Decking the halls of your workplace is a great way to lift spirits and soothe pandemic-weary souls. It’s good for everyone’s emotional and mental health.

For many workers, lights, garlands, and trees can evoke fond memories, provide a sense of anticipation and distract from life stresses. For others, decorations related to cultural celebrations during the holiday season, such as Hanukkah and Diwali, can have the same effect. Using decorations that match the diverse makeup of your workforce ensures everyone enjoys a holiday boost.

But before you can reap these psychological benefits, you need to make sure that your decorations don’t increase the risks of hazards, like fires, slips, trips and falls, electrical shock, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and more.

Follow these 12 tips for eliminating and controlling hazards that could hamper your workplace celebrations.

Before you start

• Inspect all decorations, electrical cords, smoke detectors, and fire safety equipment for damage. Check light strings for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Replace damaged or broken items.
• Verify decorations and artificial trees are flame-resistant or non-combustible.
• Prepare the space. If you’re building inventory for holiday shoppers at the same time, figure out how and where to store everything safely. Keep aisles and emergency exits clear.
• Schedule the decorating for a time when the space is comparatively free of traffic, especially relating to customers.
• Use decorations that are safe for employees and customers. Holiday plants such as mistletoe, holly berries and some ivies are poisonous.
• If you use an outside company to install decorations, make sure they comply with all regulatory requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Putting up decorations

• Place live trees at least three feet away from heat sources. Water daily. If the tree dries out, remove it. It’s a fire hazard.
• Don’t block sprinklers or fire alarms when hanging decorations. Check expiry dates on fire extinguishers to ensure they are up to date and keep them easily accessible.
• Don’t block aisles, walkways or exits with decorations, displays, banners, signage, etc.; secure electrical cords and cables to prevent slip, trip and fall hazards.
• Check ladders for damage before using and follow ladder safety protocols to prevent falls and MSDs. (See How WSPS can help at the end of the article for resources). If your decorators are working three metres or more above the ground, use proper fall protection devices and equipment.
• Use the correct electrical cords and cables for the job. Don’t overburden cords or outlets. Turn off and unplug all electric decorations when the workplace is closed.
• Follow manufacturers’ instructions when installing and using lights. Never use staples or nails to secure light strands or extension and power cords. If decorating outdoors, use only lights rated for exterior use.

How WSPS can help

Consulting

Contact a consultant for help assessing hazards and identifying and implementing solutions.

Training

• Awareness Session – Slips, Trips, Falls Awareness (1.5 – 2 hours)
• Working at Heights (1 hour, eCourse)
• Fire Safety: The Basics (1 hour, eCourse)
• Electrical Hazards (1 hour, eCourse)
• Preventing Falls from Slips and Trips (1 hour, eCourse)

Other resources

• Ladder Safety (download)
• Slips, Trips and Falls (article)
• Fire Prevention (article)
• Electrical Hazards (article)

A lot of good can be accomplished in a five-minute safety talk. “They are a great way for supervisors to refresh workers’ knowledge of hazards and safe work practices, opening lines of communication around safety ­­- particularly beneficial for young and new workers – and reinforcing the company’s commitment to health and safety,” says WSPS Health and Safety Consultant Tova Larsen.

Too often, though, safety talks fall short of these objectives, explains Tova, because they’re not delivered consistently enough and/or fail to engage workers. “Workers get bored and tune out if the conversation is static and one-way.”

“To grab and keep workers’ attention, safety talks need to be dynamic.” That is, two-way, lively, compelling, and constantly changing.

To get workers excited about your safety talks so you can reap the benefits, just follow these six suggestions from Tova.

6 steps to better safety talks

By improving your own skills, embracing change, and involving workers, supervisors can make safety talks much more compelling.

1. Amp up your soft skills. Being a leader, mentor, motivator and effective instructor are essential skills for supervisors. Honing these skills through training will improve your ability to build relationships with workers and craft and deliver safety messages that resonate.
2. Hold safety talks every day. “Starting each shift with a safety talk creates the idea that safety and operations are integrated, keeps safety top of mind, and strengthens lines of communication around safety.”
3. Keep groups small. It’s challenging to capture the attention of 40 or 50 people all at once, so divide your workers into smaller groups. “A small group is much more intimate, and you’re better able to turn it into a two-way interaction.”
4. Develop a list of relevant topics. This can be done a month in advance. Base your list on the tasks and activities of the group you are speaking to and on the hazards they face. “Go task by task, activity by activity over time.” Vary your focus if you present on the same topic again.
5. Change it up. Find new ways to present information and get workers involved.
   • Create trivia games. Keep them lighthearted and non-punitive. Use the games to gauge knowledge and understanding of a particular topic and determine training needs.
   • Use demos. “Demos create a hands-on learning experience.” Examine the contents of a spill kit and talk about how it is used. Have your group sit in a parked forklift to see just what the driver sees at pedestrian crosswalks. Ask your joint health and safety committee to lock out a piece of machinery while your group watches.
   • Start your talk with a short, engaging video. There are readily available online, covering a wide range of safety topics. “Some are even lighthearted but contain a serious message. If you can create an interaction with a laugh, people are a lot more likely to listen to what you have to say.”
   • Tell stories. Stories are a powerful way to reach people – even stories about near misses and incidents related to your topic. (Before sharing stories from your own workplace, get permission from the workers involved.) Keep your discussions future focused. After relaying the story, ask for suggestions about what went wrong or what could have been done differently. Also share safety success stories if you have them. For example, how a worker’s quick reporting of a hazard prevented injuries to his fellow workers.
6. Involve workers. Ask for topic suggestions. If the group feels passionate about an issue, ask a few of them to research and deliver the talk. “Giving workers the opportunity to take the initiative and demonstrate their own skills pays incredible dividends both short and long term.”

How WSPS can help

Training

• The Effective Supervisor – Building Strategies for Success (2 days, classroom)
• The Effective Trainer (2 days, classroom)
• Supervisor Responsibilities & Due Diligence (3-4 hours, eCourse)
• Supervisor Responsibilities & Due Diligence (1/2 day classroom)

Other resources:

• 8 tips on how to be a great supervisor (article)
• Supervisors build a strong safety culture (brochure)
• Good Supervisors are Good for Business (brochure)

“Evidence is mounting that cyberbullying in the workplace is becoming as common as face to face bullying, and needs to be addressed by employers,” says WSPS Consultant Andrew Moffett.

Cyberbullies in the workplace use emails, texts, social media, video conference and other electronic means to do their dirty work. “Like traditional workplace bullying, cyberbullying involves a pattern of repeated behaviours towards a person with the intent to inflict harm,” says Andrew. “It can range from verbal and emotional abuse to mockery, humiliation, implied threats, retaliation, social exclusion and much more.”

Workplace bullying can affect an employee’s wellbeing and mental health and may lead to depression, fear, anxiety, anger, feelings of helplessness, and loss of sleep which all contribute to negative health effects. With cyberbullying, there can be even greater harm because employees are vulnerable 24/7, which may impact productivity, absenteeism, morale, and turnover.

Here are four ways employers can protect their employees and prevent cyberbullying.

1. Promote a culture of respect. “Workplaces that promote tolerance, fairness, respect, and empathy are less likely to experience bullying, abuse and harassment, says Andrew.
2. Include cyberbullying in your existing violence and harassment policy and communicate it widely. Use team meetings and safety talks to reiterate the messages about bullying and cyberbullying in the workplace. Encourage workers who witness it, to report it.

   In your policy:

   • define what cyberbullying is and what it looks like
   • outline what is and isn’t acceptable to say when communicating online, with examples.
   • discuss the consequences of cyberbullying, including posting malicious gossip on the internet
   • provide step by step instructions for employees to report bullying and cyberbullying
   • describe procedures for investigating and remedying complaints
   • explain what supports are available for workers who have been bullied (for example, Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAPs))
3. Provide training for managers and supervisors. Supervisors require training on all aspects of the workplace’s violence and harassment policy, including those related to cyberbullying. They need to understand your workplace’s legal responsibilities, the impact of bullying on employees and on the workplace, how to identify someone who is being bullied or cyberbullied, and how to respond to complaints and provide support.
   Remember, sometimes the perpetrator of the bullying is the supervisor. Help prevent this by providing training that develops communication, empathy and sensitivity skills. “Bullying by supervisors is especially unacceptable because of the power imbalance with employees,” says Andrew. “Employers should hold all employees to the same standards and apply the same consequences.” Ensure everyone has a safe person to speak to if their bully is a superior.
4. Empower employees. Tell them what they should do and not do if they are targeted by workplace cyberbullies. For example:
   • don’t respond to the bully in anger
   • make a complaint using the process outlined in your violence and harassment policy
   • take screen shots of offending posts, email, or texts to support the complaint
   • if the cyberbullying occurs on a social media platform, report it to the site
   • if there is a threat to your physical safety at work, report it immediately

   Regardless of size of the organization or number of workers employed, all employers must prepare a workplace violence policy and review it at least once a year. The workplace violence policy should:

   • illustrate an employer’s commitment to protect workers from workplace violence and harassment. This includes cyberbullying.
   • outline all potential sources of workplace violence (e.g., colleagues, clients, the public)
   • state the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the workplace that support the policy and program
   • be signed and dated by the highest level of management for the organization
   • be in writing and posted in a highly visible spot in the workplace.

How WSPS can help

All workplaces are legally required to have a Violence and Harassment Policy and Procedure. Connect with a WSPS Safety Consultant for help in developing and implementing your policy and procedure. WSPS can also assist employers with completing these other legislated employer requirements:

• Workplace Violence Risk Assessment
• Workplace Violence & Harassment Prevention Program Development;

Training

• Bullying in the Workplace (1 hour, e-Course)
• Respect in the Workplace (90 minute, eCourse)
• Workplace Violence and Harassment: Situational Awareness and De-escalation (3 hour, classroom)
• Workplace Violence & Harassment Awareness (40 minute, eCourse)

Other resources

• WSPS Workplace Violence and Harassment Toolbox
• Workplace Violence Policy Sample Form (template)
• Violence & Harassment Reporting Form (template)
• Stop Workplace Bullying and Harassment (podcast)

Host Meron Samuel chats with Dr. Bill Howatt, an international expert in workplace mental health, about a new resource called the Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap. Learn how this free resource can support workers’ mental health and prevent mental harm – no matter where you are on your journey!

Note: This episode was recorded on October 5, 2022. All information presented was in effect at that time.

SHOW NOTES
Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap | mentalhealthroadmap.wsps.ca
Dr. Bill Howatt – Howatt HR Consulting | howatthr.com
Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplaces Video | wsps.ca/resource-hub/health-a…y-and-safe-workplaces

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