The Lens
November 2021
Events, Updates, and Resources
Occ-tober Series concludes tomorrow (Friday, November 26)
Occ-tober and Beyond: Continued Collaboration

Aligning the efforts of the Occupational Health and Safety System and partners to reduce the incidence and burden of occupational disease whether chronic/long latency or more acute/infectious.

This last session features:
  • Occupational Exposures of Ottawa Firefighters’ to Toxicants of Concern
Paul A. White, Health Canada

  • Evolution ODAP and The Occupational Illness Prevention Plan
Nancy Bradshaw, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD)
Kimberly O’Connell, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

  • Understanding and Responding to the COVID-19 Information Needs of International Agricultural Workers in Ontario (Rescheduled from last week)
Eduardo Huesca, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)
Classroom Ventilation Calculator and Workshop
An opportunity to learn and experience this important new tool which helps calculate air changes per hour for IAQ and COVID prevention.

Friday, December 10 - 9:30 am

Covid is Airborne so it is critical to ensure any gathering spaces are well-ventilated. Classrooms are especially important since occupants are there several hours, are frequently unvaccinated, plus are unmasked at times (adding to the risk of transmission).
Seize the opportunity to work with Calculator creator, John Oudyk and other OHCOW occupational hygienists to better understand the factors affecting Indoor Air Quality and infectious disease prevention in classrooms. Then learn how to identify and source key pieces of information in order to assess the safety in individual rooms. Bring your own data so we can help you start your calculations using this helpful tool.
Bring along:
  • Room dimensions (including height)
  • Any information on HVAC for the building or space
  • Brand & model of any air purifiers
  • Presence and operability of any windows
  • Any questions you have about Covid safety and airborne transmission
OHCOW is pleased to acknowledge updated guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada recognizing aerosol transmission risk indoors and recommending improved ventilation and enhanced masking, which we have been fighting for since the beginning of the pandemic. Guidance now includes an updated PHAC Mask site which has the new PDF which recommends better fitted and filtering masks for indoor use, including respirators, “A respirator worn in the community doesn’t need fit testing.“
Silica Control Tool Pilot Program
Pilot Program Now Available in Ontario!

Ontario contractors embark on silica tool pilot project. Sixty contractors in Ontario are taking part in a 12-month pilot testing the merits of a digital tool developed to quickly prepare control plans to mitigate the potential health risks of overexposure to crystalline silica.

See article by Daily Commercial News and apply on our website.

Project in partnership with British Columbia Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), and Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA )
Updated Office Ergonomics Reference Guide
Check out our Office Ergonomics Reference Guide, which you may have seen us posting on social media about recently for Global Ergonomics Month. The guide has been updated for the modern workplace, remote (mobile) workstations, and new technology. We hope you will take the time to check it out online and bookmark or download it for future reference… because Ergonomics is key to a healthy workplace!
New Educational Videos
You might also like to view these educational videos on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
Anatomy and Symptoms
Risk Factors and Prevention
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