Module 6,7,8,9,10

Program:

“A series of predefined activities with assigned responsibilities undertaken in order to achieve preset goals.” (Greg Bell, 1999)

What are the three key parts of a program?

• you have determined what you are setting out to accomplish (goals)

• certain activities are required in order to achieve the goals (actions or activities)

• people are responsible for undertaking the activities (assigned responsibilities)

The required program activities and responsibilities may even be well documented through legislation and/or a program menu, but unless they are acted upon there is no program.

What are of some of the factors that can work against having health and safety occur naturally at the workplace:

• Unclear (safety) responsibilities - “I don’t know what my responsibilities are, so how can I act upon them?”

• Unclear instructions/goals - “Sometimes, what I am asked to do seems to conflict with safety standards. I am not sure what my job is in regards to preventing accidents.”

• Peer pressure - “I don’t think that this is the right way to do the job, but everyone else does it this way.”

• Mixed messages - “The biggest mixed message I receive is they say safety first, but when it comes to doing the job, it’s really production first.”

• Production pressures - “We’re pushed to complete the work and sometimes not enough consideration is given to doing the job safely.”

• Laziness - “Sometimes following the right procedure seems to be too much of a bother.”

• Shortcuts - “Taking shortcuts is easier, even though I know that I am taking a chance that I really shouldn’t.”

• Knowledge of legal requirements - “I think there are some safety laws, but I’m not sure what they are.”

• Workplace dynamics - “All these things are constantly changing. How I fit in and how I ensure workplace safety is sometimes not very clear.”

Formal OHS progams:

• establishing a policy statement signed by senior management

• establishing general OH&S responsibilities of workplace parties including the employer, supervisors and workers

• inspecting premises to prevent and correct hazards

• developing supplementary written instructions for tasks with significant risk

• discussing injury and accident trends, and accident prevention at management meetings

• investigating accidents to determine the cause in order to prevent reoccurrence

• maintaining records and statistics

• establishing a joint OH&S committee

• training workers in their tasks so that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to work safely, and providing adequate supervision

• providing first aid services

• handling of hazardous materials safely

• coordinating multiple employers on site, if applicable (e.g., construction sites with multiple subcontractors).

Less formal programs:

• holding regular monthly safety meetings with all employees to discuss safety issues and correct hazards

• keeping minutes of the issues discussed at the meeting, who is responsible for addressing the issues and action dates.

Sample Safety Program

Sample Safety Program

1. Occupational Health and Safety Policy

2. Written and Practical Safe Work Procedures

3. Training of Workers and Supervisors

4. Program Guidance and Supervision

5. Inspections

6. Hazardous Materials and Substances

7. Workplace Exposures - Occupational Hygiene

8. Medical Examinations and Health Monitoring

9. Injury Treatment - First Aid Services and Equipment

10. Investigations

11. Joint OH&S Committee

12. Records and Statistics

13. Meetings to discuss OH&S

14. OH&S Program Review

Good OHS policy satements:

• outline the objectives of the program and may also include the organization’s OH&S philosophy

• describe in general terms the roles and responsibilities of the employer, supervisor, and worker

• are current with a signing date included

• are signed by the employer

What do written or practical instructions often include?

They include general and specific rules, safe work procedures or standard operating procedures, and disciplinary or enforcement procedures. They include the rules and procedures that supplement or add to the minimum legal requirements.

Training for employees require the following as minimum:

• new or transferred employee orientation or induction

• skills training, including on-the-job training

• verification of pre-existing training and qualifications

• follow-up to establish consistent results

• crew talks

As minimum, supervisors should be trained in the following:

• the need to establish and maintain safe and healthy working conditions

• the dangers associated with a job, the potential effect on employees, and the rules, procedures, and work practices for controlling these dangers

• how to relate this information by example and instruction to employees, to ensure that they understand and follow safe work procedures

• how to investigate accidents, and to take corrective and preventive action to prevent a recurrence

• techniques of effective supervision and instruction, including how to motivate and communicate safety

• how to conduct workplace inspections

• how to present crew safety talks

Employers have the ultimate responsibility

• providing a safe and healthy workplace

• establishing and enforcing health and safety requirements specific to the workplace, including:

  • OHS philosophy

  • developing policies and procedures

  • implementing a comprehensive OHS program

  • communicating roles and responsibilities for OHS throughout the organization

• ensuring employees are informed of hazards, and trained and supervised to work safely

• providing first aid facilities and services

• ensuring personal protective equipment is available and maintained

• initiating incident investigations, and report accidents, injuries, and cases of occupational disease to the appropriate authorities

• taking action to resolve unsafe situations when reported or identified

• supporting supervisors and workers in their health and safety activities

• providing training for supervisors

• supporting health and safety initiatives

• consulting with joint OHS committees or worker representatives

• setting a good example.

Supervisors have an administrative responsibility

• ensuring the health and safety of workers they supervise

• knowing the hazards of the work they supervise, and the requirements to keep workers safe

• enforcing all aspects of the organization’s health and safety requirements

• ensuring all employees are adequately trained in the safe performance of their job, and checking their progress

• ensuring only authorized, properly trained employees operate equipment or use hazardous chemicals

• ensuring personal protective equipment is used correctly and kept in good order

• ensuring that equipment and materials are properly handled, stored, and maintained

• inspecting for and correcting unsafe acts and conditions before work is allowed to continue or proceed

• identifying employees with problems that could affect health and safety, and follow-up with interviews and referrals where necessary

• reporting and investigating all accidents and incidents

• consulting with joint OH & S committees or worker representatives

• promoting safety awareness in employees

• setting a good example.

Employees have an immediate responsibility

• supporting the organization’s health and safety efforts

• following all safe work procedures, and complying with the OH & S program

• participating in OH & S education and training

• correctly wearing and caring for personal protective equipment, where required

• reporting unsafe situations to their supervisor or safety representative immediately

• reporting any occupational illness or injury immediately

• knowing and complying with applicable regulatory requirements

• offering suggestions to enhance workplace health and safety

• promoting safety of their fellow employees

• participating in the joint OH & S committee, if requested or elected, and participating in their initiatives

• setting a good example.

Why do we need a safety program?

There are two reasons why safety programs are necessary - legal and practical.  Workplaces are required to meet minimum legal requirements for safety programming.  Agencies responsible for health and safety enforcement see the need for an organized and methodical way to address workplace accident prevention and occupational illness and illness reduction.

preventing and controlling hazards

• reducing the number of accidents, injuries, and occupational illnesses

• meeting legal requirements

• improving employee relations by ensuring morale is not degraded by high injury and absenteeism rates

• ensuring good relations with “labour”; demonstrating a genuine concern for the well-being of employees

• avoiding unnecessary costs that result from employee absenteeism, accidental property damage, and fines against the organization levied for failure to meet legal requirements

• reducing the personal liability of supervisors and managers for failing to provide reasonable standards of workplace health and safety.

Who is responsible for the success of an Safety Program?

Program development, implementation, and maintenance is a shared responsibility between management, supervisors and workers.  Managers define how the program will work and are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the program.  Supervisors are key to ensuring that the actions required for program success are carried out operationally, and therefore, have administrative responsibility for the program.  Each individual worker as immediate responsibility for their safety  and the safety of others in order to accomplish the goals of the program.  A failure at any level of responsibility can cause the program to fail.

What activities are common to every health and safety program?

• establishment of policy statements signed by senior management

• inspection of premises to prevent and correct hazards

• development of supplementary written instructions for tasks with significant risk

• discussion of injury/accident trends at management meetings and discussion of how to prevent accidents

• investigation of accidents to determine the cause in order to prevent recurrence

• maintaining records and statistics

• establishment of a health and safety committee

• provision for training of workers in the skills and knowledge necessary to safely perform all tasks

• provision of first aid services

• safe handling of hazardous materials

• coordination of multiple employers on site for example, construction sites with multiple contractors.

In order for these programs to be effective they must be:

• supported by upper management

• developed with involvement from all parts of the organization

• detailed in an administrative manual in order to establish and communicate program requirements

• implemented and supported by training

• acted upon with individuals held accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities

• monitored for results including an annual review to facilitate continuous improvement.

Communication

Communication is the foundation of human interaction. It is a two-way process of giving and receiving information through any number of channels.

Basic Communication principals:

Know your audience	Communication should always be packaged to suit the listener's level of understanding.
Know your purpose	Make it clear whether you are delivering specific information or requesting information.
Know your topic	Be aware of all the facts and details.
Anticipate objections	Objections often arise due to misunderstandings.
Present a rounded picture	Communicate the benefits for both parties.
Achieve credibility with your audience	Support your statements with evidence, using statistics or testimonials.
Follow through on what you say	Do not promise what you cannot deliver. (Work within legislative requirements and organisational policies and procedures.)
Communicate a little at a time, then check the listener understands	Pause, ask questions and give the listener an opportunity to ask questions.
Present information in several ways	What worked for one listener/reader may not work for another.
Develop practical, useful ways to get feedback	Feedback is the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of your communication.
Use multiple communication techniques	Use a combination of words, pictures and diagrams to communicate an effective message.

Spaced Repetition

A learning technique that incorporates intervals of previously learned information to enhance long-term retention.

Shannon and Weaver Model

A model of communication that describes the process as consisting of a sender, message, channel, receiver, and feedback, addressing potential noise that may interfere with the message.

Shannon and Weaver’s linear model is based on the following elements:

• An information source, which produces a message.

• A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals

• A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission

• A receiver, which 'decodes' (reconstructs) the message from the signal.

• A destination, where the message arrives.

Berlo Model

A communication model that emphasizes the importance of the source, message, channel, and receiver in the communication process. It highlights how each factor affects the effectiveness of communication. (SMCR)

Barlund Model

A communication model that focuses on the interactive nature of communication, emphasizing feedback and the context within which communication takes place. It recognizes that communication is a dynamic process influenced by multiple factors, rather than a linear sequence.

The single most important group communication technique is probably regular staff or crew meetings. These meetings are vitally important because:

• They are often the only way that management can be sure that everyone has received a critical message in a timely way.

• They create a cooperative climate through participation and group interaction.

• They help give everyone the same attention and exposure to information.

• They give the person conducting the meeting practice in improving communications and human relations skills.

Safety Talks

Safety talks should be focused, single-topic presentations. There should be a record of each meeting retained in a consistent format.

Prior to each presentation, you should know the following:

• Who is my audience?

• What is their level of prior knowledge? What level of information or training do they need?

• What are their ages? (e.g., teenagers, mixed ages)

• Is each person in the audience fluent in the language I’m using for the presentation?

• How many people will be there?

• Are handouts required? (Should they be distributed first thing or saved for the end of the session?)

• Does the presentation use an appropriate level of technology?

• Is the group attending voluntarily or are they being forced to attend? (A forced audience may not receive you warmly, whereas a voluntary audience is likely to be more receptive. However, good communication skills can win over almost any audience.)

For larger presentations, you should:

• obtain all of the details about the time and location, and confirm these details a few days prior to your presentation

• check out the location in advance, if possible

• ensure the required equipment and supplies are available

• remove or minimize any distractions that could affect the presentation.

What is Bird and Germain’s Five P Plan?

• Prepare: Think about the subject; jot down ideas; organize the topics

• Pinpoint: Don’t attempt to cover too many topics; zero-in on one main idea

• Personalize: Establish common ground; add meaningful context

• Picturize: Create clear mental pictures; use visual aids

• Prescribe: Ask for a specific action

For the listeners, properly used aids help emphasize the key aspects of good communication:

• attention

• understanding

• interest

• retention

Malcom Knowles - Adult Learning

1. Adults need to have a reason to learn and know why they are learning

2. Adults bring a wealth of experiences and prior learning to new learning situations

3. Adults are self-directed learners: they take responsibility for their own learning

4. Adult learning focuses on solving "real world" problems

5. Adults are motivated to learn by personal factors, and they choose to learn when they are ready to learn

6. Adults are more engaged if learning is contextual, relevant and involves practical application

List the 3 common types of learning styles

• Oral learners - who most readily understand verbal instruction.

• Visual learners - who most readily understand instructions presented as pictures, drawings, and schematics.

• Tactile learners - who most readily understand instructions presented as hands-on demonstrations - learn by “doing” or by mimicking examples

Elements of a Safety Program **

OHS POLICY STATEMENT
WRITTEN AND PRATICAL WORK PROCEDURES

TRAINING

PROGRAM GUIDENCE AND SUPERVISION

INSPECTIONS

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL

WORKPLACE EXPOSURES/HYGENE

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS/MODERTERING

INJURY TREATMENT

ACCIDENT/INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

JOSH COMMITTEE

RECORDS AND STATS

MANAGEMENT MEETINGS

PROGRAM REVIEW

CEO

Chief Executive Officer, the highest-ranking executive responsible for making major corporate decisions, managing overall operations, and acting as the primary point of communication between the board of directors and corporate operations.

Stakeholder

A person or group with an interest or concern in a business or project, including employees, customers, suppliers, and investors. Stakeholders can affect or can be affected by the organization's actions, objectives, and policies.

Leadership

The ability to guide, influence, or inspire others to achieve goals or objectives within an organization, often involving decision-making and strategic vision.

Management

The process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization's resources to achieve specific goals and objectives efficiently and effectively.

Leaders

"The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country"

Manager

"A person responsible for controlling or administering an organization or group of staff:"

Are OHS Practitioners the only leaders on the jobsite?

A leader can be someone positioned anywhere within an organization, regardless of job title. Managers generally have management titles and prescribed organizational management responsibilities.

Functions of management are:

planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

Management Characteristics:

Management has the following characteristics:

• Management is an authority relationship.

• The people in this relationship have at least one manger and one subordinate.

• The manager(s) and subordinate(s) coordinate their activities.

• The manager(s) and subordinate(s) produce and sell particular goods and/or services.

Leadership Characteristics:

Leadership has the following characteristics:

• Leaders influence relationships.

• Leaders have followers.

• Leaders intend to cause real change.

• Leaders intend changes to reflect mutual purposes.

OHS Practitioners are both leaders and managers:

• helping senior management to identify situations that are deemed to be outside the organization’s risk tolerance

• identifying and justifying resources required to manage the risks

• helping develop and implement systems to control and minimize risks.

Change Strategies #1: Good Communication:

• making presentations and conducting safety-related training

• attending management meetings, and ensuring safety issues are included on the agenda and recorded in meeting minutes

• circulating minutes from meetings where OH&S issues are presented such as safety committees, team meetings, and meetings with regulators

• posting safety promotion materials that communicate the desired safety message.

Change Strategies #2 Building a Business Case

You can use a business case to introduce change and manage cost. Many safety business cases are based on regulatory compliance and the consequences of not complying. There are also times where a number of options exist to control risk and exposure factors. You can cost each of the options out and present them to the senior executive for a final decision.

Change Strategies #3 Finding Allies

Some are found in the workplace, at every level of the organization. Others may work for outside agencies. Use your allies to help you communicate safety messages. Often, these allies are stakeholders who share goals with the safety management system (discussed in more detail later). Keep communication with folks who outright disagree or who are on the fence to pursue buy in

Setting Goals

Safety promotion is usually successful when measurable and realistic goals are set. These goals have the most impact when they are developed by stakeholders themselves. A strong leader identifies and includes all of these stakeholders in the goal-setting process.

Implementing Action Plans

As the OHS practitioner you may want to guide this process and get stakeholders involved directly.

“For each important corporate safety initiative, identify a safety champion among top corporate managers and task that person with driving that initiative to complete implementation across the corporation.”

Measuring and tracking goals

• task completion dates

• cost savings

• profit

• productivity levels

• perception surveys

• quality

Visible Leadership

Visible leadership refers to the active and engaging presence of leaders who demonstrate commitment to safety initiatives, inspire others through their example, and promote a culture of safety within the organization.

6 Attributes of Leadership - Trust

Trust in the interpersonal relationships between employees and leaders is vital. When you have trust and satisfaction with top management, safety levels are proven to increase.

6 Attributes of Leadership - Communication Style

Informal communications between employees and

management on safety and injury management

issues on a regular basis improves performance. This encourages early hazard recognition and RTW practices

6 Attributes of Leadership - Involvement

Personal contribution to OHS consultation and frequent contact between workers, management and supervisors. Senior management involvement motivates middle management to implement guidelines and directions for ohs and injuries which in turn motivates employees.

6 attributes of leadership Participative management.

When employees are directly consulted about OHS in regards to their position they work more safely because they were directly involved in the decision making process. Management styles that are more “open” and encourage worker participation are more effective.

6 attributes of leadership - Locus of Control

A decentralised approach has been shown to be the most effective way for senior management to promote workplace safety motivation and accident prevention because when you distribute power away from one entity making all of the decisions it empowers employees and increases their sense of ownership over safety practices.

6 attributes of Leadership - Flexibility and Adaptability

Flexible management styles that allow for adaptation of strategies and approaches in response to changing circumstances and challenges fosters a proactive environment where employees feel supported and encourage worker commitment to goals and values.

What are the 6 attributes in leadership?

• Trust

• Communication Style

• Involvement

• Participative Management

• Locus of Control

• Flexibility and Adaptability
  
  

Stephen Covey’s 5 things for tests of leadership

• Never make promises we will not keep.

• Make meaningful promises, resolutions, and commitments to do better and to be better

• Use self-knowledge and be very selective about the promises we make.

• Consider promises as a measure of our integrity and faith in ourselves.

• Remember that our personal integrity or self-mastery is the basis for our success with others.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work’s 5 guiding principals

1. Taking responsibility for establishing and creating a positive safety culture and safety climate.

2. Making OH&S policies a priority and applying them consistently across the organization and over time.

3. Having "unequivocal commitment" of an organisation’s board and senior management.

4. Communicating openly at all levels of the organization. Encouraging collaboration between all stakeholders

5. Valuing employees, and promoting active worker participation in the development and implementation of OH&S measures.

3 main steps for promoting safety

• setting goals

• implementing action plans

• measuring and tracking goals

Ethics

The science of morals in human behaviour; moral philosophy. Also: moral principles; rules of conduct. (Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 1998)

Ethics is a code of moral principles that guide people in the organization. Test questions: Is it legal? Is it balanced? Is it fair? Does it promote win-win relationships? How would it make us feel if it were published in the newspapers or known in the community? (Lack, 1996)

Morality

The principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Morality encompasses the values and rules that guide individuals' actions and decisions in a society.

Prescriptive ethical theories can be divided to four broad categories:

Rights-based theories

• Duty-based theories

• Consequence-based theories

• Virtue theories)

Common Ethics Issues

• the employer wants you to downplay a hazard that you believe to be serious

• a client asks you to modify an air quality or other health-related report to provide more positive findings

• someone tells you that a co-worker is not safe to work with, but insists that you keep the information to yourself

• in addition to your OH&S duties, you’re responsible for managing and disputing workers’ compensation claims

• you conduct an OH&S audit and your employer suggests that your future employment depends on you reporting inflated scores on certain aspects of the program

• you are new to the field and you attend a golf tournament for OH&S practitioners where people are telling “horror stories” that you think are violating the confidentiality of an employer or workers by holding them up for ridicule

• you have access to confidential medical and personal information about workers, and their manager expects you to pass the information along

• people are looking to you for an answer to something you really don’t know much about - you must choose to fake it, or disappoint their expectations of you by saying you don’t know

• you and your employer or client irreconcilably disagree - you must choose to create a paper trail, expose the situation internally, whistle-blow externally, or some other action.

David Goetsch recommends that OH&S professionals ask the following questions when there are ethical implications to decisions being made.

• Has the issue or problem been thoroughly and accurately defined?

• Have all dimensions of the problem (productivity, quality, cost, safety, health, and so on) been identified?

• Would other stakeholders (employees, customers) agree with your definition of the problem?

• What is your real motivation in making this decision? Meeting a deadline? Outperforming another organizational unit, or a competitor? Self-promoting? Getting the job done right? Protecting the safety and health of employees? Some combination of these?

• What is the probable short-term result of your decision? What is the probable long term result?

• Who will be affected by your decision and in what way? In the short term? In the long term?

• Did you discuss the decision with all stakeholders (or all possible stakeholders) before making it?

• Would your decision withstand the scrutiny of employees, customers, colleagues, and the general public?”

List three of reasons why ethical issues are especially challenging **

• the consequences of our action or inaction can be very high — we deal with potentially loss of life, limb, property, reputation, and finances

• every person has a unique, somewhat entrenched set of values and morals

• it can be difficult to find reliable sources of information (e.g., marketing information may endorse a product at the expense of genuine ergonomics, health, or safety; chemical Material Safety Data Sheets may be evasively written; a journal article or conference paper may promote a new OH&S approach that directly benefits the writer or speaker)

• some organizations have a long history of being more concerned with due diligence or “covering their butt” than with the health and safety of their people — this breeds cynicism

• some OH&S solutions are very expensive — when you compare these costs to the risks, it may appear that the best decision is to not implement the solution

• two opposing OH&S opinions may both have merit

• people can practice in the OH&S field without credentials and without adhering to any professional standard — professional development relies on an individual’s initiative

Common Reasons for Ethical Misconduct

Biases - obedience to authority, social proof (everyone else is doing it), overconfident or over optimism, self serving, framing
Ethical blind spots - failure to notice others behaviors, temporal lense
Morale disengagement - justifying actions as it is “for the greater good” advantageous comparisons “it could be worse” distortion of consequences “we’re not harming anyone”

Research

“The systematic investigation into and the study of materials, sources, etc., in order to establish new facts and reach new conclusions.” (Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 1998)

Before doing research, you need to define your purpose. Ask yourself these questions:

• Who is the audience?

• What do they need to know?

• Why do they need to know it? (What use will they need to make of the information?) How much detail do they need?

• How much do they already know about the subject? How much can be taken for granted and how much has to be explained?

• Do they expect the information in the form of a talk, a short memo, or a lengthy formal written report?

Epidemiology

The study of the incidence and distribution of diseases, and of their control and prevention. (Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 1998)

TIP for OHS Research

So a valuable tip about research into OH&S issues is: be very aware of the limitations of the information you use. Be careful to report all information accurately. Don’t misinterpret the information you find, even unintentionally. If necessary, discuss an idea with someone from the source of the information (for example, an information representative from a workers’ compensation board), to make sure you’ve understood the information correctly.

Tip: Use the ISBN or ISNN

A special challenge in the OH&S field is the number of journals, magazines, and books with nearly identical titles! You can avoid confusion and wasted time if you note the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) when you’re tracking down a book or periodical.

CARS Checklist

CARS Checklist (Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, Support)

CAFE

Challenge	Challenge information and demand accountability. Stand right up to the information and ask questions. Who says so? Why do they say so? Why was this information created? Why should I believe it? Why should I trust this source? How is it known to be true? Is it the whole truth? Is the argument reasonable? Who supports it?
Adapt	Adapt your skepticism and requirements for quality to fit the importance of the information and what is being claimed. Require more credibility and evidence for stronger claims. You are right to be a little skeptical of dramatic information or information that conflicts with commonly accepted ideas. The new information may be true, but you should require a robust amount of evidence from highly credible sources.
File	File new information in your mind rather than immediately believing or disbelieving it. Avoid premature closure. Do not jump to a conclusion or come to a decision too quickly. It is fine simply to remember that someone claims XYZ to be the case. You need not worry about believing or disbelieving the claim right away. Wait until more information comes in, you have time to think about the issue, and you gain more general knowledge.
Evaluate	Evaluate and re-evaluate regularly. New information or changing circumstances will affect the accuracy and hence your evaluation of previous information. Recognize the dynamic, fluid nature of information. The saying, “Change is the only constant,” applies to much information, especially in technology, science, medicine, and business.

peer review vs published in trades mags

A strong advantage of academic journals is that the articles are verified in a peer review process before they’re accepted for publication. This means that they have been reviewed and are considered reliable by prominent scientists in each field. Mass-market, popular, or trade magazines, by comparison, seldom use a peer review process.

The internet

• Websites

• Online databases
  

• The fact is, the Internet is a mode of communicating information, not an information source in itself.

Periodicals

Periodicals, of course, are collections of information that appear periodically: newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, and so on.

Books

Over time, you will probably find it useful to have a selection of basic textbooks for reference: a first-year university-level text on each of anatomy, chemistry, math, and statistics, as well as some basic business titles. As the need arises, you will start identifying OH&S-related texts that will be useful to you.

Peer Networks

Like all professions and trades, occupational health and safety has its peer membership organizations. These are important for a number of reasons, including:

• You can join them, and get to know peers with whom you can share information and experiences.

• You can gain access to valuable services for members, such as discounts with insurance providers, lowered entry fees to educational events, and subscriptions to newsletters or journals.

• Even if you don’t join, you can often use a professional organization as your starting point to contacting someone for a specific question.

Why do you need to site your sources?

• As an OHS practitioner citing your sources is crucial to your personal credibility

• Citing sources proves the credibility to the information you provide

• Practitioners are judged based on how reliable your information is

• There is so much information out there and with science, things are constantly being challenged or looked at from different angles. Citing sources is important especially if information is in question or is controversial

• It is important to be transparent with your employers

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

A federal agency in Canada dedicated to promoting occupational health and safety through information, education, and training to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.

Journals

Periodicals that publish research and articles related to occupational health and safety, providing insights, case studies, and industry developments.

Peer-reviewed

refers to the process where scholars evaluate research or articles for quality and validity before publication, ensuring reliable and credible information in academic and professional fields.

When researching through BCIT data-base

To access electronic resources off campus :

• Current students, faculty and staff can login using their BCIT email address and password.

When using Google, what's the difference between using quotation marks, or not,  around a search term?

When you use quotation marks around a term, Google will only give you results with that exact phrase in the website.  Without quotation marks, Google will give you every web site that has any of the words of the phrase.  Therefore, you can narrow the search by using quotation marks.

When using Google, is it possible to look only for .pdf documents or Power Point presentations?

When using Google, is it possible to look only for .pdf documents or Power Point presentations?

When using Google, how do you look for a term within only a specific website?

You must first know the address of the website (for example, CCOHS), then enter a search word or phrase, followed by inurl: and the website. For example, "first aid" inurl: CCOHS will give you references to first aid within parts of the CCOHS website.

How do you find a recent news story, using Google, without getting buried by thousand of out-of-date or non-news websites?

 

At the top of the Google search page, click on News. Then click on Advanced news search. You can choose a time frame, and then enter the search word or phrase. Google will give you only the news stories within that time frame that contain the search word or phrase you're looking for

Why doesn't science seem to have one right answer (and stick to it) for anything?

Science is based on ongoing examination and experimentation so as new findings are discovered scientific results have to be adjusted. On a broad scale though, science does have firm answers to many questions. When a question has been thoroughly researched and many different independent studies have confirmed the same thing over and over again it is reasonable to rely on the results. Some details may continue to shift if new results are found, of course.

What qualifications are required for someone to join the Canadian Society for Safety Engineering?

This is a trick question. No qualifications are required for someone to join the CSSE. It is open to any OH&S practitioner, or student, who intends to become an OH&S practitioner, or even anyone who has retired from being an OH&S practitioner.

Take an idea to the CAFE extended…

This is a trick question. No qualifications are required for someone to join the CSSE. It is open to any OH&S practitioner, or student, who intends to become an OH&S practitioner, or even anyone who has retired from being an OH&S practitioner.