March 2007

Stop That Noise!
Are you ready? New noise regulations become effective July 1, 2007


The Ministry of Labour (MOL) is reducing the limits on allowable noise in the workplace, and requiring the use of protective measures to protect workers' hearing, effective July 1, 2007. Noise exposure limits will be added to the list of hazards that MOL inspectors focus on when they visit service sector workplaces. If loud music or background noise is part of your workplace reality (for example nightclubs or vehicle body shops), you'll want to revisit the preventative measures you have in place to protect your staff. But first, download and review the new guidelines and the Ministry's communication.


It's no secret that the MOL has doubled the number of its inspectors, and is ratcheting up enforcement through ticket and order writing with an objective of making sure workplaces are compliant. The Ministry has been transparent about its areas of priority and focus. "Noise" is the latest one to join the list.


There's still time to avoid an unpleasant surprise. Don't wait for MOL inspectors to show up on your doorstep. If you suspect you might be at risk, start with a hazard assessment.


Call us--we're ready to help.

You Did it Again - Thank You!
OSSA clients share their views in annual Client Value Survey


In spite of your busy schedules, you took the time, once again, to participate in OSSA's annual Client Value Survey, and to provide us with open and honest feedback on how our products and services affect your ability to be healthier and safer. You told us how well we listen to and understand your needs, how effective our processes are in connecting you with the right resources, and whether OSSA is your preferred source for health and safety expertise (it seems we are, with 98 per cent of you reporting that you would work with OSSA again, and nine in ten saying OSSA is your first choice/preferred provider of health and safety products).


Given that our mission is to enable Ontario service sector workplaces to be the healthiest and safest in the world, those results fill us with hope and pride. We will work diligently and creatively to continue earning your trust, and we'll start by improving our performance in three areas you told us need work:

1.	Awareness of full range of products and services: We learned that those of you who purchase our products and training don't know as much about the full range of OSSA products and services as those of you who are engaged in a consulting relationship with us. You can't afford to be out of the loop, and we are busy identifying new ways to keep you in it.
2.	Satisfaction with training: While 84 percent of you are satisfied with OSSA's various training solutions, we want that number to be 90 per cent or more to match performance in other areas of program delivery. We're working on that, too.
3.	Satisfaction with payment options for consulting services: You told us you aren't as satisfied with our payment options as you used to be, so we are reviewing and revamping many of our internal procedures to make it easier for you to buy our consulting services.

Thank you for your continued support.


Note: For more information on OSSA's Client Value Survey results, see the spring edition of OSSA's "Safety Mosaic" magazine, coming soon to www.ossa.com. Or, call 1-888-478-6772 for your personal copy.

Don't Lose Sight of Your Pandemic Planning Initiative
Risk remains high in spite of media lull


Just because flu season is almost over doesn't mean your pandemic preparedness planning efforts should be. While media attention on this important topic tends to wax and wane, the potential risk for an influenza pandemic continues to be real and of enormous concern to leading authorities like the World Health Organization. You'll find emerging intelligence and support on the OSSA's web site: go to www.ossa.com and click on the "Pandemic Planning". button under "Features" on the right side of the page. We've gathered high-quality, up-to-date articles, resources and links to government agencies that will help you meet your commitments to your organization and customers in a crisis.


The OSSA is engaged in pandemic planning at three levels:

1.	Provincial: Serving with other health and safety partners on the Occupational Health & Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee to make sure Ontario's planning efforts are tested and shared broadly across the prevention system.
2.	Service sector: Preparing and transferring the most appropriate links and resources to our web site for use by our clients.
3.	Internal: Developing internal policies for OSSA staff.

It is our involvement at a provincial, strategic level that allows us to disseminate the most current and valuable information to our service sector employers, workers and workplaces. Please bookmark www.ossa.com and check back often.

MOL Adds Workplace Violence to its List of Focus Areas
Inspectors zero in on prevention programs


In response to a special directive, newly trained Ministry of Labour inspectors are writing orders related to violence prevention programs--particularly in workplaces where the risk of violence is higher because of the nature of the work. If your staff work with the public, provide services, serve alcohol, or work alone you might be on an MOL list for a future visit from an inspector. The MOL is looking for evidence that employers have:

a)	Properly assessed their risk;
b)	Implemented appropriate prevention strategies and training; and
c)	Addressed workplace violence incidents.

Those considered to be most at risk in the service sector include:

•	Hotel staff who clean bedrooms
•	Fast-food servers
•	Convenience store clerks
•	Office workers who work late
•	Gas station attendants
•	Restaurant staff who close up at night
•	Staff who handle cash

Help is at hand. Here are four sources of information:

a)	OSSA's 2.5-hour, interactive awareness module is designed to help staff who deal with two key risk factors: working alone and handling cash.
b)	The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has posted extensive Q&As, checklists, examples, and guidelines.
c)	The WSIB has posted several free, downloadable resources, including checklists, information sheets and forms.
d)	Google on "Working Alone Safely" to find Alberta's best practices document on this particularly important risk factor.

For more information on the potentially volatile combination of young workers and workplace violence, see the spring edition of OSSA's "Safety Mosaic" magazine, coming soon to www.ossa.com. Or, call 1-888-478-6772 for your personal copy.

WSIB Seeks Your Feedback on Workplace Accreditation
Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007


As part of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the WSIB has a mandate to develop an accreditation program to promote the development of world-class health and safety programs in Ontario workplaces. You're invited to help shape the program, which will offer three substantial benefits to participants in addition to the inherent satisfaction in achieving a superior health and safety program:

a)	OSSA's 2.5-hour, interactive Monetary performance incentives from the WISB;
b)	Brand recognition through an award program that would, in turn, encourage other companies to follow suit;
c)	Immunity, at least during the period of accreditation, from landing on MOL Last Chance or High-risk lists.

The WSIB has published a letter to stakeholders and consultation paper outlining the general objectives, concepts, guiding principles and proposed elements of an accreditation program for Ontario workplaces. For each section, the WSIB poses questions for you, the stakeholder, to consider. You're invited to submit your feedback on these questions by April 30, 2007.

Answer the Call for Abstracts
2007 Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference


The theme for this year's Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference in Toronto on November 11 to 13, 2007, is "Evidence, Action, Innovation: Moving to End Injury, Violence and Suicide in Canada." You're invited to submit abstracts that link evidence, action and innovation in the categories of poster presentations, oral presentations and workshops/roundtables. Your submissions are due by April 15, 2007, and notification of acceptance will be given by June 30, 2007.


The conference is jointly sponsored by Safe Communities Foundation, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada.


Register now for the conference, which takes place November 11 to 13, 2007, at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto.

Put April 16 to 18 on Your Calendar
Health & Safety Canada 2007 IAPA Conference and Trade Show


The annual Health and Safety Canada Conference and Trade Show has two surprises in store for attendees this year.


One, the event will have an even greater international presence with the addition of the IALI (International Association of Labour Inspection) Conference. The conference will be hosted by IALI, the Ministry of Labour, and the IAPA, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), and will run from Wednesday, April 18 to Friday, April 20.


What's significant about this development is that Ontario is being highlighted as a centre of excellence, at the same time as it provides businesses in this province with an opportunity to gain international perspective.


Two, a new host for the CEO Health & Safety Leadership Charter will be announced at the conference: the Conference Board of Canada. It couldn't be a better choice, given the broad scope of businesses represented by the Conference Board.


Many of our readers will be familiar with the Leadership Charter, which was launched in April 2005 by Bruce Power to achieve a Canada-wide breakthrough in health and safety performance, and is supported by government and business organizations. Perhaps your chief executive officer was one of the dozens to sign the Charter, whose underlying premise is that the success of an organization's health and safety program depends on the importance placed on it by an organization's executive leader.


The theme for the 2007 Conference and Trade Show is "Innovative Strategies for Safer and Healthier Workplaces". Register now and join your health and safety community for three days of networking, sharing knowledge and information, and discussing strategies for applying that information to achieve workplace results.

OSSA Partners with University to Serve Northwestern Ontario
New strategy to reach firms that are geographically isolated


Now, workplaces in Northern Ontario--including Thunder Bay, Dryden, Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River-- have access to a new and expanded line-up of health and safety consulting and training services. In a one-of-a-kind partnership two exceptional organizations-- the Lakehead University Resource Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (RCOHS) and the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA)-- have joined forces to provide clients in this region with convenient, high-quality consulting services and training.


It's a challenge to provide firms in northern communities with the same level of access to products and services that businesses in large urban centres enjoy. Organizations in the north are geographically dispersed and can be isolated, with difficult-to-access seasonal workplaces such as fishing and hunting camps. As part of our obligation of stewardship, the OSSA is committed to exploring innovative service models, such as the one with Lakehead, that will help us reach organizations everywhere who need support in developing an effective health and safety program.


For more information, call the OSSA at 1-888-478-6772.

Advocate Past Issues

•	December 2006 Issue
•	September 2006 Issue
•	June 2006 Issue
•	February 2006 Issue
•	October 2005 Issue
•	July 2005 Issue
•	March 2005 Issue
•	December 2004 Issue