Gift certificate for first aid course
WRC programs awarded prestigious accreditation
The Workers’ Rehabilitation Centre’s (WRC) Vocational Evaluation Program and Work Recovery Program were both awarded a three-year accreditation recently. This is the most prestigious honour granted by the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an international accrediting agency for health sectors.
The Vocational Evaluation Program evaluates the injured worker’s physical, psychological and employment capabilities. The Work Recovery Program provides work-related rehabilitation to facilitate a timely, effective, and safe return to work.
“We’re all very proud to receive this kind of validation for the quality of care provided here at the centre ,” said Coral Lovesey, manager of the Vocational Evaluation program. “ These programs are part of a select group committed to meeting the highest standards in rehabilitation.”
To be accredited by CARF, a program must prove to a team of inspectors that it meets internationally recognized standards of the highest quality. The program must be fully measurable and accountable, complete a rigorous peer review process, and clearly outline how it will continue to improve to better serve its clients. Programs offered at the WRC have been successfully seeking accreditation since 1993.
“It is very useful to be evaluated by an external agency,” Lovesey said. “They can thoroughly examine every aspect of the care provided with fresh eyes and strict standards.” Continued... click here.
Collaboration results in better TEAMS
Managing the assessments of close to 14,000 employers is no easy task. That’s why the WHSCC takes a TEAMS approach. TEAMS (The Employer Assessment Management System) is a custom software system developed in-house by the Commission and is used to manage all aspects of its relationship with registered employers.
“TEAMS is more than just a customized accounts receivable program. Employer registrations and classifications are managed through TEAMS and employers report to the Commission through the system. Employer billings are calculated, applied, and received in TEAMS. Our income flows through this so it’s important that we have an efficient system in place,” said Frank Forestell, the WHSCC’s manager of Information Systems. “You can’t buy this type of software off the shelf.”
TEAMS was so efficient that it caught the attention of the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Prince Edward Island. The WCB was in the market for a new assessment system solution. This year, as TEAMS was due for some re-engineering of the system architecture, a collaboration between the WHSCC and WCB resulted in the necessary re-engineering work being completed faster and at less cost to WHSCC than if the Commission had taken on the project alone, Forestell said. With the re-engineering work now complete, WCB has begun adapting TEAMS to create a version that will meet their own legislated requirements.
“We are excited about implementing TEAMS. This system provides the technical and functional foundation needed for our new assessment system. Our work has begun and we anticipate a 2008 ‘go-live’ date for TEAMS within our board,” said Beth Gaudet, director of Corporate Services (WCB).
“We needed to improve the infrastructure to support future enhancements to the software and the PEI board needed a new software solution,” Forestell said. “Both organizations will accomplish their goals with this project. We (WHSCC) have already seen the benefits. Testing is a major part of software development, and we’ve greatly reduced our testing time for changes to TEAMS, thereby reducing costs and improving the delivery schedule. This collaboration was a great success, and bodes well for future inter-jurisdictional collaborations.”
Operation Red Nose
Every year, more than 70,000 Canadians are killed or seriously injured in impaired driving crashes. Operation Red Nose (ORN) is a unique program designed to reduce this statistic. ORN is a free, designated-driver service that gets drivers who may be unfit to drive, and their passengers, to their destinations safely – in their own cars – during the holiday season. Motorists who call ORN are picked up by a team of three volunteers and an escort vehicle, and driven in their own vehicles to the destinations of their choice. The escort vehicle tags along and, at the end of the trip, drives the team to pick up other clients or back to the local headquarters. Fuel costs are covered through sponsorship (in New Brunswick, the Insurance Bureau of Canada) and donations.
The safe delivery of the cars is vital to the program’s success because drivers often cite concern about leaving their cars behind as a factor in their decision to drive or not drive. The service operates in more than 100 communities across Canada. ORN typically runs Friday and Saturday nights in December, as well as New Year’s Eve in some locations.
In New Brunswick this holiday season, ORN will provide service in the following four locations and their surrounding areas: the Acadian Peninsula, Moncton, Edmundston, and Oromocto-Burton. For more information on Operation Red Nose, please visit: http://www.operationnezrouge.com/en/.
In the Courts 
J.D. Irving Ltd., pleaded guilty to an offence under section 242(1) for a guarding violation. They were fined $7,500 plus a victim surcharge. The court also recognized a sum of $2,500, for obligatory training for all JDI-Northwest sawmill supervisory staff. This training is with regard to their legal responsibilities and will be over and above the regulatory requirements.
Ask Us
Q: I have a question regarding the new first aid regulation 2004-130 and how it relates to the General Regulation 91-191 Part XVII Confined Space.
Under 2004-130, a first aid provider is required to complete six hours of practice each year. Under 91-191, Part XVII Confined Space section 266 (1) (c) (i) the competent person referred must hold a valid standard-level first aid certificate and is trained in artificial respiration and CPR.
When you look at these two documents together does this mean that everyone holding a valid first aid certificate for the purposes of being the designated competent person at a confined space must have six hours of practice in first aid skills a year, as does the first aid provider in 2004-130 7(4)?
Does this further mean that any employee you offer a standard first aid course to must also be offered and complete the six hours of practice a year?
John Smith*
Belledune, NB
*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
A: As you have indicated, there are different first aid requirements when a person is designated as competent person outside the confined space and those that are designated to provide first aid at all other times; the new first aid regulation requires that persons designated as first aid providers in the workplace (outside of confined space work) have completed the Workplace Standard First Aid Course and hold a current First Aid Workplace Certificate.
Persons limited to provide first aid during confined space work would be required as a minimum to have a standard-level first aid certificate as indicated in Section 266 (1) (c) (i) and CPR as in (ii). While desirable to maintain their skills, they would not be required to do the 6-hour refresher as required by the First Aid regulation. With the recent changes to New Brunswick’s First Aid regulations, it might be difficult to find an approved first aid training provider to deliver the standard level first aid course. If that is the case, the WHSCC would accept as equivalent training the Workplace Standard First Aid Course (for persons designated as competent persons outside confined spaces) who are required to provide first aid should the need arise. As indicated above, provided that their responsibility for providing first aid is limited to confined space work, the 6-hour refresher course is not required.
Only those designated to provide first aid in your workplace must meet the requirements of the 6-hour refresher. If only 20 of the 60 persons who are trained in the Workplace Standard First Aid course are designated as first aid providers, then only those 20 need to maintain the 6-hour refresher course (or six hours of practice).
Click here for more information on the first aid regulations.
If you have a question for Ask us! Please forward to stearsb@whscc.nb.ca.