SASKATCHEWAN ASSOCIATION FOR SAFE WORKPLACES IN HEALTH

Transcription

1 SASKATCHEWAN ASSOCIATION FOR SAFE WORKPLACES IN HEALTH Member Update March 2011

2 M E M B E R U P D A T E M A R C H 2011 Vision Workplace health and safety: a priority for all. Mission Statement To increase awareness and proactively support, through education, training and services, health related industry workers and employers in their efforts to prevent workplace injury and illness. Strategic Priorities Promote the establishment of strong accountability frameworks for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) within health sector workplaces. Promote the recognition of the value that injury and illness prevention brings to the workplace. Establish the as a credible source of OHS information and services for members. Promote the adoption of evidenced-based leading practices and provincial OHS standards within health sector workplaces. Provide training and education that supports injury and illness prevention. Demonstrate transparency and accountability in the Association s resource allocation. Page 1

3 M E M B E R U P D A T E M A R C H 2011 Chairperson Report On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to report that significant progress has been made in getting the new Safety Association off the ground. Since its creation in 2010, the Board has gone to great lengths to ensure that the proper policies and governance structures were in place to create a strong organization that is focused on making workplace health and safety a priority for all in the health care sector. As an Association our vision is that workplace health and safety must be a priority for all. It is imperative that all health services employers and employees understand that there is a direct relationship between workplace health and safety and the ability to provide quality care. Whether they are responsible for a patient, a client, or a resident the underlying factor is that workplace health and safety are a key component to ensuring positive outcomes for all. It is a shared responsibility. Only health care workers and their employers, who control workplace activities, can make them safer and ensure that each patient, resident or client, is getting the best possible care. Currently, Saskatchewan s health sector has the highest workplace injury rate of all industry sectors. In 2009, Saskatchewan health sector employers and workers reported more injury claims than any other Workers Compensation Board (WCB) industry sector with 5,139. In addition, Total Injury Rates, in this province, have seen an increase from 11.57% in 2003 to 13.06% in This is a very serious issue and one that can no longer be overlooked. This Association is committed to work in partnership with members of the G22 Safety Association, health care industry workers and employers, to reduce the number of workplace injuries and illnesses in the health sector. In order to be successful, all health services stakeholders must be engaged and willing to work together to tackle this issue. In order to reduce the incidence of workplace injuries and illness, we need to focus our efforts on ingraining workplace health and safety into the culture of our workplaces. That is why the Association is focused on developing a suite of services that will be effective in helping reduce the injuries in the health services sector. As we move forward, we look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that workplace health and safety becomes a priority for all. Respectfully Submitted, Cecile Hunt Chairperson Page 2

4 M E M B E R U P D A T E M A R C H 2011 Executive Director Report This is an exciting time for the Association. Although there much to do from an operational perspective, the leadership, expertise and dedication, the Board has provided is a great starting point for the organization. The Association s is committed to working with stakeholders to build programming and services that will have a meaningful impact on the industry. We recently consulted a number of stakeholders, which included employers and front-line workers, to determine the issues, challenges and needs with respect to improving workplace health and safety in our industry. One underlying theme was that all future programs needs to reflect the diverse needs of the end-users. This means having programming that can be tailored to meet the needs of individual employers and employees. The importance of having all levels within an organization engaged and championing this change in culture is also paramount. This process identified a number of areas that need to be addressed in future programming like equitable access to services, and the need for new delivery mechanisms, like e-learning and podcasts, to enhance the current programming available. Over the last several months, discussions have been underway with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) for the transfer of the 1. Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR ) program, 2. Professional Assault Response Training (PART) program, and, 3. Safe Moving and Repositioning Techniques (SMART ) program, to the Association as of April 1, SAHO should be commended for their work in developing and pioneering these programs in the province. It is our goal to enhance this existing programming and develop a suite of services that will be effective in helping reduce the injuries in the health services sector. The mandate for the Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health is very clear - ensuring that workplace health and safety is a priority for all. That is something that we can all work towards. Respectfully Submitted, Dan Clarke Interim Executive Director Page 3

5 M E M B E R U P D A T E M A R C H 2011 Moving Forward - Strategic Plan A major component of the work completed in 2010 was the Environmental Scan of the internal and external factors that have combined to put a focus in workplace injury and illness rates in the health sector in Saskatchewan. Stakeholders were asked to define what they perceived to be the major barriers to improving workplace safety in the health sector and identify what services they feel would best support progress on injury and illness reduction. Over 60 stakeholders with an interest in occupational health and safety in the health sector were interviewed and provided a snapshot of the sector as a whole. This group included: Health Region CEOs and other Executives Private Sector Providers Acute and Long Term Care Providers EMS Providers Union Presidents, Business Agents and Workers Executives from the Workers Compensation Board (WCB), Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officers OHS Professionals employed in the health sector Executive Directors and staff of other Safety Associations Executive and staff from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) This scan revealed a number of challenges facing the sector when it comes to workplace health and safety in the health sector. Cultural norms within the health sector were seen by all stakeholders as a barrier to progress on workplace health and safety. The belief that staff and management should put the patient s well-being above their own and the belief that patient safety and not worker safety is their role, are prime examples of the cultural perceptions that exist. The inability of current management systems and structures to take action to prevent injuries was by far the most often cited issue or barrier to improving workplace safety within the health sector. Many stakeholders felt that the Joint Worker/Management Occupational Health Committees in the sector were dysfunctional. Leadership was another concern. The lack of a defined organizational priority for improving worker safety in the health sector was defined as a major gap by all stakeholder groups interviewed. In order to function well an accountability framework has to be established whereby people are assigned to conduct the hazard assessments and then controls are put in place based on the outcome of the assessments. Page 4

6 Performance Measurement is another area that needs to be addressed. Except for the larger health regions few employers routinely measure their safety performance. Those employers that do measure performance rely almost exclusively on WCB data. For employers experimenting with real time and leading performance indicators there are only a few that have the systems in place to track and evaluate this information. Without accurate measures of performance it becomes difficult to set performance targets or hold anyone accountable for failing to meet them. Other notable challenges identified by the environmental scan include: OHS Training and Education o Effectiveness of Current Programs o Gaps in Services OHS Awareness and Promotion Access to Services All of these are contributing factors when it comes to workplace health and safety in the health sector. A survey of OHS best practices was also commissioned by the Board in an effort to define a path forward that would help these workplaces become safe. The result was essential in helping to define six strategic priorities for the Association: Promote the establishment of strong accountability frameworks for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) within health sector workplaces. Promote the recognition of the value that injury and illness prevention brings to the workplace. Establish the as a credible source of OHS information and services for members. Promote the adoption of evidenced-based leading practices and provincial OHS standards within health sector workplaces. Provide training and education that supports injury and illness prevention. Demonstrate transparency and accountability in the Association s resource allocation. The Association is committed to work in partnership with members of the G22 Safety Association, health care industry workers and employers, to reduce the number of workplace injuries and illnesses in the health sector. Going Forward In early 2011, the Association opened their office in Regina. Since that time, work has progressed to fully staff the Association. In February, the Association hired an office manager and an interim communications coordinator. The search continues for a permanent Executive Director and additional operational staff. A key component for the organization is the transfer of programming and staff from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). As of April 1 st, SAHO s staff and programming will have been transferred to the Association. These programs will be a central focus for the Association. The Safe Moving and Repositioning Techniques (SMART ) program is designed to assist workers with identifying and managing/eliminating risks associated with manual handling of objects/materials. The SMART training includes in-depth review of assessment process, object moving techniques along with information on lifestyle choices, anatomy & physiology and biomechanics/ergonomics. Page 5

7 The Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR ) program is designed to assist workers with identifying and managing/eliminating risks associated with client handling and moving general objects. TLR includes a thorough assessment process of self, environment/equipment and client/object. TLR is developed to assist licensees with meeting the minimum requirements of Saskatchewan s occupational health and safety legislation related to safe patient handling and musculoskeletal injuries. The Professional Assault Response Training (PART) program is designed to assist workers with a means of identification and appropriate response to potentially assaultive situations. PART principles support the emphasis of self-control, assessment skills and verbal crisis intervention. PART interventions are to be used when the primary and back-up treatment plan does not work, and there is an immediate threat of injury. In early March, we sent out a communication to G22 members to update them regarding the work of the Association. Over the coming months we will continue to update members and refine our member database. A key focus in the coming months will be to continuing to fine tune and carry out our Operational Work plan this will include establishing stakeholder working groups to implement priority projects with the Association that we don t currently have or require a lot more detail to refine. The Association s Website is up and running and located at The web will be a focal point for program delivery in the future and ensuring the Association has the proper tools to utilize this delivery mechanism will be a main focus. We look forward to working with stakeholders to enhance the programming available and work towards making workplace health and safety: a priority for all! Board of Directors Cécile Hunt, Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (Chairperson) Norma Wallace, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (Vice-Chair) (Worker Representative) Jacquie Griffiths, Canadian Union of Public Employees (Treasurer) (Worker Representative) Corinne Pauliuk, Regina and District Personal Care Home Association Gregory Cummings, Heartland Regional Health Authority Michael Higgins, Regina Qu Appelle Regional Health Authority Kim Nordmarken, Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (Worker Representative) Pearl Blommaert, Canadian Union of Public Employees (Worker Representative) Lori Johb, Service Employees International Union West (Worker Representative) Shelly McFadden, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority Garnet Dishaw, Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (Worker Representative) Page 6

8 1816 9th Avenue North Regina, SK S4R 7T4 Phone: Fax: Web: Page 7