BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

SAVE THE DATE!!!

BCEOHRN 2012 SPRING SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOP AND AGM
MAY 31- JUNE 1, 2012 | FAIRMONT WATERFRONT HOTEL VANCOUVER, BC

The BCEOHRN 2012 Workshop and Annual General Meeting will be held May 31st and June 1st, 2012in conjunction with the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH) 2012 Conference at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

BCEOHRN events will be free for BCEOHRN members, and will include a student’s training and networking half-day; scientific plenary sessions with emphasis on topics related to environmental and occupational health equity; an evening social and poster session; and the BCEOHRN annual general meeting.
There will be a limited number of travel bursaries available to BCEOHRN student members.You must be a BCEOHRN member to attend to qualify for these bursaries and to attend this event. Membership to BCEOHRN is free- to join go to http://www.bceohrn.ca/ and follow the instructions under the Join Us tab at the top of the homepage.
BCEOHRN is working in collaboration with CARWH 2012 Conference organizers and their official host, WorkSafeBC, to develop an exciting and cross-cutting program that will maximize networking and learning opportunities for BCEOHRN members.
If you would like to suggest a topic or theme for consideration in programming, or would like to volunteer for the organizing committee, please send an email to BCEOHRN 2012 Workshop organizing chair, Dr. Heather Stewart at bceohrn2012@gmail.com
More information on the program, abstract submission and registration for this event will be made available in early 2012. Stay tuned!!!
For more information about the CARWH 2012 Conference, please go to http://www.carwh2012.com/.

The Open Data Pilot is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to open government, which is being pursued along three streams: open data, open information and open dialogue, and aims to drive innovation and economic opportunities for all Canadians.
The Open Data Pilot seeks to improve the ability of the public to find, download and use Government of Canada data. You are invited to search the catalogue, download datasets and explore the possibilities of Open Data.
Details: here

The IRSST is making accessible the scientific information documented by its Strategic Watch Department. Aimed at all audiences, but particularly the scientific community and OHS professionals and stakeholders, these blogs cover OHS, Noise and vibration, Contaminants, Work context , Protective equipment, Machine safety, Occupational rehabilitation, OHS statistics, Musculoskeletal disorders.
Details: here

Throughout the academic year, UBC’s School of Environmental Health (SOEH) hosts a weekly research seminar open to all members of the University community and to the public. SOEH now uses Live Classroom - state-of-the-art technology that provides an interactive online learning experience.
The seminars are open to the general public - no registration is required.
Details: here

Environment Canada updated results of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) initiative. Key findings at the national level are as follows:
Air quality:
Exposure to ground level ozone levels has increased in Canada 13% between 1990 and 2007. There were no significant changes in exposure to fine particulates for the period 2000-
2007.
Water quality:
The majority of rivers and lakes in Canada have fair or better water quality. Of the sites monitored, 82% rated freshwater quality as “excellent”, “good” or “fair”, and 18% rated freshwater quality as “marginal” and “poor”.
Greenhouse gases:
Canada’s 2008 greenhouse gas emissions decreased 2.1% from 2007 levels.
Protected areas (new this year):
Canada has protected 9.4% or 939,993 square kilometers of its land as of mid-2009. About 0.6% of its marine territory has been protected. There has been an increase of approximately 81% of the overall area protected since 1990.
For all of the updated information, link to the CESI indicators site here.

Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey: Healthy Aging The Canadian Community Health Survey focuses on the health of Canadians aged 45 and over by examining the various factors that have an impact on healthy aging, such as general health and well being, the use of health care services, social participation, and work and retirement transitions. The data were collected from December 2008 to November 2009, and about 30,900 individuals aged 45 years and older in the provinces were interviewed. The data are now available through the Statistics Canada website

A First Nations environmental health guide, Your Health at Home, was also launched to provide useful information and practical tips for First Nations to keep their homes safer and healthier.
More information on the First Nations guide can be found here

The Government of Canada launched a four-year public education campaign to help make Canadian families more aware of the environmental health risks around them. As part of the campaign, Hazardcheck, a guide that provides simple advice that Canadians can take to keep their homes safer and healthier for themselves and their children.
For more information on the guide, please visit the website

The federal government recently decided to eliminate the mandatory long-form census in favour of a voluntary survey. This is an unfortunate news for occupational and environmental health researchers and those working in occupational and environmental health surveillance as it will prevent access to quality data about the state of the Canadian population for a wide range of relevant indicators. Arguably, a voluntary long form would result in a non-representative sample of the Canadian population and therefore would be of limited value for generalisable research. A reduction in information about the Canadian population, in turn, restricts knowledge available for all kinds of resource allocation and policy decisions, including those related to occupational and environmental health.

Those wishing more information about this issue can refer to recent media articles:
• Globe & Mail
• CBC
• Toronto Star

If you wish to voice your opinion about this decision, you can take part in a web petition, which has been started to protest this move to make the long census form voluntary. It can be found here .
Also, the Digital Economy Consultation federal website has a voting poll to save the Census (note registration is required). Click here for more details.

BCEOHRN members who were disappointed to learn that BCEOHRN is no longer able to provide WebEx service will be pleased to learn of a free alternative.

If your team is interested in free web conferencing, explore Dim Dim (desktop sharing) and Skype (audio):

Dimdim.com

Skype.com

New BCEOHRN Mentorship Special Interest Group!
Workplace Bullying SIG

This Special Interest Group is created to seek participation and initiate discussion from researchers, students and professionals interested in the topic of workplace bullying and to find solutions for the problem of workplace bullying. Workplace bullying is a leading cause of ill health and reduced safety and well-being for people on the job in all sectors and at all levels of employment in the province. In health science related fields these include study of people who bully and the effect their behaviour has on targets, on bystanders, and on the workplace environment overall in terms of physical and psychological illness, absenteeism, disability, return to work obstacles, and the potential for violence. As well as study in these areas, there is a need for data, diagnostics, and metrics to measure the negative effects and then the effectiveness of remedies.

Details: Workplace Bullying SIG webpage

In September a paper newsletter and flyer for the AGM being held in November in Vancouver was mailed to select groups and members. Mailing a paper newsletter is part of BCEOHRN’s communications strategy, aimed at raising awareness of the Network and its operations by encouraging recipients to post these materials for others’ interest. BCEOHRN materials are printed using water-based inks on recycled content paper to reduce their environmental footprint.

BCEOHRN endeavours to reduce its impact on the environment to the greatest extent possible through all of its operations: by encouraging the use of web-based technologies to reduce carbon emissions created by travel; by reducing the use of paper and encouraging members to likewise do so; and by managing events and meetings using green principles.

For BCEOHRN’s green tips, download "Going Carbon Neutral for HoPNs" (pdf).