HAMILTON, ON - November 22, 2005 - The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has released the results of a survey focusing on Canadian strategies for preventing occupational disease.
Hundreds of Canadians seized the opportunity to be heard on the issue of occupational disease through an online poll and at a two-day national forum organized by CCOHS.
Now the results of the survey of the Forum recommendations are released in a document entitled, Recognizing and Preventing Occupational Disease: Strategies and Recommendations from Canadians, available on the CCOHS website.
In March 2005 CCOHS hosted "New Strategies for Recognizing and Preventing Occupational Disease." The two-day event featured expert speakers, a panel of representatives from government, employer and labour, and interactive sessions in which delegates could have their say.
Working in small groups, participants recommended ideas and strategies in five areas of occupational disease: musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive strain injuries (MSDs/RSIs); stress; infectious diseases; respiratory diseases; and occupational cancer.
The Forum participants generated approximately 125 recommendations for improving the recognition of occupational disease, prevention and exposure control strategies, as well as practical tools and approaches to help prevent injuries and illness. The participants also voted on the recommendations.
CCOHS then posted the Forum recommendations on a dedicated website as a series of surveys, inviting all Canadians to vote on those recommendations. CCOHS received 911 additional submissions and a total of approximately 17,000 votes from Canadians on the subject of occupational disease.
The findings range from general to specific, and vary considerably according to which stakeholder group the participants represent (Government, Employers, Labour or Other). The CCOHS document breaks out the recommendations in detail, describing how they ranked in both the Forum survey as well as the broader Canada wide web survey.
While the number of recommendations might seem overwhelming - one participant commented that "it was hard not to rate them all as an important part of the solution" - CCOHS' Forum '05 initiated a discussion that is sure to continue.
"We set out to achieve an open, national dialogue on occupational disease that would be more than just a 'sharing and caring' exercise," said Len Hong, President and CEO of CCOHS. "We knew that to keep the issues on the forefront and the discussion alive, the Forum had to be results-oriented, with a focus on identifying possible solutions that could potentially lead to the eradication of work-related illness in Canada."
The full results of the survey are available on the CCOHS website for downloading: Recognizing and Preventing Occupational Disease: Strategies and Recommendations from Canadians.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Eleanor Irwin, Manager - Marketing, Sales and Communications
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
905/572-2981, Ext. 4408 Email: eleanori@ccohs.ca
Please visit www.ccohs-cchst.ca
About CCOHS
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), formed in 1978, is a Canadian federal government agency based in Hamilton, Ontario. CCOHS provides Canadians with unbiased, relevant information, training and advice that supports responsible decision-making and promotes safe and healthy workplaces. CCOHS makes a wide range of occupational health and safety information readily available, in language that is appropriate for all users, from the general public to the health and safety professional. Internationally, the Centre is renowned as an innovative, authoritative occupational health and safety resource. CCOHS partners and collaborates with agencies and organizations from Canada and around the world to improve the quality and quantity of resources and programs, as well as expand the breadth of usage of occupational health information to many different segments of society.
