A discussion on the hazards in the nail salon industry, with a focus on occupational asthma. Nail salon workers are exposed to chemical, ergonomic and mental health hazards. Two colleagues from the Occupational Clinics for Ontario Workers discuss these hidden hazards and the increasing occurrence of occupational asthma.

Although we generally do not recognize it, Manual Material Handling takes place in many aspects of our daily lives: carrying tools or supplies at work, or laundry and groceries at home; getting chores done, or even when having fun in sports or recreation. All these physical tasks place unique demands upon our bodies. In this podcast we discuss common ergonomic risk factors related to moving things around, and provide several simple prevention strategies to help minimize injury at home a...

In this podcast, Meghan Friesen and James Miuccio discuss the hazards of crystalline silica exposure in the countertop industry. From the manufacturing of natural and engineered stone, to the finishing and installation processes, they discuss the health risks workers face, such as silicosis and lung cancer. Learn about effective dust control methods, protective equipment, and best practices to reduce exposure and safeguard workers. Tune in to understand how the right controls can make a diffe...

A discussion on the emerging issue of asthma in the cannabis industry.Workers are exposed to hazards during all the stages of cannabis cultivation. Two colleagues from the Occupational Clinics for Ontario Workers have a conversation about workers in the cannabis production industry and how they can develop allergies and occupational asthma.

Join two OHCOW Occupational Hygienists as they discuss silica exposures in the news. They explain the recent ban on artificial stone in Australia and how an Emergency Temporary Standard in California attempts to deal with a silicosis cluster. This is the second podcast in the series on silica. Stay tuned for more to come in this series on silica.

Two OHCOW colleagues in conversation on the health effects of respirable crystalline silica and the new Ontario Silica Control Tool. An introductory Podcast, first in its series on silica. Stay tuned for more to come in this series on silica.

A scientific and systematic review of work history and exposures for Paramedics reveals that they are common to those of Firefighters. Two of the Occupational Hygienists from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers discuss the origin and source of these same exposures and occupational diseases, more specifically, occupational Cancer. Tune in to listen to this interesting and revealing conversation to find out more.

Ergonomics is the scientific discipline of fitting the job or task to the physical dimensions, physical abilities, and mental capabilities of the worker – matching the job to the person. The goal of Ergonomic intervention is to identify, minimize, and eliminate hazards (or risk factors) that may contribute to the onset of musculoskeletal injuries. In this podcast we discuss Ergonomics, Ergonomic risk factors, and Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), as well as how identifying, assessing, a...

Join three occupational hygienist colleagues from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, as they discuss the adverse health effects of welding. This is an introductory Podcast, first in its series on welding. Stay tuned for more to come in this series on Welding.

In celebration of the 2023 National Nurses Week “Our Nurses. Our Future.”, several of our OHCOW Occupational Health Nurses discuss the nursing role in our organization, and how our nurses can assist Ontario workers and their families.

A podcast where we uncover the top 10 items which we have found to be the culprits in roadblocking the progression of a successfully functioning committee.

A discussion with Andrew Flanagan, ergonomist for the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) and Amir Estulin, who is the Western Region MLITSD Ergonomist to understand the role of a MLITSD Ergonomist in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in Ontario.In the podcast we reference some links that I say we will include in the description. They are: https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-workplace-health-and-safety-complaint (11m30s) Home Centre of Research ...

This podcast on Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) gives an overview of possible causal occupational and environmental exposures, while discussing statistics and Top 10 Tools to Prevent NIHL.

Most people probably don’t realize that there are many ergonomic risk factors associated with winter season chores that may lead to the onset of musculoskeletal injuries. In this podcast we will discuss the ergonomic risk factors related to winter weather, including snow removal, and other winter tasks such as installing holiday lights and preparing vehicles following snow fall.

Winter is fast approaching and everyone, even those that live in apartments or condominiums, generally need to do at least some things related to fall clean. Most people probably don’t realize that there are ergonomic risk factors associated with these chores that may lead to the onset of musculoskeletal injuries. In this podcast we will discuss the ergonomic risk factors related to fall yard/garden chores such as yard/waste cleanup, gardening tasks – harvesting and cleanup, cleaning gutters,...

Students and educators are going back to school and most people probably don’t realize that there are ergonomic risk factors associated with the return to school that may lead to the onset of musculoskeletal injuries in both students and educators. In this podcast we will discuss the ergonomic risk factors associated with returning to school such as student’s backpacks; classroom furniture; technology (computers, tablets, phones, etc.); as well as classroom organization. Prevention strategies...

We know that poor sleep can negatively affect many aspects of our lives and that poor sleep quality may lead to increased pain and risk of incurring musculoskeletal injuries. In this podcast, the second of two parts, you will learn how to decrease ergonomic risks for injury while you sleep; which postures are the best for avoiding injury; how to choose the correct bed, mattress, and pillows for you; and strategies to improve your overall quality of sleep.

We all generally recognize the hazards of being in the sun during the summer months, but we often don’t realize how the heat can affect the way we work and our workplace Ergonomics. Many people work in the heat, not only in the summer, but all year round. In this podcast we will discuss the hazards of working in the heat as well as the ergonomic risk factors and prevention strategies to minimize injury and heat related disorders.

Perform lawn maintenance safely and avoid musculoskeletal disorders (MDs) due to incorrect ergonomics. Join OHCOW ergonomists in a discussion about ergonomic safety while performing lawn care. Learn about Ergonomic risk factors and injury prevention strategies when using lawn care equipment: push mowers, ride-on mowers, and grass trimmers.

Although everyone must sleep daily, most people do not realize how important sleep really is to our physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. In this podcast, the first of two parts, you will learn how important sleep is; how sleep deprivation negatively affects us; how poor sleep can lead to and exacerbate musculoskeletal injuries; and what ergonomic risk factors for injury are present while we sleep. View and Download an "Ergonomics and Sleep" pdf document here.