Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER August 8, 2016 FEATURES 15 CONNECTING YOU TO YOUR LEGAL COMMUNITY New Edition Spiralbound • August 2016 $46.50* • L7798-5930 ISBN 978-0-7798-5930 Multiple copy discounts available *Plus applicable taxes and shipping & handling Stay connected with the 2016-17 Alberta Legal Telephone Directory Order your copy today. Visit www.carswell.com or call 1-800-387-5164 for a 30-day, no risk evaluation Alberta Legal Telephone Directory is all about your legal community connecting you to the lawyers and law offices you need in Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Published annually, it keeps you connected with new and updated names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers each year. Searching is easy with: • Alphabetical and geographical listing of lawyers and law firms • Alphabetical listing of Judges Also quickly and easily access: • Law Societies • Courts of Appeal • Federal Court of Canada • Government of Canada departments • Judicial districts and judicial officials • Incorporated Municipalities • Land registration and information services • Provincial government departments • Boards and Commissions • Law Related Services, Institutions and Organizations • University law faculties... and more This resource will be an indispensable quick reference guide for your office. Durable spiralbound format saves on wear and tear of everyday usage. Compensation Surveys Incentive Programs Job Descriptions Job Evaluation Pay Equity Performance Appraisal Salary Administration Sales Compensation (416) 498-7800 www.resourcecorporation.com COMPENSATION CONSULTING ERGONOMICS Embracing participatory ergonomics Getting all levels involved in process can reduce injuries and boost productivity By Troy Winters M usculoskeletal disor- ders (MSDs) and inju- ries remain one of the most common occupationally compensable costs to employers in Canada. Musculoskeletal in- juries (MSIs) are also one of the leading causes of long-term ab- sences from the workplace, and often require accommodations for a proper return to work. Aspects of a job that increase the likelihood of developing MSDs and injuries include: working at a pace that is too fast to allow for ad- equate rest, handling heavy loads, making forceful movements or repeatedly holding static postures for long periods of time. Addi- tionally, being exposed to local or full body vibration, bending and twisting away from the resting posture and working in cold con- ditions while exposed to any of the other risky activities will increase the likelihood of injury. The number and severity of MSDs resulting from poorly de- signed workspaces and the asso- ciated costs can be substantially reduced by applying principles of ergonomics in workspace design. Many organizations have come to realize that engaging an ergo- nomics specialist can help in the selection of appropriate equip- ment and workspace designs. is helps to reduce injuries and increases productivity. A "participatory ergonomics" intervention starts from the as- sumption that employees (in- cluding workers, management and engineers) who are involved in efforts to identify hazards and reduce risk bring essential knowl- edge about how the work is done, allowing for a more complete understanding of the situation. Participatory ergonomics har- ness the full breadth of employee knowledge of the organizational, physical, social and psychological factors associated with potential injury by promoting their engage- ment within the full process, in- cluding the identification, design and implementation of ergonom- ics interventions. If workers have participated in developing the solutions, and are engaged in the management of change processes, they will be more likely to accept changes to equipment or procedures. e ac- tive engagement and participation also helps to ensure that changes are implemented in a way that is realistic and consistent with em- ployer and employee needs. For many organizations, this work would be spearheaded through the joint health and safety committee. For organiza- tions that do not have in-house expertise, it could mean bringing in an ergonomics consultant who works with the committee and all other organizational levels to establish the system. e best of these programs will include pro- viding resources for the develop- ment of a cross-functional team, with representation from multiple levels of an organization who are trained in ergonomics, perform observations and analyses, and then suggest solutions. at being said, participative ergonomics should not be limited to the resolution of complaints or reported injuries. When an orga- nization is considering significant changes in the workplace (for ex- ample, adding new equipment or moving locations), it is crucial that workers are engaged from all levels of the organization. Incor- porating input into ergonomics- related considerations right at the design phase will proactively pre- vent injury and illness related to MSDs so organizations can avoid costly retrofits later on. While many organizations have seen success and reduced injuries using a participatory ergonomics approach, not all are able to main- tain the success in the long run. is is frequently because the par- ticipatory ergonomics approach is seen as a solution to a particular issue, rather than as a process to be integrated into an organiza- tions safety management system. ere are significant gaps in the research regarding how partici- patory ergonomics consider the majority of the aspects commonly found in an organization's overall occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), according to the 2015 Canadian study "How compatible are par- ticipatory ergonomics programs with occupational health and safety management systems?" in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. Some of the more concerning gaps in many programs are the lack of considerations regarding how organizations could main- tain and continuously improve MSD prevention activities. Doc- umentation and control of re- cords, communication processes and audits were also frequently overlooked. Knowing these potential gaps exist, an employer can instead use its existing safety manage- ment framework to introduce a fully participative ergonom- ics program. Unlike the gener- ally accepted model that includes only the affected workers and management or an ergonomics "champion," the entire organiza- tion is moved to recognize ergo- nomics principles and practices as an important aspect of the full occupational health and safety management system. As such, the participative ergonomics process should be viewed as an ongoing function that is incorporated into the daily operations, rather than a "one-off " project. One model of how an orga- nization can accomplish full in- tegration of ergonomics into its OHSMS is to follow the guidance of "Z1004-12 - Workplace Ergo- nomics — A management and im- plementation standard" from the Canadian Standards Association. A fully participatory ergonom- ics process can be started by the top level of an organization by ensuring resources are supplied to set up a broad system that includes management commit- ment and leadership, planning processes for each level of the organization, a process for imple- mentation, systematic evaluation process against the set goals, and a review process that ensures con- tinual improvement. Other specifics of the process should include: • Members of high-level manage- ment taking on an oversight role to ensure all levels are embracing the integration of ergonomics into the full OHSMS. • Ensuring ergonomics principles are included in the policy and general procedures for how the system shall be established. • ere is a provision of resources to managers, supervisors and members of engineers, purchas- ers and facilities management teams, and the roles at each level are defined as to who will be responsible for integrating and maintaining ergonomics into the functioning of the OHSMS. • Worker or union representatives are involved in the establishment and maintenance of the process. • All workers are trained on how to recognize symptoms of MSIs, and the process and expectations for reporting such injuries. • A clear and transparent commu- nication process is developed for how reports move through the OHSMS and how changes will be implemented in the workplace. • Health and safety committee members, or representatives, are trained and involved in the principles of ergonomics so they can participate in determining the true underlying or potential causes of injuries and develop recommendations. • Recommendations for change are presented back to the af- fected parties to determine their suitability and appropriateness. Introducing a fully integrated and fully participative ergonomics approach into the workplace can seem daunting. Workers may be concerned the employer is "look- ing for efficiencies" to cut jobs. Some management may feel they are losing some of their power because of the inclusion of workers in the decision-making process. Knowing about these potential problems can allow an organiza- tion to get in front of any such issues, and the open and par- ticipatory nature of the program should actually help to quell most concerns. In the end, most organi- zations find that the benefits — in lower costs, increased employee engagement and morale and, most importantly, reduced injury rates — make the time and effort required well worth it. Troy Winters is senior health and safety officer at the Canadian Union of Public Employees in Ottawa. He can be reached at (613) 237-1590 ext. 289 or twinters@cupe.ca. An employer can use its existing safety management framework.

• Cover