DECEMber 2016                                                               FRAN�AIS
SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS
TAKE CARE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

In the lead-up to the holiday season, you may find yourself scrambling around a lot. It's easy to get caught up in  shopping for gifts and preparing for holiday dinners with friends and family. However, with the snow flurries, icy ground, and darker days, it's more important than ever to pay attention to your surroundings and avoid slips, trips, or falls.

Your risk of slips, trips, and falls increase in the winter months, but we're here to remind you that these injuries are preventable. Remember to:
  • Wear appropriate footwear that fits well;
  • Plan ahead and take your time; and
  • Pay attention to your surroundings.
Slips, trips, and falls are preventable. Take care and stay safe this holiday season; safety is always #worthit.
ANNUAL PAYROLL REPORT
SUBMIT AS EARLY AS JANUARY 3, 2017

Employers, in early December you received information about submitting your Annual Payroll Report (APR). All businesses must be on WSCC Connect to report APR, and will receive a notification that contains details about submitting your APR online.

Past methods of mailing or faxing your reports are no longer accepted.

You can submit your APR beginning January 3, 2017. The deadline for submitting is February 28, 2017.

We're here to help! If you need assistance, contact Employer Services or call toll-free 1-800-661-0792.
THE POWER OF SHARING

Northerners have always depended on each other and worked together. It's what we do.

This is why the WSCC created Safety Share, an online forum where employers can share information, ask questions, collaborate, and gain easy access to important WSCC safety information.

Safety Share supports dialogue in both English and French. It groups discussions into six categories to help employers easily identify topics of interest. The categories are: Important Safety Notices, Safety Resources, Practices Worth Sharing, Looking for Assistance, In the News, and General Discussion. Engage in discussions; post pictures or links; comment on posts; and use the polling feature to get feedback on questions with pre-set answers.

Safety Share is accessible through the WSCC website or at www.safetyshare.wscc.nt.ca.
PERSONAL OPTIONAL COVERAGE DUE
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: DECEMBER 31, 2016

If you are a business owner, partner, registered director, or self-employed, you do not automatically receive WSCC coverage through your employment. To receive WSCC coverage, you need to sign up for Personal Optional Coverage, which provides you with the same benefits as other workers in case of workplace disease and injury.

You can apply for coverage for as little as one month and up to one full year. You need to renew your coverage each year, and renewals are due on December 31, 2016.

To view and fill out the Personal Optional Coverage form, please click here, or email Employer Services in the Northwest Territories or Nunavut for more information.
REPORT UNSAFE WORK
IF YOU WITNESS IT, REPORT IT

The Report Unsafe Work e-service is a unique service to WSCC Connect: it is geared towards everyone, meaning you do not require an account to access this service. We recognize that anyone can witness a situation, hazard, or condition that may expose a person to risk of injury or occupational disease. Report Unsafe Work is therefore the tool that everyone can use to report these incidents to the WSCC.

While it is true that anyone can access this service - and do so anonymously - do not forget that as a worker, your first responsibility when witnessing unsafe work in your workplace is to report the situation to your supervisor. Together, you and your supervisor can assess the hazardous condition and if unresolved, take the next step of reporting it through the Report Unsafe Work e-service.

When outside your workplace, however, you can report unsafe work to us anytime you encounter or witness a hazardous situation in your community. It is our duty to each other to keep everyone safe. If you see any unsafe acts or conditions, or worksite hazards, report it. Do you see someone working on a rooftop without a harness? Report it. Notice a lone worker clearing brush and trees from a power line right-of-way without a second worker or supervisor nearby? Report it.

The WSCC receives notification when a Report of Unsafe Work has been submitted, and will determine the next steps required based on the information provided. If you submit your Report of Unsafe Work anonymously, the WSCC will not contact you. You will still be able to view the status of the report by the confirmation number supplied, and by accessing WSCC Connect and clicking on "View Unsafe Work Reports." Specific details such as names or addresses will be removed from the description before it is posted to WSCC Connect.

To access the Report Unsafe Work e-service, visit wscc.nt.ca or wscc.nu.ca and click on Report Unsafe Work under the "I Want To..." Frequently Asked Questions list. Alternately, go to WSCC Connect and click on the Report Unsafe Work icon under OHS e-Services.
POLICY CHANGES

The Governance Council reviewed and approved the following policies at its December 2016 meeting:
  • Policy 00.01, Policy Creation and Revision
  • Policy 00.03, Interjurisdictional Agreement
  • Policy 00.07, Stakeholder Engagement
  • Policy 02.03, Personal Optional Coverage
Please refer to the WSCC Policy Manual to view all WSCC policies.
HOLIDAY REMINDER
CHRISTMAS OFFICE CLOSURES

During the holiday season, WSCC offices will close at 5:00 PM local time on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, and reopen at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

To report a serious workplace injury or incident, call 1-800-661-0792. To report unsafe work, use the Report Unsafe Work e-Service available via WSCC Connect.

From all of us at the WSCC, we wish you a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to working with you in 2017.
This information will soon be available in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun on our website.

wscc.nt.ca   /  1.800.661.0792   *   wscc.nu.ca  /  1.877.404.4407