Safety Matters

Nova Scotia’s electrical power service provider has expanded its industry-leading health and safety program to help keep workers, contractors and customers safe during COVID-19.

This week, May 3 - 9, workplaces across Nova Scotia will mark Safety and Health Week without the usual in-person gatherings that help connect and remind employers and workers to make safety a top priority.

Leadership has always been an essential catalyst for workplace safety. Never has that been more true than during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

While workplace mental health has emerged as a growing concern in recent years, the strain of the current pandemic and the recent tragic events across Nova Scotia that claimed the lives of several Nova Scotians have emphasized the need to cultivate and support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces in our province.

In Nova Scotia, musculoskeletal injuries or MSIs are the most common type of workplace injury, accounting for about two thirds of all injuries reported to the WCB each year. Preventing MSIs begins with identifying the workplace hazards that cause them and adjusting the way the work is designed and carried out. Sometimes a simple change can make a big difference.

Steps for Life is traditionally a five-kilometre family walk that aims to educate the community about the devastating effects of workplace tragedy. These annual fundraising walk events will look and feel a little different this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but still offer Nova Scotians an opportunity to step up and do something positive for a worthy cause.

Recent prevention measures aimed at reducing the risk of COVID-19 may increase the risk of slip and fall injuries, as frequent hand washing protocols and new hand washing stations on work sites could result in more water splashed onto walking surfaces.

A big part of how WCB Nova Scotia supports injury prevention in our province is the work our Relationship Managers and Workplace Consultants do in workplaces, helping employers implement strategies to reduce injuries and improve return-to-work outcomes. That work has changed dramatically in recent weeks, as workplaces have adjusted their operations to meet new COVID-19 public health requirements.