Did you know November is fall prevention month? No matter what kind of work you do, there’s most likely going to be a situation with the potential for injury due to a fall. From climbing a ladder to reach printer paper in the supply closet to slipping on spilt water by the water fountain, protect workers today and prevent falls in your workplace.
Ladder Safety
We’ve likely all been exposed to the “basics” of ladder safety. Over the years, bad habits may develop when we misuse ladders without incident. Sadly, they do happen regularly due to improper use. Training/re-training workers on ladder use, preferred methods, maintenance, storage and legislation can positively change our bad habits into good ones and reduce incidents.
Our ladder safety eLearning is designed for anyone who works with ladders, at all levels, across all workplace sectors. This program provides a practical introduction to working safely with a variety of ladders used in the workplace and provides a thorough understanding of use and practice.
Learn more and register for the course here.
Slips, trips and falls
PSHSA’s Slips, Trips, and Falls (STF) Tool Kit offers free resources to support employers in preventing STFs. In this tool kit, you will find a checklist for working on elevated platforms, information about ladder safety and an infographic on prevention. Employers are encouraged to download the tool kit and use the resources to hold a safety talk with employees.
Applicable to all sectors, our STF prevention eLearning also offers guidance on preventing workplace injuries from the same level and heights. The purpose is to provide awareness and information on legislation duties, responsibilities, hazard awareness and controls.
Learn more and register for the course here.
Working at Heights
Our working at heights programs cover the theory and practical requirements outlined in the working at heights standard. The content in these courses includes:
- Rights and responsibilities related to working at heights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- General hazard recognition for working at heights
- Safety procedures for warning methods and physical barriers
- Safety procedures for ladders and similar equipment
- An introduction to personal fall protection equipment
- Barriers and safety nets
- Personal fall protection equipment
- Anchor points
- Work positioning systems, work access and platforms
- Rescue planning
Concussions
The brain is our own personal computer motherboard controlling our ability to move, talk, think, emote and make decisions that allow us to live meaningful lives.
Concussions are a well-known brain injury in the sports world. However, concussions are also common in the workplace but most often, they go undetected. Concussions can be caused by any number of missteps or poor decisions including a fall from a ladder, STFs, a physical fight with another worker, or even an accident with an impact on the neck, back or head. Therefore, it is imperative to be aware that concussions are not only sports-related injuries but are also prevalent in the workplace.
Learn more about concussions here.
Resources
- Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls | PSHSA
- Brain Health | PSHSA
- Concussion in the Workplace | PSHSA
- Community Care Slips, Trips and Falls eLearning | PSHSA
- Community Care Slips, Trips and Falls eLearning (French) | PSHSA
- BLOG: Working in a Winter Wonderland | PSHSA
- Concussions Ontario
- Sunnybrook Concussion Resources
- University Health Network (UHN) Concussion Centre
- Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT)
