Health & Safety

Should I Fill Out an E.I.R.?

Of course you should!!!!  You are probably asking "what is an EIR?"  This acronym stands for Employee Incident Report.  This report is absolutely vital in all incidents of injury, no matter how small.  You can never predict whether or not what you think is a minor injury might be a bigger one a few days or even months later.  These forms are available in every site office in our board.  Should you have even a minor injury you should ask for a form and fill in the portion required by the employee and then submit it to the office so that the administrator can complete their portion.  Without taking this step quickly, at the time of an incident, then you could find later that a claim to WSIB might not be accepted. Be proactive and protect yourself. You would not be punished for filling in an E.I.R..

Standing on Chairs - A Big NO NO!

As an ongoing pursuit to reduce accidents by workers our board is proactive in their steps to protect workers.

Each school has been provided step ladders to be used by staff when they need to work at levels that require minimum height. ALL STAFF ARE ADVISED THAT YOU SHOULD USE A STEP LADDER TO REACH HIGHER PLACES AND THAT YOU ARE NOT TO STAND ON A CHAIR. Standing on a chair will place you at risk of a fall and a possible injury.No member should be working at a height that exceeds 10 feet unless they are properly trained to work at that height.

Keeping That Voice in Top Shape

The following article appeared in the Toronto Star on Friday, December 15, 2006.  It is good advice for all those that use their voice and particularly good advice for Occasional Teachers.

AVOID:

  • excessive loud laughing, cheering or screaming/shouting, constant throat clearing and coughing, straining of voice,changes in pitch and loudness

  • speaking in noisy places without proper amplification

  • speaking with an upper respiratory infection, sore throat or when losing your voice-mouth breathing in cold weather highly spiced foods

DO:

  • filter out the dust and maintain proper humidity levels in home and work environments.  If dry, use a humidifier- stay in smoke and dust-free environments

  • make sure medications do not dry your throat

  • substitute skim milk and ice milk for whole milk and ice cream

  • rest your voice regularly-use sugarless gum and sugarless candy to relax the system and to create saliva

  • drink warm liquids such as herbal teas and water regularly

  • drink water frequently- work on your voice and train it, with guidance from professionals

  • practise breathing and relaxation exercises

  • open your mouth and move your lips and tongue to speak; speaking with your lips closed muffles the sound

  • practise good posture

  • find the maximum resonance in your face and chest to produce your fullest sound.  Then soften it to find different tones.  Treat your body as your instrument.