Safety Reporter
Canadian
www.safety-reporter.com
April 2015
Hepatitis C
a serious concern for
baby boomers: Experts
BY SARAH DOBSON
MENTION HEPATITIS C and
many people make a face, un-
comfortable with talk of an in-
fectious disease often associated
with intravenous drug use and
sexual activity. But the virus can
be caught many ways, such as
through poorly sterilized medi-
cal equipment.
And symptoms of hepatitis C
can be minor or not present at
all, so while a simple blood test
may provide answers, it's often
not done because people aren't
aware they are at risk. As a re-
sult, the virus can go undetected
NEWS BRIEF
Prices > pg. 8
HIGH COST OF INJURY
Workers who suffer a permanent
injury on the job are much more
likely to die prematurely, according
to an IWH study pg. 2
ANGRY PHONE CALLS pg. 3
Despite harassing and verbally
abusing other employees, a worker
shouldn't have been dismissed from
his job, according to an arbitrator
looking at a case involving CPR
DO EAPS REALLY
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
A recent Canadian study paints a clear picture
of the fi nancial benefi ts for employers
offering employee assistance programs
as part of group benefi ts pg. 6
INSIDE
FOOTBALL PLAYER CALLS IT
QUITS OVER HEALTH CONCERNS
San Francisco 49ers player Chris
Borland, a leading rookie last
season, is retiring from the NFL
over health concerns related to re-
peated head trauma, ESPN and the
team said.
"While unexpected, we certainly
respect Chris' decision," 49ers gen-
eral manager Trent Baalke said in a
statement.
"I just want to live a long, healthy
life and I don't want to have any
neurological diseases or die young-
er than I would otherwise," Borland
told ESPN.
Head trauma is an issue that has
rattled the league and prompted a
massive lawsuit against the NFL.
A class-action lawsuit involv-
ing thousands of former players,
fi led in 2012, contended that the
league hid the dangers of brain in-
jury among players while profi ting
from the sport's violent physical
contact. There have been suicides
in recent years by former NFL play-
ers.
In February, a U.S. judge refused
to accept a proposed settlement
between the NFL and the players,
saying payment should be expand-
ed for some players and families
among other concerns.
Credit:
Antoniu/Shutterstock.
Social media > pg. 4
BY LIZ BERNIER
STICKS AND STONES — and
nasty emails — may not actually
break a person's bones, but they
can lead to some pretty signifi-
cant consequences in the work-
place.
Whether it's increased stress
claims, a toxic work culture, high
turnover or all of the above, the
negative impacts of bullying can
be challenging and costly for an
organization.
As our cultural awareness of
bullying increases, we've begun
to realize bullying doesn't stay
in the schoolyard, according to
Ruth Wright, director of lead-
ership and HR research at the
Conference Board of Canada in
Ottawa.
"It's a growing social issue.
We're hearing about reports of
cyberbullying in the schools,
with some tragic consequences
From school to the office
New tools used in workplace bullying, cyberbullying include texts, emails
