NAOSH Week

naoshPoster2017.indd 2 2017-01-05 3:41 PM 06 There have been plenty of memorable moments over the years during the Steps for Life Walk in support of families affected by a workplace tragedy. One of the most unforgettable moments of the annual walk is when participants march past signs bearing the names of everyone who died during the past year as the result of a workplace accident. Last year, 25 Manitobans died due to work-related accidents. "The signs say who they were and when they died. It's a bit of remembrance to honour the deceased," says Veronica Suszynski, chair of the Winnipeg Steps for Life Walk. "It's a pretty moving moment for everyone at the event. We see some very emotional reactions. People often openly weep. We have a lot of safety professionals who participate in this event and it's re-affirming for them why the work they're doing is so important." Steps for Life is the primary fundraiser for Threads of Life, a national non-profit organization that provides direct support to more than 2,500 families impacted by a workplace tragedy. Those supports include a one-on-one peer support network, regional family forums, links to professional support services and a speakers bureau to promote workplace injury prevention. The first Steps for Life took place in Toronto in 2005 and the five-kilometre walk has since grown to include more than 30 locations across the country including Winnipeg. This year's Winnipeg walk will take place May 7 at Kildonan Park. Last year's event raised more than $20,000 in support of families in Manitoba and across the country. In addition to raising funds for Threads of Life, Suszynski says the walk lets families know they aren't alone. "As part of the walk you get a yellow T-shirt to show your support for Threads of Life. It's really an amazing show of support for those families who have been through a workplace tragedy to see this sea of yellow T-shirts walking around Kildonan Park to show their support," she says. "The impact it has is that these people know they are not alone." While much of the focus of Steps for Life is family, many of the people who take part in the event each year are co- workers of those who have died or been injured. Suszynski says it's an opportunity for those individuals to grieve the loss of someone they were close to and can be therapeutic. "It really impacts a workplace when you have a fatality. It can be really devastating to the entire workplace to lose someone, especially in a traumatic manner and then dealing with the aftermath," she says. "Some workplaces have come together and found this is a way of healing for their company. There was one company… and that was one of the ways they dealt with the aftermath of having a traumatic fatality: they raised money for Threads of Life. I remember this one man telling me the story of how he lost his co-worker. He was quite emotional and broke down. He said it really helped him and his co-workers to feel they were doing something positive to come through (the grieving process)." More than 300 people took part in last year's Steps for Life in Winnipeg and organizers are expecting similar numbers for this year's walk. The event is open to both individual walkers and teams. All money raised goes directly to Threads of Life local and national chapters. For more information about the event and how to donate, visit stepsforlife.ca. SPREADING THE SAFETY WORD BY KATHRYNE CARDWELL Workplace health and safety doesn't end at Winnipeg's city limits. That's why North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week is celebrated in towns and cities across the province. This year, NAOSH Week will be celebrated in Winnipeg, Brandon, Morden- Winkler, Flin Flon, Thompson, The Pas, Steinbach and Portage la Prairie. "It's important to take NAOSH Week into the rural communities where safety is just as important," says Mike Jones, a long- time NAOSH committee member. Since health and safety applies to everyone regardless of whether they work in occupational jobs or not, NAOSH launches and events are always fun and interactive to make sure they interest a wide audience. Celebrations in rural communities may be smaller in numbers but they usually attract a larger proportion of local residents and local leaders, Jones adds. Jones says it's good to have a major event to draw attention to issues, bring in speakers and hold fun events. Often, NAOSH Week gets people thinking about new safety or wellness programs, and celebrations have been the catalyst for creating new initiatives. Dani Desautels, a NAOSH committee member in her fourth year of volunteering, is pleased at how NAOSH Week has grown in its 20-year tenure. Desautels points out that rural workers can face additional dangers from injury on the job. "When you're outside the city limits, medical care may not be right down the road for you, physiotherapy may not be nearby," says Desautels. Distance from emergency and therapeutic medical care makes prevention especially important. Desautels represents the southeastern region of Manitoba, which includes the Morden-Winkler area, now in its fourth year of participating in NAOSH Week. "In rural areas we usually do launches at members of Made Safe or companies that are well known in the community," says Desautels. This year, their NAOSH Week will kick off at Loewen Windows, which also hosted last year. Activities include presentations, display booths, speeches and games throughout the week to bring safety to the front lines. One company even held a fashion show featuring personal protective equipment, says Desautels, as an attention-getting way of promoting safety. This is the fifth year Brandon will be hosting NAOSH Week. Michelle Augustyn, committee co-chair, is excited about the city's offerings, which actually extend past the official NAOSH week. "On April 25, we have our proclamation signing at city hall," says Augustyn. "On our launch day May 9, SAFE Work on Wheels is coming to Brandon to deliver messages on safety in the workplace, home and school." The biggest activity takes place on May 11 at the Shoppers Mall, where organizations and companies from Brandon and surrounding areas will put out interactive display booths and host activities to share the importance of safety with the public. Mall-goers especially enjoy the scavenger hunt, where they search for personal safety items such as sunscreen, hardhats and gloves throughout the mall. "It should be quite fun!" says Augustyn. NAOSH Week doesn't only include the construction, labour and manufacturing sectors. Keith Castonguay of the Manitoba Farm Safety Program reminds us of the importance of protecting farm workers on the job as well. "The Manitoba Farm Safety Program uses NAOSH to engage some of our partners to promote farm safety," says Castonguay. This includes tailoring safety training to the type of farm being worked — for example, dealing with unpredictable livestock, working in poor air quality, and operating heavy equipment. "One of the things about farms is every one of them is different, with different risks," says Castonguay. "Safety is something you manage like anything else." For more information about NAOSH Week, visit csse.org/naosh_week. WALKING TO REMEMBER BY JIM TIMLICK There have been plenty of memorable moments over the years during the Steps for Life Walk in support of families affected by a workplace tragedy. THE NAOSH LAUNCH EVENT WAS HELD AT THE BRANDON SHOPPERS MALL. 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