| Anaphylaxis |
| Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (whole body) allergic reaction, which has a collection of symptoms affecting multiple systems in the body. |
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| Antibacterial Products |
| There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the use of antibacterial products such as soaps and lotions may be creating an environment which allows harmful bacteria to flourish, and may be leading to the... |
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| Asbestos Clearance Testing — Type Three Abatement: Hazard Alert |
| District Health and Safety officers often request information with respect to the most appropriate clearance testing following a type 3 asbestos abatement. The goal is to ensure that testing accurately reflects the... |
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| Bomb Threats — Searches |
| If there is a bomb threat called into your workplace, who conducts the search? The Ministry of Education requires each School Board to have a set of Emergency Procedures which includes bomb threats. |
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| Confined Space Entry |
| New confined space regulations came into effect on September 30th, 2006 in response to the many workplace fatalities that had occurred in confined spaces since 1987. |
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| Department Heads Are Not 'Supervisors' |
| When teachers were included under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSAct) in Ontario (in 1984) by regulation, the issue of whether Department Heads were considered 'supervisors' was unclear. |
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| Electrical Hazards Involving Aquariums in Schools |
| Water and electricity together pose the very serious – potentially fatal – hazard of electrical shock. Particular attention must be paid to the location and maintenance of aquariums and their electrical... |
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| The Fungus Among Us |
| Moulds are found everywhere, both indoors and outdoors, particularly in decomposing leaves and wood. Due to several years of inadequate funding, our schools have seen little preventative maintenance... |
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| Hantavirus |
| The hantavirus can cause serious illness and death in humans. Cases of infection in deer mice have been confirmed in Algonquin Provincial Park by federal officials. Outbreaks of this disease in humans have... |
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| HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis |
| Disease, transmission, symptoms, effect, immunization, and treatment (table) |
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| Inadequate Ventilation and High CO2 Levels |
| Does your room feel stuffy? Do you feel fatigued or become dizzy during the work day? Do you regularly get headaches at your work location? These symptoms have a variety of causes... |
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| Indoor Temperatures During the Winter Months |
| Are your job duties normally indoors? Is the temperature in your workplace or classroom below 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit)? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then... |
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| Inspections of Ventilation Systems in Shops |
| Incorrect installation and/or functioning of ventilation systems in shops generating wood dust or explosive vapours may result in the risk of fire or explosion. All shops generating wood dust or explosive vapours... |
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| Latex Allergy |
| With the implementation of Universal Precautions to prevent infectious diseases, the use of latex gloves has been increasing steadily. There has been an increase of reports of severe health effects... |
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| Lead in the Drinking Water |
| Since 2007, the Ontario Safe Water Drinking Act (Reg. 243/07 Schools, Private Schools and Day Nurseries) has required school boards to flush the cold water plumbing on a daily or weekly basis... |
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| Lockdown: Best Practices |
| Why are lockdown drills needed? We can’t assume "it won't happen here" and drills familiarize staff and students providing increased comfort levels during a crisis and reducing panic. Developing... |
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| Metal Halide Lighting and Your Safety |
| Metal Halide lighting is a type of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting. Other types of HID are Mercury Vapour, High Pressure Sodium and Low Pressure Sodium. All HID lamps work on the same principle... |
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| Musculoskeletal Injuries |
| What are musculoskeletal disorders? They are a range of disorders involving muscles, bones, tendons, blood vessels, nerves and other soft tissues. The most common term used to describe these disorders is... |
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| Occupancy and Load Capacity |
| Caution: When using this method to determine class size maximums, the board may shut down the program, i.e. if the area of the room combined with the applicable code limits the room to 12 persons... |
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| Protocol for OSSTF/FEESO Members After Assault in the Workplace |
| What is assault? Assault is an act of verbal aggression, or an act or threat of physical aggression, which produces damaging or hurtful results. What to do when assaulted? Immediately report the incident... |
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| Right to Refuse Work — For Teacher Members Only |
| The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990 affirmed three important rights for workers: The right to know about all hazards in the workplace; The right to participate in training and consideration of issues... |
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| The Right to Refuse — It's the Law, Use It! |
| How the right to refuse works: Under Section 43 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ontario, you have the right to refuse unsafe, unhealthy work. If you have reason to believe the work is likely to... |
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| Universal Precautions |
| Many of our members risk contact with blood or other body fluids in their workplace. Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions are widely accepted in workplaces across North America as crucial measures to protect... |
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| Violence |
| A written statement by Chris Stockwell, Minister of Labour, on February 14, 2000, clearly included any violent incident in the workplace under the definition of “accident” in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. |
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