ECRC Quick HitsECRC Quick HitsECRC Quick HitsECRC Quick Hits
Project Title
Quick Hit 2: Ventilation Design and Protein Analysis in Crab Processing
Summary
The overall aim of Quick Hits was to transfer occupational health and safety (OHS) research developed in Québec to Newfoundland and Labrador industries and workplaces.
This particular Quick Hits project focused on comparing allergen levels with protein levels in crab processing plants. It was hoped that this could enable the potential use of protein levels as a proxy for allergen exposures in the crab processing industry. An IRSST research report on ventilating snow crab processing plants was translated and disseminated, and a short questionnaire was designed to provide a quick and easy snapshot of respiratory symptoms in a plant labour force. An experiment was then conducted to compare allergen and protein levels associated with raw and cooked snow crab processing. It was concluded that further research is required to identify and certify a protein sampling method appropriate for snow crab processing plants.
Lead Investigator
Robert Helleur, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Other Team Members
Sébastian Gagné, Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Securité du Travail
Jacques Lesage, Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Securité du Travail
Barbara Neis, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Ugis Bickis, Queen’s University
Contact Information
Barbara Neis, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
bneis@mun.ca
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Project Title
Quick Hit 1: Construction
Summary
The overall aim of Quick Hits was to transfer occupational health and safety (OHS) research developed in Québec to Newfoundland and Labrador industries and workplaces.
The objective of this particular Quick Hits project was to initiate inter-provincial transfer of educational materials from ASP Construction, Québec to the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association (NLCSA), Newfoundland and Labrador. The project involved the translation of a poster and a manual, which the NLCSA incorporated into training sessions and also distributed to its members to assist them with ensuring that appropriate information was posted in their workplaces.
Lead Investigator
Jackie Manual, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association
Other Team Members
Paul Héroux, ASP Construction, Québec
Julia Temple, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Translator)
Contact Information
SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
safetynet@mun.ca
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Project Title
Quick Hit 4: Floor Cleaning as a Preventative Measure against Slip and Fall Accidents
Summary
The overall aim of Quick Hits was to transfer occupational health and safety (OHS) research developed in Québec to Newfoundland and Labrador industries and workplaces.
The objective of this particular Quick Hits project was to translate, adapt and transfer some of the knowledge and resources developed in Québec to try to reduce the number of workplace slip and fall accidents in Newfoundland and Labrador. The project involved the preparation of a “Floor Cleaning Toolkit” containing information on how to optimally clean a floor, an interactive game entitled “Beware! Slippery Floor!”, and downloadable information sheets, training scenarios, quiz sheets and game sheets. This toolkit was then distributed to the purchasing offices of healthcare institutions, government agencies, restaurants, hotels and other companies across the province.
Lead Investigator
Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Other Team Members
Julia Temple, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Translator)
François Quiron, QI Recherche et Développement Technologique Inc.
Alain LaJoie, Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Securité du Travail
Erin Massey, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Community Collaborators
Eastern Health Association
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Board Association
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador
Country Ribbon Inc.
Contact Information
Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
sbornste@mun.ca
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Project Title
Quick Hit 3: Knife Sharpening in Meat and Fish Processing
Summary
The overall aim of Quick Hits was to transfer occupational health and safety (OHS) research developed in Québec to Newfoundland and Labrador industries and workplaces.
The objective of this particular Quick Hits project was to transfer the knife-sharpening “Train-the-Trainer Program”, developed at Université du Québec à Montréal, to Newfoundland and Labrador. In the meat and fish processing industries, insufficient knife sharpness can hinder productivity and increase risk to workers for musculoskeletal disorders. The knife-sharpening “Train-the-Trainer Program” functions to train skilled workers in the training of others in knife steeling and sharpening, thereby enhancing the sharpness of knives used in processing plants. This reduces the force needed to cut, which in turn increases productivity and reduces strain and injury. In many processing plants in Québec, the program has been successful in improving work quality and productivity, reducing wastage, and reducing numbers of repetitive-strain and other injuries. It was hoped that the transfer and adaptation of this program into Newfoundland industries would be similarly beneficial, and would also provide insight into best-practice knowledge transfer and exchange methods required to enhance the OHS knowledge base in sectors within this province.
Lead Investigators
Scott MacKinnon, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
John Molgaard, Faculty of Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Other Team Members
Jacques Lesage, Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Securité du Travail
Nicole Vézina, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Robert Parent, Université de Sherbrooke
Linda Sagmeister, Department of Government Services
Kathy-Lynn Lee, Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission
David Antle, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Margaret-Ann McCarthy, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Training in Knife Steeling
Will it Make the Cut (video) - please contact for information
Training Manual (2007)
Training Presentation (PowerPoint)
For more information about the Knife Sharpening project, contact Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
sbornste@mun.ca
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