IHSA LMHSC – Two IHSA events of note
· Falls Awareness Week May 6th – 10th, 2019
· ESDC Federal Labour Program Open House on May 9th
2019 Falls Awareness Week
2019 Open House Invite
2019 Falls Awareness Week (May 6 – 10, 2019)
The MOL is anticipated to officially launch the 2019 Falls Awareness Week (FAW) May 6 – 10 Campaign this
week and IHSA will also be formalizing a social media blitz to align with the new resources leading up to the
FAW.
Please find the following for your reference and promotion at upcoming committee meetings, events,
correspondence and distribution to workplaces. Please share with your staff accordingly.
IHSA has developed a Falls Kit with resources to help members hold a successful discussion on the topic of
working safely at heights. The free or downloadable kit will be available at https://www.ihsa.ca/falls or by
emailing doyourpart@ihsa.ca
- The kit is posted at…. https://www.ihsa.ca/falls and can be downloaded
https://www.ihsa.ca/PDFs/Products/Id/W016.pdf - Product Code is W016 and Stock room is printing 100 copies to have on hand for requests
- MOL Background: https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/topics/falls.php
Falls Awareness Week, May 6–10, 2019
From May 6–10, 2019 the ministry is asking workplaces to participate in Ontario’s second annual Falls
Awareness Week (FAW). FAW aims to bring awareness to the falls hazards that exist in every workplace,
through workplace discussion and participation.
During FAW, workplaces are encouraged to stop work for 15–30 minutes to have a safety talk about fall
hazards specific to their work environment.
In 2018, FAW targeted falls from heights in construction workplaces. This year, the campaign is bringing
attention to all types of falls in all sectors.
Falls Awareness Week aims to create a positive change in workplace culture through the sharing of
knowledge and experience. As part of a workplace’s Internal Responsibility System, all workplace parties
have a role to play in maintaining a healthy and safe workplace.
How to participate in Falls Awareness Week
Workplaces can participate in Falls Awareness Week by stopping work and taking 15–30 minutes—anytime
during their workday from May 6–10, 2019—to hold a safety talk about preventing falls in the workplace.
Safety talks focus on addressing a key workplace hazard, such as working at heights, and facilitating an
environment of open communication where workplace questions and concerns can be addressed.
How to hold a successful falls safety talk:
1. Plan ahead. If possible, you may want to designate a coordinator to organize your safety talk. Think
about asking owners, managers, subcontractors, supervisors or others associated with your project or
workplace to participate.
2. Review your fall prevention program. Think about what types of falls could happen at your
workplace, what needs improvement, and what training and equipment you have provided to your
employees. Is there room for improvement?
3. Develop a safety talk that will meet your needs. Decide what information will be best for your
workplace and employees. The meeting should provide information to employees about hazards,
protective methods, and the company’s safety policies, goals and expectations. Hands-on exercises
(such as a workplace walk-around or equipment checks) can increase interest. Try to make it positive
and interactive. Let employees talk about their experiences and encourage them to make suggestions.
See the Resources section for materials on falls that the health and safety associations (HSAs) have
developed to assist workplaces in hosting a safety talk.
4. Decide when to hold the safety talk and how long it will last.
5. Promote the safety talk. Try to make it interesting to employees. Some employers find that serving
snacks increases participation.
6. Hold your safety talk and follow–up afterward. If you learned something that could improve your fall
prevention program, consider making changes.