Recognizing occupational and environmental hazards

Session details

Date:

Time:

Location:

Zoom videoconferencing

Didactic presentation by:

Victoria Arrandale

Session objectives

At the end of this session, participants should be able to:

  1. Describe the common types of occupational hazards
  2. Identify the occupational exposure limits that may apply to an individual worker
  3. Develop questions that will help to better understand a worker’s occupational exposures

Session resources

Community Legal Clinics in Ontario
Community legal clinics provide information, advice, and representation on various legal issues, including social assistance, housing, refugee and immigration law, employment law, human rights, workers' compensation, consumer law, and the Canada Pension Plan. Some legal clinics do not handle all of these issues, but staff may be able to refer you to someone who can help. Source: Community Legal Education Ontario
Community Legal Clinics in Toronto
A map of legal clinics in Toronto. Available in various languages. Source: City of Toronto
COPM The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure
The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure is an evidence-based outcome measure designed to capture a client’s self-perception of performance in everyday living, over time. Originally published in 1991, it is used in over 40 countries and has been translated into more than 35 languages. Source: COPM
Didactic presentation: Recognizing occupational and environmental hazards
In this presentation, Dr. Victoria Arrandale discusses common types of occupational hazards, exposure limits that may apply to an individual worker's job, and questions that can help you understand a worker’s occupational exposures.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD 7)
Developed to screen for and diagnose Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Often used as a general screener for anxiety. Source: GAD 7 Anxiety
Human Rights at Work 2008 - Third Edition: IV. 8. Meeting the accommodation needs of employees on the job
This resource can be helpful in gaining an understanding of the type of information that can be shared with the employer to accommodate an employee. Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission
Measuring health and disability: manual for WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (‎WHODAS 2.0)‎
This manual summarizes the methodology used to develop WHODAS 2.0 and the findings obtained when the schedule was applied to certain areas of general health, including mental and neurological disorders. The manual will be useful to any researcher or clinician wishing to use WHODAS 2.0 in their practice. Source: World Health Organization
OCF-3 Disability Certificate
OCF-3 disability forms are auto Insurance claim forms commonly used by motor vehicle insurance companies in Ontario. Source: Financial Services Commission of Ontario
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
A good screening tool for Major Depressive Disorder. Source: PHQ-9
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
A good self-report measure for screening for PTSD. Source: National Center for PTSD
World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0
The WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) is a self-report tool that helps clients report on their abilities and limitations in multiple functional domains. This tool is available in the public domain and in multiple languages. Source: World Health Organization
WSIB Forms
All WSIB forms can be found here. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
WSIB Functional Abilities Form (FAF)
The Functional Abilities Form is primarily a communication tool for the workplace parties. It is completed by the treating health professional, and provides the employer and the injured/ill worker with a common frame of reference about the worker's functional abilities to identify jobs that are suitable for the worker. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
WSIB Health Professional's Report (Form 8)
The Health Professional's Report should be used by a health professional when a patient states that a physical injury or illness is related to his or her work or when the health professional believes that it is. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

About presenter

Dr. Victoria Arrandale is an assistant professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and a registered occupational hygienist (ROH). She also leads a working group on data and intelligence as part of Ontario’s Occupational Disease Action Plan, an initiative to align the province's health and safety system activities related to occupational exposure and disease.

Arrandale’s research focuses on the measurement of workplace exposures and the assessment of exposure in occupational epidemiology. Her work has examined exposures in a variety of workplaces including mining, construction, nail salons and electronic waste recycling facilities.

Case presentations

Most of the learning in ECHO happens through presenting and discussing case presentations. If you have a case you would like to present, please submit a completed case presentation form to the ECHO OEM project coordinator.

Physicians presenting a case may bill OHIP for case conferences (billing codes K707 or K701).