 injuries annually.

Lockout procedures are about savinglives and preventing injuries. They alsoare also about conferring confidenceand peace of mind.

Taking personal responsibility forlockouts is a bit like packing your ownparachute. You have a lot riding ongetting it right.

Nordahl Flakstad is an Edmonton-based writerand communications consultant.

Out Injury

WEB LINKS

www.aomc.org/HOD2/general/Accinjpr-LOCKOUT_.htmlSeven steps for lockout/tagout from the Arnot OgdenMedical Center.

www.niehs.nih.gov/odhsb/manual/man11h.htmLockout/tagout policy from NIEHS (National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences).

www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergyOSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)links to information on lockouts.

www.worksafebc.com/publications/Health_and_Safety_Information/by_industry/assets/pdf/lockout.pdf

Booklet from Worksafe B.C. (B.C. Workers’Compensation Board).

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

BooksOSHA’s Electrical Safety and Lockout Standards:Proven Written Programs for Complianceby Mark MoranRockville MD., Government Institutes, 1996. (TK 152 M64 1996)

VideosHigh Impact Lockout Safety, 20 min. Eight incident reenactments demonstrate the impor-tance of following all prescribed lockout procedures.VC0324)

Lockout Procedure, 9 min.Safe procedures for cleaning, adjusting or performingmaintenance on industrial equipment. (VC0290)

Lockout Reminders

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RECORD IT RIGHT, REPORT IT RIGHTHow to record and report job-related injuries, illnesses and incidents in Alberta

RECORD INCIDENTS

Employers mustmaintain a record book

• Enter details of all reported injuries and illnesses, and keep for three years.

• Include the following information to meet the requirements of the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Actand associated regulations.

(a) the full name of the injured worker(b) the date, place and time of the illness or injury (incident)(c) the date and time that the incident was reported or that the employer

found out about it(d) the cause of the incident(e) a description of the injury(f) the first aid/medical treatment rendered(g) qualifications of the first aider

• Use terms defined in the Workers’ Compensation Act to describe the injury and themedical treatment and to decide when and what to report.

First aidTreatment given on the work site by a first aid attendantThe worker is able to return to the job during the same shift or on the nextscheduled shift. Additional treatment is not needed. (Do not report first aid inci-dents. Just record them for authorized inspection.)

Medical aidTreatment that continues beyond first aid on the first dayThe worker returns to work on the same or next scheduled shift, during treatment. The job may be different or the work may be modified to accommodate the injury. Examples:A worker returns to work in the same or a different job but needs ongoing physiotherapy.A worker suffers hearing loss that needs ongoing attention, but continues in the same or a different job.

Disabling or lost-time injuryTreatment for an injury or illness that keeps the worker from returning to thejob on the same or the following shift.

• To meet the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations,you must record details of:

• an injury or incident that results in death• an injury or incident that results in a worker’s being admitted to a hospital for

more than two days• an unplanned or uncontrolled explosion, fire or flood that causes serious injury

or that has the potential of causing serious injury• the collapse or upset of a crane, derrick or hoist, or structure necessary for the

structural integrity of the building or structure• the collapse or failure of any component of a building or structure necessary for

the structural integrity of the building or structure

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O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 13

REPORT INCIDENTS

Workers report

Employersreport

Physiciansreport

For Workplace Health and Safety you must record and report all incidents where

death or serious injury occurs, and you must report incidents as soon as possible

where there was or could still be potential for death and serious injury.

Physicians must report to adirector of medical services*or to WHS any occurrence of specified diseases. The list of notifiable diseasescurrently includes coalworker’s pneumoconiosis,silicosis, asbestosis, mesothe-lioma and asbestos-relatedlung, laryngeal or gastroin-testinal cancer

*As defined in theOccupational Health and Safety Act.

Details of specified serious incidents The list of specified incidents includes:• fatalities• an injury or incident that

results in admission tohospital for more than twodays

• an unplanned or uncon-trolled explosion, fire orflood that causes a seriousinjury or that has thepotential of causingserious injury

• the collapse or upset of acrane, derrick or hoist, orstructure that is necessaryfor the structural integrityof a building or structure

Medical aid or disabling(lost-time) injuriesIt is not necessary to reportfirst aid injuries, but it isnecessary to keep detailedrecords for three years.

Job-related injuries andillnesses if they require firstaid or medical aid.

Injury or illness if it islikely to keep the worker offthe job past the first day ofthe occurrence.

Supervisor (Employer) Workers’ CompensationBoard (WCB) – Alberta(780) 498-4000

Workplace Health andSafety (WHS), AlbertaHuman Resources andEmployment1-866-415-8690

Report to

Do you use OSHA recordingand reporting guidelines?Some Alberta employers use U.S. OccupationalSafety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines to track injury prevention performance.

These employers must still comply with theAlberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, theWorkers’ Compensation Act and the regulationsassociated with both.

Employers must also collect all informationrequired by WHS and WCB and use the correctterms when reporting.

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As reported in the May 2002 issue of this magazine, upto 80 per cent of adults will experience back pain atsome time during their lives. Let’s take a closer look at

the seven myths about back pain mentioned in that issue.

MYTH 1If you’ve slipped a disk (also known as a herniated orruptured disk), you must have surgery. Surgeons agreeabout exactly who should have surgery.

TRUTHThe causes of back pain can be complex and difficult todiagnose. For more than 70 per cent of patients withchronic back pain, it’s not possible to make a specific diag-nosis pinpointing the cause of the pain.

Surgery to relieve back pain should only be used as a lastresort. Very specific tests should be done to confirm that adisk has been damaged and that the pain is directly relatedto this damage. Even if tests show a damaged disk, recoveryoften occurs without surgery. Studies using magnetic reso-nance imaging (MRI) have shown that the herniated part ofthe disk often shrinks on its own over time.

Approximately 90 per cent of patients with a herniateddisk improve gradually over a period of six weeks. Theremaining 10 per cent of patients seem to be good candi-dates for surgery. However, herniated disks don’t cause mostback pain! Only two per cent of back pain patients are likelyto benefit from surgery. Most specialists agree that non-surgical treatment should be tried first.

MYTH 2X-ray images, CT and MRI scans can always identify thecause of pain.

TRUTH Abnormalities of the spine are as common in peoplewithout back pain as they are in people suffering from backpain. Getting a better quality image of a herniated disk, inthe absence of a thorough physical examination, leaves youonly with a better picture, not necessarily a better diagnosis.

Even the best imaging tests cannot identify muscle spasmsor strained ligaments that might be the cause of a patient’spain. Many doctors only recommend CT and MRI scans for those patients already heading for surgery for otherreasons.

MYTH 3If your back hurts, you should take it easy until the paingoes away.

TRUTH Today’s thinking is to continue the routine activities ofdaily living and work as normally as possible. Persons whoremain active do better than those who try either bed restor immediate exercise.

Not all workers can immediately return to work. Thosewith physically demanding jobs may not be able to return towork as quickly as those with less demanding or sedentaryjobs. It is often helpful to have workers with back painreturn to some form of light work until they recover morefully.

MYTH 4Most back pain is caused by injuries or heavy lifting.

TRUTH It’s true that workers whose jobs involve lifting, loweringand carrying materials are much more likely to experiencelower back pain than workers who don’t do this kind ofwork. It’s also true that the weight of the materials is a riskfactor for injury, as is how often the materials are handledand the worker’s posture when doing the work. Forexample, working doubled over in a cramped space is harderon your back than working upright.

However, it’s also true that people who work at sedentaryoccupations are at a higher risk of disk injury than thosewho do moderate amounts of physical work. And regardlessof whether or not the work involves lifting, people are morelikely to be injured early in the morning, when their backsare stiffer, than later in the workday.

E r g o t i p s

by Ray Cislo

Seven MythsBack PainAbout

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 15

Up to 85 per cent of persons with back pain can’t recall aspecific incident that brought on their pain. While heavylifting or injuries are risk factors for back pain, they don’taccount for most episodes of pain.

Consider some of these other factors: Age – the highest frequency of reported symptoms for backpain occurs between the ages of 35 and 55. Gender – if you’re male, your risk of injury peaks at approxi-mately 40 years of age; among women, the peak occursbetween 50 and 60 years of age. Lifestyle – smoking and being overweight are two otherfactors linked to lower back pain. A connection has alsobeen made between stressful life events and back pain.

MYTH 5Back pain is usually disabling.

TRUTH Most people with back pain get better, regardless of whetherthey receive treatment or the treatment method used. Mostpeople who leave work return within six weeks, and only asmall percentage never return to their jobs. That’s the goodnews.

The bad news? If you’ve experienced back pain in the past,you’re at greater risk of experiencing it again. Fortunately,recurring episodes of pain usually go away on their own,just like the original back attack did.

MYTH 6Everyone with back pain should have a spinal X-ray.

TRUTH Routine X-rays of the spine are unnecessary and often oflittle value. The spine abnormalities detected with X-raysoften have nothing to do with the symptoms experienced.Many people have abnormalities and are completely pain-free.

The latest medical guidelines for evaluating back painrecommend that the use of X-rays be limited to patients whohave suffered major injuries.

MYTH 7Bed rest is the mainstay of therapy.

TRUTH For the longest time, patients with back pain were told to liedown to get better. While many patients experienced lesspain while lying down, it was not always the case that theygot better. Studies have shown that four days of bed restturn out to be no more effective than two days, or even nobed rest at all. Imagine what it felt like to get up after one totwo weeks of strict bed rest — the recommended practicenot that long ago.

Who can cure the pain?If pain symptoms disappear while a patient is inthe care of a particular type of health practi-tioner, the patient often believes that it was thetype of care (chiropractic, acupuncture, physio-therapy, naturopathy, surgery, etc.) that elimi-nated the pain. While this may be the case, backpain normally resolves on its own.

So what is a person to do? If back pain affectsyour ability to function, see a health practi-tioner you trust. That person can rule out thepossibility of an underlying medical conditionand may be able to help you treat the cause ofyour back pain. Take the practitioner’s adviceand do the things necessary to take care ofyourself to make that pain a distant memory.

Sources

“Low-Back Pain,” by R.A. Deyo, Scientific American,August 1998.

“Occupational Low Back Disorder Causation and Control,” by W.A. Marras, Ergonomics,Vol. 43, No. 7.

Ray Cislo, P.Eng., B.Sc., (H.K.) is a safety engineeringspecialist at Workplace Health and Safety.

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/myths/myth01.htmlMyths and realities about back pain.

www.safety.duke.edu/Newsletter/prev_bkinj.htmHow to prevent back injury, from Duke University.

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

BooksThe Low Back Pain Handbook: A Practical Guide forthe Primary Care Clinicianby Andrew J. ColePhiladelphia PA: Hanley & Belfus Inc.(RD 771 B217 C65 1997)

“Low Back Pain,” Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews,Volume 113, No 1, January - March 1998 by Gerard A. MalangaPhiladelphia, PA: Hanley & Belfus (RD 768 L68 1998)

Ergonomics in Back Pain: A Guide to Prevention and Rehabilitationby Taren Khalil, et al.New York, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold(RD 771 B217 E74 1993)

VideosLifting and Carrying, 10 min.Highlights construction of the spine and its limitations. Illustrates howand why injuries will occur if we do not respect the limitations and usecorrect lifting and carrying techniques. (VC0350, 2001)

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“Children may be curiousabout what is in dad's toolbox,” says Diane Radnoff.“But the things they findcan be poisonous; evenmild exposure to some-thing like mercury or leadsolder can be extremelydangerous.” Serious andfatal poisonings of familymembers have also beencaused by toxins on bags,rags, metal drums andscrap lumber.

Many chemicals cancause reproductiveproblems in workers andtheir partners. NIOSH reports thatmore than 1,000 workplace chemicalshave been shown to have reproductiveeffects on animals, although mosthave not been studied in humans. Inaddition, most of the four millionother chemical mixtures in commer-cial use remain untested. However, thedangers presented by some chemicalsare all too well known. Lead ishazardous to the reproductive organsin both women and men, and canlower sexual drive and function.

Industrial and construction workersare not the only people whose workwith dangerous substances can have alasting effect on their families. Artistswho work with ceramics have beenknown to accidentally poison theirfamilies with lead. Farmers havebrought home pesticides, causticsubstances, and hormone-like chemi-cals on their overalls and soles of theirboots. And radioactivity is becoming agrowing hazard to medical research-ers, nuclear pharmacists, health careprofessionals and their families.

“In some procedures, radioactiveisotopes are used to test urine,” saysHarold Braun, a cardiac care nurse in

T he construction worker carefully taped a wall of plastic across the middle of my kitchen and over

the two doors that led out of the room.He was getting ready to put in a newwindow, and didn’t want any drywallor wood dust to fly into the rest of thehouse or onto the stove or countertops. When he had finished the job, hecarefully removed the plastic andswept up the mess on the floor.

I couldn't help but admire thethoughtful and tidy approach he'dtaken. Then I saw him take off his dirtyoveralls and throw them into his truck.My house was kept free of dust, butwhat about his truck? I knew that hischildren often rode in the vehicle withhim. Weren't they being exposed tothis hazard, too?

Silent HazardsAccording to Diane Radnoff, senioroccupational health and safety hygienist at Workplace Health andSafety, workers often underestimatethe kinds of health hazards they mightbring home with them. “Peopleworking in fields such as home reno-vating, painting and cleaning don'talways think of the materials they’reworking with as toxic,” says Radnoff.“Depending on the trade they’re in,they may bring home clothing thatis covered in wood dust or other chemicals.”

When a worker gets home, he maycasually throw his overalls onto thedirty clothes pile, creating a silenthazard for whoever does the laundry. Ifhe walks around the house in his workshoes, he may contaminate the carpetthat his young children may becrawling on. And if he hugs his wife orplays with his children before he hashad a shower, he may be unknowinglyputting their health at risk.

According to a groundbreaking 1995study by the National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), workers in more than 28countries and 36 American states havereported unwittingly transportingtoxins home from work sites. Thesehave included mercury, radioactivematerial, beryllium, lead, asbestos,pesticides and more. The toxins havebeen carried on shoes, socks, clothes,hair, tools, folders and briefcases.

Even the mildest exposure to somematerials commonly found on workclothes can cause huge healthproblems. The dust from importedwoods such as western red cedar cancreate serious allergies in anyone whois exposed to it. Fibres from fibreglasscan cause skin and eye irritations.Particles of beryllium, a lightweightmetal used in transistors, dental workand semiconductor chips, can cause acrippling and incurable lung disease.

Lead is one of the most commonhazards carried home on a worker'sskin, hair, clothing or shoes. Research-ers estimate that between 1981 and1983, 48,000 families with childrenunder six years of age in the UnitedStates were living with familymembers who were regularly exposedto lead in their workplace. These sameresearchers believe that half of thechildren in these families may haveelevated blood lead levels. Familymembers exposed to lead poisoningmay experience fatigue, upsetstomach, muscle pain, as well as brain disorders, kidney damage andpermanent learning disabilities.

Dangerous substances are not onlycarried home on a worker's body.Glues, pesticides, strippers, degreasers,and other toxins are often carelesslythrown into the back of a truck at theend of a long and tiring work day.

by Debbie Culbertson

Bringing Home the Haz

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 17

Calgary. “If pregnant nurses do thesetests, they may endanger their unbornchildren. Proper procedure is for themto ask another nurse to do the test forthem.”

Avoiding the RiskDiane Radnoff says there are manyprecautions that workers can take toavoid bringing hazards home from theworkplace. “It all comes down tocommon sense. Shower at work andleave your work boots and coverallsthere,” says Radnoff. “If you have tobring clothes home, put them in agarbage bag and tie it up. Put the bagin the trunk of your vehicle. Dump theclothes straight into the washer anddon't launder any other items withthem.”

Harold Braun echoes Radnoff'semphasis on basic prevention. “Everyperson working in the health carefield takes what we call ‘universalprecautions,’” says Braun. “Thatincludes hand washing between everypatient contact, wearing gloves whenhandling body fluids, and putting onprotective face masks when needed.”In this way, infections and disease are

not passed on to other patients,workers and family members.

Employers must put safety proce-dures into place to prevent contamina-tion from travelling home withworkers. These can include providingchanging and shower rooms, dispos-able work clothes, laundry facilitiesand, in certain settings, providing elec-tronic monitors to detect radiation.Informing workers about how to avoidbringing hazards home is also anessential part of any safety program.

Who, Me? Why Worry?Workers may argue that the materialsthey work with haven't been proven tocause health risks. But they shouldpause and reflect on the long list ofasbestos-related deaths listed in eachissue of this magazine. According toNIOSH, hidden behind each of thesenames is a family that was probablyexposed to a very dangerous substancethat was once considered “safe.” Isbringing home soiled overalls worththe risk?

Debbie Culbertson is a writer and editor livingin Devon, Alberta.

ards

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.usatoday.com/money/bighits/toxin1.htmCover article from USA Today about workers unwittingly bringing home toxins.

www.usatoday.com/money/bighits/toxin4.htmCommon workplace toxins that are taken home.

www.usatoday.com/money/bighits/toxin3.htmCases of home contamination from workplace toxins.

www.webworldinc.com/wes-con/workshop.htmSafety in your home and workshop – tailgate talk.

www.diyonline.com/servlet/GIB_BaseT/diylib_article.html?session.docid=1001Home hazards.

Avoid Bringing Hazards HomeWorkers can take these steps toavoid bringing hazards home

• Change clothes before leaving workand leave soiled clothes behind.Alternatively, wear disposableclothes. Throw them out after use.

• If you must take work clotheshome, put them in a garbage bagand tie it up.

• Put the bag of work clothes in thetrunk of your vehicle.

• Keep soiled clothes away fromother laundry and wash them separately.

• Shower and wash your hair beforeleaving your workplace.

• Do not take tools, scrap, chemicals,packaging and similar items home.

• Prevent family members fromvisiting the work area.

Employers should

• Inform workers about safety practices to reduce exposure tocontaminants.

• Ensure that workers follow thesesafety practices.

• Provide effective monitoringsystems for contaminants.

• If possible, provide changingrooms, showers, laundry servicesand/or disposable clothing.

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Canadian not-for-profit Web sitesEntering the words “health, safety andCanada” in the search engine producedjust over a million hits, so I’m keepingthe list to the bare essentials.

Canadian Centre for OccupationalHealth and Safetywww.ccohs.ca/

Health Canada, Office of LaboratorySecurity (MSDS source)www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/msds-ftss/index.html

Human Resources Development Canada,Occupational Health and Safety (Labour Operations)info.load-otea.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/~oshweb/homeen.shtml

Human Resources Development Canada,Federal Labour Legislation, CanadaLabour Code, Part I (Parts II and III canalso be accessed)info.load-otea.hrdcdrhc.gc.ca/federal_legislation/part1/part1.htm

Canosh (Canada’s National OccupationalHealth and Safety Web site)www.canoshweb.org/en/

Canadian Auto Workers — health, safetyand environment www.caw.ca/whatwedo/health&safety/index.asp

Department of Justice Canada (CanadaLabour Code)laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2/

Communications, Energy andPaperworkers Union of Canada —health, safety and environmentwww.cep.ca/health_safety/health_e.html

St. John Ambulance Canada — healthand safety trainingwww.sja.ca/english/health_safety_training/index.asp

I.W.A. Canada — Health & Safety Webpagewww.iwa.ca/WEBSITE/h&scontents.html

Canadian Labour Congress — Health &Safety, Day of Mourning, April 28thwww.clc-ctc.ca/health-safety/mourning.html

Workinfonet.ca, Workplace Issues andSupports, Occupational Health andSafety (a Web site list of Web sites)www.workinfonet.ca/cwn/english/index.cfm?cat=6&sub=69

Next issue will feature more not-for-profit agencies with a national scopeand perhaps a few from private, for-profit sources. If you want sites forparticular provinces or regions outsideof Alberta, you will have to do a littlehunting on your own. Happy surfing.

Bob Christie is a partner at ChristieCommunications Ltd., a multimedia development company in Edmonton. Bob also supplies most of the Web linkresources for the articles in this magazine.

W e b W a t c h e r R e a l W o r l d S o l u t i o n s

Real World Solutions is a regular column that suggests simple,

inexpensive ways to improve employeesafety and health through adjustmentsto the workplace. What improvementshave you made at your workplace?

If you’ve found a solution worth sharing,please send it to ray.cislo@gov.ab.ca.

Pressure on the elbow

The ProblemSharp corners or joints on workbenchesand desks can put pressure on the ulnar(funny bone) nerve. This can be painfuland affect the hand's ability to gripobjects. Long-term pressure can perma-nently damage the nerve.

A SolutionPlace soft, rounded pads over edges andsharp corners.

BenefitNo short- or long-term pain. No injury.Improved productivity.

The task I’ve undertaken — to provide you with useful, credible occupationalhealth and safety Web addresses — reminds me of the story of the man who

decided he would try the cuisine at every restaurant in New York City byworking through the restaurants listed in the phone book. He ate at a differ-ent restaurant every evening. Before he got to the Ms in the phone book, therewere more new restaurants that had opened in the A to L section than he hadvisited. Also, more than half of the restaurants he had visited no longer existed.

Such is the case with the World Wide Web. As I write this article, Google,one of the premier search engines on the Internet, now claims to have overtwo BILLION pages in its database. This number is growing all the time, andGoogle admits its database doesn’t include all pages. Like the number ofMcDonald’s hamburgers eaten, the number of Web pages begins to numb theconsciousness. I digress from the task at hand because I need to explain why Ihave not included the most recent Alberta sites, even some sites that havebeen suggested to me. It is not because I don’t think the sites worthy. It’s justthat to include all relevant sites would make this magazine too heavy to carry.For the next couple of issues I’d like to look at some sites based outsideAlberta that have a national perspective. Then I propose to go international, togive you a sampling of sites you can start from to build a virtual library thatreally works for you.

by Bob Christie

by Norma Ramage

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 19

P r o f i l e

When the Dow Chemical Companyannounced in 1994 its global

goal of reducing reportable safety incidents by 90 per cent within 10 years, it caused major ripplesthrough the chemical giant’s world-wide operations.

Phil Wilson, environment, healthand safety leader with Dow’s FortSaskatchewan manufacturing operation, recalls, “We said to them,you’re nuts, there’s no way we canachieve that goal.” Today, however,Wilson says the $4 billion FortSaskatchewan facility (one of two Dowplants in Alberta; the other is afacility in Prentice acquired after lastyear’s merger with Union Carbide) ison track for reaching the targetedreduction by 2005.

Workers’ Compensation Board –Alberta (WCB) statistics show thatDow, which already had a good safetyrecord prior to starting the programin January, 1995 — at a lost-timeclaims rate (LTC) of 1.99 per 100person hours worked — continues thedownward trend of reducing inci-dents. In 2000 the LTC rate dropped to0.2, and this year to date the rate is 0.

DowDefiesthe Odds

What makes this achievement moreimpressive is that Dow doesn’t targetonly lost-time incidents, but anyreportable incident. Says Wilson,“Anything that requires more thanbasic first aid, even a single stitch, isincluded.”

How have they done it? By changingemployee behaviour, says Wilson. Thecompany uses a behaviour-based safety(BBS) process, which aims at gettingemployees to think about the safe wayto do their jobs. “We don’t look athazards,” explains Wilson. “We look atbehaviours.”

Safety reminders are everywhere onthe sprawling site, which includes fivedistinct plants, from the sign at thefront gates proclaiming the intentionof becoming a zero incidentplant, to safety remindersin hallways and on workfloors. Says Wilson, “Welive in an environmentwhere we believe that zeroincidents is something thatcan be achieved.”

Dow’s 850 employees atthe Fort Saskatchewan site, plus its 400to 500 contractors, all follow a BBSprogram. Contractors must either havetheir own program or sign on to Dow’s.

Wilson says the key to the programis individual responsibility. Employeesare encouraged to observe each other,and comment and act on both positiveand potentially hazardous behaviours.The company trains a number ofemployees as observers, says Wilson,and they are “required to talk to theworker they have observed, either tosay thanks for working safely, or if the

behaviour is unacceptable, to discuss asafer way of doing things. It’s this peerto peer interaction that’s the key to theprogram.”

In addition to trained observers, Dow encourages every employee andcontractor to take action if they see anunsafe behaviour. Wray Kinsella, apipefitter who works with contractorJacobs Catalytic, says people workingon site are “very vocal” about safety.“No one is afraid to tell someonethey’re doing something wrong. ”

Kinsella, a member of an employeecommittee that conducts regular safetyaudits, says he is proof that the DowBBS program actually does changebehaviour when it comes to workingsafely. For 20 years Kinsella worked as

an independent contractorand he admits that hesometimes took unsafeshortcuts. “After a year anda half here, I have changedmy habits and my wholeattitude toward safety.”

Although the BBSprocess wasn’t created by

Dow, and similar programs are beingused by other Alberta companies, Dowhas created some innovative imple-mentation tools. To Wilson, one of themost important tools is the pre-taskanalysis. It requires every worker,before starting a job, to fill out a cardlisting all of the tasks required, anypotential hazards and measures thatcan be used to eliminate those hazards.

For Kinsella, the value of the taskcards is that “they get you to thinkabout your job and how to do it safely.”

Dow continues thedownward trend ofreducing incidents.In 2000 the LTC ratedropped to 0.2, andthis year to date therate is 0.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 220 O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2

Another valuable item in the toolbox is the Near Miss Program.Workers fill out special cards recording any potential hazard orunsafe behaviour they have observed and the actions they havetaken to rectify the problem. Says Wilson, “When we say nearmiss, we’re not talking about someone almost being struck by apiece of metal. We’re talking about the minutiae of safety situa-tions, such as the paint can at the top of the stairs that needs tobe moved to a safer place.” He says not only is it important thatemployees take remedial action, it’s also important that they fillout the incident card. “That way I can report back to them andtell them, for example, that last month 800 potential unsafebehaviours were prevented by actions taken by workers.”

To encourage employees to fill out the near miss cards, thereare weekly draws with small cash awards and other prizes.

As with any safety program, management buy-in and supportis critical. Vince Smith, president and CEO of Dow ChemicalCanada Inc., personally follows up on all incidents. “I don’t getinvolved when the investigation is ongoing, but after it is over, Iget the supervisor to take me out to the area where it occurredand explain what happened.”

One of the most important things the company has done, saysSmith, is ensure that the financial and manpower resources areavailable to achieve the company’s safety and environmentalgoals.

And Kinsella says Dow walks the talk. “From day one, it’ssafety, safety, safety. They tell you that if you feel a job is unsafe,you can shut it down.”

John Brogly, leader of the design and construction group atthe Fort Saskatchewan plant, is closely involved in the BBSprogram and believes there is another, harder to quantify reasonfor the plant’s success. “We set very aggressive goals, and wesoon realized that to accomplish them we would have to be inno-vative and adopt out-of-the-box thinking. Instead of scratchingour heads and saying it couldn’t be done, we found a way.”

Brogly, who is also president of the Alberta ConstructionOwners Association, has discussed the Dow program with hisgroup and received positive feedback. The program also attractedthe attention of Clint Dunford, Minister of Alberta HumanResources and Employment, who visited the Fort Saskatchewanplant last fall.

Says Wilson, “One of the biggest values of the program is withour contractor workforce. Through them we are influencing notjust our site or our company, but sites all across the province.Little by little we are seeing behaviour-based safety bear fruitamong construction owners.”

Norma Ramage is a freelance writer and communications consultant living in Calgary.

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.dow.com/facilities/namerica/canada/index.htmDow Chemical Canada

www.dow.com/Homepage/index.htmlMain site for Dow Chemical

Wo r k p l a c e H e a l t h& S a f e t y ( W H S )

Contact WHS anytime...For occupational health and safety infor-mation and assistance, phone the CallCentre 1-866-415-8690 or go to the WHSWeb site www.whs.gov.ab.ca.

New reg news!Sign up for new WHS postings and bethe first to receive information about the new regulation and any other newinformation posted to the WHS Web site.When you sign up, you will receive by e-mail, regular monthly summaries of allnew Web site postings. Sign up for thisFREE subscription service throughwww.whs.gov.ab.ca.

How to reach the AlbertaGovernment Library – Labour Building SiteThe URL for the library iswww.gov.ab.ca/hre/library.

Access the library catalogue atdraweb.library.ualberta.ca.

The library houses a large selection ofoccupational health and safety informa-tion materials. You can search the librarycatalogue over the Web throughgate.library.ualberta.ca, location code,AB HR & Employment.

To borrow materials, please contact yourlocal library and make your requeststhrough the inter-library loan process.

Or visit the library at:

3rd Floor, 10808 – 99 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5K 0G5

S (780) 427-8533 or toll-free, 310-0000T (780) 422-0084v www.gov.ab.ca/hre/facts/av

How to order Workplace Healthand Safety publicationsWorkplace Health and Safety publica-tions are available from the WHS Website, www.whs.gov.ab.ca, or the WHS CallCentre, 1-866-415-8690.

WHS is a division of Alberta HumanResources and Employment and falls underthe jurisdiction of Minister Clint Dunford.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 21

As the owner of a small oilfield service andrental company, Ron Holtz pays Workers’

Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB) insur-ance premiums so that both he and hisworkers are covered in the event of work-place illness or injury. However, WCB coverage costs money.

“I was upset when I saw that my premi-ums were going up again this year, becausewhen you operate a small company, a fewextra hundred dollars a year makes a difference,” Ron says.

The average WCB premium rate hasincreased over the past two years because ofrising claims costs, in particular medicalcosts, to treat injured workers. Hundreds ofworkers in Alberta’s booming oil and gasindustry get injured on the job every year,which impacts WCB premiums for all busi-nesses in that sector, large or small.

It’s frustrating for employers like Ron, whohave very few or no WCB claims, to watchtheir rates increase, despite good safetyrecords. Although a small employer like Ronhas no direct control over his industry’s over-all safety record, he is taking action toreduce his company’s WCB premiums.

Ron is one of 5,700 employers who havejoined Partners in Injury Reduction (PIR)over the past two years. Thanks to Ron’sefforts, his rates will be slashed by 20 per cent this year.

The financial saving is not the only bonusto joining PIR. Learning about injury preven-tion has raised workplace safety awarenessin Ron’s shop. “It’s so worthwhile, because

we don’t want anyone getting hurt,” he says.“Safety is an essential part of doing our job.”

“Join,” advises James Wilson, the WCBmanager responsible for PIR. “You’ll savemoney and you’ll sleep better at night,knowing your employees are that muchmore aware of safety on the job.”

To join PIR, Ron made an initial safetyinvestment by joining the Partnerships pro-gram, through which he arranged to have ahealth and safety audit of his company. Theaudit ensured the company had a health andsafety management system that met provin-cial standards and provided a healthy andsafe work environment for its employees.The Certifying Partner, Petroleum IndustryTraining Service (PITS), reviewed the auditand then Alberta Human Resources andEmployment issued a Certificate ofRecognition (COR) to R-Alta.

With a COR, R-Alta became automaticallyeligible for a rebate through the PIR pro-gram. Ron estimates he put in about $400and 60 hours developing a safety system andattending a two-day course. But that timeand money are paying off. Having his CORhas brought in more business, as biggerclients insist contractors like R-Alta be certi-fied before they go on site.

“It’s good to know you can send a guy outthere and there won’t be any questionsabout safety,” Ron says. “Being part of PIRhas really made a difference to my bottomline, and most of all, to my guys’ safety.”

Article courtesy of Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta.

Pullin’ Downthe Rates

What is Parnerships?

Partnerships in Health and Safety is a province-wide injuryprevention program sponsored co-operatively by government,labour and industry.

For more information about the Partnerships program, call (780) 427-8842 or toll-free310-0000.

Partners in InjuryPrevention (PIR)PIR rewards safe employerswith rate discounts. The WCBis moving away from blanketsubsidies for all employers,so employers with excellentsafety records pay lower ratesthan those with poor safetyperformance. Employers whoparticipate in PIR have 15 percent fewer workplace injuriesand 31 per cent lower claimscosts than other employers.

Did you know?• 5,700 employers have

joined PIR since 2000• It’s free to join — although

you must earn a Certificateof Recognition to qualifyfor a refund

Certificate of Recognition(COR)

• The COR is administeredby Alberta HumanResources andEmployment and 15 certifying partners underthe Partnerships program

• 4,100 employers in Albertahave earned their COR

• Having a COR guarantees a 5% rebate from the WCB

Ron Holtz (second from right)

and his R-Alta team.

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 222

EmployerRound Corner Welding & Machining

Prime ContractorLakeland College

IncidentOn December 8, 2000, an 18-year-old worker was sandblasting a showerroom at the Lakeland College pool, when he was overcome by toxic vapoursthat had entered his supplied air. He has recovered.

ViolationRound Corner Welding & Machining failed to provide the worker withadequate equipment or training to do the sandblasting. (Section 2(1)(a)(i) ofthe Occupational Health and Safety Act; Section 99, 448/83, of the General SafetyRegulation) Lakeland College failed to implement safety procedures. Thecontractor was therefore not in compliance with legislation that regulatesprime contractors. (Section 2.1(3), Occupational Health and Safety Act)

FineRound Corner Welding & Machining was fined $5,000. Lakeland College was fined $1,000, plus a 15% victim surcharge. The collegeis also required to provide $19,000 worth of safety-related courses to furtherawareness of occupational health and safety.

T h e L a s t R e s o r t

“The technology has become a lot faster,smarter, cheaper and easier to use,” says BW’sGreg Rude. “Before, a fair bit of training wasrequired, and the units needed some calibration.Now, the microprocessor does that automatically,and after two years, you just buy a new one.”

As well, those working in areas where signifi-cant quantities of inert gases are being usedshould understand the physical properties ofthose gases, such as whether they are heavier orlighter than air. Alberta’s General Safety Regulationalso requires employers to develop a code ofpractice for entry to and work in confinedspaces.

Bill Corbett is a Calgary writer.

Oxygen-deficient atmospherescontinued from page 9

R e s o u r c e s

WEB LINKS

www.sierramonitor.com/pdf/Safety%20Bulletin-Oxygen%20Deficient.PDFA safety bulletin from the Compressed Gas Association about oxygen-deficient atmospheres.

www.msha.gov/regs/complian/PIB/1996/PIB96-19.HTMAn information bulletin from the U.S. Department of Labor on oxygendeficiency in mines.

www.levitt–safety.com/SafetyTips/ConfinedDangerous.pdf Confined spaces and oxygen deficiency, from Levitt-Safety.

bse.wisc.edu/wiscash/DocumentsPDF/checkstuffers/manure.pdfOxygen-deficient atmospheres in agriculture.

www.doe–md.gov/lessonslearned.aspLessons learned about confined spaces from the U.S. Department ofEnergy.

IN THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT LIBRARY – LABOUR BUILDING

BooksConfined Space: A Manual of Standard PracticesRichmond, B.C.: Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia,1994, (revised ed.)(T55 C662 1994)

Complete Confined Spaces Handbookby John RekusBoca Raton, Florida: Lewis Publishers, 1994(T55 R45 1994)

Safety and Health in Confined Spacesby Neil McManusBoca Raton, Florida: Lewis Publishers, 1999(T55 M39 1999)

VideosConfined Space Safety, 1991, 12 min.Covers the basic principles of working in a confined space and high-lights the need to follow safe work procedures. (VC 0218)

Confined Space Safety, 2000, 15 min.Discusses what a confined space is, and associated hazards. (VC0313)

Confined Space Case Histories, 1996, 14 min.Re-enactments of real-life confined space accidents. Emphasizes theimportance of following proper confined space safety procedures.Topics covered include safe atmospheric testing and monitoring,ventilation and personal protective equipment. (VC0284)

reporting on recent

convictionsunder the Occupational Health and Safety Act

EmployerFountain Tire (Fairview) Ltd.

IncidentOn September 15, 2000, two tire service technicians employed by FountainTire (Fairview) Ltd. were mounting a 60-centimetre-rim tire onto a grader.To seal the tire to the rim, they started to inflate the tire. The air inside thetire exploded, and the rim components and tire blew off the grader,striking both workers. One worker received minor injuries, and the other, a23-year-old, received head injuries and died the next day.

ViolationFountain Tire did not have a tire cage or a restraining device large enoughto handle large off-road tires. Workers were not trained in the company’sown safety standards nor in the manufacturer’s specifications concerningservicing of large off-road tires. The company was found guilty of failing toensure the safety of workers and of failing to make them aware of theirresponsibilities. (Section Sec 2(1)(a)(i), Occupational Health & Safety Act)

Fine$75,000, plus a $11,250 victim surcharge.

EmployerMillar Western

IncidentA 17-year-old was working at a sawmill as part of a work-experienceprogram. On November 5, 2000, he was working close to a conveyor as amember of a clean-up crew. He became caught between the unguardedconveyor drive roller and belt, which dragged him into the rollers, killinghim. He was working unsupervised around unguarded, moving equipment.

ViolationThe company was found guilty of two counts of failing to provide guardsaround moving parts of machinery. (Sections 52(1)(a) and 52(1)(b) of theGeneral Safety Regulation.)

FineMillar Western was fined $75,000 for each count, plus a 15% victimsurcharge, for a total of $172,500.

Full fatality reports are available on the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Web site, www.whs.gov.ab.ca. They can also be ordered from the AlbertaGovernment Library – Labour Building Site, (780) 427-8533 (toll free 310-0000).

O C C U P A T I O N A L H E A L T H & S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 2 23

Occupational Health & Safety Magazinepublishes Workplace Fatalities toremind readers of the importance ofworkplace health and safety.

The information is not a final investigation report. In many casesinvestigations are continuing. Finalinvestigation reports are filed at theAlberta Government Library – LabourBuilding Site and can be reviewedthere or on the Workplace Health andSafety Web site at www.whs.gov.ab.caunder Fatalities.

An occupational fatality refers tothe death of a worker caused by awork-related incident or exposure.

To protect personal privacy, thefatality descriptions do not includethe names of the deceased.

Work-related incident fatalitiesMost work-related incident fatalitiesthat fall under provincial jurisdictionare investigated by Workplace Healthand Safety. In general, highway traffic,farm, disease or heart attack fatalitiesare not investigated.

The following fatalities have been orare being investigated.

A 47-year-old technician employedby a wireless telecommunicationnetwork development company wasdriving an SUV with a metallic tele-scopic mast mounted to the front endof the vehicle. A parabolic antennamounted to the top of the mast wasconnected via an insulated cable to alaptop computer inside the vehicle.The technician was driving with theantenna raised to 11.8 metres aboveground when it contacted a 14,400-volt, single-phase overhead power linethat crossed the road at a height of 8.7metres. The technician stopped thevehicle and stepped out when theantenna was still in contact with theoverhead power line. The simultane-ous contact between the vehicle andground completed a path for currentflow, and the worker was electrocuted.

February 2002 — May 2002

W o r k p l a c e F a t a l i t i e s

A 57-year-old plumber was carryingsupplies into a new home that wasunder construction when he fellalmost three metres through anopening into the basement. The manwas taken to hospital, where he diednine days later.

A 26-year-old worker on a servicerig was preparing to climb a ladder tothe monkeyboard (platform on whicha derrickman stands to guide pipe). Hewas putting on his fall-arrest harnessas he crossed in front of the draw-works (equipment used to raise andlower pipe) to get to the ladder. As theworker swung the harness over hissecond shoulder, the dangling legstraps were accidentally flung over thedraw-works' guardrail and got caughtbetween the moving drill line andhoist drum. The worker was pulledover the guardrail by the movingequipment and was fatally injured.

A 41-year-old field productionoperator working at a dehydrationfacility was performing maintenanceon a piece of sour gas compressionequipment, when hydrogen sulfidewas emitted from an undeterminedsource. The worker died from overex-posure to the gas.

A 46-year-old sanitation worker,who worked at a bakery, was fatallyinjured when she became caught in apinch point of a conveyor system. Theworker had crawled under theconveyor and entered the inner drumarea of a bread-cooling spiral conveyor.While attempting to clean around theconveyor, the worker’s hands becamecaught between the rotating drumdrive bars and the fixed conveyorsupport structure.

A 38-year-old labourer was operat-ing an overhead crane equipped withlifting magnets, which was liftingapproximately 9,000 kilograms of steelreinforcement bars. The load peeledaway from the magnets and struck thelabourer, who was operating the craneusing a radio-operated remote controlto guide the load. He was under theload when it fell.

Occupational diseasefatalities acceptedDisease fatalities represent claims thathave been accepted by the Workers’Compensation Board (WCB) – Albertafor compensation. They are counted inthe year they are accepted.

A 29-year-old roofer, who died fromcomplications to a traumatic braininjury sustained six years earlier.

A 51-year-old administrative assis-tant, who suffered a massive heartattack on a business trip.

A 61-year-old worker, who suffereda fatal heart attack resulting fromcomplications related to medication hewas taking for a permanent disabilityfrom a previous injury.

A 74-year-old heavy equipmentworker, who died from heart diseaseand congestive heart failure resultingfrom complications related to perma-nent disabilities received in 1975.

A 58-year-old truck driver, whosesurgery to correct an injury to his heelafter a fall from a tanker truck ladderresulted in heart failure.

The following fatalities resulted fromexposure to asbestos.

A 50-year-old welder’s helper, whowas exposed to asbestos in the 1980swhile renovating railway bridges andbuildings.

A 57-year-old retired glass blower,who was exposed over 34 years ago toasbestos used in the process of glassblowing.

A 77-year-old insulator, who wasexposed to asbestos for the many yearshe worked in the insulation industry.

A 59-year-old electrician, who wasexposed to asbestos in the 1970s.

An 81-year-old bus mechanic, whowas exposed to asbestos in the 1980s.

It means industry, labour, safety associations and government making unprecedentedinvestments in workplace safety efforts.

It means...

playing your part

It means safer workplaces foryou, your children, parents,brothers and sisters.

wherever you are

10th Floor, 7th Street Plaza - South Tower10030 - 107 Street

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3E4

ISSN 0705-6052 © 2002

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