Flu season has already begun, and Public Health anticipates more illness and hospitalizations due to the loosening of COVID measures that kept last year’s flu numbers extremely low.

For employers, it’s critical to get a handle on this now, says Janet Carr, WSPS Workplace Mental Health Consultant, before the spread of flu takes a toll on employee health, absenteeism, productivity, and morale.
Workplace COVID-19 control measures will go a long way towards protecting employees, says Janet, but the best prevention tool is a flu shot, or more formally known as an influenza vaccination.

Flu vaccinations are free in Ontario and available starting this month, making this a good time to adopt or refresh a policy that encourages influenza vaccinations, combats misinformation, and more.

Employers have a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for their employees, but employees also have a role to play in safeguarding their health and the health of higher risk individuals around them. Janet offers eight suggestions on how to manage this.

1. Set the tone. Talk about your concern for employee health and well-being, says Janet. Acknowledge that some people may be experiencing vaccine fatigue but explain why vaccinations are critical — look how effective they have been with COVID-19. “Encourage managers to act as role models by getting vaccinated themselves and communicating that fact,” says Janet.
2. Provide accurate information from reliable public health sources. Address how serious the flu is, who’s at greatest risk, how it spreads, and how safe and effective the vaccine is. For reliable sources of information, see suggestion eight, below.
3. Address objections, concerns and misinformation with facts. For example:
   • Flu is not that serious. “Influenza is not a benign illness,” says Janet. “It can lay people low for up to 10 days and there can be serious complications. Every year, over 12,000 people in Canada on average are hospitalized with flu, and approximately 3,500 die.”
   • Flu vaccines are not 100% effective. True, but your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death will be significantly reduced if you have the vaccine.
   • Can I get flu and COVID at the same time? Yes. “It would be a double whammy,” says Janet, “resulting in more serious risks. That’s why both a flu vaccination and a COVID vaccination are imperative.”
   • The flu shot can give you the flu.No, it’s not possible to develop the flu from getting the shot, says Janet. There may be temporary side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, tiredness or slight fever, but that’s just your body’s immune system gearing up to fight the disease. “It’s a good sign,” says Janet. “The flu shot is safe for anyone six months of age or older who does not have a contraindication to the vaccine.”
   • Is it safe to get both a COVID vaccine and flu vaccine at the same time? Yes, says Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Some healthcare providers might still recommend administering the vaccines at different times.
4. Outline what controls you have in place to prevent the spread of COVID and the flu, such as physical distancing, washing your hands regularly, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, improving indoor ventilation, masks, barriers, screening, and more.
5. Make it easy for employees to be vaccinated. Provide time off to see a healthcare provider, list nearby clinics or pharmacies where the vaccine is available, or hold an onsite vaccination clinic. Encourage early vaccination as it can take up to two weeks for the vaccine to take effect. “Flu season typically runs from late fall to early spring,” says Janet. “The sooner people get vaccinated, the sooner they begin to build immunity.”
6. Advise employees to stay home if they are sick, and to follow protocols if screening shows illness. COVID-19 and the flu can have similar symptoms and it may be hard to tell the difference based on symptoms alone. If you think you have COVID-19, get tested. If you are concerned about your health, you can call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 and talk to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
7. Set expectations. For example, do you want everyone in the workplace to get the flu shot? How will you track this while ensuring employees’ personal information remains private and confidential? How will you respond to employees who refuse to get vaccinated?
8. Direct employees to reliable sources of information. Here are five useful resources:
   • What to advise workers who have the flu
   • Guidance on the use of influenza vaccine in the presence of COVID-19
   • Canadian Immunization Guide Chapter on Influenza and Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2021–2022 (National Advisory Committee on Immunization – NACI)
   • Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2021-2022 Season (CDC)

How WSPS can help

• Read 4 ways to prevent a COVID-flu “twindemic” in your workplace for more prevention tips.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

Original article:
https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/articles/flu-season-is-coming-what-can-you-do-now

October is Global Ergonomics Month and as workplaces prepare to assume a more permanent office model (full-time office, full-time home office, or a hybrid of the two), now is the ideal moment to consider possible ergonomic implications. Are existing office set-ups as ergonomically safe as they could be? Are any of us developing aches and pains from working in temporary home offices? Make-do office equipment, combined with sedentary work and stress, can be punishing on shoulders, backs, arms, wrists, and psyches.

“Some of us may have ignored or not reported discomfort, believing the situation temporary,” says Nathan Birtch, WSPS Specialized Ergonomics Consultant. “But that hidden discomfort is going to follow people, and in the short term this can affect productivity and efficiency. If not checked, it could lead to musculoskeletal injuries (MSDs) and time off work.”

So, what can workplaces do to reduce the potential for MSDs in all three models of office work? Here’s what Nathan suggests.

1. Conduct a worker discomfort survey using a downloadable form from the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario. What hurts most? Neck, shoulders, hips, wrists, etc? Are workstations causing the discomfort? Communicate overall survey results to participants, take steps to address individual concerns, and look for trends, such as multiple reports of shoulder or neck pain. Redo the survey in a couple of months to look for new or continuing issues.
2. Going forward, ensure workstations are fitted with the right equipment for optimal postures. For home offices, conduct a virtual assessment if you haven’t already done so.If ergonomically designed and adjustable equipment is required, preselect equipment, and provide employees with a list of two or three options. For employees returning to the office, assess existing equipment. Does it require upgrading? Ensure hotelling stations, which will be used by different people, are fitted with adjustable equipment, including a height adjustable monitor or stand to raise laptops, plus a separate keyboard and mouse.
3. Develop or review your existing office ergonomics program and procedures. The MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontariooffers quick fixes to help prevent MSDs. Ensure your program includes ways for employees to report incidents or raise concerns.
4. Train all employees on proper workstation set-up and MSD prevention. Discuss how MSDs develop, which working postures are best, hazards to be aware of, and how to fix problems. (See “How WSPS can help.”) “Employees who use hotelling stations will be moving from their home office set-up to a completely different set-up and may need extra training,” notes Nathan.
5. Assign a workplace champion or team of champions who have training in ergonomics and workstation set-up. With the proper knowledge and experience, these individuals will be able to carry out mini-assessments and respond to employee concerns. “The champion’s role is to be the first line of support in making sure things get addressed in a timely manner,” says Nathan.
6. Encourage breaks from sedentary work. “Many employees have been spending more time at their desks during the pandemic, raising the risks for cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and MSDs,” says Nathan. “The goal is to alternate between standing and sitting, and to increase movement.”

Here are three ways to promote movement among workers:

• provide sit/stand desks and headphones so workers can move during virtual meetings and phone calls
• encourage the use of apps and alerts that remind home office workers to get up and move
• offer tips, such as reading documents on a higher surface while standing (home office), using coffee breaks to walk, move or stretch, and having in-person conversations instead of emailing or phoning, if COVID protocols permit.

For more insights, sign up for these free, virtual WSPS Safety Connections sessions:

• Return to the Office or Work From Home – Guidance for Workplaces Making Decisions (November 3).
• Purchasing Ergonomics Office Equipment (November 24)

How WSPS can help

WSPS ergonomics specialists are available to conduct virtual or in-person office assessments and coaching, and help you develop an office ergonomics program. Connect with a consultant today.

• Check out WSPS’ extensive range of ergonomics and MSD resources

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

Original article:
https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/articles/6-tips-for-preventing-msds-in-the-post-pandemic-office

Our nostalgia for life before COVID-19 may already be painting the pre-pandemic world as a simpler, safer place, but it’s not a place we can ever return to. “And that’s not a bad thing,” says Pam Patry, WSPS’ Acting Pandemic Program Lead, Field Operations. “Everything we’ve learned through the pandemic can help us create safer in-store experiences for employees and customers.”
Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

• Viruses like COVID-19 may die out or survive indefinitely. SARS disappeared with little human intervention. However, other viruses continue circulating. Since the COVID-19 pandemic could become endemic — occurring regularly but at low levels of infection— we may need to continue minimizing the risk of transmission for years.
• COVID-19 vaccinations are a key tool, but not a cure-all. They may be a person’s best defence against the virus, but vaccinated people can still contract and spread it.
• We’ll never vaccinate everybody. Since much of the world remains partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, more infectious variants may emerge, such as Lambda.

Here’s what we can draw from this:

• A post-vaccination world isn’t necessarily a post-pandemic world. COVID-19 precautions may be with us for a while.
• These precautions work. They can even keep us healthier. A link exists between COVID-19 precautions and declining infection rates for influenza, the common cold, and childhood illnesses such as chickenpox and measles.

What does this mean for employees and customers? “The risk of transmission may be lower,” says Pam, “but people may still be required to wear face coverings, regularly wash or sanitize their hands, conduct transactions through plexiglass barriers, and so on.”

How to survive and thrive in this post-vaccination world

For employers, surviving and thriving means taking a longer view by integrating short-term COVID-19 measures into longer term health and safety practices.

Pam’s number one recommendation is to create a COVID-19 safety plan if you haven’t already. The plan documents what your workplace needs to do to prevent transmission, and how to do it. It’s also a legal requirement.

Pam also offers these suggestions:

• Keep up with evolving COVID-19 requirements. Update your safety plan as needed and communicate changes to employees and customers.
• Follow evolving provincial and public health requirements. Any changes may indicate opportunities for improvement in your workplace.
• Continue posting and enforcing COVID-19 precautions before customers and suppliers enter. Highlight any changes in precautions.
• Maintain hand sanitation stations close to entrances, and ensure they stay tidy, functional and visible.
• Enforce capacity limits so long as they remain a requirement. A crowded store may deter customers from entering.
• Be vigilant with housekeeping. A store that looks, feels and smells clean will reassure customers that you’re on top of the situation, regardless of what it is.
• Consider keeping plexiglass barriers in place even if they are no longer required. They protect employees and customers from COVID-19 and could help protect everyone from other hazards.
• Be on guard against COVID-related anger. We saw it early on in the pandemic and it could flare again. Ensure your security systems — panic buttons, cameras, alarms — are working properly. Train employees on how to recognize threats, defuse potential conflict, and activate assistance.
• Be mindful of other potential hazards, such as slips, trips and falls, repetitive strain, and unsafe or excessive lifting.

Pam’s final words: “As we enter a post-vaccination world, take time to review, assess and improve health and safety practices. They will help you keep everyone safe, sustain important relationships, and ensure your business continues operating efficiently.”

How WSPS can help

Explore this extensive collection of COVID-19 resources, including articles, playbooks, templates, checklists, webinars and more.

Incorporate these two new provincial guidance documents into your COVID-19 exposure control measures:

• COVID case and contact management guidance for workplaces 
• interim case and contact management guidance for fully immunized and previously positive employees

Attend “OHS Legislative Outlook in a Post-Pandemic World,” a session at WSPS’ Northern Ontario Partners in Prevention Health & Safety Fall Virtual Conference on November 17.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

This story is republished with the permission of Convenience Store News Canada. It was originally published in the September/October edition.

Original article:
https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/articles/create-safer-in-store-experiences-in-a-post-vaccinated-world