Occupational Health and Safety Consulting Services
Website: Healthcare Safety Info-eLink™
Occupational Health and Safety Management System developmenT, Procedural coordination and Internal Audit
- develop HSMS Corporate Policy and Action Plan
- coordinate all aspects of HSMS development
- coordinate all aspects of HSMS internal audit
- perform document review and develop storage database in conformance with specific HSMS elements (Plan, Do, Check, Act)
- prepare and manage HSMS Audit Action Plan / Protocol, procedures, tools, responsibilities, timeline requirements
- perform management / staff / and employee interviews
- online staff safety culture surveys
- develop protocol for identifying and measuring leading and laging saftey indicators to assist Administration for assessing corporate safety culture improvement strategies
- prepare HSMS Audit Final Report with Comprehensive Improvement Action Plan for identified System non-conformities
- prepare HSMS Management Annual Review Report for senior management
in conformance with one of the following standards:
CAN/CSA-Z1000-14; OHSAS 18001:2007; or
ISO 45001-2018:
"Over 7 600 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases - that’s over 2.78 million every year*.
The burden of occupational injuries and diseases is significant, both for employers and the wider economy, resulting in losses from early retirements, staff absence and rising insurance premiums.
To combat the problem, ISO has developed a new standard, ISO 45001-2018, Occupational health and safety management systems - Requirements, that will help organizations reduce this burden by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world."
Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Policy Development
- corporate health and safety policy*
- JHSC requirements
- infection control
- fire safety / emergency prepardness
- NFPA Life Safety Code
- health and safety management system
- health and safety management system internal audit
- health and safety training
- management workplace safety inspections
- contractor health and safety
- WHMIS / GHS
- early safe return to work (ESRTW)
- others upon request
*policy considers – legislative requirements, due diligence, internal responsibility system, specific responsibilities and accountabilities, and industry best practices.
Occupational Hazard Identification, Analysis, and Risk Assesment
Identify and assess Occupational Hazard Risk Using the Risk Matrix Approach
A risk assessment is the analytical process of estimating the risk level of an occupational hazard and deciding whether the risk is acceptable or requires specific control measures. Using a risk matrix is a cost-effective method for effectively managing occupational hazards in the workplace. It is typically required as an integral component of the Health and Safety Management System process.
Primary Reasons for Conducting a Risk Assessment Using a Matrix for Analyzing a Hazard Are:
- to prioritize hazard control activities according to level of risk
- to use the risk assessment as a guide on how the risk needs to be controlled and
to justify the control activities and associated costs based on the level of required risk reduction
- procedure for Assessing Occupational Hazard Risk Using the Risk Matrix Approach - see
(PDF file)
Standard Safe Operating Procedures (SOP) DEVELOPMENT
- hazard identification and risk assessment in accordance with CAN/CSA-Z1002-12 (R2017) - Occupational health and safety - Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control (as noted above)
- job safety analysis - the process of breaking down the steps in a specific task to identify all the hazards as well as potential hazards that the individual performing the task may be exposed to and subsequently develop controls to eliminate or reducce the risk of injury or illness.
- laboratory safety / chemical safety - handling / storage / PPE
- acrylamide use in healthcare
- hydrofluoric acid hazard control
- antineoplastic agents / hazardous drugs exposure prevention
- formaldehyde and other specific chemical hazard exposure prevention
- anaesthetic gases exposure control
- slip trip falls prevention
- musculoskeletal injury prevention
- safe lifting practice in accordance with Z1004-12 (R2017) - Workplace ergonomics - A management and implementation standard
- ergonomics - office / computer user / laboratory
- medical sharps injury prevention and sharps disposal practices
- confined space entry (permit required)
- compressed gas safety
- handling cryogenic materials
- workshop safety and machine guarding
- autoclave use hazard control measures
- indoor air quality reporting and investigation
- others upon request
Corporate Report preparation, REVISION / EDITING
- health and safety corporate annual report for senior management
- HSMS management review results report for senior management
- internal audit findings and improvement recommendations for senior management
- occupational accident with root cause and recommended remediation strategies
- health and safety program performance gap analysis with improvement recommendations
- occupational accident / disease trends analysis with improvement recommendations
- workplace accident / injury / cost reduction recommended action plan
- continuous quality improvement proposal reports
- others upon request
Workplace Safety Inspection /
Legislative Compliance Assessment /
Occupational Accident / Disease Investigation
- team leader for comprehensive workplace occupational and environment safety inspections
- workplace hazard identification and risk assessment
- laboratory safety inspections in accordance with ANSI lab Standards and Canadian Biosafety Handbook 2nd ed. guidelines
- occupational accident / occupational disease investigation (direct and root cause) - in accordance with CSA Standard Z1005-17 - Incident investigation
- provide occupational health and safety consultation and advice
- health and safety legislative compliance and due diligence review
- health and safety program quality and effectiveness evaluation e.g infection prevention and control, risk assessment, falls prevention, chencial hazard control
- evaluation of standard Safe Work Procedures
- occupational health and safety training learning needs assessment
Health & Safety Program Performance Analysis / Incident Trends Analysis
(Safety Gap Analysis)
Comprehensive analysis of occupational accident / disease trends for determining safety program performance and effectiveness and subsequently provide detailed written report on legislative non-compliance findings and recommended cost effective improvement strategies.
Corporate Health and Safety Program Development
- Slips Trips Falls Prevention
- Medical Sharps Injury Prevention
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Workplace Violence Prevention
- Office Ergonomics
- Laboratory Safety / Chemical Safety
- Asbestos Management
- Mould Management
- Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention
- WHMIS (GHS) / OSHA Hazard Communications Standard
- Safe Early Return to Work
- Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment - in accordance with
(CSA Z1002-12 - Occupational health and safety - Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control)
- permit required confined space entry
- lock out tag out
- organizational emergency management - mitigation/prepardness/response/recovery
- others upon request
Health and Safety Tools Development
- hazard identification and risk assessment tool
- corporate health and safety manual with program guidelines
- internal HSMS audit tracking tool
- indoor air quality problem report form
- hazardous substance exposure assessment form
- hazard risk matrix tables
- workplace safety inspection guide and sector specific checklists
- health and safety information sheets
- health and safety posters
- health and safety training PowerPoint presentations
- occupational accident investigation with root cause analysis guide
Industrial / Occupational Hygiene
NOTE: An Industrial Hygienist is a health and safety professional concerned with the control of environmental stresses or occupational health and safety hazards that arise as a result of or during the course of work. The main goal of an organization's Occupational Health and Safety Program should be to prevent occupational injury and illness by: Anticipating; Recognizing; Evaluating, and Controlling Occupational Hazards. Recognition of and assessement of workpalce hazards is a fundamental aspect in the practice of industrial / occupational hygiene. One of the primary objectives of industrial hygiene assessment or monitoring, also known as exposure monitoring, is to properly assess employees' occupational exposure to suspected or potential contaminants, (Airborne Contaminants, Chemical Hazards, Biological Hazards, Physical Hazards) and where necessary carry out exposure assessmets using appropriate instrumentation and techniques. Therefore, in the worst case scenario, any errors in hazard risk monitoring protocol may result in harm to an employee, compromized legislative requirements and assoiciated consequences, and damage to the organizations's reputation.
Employers are advised to seriously consider the legal as well as ethical implications of permitting unqualified persons to perform industrial hygiene monitoring in their workplace. The quality, accuracy and interpretation of industrial hygiene investigation results is vital for determining whether an employee is being or potentially could become exposed to a specific occupational hazard. In addition to specialized training in hazard identification and monitoring assessment techniques it requires comprehensive knowledge in performance of hazard exposure probability and risk level determination (injury significance; exposure frequency and duration) and the expertise to subsequently develop appropriate cost effective exposure control / remediation measures through application of the NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls:
1. Hazard Elimination or Substitution
2. Engineering Controls
3. Administrative Controls
4. Personal Protective Equipement
Only credible certified and adequately experienced occupational health and safety professionals should perform this type of investigation (e.g. CIH, ROH, Certified Industrial Hygiene Technicians, suitably Trained Occupational Safety Professionals - e.g CRSP, CSP, and PE) http://www.ilocis.org/documents/chpt30e.htm
- occupational hygiene survey - assess whether exposure monitoring is required; method of evaluation in accordance with NIOSH Guidelines for Air Sampling and Analytical Method.
- select qualifed reputable industrial hygiene service provider; arrange and oversee all aspects of industrial hygiene monitoring process; submit comprehensive detailed written report with findings and remediation / control recommendations.
- computer workstation and associated work practices ergonomic assessment - evaluation, consultation, interactive user training, preparation of report on findings and cost effective recommendations in accordance with the Z412-17 - Office ergonomics — An application standard for workplace ergonomics.
- indoor air quality - survey / investigation / HVAC evaluation / air monitoring - (CO2, CO, temp, humidity, VOC, etc); submit comprehensive detailed written report with findings and remediation / control recommendations - in accordance with CAN/CSA-Z204-94 (R1999) - Guideline for Managing Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings.
- fume hood performance assessment - as per CSA Standard Z316.5-04 Fume Hoods and Associated Exhaust Systems
- indoor mould - survey / investigation; submit comprehensive detailed written report with findings and remediation / control recommendations, in accordance with ASHRAE 62.1-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings, and ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard and IICRC - R520 - Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation should be the procedural standard for the remediation of mold damaged structures and contents.
- asbestos - survey / investigation; submit comprehensive detailed written report with findings and remediation / control recommendations, in accordance with government of Canada "Technical guideline to Asbestos exposure management programs" - https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/health-safety/reports/asbestos-exposure-management-programs.html
- Respirator - selection - in accordance with CAN/CSA-Z94.4-11 (R2016) - Selection, use, and care of respirators (2016)
Health and Safety Knowledge Management / Education (in accordance with the CAN/CSA-Z1001-13 - Occupational Health and Safety Training Standard guidelines)
