OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY TEA 2021 - National Safety and Health Week May 2nd - May 8th - BC Centre For Ability

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH &
           SAFETY TEA
                 2021

National Safety and Health Week   May 2nd – May 8th

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction - Safety and Health Week
Mental Health
Ergonomics at Home
Stress Reduction Working from Home
Being at the Centre
How to Protect Ourselves

May 2nd to May 8th is National Safety and Health week 1 in North America, an event observed in
Canada since 1986 and endorsed by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 2
(CCOHS).

CCOHS is accountable to the Minister of Labour and governed by a tripartite council representing
governments (federal, provincial and territorial), employers, and labour, which assists in delivering a
trustworthy and complete occupational health and safety service.

The goal during Safety and Health Week is to focus employers, employees, partners and the public on
the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home, and in the community.

Each year, all Centre employees are required to attend a learning exercise to ensure understanding of
health and safety in the workplace. Continuing from 2020, we are living and working quite differently,
so our focus for 2021 virtual tea remains around Mental Health and Wellness, Ergonomics in your
home and work environment, and how to physically distance and be safe when at the office.

Have a safe and healthy week and happy reading!

Your OH&S Committee,
Colin Hearne, Fiona Lassota, Stanley Lo, Linda Thoreson, Su Wilson, Angela Wu

                                                                  1 https://www.naosh.org/english/
                                                                  2 https://www.ccohs.ca/

MENTAL HEALTH AT HOME
                                                 Mental Health Resources
Mental health affects your thoughts, your
emotions, your behaviours. There are many
different types of mental health concerns,          Mental Health and Substance Use Support
and they affect people in different ways1 . It       in B.C.
is completely understandable that there
may be a rise in anxiety levels in us while         Canadian Mental Health Association
we live and work in a global environment
                                                    Homewood Health - Employee and Family
where there is uncertainty about our current
situation and the foreseeable future - where         Assistance Provider (EFAP)
everything that we know has been turned             Pacific Blue Cross - Extended Health
upside down.
                                                     Provider
It is important that we look after ourselves        Anxiety Canada
first and then look after others. If we as
individuals are not functioning then how can        Psychological First Aid for all BC residents -
we assist those that rely on us whether that         British Columbia Psychological Association
be our immediate family, friends, colleagues
or clients? There are a variety helpful             Tips by BCCDC on supporting your Mental
resources available and a few are listed in          Health - BC Centre for Disease Control
the next section. Please also be sure to
check out ADP home page too.

MENTAL HEALTH AT HOME
    The Conference Board of Canada offers a video library on the topic of Mental Health and
    COVID-19. Please select a video to watch 4 by Dr. Bill Howatt, Chief of Research,
    Workplace Productivity. The video library is located at the bottom of the web page.

                                                                                    Make yourself Important - Be then Do
                                                                                    Educate yourself on what Mental
                                                                                     Fitness is - Mental, physical and
                                                                                     social
                                                                                    Now is important for impacting your
                                                                                     mental health - Thoughts and
                                                                                     emotions for now
                                                                                    Take Action Daily – Check out the
                                                                                     calendar on the next slide as a start.
                                                                                    Accept that you own your mental
                                                                                     health - Awareness, accountability
                                                                                     and learning to take action
                                                                                    Learn micro skills – What to do if……
4 https://www.conferenceboard.ca/insights/covid-19?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
CHAIR (Sitting fully back into the chair)
 Seat height: Adjusted so feet are flat on floor or footrest with knees
  bent at right angles and thighs horizontal to floor.
 Seat pan depth: About 2-4 finger widths between front edge of the
  seat and back on the knees.
 Additional considerations if available:
 Back rest height: Lumbar support of chair is supporting the lumbar
  curve.
 Seat Tilt: Hips and tops of thighs are at right angles or slightly
  greater.
 Armrest position: Out of the way while typing but provide support
  when needed during other activities.

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
 Keyboard/mouse height: Elbows are at 90 to 110 degrees and forearms
  and hands form straight lines to the keyboard. Mouse is adjusted to the
  same level as the keyboard.
 Keyboard to user distance: Allow distance for relaxing of the shoulders
  with elbows hanging close to body.
 Mouse to user distance: Mouse is directly next to the keyboard and at the
  same height so arm is not outstretched during use.
 Hand posture on mouse: Base of the hand rests on the mouse. Use larger
  mouse if necessary or consider switching to a vertical mouse.
 Speed of the mouse: Mouse is configured to match individual needs
  (control panel).
 Keyboard tray and mouse stage: Adjusted to allow neutral posture and
  minimal reaches and ease of use.

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
MONITOR
 Monitor height: Top of screen is at or slightly lower than eye level
  so that users head is straight. With bifocal/graduated lenses, height
  is set to allow straight head and relaxed neck.
 Screen to user distance: Viewing distance generally 40 - 80 cm
  (18 - 32”). Depending on vision, user is not jutting chin or pushing
  head forward or squinting to see clearly.
 Monitor alignment: Monitor and keyboard are directly in front of
  user.
 Visual comfort of screen: Monitor is positioned to avoid glare,
  usually perpendicular to bright sources or outdoor blinds.
 Brightness and contrast controls: Brightness and contrast have
  been adjusted to make viewing easier.

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
WORK ENVIRONMENT AND WORK SURFACE
 Leg clearance at workstation: Minimum of 5 cm (2”) side
  clearance for hips, depth allows foot and knee clearance, and
  height is adequate.
 Placement of frequently used items: Frequently used items are
  within easy reach.
 Document placement: Document holder is present or there is
  space to place documents properly.
 General lighting: Lighting is not too bright or dim, glare and
  reflections are minimal and work materials are easy to read.

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
WORK PRACTICES
 Frequency of Breaks: Micro-break every 30 min of keyboarding.
  Get out of chair at least once per hour.
 Alternate tasks: Long periods of continuous work is broken up with
  alternate tasks.
 Keyboarding/mousing posture: Wrists are straight, not supported
  on any surface while typing. Rest hands occasionally when not typing
  on the sides of hands.
 Sitting posture: Upright or slightly reclined and maintaining a slight
  curve in the lower back.
 Phoning posture: Avoid tilting head/neck to cradle the phone.
  Position phone set on opposite side of writing hand. Adopt headset
  use if necessary.
 Reach posture: Stand to get items from overhead shelves. Avoid
  repetitive reaching over shoulder.

ERGONOMICS AT HOME
INFORMATION SOURCES:

   BCGEU Resources

   Computer Workstation Evaluation Checklist

   WorkSafe BC How To Make Your Computer Workstation Fit You

   An Ergonomist Shares 9 Work from Home Tips

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
1. Create Structure in your Day
        Without a structured workday, time can get away from you. You might find
        that you start shifting your workdays later and later as you sip an extra
        cup of coffee. Then, your work hours extend later into the evenings,
which causes you to stay up later at night, as well. Create rituals to
establish a time to begin and end work and try to stick to it as much
as you can.

2.   Establish a Dedicated Workspace
You might be tempted to work in bed. But when you associate your bed with work,
it can interfere with your sleep. And trouble sleeping will affect your performance
the following day. Most sleep experts recommend reserving your bed for comfort
only.

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
3. Work in Small Blocks of Time
Blocking out small amounts of time—and planning what you’ll do during that
timeframe—can make big tasks feel more manageable. You might find you have
more motivation when telling yourself that you just need to complete one
document in the next 30 minutes, rather than telling yourself that you have 50
documents to create by lunchtime.

4. Limit Your Distractions and Interruptions
              You might find that you struggle to get back on task each time
              you’re interrupted. You can stay motivated by limiting the
              distractions and interruptions you experience. Place a “Do Not
              Disturb” sign on your door, and on your personal phone.

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
5. Practice the “10-Minute Rule”
It can be hard to convince yourself to get started on a task you really
don’t want to do. Whether you know it’s going to be boring, frustrating, or
just really challenging, convincing yourself to get started is tough. One of
he best ways to get moving on something you don’t want to do is by using
the “10-minute rule.” Tell yourself that you only have to work on something
for 10 minutes. Then, after the 10-minute mark, you can take a break if you want.

6. Reward Yourself
              You might find you work best when you know there’s a little reward
              waiting for you. For example, tell yourself you can watch your
              favorite show if you get your work done by 6 p.m. Or tell yourself
              you can have a cup of your favorite tea as soon as you finish this
              report. A little incentive can often go a long way toward helping you
              get work done efficiently.

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
7. Challenge Yourself
Sometimes, a little challenge can help get you moving, too. For example, you
might try to write a certain amount of words in 30 minutes. Once you see how
many words you write in 30 minutes, you might try beating that during the next
30-minute time slot. You might also make some discoveries about yourself. Maybe
you type faster when you’re sitting at the kitchen table, or perhaps you have better
focus right after lunch. Learning these things about yourself might help you set up
your day for success.

8. Experiment with Different Strategies
There are plenty of online tips about how to work well from home. But everyone is
different. And what works for one person might not work well for another. So, it’s
important to experiment with different strategies to discover what works well for
you. You might find you feel more motivated in the evenings, or you might have
more energy after a morning workout.

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
9. Practice Regulating Your Emotions
               Research shows we tend to put off tasks that stir up uncomfortable
               emotions. If you’re anxious about a medical appointment, you
               might not be motivated to call the doctor. Or, if you’re afraid your
               professional review will bring frustration, you might find yourself
               binge-watching Netflix instead of preparing.
               In these cases, the lack of motivation stems from your desire to
               avoid discomfort. And when you’re working from home, there are
always plenty of opportunities to engage in something more fun than the work
you’re supposed to be doing. So, consider what emotion(s) you’re trying to avoid
feeling. Remind yourself that you can handle feeling uncomfortable. Additionally,
remind yourself of how good you’ll feel when you get the project done, as opposed
to how bad you’ll feel if you don’t do the work. This might remind you to take
action regardless of whether you feel like it.

STRESS REDUCTION
WORKING FROM HOME
10. Practice Good Self-Care
You’ll never be at your best if you’re exhausted
and running on caffeine and sugar only. But
meeting your physical, social, and emotional
needs these days is a bit more challenging than
usual. Eating a healthy diet might not be as easy
when you’re limiting your trips to the grocery store.
And video chatting with friends isn’t the same as
meeting in person. So, take a step back every once
in a while, and ask yourself what else you can do to better take care of yourself.
As your stress level increases, your self-care should increase right alongside it.

BEING AT THE CENTRE
Starting your Day
 If driving to the Centre try, where possible, to park one car from each
  other.
 On entering the Centre sanitize your hands right away.
   Sanitizers are located by the elevator doors at the Parkade levels.
 Sign in/out on iPads located opposite to the elevator doors.
   Sanitizer is located between the two sign-in iPads.
 One person per elevator at any one time and take turns on the stairs.
   There is no rush.
 Maintain a 2M (6ft) distance between yourself and others at all times.
 Once you get to your workspace, use the sanitizer wipes supplied to
  wipe down your work area.
 This includes your keyboard, mouse, phone etc.

BEING AT THE CENTRE
Meeting Rooms
 Try to avoid meeting face to face as much as possible and use the
  virtual meeting tools that we have access to – Zoom and Teams.
 If you must meet in person then keep the number of people meeting
  in a room limited to uphold the 2M (6ft) rule.
 Wipe all surfaces touched when leaving the meeting room.

BEING AT THE CENTRE
During the Day
 Washroom - Please observe occupancy limit posted.
    Observe proper handwashing as outlined in the posters by the sink
    Maintain 2M (6ft) distance
 Kitchen – Please observe occupancy limit posted.
    Use the hand sanitizer before touching the kitchen appliances and /or wipe
     down after use with the disinfecting wipes
    Maintain 2M (6ft) distance
 Photocopier - Sanitise hands prior to using the photocopier and/or wipe
  down before /after use.
 Common areas – Please ensure that you use the proper precautions as
  outlined in the guidance posters at the Centre
    Maintain 2M (6ft) distance
    Handwashing
    Coughing

BEING AT THE CENTRE
Leaving the Centre
 Wipe down your surfaces.
 Sign in/out on iPads located opposite to the elevator doors.
   Sanitizer is located between the two sign-in iPads.
 Sanitize your hands on the way out of the elevator/back door.
 Have a safe journey home.

HOW TO
PROTECT
OURSELVES

HOW TO
PROTECT
OURSELVES

HOW TO
PROTECT
OURSELVES

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
To our past long standing OH&S member

       HAPPY
     BIRTHDAY
       JANICE
 Thank you for being you!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

If you have questions please email us at OH&S@bc-cfa.org

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