Preventing occupational injury and disease is the WCB's first priority.
A challenging task, but one we share with employers, workers, educators,
and researchers.
Members of the WCB Grants and Awards Advisory Committee included employer
representatives Eric Skowronek, B.C. Maritime Employers' Association;
and Maurice Fernandes, Canada Post Corporation; as well as worker representatives
John Weir, B.C. Federation of Labour; and Cliff Madsen, Canadian Auto
Workers.
In 1996, the committee recommended funding for 10 new projects.
|
1996 Grants |
| |
Expansion of beachline
safety training
| Issue: |
Education accessibility |
| Agency: |
The United Fishermen and Allied Workers'
Union |
| Representatives: |
Danielle Sciarretta, Bruce Logan |
| Funding: |
$29,373 |
Although highly hazardous, beachline operation of salmon seine
fishing traditionally involves inexperienced deckhands. The United
Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union conducts three-day beachline
training, but sessions have so far been limited to the Vancouver
area. Grant funding ensures beachline crews who may not otherwise
be able to attend training in Vancouver receive training in their
own communities. A network of trained resource people will be developed
at coastal training localities as well.
|
"The WCB grant makes training outside the Lower Mainland
possible."
– Danielle Sciarretta, UFAWU
|
Evaluation of physician
practices in the treatment of acute back pain
| Issue: |
Back pain |
| Agency: |
Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences
Centre, Spinal Unit |
| Representatives: |
Dr. P.B. Bishop, Dr. P.C. Wing |
| Funding: |
$32,530 |
Vancouver Hospital's Spinal Unit recently determined that family
physician practices in the treatment of back pain are not consistent
with clinical practice guidelines. This project involves determining
the reasons for the discrepancy, implementing motivational strategies
to encourage compliance, and evaluating the efficacy of those measures.
The project will also examine strategies for introducing future
practice guidelines.
| |
Development of
written safe work practices for utility arborists
| Issue: |
Setting and publishing of safe work
standards |
| Agency: |
AM-PM Tree Services |
| Representatives: |
Daryl Lawrie, Shanna Mason |
| Funding: |
$27,214 |
Few current WCB or BC Hydro regulations appropriately fit the utility
tree industry. Consequently, AM-PM Tree Services, on behalf of several
utility arborist contractors, will conduct a job hazard analysis,
review existing standards and materials, and develop written standards
of practice for the industry with its input. This project fills
a gap and, although not experimental, will provide a valuable addition
to our knowledge base for accident prevention and safe work practices
in this industry.
| |
Evaluation of method
for measuring psychosocial job strain
| Issue: |
Objective measurement of job stress |
| Agency: |
University of British Columbia Department
of Health Care and Epidemiology |
| Representatives: |
Dr. Steven Marion, Dr. Clyde Hertzman,
Aleck Ostry |
| Funding: |
$35,715 |
While most measurement methods of job strain rely solely on worker
self-reports, the UBC Department of Health Care and Epidemiology
is researching more reliable, objective strategies. Workers' control
over decision-making and skill utilization, and on-the-job support
as related to job demand will be assessed using industry expert
raters, experienced worker raters, experienced manager raters, and
worker self-reports. The overall assessment will then be compared
to accident experience, morbidity, and musculoskeletal injury outcomes
to determine the best predictor of psychosocial job strain.
|
"New data base links will allow us to pursue other research
projects designed to improve the delivery of compensation, rehabilitation,
and prevention services for workers."
– Dr. Hertzman, UBC
|
Development of
data base links across organizations
| Issue: |
Information availability |
| Agency: |
University of British Columbia Department
of Health Care and Epidemiology |
| Representatives: |
Dr. Clyde Hertzman |
| Funding: |
$59,650 |
Reliable and efficient data accessibility is the foundation of
solid research. UBC will coordinate links among several internal
and WCB data bases on claim information, hospital discharge data,
long-term care data, mortality data, medical services billing, and
Pharmacare information. Creating a central information resource
will be the first step toward making other projects possible.
| |
Evaluation of methods
to prevent serious injuries among health care workers
| Issue: |
Musculoskeletal injuries |
| Agency: |
Work Health Foundation |
| Representatives: |
Dr. Ian Pike |
| Funding: |
$26,179 |
The Work Health Foundation, in cooperation with the Health Care
Benefits Trust and four Lower Mainland hospitals, will undertake
an injury prevention project with its foundation in workplace culture.
The project will involve changing normative standards for safe work
practices, supporting back health efforts, and developing self-efficacy,
including identifying and overcoming barriers to improved health
and safety practices.
| |
Evaluation of injury
prevention program for repositioning patients
| Issue: |
Back strain injuries |
| Agency: |
Juan de Fuca Hospital |
| Representatives: |
Jacqueline Sewell |
| Funding: |
$11,756 |
At this large, extended care facility, 99 percent of patients are
wheelchair dependent and require significant physical assistance
by staff. In 1995, 26 percent of the nurse aides' loss-time injuries
arose from repositioning patients in their beds. Having reviewed
the data and circumstances of these injuries, the hospital is developing
a training and safe work practice program for repositioning patients
in bed.
| |
Development of
procedures for safe patient handling
| Issue: |
Back strain injuries |
| Agency: |
Cowichan Valley Health Care Society |
| Representatives: |
Eleanor D. Gilding |
| Funding: |
$8,000 |
Cowichan Valley Health Care Society proposes to reduce back strain
injuries associated with the lifting and transferring of patients
by increasing the workers' skills to assess patients and determine
the best lift or transfer method at any time. Through a combination
of training, implementation, and evaluation of both practices and
outcomes, this facility anticipates reducing a major source of serious
injury.
|
"Strains were responsible for 71 percent of the claims
in the health care industry from 1991 to 1995 – almost half of
those injuries were due to patient handling."
– WCB focus report on the health care industry
|
Redesign of toll
booths
| Issue: |
Ergonomics and workplace violence |
| Agency: |
B.C. Ferries |
| Representatives: |
Dave Hartman |
| Funding: |
$14,036 |
B.C. Ferries staff working in toll booths currently experience
shoulder and neck pain. The potential for workplace violence in
relation the workers' cash-handling responsibilities is also a concern.
In response to these issues, B.C. Ferries will conduct both ergonomic
and security evaluations of the toll booths and use the resulting
information to redesign the booths and install a prototype at the
new Duke Point Terminal for further testing.
| |
Evaluation of employability
and medical costs
| Issue: |
Disabled workers' quality of life |
| Agency: |
Tetra Society of North America |
| Representatives: |
Steve Kibble, David Bieber, Guy Steuart |
| Funding: |
$48,300 |
Tetra, an organization that matches skilled technicians, designers,
and engineers with disabled people, will evaluate its voluntary
services to determine their impact on the quality of life of individuals
disabled in workplace accidents. The project will involve 50 significantly
disabled workers, and will examine volunteer linkage, intervention
implementation, and pre- and post-client evaluations over a two-year
period. One of Tetra's key goals is to improve disabled workers'
independence and employability.
|
Ongoing grants and support |
|
"Aggressive acts against workers in long-term health care
facilities are a serious concern."
– Dr. Neil Boyd, SFU
|
Seeking solutions
for workplace violence
The health care sector accounted for more than 2,500 claims related
to workplace violence from 1991 to 1995. To examine this issue and
determine methods for injury prevention, Dr. Neil Boyd of Simon
Fraser University conducted research in six facilities in 1996.
Known as phase one, this research project was designed to describe
the contemporary context of long-term care facilities in B.C. and
the nature and frequency of violent acts in those facilities.
The WCB has also approved funding for phase two, which will involve
an examination of those circumstances or factors contributing to
acts of violence. The goal is to produce recommendations for injury
prevention based upon analysis of risk factors and, where appropriate,
experiences of similar jurisdictions.
| |
Educating tomorrow's
health and safety experts
The WCB has supported BCIT student scholarships in occupational
health and safety since 1988. In 1996, occupational health and safety
students Robert Miller and Andrew McKenzie were awarded entrance
scholarships.
|
"Funding continuity is critical to maintaining the
pace of progress and our understanding of cancer risks."
– Richard Gallagher, B.C. Cancer Agency
|
Researching work-related
cancers
In addition to traumatic injuries, workers may be at risk for occupational
diseases such as cancer. In 1992 the WCB formed a partnership with
the B.C. Cancer Agency, helping fund research on work-related cancers.
Dr. Nhu Le currently leads this work. Research projects undertaken
include an analysis of cancer risk by industry, development of a
job exposure matrix to detect carcinogens in the workplace, and
a study of detection of occupational cancer risk factors. In 1996,
the agency completed a study of 30,157 pulp and paper workers to
determine cancer risks associated with the pulp and paper industry.
Scientific data obtained through these projects will help prevent
incidents of disease and assist in the timely resolution of compensation
claims.
| |
Helping injured
workers return to productive lives
Founded in 1994, the National Institute of Disability Management
and Research is a joint labour and management educational, training,
and research centre devoted to restoring the productive capacity
of disabled workers, while promoting their social and psychological
rehabilitation. The WCB is a founding sponsor of the institute,
a relationship the WCB hopes will foster better methods and services
for reducing the personal, social, and financial costs of disability.
