Do you have an Inquiring Mind?

Mention research and many people think "Google search". When it comes to finding reliable, unbiased and current occupational health and safety information, however, a simple Internet search may not be the best strategy. It takes time to sift through all the links, and it's hard to judge the credibility and accuracy of the results.

If you're not finding the answers you're looking for on your own, why not try CCOHS' Inquiries Service? For nearly 30 years, the person-to-person information service has been answering questions in English and French, on the health and safety concerns Canadians have about the work they do, how they do it and the environment in which they do it. It's a free, reliable and confidential resource when you need to address critical issues at your workplace.

Workers and their families, employers, health and safety professionals and government officials use the service to get health and safety information - from chemicals and hazardous materials to ergonomics, diseases and disorders, to workplace violence and bullying.

The service is strictly confidential. The names of inquirers are never revealed to anyone. In fact, there have been cases where both the worker and the manager separately contacted the service about the same issue - and both received the same unbiased answer. That is the essence of the Inquiries Service.

Tens of thousands of questions later, the Inquiries team has nearly seen them all. The most frequently asked questions usually focus on indoor air quality and mould, work-related musculo-skeletal disorders, and workplace harassment and bullying.

And yes, every inquiry does get answered, even if the questions are not directly relevant to occupational health and safety. The Inquiries team will steer the inquirer in the right direction with recommended resources. In fact, nearly half of the questions asked are answered on the same day - but note that the service is not an emergency hotline or response service. All requests are put in the same queue and are generally answered in order of receipt.

You may phone, email or fax your question. If you call, an information specialist will help assess your needs. If you decide to email, here are some tips to help ensure that you get the right answer, in a timely fashion:

1. Be as specific as possible, giving all the necessary background information when describing what you do at work.
2. Let us know what you need. Describe what kind of information you'd like to receive, and how you plan to use it. For example, will you be sharing it with others by posting it to a bulletin board?
3. Provide full contact information. Include both your email and telephone number, so we have an alternate method to get in touch with you.

The research that is gathered to answer these inquiries is also used as the basis for a free online resource on the CCOHS website. The collection, known as OSH Answers, contains thousands of question and answers, covering a diverse array of topics.

Got a question? Contact the Inquiries Service today.

Reducing Workplace Noise: A Sound Idea

5 ways noise affects your health and well-being

Noise is everywhere, and at work, it is one of the most common health hazards. In heavy industrial and manufacturing environments, as well as in farms and cafeterias, permanent hearing loss is the main health concern. Even the traditional office can be a source of unwanted sounds - generated by the ventilation system, equipment operation, or the workers themselves.

It's important to recognize noise as an occupational hazard. Consider the following ways in which noise may affect your health and well-being:

1. Hearing damage and other physiological effects, some of which are permanent.
2. Risk of injury if you can't hear machines, warning signals, or people talking to you.
3. Stress and/or annoyance.
4. Trouble completing your work accurately.
5. Difficulty communicating in a noisy environment.

CCOHS' Preventing Hearing Loss from Workplace Noise e-course is an introduction to noise control, with a focus on how to prevent hearing loss by reducing or eliminating noise exposure.

The e-course is geared to anyone working in a potentially noisy setting - managers, supervisors, workers, health and safety staff and committee members, as well as human resources and disability management personnel.

In about an hour, you will learn how noise can damage your hearing sensitivity, what constitutes hazardous noise, how to develop and implement a hearing loss prevention program, which hearing protectors are appropriate for which settings and how to use them, as well as specific ways to control workplace noise exposure.

The course features case studies, quizzes, an "ask a question" option and a final exam. As with all CCOHS courses, the content was developed by subject specialists and reviewed by labour, employer and government representatives for a balanced approach to learning.

Sounds good so far? Learn more and register for the course.

Critical Toxicological Information when you need it

RTECS® (Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances) is now available in an intranet version. That means your organization can conveniently and easily access critical toxicological data from your own corporate intranet without having to visit an external website.

And enjoy the added benefit of being able to customize the look and feel of the RTECS database to suit your organizational needs, such as access to specific toxicological endpoints. These endpoints are needed for classifying and labeling substances under WHMIS, GHS, REACH, and OSHA HazComm such as primary irritation data (eg skin, eye) and acute toxicity data (eg LD50, LC50), to name a few.

The data is provided to you in XML format along with the Document Type Definition (DTD) to load onto your database management system.

The RTECS database now contains more than 165,000 substances and keeps growing. So if you've got hundreds of chemicals to track, or MSDSs to create or update, RTECS can be a real time saver. In addition, you can count on getting information on new chemicals or getting new research results on a quarterly basis.

RTECS also continues to be available via the Web and CD-ROM. Learn more about RTECS.

Watch our Webinars

From extreme weather to mental health in the workplace

CCOHS recently presented a series of special health and safety webinars during North American Occupational Safety and Health week. Watch the recordings anytime, from the comfort of your computer!

Topics include:

• Working in Extreme Weather
• Participatory Ergonomic Interventions: Process and Implementation
• Mental Health in the Workplace
• Pandemic Planning.

An Invitation to Canadian Night

Join CCOHS on Canadian Night during AIHce

CCOHS invites you to join Canadian friends and colleagues for an evening of fine cuisine and fellowship at this annual tradition. This year's Canadian Night will be held on Tuesday, June 3, at the charming Gluek's Restaurant in the heart of Minneapolis' Warehouse District. Tickets are only $25 but seats are limited. Purchase yours online by May 28.