Asbestos exposure continues to be British Columbia's leading occupational disease killer, causing around 50 deaths per year. WorkSafeBC has launched an education campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos and how to safely handle it. As part of these efforts, an asbestos contractor was recently sentenced to jail time for continuing to expose workers to asbestos despite previous fines and orders to stop. WorkSafeBC is working to educate both workers and employers on identifying and safely dealing with asbestos.

1. Asbestos remains
B.C.’s number
one occupational
WorkSafeBC
Work SafeBC UPDATE disease killer.
Asbestos campaign aims to
halt deadly exposures
E
xposure to asbestos, a known carcinogen, is B.C.’s number In March 2011, Scott Nielsen, WorkSafeBC director of litigation,
one occupational disease killer. Every year, 50 B.C. sought a contempt of court order from the B.C. Supreme Court
workers die needless and often painful deaths because and asked that Moore serve time in jail for failing to stop doing
they’ve inhaled asbestos-contaminated air on the job. business.
And, since 1972, the number of workers with asbestos-related While employers have received WorkSafeBC penalties for
claims has continued to climb. infractions relating to asbestos, the resulting jail sentence for
A part of WorkSafeBC’s campaign against asbestos exposure Moore marks the first such sentence for an employer convicted in
involves educating workers and employers about the dangers of a civil case.
exposure — which still poses a threat on many construction sites, In the meantime, WorkSafeBC has developed a website to provide
particularly those requiring the demolition of older homes and education and resources relating to asbestos. The site outlines
buildings. where to find asbestos, how to handle it safely, how to prevent
And while many employers are aware of the stringent requirements asbestos exposure, and what to do if you suspect you or someone
designed to protect workers from asbestos exposure, workers you know has been exposed to asbestos.
across the province continue to report exposures — exposures that For more information about WorkSafeBC’s efforts to raise
might take decades to develop into disease. awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, visit
A more recent case associated with asbestos took place on HiddenKiller.ca.
January 24 of this year, when the B.C. Supreme Court sentenced
Arthur Moore of AM Environmental, an asbestos and demolition
contractor, to 60 days in jail for contempt of a court order.
WorkSafeBC prevention officers found that Moore employed young
and vulnerable workers — some as young as 14 years old — to
remove asbestos-contaminated drywall from homes without proper
safety training or protective equipment. Moore falsified lab
certificates to indicate homes were clear of asbestos and reportedly
told young workers to “run” if WorkSafeBC visited the jobsite. Scott Nielsen,
Despite fines, stop work orders, and Supreme Court restraining WorkSafeBC director
orders, Moore continued to expose his employees to asbestos. of litigation
WorkSafe Magazine March / April 2012 13

2. Noel Alejd, quality control
technician for Lafarge
Canada, demonstrates its
new concrete disposal
system, designed to prevent
MSI injuries.
“Soft tissue injuries are most prevalent in
our industry,” Merat says.
Previously, Lafarge’s concrete sampling
and disposal process involved shovelling
Ergonomics contest heavy concrete out of a wheelbarrow and
into a concrete reclaiming system — more
than one metre above the ground — an
encourages worksite average of 25 times a day. But based on
input from the Vancouver plant’s team,
employees decided to strip the
innovation wheelbarrow of its wheels and attach it to
welded hinges on the inside of the trough
W
of the concrete reclaiming system. Now,
hen it comes to preventing “It doesn’t necessarily take a lot of money whenever sampling is needed, a truck
ergonomic injuries at work, or effort to improve ergonomics for empties some concrete into the
simple can be simply brilliant. workers on jobsites,” says Amir Merat, wheelbarrow. After sampling is done,
Several noteworthy employer entries in a safety manager for Lafarge Canada Inc. each worker need only tip the
recent WorkSafeBC contest clearly “Simple solutions can be highly effective wheelbarrow to remove the concrete.
demonstrated this point. In fact, the ideas — that was certainly true in our case.” “Our solution also has the environmental
deemed most innovative for protecting benefit of reducing concrete spills,” Merat
WorkSafeBC staged the Innovations
workers from musculoskeletal injuries says.
Contest last October during Occupational
suggest on-the-spot ingenuity and Ergonomics Awareness Month to Lafarge won an iPod for its ingenuity, but
collaborative thinking reign supreme. recognize employers’ and workers’ ability as Merat says: “the real prize is the
Among the more creative submissions in to improve the function and/or design of recognition we’re receiving for our
the October 2011 contest was a concrete work stations, work flows, tools, and modified sampling process. We’re getting
mixing plant’s wheelbarrow device to other workplace items. From an great feedback from other companies
ease back strain while disposing of heavy ergonomics perspective, the goal was to with similar plant set-ups.”
concrete, a revised work plan to reduce increase health and safety, improve Another noteworthy submission from
repetitive tasks at a tree seedling nursery, comfort and efficiency, and ultimately, PRT Growing Services Ltd. demonstrated
and a streamlined processing system to prevent injuries in the workplace. improved ergonomics through the simple
reduce wrist strain for library circulation Of the eight companies that took part, modification of work routines. “Carpal
staff. Lafarge claimed top spot for devising a tunnel and other forms of hand and arm
None of the innovations was particularly system to prevent serious back injuries strain are very common in the nursery
costly, but employees say each device or during the daily routine concrete business, because a lot of our activities
process helped them do their jobs better sampling process at its Vancouver involve repetitive motion,” says nursery
— while minimizing their chances of Harbour Ready Mix plant. manager Stewart Haywood-Farmer.
getting hurt.
14 March / April 2012 WorkSafe Magazine

3. Haywood-Farmer says the nursery has subcommittee decided to substitute the
significantly reduced hand and arm strain 8 1/2” x 11” sheets with small slips of
incidents through its Altogether Harvest paper inserted directly into each on-hold
Method. item. (And staff store the item upside
down and backwards on a “hold shelf,” so
“During our fall rush, our staff — many of
customer privacy can still be maintained.)
whom tend to be women in their 40s and
50s — used to work for up to “We not only drastically reduced strain
seven-and-a-half hours on specific phases and injury; we did away with a lot of paper
of our harvest process: pulling seedlings, usage,” says Joann Pierre, library
wrapping them, boxing them. Injuries
were happening constantly. So we
technician and CUPE co-chair of the joint
occupational health and safety committee.
Day of
rearranged the process in order to allow
staff to work on all the different phases,
“And we saved money to boot.”
Other contest participants included
Mourning
rather than being restricted to a single
function.
Norampac’s Burnaby Division, Tamsen
Creative, V.E. Brandl Ltd., Vancouver gains live
“As a result, we’ve greatly reduced our Island Regional Health Authority —
injury rate over the past few years.” Regional Laundry, and Vincor Western
Vineyards.
screening
Faced with the incidence of similar
T
repetitive strain injuries, Fraser Valley Heather Kahle, WorkSafeBC human his year, everyone, everywhere
Regional Library (FVRL) made a small but factors specialist, says the contest can share in an opportunity to
powerful change in the way it processed showcased some locally generated, remember those who’ve lost their
books, CDs, DVDs, and audio-books kept innovative, and practical workplace lives or been seriously injured at work —
on hold. Previously, circulation staff would improvements. thanks to plans to run a live webcast of
wrap each book with paper and secure it “We hope the contest will become an the upcoming Day of Mourning ceremony
with a rubber band — a process that could in Vancouver.
annual event, because it draws attention
be repeated as much as 60 times in the to workplaces that encourage great ideas WorkSafeBC communications director
space of 10 minutes, leading to wrist and for improving safety, comfort, and Scott McCloy says the decision to air the
hand strain. Then, the circulation efficiency.”
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4. webcast during the April 27 ceremony will
allow more people across B.C. to
participate in this important event.
“Sometimes people can’t attend their local
Day of Mourning ceremony, because they
have to work, are unable to leave their
homes, or they’re out of town,” he says.
“That’s hard. After all, this is a gathering
that means a lot to workers and their
loved ones.
BC Youth Week event targets
“This year, people will have the ability to
watch from anywhere in the province or
young worker safety
I
around the world and feel like a part of
n the commercial construction industry, rights in the workplace. “We encourage
the ceremony. It’s a way to bring us closer
Randy Callaghan is considered a leader our older, more experienced workers to be
together.”
in motivating young, mostly male mentors: to share their strong safety
April 28 is set aside every year as a habits with our younger workers,” he says.
workers to be mindful of their health and
national Day of Mourning to honour
safety. Instead of simply offering the program for
workers who have been killed, or suffered
“With young workers, they’re eager to the seven days comprising B.C. Youth
serious injury or illness, as a result of
please, but construction sites present a lot Week, Callaghan extended the program
work-related incidents. Preliminary data
of hazards, along with hard, physical for one month. He wanted to ensure every
indicates WorkSafeBC accepted
work,” says the field personnel advisor at jobsite would have enough time to
approximately 142 claims for fatalities in
PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. “Young conduct its safety meetings targeting the
2011.
workers have lots of energy. Some of that company’s young workers. And, as part of
Because April 28 falls on a weekend, this the program, the company held a contest
energy needs to be harnessed.”
year’s Vancouver ceremony will take place to recognize three young PCL workers for
at Jack Poole Plaza on Friday, April 27, Callaghan’s experiences reflect reality.
their work ethic and commitment to a
starting at 10:30 a.m. The Olympic Statistics show that younger construction
culture of work safety. Some of the prizes
cauldron will be lit to mark the occasion. workers have a much higher rate of injury.
included T-shirts, mugs, and water bottles.
Elsewhere in B.C., commemorative events Workers under the age of 25 are the ones
getting injured most. In 2011, PCL was one of five employers
will be held Friday, April 27 and Saturday,
who worked in partnership with
April 28. Callaghan is no stranger to the statistics,
WorkSafeBC to celebrate Youth Week.
To be a part of the Day of Mourning and he’s keen to keep his young workers
WorkSafeBC — a gold level sponsor of B.C.
ceremony, watch the webcast on safe. So, when WorkSafeBC new and
Youth Week — also supports
WorkSafeBC.com, where you can also find young worker industry specialist Robin
municipalities, schools, and youth
more information about ceremonies being Schooley approached Callaghan to ask
organizations in promoting safety
held throughout B.C. him to participate in a youth safety
awareness activities.
initiative in conjunction with B.C. Youth
Dedications can be written to fallen To learn more about WorkSafeBC’s
Week, he was instantly on board.
workers at www.dayofmourning.bc.ca. commitment to B.C. Youth Week, go to the
Armed with WorkSafeBC publications,
Young Worker section of WorkSafeBC.com.
DVDs, and alert bulletins, Callaghan
Learn more about Youth Week at
arranged for each of his project sites to
www.bcyouthweek.com.
hold “tailgate meetings,” specifically
designed to show younger workers the
importance of health and safety and their
16 March / April 2012 WorkSafe Magazine

5. Photo by Doreen Maruska
Safety contest winner
looks at life with an injury
E
ye-patch basketball, one-armed slap it’s celebratory — all those things
shot, and one-legged golf are just that are important to continued
some of the unique activities that success for our company,” he says.
earned one B.C. employer an award during
During last year’s NAOSH Week,
a week-long contest designed to instill the
some of Versacold’s facilities
importance of safety at work.
involved its younger workers in
The employer in question was Versacold sporting activities that meant
Logistics and EV Logistics. And the acquiring a “temporary disability,”
impetus was the North American so they could consider what it would
Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) be like to live with a lifelong injury.
RCMP constable Jeff Palmer
Week — an event that manages to spark A designated safety week champion led
of the First Nations Integrated
innovative approaches to injury prevention similar activities at each of the Versacold Police Unit offers a safety talk
every year, despite its 15-year span. warehouses in the Metro Vancouver area. to children at Totem Hall in
“Workplace safety is definitely a focus all Squamish, B.C.
Meanwhile, the City of Kamloops received
year. NAOSH Week is a chance for us to three NAOSH Week awards. City staff
hold various safety-related events and focused on the hazards of chlorine leaks. beginning of shifts, and organized safety
activities. These activities make an Senior safety advisor Jennie Inkster wrote storytelling for teachers to read in schools.
impression on our staff to remember to a set of emergency procedures for dealing Kathy Tull, WorkSafeBC construction
work in a safer manner, all year long,” says with the leaks; then tested the procedures industry specialist and NAOSH Week
Mike Stephens, Versacold’s occupational with the local fire department throughout organizer, says the week-long event helps
health and safety manager. the week. This exercise earned Kamloops organizations develop a culture around
One of the events held at the top spot in B.C.’s local government safety and health, with employees
Langley-based warehouses chose to focus category, the best presentation of theme adapting those safety concepts to their
on the province’s most vulnerable group: category, and best new entry at the work throughout the year. And although
young workers. Its efforts reflect the national level. some of the goals can be ambitious, Tull
creative thinking the NAOSH Week 2012 Squamish Nation tied with the City of says companies of any size can participate.
committee will be looking for this spring — Kamloops for best new entry at the NAOSH Week, led by the Canadian
earning the company the overall winner national level and also received the award Society of Safety Engineering, is held
prize and top spot in the transportation of for the regional government category. annually during the first week of May, and
goods category at last October’s NAOSH it focuses on the prevention of injury and
Tanya Steele, president of B.C.’s NAOSH
Week awards banquet. illness in the workplace through a
Week steering committee, said the Nation
Stephens, whose company has entered the community-based approach.
held an impressive series of events
contest for the past six years, says it throughout the week. It partnered with More information about NAOSH Week in
makes sense to engage its employees in many local agencies to carry out events, B.C. is available at WorkSafeBC.com.
this event. including fall protection training,
“NAOSH Week aligns with our company’s defensive driving, fire extinguisher WorkSafeBC update
philosophy and our guiding principles: It’s training, and emergency evacuation. continues on page 25
about increased awareness, it’s training, Employees held daily safety huddles at the
WorkSafe Magazine March / April 2012 17

6. What everyone can do • Ensure flooring, or the work surface, is appropriate for the
tasks and work processes being performed.
Perkins says employers and employees can both play a role in
reducing the incidence of slip, trip, and fall injuries in the Employees can do as follows:
workplace. • Communicate with the employer regarding slip and trip
Employers can do as follows: hazards and possible remedies.
• Regularly inspect floors and work areas to identify slip/trip • Wear employer-recommended footwear and ensure it remains
hazards and take immediate action (i.e., barricade the area, in good condition.
contain spills, and highlight and repair uneven surfaces). • Be involved with your workplace health and safety program.
• Encourage open communication and involvement of staff in
• Ensure all “close calls” are reported to your employer, so they
generating appropriate control measures.
can be addressed as soon as possible.
Continued from page 17
Island conference angles for all things safety
I
f your co-workers are driving you crazy and you’re looking for For more information about the Upper Island Safety Conference,
coping tips, the third annual Upper Island Safety Conference visit www.strathconard.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=164.
has a session for you.
Forest industry professionals might also be interested in the
This year’s event — running May 28–29 in Campbell River on
Vancouver Island Safety Conference, Saturday, October 20 in
Vancouver Island — includes a session from Arete Safety and
Nanaimo. For more information about this event, contact Chris
Protection on interpersonal skills in the workplace. Workshop
Warburton, chris.warburton@worksafebc.com.
facilitator Hugh Pelmore will be offering common-sense
strategies for dealing with your co-workers without delving into
personalities. Other topics include discussions on leadership, Does workplace safety top your agenda?
stress management, brain wellness, and aging workers, as well as If so, you’ll be in good company at this
fall protection, lockout, and hazard assessment. year’s third annual . . . .
WorkSafeBC senior regional officer Bjarne Nielsen says the
gathering attracts a mix of industry professionals. “That’s one of Upper Island Safety Conference
the benefits of this conference: all these people with different May 28–29, 2012
perspectives networking and exchanging ideas.” Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex
Campbell River, B.C.
Strathcona Regional District manager of programs Susan
Bullock says the local venue is another draw for Islanders. “Small Enjoy a stay in the scenic anglers’
firms can afford to send people. And larger organizations can paradise of Campbell River during this
send more than just one or two people — sometimes their entire invigorating, two-day conference.
safety committee.” Bullock says some groups are now making
this conference their main health and safety training event of the
year.
For more information, call 250 287-9234
WorkSafe Magazine March / April 2012 25