Resources from the 2018 Prairies Health & Safety Conference

The 2018 Prairie Region Health & Safety Conference was held November 17-18, 2018 in Saskatoon.

Over the course of two days, members participated in three workshops, including;

• Duty to Accommodate; People with Mental Health Disabilities
• Psycho-social Hazards and Mental health Issues in the Workplace
• Mobilizing Workplaces Through Health and Safety Issues

On Saturday, the keynote speech was given by Chalaine Senger, a registered social worker who is employed as the labour consultant with the Canadian Mental Health Association - Saskatoon Branch. She delivered a fabulous presentation on mental health, encouraging union activists to practice self-care so that we are healthy and able to assist members in need.

On Sunday afternoon, Jesse Todd (Board Chair of the Saskatchewan Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization - SADAO) provided an informative sesion on recent changes and initiatives in regards to asbestos, and answered questions from delegates regarding workplace asbestos issues. He spoke about how SADAO, along with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Saskatchewan Lung Association and PSAC launched a campaign to create the first provincial asbestos registry in Canada. He also told delegates about his recent experience working with organizations from across Canada to develop a comprehensive asbestos strategy.

Clint Wirth, the PSAC - Prairie Region Health and Safety Representative, gave a presentation on cannabis and the effect of legalization on workplaces. The presentation explored the physiological impacts of cannabis use, as well as the challenges with current testing for impairment, and standards for employer requested testing. Clint also provided a technical briefing on changes to federal violence prevention legislation as a result of Bill C-65.

Workshop materials and plenary presentations are available to download in PDF format below.

We encourage all members to review the resources provided, and use the references to assist in addressing workplace health and safety issues. Should you have any health and safety related concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your local, your component, or Clint Wirth directly at wirthc@psac-afpc.com.