Well it finally happened to me. I thought just like the thousands of others travelling Hwy #1 on Oct 2, 2018 east of Canmore, that even if we get stopped due to an accident, it would take a few hours max to get it cleaned up and keep us moving. I mean we have all seen the Towing reality TV shows where the RCMP and Transport Canada say repeatedly that due to economic reasons, the hwy cannot remain closed for any length of time. As we know this is the main East – West corridor for materials movement in Canada. But in this case, due to many reasons, the road remained closed for the better part of 16 hours. Some of the many reasons were due to early Fall snowstorm with record amounts of snow, perfect temperature for freezing at -3C, volume of traffic and inexperienced drivers without proper tires. I am assuming that the Highways department was caught off guard as well and I am sure there are many other contributing factors to mention.

It was one of the strangest situations I have ever been involved with.

My personal highlights were:
• Watching people give up and attempt to turn around through the ditch even though most cars and SUV’s that made attempts failed and became stuck. Pickup trucks were mostly successful. Of course, this option was only available if you were in the median lane.
• People were trying to drive their cars on the shoulder that did not exist, and some tried to squeeze through the middle even though there was nowhere to go since the traffic was stopped for 10km forward and back. I witnessed multiple arguments and even a few people being threatened with a pipe.
• This was not unexpected as people were very upset with the lack of information. Of course if you listen to the RCMP interviews in response to this, their fallback is that travel was not recommended due to road conditions and we all should have just stayed home. That is a very convenient response and kind of falls into the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ scenario, as we hear this statement most of the winter season. If in fact it was that bad, and no one should be on the road, then why did it remain open? See next bullet point…
• The Alberta 511 website and phone line stated only to expect delays. At no point during this event did the website show the road as being closed. There were very few updates to the actual mobile app, but as reported in the news, if you subscribe to Twitter, there was a few Tweets sent out. I do not Tweet, so I did not see these updates.
• One family was building a snowman with their kids. Kudos to them for making the best to keep the kids entertained, I am sure they were scared.
• A lady came to my truck looking for food for her diabetic mother. I gave her the only thing I had which was a half a chocolate bar. I was still believing that we had to be moving soon since it had already been 3 hours.
• Another lady came to my truck looking for napkins. I did one better and gave her some toilet paper. She was very thankful.
• I had a pack of water bottles and gave away most of my supply.
• There was no information at all on the radio. I even started listening to the AM News station.
• I never saw a single plow. There were two tow trucks and one RCMP travelling the wrong direction on the other side of the highway since that side was also closed.
• I called the Canmore RCMP non- emergency line around 3am to try and get some information and I was told that crews were working on it and that the highway would eventually reopen. Well I was thankful for that since I thought it would be closed forever.
• The temperature was not too cold at night, so I was able to run the truck off and on to conserve fuel, but it could have been very different in colder temps.
• I had plenty of fuel since I filled up before hitting the highway. A good practice any time of year.
• I personally had lots of water, and warm clothes, but no food.

This was a good reminder that when we travel for work or to hockey games with our kids, we need to have an emergency kit packed in our vehicles. You never know how long you could be stranded. This time I was alone, but next time my family could have been with me as many others in this situation were. Being prepared for emergencies does not happen overnight. I have created this checklist to build your kit over time. This is a good way to be prepared without overwhelming your schedule or your budget.

Basic Items:
o Water
o Blanket
o Candle in a deep can and matches
o Extra clothing and shoes/boots
o Seatbelt cutter/or knife
o First-aid kit
o Flashlight (battery-powered or crank)
o Food that will not spoil (such as energy bars)
o List of contact numbers
o Radio (battery-powered or crank)
o Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
o Warning light or road flares and a whistle
o Toilet paper
o Windshield washer fluid
o Fire extinguisher
o Road maps
o Sand, salt or cat litter (non-clumping)
o Tow rope
o Extra batteries for flashlight and radio, Portable and compact battery charger/booster with USB for charging phone

My thoughts go out to those that were injured and to the families of the fatality on Hwy #2 in this October snowstorm.

Stay Safe.

Ken Onysko

As workplace safety requirements increase, these processes are unfortunately increasingly perceived by workers as the bi-product of an overly litigious, ‘nanny-state’ world: red-tape requirements and boxes which must be ticked to appease safety officers. These requirements are often completed disingenuously and resented for creating extra work and hindering efficiency. However, it has been extensively proven that weak safety culture in workplaces is associated with workplace fatalities, injury, illness, lower job satisfaction and significant loss of revenue for companies and individuals. To avoid these consequences, employees at all levels must take an interest in creating a safe workplace, rather than considering it solely the safety person’s responsibility.
The concept of workplace safety seems far more critical when one considers the history of workplace safety laws, and the significant improvements which have been achieved in the lives of workers since the rise of safety culture. Workers in Industrial Revolution era Britain were subject to appalling conditions: 14-hour shifts were common, and children as young as 6 worked factory flaws for abysmal pay. Machinery used in mills were notoriously unsafe, and disabling injuries and fatalities were common. Furthermore, poor sanitation and hot closed factory conditions meant that contagious illnesses such as typhus, typhoid and smallpox were widespread. The Factory Act of 1802 stipulated proper ventilation and minimal standards of cleanliness, as well as ensuring that children received a basic education and clothing. Working hours were capped at twelve hours a day and working at night was eliminated for children. This was the first major win for Safety Laws in the Western world, and the positive implications for individuals affected by these improvements would have been immense.

Obviously we have come a long way since those days, but unfortunately unsafe workplace conditions cannot be relegated to antiquity. The preoccupation of modern companies with hazard prevention and documentation is not irrelevant, as Alberta has by no means achieved an acceptable standard of safety for all workers. In 2016 The Workplace Injury, Disease and Fatality Statistics Provincial Summary released by Alberta OHS reported 116 workplace fatalities and 44,543 disabling injury claims.
Despite these concerning statistics, many companies still have a weak safety culture. In such work places safety is often relegated to the domain of supervisors, managers or safety officers. This is problematic, as it should not be someone else’s responsibility to complete forms and safety reports. Nor should it be on someone else to intervene if an incident is about to happen. Safety is a shared responsibility and cannot be relegated exclusively to one person, or to a few people. This idea is in fact inherently flawed, as the majority of safety incidents involve workers, not managers or safety personnel. When safety is a ‘top-down’ process, which is enforced onto workers rather than embraced as a genuine priority, it is those very workers who are likely to experience the resultant risks, injuries and fatalities. So what can work places do to establish a shared and genuine culture of safety?

Some Canadian workplaces have embraced safety incentives as a way of involving employees at all levels in their own safety and the safety of those around them. In some cases employees identifying near-misses, attending meetings or wearing correct PPE consistently are rewarded, and in others individuals or teams are rewarded if no incidents occur over a given time period. In any incentive system though, there is the risk that a safety preoccupation becomes disingenuous and superficial: aimed at monetary or material reward rather than being motivated by a genuine concern for the wellbeing of oneself and one’s colleagues.

What other initiatives can help management to establish safety as a shared responsibility? One method which has received significant success is in involving workers in the formulation of a clear, common vision for reducing illnesses, injuries and fatalities. Management should be open and transparent about jointly formed goals and involve workers in decisions about how they might be achieved. If workers are more involved in the creation of these processes, they feel a sense of ownership. Measures are designed not only for them, but also partially by them. Workers who make suggestions for safety, or who report near-misses, should be celebrated for making their workplace a safer place. Management should ensure that workers are actively involved in safety meetings and in communications about evolving safety measures. Suggestion boxes and surveys are other ways to involve workers who may not feel comfortable voicing their opinion in a public meeting scenario. Whichever method is deemed most appropriate by management, ongoing conversations with workers about the safety of themselves and their colleagues is the aim, or in other words ‘talking with’ rather than ‘talked at’ workers. By giving employees a voice, collaboration and genuine engagement is fostered.
As well as leadership involving all employees in safety goals, leadership should also ensure that employees know that a preoccupation with safety is aimed primarily at worker wellbeing. In other words, leadership’s prioritization of safety should be motivated by keeping their employees safe, rather than by keeping within red-tape boundaries or passing audit requirements, and this commitment should be made clear to workers. Employees are likely to view safety processes more positively if they feel that these steps are designed based on a genuine commitment to their wellbeing.

Management can demonstrate this sincere concern for workers by taking reports of incidents or near-misses seriously, and investigating them in a thorough, sincere and timely manner. Incident investigations should be rigorous rather than simply conducted to enable management to tick a legal box. In serious cases, management can enforce a stand-down, whereby operations are ceased until all are confident that it is safe to return to work. These actions will reinforce management’s stated aim to ensure that all company employees are working in a safe environment.

These strategies are aimed at restructuring the perception of workplace safety from a process which is top-down and enforced upon disinterested employees, towards employees having a vested interest in belonging to a company which operates safely. These measures should ideally foster positive peer pressure towards reporting unsafe conditions, and working as a team to resolve these. If safety becomes a shared responsibility, the positive impacts in terms of lower rates injury, illness, fatalities and loss of company and individual incomes, will be felt and enjoyed by all.

Poor air quality can be harmful to your health, especially for children, older adults, and those with heart and lung conditions.

When there is an air quality advisory in your area, officials may recommend that you keep your windows closed and stay indoors. When your windows are closed, and the air conditioner is off (or you don’t have one), you will need to take special care to stay cool. Here are a few tips to keep cool indoors:

-Keep the blinds closed while the sun is up.
-Install an air conditioner (recommended with a health efficiency particulate air filter).
-Drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic beverages.
-Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan to create a cool breeze.
-Avoid using the oven and instead cook on the stovetop.
-Do any physical activity in the cooler morning or evening hours.
-Spend time in the cooler rooms of your home, like a basement.
-Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
-Take a cool shower or bath.

Staying inside during summer is not ideal, so make the best of it. Take the time to read a book, do some house work, play a board game or enjoy a movie.

Many of the checks that exist in workplace safety culture emphasise the imperative role of supervision in the workplace in ensuring wokers’ safety. However, is the industry doing enough to safeguard the wellbeing of the many employees across the province who work alone? Statistics from international market researcher Berg Insight reveal that 53 million individuals work alone in Canada, the US and Europe.

It is unsurprising that according to research, workers who work night shifts, or shifts completely alone, are at a far greater risk of injury and death. Organisations are required to conduct safety risk assessments to examine potential workplace incidents for lone workers. Risks should then be prioritised based on the likelihood of this risk occurring, and how serious the consequences would be if this risk did occur. It is recommended that employees are involved in identifying the risks associated with their work, and in coming up with plans on how these risks can be mitigated.

Working Alone Plans are mandated in part 28 of the Occupational Health and Safety code in Alberta. Plans should be established between workers and supervisors and should specify tasks which are to be completed and the appropriate PPE for completing these tasks. Furthermore, these plans should ensure that employees have been provided with appropriate training for the tasks being completed, and should schedule and designate check ins during this time. Abiding strictly by scheduled check in times allows for alerts to be raised if a worker fails to check in.

In 2012, there were 977 workplace-related fatalities in Canada. Many of these deaths were caused by motor vehicles and machines. The most dangerous industries in terms of fatalities include construction industries, manufacturing, government services, transportation and storage, mining, quarrying and oil wells. Concerningly these industries, particularly transportation and mining, frequently require not only lone working, but also work with vehicles and machines. This puts these lone workers at a particularly high risk of injury or fatality.

However it’s not just the risk of injury or death which is a concern for those working alone. The risk of stress and emotional trauma must also be considered for these workers. Isolation can be as dangerous as the risks presented by machinery and vehicle use. Social connection has been linked to long-term wellbeing and health indicators, as well as with revenue and productivity in the work place. Furthermore, psychologists have identified that pervasive and ongoing loneliness can have a serious and detrimental effect on individuals’ mental and physical health. Although they are less easily quantified or managed via controls, these insidious and long-term risks should also be considered by employers who require their employees to consistently work alone.

It is evident that this vulnerable portion of our work force needs controls which cater to their specific needs. Employers should involve their workers in a comprehensive examination of workplace conditions to mitigate risks related not only to injury or fatalities in the workplace, but also to safeguard against the dangers of feeling vulnerable, stressed or alone at work.