Canadian Safety Reporter

May, 2018

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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Safety Reporter Canadian www.safety-reporter.com May 2018 The reality of merging OHS and HR Blending areas of responsibility comes with advantages — and potential pitfalls BY MELISSA CAMPEAU AT FIRST West Credit Union in British Columbia, the orga- nization has embraced the close relationship between human re- sources and occupational health and safety. "Our health and safety department used to fall under facilities, but we moved it under HR almost a year ago," says Brieann Spencer, healthy workplace lead with First West Credit Union, B.C. "There was such an overlap between the two areas, so there was a strong rationale," says Spencer. "OHS still has a strong connection with facilities but in particular with the big move- ment around psychological health and safety in the work- place it just really made sense to work more closely with HR since the two go hand in hand." Pre-existing symptoms not tied to accident Worker's changing description, symptoms, and medical history made causal link unlikely BY JEFFREY R. SMITH AN ONTARIO worker has had her claim for workers' compensa- tion benefits for tennis elbow and fibromyalgia denied because her symptoms were more consistent with pre-existing conditions and not the workplace accident for which she was filing her claim. The worker was employed at a hospital in a position that involved preparing and delivering food for patients. In 1994, she had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome that had been causing numbness in her WORKPLACE INJURY AGGRAVATED PRE- EXISTING BACK CONDITION: TRIBUNAL Worker had degenerative condition and previous injuries, but was able to perform regular work duties before workplace accident pg. 6 CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CLEARED OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR FATAL TRUCK COLLISION pg. 3 Company had sufficient safety procedures but couldn't have anticipated experienced worker's failure to follow them WORKPLACE ACCIDENT RESULT OF INSUFFICIENT TRAINING, NOT VIOLATION Worker had previous safety violations, but neither he nor co-worker were trained on circumstances leading to collision pg. 5 INSIDE NEWS BRIEF Develop > pg. 4 Credit: Shutterstock/ Rido Ongoing > pg. 2 PM #40065782 FAVRE GETS SERIOUS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS (Field Level Media) — Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre believes he has suffered "hundreds, probably thousands" of concussions over his football life and said if he had a son, he would try to convince him not to play football. The former Green Bay Packers icon told NBC News' Megyn Kelly on the "TODAY" show that while he was only diagnosed with three or four confirmed concussions, he has had the sensation of "getting dinged" on countless occasions. "When you have ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that is a concussion," Favre said. "If that is a concussion, I've had hundreds, probably thou- sands, throughout my career, which is frightening. If I had a son myself... I would really, really, strongly discour- age him from playing." Favre shared his opinions in a panel discussion about concussions in sports, along with fellow Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, retired MLB veteran David Ross and U.S. Women's Na- tional Team soccer legend Abby Wambach. The four former athletes are investors in a company develop- ing a drug, Prevasol, they hope can help in treatment of concussions. Prevasol has not yet been approved and is still in clinical trials.

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