Vol 2 Issue 7

Newsletter
July, 2011

TRUCKING SAFETY COUNCIL OF BC

Return to Work Policy = Faster Recovery

You have worked hard to put in place a complete safety management system and it has produced positive results for your workplace. Workers know the proper safety procedures and they have an improved safety attitude. Yet even when using best practices, incidents will happen and when they do, how you handle the return to work process can play a major role on the speed of an injured workers recovery and on your workers compensation costs. WorkSafeBC statistics are telling us that while the number of injury claims in transportation is falling, claims duration, the number of days of work lost per claim, is getting longer and claim costs are increasing. Those claims costs are paid for by the employer. One way employers can positively influence the lost productivity and cost of an injury claim is to have an injury management/return to work program that gets workers back to work as quickly as possible. The time to develop your return to work strategy is before a lost time incident happens. A good return to work policy makes it possible for workers to get back to work as early as they are able and lessens the disruption and inefficiencies caused when a worker is suddenly absent. Keeping in regular contact with an employee who has been injured is the first step in the recovery process. The RTW policy should support a quick and safe return to work through involvement in the workers rehabilitation by making any necessary accommodations and providing alternative work until the worker can return to their regular duties. Active injury management maintains the workers morale and prevents them from becoming isolated. A good RTW program can help injuries heal faster. Studies show that the longer injured workers are off work during recovery, the less likely it is that they will return to the job. You have invested a lot of money to get an employee through recruitment, training and experience on the job. Your RTW policy will help make sure you continue to get a return on that investment if an injury does happen.
Rob Weston Executive Director

This months safety topic:

Return to Work

Inside this issue.......

Truck Driving Championships Results .................Page 2 Create a Return to Work Plan ..............................Page 3 Safety: Its the Right Thing To Do ........................Page 4 Save Money, Get COR ........................................Page 5

How Workplace Culture Affects RTW .....................Page 5 Preventing the Domino Effect .................................Page 6 Advise for Workers: Preventing Falls ......................Page 7 WorkSafeBC Industry Incident Reports ..................Page 8

COR-Certified Company Cleans House at Championships

Canadian Freightways takes home 8 trophies, including Grand Champion, at the B.C. Professional Truck Driving Championships
By Leasa Hachey

rofessional drivers are the lifeblood of the trucking industry, and the British Columbia Professional Truck Driving Championships celebrates and recognizes their accomplishments and contributions to the industry. The event also promotes safe driving and professionalism. This year, the Championships took place on Saturday, June 25 at Tradex Centre in Abbotsford. The event was followed by the Awards Banquet in the evening at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford hotel in Surrey, where drivers for one of TSCBC's first CORcertified companies, Canadian Freightways, took home a significant amount of hardware, including the trophy for Grand Champion that went to Hans Wettstein. Wettstein also took home two other trophies, first place in the Straight Truck category and as part of the Team trophy. The competition attracts up to 70 of the best professional drivers from across the province and includes five competition classes ranging from Straight Truck to B-Train. Competitors complete a vehicle inspection to find planted defects, write a written exam and drive an obstacle course set up to test skills in maneuvering, cornering and judging distance. Winners from each annual Provincial competition compete with other winners from across Canada during the National Truck Driving Championships, to take place this year in Calgary.

Wettstein, Congrats Hans Champion! 2010 B.C. Grand

Canadian Freightways drivers pose proudly with their trophies. From left to right, Evan Hirst, Cassandra Belanger, Hans Wettstein, Rick Jacques, Jason Arnett, Jose Lecinana, Adam Besse, Jasbir Cheema, Tony Gomez (son Carlos) and Dale Scott.

B.C. PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS: Promoting safe driving and professionalism in the truck driving industry.

Award Winners

GRANd CHAmpION Hans Wettstein, Canadian Freightways

SAFETY AWARd Brian meredith, McRaes Environmental Services Ltd.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR dan Chistink, Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd.

TEAm TROpHY Canadian Freightways - Jose Lecinana, Dale Scott, Jason Arnett, Evan Hirst, Adam Besse, Hans Wettstein

SUpER B-TRAIN

SINGLE SINGLE

SINGLE TANdEm

1st: Adam Besse, Canadian Freightways

2nd: david Lighton, Air Liquide Canada Inc. 3rd: Lorne Roadhouse, Overland West

1st: Evan Hirst, Canadian Freightways

2nd: Jose Lecinana, Canadian Freightways 3rd: Jason Arnett, Canadian Freightways

1st: dale Scott, Canadian Freightways

2nd: Andy Clark, Overland West 3rd: Jody dackgwich, YRC Reimer

TANdEm TANdEm

STRAIGHT TRUCK

1st: daryl Geisbrecht, Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd.

2nd: Brian meredith, McRaes Environmental Services Ltd. 3rd: Ingrid Geisbrecht, Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd.

1st: Hans Wettstein, Canadian Freightways

2nd: Tony Gomez, Canadian Freightways 3rd: Kris Szigeti, Bandstra Transportation Systems Ltd.

How to Create Your Own RTW plan

Preventing workplace injuries and illness is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace. When injuries and illness do occur, however, it is important for you and your employer to try to minimize the impacts by focusing on returning you to safe and productive work as soon as it is medically possible for you to do so.

Why return to work?

Most people who have a workplace injury or illness are able to return to some type of work even while they are still recovering, provided the work is medically suited to the injury or illness. Returning to daily work and life activities can actually help an injured workers recovery and reduce the chance of long- term disability. In fact, worldwide research shows that the longer you are off work due to injury or illness, the less likely it is that you will return to work. Both you and your employer benefit in cooperating in your early and safe return to work. You benefit by restoring your source of income and staying active and productive, which are important to the healing/recovery process. Your employer benefits by minimizing the financial and human costs of your injury or illness.

Return to Work plan

A return to work plan lays out the steps that need to be taken to return an employee to his or her pre-injury job. In the ideal situation, the plan is developed jointly by the injured employee, the employees supervisor, and if applicable, the return to work program manager (who co-ordinates the process), the workers health care provider (through the provision of restrictions), and the union representative (if applicable). A return to work plan includes the following: The goals of the plan. These goals set out milestones for the worker to achieve until he or she reaches the final goal: a return to pre-injury employment. The actions required to achieve these goals. This includes the responsibilities of the worker, the supervisor or manager, and any co-workers who will be assisting the worker. Time frames for achieving these goals. These will provide a yardstick to measure the employees progress. It is important that the plan has a beginning and an end, as graduated work is a means to achieve a return to pre-injury work, and is not an end in itself. Make sure to include a clear definition of what is considered progress (e.g., the employee can work five hours a day by week three, or the worker can assume tasks by week five). Health care needs. If, for example, the worker is going to attend health or medical appointments during working hours, these visits must be co-ordinated with the requirements of the proposed return to work plan. Staff that will be impactedby these health care needs will also need to be advised (with the workers permission).mples of causes are:
Published with thanks to wsib.on.ca

Have you visited our website yet?

To learn more about the Council and our programs, visit our website:

www.safetydriven.ca
Look to our website for safety information, latest news and resources, such as:
Industry event listings COR training calendar Newsletters Safety tip sheets Alerts and bulletins Forum Health & safety information

Visit our website to download sample forms to guide you in creating a Return to Work plan for your company. www.safetydriven.ca/safety_tools

You can also follow us on Twitter (SafetyDrivenBC) for up-to-the-minute trucking industry news and safety bulletins.

Safety: Its not just good business, its

the right thing to do.
By Leasa Hachey

here is probably nothing worse for a hardworking individual than to have their livelihood threatened by some simple, innocuous and likely easily-preventable Workplace incident. Yet in B.C. this happens every single day, workers are injured, made ill or killed on the job. Nobody thinks it will happen to them or their workplace. Employers of injured workers didn't wake up in the morning thinking someone was going to get hurt that day. Protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of all our employees is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do.

Increasing Profits Through Reputation

Companies work hard to build a positive and respected image for their business and everyone knows a good reputation will increase sales, generate new customers and attract stronger employees. A companys approach towards health and safety plays a very important role in supporting the reputation of the organization. A well-managed health and safety policy results in enhanced employee loyalty and attitude. This contributes to a positive reputation with your customers, suppliers and local community and proves the companys commitment to being a good citizen.

Profits are Important

With every company trying to find as many ways as they can to reduce the amount of money they are spending annually, many overlook the dollar value of investing in solid workplace safety programs. But neglecting safety and cutting corners where safety is concerned will ultimately result in high costs to the business by way of injuries or fatalities. For instance, take a driver that hasn't been trained or reminded about using the 3-points-of-contact system to get out of his truck safely. Instead, he jumps down from the top step and twists his ankle when he hits the pavement. His ankle is sprained and he has to spend a day or two off his feet. The cost to the employer for this type of injury is estimated at $2530. That doesn't even include any surcharges, fines, penalties or levies that also may be applied against the company. At a 7% profit margin, you'd have to do $36,143 worth of business to recover your direct costs of this minor injury, and we haven't even calculated the indirect costs. All of those costs could have been avoided through simple worker education, training and reminder signage.

Health and safety matter because human lives matter.

Ultimately, health and safety matter because human lives matter. You have an important contribution to make towards keeping your employees safe. Make saving lives and keeping workers free from injury and illness a part of your business plan. Protect your investment by protecting your workers.

The Business of People

The secret behind any great company is great people. Studies show that workers who feel their employer takes a genuine interest in their safety become committed to their workplace, while the absence of comfort and safety is often cited as the number one reason employees become disengaged and leave their job. By lowering employee turnover and creating a stable workforce where people are not leaving unexpectedly, your employees experience higher workplace morale. People get to know each other well, they're comfortable with each other and they work well together. They build stronger relationships that are powerful when schedules are tight or problems pop up. People are more likely to pitch in to help when they know each other and believe in mutual support. Operations run more efficiently, confidence is higher and productivity soars.

Committ to a safer, healthier workplace through COR.

Save up to 15% on your WorkSafeBC premiums. Ask us how!

Save Money, Get COR!

Visit our website for more information

COR is an initiative that recognizes and rewards employers who develop and apply sustainable occupational health and safety programs that meet or exceed the applicable legal requirements and health and safety regulations. Following verification by a TSCBC audit, companies will receive up to a 15% rebate on their WorkSafeBC premiums in each year they qualify.

UpCOmING LARGE EmpLOYER COR COURSES prince George Senior Management/Owner H & S Management Return to Work Langley Senior Management/Owner H & S Management Return to Work

July 26 July 27 & 28 July 29

Sept. 27 Sept. 28 & 29 Sept. 30

www.safetydriven.ca/cor

How do I get my COR?

TSCBC currently offers COR to large employers (20+ employees). Employers can register for COR by completing an application form and registering for courses. After completion of the required courses, large employers hire a TSCBC-trained and approved external auditor to conduct a company audit. The audit results are submitted to the TSCBC for quality assurance and approval.

How Workplace Culture Affects Return to Work

By Tal Sperling The speed with which an injured worker will return to work following a workplace incident depends on how serious the injury is, the type of job the worker does and the existence of Return to Work programs that support modified/reduced work for the affected worker. However, there is a social factor that affects how quickly a worker will return to work that is often overlooked and can be the most significant. This social aspect includes how the worker feels about their job, co-workers, supervisor, boss, company and their companys health and safety policies. If, prior to their injury, the worker did not feel valued by their employer, had difficult relationships with others in the workplace or had other work-related grievances, there is an increased likelihood that their return to work will be delayed in part due to stress factors related to returning to the work environment. Also, if the worker thinks that their employer or supervisor may not be sympathetic and may not tolerate reduced productivity or changes to work processes, the worker may be inclined to stay away from the job longer. Finally, if the worker thinks that there is a chance that returning to work will cause them to become injured again they may also delay returning to the work environment that contributed to their injury. Examining these scenarios highlights the importance of a positive workplace culture that emphasizes health and safety along with good communication. It is important that this emphasis on safety culture comes before workplace incidents, not just following them. Following an incident, it is important that the workers return to work be managed by someone (supervisor or manager) who is: trained in the companys Return to Work policies and procedures sensitive to a workers concerns over returning to work and works to resolve these issues authorized to adjust productivity requirements for the duration of modified duty needs It is important to ensure a flow of communication between the worker, medical personnel, insurance provider and employer to ensure that the worker is supported in all aspects of their return to work requirements. Co-workers also need to be informed if there will be changes in how the work or worker will be modified during the Return to Work program duration. It is much easier to convince a worker to return to a work environment that will take care of their needs. Finally, it is vital to make any necessary changes to the companys health and safety management program to ensure that such incidents do not recur and share those changes with all workers. A positive safety culture and good employer-employee relations has a dramatic affect on the mood of an injured worker and how quickly they will return to work after an injury.

RTW management: preventing the domino Effect

Keeping in contact is a key factor in helping employees to return to work after a workplace injury or illness. Contact can be a sensitive topic as some employees may feel they will be pressed to come back to work too early. Yet without contact, those who are absent may feel increasingly out of touch and undervalued. This can cause a domino effect, often leading to feelings of isolation, alienation and depression and resulting in further time taken off work.

What can be done

Tell your employees that it's your policy to help them return to work following workplace incidents. Explain to your employees that returning to work will benefit them with improved health and wellbeing and with more pay in their pocket. Use the following timeline as a guide to maintaining contact with injured workers.

Less than 3 days of injury absence When your employee returns to work, welcome them back and have a chat about their absence. Between 4 and 14 days of injury absence Keep in touch with your employee. When your employee returns to work, conduct a return to work interview. In many cases this will be a simple welcome back but you may need to discuss actions to help your employee's performance at work or underlying issues if the injury was severe or injuries are recurring. Between 15 and 28 days of injury absence Keep in touch regularly with your employee and identify the barriers that prevent returning to work (many of these will not need a medical solution). You may need to consider expert advice, eg doctors, occupational health and rehabilitation providers. Welcome your employee back and conduct a return to work interview. If it seems your employee is not likely to return to work soon, then talk to them about the need to consider a return to work plan. After 28 days of injury absence Continue to keep in touch regularly with your employee about their absence. Put together a plan of actions and reasonable adjustments to help your employee return to work, including seeking expert advice if necessary, and agree on these with your employee and others involved. Welcome your employee back and implement the plan. Review your employee's return to work progress until they resume their full duties. Sometimes, even with everybody's best efforts, it is not possible to return your injured employee to full or even partial employment, but it is important not to jump to conclusions before alternative solutions have been explored. You may need to consider seeking expert advice before making any decisions. Carry out return to work interviews Give your employees the opportunity to discuss, in private, concerns about their health or other matters that are affecting their performance or attendance Remember that medication can have side effects on things like physical stamina, mood, machinery operation and safety critical tasks
Courtesy of www.hse.gov.uk

do's and don'ts for keeping in touch with injured workers:

dO
Create a climate of trust by agreeing beforehand your methods, frequency and reasons for keeping in contact with absent employees Consider training for your managers on a sensitive approach to help them get the most out of contact Keep a note of contacts made Be flexible, treat each case individually but on a fair and consistent basis Welcome your employee back after their absence

dONT
Wait until someone is on longterm sick leave before taking action Delay making contact or pass resonsibility to others unless there are sound reasons for doing so Make assumptions about your employees situation Say that colleagues are under pressure or that work is piling up Forget that recovery times for the same condition can vary significantly from person to person

The COR Program and RTW

The TSCBC Injury Management/Return To Work training course provides an analysis on the financial impact of work place injuries and loss of work productivities ranging from worker compensation cost and additional work load assigned to non-injured employees to negative morale in the work force. Students will also explore the challenges of getting injured employees back to work. Demonstrating management commitment and creating a positive culture of accommodating injured workers are key ingredients of a RTW program. The benefits of having a successful return to work program for the employer and employees will be discussed. Students will have the opportunity to learn and discuss a step-by-step approach for how to develop and maintain an effective RTW program by referencing sample RTW policies and procedures. Students will also learn how to use various RTW forms, such as the Functional Abilities Assessment and the Return to Work Plan, in the creating a RTW plan appropriate to the physical limitation of the injured worker. Communication processes to key parties, such as treating medical practitioners, and the worker recovery monitoring process are discussed. This one day course will also provide an overview of the requirements of the TSCBC IM/ RTW audit protocol and tips for companies on how to prepare for the IM/ RTW portion of the Certificate of Recognition audit.

Sign up today! Contact Andrew Chan

andrew@safetydriven.ca

Preventing Falls from Vehicles - Advice for Workers

More than 69% of all workplace falls happen on level ground when workers slip or trip and lose their footing. This may be caused by uneven surfaces, objects in the way, poor lighting or substances such as oil, water or ice. Falls from vehicles can happen from a number of areas, including the cab, between the tractor and the trailer, or at the rear of the trailer. One of the most common ways truck drivers are injured is in jumping from the truck while exiting. Jumping from a height of four feet typical cab height will result in hitting the ground with a force of between 7 and 12 times your body weight. For example, a 200 lb. person would hit the ground with a force of 1,400 to 2,400 lbs. This can cause strain on the knees and back with many longterm effects. These injuries can be easily prevented. WHAT YOUR EmpLOYER SHOULd dO Plan loading and unloading to avoid the need to work at heights on the vehicle. Ask for good, well designed access when purchasing vehicles. Retro-fit equipment if necessary. Provide protective equipment such as slip-resistant safety footwear. Keep equipment in good order. Respond to ideas for preventing falls from vehicles. Make sure supervisors check how people are getting on and off vehicles.

ALWAYS WORK SAFELY Wear well-fitting, slip-resistant safety footwear when working on vehicles. Keep the soles of your footwear clean to reduce the risk of slipping. Follow safe systems of work for loading and unloading vehicles. Make sure you have been trained in and follow the companys safe ways of working if you have to use equipment such as forklifts or cranes. Use safe ways of getting on or off the vehicle when carrying out maintenance above ground level, for example by using overhead cranes or scaffolds. Look at what other companies do if you see a good idea suggest it to your safety adviser or supervisor.

GETTING ON ANd OFF THE VEHICLE DONT jump down this is bad for your knees, ankles and spine and you are more likely to fall. Always use steps and handholds provided. Take a few seconds to climb down from the cab, load area or catwalk facing the vehicle and use the handhold. Report missing or damaged equipment. Before stepping off the vehicle, check for uneven surfaces such as potholes or debris which may cause you to slip.

KEEpING YOUR VEHICLE SAFE Carry out pre-use checks on your vehicle. For example, check that any steps or handholds are in good condition. Report broken boards and any other objects that could cause a fall. Keep the load area tidy pick up loose ropes, packaging etc. Check that the straps are safely stored so people dont trip on them. Clean up spills and dirt such as diesel or mud on the catwalk or load area to stop people slipping in them. On refrigerated vehicles, check the floor conditions for ice or water and follow any systems in place for reducing the amount of water produced.
Courtesy of www.hse.gov.uk

Recent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC

Information that may help you to prevent similar accidents in your workplace.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, multiple facial fractures Core Activity : Garbage disposal Location : Vancouver Island ID Number : 2010159110366 Date of Incident : 2010-Oct The driver of a roll-off compactor container truck was opening the rear door of a new design of container to dump a load of garbage. The pressure of the load against the door loaded the release handle, and when the driver released the safety latch on the handle, it sprang out, striking him in the face. Injury Type : Fractured foot Core Activity : Cold storage plant Location : Lower Mainland ID Number : 2010113830220 Date of Incident : 2010-Sep A young worker was training on a stand-up forklift. When it veered towards racking, he jumped off the forklift and caught his foot between the forklift and the racking. Injury Type : Close call Core Activity : Feed trucking/ delivery Location : Lower Mainland ID Number : 2010161480379 Date of Incident : 2010-Sep After making a delivery, a feed delivery truck drove off the property. The trucks stinger delivery arm contacted a neutral wire and a residential power line hanging across the road. The utility pole was pulled down and the power lines landed across the truck. The driver was not injured.

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STAFF / CONTRIBUTORS Rob Weston, Executive Director rob@safetydriven.ca Leasa Hachey, Communications & Content leasa@safetydriven.ca Andrew Chan, COR Program Manager andrew@safetydriven.ca Tal Sperling, Program Manager tal@safetydriven.ca

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Trucking Safety Council of BC 210 - 20111 93A Avenue Langley, BC V1M 4A9

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Tel: 604-888-2242 Toll Free: 1-877-414-8001 Fax: 604-888-2243 info@safetydriven.ca