It’s good for you… Your six safety stories!

By Matt King

Have you ever had cough medicine? I don’t mean pills, but the syrupy stuff, the kind that tastes like wet paper (that may not be my best simile)? I remember growing up and always, whenever I had a cough or a cold, my parents would encourage me to take my medicine. It always seemed to be the syrupy stuff, the kind that did not taste good going down.

But the thing is, it helped. It was good for me. This week’s safety stories hopefully point to some things that would be good for people in different situations. From how to manage dangerous materials, to being active, from being careful to simply remembering, it’s important to do what is good for you, even if it tastes bad.

Without further ado, here are your six safety stories…

• Do you know what’s good for you? A recent University of British Columbia study found almost half of the workplace deaths in Canada are related to harmful exposure and that many Canadians don’t know about the hazardous materials they work with. A new workshop is now hoping to spread awareness of these materials and help prevent related incidents.
• Sit down – no, wait, stand up… A study from two years ago regarding the health benefits of standing up or moving around instead of sitting down is making changes in Australian workplaces. The study notes that every hour spent sitting watching television increases the risk of dying earlier from heart disease and the same can be said for sitting in the workplace.
• After the storm… After recent tornadoes struck regions of the American Midwest, the Federal Labour Department is urging affected residents and recovery workers to be mindful of the hazards of the cleanup. Storm recovery can expose workers to a variety of hazards, from contaminated water or food to carbon monoxide and downed electrical wires.
• In the air or on the ground… A recent survey reported that around a quarter of transportation employees feel that sleepiness affects their job performance at least once a week. This includes pilots and train engineers, as well as truck, bus, taxi and limo drivers. Many employees take workday naps and drink caffeinated drinks to fight sleepiness, but the survey says this is not enough.
• Remembering… Six years later, Sara Purvis remembers her father, who died as a result of a mining accident at Stobie Mine, Ontario. Every year since then, Purvis visits Stobie to post a photo of her father. Purvis has since been involved with Threads of Life, an association for workplace tragedy family support. She will be participating in the charity’s Steps for Life (an annual walk which aims to raise workplace safety awareness.)
• In memoriam… A 62-year-old man was killed this week in a workplace incident just south of Fort McMurray. Occupational Health and Safety officials are investigating the incident.

Don’t forget, always work smart and work safe. Oh, and take a nap.