Canadian Safety Reporter

THE WORKPLACE SAFETY SOURCE FOR OHS MANAGERS AND HR PROFESSIONALS NOVEMBER 2013 Hydro Ottawa supervisors get 3 months' safety training BETTER RETURN-TO-WORK STRATEGIES NEEDED FOR DEPRESSION: SURVEY New supervisors put through a one-on-one program, exposing them to safety across entire organization NEWS BRIEFS | BY ZACHARY PEDERSEN | the supervisor that one-on-one attention was a big part of the reason why they WHEN AN EMPLOYEE at Hydro Ottawa is were selected." promoted to a supervisory role, the indiNearly seven years in the making, the vidual is relieved of all duties and reasSafe Supervisor Program initially startsigned to safety training for a minimum ed off as a six-month program, but has of three months. been refined to just three months. Here, the new supervisor is immersed "The six months was difficult for in the Safe Supervisor Program, which is operations. It's not easy to take an opdesigned to give the supervisor an undererational person away for half a year," standing of what safety looks like for the Chenette says, adding the program is more than 650 emquite intensive in its ployees across the current state. organization — not Part of the projust in the departgram takes place ment or area she in-office, but a large will be overseeing. portion sees the su"For the first day, pervisor in the field, we go through a giving her the opspecific set of quesportunity to really tions that I have experience all facets just to understand of the organization. their knowledge," Supervisors learn says Denis Chenabout the concepts ette, Hydro Ottawa's around due dilitrades and safety CSSE president Andrew Cooper (left) gence and are then specialist. "Then with National Outstanding Achievement expected to apply we tailor the three Award winners Denis Chennette and Dave that knowledge in months to them." the field later on in Stephens of Hydro Ottawa. It was this attenthe program. tion to detail that won Hydro Ottawa "We knew we had to do something to the National Outstanding Achievement make sure these new supervisors knew Award at the Canadian Society of Safety the whole concept of supervisor responEngineering's (CSSE) annual conference, sibility," Chenette says. "We really deheld in Montreal this past September. signed it to suit our needs." "In reviewing all of the other nominaThe program has five focus areas: tions, this one truly stood out because general occupational health and safety they saw a need in setting out proficienknowledge, safety communications, cies and abilities," says Perry Ruehlen, inspections, incident investigation and CSSE assistant executive director. "Takspecific projects. ing the time out to second them to the Continued on page 8 human resources division and giving IN THIS ISSUE Workers can struggle with concentration, memory and decision making . . . . . . . . .2 Steelworkers consider prosecution in B.C. worker's death; Pipelines pose fewer risks for workers: Study; Ontario safety blitz targeting underground mines this fall; Workplace cancer prevention guide released in Quebec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 NEW BULLYING AND HARASSMENT POLICIES IN B.C. WorkSafeBC requires employers to put in place new policies as of Nov. 1. . . . . . . .11 Group seeks mandatory radon testing in buildings Radon second leading cause of lung cancer | BY ZACHARY PEDERSEN | PROVINCIALLY-OWNED BUILDINGS in Ontario will be required to test for radon if a private members bill developed by the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada and the Ontario Lung Association passes its third reading at Queen's Park. Radon is a colourless, odourless, radioactive gas that is naturally released from soil. While often considered Continued on page 3

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