Canadian Safety Reporter

December 2017

Focuses on occupational health and safety issues at a strategic level. Designed for employers, HR managers and OHS professionals, it features news, case studies on best practices and practical tips to ensure the safest possible working environment.

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CSR | December 2017 | News cal validation of employee casual absenteeism (Ontario); and the newly-recognized psychologi- cal conditions per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Men- tal Disorders (DSM5, 2013); all make it difficult for employers to differentiate between culpable and non-culpable behaviour. Employers must factor these realities into their occupational health and safety efforts. Having an OH service and OHN edu- cated in health risks and suitable interventions, positions employ- ers to uphold the applicable Oc- cupational Health & Safety Gen- eral Duty Clause: To provide a safe and healthy workplace. OH service's value In-house or external OH Services provide needed technical exper- tise to establish and maintain safe and healthy working envi- ronments. Physical and psycho- logical health are critical to maxi- mizing human performance. Likewise, a work environment that supports employees to safely do their job, be able to do the job, be equipped to do the job, and be motivated (want) to do the job, is critical (Roithmayr, 2017). The value of OH services and OHNs is supported clinically (Table 2). Investing in an OH service and employing an OHN can save organizations a considerable amount of money and position it to retain its valuable human capital. Dianne E. Dyck is an occupa- tional health nurse and occu- pational health and safety spe- cialist with Progressive Health & Safety Consulting in Calgary. She can be reached at (403) 282- 9330 or degdyck2@gmail.com. Occupational < pg. 5 Aging workforce increases importance of risk management ©2017 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-7798-2810-4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher (Thomson Reuters, Media Solutions, Canada). Canadian Safety Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications: • Canadian HR Reporter — www.hrreporter.com • Canadian Occupational Safety magazine — www.cos-mag.com • Canadian Payroll Reporter — www.payroll-reporter.com • Canadian Employment Law Today — www.employmentlawtoday.com • Canadian Labour Reporter — www.labour-reporter.com See carswell.com for information Safety Reporter Canadian www.safety-reporter.com Published 12 times a year by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $129 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 E-mail: customersupport.legaltaxcanada@tr.com Website: www.carswell.com One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1T 3V4 Director, Media Solutions, Canada Karen Lorimer Publisher/Managing Editor Todd Humber Lead Editor Jeffrey R. Smith Assistant Editor Mallory Hendry Marketing & Audience Development Manager Robert Symes rob.symes@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9551 Circulation Co-ordinator Keith Fulford keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9585 Sales Manager Paul Burton paul.burton@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9928 Table 2: Value of OH services and OHNs Contributions Value to Company Qualifiers Manage Internal OH&S Program 42% saving over external OH Services Internal OH&S Programs are 42% less costly than are external OH&S services (Lantos). Pre-placement Assessments Right people for the job Good person-job fit lowers absenteeism and staff turnover, priced at twice employee annual salary. The average Canadian annual salary (2016) was $53,643K, making the cost-avoidance $107.2K per employee. Periodic Risk-based Monitoring No fines/penalties OH&S legislation requires hearing conservation, respiratory conservation and monitoring for some chemical exposures. Non-compliance fines can be levied. Emergency Preparedness No fines/penalties: Less loss Emergency preparedness is legislated. OH Services can enhance preparedness and mitigate the risk of further injury/death. Non-compliance fines can be $500K. Ergonomic Support Increased productivity: Lower WCB costs for musculoskeletal injuries Management of ergonomic-related conditions reduces WCB claims and increases worker productivity (WHSC). Workers' Compensation Reporting No fines/penalties Failure to report worker injuries/illness can result in fines; $100/late day to a $25,000 fine (AWCBC). Attendance/Disability Management • 30-50% cost-avoidance • 19% savings with an integrated disability management program (IDMP) Management of absenteeism/disability reduces costs by 30-50% (NIDMAR, 2004). The average cost for medical absences was $2,116 (Hewitt). A 30-50% reduction would lower this cost to $1,058-$1,411 per employee/yr. With 1000 employees, the saving would be $0.6M-$1.1M. With an IDMP, OH Services can save companies 2.8% of payroll. EFAP Oversight 65% productivity increase EFAPs result in a 65% reduction in stress and improved productivity. Mental health issues cost almost $1,500/employee/yr (Benefits Canada). OHNs help employees identify and manage their distress and reduce costs; preventing a psychological disability ($18K) (CAMH). Workplace Wellness Increased productivity OH Services can manage WWPs; they offer a $1.95 to $3.75 ROI with an annual return of $500-$700 per employee (Sheppard). Employee Support Priceless! OHNs' relationship with employees have been shown to enhance compliance with treatment regimens, rehabilitation plans, and lifestyle changes (Anderson). Employee Loyalty "For every 5-unit increase in employee satisfaction in a [business] quarter, there is a 1.3-unit increase in customer satisfaction in the next quarter, and a 0.5-unit increase in revenues" (H&S, Ontario, p.8). By addressing psychosocial issues, OHNs can help employees and increase their job satisfaction and health.

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