HSE Updates Week of 3 January 2024 – RAE, TSBC, OHS

Greetings,

Please review the applicable HSE Updates..

• Company Safety Meeting Presentation:   deadline: second Friday of each month for the previous month
  • If you have not already done so by the deadline, please review the attached Company Safety Meeting on SiteDocs to indicate you have reviewed it. If the deadline has passed – you missed it but are still expected to review and sign-off the presentation in SiteDocs.
• H&S Bulletin: Answer due by 8am last Friday of the month (26 Jan 2024)
  • See attached: January 2024 Health and Safety Bulletin
• Health and Safety Committee: Next Meeting: Thurs before last Fri of the month (25 Jan 2024)
  • If you can’t join the HSC meetings,  you can still participate by providing feedback, questions, or concerns to hsc@raeengineering.ca. Please submit feedback prior to the next meeting so it can be brought forward.
  • The HSC meets the last Thursday of each month at 1pm via Teams.
  • Previous HSC Meeting Minutes can be found in the Teams Channel and SiteDocs as well as attached.
• Safety Rewards Program: Where your commitment to RAE’s Safety Culture is rewarded!
  • November PRC winners: Submit more cards! Be specific in how your coworkers are contributing to safety!
    • $500 Best Card Winner: Cobus du Plessis
    • $100 Safety PRC Draw: Alla Sekunda
  • If you have any questions or concerns about the Safety Rewards Program, or would like to sign-up to do a presentation, please email hsc@raeengineering.ca.
• Peer Recognitions: Due by Company Safety Meeting each month

 Technical Safety BC (TSBC)

• TSBC’s New Fee Schedule for 2024–2025 Now in Effect (sent via email), visit their website for details.
  • As of January 1, 2024, clients are also required to use cheque or EFT to pay for invoices valued above $5,000.

OHS

• OHS eNews – January 2024 (sent via email)
  • Mental Health in the workplace
    • For many Albertans, the beginning of the new year is a joyful time that’s full of promise and possibilities. But for others, particularly in the cold and darkness of January, it’s a time when they struggle with their mental health. This struggle can manifest itself at home, in the community, or in the workplace.
    • This month is an opportune time to recall that Alberta OHS legislation requires employers to assess and control all hazards in their workplace, including mental health hazards (more formally known as “psychosocial hazards”).
    • To learn more, watch the two-part “Mental health in the workplace” webinar series, available on the OHS Resource Portal. Part 1 provides general information about psychological health and safety in the workplace, while Part 2 focuses specifically on how to identify, eliminate and control workplace psychosocial hazards. These and additional resources can also be accessed by visiting the Psychosocial hazards category on the OHS Resource Portal.
  • Working in cold weather
    • Although Alberta’s occupational health and safety legislation doesn’t specifically address working in cold weather, employers must protect workers and others at or around the work site from potential hazards. Also, workers must take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and others in the vicinity of the work site.
    • For more information, see the Working in the cold category on the OHS Resource Portal.
  • Upcoming live webinars on employment standards
    • Employment standards in Alberta – Administration and enforcement: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 (10:30 a.m.)
    • Employment Standards in Alberta – Construction Overview: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (1:30 p.m.)
    • Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office – TFW and Employer Rights and Responsibilities: Thursday, January 25, 2024 (1:30 p.m.)
    • Employment Standards in Alberta – Wages and Overtime: Thursday, February 8, 2024 (1:30 p.m.)
    • Employment Standards in Alberta – General Overview: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 (1:30 p.m.)
    • Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office – TFW & Employer Rights and Responsibilities – Thursday, February 29, 2024 (1:30 p.m.)
  • OHS: Beyond the numbers
    • In “OHS: Beyond the numbers”, data is showcased with information to help start health and safety conversations in the workplace. This month, we look at WCB‑Alberta injury claims data related to “same-level” falls, in which workers fell on the surface they were standing or walking on.
    • Slips and trips can happen to any of us; and when they do, they can result in a fall that can cause an injury. In fact, falls accounted for 16 per cent of all WCB injury claims between 2018 and 2022. Nearly three out of four of these falls (71 per cent) involved same-level falls.
    • Even though it might seem like slips, trips and falls happen unexpectedly, these incidents can be prevented. It’s important to recognize fall hazards and learn how to follow safe work practices to reduce the chance of falling. To learn more about preventing falls, see the slips, trips and falls resource category on the OHS Resource Portal